"Too Muslim to Be French"

This year France's president, Nicholas Sarkozy, publicly stated that the burka was not welcomed in the country. The president stated that, "The problem if the burka is a problem of liberty and dignity for women... it is a symbol of servitude and humiliation" (Irish Times). This does not seems right to me. I understand that the country thinks they are helping Muslim women because some of them are forced to wear the burka, but I think some of them actually do choose to wear the burka. I feel like by doing this ban they are just isolating the Muslim women from the rest of France's society.

Last year in France, a Muslim woman, Faiza M., was denied citizenship because she did not sufficiently adopt French culture. Even though she is married to a French man and has three native-born children, she is denied citizenship because of the burqa she wears that does not represent French nationalism. Again this does not seem right at all. How can the French government deny citizenship to a woman just because she wears the burqa? I do not understand how they can expect everyone to totally adopt the French culture, it seems impractical. France should let people wear whatever they want because the bans and laws they have put in place as of now against Muslim culture is somewhat disturbing.

Patrick Kennedy and Communion

In the state of Rhode Island, Representative Patrick Kennedy was not allowed to take communion because Bishop Thomas Tobin forbade it. The Bishop's reason for this is that Kennedy supports abortion rights. The Bishops told Kennedy that the stance his has taken on the issue is against the Catholic Church's stance on abortion, so he was not being a good Catholic.

This does not seem fair at all, to not take part in a religious ritual just because of his stance on a political issue. First of all I do not think that church should have the right to do that. I honestly cannot believe that the Bishop would forbid someone from taking communion. One of the things that I am always taught in mass is to always forgive, so I feel like this is hypocritical of the Bishop. I think that he should just forgive Kennedy on his stance on abortion. Second of all, when it comes to politics I think what a politician should do is to put his or her religion aside when making decisions about political issues, which is what Kennedy seems to have done.

Highland Church and homosexuality

An evangelical church in the state of Denver is actually one of the few churches that will accept homosexuality. The reverend, Reverend Mark Tidd has stated that they are trying "to live and live without labels" (Denver Post). The Reverend has stated that the right thing to do to accept everyone, no matter what they may be. This congregation has lost a lot of members and many churches of the same religion disagree with his beliefs, but the Reverend still stands by his views, which I applaud.

I really admire this Reverend, I like that he is taking a difference stance among a lot of other churches and religions. I know a lot of my friends, who are homosexuals, have told me sometimes they have a hard time being Christian and a homosexual. It is also very hard for some of them to accept their homosexuality because of their faith. I am glad to see that this Reverend understands this. I am also pleasantly surprised that it is a reverend from an evangelical church that not only stands up for homosexuals, but also supports gay marriage. It is refreshing to see something different from a Christian Church.

The Catholic Church's Issues Over Same-Sex Marriage

Next month a bill is going to be voted on relating to same-sex marriage in Washington D.C. The district has been trying to stop discrimination against gays and lesbians, so there new bill proposes that there shall be no discrimination against gays and lesbians. Of course the Catholic Church does not want to accept this new bill and they have even told the District that if this bill is passed they will abandon the contracts that they have with the district (the Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. actually runs a lot of social service programs)- which the District actually needs. The Catholic Church fears this new bill because they may be forced to give employee benefits to same-sex married couples (The Post).

To me it seems as though the Catholic Church is trying to blackmail the District into doing what they want. I think that if the Catholic Church really did believe in what they teach everyday in their masses, they should continue doing their social services programs. A new bill should not stop the Catholic Church from doing good just because they disagree with some that is against their belief. I think that making the District choose between gay and lesbian rights and the Catholic Church is really appalling- the Church should not be doing that.

Hindu-Muslim Conflict

For decades now there has been a conflict between Pakistan and India. Pakistan (Muslims) was once part of India (Hindu), but due to religious differences in 1906 the country split up. Even today this conflict still continues. Last year there was attacks at ten different place in Mumbai, India. The suspects were thought to be seven Pakistanis. Things like this have continued to go on between India and Pakistan for years. It seems to be the Muslim extremists versus the Hindu nationalist.

