FREE ESSAY ON INFLUENCE OF RELIGION

INFLUENCE OF RELIGION

O1999 Carl K beall 
Religion Influencing Today's Society
Religion is a major influence in our lives. Although religion covers every aspect of our
lives, I am going to discuss the influence of religion in two areas. Religion among young
adults and Religion and sexual issues. These topics are large, so I will only scratch the
surface by discussing only a few issues within these two main topic areas.
Religion is gaining popularity among young adults and college students, increasingly more
students are attending a church and many different colleges are becoming involved in
religious activities. Students at Wake Forest University are looking into dorms that will
diversify the student body to educate students about other religions (4). Other schools
have programs where people with similar interests can live in the same dorm. Some
examples are the University of California, Berkeley and Davis Campuses, University of the
Pacific in Stockton, California, University of Missouri at Columbia, and Columbia
University in New York (2). These colleges allow students with similar religious views to
live together. And it's not just a few students, there are enough students to fill at
least a wing of a dorm, if not a whole dorm (2).
On Monday February 22nd, students and faculty members at Clemson University in South
Carolina gathered to hear what Dr. Eugene C. Scott, from the National Center for Science
Education, had to say about Adam and Eve, and creationism versus evolution and a
quivering mass of protoplasm. (1). She stated that Evolution in its simplest form refers
to a change over time, or decent with modification. Evolution is a scientific explanation
based on observable facts. And that Creationism simply put, means that God created. (1).
Dr. Scott was trying to relay the message that religion and science don't have to be
opposites. Like the idea that God created evolution (1). The Students at Clemson received
the message well. Despite the fact that Clemson sits in the middle of a geographic area
nicknamed The Bible Belt known for its strong religious beliefs.
In the Pop music industry, which is popular with young adults, religious groups are
beginning to gain popularity. Greg Graffin, the co-founder of one of punk-rock's most
venerable bands, believes  when you're 18, some kids want more then just bland pop
culture , they want something with a little more substance. (3) And that substance can be
pop music with religion tied into it.
Violence among young adults is also becoming a greater problem. More is being done to
combat violence by introducing religion. Jan Arnow is a mother from Louisville, Kentucky
who conducts seminars for parents to reduce violence with religion. Her goal is pretty
simple, To teach children how to grow up in a world of hate without hating (5). To put
emphasize her point, Ms. Arnow makes pins out of spent bullet casings that contain peace
prayers from eleven different religions
My other topic, religion and sex, is also a broad topic that I will only briefly cover.
In Blanco, Texas on January 14, 1999, two monks have been charged with indecency with a
child. The monks are from The Christ of the Hills Monastery founded 30 years ago. It is
known for its weeping icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which attracts thousands of
visitors every year. Luis Vera, a lawyer representing the monks, said his clients are
innocent and that he is outraged by the charges (11). Vera also states that the local
authorities have not told him exactly what the accusations are or who made them. It just
shows you that misconduct is everywhere, even in an Orthodox Church.
Another twist in today's world is that landlords can now refuse unmarried couples leases.
A Federal Appeals Court has ruled that landlords with strong religious convictions can
refuse to rent to unmarried couples (8). The ruling was upheld in a 2-1 decision by the
9th U.S. circuit Court of Appeals in Alaska.
On January 23, 1999 in Atlanta, GA, the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC)
discussed Sex, Religion and AIDS. The ITC panel agreed that AIDS continues to be a threat
to the black community. (7). In Georgia, 59% of AIDS victims are black, even though
millions of dollars are spent on educating blacks about AIDS. The conference will also
examine human sexuality from a biblical perspective as well as the behavior of
promiscuous pastors(7).
Two articles by John Leo indicate that sexual values and the sexual revolution are being
affected by religion. He reports that 75 percent of the women polled said religion is
very important in their lives. (9). And that the growing trend toward less permissive
sexual attitudes in the 1990s is associated with religious beliefs. (10). These articles
also indicate that religion has been influencing teens and there sexuality.
I feel that religion either influences your life on a regular basis, or it doesn't
influence you at all. I am not a weekly church goer, but the upbringing I had as a
Methodist has formed me into a person with acceptable morals and values. I think that
without religion, civilization could not survive. I believe that God wanted us to be
good, he saw everything he created as good, but that brings up the question of why there
is so much bad in the world. Well that is a whole thesis in itself, but God has a plan
for all of us. God has a reason for everything.
Works Cited
Topic 1
1. Anthropological Debate Tackled at Clemson U. Colloquium (1999), The Tiger via U-WIRE.
2. Bazer, Emily (Feb 15, 1999) Dorms with Themes Become Popular on College Campuses, The
Washington Times, pp A2.
3. Cromelin, Richard (Jan 14, 1999) Pop Music; He'll Never Loose Faith; Bad Religion's
Greg Graffin still believes in punk-and the public's love of music., Los Angeles Times,
pp F22.
4. McSwain, Lauren (Feb 26, 1999) Wake Forest U. Students Look into Diversity Theme
Housing., Old Gold and Black via U-WIRE.
5. Riley, Rochelle ( Feb 24, 1999) Her Goal is Giving Young People a Chance to Know
Peace., Gannett News Service, pp ARC
Topic 2
6. Blake, John (Jan 23, 1999) ITC Event to Address Sex, Religion and AIDS, The Atlanta
Journal and Constitution, pp B5.
7. Court: Landlords Can Refuse Unmarried. (Jan 14, 1999), United Press International via
Comtrex.