Religious and social justice organisations are a vital part of the community. “Major issues at the intersection of gender and social justice... Because they involve understandings of justice and well-being for individuals and groups, gender-related social and political debates inevitably implicate moral and religious questions” (Fried, 2008). For this reason, among others, charitable organisations that are religious in nature can be very effective in the area of social justice.
The internet has opened up a new portal for religious and social justice organisations to get their message across. Young people in particular are participating more and more in online communities and religion. Mia Lovheim (2004) stated that a 1998 survey showed one in six Californian teens expected the internet to become a substitute for their current religious practices. This also means however that there is a new element of competition. The content of an organisations website can decide whether or not they will gain or lose support. Websites like GuideStar and Charity Navigator are further stepping up the need for honest and effective online communication.
According to Megan Wilson (2003) there are six criteria which may be used to evaluate non-profit web sites; the useability of the web site; its educational value, its effectiveness of conveying the mission of the organisation, its layout and content, its accessibility and the frequency of updating information. These are the criteria that will be used to evaluate and compare the websites of Uniting Care and St Vincent de Paul.
The home pages of both websites are remarkably different considering their deeper content is very similar. The first thing that greets you on the St Vincent de Paul website are several links to make donations to various appeals, before you are even told anything about the organisation. Uniting Care’s homepage is all about setting the tone of the organisation, information about their work and images to represent inclusion and diversity are the main focus. The mission statements are easily viewable on both websites and are backed up by and expanded on with practical goals and aims. Spirituality and social justice are key components of both mission statements as are their religious ties. For Uniting Care the mission statement is directly tied to the Uniting Church’s goals, values and aims because they are funded and run by them. St Vincent de Paul emulates the ideals of the catholic church without actually being directly linked to a specific church. For the Uniting Church this connection is a positive one as it allows them to bridge the gap between religious, political and social issues. The religious connection is not so helpful for St Vincent de Paul; it only seems to limit their work to groups deemed suitable by the church. Neither organisation officially requires their members, volunteers or the people they help to be Christian there is a tone to the St Vincent de Paul mission that suggests otherwise.
Social justice issues is an important component of both mission statements. Realistically, only Uniting Care accomplishes a commentary on this. St Vincent de Paul manage to deliver several mixed messages in their political statements and almost no social commentary. On one page they describe themselves as apolitical and on another they are pushing issues for the election. Uniting Care has expanded their services in recent years particularly in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community. While this is reflected in the media it is not so on the Uniting Care national website which I consider to be an oversight by Uniting Care as it could attract many people to their cause (Cook, 2008)(Zwartz, 2006). The single most common piece of media communication about St Vincent de Paul is an article detailing their loss in a discrimination lawsuit where an volunteer was pushed out of the organisation because she isn’t catholic.
Quality, quantity and accessibility of information are an essential part of a website. An effective search tool is a vital component of this. The St Vincent de Paul search tool is run by Google and very difficult to use although it is mercifully free of ad space. Using the search engine it was difficult to come up with links that were related to the organisation and/or search topic. Uniting Care’s search engine was much more user-friendly and the advanced search options were easily accessible. This is a pattern that was repeated throughout the website perusal. Most of the information available on both websites is catered towards getting people involved, financially or otherwise, in their cause. St Vincent de Paul really fail themselves here not by lack of information but in layout. A great deal can be learned about the organisation, its work and partners from their website but because of poor design it can be difficult to find.
While first impressions may not always be accurate, they are important and for many people a website is now the first port-of-call in an information search. Overall, both websites struck a positive note and got their message of peace, social justice and inclusion through Christian values across. In terms of the quantity and quality of information available, St Vincent de Paul was far more convincing about their organisations goals and activities but because of the superior design of Uniting Care’s website, media communication and search engine a person looking at both organisation purely online would be lead more towards Uniting Care. Also, given the small hypocrisies in St Vincent de Paul’s mission statement and their lack of any communication on social justice and therefore political issues they are clearly failing in some of their primary goals.
References
Cook, Rachel (2008) "Honours for Youth Worker", Melbourne Community Voice, Accessed: http://mcv.e-p.net.au/news/honours-for-youth-worker-5109.html
Fried, Adam (ed.) (2008) “Pulpit Politics: Gender, religion, and social justice in 2008”, Accessed: http://www.fordham.edu/academics/office_of_research/research_centers__in/center_for_ethics_ed/calendar_of_events/2008_pulpit_politics/
Lovheim, Mia “Young people, religious identity and the internet in Dawson”, L., Cowan, D. (eds.), Religion online: finding faith on the Internet, New York: Routledge, 2004, ch. 5 pp. 59-73
Wilson, M (2003) “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nonprofit Web Sites”, Accessed: http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/webbuilding/archives/page9370.cfm
Zwartz, Barney (2006) "Good News for Gay Clergy", The Age, Accessed: http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/good-news-for-gay-clergy/2006/07/11/1152383741260.html
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Viviana Gomez-Sanchez-Critical Review- Rocha, Cristina, (2006)
Cristina Rocha’s study analyses the Brazilian diasporic community in Australia. According to her research, social class plays a more meaningful role than ethnicity in the Brazilian diasporic community. Also, it is argued that religious preferences in the host country reflect the location in the Brazilian social hierarchy.
This study focuses on two religious groups in Sydney, The World Revival Church and Seed of Light. On one hand the World Revival Church represents the lower class Brazilians, while on the other, Seed of Light is patronised by upper class Brazilians.
As shown in this study, each religious group has a different doctrine but both seek to “support pressures and anxieties of migrants” (Rocha 2006:). However, the two main points revealed in this study are: 1) the different doctrines used to reduce anxieties and problems, and 2) the differentiation in social classes between both groups, including differences in technological access and relationships with their respective followers.
The World Revival Church which belongs to the lower class focuses on scriptures, biblical teachings and Jesus as doctrines to follow in order to calm their anxiety. This group would almost certainly struggle to access technology for the development of its community, thereby restricting their ability to expand and propagate their doctrines to others. Furthermore, this restriction negates any improvement of interaction between members in order to facilitate the sharing of experiences.
Seed of Light which belongs to the upper class concentrates its doctrine on the idea of spiritual evolution through reincarnation. This group is known to have benefitted from the use of technology, and has thus witnessed a proliferation in members. The uses of the internet and other technologies have led the community to embrace Seed of Light. Members are able to manage their problems of loneliness and adaptation through mediums who work in consultation for personal problems. Moreover, these advocates provided continual encouragement for members to share experiences or problems and help create solutions.
Throughout this study of Brazilian diasporic communities in Sydney, the differentiation in social classes between two different religious groups is clearly demonstrated. Further in her research, Rocha reveals how each group differentiates in their practices and development because of their disparate social statuses.
This study focuses on two religious groups in Sydney, The World Revival Church and Seed of Light. On one hand the World Revival Church represents the lower class Brazilians, while on the other, Seed of Light is patronised by upper class Brazilians.
As shown in this study, each religious group has a different doctrine but both seek to “support pressures and anxieties of migrants” (Rocha 2006:). However, the two main points revealed in this study are: 1) the different doctrines used to reduce anxieties and problems, and 2) the differentiation in social classes between both groups, including differences in technological access and relationships with their respective followers.
The World Revival Church which belongs to the lower class focuses on scriptures, biblical teachings and Jesus as doctrines to follow in order to calm their anxiety. This group would almost certainly struggle to access technology for the development of its community, thereby restricting their ability to expand and propagate their doctrines to others. Furthermore, this restriction negates any improvement of interaction between members in order to facilitate the sharing of experiences.
Seed of Light which belongs to the upper class concentrates its doctrine on the idea of spiritual evolution through reincarnation. This group is known to have benefitted from the use of technology, and has thus witnessed a proliferation in members. The uses of the internet and other technologies have led the community to embrace Seed of Light. Members are able to manage their problems of loneliness and adaptation through mediums who work in consultation for personal problems. Moreover, these advocates provided continual encouragement for members to share experiences or problems and help create solutions.
Throughout this study of Brazilian diasporic communities in Sydney, the differentiation in social classes between two different religious groups is clearly demonstrated. Further in her research, Rocha reveals how each group differentiates in their practices and development because of their disparate social statuses.
Review website Mission Australia
By Marjolein Voortman
These days, the Internet becomes a more and more important and even required way of informing people about organisations. Their websites make it possible not only to provide essential information about their goals and mission, but also to do this in a way that makes it possible for viewers to actively involve themselves in the organisations and to determine what their own role can be, in terms of achieving the organisation’s goals through their policy. Considering the speed in which people tend to surf the Internet, it’s needless to say that the direct and indirect quality of these websites are of great influence on their effectiveness. I will now review the website of Mission Australia.