A lot of time I just wonder why cannot countries just get along. Why cannot they just put there religious differences aside and have some kind of peace between each other? I actually remember watching the news about the attacks in Mumbai. I remember that it reminded me a lot of September 11 in the United States. Sometimes, as cliche as it may sound, I just wish there was peace in the world. I just think that killings over religious differences if ridiculous and I still cannot understand why this has to happen. I do not think I will ever fully understand why these attacks on each other happen.

The Stupak Amendment

In the new health care bill there is a new proposal that would restrict health insurance coverage for abortions. This new bill is called the Stupak amendment, it basically prevents "women who receive federal subsidies for health insurance from purchasing plans that cover abortion" (cbsnews). To me this seems to be another way those who are Pro-life and those in religious groups are trying to control the abortion issue. They are probably thinking that if women cannot afford to get abortions, then they will not be getting abortion, therefore achieving their pro- life goals. The original legislation that was made by the Democrats' seemed more logical because it gave health insurance coverage to abortions. With this new proposal, I feel like women's reproductive rights are also being controlled. I feel like the government is trying to control us and I do not like the Stupak amendement at all. I feel like instead of moving fowards, the government is going backwards. Back to a time before even the famous courtcase, Roe v. Wade.

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Scopes Trial

In 1925, a biology teacher in Tennessee, John Scopes, was arrested for teaching evolution at schools. There was a state law that forbade the teaching of evolution, which is why the teacher was arrested. The American Civil Liberties Union took the case and Clarence Darrow, a lawyer even defended Scopes without charging him anything. This court case was known as the Scopes Trial, also known as the Monkey Trial. After three students testified that Scopes did in fact teach evolution as school and after the judge refused to let scientists come to the stand, John Scopes was found guilty and he was charged with the sum of a hundred dollars.I think it should not matter whether a teacher teachers the cycle of evolution in schools. If a child was really religious they would just listen to the teachers opinion, but still believe in their own ideas. This is how many of my religious friends view the cycle of evolution, they still believe what their religion has taught them- although they still keep in mind what their teachers have taught them. I personally like to mesh my religious ideas and the scientific cycle of evolution. I believe that life started with the Big Bang and evolution did in fact happen, but I think that God started the Big Bang.

Back to the Scopes Trial, I think that it was unfair for Mr. Scopes to be found guilty. Although it is more ridiculous that a law that forbade the teaching of evolution was put in place. I am happy that this has changed.

Fort Hood Massacre

At the beginning of the month on November 5th there was a massive amount of shootings at Fort Hood in Texas. Thirteen people were killed and thirty people were wounded, the suspected shooter is Nidal Hasan who is still alive (but apparently he did not want to survive the shootings). The shooter was a U.S. Army psychiatrist and he is of Palestinian descent, he is also a Muslim. Apparently before the shootings, Hasan gave a lecture and he stated that those who were non-believers of the Islam faith would go to hell and he even justified the suicide bombings. Army officials were already worried about his behavior and were investigating some of the connections that he had with fellow Islamic believers.

I have read numerous articles about the Fort Hood shootings and every time I read them I feel very frightened. It makes me sad that something like this happened and I feel like it could have been prevented. If the Army officials were already suspicious of Hasan's behavior they should have just taken him out of the military. This shooting also makes me sad because people may not trust people of the Islamic faith even more now. I feel like people in America were already acting somewhat racist towards the Muslims in America and this could possibly make it worse. I am hoping that this does not happen and it is horrible that something like this happened.

Who is a Jew?

There was a conflict within a Jewish school named Jews' Free School in London. Apparently a boy applied to the school and was reject because the school claimed that he was not actually Jewish- when in actuality he is, his father is Jewish and his mother is a Jewish convert. The boy's family sued the school, claiming they were discriminating and the family lost the case. Although it was overturned later and the court now claims that the school was in fact being discriminatory. The court said that the admission should depend not on ethnicity, but on faith. The school has appealed this case to the Supreme Court, where they will make a decision on the case.

I think that the school not admitting the boy just because his mother is not Jewish is completely discriminatory. I went to a Catholic school and they would not look at the religion, but more at the academic achievement of a student. I think this is how all religious based schools should be. Further more I cannot believe that even though the mother has converted to Judaism, they will still not accept the boy as a student. They only claimed that they put those who are of full Jewish decent above all others. Hopefully in the Supreme Court case, the court will side with the boy.

Catholics in the Abortion Issue

Democrats are having problems with their Catholic members over the abortion issue- as most people know the Catholic faith teaches pro-life. A health care bill is being reviewed and the Democrats are worried that if they lean towards pro-life, they may lose thousands of Catholic votes (apparently Catholics are usually swing voters) and the Democratic Party does not know how the Catholics will react.

I am actually a Catholic and I am proud to say I am pro- choice. I think that a female should be allowed to have the choice of whether to get an abortion or not. She should have control over her own body.

I also think that the Democrats have nothing to worry about because traditionally the Democratic party has also been pro-choice and I am sure that Catholics know this. I think that Catholics may base their votes on things other than the abortion debate. It may depend on the overall opinions of the Democratic party that may make the Catholic swing voters vote a certain way.

Christian Scientists' prayers for the sick

The leaders of the Church of Christ Scientist are trying to get a proposal passed stating that patients can get reimbursed for having a Christian Scientist pray for them. The House of Representatives did not pass the proposal, but the Christian Scientists are still trying to push for it. Those who are against the proposal state that it would just be a waste of money and I think that it would be a violation of the separation of church and state.

One Christian Scientist states that she listens to a patients symptoms and then begins treating the patients by praying. She states that it is during times of sickness that most people turn to God for wellness. She even states that she cured herself from breast cancer by simply praying. I do not know if I believe this theology or not, but putting that aside I still do not think that they should get funding for health care. A patients decision to do this seems to be a religious choice and it should not have anything to do with the government. I respect this theology and its beliefs, but it does not seem far to me that should get funding for prayers and like the opponents I think that this would be a waste of money. Also if a patient is only relying on the prayer to be healed, it seems dangerous. Maybe I will change my mind in the future because I personally do believe in the power of prayer, but for right now this is how I feel.

Scientology in Australia

Apparently a group in Australia has been distributing propaganda to students, trying to interest then in the Church of Scientology. In New South Wales an education minister told primary schools not to distribute the propaganda, but apparently the propaganda has spread to a lot more than just the primary schools in New South Wales. Apparently one of the people that were interviewed about the DVDs and papers that were given out has said that she has seen mostly positive responses from the propaganda. Apparently the propaganda was for a human rights group, but it clearly states that the Church of Scientology funded the DVD and papers. Currently a senator, Nick Xenophon, is fighting for a federal investigation of the Church of Scientology to investigate their tax-free status and other allegations made against the church (abuse and forced abortions).

I honestly have been one of those people that made fun of Scientology. I have heard numerous stories about the religion that made me question why people follow this theology- for example stories saying that the religion was actually created by a bet and a man just made the religion up on the back of a napkin to see if people would follow it. It is due to stories like this that I find this religion interesting. As far as the propaganda that the religion is spreading is horrible. Recruiting children in their school is not at all the right way to get new members for the church. I feel like children would be more susceptible towards the propaganda- meaning the would be more inclined to join the Church of Scientology. I also feel like this is a violation of the students rights and I am glad that an investigation is being done.

Sarah Palin and Religion

Former Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, is well known as a Pentecostalist. She has previously talked about her faith and has even said the war in Iraq is a task that is given to the United States by God. In her speeches, Sarah Palin continues to mention God. I remember when she was running with former Republican Presidential candidate John McCain, my first thoughts of her was okay this seems like a smart strategy for McCain, bring in a woman to be his running mate. It was when I actually heard her speak that I changed my mind. This woman talked a lot about her faith and on top of that she made some pretty interesting remarks that made her seem idiotic. An article reported in the Chicago Tribune states that "the churches she has attended also embrace dispensation, a theological system that emphasizes man's dominion over the earth and the end times- theology that could potentially shape a believer's environmental and foreign policies". I have previously stated that it should not matter what religion a leader is, but when a leader uses his or her religion in their policies that does not seem right. In Sarah Palin's case this seems to be exactly what she is doing. I have previously watched some of her interviews and her responses honestly frightened me at times- she talk about how God would not approve of certain issues, such as abortion. All I can say is thank God that Sarah Palin did not become the Vice President of the United States.