Inspired by Jesus Christ, Mission Australia exists to meet human need and to spread the knowledge of the love of God. This is the official founding purpose of Mission Australia. It indicates a direct link to Christianity and is further supported by a quite famous quote from Matthew and another one from John, both sported on the mission and goals page. The website is obviously trying to make us move; the “Donate Now” application is continuously present and we are also informed about the possibility of adding them on Facebook and MySpace. The latter are quite important, as it makes a direct connection to websites that are incredible popular among youngsters and therefore will be able to make a relatively ‘unpopular’ topic (at least for an important part of the younger generation) more accessible, maybe even for non-religious youngsters.
When it comes to the layout, there have been made some smart choices for this website. The colours, black, white, grey and red, are quite calm without being boring, which makes it pleasant and easy to look through all the information. The ‘News’ application has been made a moving one, so that is draws immediate attention. The language that is sported throughout the entire website is welcoming and accessible. Also, there is the opportunity of making every page into a printable one, which is very suitable for them who are not too keen on spending that much time in front of a computer (older people, for example). Noticeable is the fact that Mission Australia tries to personalize the website by showing us their main employees – in word and picture - and adding clients’ stories and news articles that tell about specific families and communities that are helped by them, and in my opinion they succeed in this. Because the website provides a huge amount of information which is vital but can be a little dry here and there, it is important for the viewer to have the opportunity to read about the stories and the actual consequences of the deeds of the organisation. Also, the website provides us with the story of how the ‘mission family’ did arise, which makes the viewer feel even more involved.
Mission Australia is at some points very explicit about their Christian motivation on their website, and explain their moves simply by stating that “Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. So, we also ought to lay down our lives for others. (John)” There are still quite a lot of people who feel that God and the Internet do not go well together, for God is not a machine, but a spirit (Henderson, 2000) The Mission Australia website however forms a good example of how the Internet is turning out to be a quite unique new way to bring religion further into the world, without being cold or disenchanting (Jakobs, 2006). That being said, I am quite surprised that apart from the mentioned quotes, there’s hardly any mentioning of religion on most of the site’s pages. This might be because they feel this is obvious enough, considering the explicitness of the quotes on which the viewer stumbles almost immediately when entering the website. By not “rubbing it in”, I, as a non-religious viewer, still felt welcome and comfortable into their organisation.
I think this website is a very effective one, mainly because of the accessibility: for young, old, religious, non-religious, Australian, non-Australian, computer nerd and computer hater. Not only is this in general a positive effect of their website, but it also is consistent with the message they are trying to send out to us: a message of support and love, including everyone.
References
Henderson, C. (2000), The Internet As A Metaphor For God?, Cross Currents, vol. 50, no. 1/2
Jakobs, Doris R, (2006), Understanding Religion And Cyberspace, What Have We Learned, What Lies Ahead?, Religious Studies Review, vol. 32, no. 4, p. 237-242
www.missionaustralia.com.au
These days, the Internet becomes a more and more important and even required way of informing people about organisations. Their websites make it possible not only to provide essential information about their goals and mission, but also to do this in a way that makes it possible for viewers to actively involve themselves in the organisations and to determine what their own role can be, in terms of achieving the organisation’s goals through their policy. Considering the speed in which people tend to surf the Internet, it’s needless to say that the direct and indirect quality of these websites are of great influence on their effectiveness. I will now review the website of Mission Australia.
Inspired by Jesus Christ, Mission Australia exists to meet human need and to spread the knowledge of the love of God. This is the official founding purpose of Mission Australia. It indicates a direct link to Christianity and is further supported by a quite famous quote from Matthew and another one from John, both sported on the mission and goals page. The website is obviously trying to make us move; the “Donate Now” application is continuously present and we are also informed about the possibility of adding them on Facebook and MySpace. The latter are quite important, as it makes a direct connection to websites that are incredible popular among youngsters and therefore will be able to make a relatively ‘unpopular’ topic (at least for an important part of the younger generation) more accessible, maybe even for non-religious youngsters.
When it comes to the layout, there have been made some smart choices for this website. The colours, black, white, grey and red, are quite calm without being boring, which makes it pleasant and easy to look through all the information. The ‘News’ application has been made a moving one, so that is draws immediate attention. The language that is sported throughout the entire website is welcoming and accessible. Also, there is the opportunity of making every page into a printable one, which is very suitable for them who are not too keen on spending that much time in front of a computer (older people, for example). Noticeable is the fact that Mission Australia tries to personalize the website by showing us their main employees – in word and picture - and adding clients’ stories and news articles that tell about specific families and communities that are helped by them, and in my opinion they succeed in this. Because the website provides a huge amount of information which is vital but can be a little dry here and there, it is important for the viewer to have the opportunity to read about the stories and the actual consequences of the deeds of the organisation. Also, the website provides us with the story of how the ‘mission family’ did arise, which makes the viewer feel even more involved.
Mission Australia is at some points very explicit about their Christian motivation on their website, and explain their moves simply by stating that “Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. So, we also ought to lay down our lives for others. (John)” There are still quite a lot of people who feel that God and the Internet do not go well together, for God is not a machine, but a spirit (Henderson, 2000) The Mission Australia website however forms a good example of how the Internet is turning out to be a quite unique new way to bring religion further into the world, without being cold or disenchanting (Jakobs, 2006). That being said, I am quite surprised that apart from the mentioned quotes, there’s hardly any mentioning of religion on most of the site’s pages. This might be because they feel this is obvious enough, considering the explicitness of the quotes on which the viewer stumbles almost immediately when entering the website. By not “rubbing it in”, I, as a non-religious viewer, still felt welcome and comfortable into their organisation.
I think this website is a very effective one, mainly because of the accessibility: for young, old, religious, non-religious, Australian, non-Australian, computer nerd and computer hater. Not only is this in general a positive effect of their website, but it also is consistent with the message they are trying to send out to us: a message of support and love, including everyone.
References
Henderson, C. (2000), The Internet As A Metaphor For God?, Cross Currents, vol. 50, no. 1/2
Jakobs, Doris R, (2006), Understanding Religion And Cyberspace, What Have We Learned, What Lies Ahead?, Religious Studies Review, vol. 32, no. 4, p. 237-242
www.missionaustralia.com.au
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thanks for the GREAT posts
Hi everyone, Thank you for the effort you have shown in your posts. It is thrilling to see the range and variety of articles. Hope you read each others and give some good feedback. Sylvie
Sam Stark - website review
In every religion there are organizations designed to spread faith to people around the world. Often these groups tend to be very charitable and focus on outreach to the community at large. Through volunteer work, traveling, fundraising and producing various types of materials, organizations are able to spread their beliefs and opinions all over the world. My cousin Christy is a youth pastor at an Evangelical church back in the
Originating in
Sojourner’s mission is to “articulate the biblical call to social justice, inspiring hope and building a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church, and the world.” They go about spreading their word through their magazine, mail and more that discuss issues of faith, politics and culture based on teachings of the Bible. They also bring together people from different cultures, traditions and branches of the church to build a strong, solid community. Sojourner’s also hosts a program of volunteer work to encourage others to volunteer and to give back.
A unique trait of Sojourner’s is the simple fact that it is so dedicated to helping struggling churches. Through the Call to Renewal program, Sojourner’s was able to connect churches with less fortunate churches in order to support and help them with their continuation of faith. I enjoyed learning about Sojourner’s because they seem very accepting and open. I feel that volunteer organizations such as this should be all encompassing and should preach love to all. In order to be an effective organization, I believe that it should be non-discriminatory and to encourage love and acceptance rather than attempting to convert people or to change their religious beliefs. Instead, all groups should be working together to achieve a common goal, of love and hope. Sojourners seems to have a similar opinion as I do and I love that they work with different faiths and that they help other organizations.
I read through one of the editions of the Sojourner’s magazine and noticed that all the articles and columns are about positive ways that their community is helping the world, they have articles talking about unhealthy body issues and eating disorders and about a group who is helping churches support rape victims. There is art and music and uplifting articles and stories about the community. The magazine definitely works to encourage others to get involved and to join in and become one with them. They are a positive organization filled with love and support. This is definitely an effective organization that strives to include all people in their love of each other and God.
works cited:
Willis, Jim http://www.sojo.net/
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Stuart Ross Oxfam Review
Oxfam Australia has been established in one form or another since 1953, when it was founded as a church-affiliated group known then as the Food for Peace Campaign. Since then it has undergone several name changes and since joining the global Oxfam collective it has evolved from an organisation solely concentrating their efforts on food distribution to one focused on all aspects of social justice. Their aims relate to a fair world in which human rights are upheld, natives have an active voice in the decisions made around them and the sustainability of both jobs for locals and the environment is achieved. These goals are admirable and ambitious - qualities that are reflected in Oxfam Australia’s choice of campaigns – which speaks to the determination of the organisation and its advocates, however it is virtually impossible for one organisation to cover so many bases.
Oxfam Australia’s website homepage does not hold back from providing its viewers with as many opportunities as possible to become involved in their campaigns, whether it involves writing letters to clothing companies asking them to take responsibility for the workers in their overseas production factories as in their Labour Rights campaign or sponsoring a team in their Trailwalker event which raises money to fight world poverty. The website is easy to navigate and provides more ways to “Get Active” on every new page, in addition to promoting socially conscious decisions people can start making immediately. It is essentially a motivational website designed to provide people with the information they may require to become involved while also presenting the prospect of doing so in a light that is very community orientated which, should someone feel the desire to become part of something bigger, would certainly be very appealing.
This idea of community is legitimised by the fact that Oxfam Australia is indeed part of the “global movement” of Oxfam, however the way that fact is presented on the home page, or the fact that it is presented on the homepage at all, markets it as a selling point for recruits and in doing so directly demonstrates the effect of globalisation within the realm of social justice groups. It suggests that it’s not good enough anymore for an organisation to be fighting a cause independently, it has to be part of some global collective. In reality it is fair to say that collaboration between organisations worldwide (or divisions of the same organisation) in an effort to further the cause, whatever it might be, is a positive thing and can arguably provide results faster – after all, two heads are better than one. However, when this collaboration deviates from being used as a practical means of achieving results and becomes a marketing tool, it suggests that the focus has shifted and social justice has given way to recruitment. The increasingly global nature of Oxfam and such organisations is reflective of the trend in religion, which we see represented in the increase in Pentecostalism in India for example (Thomas, 3).
One of the key aspects of globalisation today is the use of media, which has become a tool Oxfam and religion share. Each year Oxfam Australia sponsors the Melbourne Comedy Festival Gala which in return runs the event like a telethon, screening segments featuring comics talking about the work of Oxfam and asking for donations, all while the phone number flashes below them. This action clearly depicts Oxfam Australia’s stature as an organisation that is well aware of what it can achieve through use of the media and in essence demonstrates its capability as a business, which is typically not how one thinks of a charity. This once again sheds light on the similarities shared between modern religion and Oxfam Australia, as bigger Pentecostal churches like Hillsong are also run like a business (Ferguson, np). It is evident that Oxfam also know how to use publicity to their advantage in that as part of their Labour Rights campaign they name several large global sporting companies and call on them to address the rights of their workers, but also mention that there are several smaller, lesser-known companies that equally need to address the issue, however they are not named. This could be for any number of reasons but the most obvious is because everyone knows the large sporting companies and if they receive enough bad publicity they will be forced to act, rendering the strategy of Oxfam, if that is indeed their strategy, a solid one.
Despite the similarities Oxfam Australia and indeed Oxfam international share with modern, globalised religion, there exists a fundamental difference between them – Oxfam is a secular organisation. Although the organisation that is now Oxfam Australia originally began as a church-affiliated organisation, Oxfam is not. Regardless of this lack of religious influence it continues to provide aid to all manner of those in need, not discriminating against any race or religion. This demonstrates that no correlation needs to necessarily exist between religion and social justice in order for the efforts of social justice to be sustainable. This is in contrast to Jo Ellen Green Kaiser’s opinion that social justice needs religion to avoid losing momentum (np). Secularisation of charitable organisations such as Oxfam is the best possible step they could have taken, as it is evident that more often than not religious groups hold certain biases and presuppositions and will not relinquish them, which could certainly negatively influence the aid given by such groups and to whom they give it to.
Oxfam’s decision to not subscribe to a particular religious denomination, thus freeing them to take on campaigns helping all varieties of people from all religious backgrounds with no bias, presents them as a secular version of a truly pluralist organisation. They don’t preach and try to convert the native people of the countries to which they provide aid; they allow them to practice their religion freely, which is the epitome of a pluralist society. In this regard Oxfam is setting a prime example for religious organisations and denominations the world over; here’s hoping they heed the message.
Despite Oxfam Australia’s obviously modern, globalised, business-like structure and willingness to use the media to its advantage, it is apparent that overall the organisation fosters positive ideals and is obviously doing very beneficial work. In addition, Oxfam’s lack of religious influence ironically provides the greatest step possible towards the acceptance of all people’s religions, and in doing so renders it a secular yet pluralistic hybrid of an organisation, which may seem like a contradiction of terms but may just be the necessary way of thinking to increase acceptance and diversity worldwide – values all people should be striving for, secular or otherwise.
List of Works Cited:
Ferguson, Adele. “God’s Millionaires.” Trinity Foundation. 26 May 2005. 27 March 2009
Kaiser, Jo Ellen Green. “Why Social Justice Needs Religion.” Zeek. December 2007. 27
March 2009
Thomas, Pradip. “Christian Fundamentalism and the Media in South India.” Media
Development: Fundamentalisms Revisited 2007/1. (2007): 1-14.
Oxfam Australia’s website homepage does not hold back from providing its viewers with as many opportunities as possible to become involved in their campaigns, whether it involves writing letters to clothing companies asking them to take responsibility for the workers in their overseas production factories as in their Labour Rights campaign or sponsoring a team in their Trailwalker event which raises money to fight world poverty. The website is easy to navigate and provides more ways to “Get Active” on every new page, in addition to promoting socially conscious decisions people can start making immediately. It is essentially a motivational website designed to provide people with the information they may require to become involved while also presenting the prospect of doing so in a light that is very community orientated which, should someone feel the desire to become part of something bigger, would certainly be very appealing.
This idea of community is legitimised by the fact that Oxfam Australia is indeed part of the “global movement” of Oxfam, however the way that fact is presented on the home page, or the fact that it is presented on the homepage at all, markets it as a selling point for recruits and in doing so directly demonstrates the effect of globalisation within the realm of social justice groups. It suggests that it’s not good enough anymore for an organisation to be fighting a cause independently, it has to be part of some global collective. In reality it is fair to say that collaboration between organisations worldwide (or divisions of the same organisation) in an effort to further the cause, whatever it might be, is a positive thing and can arguably provide results faster – after all, two heads are better than one. However, when this collaboration deviates from being used as a practical means of achieving results and becomes a marketing tool, it suggests that the focus has shifted and social justice has given way to recruitment. The increasingly global nature of Oxfam and such organisations is reflective of the trend in religion, which we see represented in the increase in Pentecostalism in India for example (Thomas, 3).
One of the key aspects of globalisation today is the use of media, which has become a tool Oxfam and religion share. Each year Oxfam Australia sponsors the Melbourne Comedy Festival Gala which in return runs the event like a telethon, screening segments featuring comics talking about the work of Oxfam and asking for donations, all while the phone number flashes below them. This action clearly depicts Oxfam Australia’s stature as an organisation that is well aware of what it can achieve through use of the media and in essence demonstrates its capability as a business, which is typically not how one thinks of a charity. This once again sheds light on the similarities shared between modern religion and Oxfam Australia, as bigger Pentecostal churches like Hillsong are also run like a business (Ferguson, np). It is evident that Oxfam also know how to use publicity to their advantage in that as part of their Labour Rights campaign they name several large global sporting companies and call on them to address the rights of their workers, but also mention that there are several smaller, lesser-known companies that equally need to address the issue, however they are not named. This could be for any number of reasons but the most obvious is because everyone knows the large sporting companies and if they receive enough bad publicity they will be forced to act, rendering the strategy of Oxfam, if that is indeed their strategy, a solid one.
Despite the similarities Oxfam Australia and indeed Oxfam international share with modern, globalised religion, there exists a fundamental difference between them – Oxfam is a secular organisation. Although the organisation that is now Oxfam Australia originally began as a church-affiliated organisation, Oxfam is not. Regardless of this lack of religious influence it continues to provide aid to all manner of those in need, not discriminating against any race or religion. This demonstrates that no correlation needs to necessarily exist between religion and social justice in order for the efforts of social justice to be sustainable. This is in contrast to Jo Ellen Green Kaiser’s opinion that social justice needs religion to avoid losing momentum (np). Secularisation of charitable organisations such as Oxfam is the best possible step they could have taken, as it is evident that more often than not religious groups hold certain biases and presuppositions and will not relinquish them, which could certainly negatively influence the aid given by such groups and to whom they give it to.