The Family

The Family, also known as the Fellowship or the Foundation, is secretive and also the most powerful religious group in the United States. It has ties to a lot of organizations in the United States government and every year they even hold a breakfast(known as the National Prayer Breakfast) at the White House, so that people can pray with the President. Many Congressmen past and present are a part of the Family, even past Presidents have been a member of this group. The Family works a lot behind the scenes. One thing that the Family has done was in 1978 the secretly "helped the Carter Administration organize a worldwide call to prayer with Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat" (Harpers).

I think that it is really scary that a religious group has this much power. I think that a group like that should not exist and I really do not understand why the White House would let the Family hold yearly prayer breakfasts in the White House. I think that a group like this has to much influence over politics, it scares me that this group actually helps the government to achieve certain things. As I have been learning more and more about religious groups, I become more skeptical about them and I find myself not trusting them. I just think this group has to much control over the government.

Sex Education and Religion

Whether to teach sex education or not has become a big controversy in the United States. Many religious groups are against the teaching of sex education, but opponents say that children need to learn about sex in order to protect themselves in the future. Religious groups say that children should not be taught about sex because the will be more inclined to have sex, so they have been protesting and lobbying for abstinence-only sex education. I think this is wrong, I believe that children need to be taught sex education. They need to know about the consequences of sex and about how to protect themselves from getting pregnant or getting some kind of infection or disease. If kids are not taught these things they risk getting a disease or pregnant because may not know how to take precautions. Teaching abstinence only does not seem very affective to me because it shows children that the only way not to get pregnant or get a STD is to not have sex.

I remember in my own sex education class, my teacher not only taught me how to take precautions, but she also told me about the type of relationship I should have- a healthy relationship versus a bad relationship. So I feel like sex education also teaches children how to take care of themselves not only physically, but emotionally as well.

Kennedy and Catholicism

John F. Kennedy became the first Catholic president in 1961. He was also the youngest person to be elected and unfortunately he was also the youngest to die. On November 22, 1963 John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in his car. That was just some background information on the President, but what I am primarily focusing on is Kennedy's Catholicism.

I remember learning that people were worried that if Kennedy was elected as President, it would be as if they elected the Pope to run the United States. Of course over time, people realized that this was not true and he ended up being one of the greatest presidents of the United States. I see why people would think that if Kennedy was elected, it almost be like the Pope running the white house because the pope is the head of the Catholic Church, but still that does not mean that Kennedy would have taken the orders of the Pope to run the United States. Again, as I have previously stated, I do not understand why people put so much emphasis on what religion as President is. Sometimes it does matter because his or her religion may shape their opinion about certain issues, but I just look at their opinions and not their religion.

Reverend Peg Chemberlin

Recently Reverend Peg Chemberlin has been appointed as the president of the National Council of Churches and she will hold this position for two years. She was also appointed by President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships to "serve on a council task force focused on economic recovery and fighting poverty" (NY Times).

The Reverend will be the twenty-fifth president of the National Council of Churches and she will be the fourth woman to serve as president. The National Council of the Churches is basically the leading group in creating cooperation among Christina religions in the United States. The religious groups include religions such as the Protestant, Orthodox, Evangelical, and Anglican churches. The group is currently working on building the Christian and Muslim relationship. These churches group together in this council in order to have some kind of communication.