Oxfam’s decision to not subscribe to a particular religious denomination, thus freeing them to take on campaigns helping all varieties of people from all religious backgrounds with no bias, presents them as a secular version of a truly pluralist organisation. They don’t preach and try to convert the native people of the countries to which they provide aid; they allow them to practice their religion freely, which is the epitome of a pluralist society. In this regard Oxfam is setting a prime example for religious organisations and denominations the world over; here’s hoping they heed the message.
Despite Oxfam Australia’s obviously modern, globalised, business-like structure and willingness to use the media to its advantage, it is apparent that overall the organisation fosters positive ideals and is obviously doing very beneficial work. In addition, Oxfam’s lack of religious influence ironically provides the greatest step possible towards the acceptance of all people’s religions, and in doing so renders it a secular yet pluralistic hybrid of an organisation, which may seem like a contradiction of terms but may just be the necessary way of thinking to increase acceptance and diversity worldwide – values all people should be striving for, secular or otherwise.
List of Works Cited:
Ferguson, Adele. “God’s Millionaires.” Trinity Foundation. 26 May 2005. 27 March 2009
Kaiser, Jo Ellen Green. “Why Social Justice Needs Religion.” Zeek. December 2007. 27
March 2009
Thomas, Pradip. “Christian Fundamentalism and the Media in South India.” Media
Development: Fundamentalisms Revisited 2007/1. (2007): 1-14.
A Review of the Catholic Social Services Australia Website
By Taryn Horwood
Catholic Social Services Australia is an organisation that is representative of the Catholic Church’s active provision of social services in Australia. They are involved in the development of social welfare policies and programs with Catholic organisations, governments and other churches to try and achieve an essentially equal and fairer Australian society, and they operate nationally to provide services to local communities in metropolitan, regional and remote Australia. The organisation’s work is concerned with promoting the core principles of Catholic Social Teaching, whereby the dignity of the person, common good and community, preferential option for the poor and rights and responsibilities are considered fundamental. This information and more detailed descriptions of the services, vision and goals of Catholic Social Services Australia are all available on the organisation’s website which, as it is frequently evident, is promoted on behalf of Catholicism’s teachings and obligation to society. This succinct approach to social issues is the most notable feature of the website, and as this review considers the website’s presentation, its affect on users and the organisation’s image as providing a religious function in social justice issues, it will be suggested that in this case the delivery of ideas regarding social justice on the behalf of religion has failed to be accompanied by any portrayal or promotion of its meaning.
To understand the context of Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA) and its website, it is important to establish the function, meaning and significance of its existence as a religious organisation seeking to achieve social justice. In his lecture on ‘Religion and Society’, Professor A. R. Radcliffe-Brown suggests the possible necessity of religion to the structure and machinery of society, also hypothesising that some of the effects of religion may be “socially valuable” (Radcliffe-Brown 1945). Thus religion seemingly has the potential to be perceived as socially beneficial, and perhaps intrinsically linked to social well-being. In her book Religion and Social Policy, Paula D. Nesbitt (2001) notably highlights the exposure of religious charity and community assistance in comparison to accounts of negative religious behaviour; “Several articles about activities of church organisations in promoting social policies are likely to appear on an average of every month in most daily newspapers. However, unlike the news reports on religious revivals drawing thousands and media stories of violence incited by religious leaders or clergy sexual misconduct, articles about religious bodies’ peaceful actions addressing social concerns are apt to be on a back page”. Apparently beneficial but evidently lacking attention and popularity, the cause of religious organisations promoting social justice appears to need to be ‘sold’ to the public. Nesbitt’s thoughts regarding charitable religious exposure indicates the level of public reception such organisations experience, and thus the level of promotion that should be sought for religious contribution to social justice.
The CSSA website provides a detailed account of the purpose of the organisation and is quite abundant with information. With the home page of the website predominantly displaying the organisation’s logo accompanied by eye-catching photographs of people in need, people belonging to minority groups and, in contrast, people who are smiling, it is immediately evident that CSSA is involved in helping disadvantaged and needy members of the Australian community. A small blurb beneath the display confirms this conclusion, and informs the audience that CSSA is quite significant in the implementation and representation of the Catholic Church’s assistance with social issues in Australia. Media Releases and information pertaining to Governmental relations and business news are noticeably present on the home page, and various sections of the website provide information about the organisation’s services, branches, events and numerous links to media, policy and publications. The ‘About Us’ section of the site is readily informative about the organisation’s goals and motivations, which is supported by information about Catholic Social Teaching, membership, the process for donations and links to various external websites. The overall impact of the website is evidently comprehensive, with clearly presented information that demonstrates the professionalism of the organisation. However, in light of this summary of the website’s features, it can be illustrated that the proficiency of the site is informative, but fundamentally lacking in meaning.
As described above, the website is comprehensive, informative, detailed and professional. However it appears that it is so accomplished in these qualities that any apparent passion or basic enthusiasm for the cause of CSSA is absent. The pictures on the home page of the website are a powerful graphic indication of the issues the organisation focuses on, but these pictures appear to form the entirety of the organisation’s coverage of these issues. The home page is predominantly concerned with governmental and business news, namely articles relaying information about funding and the economic climate, and as a result seems akin to the financial pages of a newspaper. It is not clear whom the Mailing List information is intended for or relevant to and as for the members’ section, the eligibility and motivation for registering is not apparent. Any form of business interest in CSSA seems adequately catered for on the website, and accessing this sort of information makes the site quite ‘user-friendly’. But this means that the site does not seem to be designed for or even welcome to the general public. It is unclear how the audience is to be affected by the information on the website, except perhaps by understanding the financial workings of the organisation, and ultimately this results in a lack of inspiration and even understanding of the significance of achieving social justice. It is clear that the organisation’s mission is based on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, but the work almost seems to be obligatory and the impact of the charitable message is absent due to a lack of explanation about Catholicism’s belief in social justice and the reasons why it is an important mission for the Catholic Church. Essentially, it is evident that CSSA is a product of Catholic Social Teaching to achieve social justice, but unfortunately the website prompts more questions that it answers; why does the Catholic Church believe in social justice? Why does it endeavour to help people in need? Why is this a significant religious mission?
The Catholic Social Services Australia website is professional, informative and intuitive to use. Unfortunately, while it displays an impressive layout and sophisticated business news, it fails to convey any meaning behind being a religious organisation attempting to provide social justice, and any inspiration for the cause is lost by a lack of explanation, encouragement and passion.
In-text References
Catholic Social Services Australia. 2008. http://catholicsocialservices.org.au/
Nesbitt, P.D. 2001. Religion and Social Policy. Maryland: Rowman Altamira.
Radcliffe-Brown, A. R. 1945. Religion and Society. The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, vol. 75, no.1: 33-43.
Catholic Social Services Australia is an organisation that is representative of the Catholic Church’s active provision of social services in Australia. They are involved in the development of social welfare policies and programs with Catholic organisations, governments and other churches to try and achieve an essentially equal and fairer Australian society, and they operate nationally to provide services to local communities in metropolitan, regional and remote Australia. The organisation’s work is concerned with promoting the core principles of Catholic Social Teaching, whereby the dignity of the person, common good and community, preferential option for the poor and rights and responsibilities are considered fundamental. This information and more detailed descriptions of the services, vision and goals of Catholic Social Services Australia are all available on the organisation’s website which, as it is frequently evident, is promoted on behalf of Catholicism’s teachings and obligation to society. This succinct approach to social issues is the most notable feature of the website, and as this review considers the website’s presentation, its affect on users and the organisation’s image as providing a religious function in social justice issues, it will be suggested that in this case the delivery of ideas regarding social justice on the behalf of religion has failed to be accompanied by any portrayal or promotion of its meaning.
To understand the context of Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA) and its website, it is important to establish the function, meaning and significance of its existence as a religious organisation seeking to achieve social justice. In his lecture on ‘Religion and Society’, Professor A. R. Radcliffe-Brown suggests the possible necessity of religion to the structure and machinery of society, also hypothesising that some of the effects of religion may be “socially valuable” (Radcliffe-Brown 1945). Thus religion seemingly has the potential to be perceived as socially beneficial, and perhaps intrinsically linked to social well-being. In her book Religion and Social Policy, Paula D. Nesbitt (2001) notably highlights the exposure of religious charity and community assistance in comparison to accounts of negative religious behaviour; “Several articles about activities of church organisations in promoting social policies are likely to appear on an average of every month in most daily newspapers. However, unlike the news reports on religious revivals drawing thousands and media stories of violence incited by religious leaders or clergy sexual misconduct, articles about religious bodies’ peaceful actions addressing social concerns are apt to be on a back page”. Apparently beneficial but evidently lacking attention and popularity, the cause of religious organisations promoting social justice appears to need to be ‘sold’ to the public. Nesbitt’s thoughts regarding charitable religious exposure indicates the level of public reception such organisations experience, and thus the level of promotion that should be sought for religious contribution to social justice.
The CSSA website provides a detailed account of the purpose of the organisation and is quite abundant with information. With the home page of the website predominantly displaying the organisation’s logo accompanied by eye-catching photographs of people in need, people belonging to minority groups and, in contrast, people who are smiling, it is immediately evident that CSSA is involved in helping disadvantaged and needy members of the Australian community. A small blurb beneath the display confirms this conclusion, and informs the audience that CSSA is quite significant in the implementation and representation of the Catholic Church’s assistance with social issues in Australia. Media Releases and information pertaining to Governmental relations and business news are noticeably present on the home page, and various sections of the website provide information about the organisation’s services, branches, events and numerous links to media, policy and publications. The ‘About Us’ section of the site is readily informative about the organisation’s goals and motivations, which is supported by information about Catholic Social Teaching, membership, the process for donations and links to various external websites. The overall impact of the website is evidently comprehensive, with clearly presented information that demonstrates the professionalism of the organisation. However, in light of this summary of the website’s features, it can be illustrated that the proficiency of the site is informative, but fundamentally lacking in meaning.
As described above, the website is comprehensive, informative, detailed and professional. However it appears that it is so accomplished in these qualities that any apparent passion or basic enthusiasm for the cause of CSSA is absent. The pictures on the home page of the website are a powerful graphic indication of the issues the organisation focuses on, but these pictures appear to form the entirety of the organisation’s coverage of these issues. The home page is predominantly concerned with governmental and business news, namely articles relaying information about funding and the economic climate, and as a result seems akin to the financial pages of a newspaper. It is not clear whom the Mailing List information is intended for or relevant to and as for the members’ section, the eligibility and motivation for registering is not apparent. Any form of business interest in CSSA seems adequately catered for on the website, and accessing this sort of information makes the site quite ‘user-friendly’. But this means that the site does not seem to be designed for or even welcome to the general public. It is unclear how the audience is to be affected by the information on the website, except perhaps by understanding the financial workings of the organisation, and ultimately this results in a lack of inspiration and even understanding of the significance of achieving social justice. It is clear that the organisation’s mission is based on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, but the work almost seems to be obligatory and the impact of the charitable message is absent due to a lack of explanation about Catholicism’s belief in social justice and the reasons why it is an important mission for the Catholic Church. Essentially, it is evident that CSSA is a product of Catholic Social Teaching to achieve social justice, but unfortunately the website prompts more questions that it answers; why does the Catholic Church believe in social justice? Why does it endeavour to help people in need? Why is this a significant religious mission?
The Catholic Social Services Australia website is professional, informative and intuitive to use. Unfortunately, while it displays an impressive layout and sophisticated business news, it fails to convey any meaning behind being a religious organisation attempting to provide social justice, and any inspiration for the cause is lost by a lack of explanation, encouragement and passion.
In-text References
Catholic Social Services Australia. 2008. http://catholicsocialservices.org.au/
Nesbitt, P.D. 2001. Religion and Social Policy. Maryland: Rowman Altamira.
Radcliffe-Brown, A. R. 1945. Religion and Society. The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, vol. 75, no.1: 33-43.
Religion and Society: Short Review Essay
Ajahn Joe [Norman Joseph Smith]
Introduction
This paper reviews the English portion of the web site for Wat Thai Buddharam Incorporated (“the organisation”). The site identifies Phramaha Ekkapong Janthapoon, as the author, being responsible for “Computur [sic] and Public Relation [sic]” (Janthapoon 2009). The site’s purpose is given as: to support the Thai Buddhist community with their “spiritual, moral and cultural needs”. The site identifies that most of the families that are members of the organisation are ethnically mixed, that is, a Thai wife and Australian husband. The organisation also claims to support mixed families and strengthen the wider community. Some blended aspects of the site indicate the organisation can do this, but missing aspects indicate it does not seem to do this.
Summary
The organisation’s English version of the site prints out onto 55 A4 pages. The site has three vertical sections: a margin at both sides and the information display area in the centre. The same header is at the top of each page’s information display area. The header contains three animated sections: at the top - the name of the organisation in English and Thai (the title bar); below and to the left of the title bar - a navigation pane listing the eight sections of the site - the eighth section of the site is a webboard, a discussion forum, which encourages interactivity; and below and to the right of the title bar - a slide show which integrates sound. Below the header are two sections: a thinner interactice section on the left with a Thai and Australian flag, which can be clicked to change the language of the page viewed. Below the flags are: the organisation’s name, address and phone/fax number.
The home page tries strongly to sell the organisation as one that benefits the member families and the whole community, not just the Thai community. They claim to do this by providing their Thai cultural program. The organisation says “For the broader public, this means greater understanding of diversity and cultural exchange.” It says the program will strengthen “the entire community through its youth oriented focus. Flow-on effects extend directly to the families and the broader community.” The organisation supports Thai immigrants by supplying a social network of other Thais. It claims to help them adjust “to Australia and help create happy households” and to benefit the whole community.
Critique
The navigation pane in the header of each page makes the site very user friendly. The use of colour throughout and the animation and sound in the header make the site very attractive. Even though the site has a discussion forum, I had technical problems joining using Microsoft Internet Explorer. The Thai version of the site displayed well using Microsoft Internet Explorer, but not at all using Mozilla Firefox.
The site is out of date in some respects. There has been an Australian Buddhist monk in residence since the 4th of January 2009, but there is no mention or photograph of him on the site as a new resident. This may simply be a processing time delay, but it's now late March.
There are gaps in the information in English and many spelling mistakes. In the section called “About Us”, the page for the history of the Patron Chief Monk only has his photograph and name and no other text. In the section called “Thai Culture”, there is a heading “Kathina Ceremony” but no text, which means the reader would have to contact the organisation for the information.
Australians are invited to the festivals, where they would enjoy Thai food, handicrafts, song and dance. The questions arise: “Are the site gaps in English text, indicative of what would happen at festivals?” “Are events bilingual?” No mention is made of this.
The organisation claims to support mixed families and strengthen the community, but only mentions direct support for the Thai parent, that is the Thai wife. The children are helped to understand Thai culture, language and religion [Buddhism], so they can appreciate their “mixed” heritage and communicate with their mother’s side of the family. These services could create social capital (Cahill 2004), but the question arises: “Are both sides encouraged to embrace and celebrate the other culture or are they just taught to know the differences, which may simply lead to toleration?”
The organisation helps Australian husbands and others in the wider community to learn Thai language and culture. Thai cultural practices and their significance is explained, but there is no specific explanation of Thai manners, or cultural philosophy.
There is no evidence that the Thai wives, the mixed heritage children, or the Australian husbands are helped to integrate Thai and Australian culture. The question arises: is this due to the organisation’s creating of the imagined other (Bouma 2007)? This lack of evidence indicates a prevailing mono-ethnic attitude rather than a pluralistic attitude (Various 2009) and that simply toleration of difference may be achieved rather than a true diversity (Rock 1999). Their religion is Buddhism, which is a non-monotheistic religion. As such, it would tend not to universalise beliefs (Gross 1999), but the organisation seems to fall into ethnocentricism (Marshall 1998).
Conclusion
Generally I find the site a good resource for Australian’s interested in learning about Thai language and culture. Not being able to read the Thai version, I cannot be sure what services are made available for Thai wives, but the English version indicates that there are no resources made available by the organisation for Thais to understand and appreciate Australian culture and language, or for Australians to really understand and appreciate Thai culture.
I would recommend resources be made available by the organisation for Thais, their mixed heritage children and their spouses to understand and appreciate Australian culture and language in relation to Thai culture. Otherwise “happy households” could not be achieved, as culture clashes could not be resolved.
References
Bouma, G. D., in Beyer (2007). Religion, Globalization and Culture. Religious Resurgence, Conflict and the Transformation of Boundaries, Leiden and Boston.