This group sounds very interesting to me and it sounds like a great idea in order to have some sort of cooperation between churches. What makes me find this even more interesting is that they appointed a woman to be the president of this Council, which makes me like the idea of this group even more because it makes me believe that women are perhaps slowly gaining more rights within Christian religions. Other then this I hope to find out more about this group in this future because the work that this group is creating among churches makes me happy that I do not oppose everything that Christians have been doing.

Nashville and Christianity

In Nashville, a lawsuit was filed accusing the Cheatham County schools of "promoting Christianity and violating the United States Constitution" (NY Times). The schools have been reported to have a pattern of giving out Bibles in class, saying prayers at school events, and a teacher even has a cross hung up on the classroom wall. One of the attorneys in the case states that these Christian teachings are discouraging those who are not of the same faith from practicing their own religion (NY Times).

Currently some schools have made changes, but their are still four lawsuits against the school district to stop the Christian activities that are going on in the schools.

I find it appalling that public schools still do this sort of thing. I feel like what the school is doing is a violation of students rights and what they are doing is absolutely wrong. I can not imagine going to a school where they made me say a Christian prayer, even if it was not my religion. I think the lawsuits that are placed against the school are needed and hopefully the schools will change.

Ted Haggard and his sex scandal

After three years of being found in a sex scandal by the church he founded New Life Church, Ted Haggard ( a evangelical) announced that he will be holding weekly prayer meeting in his home. Three years ago he was involved using drugs and in a sex scandal with a male prostitute (NY Times)- he resigned from the church after the prostitute outed that Haggard had been paying him for sex for more then three years. One hundred and fifty people actually attended the first weekly prayer meeting and Haggard stated that this made him very happy.

The pastor has told a television station that "he still has homosexual thoughts" and that he will "have a thought.. but... never have a temptation" (NY Times). Haggard has also confessed to "sexual immorality".

I honestly do not care if a pastor has homosexual thoughts or not- I do not care if he is homosexual or not. I just felt bad that Haggard had to hide it and that he was caught in a sex scandal. I believe that people should be free with who they are, but of course our society does not allow that and further more religions. What I do find wrong about this sex scandal is that Haggard has taught that homosexuality is wrong and punishable by God, when he himself has homosexual thoughts- in other words he is a hypocrite. Perhaps he was in denial with his homosexuality and hopefully one day this will change. Maybe one day people can be open about their sexuality, no matter what religion he or she is.

Teachers and their Religious Freedom

In Oregon a 1923 state law is currently being repealed and a new bill is being introduced because the 1923 law banned teachers from wearing religious attire (NY Times). The House Speaker Dave Hunters stated that he will fight to "allow teachers to have the same religious free exercise rights as every other Oregonian" (NY Times). Apparently even the Labor Commissioner and the state schools Superintendent also support the new bill. The American Civil Liberties Union supports the 1923 state law and stated that the ban should not end until more protections are given to the students.

I do not know what to think about this new bill. In some ways it does not seem far that the teachers do not get to wear what they want to because this year the "legislature passed a law...allowing all workers except teachers to wear religious dress at work in most instances" (NY Times). It seems to me that the teachers should be allowed to wear whatever religious wear they want to. On the other hand I wonder if their religious wear will distract the students and influence the students religions. For this reason I am not really sure what to think about this controversy.

American Civil Liberties Union and Florida schools

Recently the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has sued a Florida school district claiming that "the Alachua County School District violated students' rights by not allowing them to wear T-shirts with an anti-Islamic message" (NY Times). The ACLU stated that it may not agree with the message that was on the shirt, which stated that "Islam is the Devil", but that students had the right the right to wear the shirts due to the Constitution and the first amendment which states that everyone should get the freedom of speech. According to a letter written by the school board's law firm to the American Civil Liberties Union, it stated that "a school may regulate a student's free speech rights if the exercise of those rights materially and substantially interferes with maintaining appropriate discipline at school, or if the conduct impinges on the rights of other students" (NY Times).

It is true that students should get to wear the shirts that stated the anti-Islam message because of the freedom of speech. In this case I am against the school boards banning of the shirt and I am on the American Civil Liberties Union's side. I do not agree at all with the message that are on the shirts, but I still believe that the students should be allowed to practice their constitutional rights after all isn't this America?