Cahill, D., et al (2004). Religion, Cultural Diversity and Safeguarding Australia : A Partnership under the Australian Government's Living in Harmony Initiative. Canberra, RMIT University and Monash University. http://amf.net.au/library/file/Religion_Cultural_Diversity_Main_Report.pdf
Gross, R. M. (1999). "Religious Diversity: Some Implications For Monotheism." Cross Currents 49(3).
http://www.crosscurrents.org/gross.htm
Janthapoon, P. E. (2009). "Wat Thai Buddharam Web Site." Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://www.watthaibrisbane.com.au/.
Marshall, G. (1998). A Dictionary of Sociology. New York, Oxford University Press.
Merriam-Webster (2009). "Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary." Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pluralism.
Rock, M. (1999). "Defintion of Diversity." Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~asuomca/diversityinit/definition.html.
Introduction
This paper reviews the English portion of the web site for Wat Thai Buddharam Incorporated (“the organisation”). The site identifies Phramaha Ekkapong Janthapoon, as the author, being responsible for “Computur [sic] and Public Relation [sic]” (Janthapoon 2009). The site’s purpose is given as: to support the Thai Buddhist community with their “spiritual, moral and cultural needs”. The site identifies that most of the families that are members of the organisation are ethnically mixed, that is, a Thai wife and Australian husband. The organisation also claims to support mixed families and strengthen the wider community. Some blended aspects of the site indicate the organisation can do this, but missing aspects indicate it does not seem to do this.
Summary
The organisation’s English version of the site prints out onto 55 A4 pages. The site has three vertical sections: a margin at both sides and the information display area in the centre. The same header is at the top of each page’s information display area. The header contains three animated sections: at the top - the name of the organisation in English and Thai (the title bar); below and to the left of the title bar - a navigation pane listing the eight sections of the site - the eighth section of the site is a webboard, a discussion forum, which encourages interactivity; and below and to the right of the title bar - a slide show which integrates sound. Below the header are two sections: a thinner interactice section on the left with a Thai and Australian flag, which can be clicked to change the language of the page viewed. Below the flags are: the organisation’s name, address and phone/fax number.
The home page tries strongly to sell the organisation as one that benefits the member families and the whole community, not just the Thai community. They claim to do this by providing their Thai cultural program. The organisation says “For the broader public, this means greater understanding of diversity and cultural exchange.” It says the program will strengthen “the entire community through its youth oriented focus. Flow-on effects extend directly to the families and the broader community.” The organisation supports Thai immigrants by supplying a social network of other Thais. It claims to help them adjust “to Australia and help create happy households” and to benefit the whole community.
Critique
The navigation pane in the header of each page makes the site very user friendly. The use of colour throughout and the animation and sound in the header make the site very attractive. Even though the site has a discussion forum, I had technical problems joining using Microsoft Internet Explorer. The Thai version of the site displayed well using Microsoft Internet Explorer, but not at all using Mozilla Firefox.
The site is out of date in some respects. There has been an Australian Buddhist monk in residence since the 4th of January 2009, but there is no mention or photograph of him on the site as a new resident. This may simply be a processing time delay, but it's now late March.
There are gaps in the information in English and many spelling mistakes. In the section called “About Us”, the page for the history of the Patron Chief Monk only has his photograph and name and no other text. In the section called “Thai Culture”, there is a heading “Kathina Ceremony” but no text, which means the reader would have to contact the organisation for the information.
Australians are invited to the festivals, where they would enjoy Thai food, handicrafts, song and dance. The questions arise: “Are the site gaps in English text, indicative of what would happen at festivals?” “Are events bilingual?” No mention is made of this.
The organisation claims to support mixed families and strengthen the community, but only mentions direct support for the Thai parent, that is the Thai wife. The children are helped to understand Thai culture, language and religion [Buddhism], so they can appreciate their “mixed” heritage and communicate with their mother’s side of the family. These services could create social capital (Cahill 2004), but the question arises: “Are both sides encouraged to embrace and celebrate the other culture or are they just taught to know the differences, which may simply lead to toleration?”
The organisation helps Australian husbands and others in the wider community to learn Thai language and culture. Thai cultural practices and their significance is explained, but there is no specific explanation of Thai manners, or cultural philosophy.
There is no evidence that the Thai wives, the mixed heritage children, or the Australian husbands are helped to integrate Thai and Australian culture. The question arises: is this due to the organisation’s creating of the imagined other (Bouma 2007)? This lack of evidence indicates a prevailing mono-ethnic attitude rather than a pluralistic attitude (Various 2009) and that simply toleration of difference may be achieved rather than a true diversity (Rock 1999). Their religion is Buddhism, which is a non-monotheistic religion. As such, it would tend not to universalise beliefs (Gross 1999), but the organisation seems to fall into ethnocentricism (Marshall 1998).
Conclusion
Generally I find the site a good resource for Australian’s interested in learning about Thai language and culture. Not being able to read the Thai version, I cannot be sure what services are made available for Thai wives, but the English version indicates that there are no resources made available by the organisation for Thais to understand and appreciate Australian culture and language, or for Australians to really understand and appreciate Thai culture.
I would recommend resources be made available by the organisation for Thais, their mixed heritage children and their spouses to understand and appreciate Australian culture and language in relation to Thai culture. Otherwise “happy households” could not be achieved, as culture clashes could not be resolved.
References
Bouma, G. D., in Beyer (2007). Religion, Globalization and Culture. Religious Resurgence, Conflict and the Transformation of Boundaries, Leiden and Boston.
Cahill, D., et al (2004). Religion, Cultural Diversity and Safeguarding Australia : A Partnership under the Australian Government's Living in Harmony Initiative. Canberra, RMIT University and Monash University. http://amf.net.au/library/file/Religion_Cultural_Diversity_Main_Report.pdf
Gross, R. M. (1999). "Religious Diversity: Some Implications For Monotheism." Cross Currents 49(3).
http://www.crosscurrents.org/gross.htm
Janthapoon, P. E. (2009). "Wat Thai Buddharam Web Site." Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://www.watthaibrisbane.com.au/.
Marshall, G. (1998). A Dictionary of Sociology. New York, Oxford University Press.
Merriam-Webster (2009). "Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary." Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pluralism.
Rock, M. (1999). "Defintion of Diversity." Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~asuomca/diversityinit/definition.html.
Article Reviews - Celia Fitz-Walter
Gross, Rita ‘Religious Diversity: Some Implications for Monotheism’.
With a specific focus on monotheistic religions, Rita Gross’s article explores religious diversity and the steps that must be taken in order to arrive at genuine religious pluralism. Gross places a large amount of responsibility on religious leaders, seeing it as their duty not only to be open to understanding what genuine pluralism is about but to be responsible for encouraging an understanding of religious diversity. She believes that an important religious problem that needs to be tackled is ignorance of different religions and beliefs, caused by a lack of understanding in monotheistic religions and which can lead to hostility and feelings of inferiority towards different religions. She states “Such religious ethnocentrism truly parallels racial, ethnic, class, and gender chauvinisms and is, unfortunately, frequently combined with them by those who dislike diversity” (Gross, 1999).
Gross affirms that religious tolerance alone is not enough; curiosity and a willingness to understand other religions must be a top priority. However, in order to develop religious pluralism, Gross advises that curiosity of other religions must be accompanied by empathy so that differences are not something which can be used as points of contention.
Gross is eager to emphasise that an education and appreciation of different religions does not mean a conversion to different religions. Instead, she believes that in learning about other religions, people have a basis for comparison and as such can gain a deeper understanding of their own religion. She states, “…once one really beings to understand other religions accurately, one is in a position also to appreciate one’s own religion much more fully” (Gross, 1999). Additionally, if people have a strong mature love of their own religious tradition, Gross believes that they will not feel insecure or threatened when faced with religious diversity.
Gross’ article encourages people to be open-minded and unafraid when it comes to religious pluralism, so that we can appreciate what different religions have to offer.
Source:
Gross, Rita M. ‘Religious Diversity: Some Implications for Monotheism’. Cross Currents 1999, Vol. 49, Issue 3 http://www.crosscurrents.org/gross.htm
Zuckerman, Phil ‘Religion is Socially Learned’ from ‘Invitation to the Sociology of Religion’.
Zuckerman’s article explores the acquisition of religion with the notion that religion is socially learnt. Drawing comprehensively upon a number of studies and reports dealing with the correlation between religious beliefs of parents with the religious beliefs of their children, Zuckerman argues that our religious identities are usually dependent on how we are socialised and who we socialise with; in other words, we learn our religion. This can also be the case when people switch religions due to the influence of spouses or close acquaintances, however Zuckerman cites the major influence as being parents. He states “Ultimately, religious identity and conviction aren’t generally so much a matter of choice or faith or soul-searching as a matter of who and what one’s parents, friends, neighbors, and community practice and profess” (Zuckermann, 2003).
Zuckerman debates whether holy texts such as the Bible or the Qur’an would have such a great religious importance if their significance hadn’t been socially learnt and passed on, and if passionate religious believers who insist on the truthfulness of their specific religion would do so if they had received a substantially different upbringing.
In order to strengthen his argument, Zuckerman tackles two questions; the first concerning if religious experiences can be socially learnt and the second relating to the beginning of new religions. With regards to the first question, Zuckerman maintains that different religions set up the construct for their particular religious experiences and, as such, people following a certain religion will often have a religious experience that fits in with their religious culture. In this way, Zuckerman argues that religious experiences are socially learnt because the social influences and expectations of a religion will determine the type of religious experience that will occur. Regarding the second question, Zuckerman acknowledges the social influences but does not provide a conclusive answer as to the origination of new religions.
Whilst Zuckerman doesn’t completely discount the possibility of a divine or supreme reality, his article does reveal the incredible social forces at play with regards to religion.
Source:
Zuckerman, P. (2003). Invitation to the Sociology of Religion. New York: Routledge. Chapter 3, pp. 47-60.
Howell, Julia Day ‘The New Spiritualities, East and West: Colonial Legacies and the Global Spiritual Marketplace in Southeast Asia’.
Julia Howell’s article investigates the new spiritual movements in Indonesia and how they are operating on a different sphere to religion. Howell points out that whilst religion and spirituality were traditionally aligned they are now seen to be somewhat opposing, with some people emphasising their spirituality rather than their religiousness.
Drawing on studies regarding the ‘new spirituality’ in Southeast Asia, Howell investigates the different spiritual movements and in what way they relate to the growth of new Western spiritual movements and the ‘holistic milieu’. The trend of participation in new forms of spirituality began in the West and whilst there are resemblances, Howell argues that the Indonesian spiritual movements do differ from those in the West.
With both Muslim and non-Muslims Indonesians eager to participate in the new forms of spirituality, people are taking it upon themselves to use these spiritual movements as opportunities to add a new dimension to their lives that is of benefit to their personal wellbeing. Howell views the new spiritual movements as supplementing what spiritual depth may be lacking in people’s lives. She says, “In Indonesia there has emerged, over the course of the twentieth century, a domain of depth spirituality that has become loosened from, and conceptually framed in contrast to, a normative, congregational domain of ‘religion’ proper” (Howell, 2006). Whilst religion is state-enforced and regulated in Indonesia, Howell states that there has been a rise in religious autonomy amongst Indonesians.
Howell views the growth and widespread appeal in spiritual movements as a result of the pluralism of modern society, where an increasing number of people desire to have a greater engagement with their own selves and with the world around them.
Source:
Howell, J.D. (2006). The New Spiritualities, East and West: Colonial Legacies and the Global Spiritual Marketplace in Southeast Asia. 2005 Penny Magee Memorial Lecture.
Effectiveness and Religiosity: A Comparison of the Web sites of the Wesley Mission and Mission Australia
By Yvette Fawcett
There is no doubt that the internet has increased the prospective scope of clientele of any organisation. The internet provides a unique opportunity for social justice organisations to raise interest and awareness of their cause not only in the wider community but all over the world. This investigation will analyse and compare the web sites of two of the largest community services in Australia, namely Mission Australia and the Wesley Mission. According to Megan Wilson (2003) there are six criteria which may be used to evaluate non-profit web sites; the useability of the web site; its educational value, its effectiveness of conveying the mission of the organisation, its layout and content, its accessibility and the frequency of updating information. All this will be considered in first part of this analysis. The second part will focus on religious aspect, as portrayed in their respective websites, of the Wesley Mission and Mission Australia. Since President George W. Bush announced in 2001 a greater partnership between government and faith-based organisations in the US, social scientists have examined questions not only over effectiveness and fairness of these organisations over secular community services but also on what defines a ‘faith-based’ or religious organisation (Wuthnow 2004: 15). Though this analysis will not be discussing the effectiveness of such organisations, the factors of determining religiosity of a social justice organisation are of particular interest to this investigation.
The useability of a web site covers the functions with which the user can interact with it, including downloads, mailing lists, bookmarks to social networking sites, current news and information. Mission Australia is very effective in this respect. Its home page has a self-scrolling bar on new headlines, a link to subscribe to its newsletter, links to popular social networks and downloads of research and mission statements of the organisation. Wesley Mission has many of the same features but some aren’t as obvious and the user has to search for them. Both have educative websites, identifying and discussing their target issues and services of the organisation. Wesley Mission also includes in its right side tool bar a figure encompassing the impact that each service has had in the community, which helps evoke emotion for the cause. The layout should make the web site easy to navigate and to find information which is sought by its user (Wilson 2003: online). The layout in Mission Australia’s web site is clear and logical links and headings make it easy to find information. Wesley Mission’s web site, however, has many links that are circular, leading the user back to the start again without the information that was hoped would be found. Mission Australia’s web site also conveys its mission statement much better than the Wesley Mission. The theme “pathways” is used in its mission statement as well as many other pages which list its services. Its web site also appears to be more up-to-date, each page includes the time and date on which it was updated. While both websites may be found easily with a quick search on Google, Mission Australia’s web site has the advantage again as it cleverly includes ‘tag clouds’ which contain the major themes of the page. Mission Australia has also expanded to Blogspot, which means more possible links to its web site.
Another part of my analysis of these web sites is exploring their commitment to portraying how religion is relational to their respective social justice mission. Both Mission Australia and Wesley Mission identify themselves as Christian community services, but how involved is this religious dimension in the organisations’ programs? In his book, Jeavons (2001 cited in Ebaugh 2003: 413) discusses central characteristics of faith-based organisations. Firstly, faith-based community services identify themselves as affiliated with a religion (2001 cited in Ebaugh 2003: 413). This is the case with both Mission Australia (which is included in its mission statement) and the Wesley Mission (which is part of the Uniting Church, the third largest Christian denomination in Australia). Secondly, the members of the organisation tend to be religiously active individuals (2001 cited in Ebaugh 2003: 413); this can be seen in Wesley Mission which is headed by Reverend Keith Garner and their staff is required “to affirm [its] vision and values”, which are distinctively Christian. However in the short description of staff members of Mission Australia, it says that they come from diverse religious backgrounds. Lastly their goals and services are usually religious in nature and provided by religious institutions (2001 cited in Ebaugh 2003: 413). This can be said of the Wesley Mission, which offers a number of worship services found on the Praise, Prayer and Preaching Calendar that can be downloaded from the web site. Mission Australia, however, has only chaplaincy services of which the web site does not have much information. It may be said that religion is “passive” in Mission Australia, in that it has no “explicit mention of religious matters in the program” but are revealed in its acts of caring (Wuthnow 2004: 143). The Wesley Mission has a more “integrated” dimension of faith which is a crucial part of the program but the “staff respects the rights of clients to not participate in the religious aspects of the program” (Wuthnow 2004: 143).
From this brief analysis of various aspects portrayed in their web sites, it can be seen that while Wesley Mission has strong ties with Christian values, Mission Australia does not have strong religious visions in their social justice mission. This, however, is not a determining factor is their overall effectiveness. The appeal is determined by its audience and how the clientele of the organisation are perceived through the web site. While an organisation like Wesley Mission would naturally appeal to the Christian community (Wuthnow 2006: 158), the web site does not portray a sense of exclusivity from the wider community. This can more so be said of the Mission Australia web site. Mission Australia has extremely organised and professional web site, while this is a definite advantage for useability, it could be perceived to mean that it is also ‘extremely’ institutionalised and therefore, considering the general trend, more bureaucratic. The Wesley Mission’s web site may be more disorganised and the links may lead one in a circle but it may be perceived to have more ‘charm’ and more sense of community rather than institution. Despite all this, both web sites contain inspiring messages of hope and commitment which have the potential to move its reader, and with any luck it will.
References
Ebaugh, H.R; Pipes, P.F; Chafez, J.S; Daniels, M (2003).”Where’s the religion? Distinguishing Faith-Based from Secular Social Service Agencies”. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 42 (3) pp. 441- 426
Mission Australia Web sites: http://www.missionaustralia.com.au/
United Church Web site: http://www.uca.org.au/uca.htm
Wesley Mission Web site: http://www.wesleymission.org.au/homepage.asp
Wilson, M.(2003) Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nonprofit Web Sites. Accessed: http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/webbuilding/archives/page9370.cfm . Online.