Nampa Classical Academy and the Bible

A charter school in the state of Idaho named Nampa Classical Academy is currently being investigated by the Idaho Attorney General's office. It is currently investigating the use of the Bible at this school. A religious liberty group has even threatened to sue the school for its use of the Bible at the school.

Although this is happening the school is still refusing to give information out to the Attorney General's office and the school is defying an order from the Idaho Public Charter School Commission by not releasing the information requested. Also the religious liberty group states that the Commission has to continuously ask for the information or else the group will file a lawsuit. Apparently the charter school has gained attention from the news before because was reported to have planned to use the Bible as a primary source of teaching material. This was stop though because the Commission told the school that the Bible could not be taught as a source of teaching material.

I definitely believe that the Bible should not be taught in schools because it seems to be a direct violation of the Constitution and religious freedom in the United States. I hope that the school will give out information to the Commission so that a lawsuit will put upon the school.

Catholic Priest and Rape

Recently an 81 year old priest, named Francis Markey, was charged with a rape that he did on a boy back in 1968. He was accused of raping a fifteen year old boy during his religious pilgrimage in Ireland(edmonton). The Catholic priest was in jail and is currently waiting for his trial. Although he was in jail, the priest has had a stroke and might pass away before his trial date comes up. The priest has also made bail, despite the wishes of the Irish authorities.

It seems that this is a big issue within the Catholic faith and the priests. There have been numerous cases found where priest have been accused of raping mostly boys, but girls as well. I am Catholic myself and to find out that leaders of my faith has been on trial for this sort of this scares me. Priests are suppose to holy and I myself usually trust them. I depend on them to tell my sins to and such. I am not saying I do not trust priest or anything, but knowing that some priest take advantage of people, especially children really disgust me. Sometimes I think that Catholic priest should be allowed to marriage and should not have to keep their chastity vow because maybe these rapes would not happen.

George Bush and Religion

Many people have probably realized that the former president, George W. Bush, is a religious man and is a Methodist. George Bush was once an alcoholic and was not exactly the best husband or father. Although one day he decided to change it all around. He says that his religion and Jesus was what helped him to change his ways. He also says that it was God that chose him to lead the United States and it was God that wanted him to run for president. George Bush is also very open about how religious he is, unlike most presidents in the past (guardian). Apparenly, according to a book about Bush's faith based presidency (The Faith of George W. Bush), Bush's administration is heavily influenced by extremist Christians.

I am personally scared of any president that would use his or her faith in deciding their policies for the country they are leading. The policies of the United States should not be decided on any type of religion and I am a firm believer of the separation of church and state. As far as George W. Bush goes, I honestly never trust the guy. It seemed to me that in almost all of his speeches he would either mention Jesus or God. Honestly there are a lot of people in the United States that do not believe in either Jesus or God, so to mention them as a President in a nationwide speech seems wrong to me and I feel like the president should respect those who are not of the same faith.

David Vitter and Prostitution Ring

David Vitter is a Republican Senator from Louisiana. What is significant about this senator- well he was caught in a sex scandal after his phone number was found in a famous case almost two years ago. Apparently the Louisiana Senator was having an affair with a prostitute in the famous D.C. Madam prostitution ring. In an article found in The Natchez Democrat, Senator David Vitter publicly announced that he apologizes for his sin. The Senator has been reported saying, "several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling"..."Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there -- with God and them." Apparently God's forgiveness played a very important role to Senator Vitter overcoming the scandal.

I find it almost ironic that this Senator was reported as being a religious man, yet he was caught in a sex scandal. I still find it surprising that not only Vitter was found in a sex scandal, but many other Congressmen as well. This makes me really question how religious people are and also makes me think that everyone can make a mistake.