Wuthnow, R (2004). Saving America?: Faith Based Services and the Future of Civil Society. Princeton, Princeton University Press
Britney Block- The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army- Brittney Block’s Website Review
One of my favorite times of year is the Christmas season; it truly is the giving season. Why I love it so much is because I love to help others; I love making sure that everyone has an enjoyable Christmas. My favorite way of helping is by ringing the bells; the bells of the Salvation Army. Nothing says you have a servant heart better than standing out in the -5˚F (equivalent to about -20˚C) Minnesota winter, ringing a bell, whose proceeds will never be seen by you. But that is precisely why I love it. I love that an organization can be so outstanding that in no matter what kind of conditions, people will still want to help. Well, when I saw this assignment, I thought to myself, I didn’t think that anyone outside of the U.S. would have heard of The Salvation Army. I thought that it only existed in America.
How naïve am I?
I guess it’s in my narcissistic nature to assume that all organizations are only in existence in America. As you can assume, I was intrigued by this new information. So I googled ‘The Salvation Army’ and the first link took me to their international homepage, a site I didn’t know was in existence. It was on this site that I found new love for my home-town favorite organization.
The Salvation Army’s homepage isn’t what I would call colorful, or bejeweled with pictures. Rather, it has a ‘homey’ feel to the site. All along the right hand side of the site is information just on spirituality; taking you to links on how to increase your spirituality, daily prayers, or pause for thoughts. In the top left corner is the familiar Salvation Army badge; the badge that is known world-wide. Underneath the badge is where the largest picture is found; it is the cover of a book which is titled, “Words of Life.” If you click on the picture, you are taken to a different page, and it explains what the book is about. It is a book full of daily Bible verses. If it wasn’t apparent before, it definitely is now, the Salvation Army is a Christian organization.
After looking at the “Words of Life” page, I shimmied on over to their ‘Missions’ page. I was eager to read what they deemed as their missions and aims. I was surprised to see that they only had four sentences written as their mission. I suppose I was hoping for something more; something a little more extravagant. Here, in a summarized form, are their missions: The Salvation Army is an international movement based on the Evangelical Christian Church. The message they bring is solely based on the Bible, and its ministry is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs without discrimination. After reading these, I realized that they only needed four sentences to get their mission across; they were here to preach the word of God while making the world a better place.
All along the top of the website are different drop down menus. One that caught my eye was the one entitled “News.” I immediately clicked on it and I was brought to a page that was full of the latest Salvation Army news reports. As I skimmed down the reports, I noticed that most of them dealt with helping in a natural disaster. Their main objective was to work as chaplaincy for the victims of the disasters. For example, during the Victorian bush fires, those volunteering with the Salvation Army worked alongside the emergency rescue teams to help aid and assist those affected by the fires. They helped set up emergency accommodation, and afterwards, they were there for the victims in a spiritual sense.
Along with being physically at the disaster sites, the Salvation Army is also emotionally at these sites. I found a report that truly touched my heart. It was report from General Shaw Clinton asking his fellow Salvationists to pray for the Middle East. He divulges into the problems and how it is ripping our Scriptures apart. He ends the message by thanking us for our prayers. It is these reports that show how immersed the Salvation Army is in relations to religion and society. I know I've stated this before, but they truly want this world to be a better place.
Another article that caught my eye was one entitled "World Youth Convention to be held in Sweden in 2010." I proceeded to read the article and it talked about how Salvationists from all over the world were going to be gathering in Sweden to talk about issues we have been discussing in class. Some topics include "Realism", "Idealism", and "Globalisation." Another line that jumped out at me while reading was this, "that Christian holiness is relevant to every human situation, including the major global issues of the day." This shows that the Salvation Army is trying to help change the world through their use of religion.
The Salvation Army effectively uses its website to broadcast to the world what they do and the beliefs that they have. They are a proud Evangelican organization that strives to preach the Word of God by means of helping the people. They will help anyone and everyone; discrimination is a word unspoken by them. The Salvation Army has changed the lives of thousands already, and will continue to do so in the future.
God Bless the Salvation Army.
References:
http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_sa.nsf
One of my favorite times of year is the Christmas season; it truly is the giving season. Why I love it so much is because I love to help others; I love making sure that everyone has an enjoyable Christmas. My favorite way of helping is by ringing the bells; the bells of the Salvation Army. Nothing says you have a servant heart better than standing out in the -5˚F (equivalent to about -20˚C) Minnesota winter, ringing a bell, whose proceeds will never be seen by you. But that is precisely why I love it. I love that an organization can be so outstanding that in no matter what kind of conditions, people will still want to help. Well, when I saw this assignment, I thought to myself, I didn’t think that anyone outside of the U.S. would have heard of The Salvation Army. I thought that it only existed in America.
How naïve am I?
I guess it’s in my narcissistic nature to assume that all organizations are only in existence in America. As you can assume, I was intrigued by this new information. So I googled ‘The Salvation Army’ and the first link took me to their international homepage, a site I didn’t know was in existence. It was on this site that I found new love for my home-town favorite organization.
The Salvation Army’s homepage isn’t what I would call colorful, or bejeweled with pictures. Rather, it has a ‘homey’ feel to the site. All along the right hand side of the site is information just on spirituality; taking you to links on how to increase your spirituality, daily prayers, or pause for thoughts. In the top left corner is the familiar Salvation Army badge; the badge that is known world-wide. Underneath the badge is where the largest picture is found; it is the cover of a book which is titled, “Words of Life.” If you click on the picture, you are taken to a different page, and it explains what the book is about. It is a book full of daily Bible verses. If it wasn’t apparent before, it definitely is now, the Salvation Army is a Christian organization.
After looking at the “Words of Life” page, I shimmied on over to their ‘Missions’ page. I was eager to read what they deemed as their missions and aims. I was surprised to see that they only had four sentences written as their mission. I suppose I was hoping for something more; something a little more extravagant. Here, in a summarized form, are their missions: The Salvation Army is an international movement based on the Evangelical Christian Church. The message they bring is solely based on the Bible, and its ministry is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs without discrimination. After reading these, I realized that they only needed four sentences to get their mission across; they were here to preach the word of God while making the world a better place.
All along the top of the website are different drop down menus. One that caught my eye was the one entitled “News.” I immediately clicked on it and I was brought to a page that was full of the latest Salvation Army news reports. As I skimmed down the reports, I noticed that most of them dealt with helping in a natural disaster. Their main objective was to work as chaplaincy for the victims of the disasters. For example, during the Victorian bush fires, those volunteering with the Salvation Army worked alongside the emergency rescue teams to help aid and assist those affected by the fires. They helped set up emergency accommodation, and afterwards, they were there for the victims in a spiritual sense.
Along with being physically at the disaster sites, the Salvation Army is also emotionally at these sites. I found a report that truly touched my heart. It was report from General Shaw Clinton asking his fellow Salvationists to pray for the Middle East. He divulges into the problems and how it is ripping our Scriptures apart. He ends the message by thanking us for our prayers. It is these reports that show how immersed the Salvation Army is in relations to religion and society. I know I've stated this before, but they truly want this world to be a better place.
Another article that caught my eye was one entitled "World Youth Convention to be held in Sweden in 2010." I proceeded to read the article and it talked about how Salvationists from all over the world were going to be gathering in Sweden to talk about issues we have been discussing in class. Some topics include "Realism", "Idealism", and "Globalisation." Another line that jumped out at me while reading was this, "that Christian holiness is relevant to every human situation, including the major global issues of the day." This shows that the Salvation Army is trying to help change the world through their use of religion.
The Salvation Army effectively uses its website to broadcast to the world what they do and the beliefs that they have. They are a proud Evangelican organization that strives to preach the Word of God by means of helping the people. They will help anyone and everyone; discrimination is a word unspoken by them. The Salvation Army has changed the lives of thousands already, and will continue to do so in the future.
God Bless the Salvation Army.
References:
http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_sa.nsf
The Importance of Community - Spirituality the Key to Helping the Homeless in Brisbane
- Benjamin Muller
Being part of a community is important to everyone. Community gives a sense of belonging and wellbeing. Zygmunt Bauman, describes community as a “warm place…like a roof under which we shelter in heavy rain” (2001, p.1). There are many people who are in unfortunate situations due to reasons that are out of their control. A significant amount, find themselves in situations that lead them away from their sense of community, away from family and friends and onto the street with no home and no belongings. Issues such as abuse, family conflict, sexual preference, mental health and lack of support lead to the major crisis of homelessness. It is estimated that approximately 70 people per 10,000 are homeless in QLD (ABS, 2004). There are a number of organizations in
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)