Muslims Risk Swine Flu for the Hajj

It is traditional in the Islam religion for its followers to take a trip to the holy city of Mecca at least once in their lives. For the past 1,400 years there has been an annual period for this pilgrimage. The only difference this year around is that the threat of the swine flu is growing. According to the article, "Thousands Risks Flu for Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca", 2.5 million people are going this year to make the annual trip to Mecca. The bigger problem is that since this will be a large grouping of people, it makes it even easier to spread the virus. Although the swine flu is a problem, the people do not seem to mind. One woman even said that their faiths in the hands of Allah and that they will all die someday anyways. One of the only precautions people seem to be making is wearing a mask while they are grouped together. The Saudi Arabia health administration have discussed this issue and they feel like they do not have the right to ban the Hajj.

I believe that if the people of Islam want to make this trip, they should be allowed to. I have several friends that have made this pilgrimage and they have all told me that it was a very important life experience for them. So to ban them from making their pilgrimage seems wrong to me, even with the threat of the swine flu, because they should still be allowed to have the choice to go or not.

Egypt Ban in Some Schools

In one of Egypt's schools, al-Azhar, a ban was place on students and teachers, not allowing them to wear face veils (also known as the niqab) in the dormitories and in the classrooms- this ban was placed by one of Egypt's top Islamic cleric. This was part of Egypt's plan in an attempt to lower the amount of radical Islamic practices in the country.

This ban started a controversy in the country, even though a spokesperson of the school said that the ban had nothing to do with the actual faith. Although those of the Islam faith stated that banning the veils are a violation of their rights. The cleric that put the ban stated that "his decision to impose the ban is based on a 1996 consitutional court ruling that granted education officials the right to regulate Islamic attire in schools". Many people also say that the Islam people should not be ashamed to show their faces.

I am actually confused on this issue. On one hand I believe that the women of Islam should be allowed to wear whatever they want to wear. Although I feel like the only reason they wear the niqab is because of their religion and in this case I think that they should not wear it, in an attempt to gain some sort of freedom. Although I lean more towards no ban because at least it is their choice to wear the niqab or not.

Mormons and Gay Marriage

For decades the Mormon church has been fighting against gay marriage. The Mormons continuously say that they are for protecting the sanctity of marriage and they believe that marriage should be defined as only between a man and a woman. Mormons have been fighting for the passing of Proposition 8 in California and it has been reported that 75 percent of the funding for Proposition 8 has come from the Church of Latter- Day Saints. Those against the Church's decision have argued that the Mormons should be understanding of gay marriage because of their polygamist past and I too believe this. I am a really big advocate for same- sex marriage. I feel like Proposition 8 is taking away rights and basically not treating everyone equally. For the Mormon church to do this seems very wrong to me. A great video about gay marriage and Proposition 8 is called "8- The Mormon Proposition", a link for the trailer can be found on youtube.

I am hoping that one day gay marriage in California will be up for vote again and I am hoping that when that time comes the Mormon church will stay out of the way. Honestly, I think that Proposition 8 is a violation to human rights.

The Equal Rights Amendment

The Equal Rights Amendment was written in 1921 by Alice Paul, a famous suffragist. This amendment was passed in Congress, but it was not ratified by the number of states it needed- which is thirty-eight. The amendment specifically states that men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction. The Equal Rights Amendment did not seem like a religious issue to me at first, but then I did some research and I found at it in fact was. Many religions, such as the Muslim religion, find that women are inferior to men. Some religions prevent women from play full and equal roles compared to men. I have noticed this in my own religion- Catholicism. In my religion on men are allowed to become priest and women are only allowed to become nuns. I think that it is about time that women receive the exact same rights as men because after all we are all the same.

Proposition 8 and religious groups

Proposition 8 states that Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Most religious groups are for Proposition 8 in California. They believe that marriage should only be between a man and a woman- also that a homosexual relationship is a sin and against God's will, but I always wondered if homosexuality was against God's will and human were made in God's image then why would there be homosexual people? Several other arguments that these groups have is one that gay marriage will have to be taught in schools- a couples concern for their children is expressed in this video. Even if this was a valid argument, parents can still teach their children in their own homes that gay marriage is wrong. Parents can still teach their children whatever values they want to. Another argument is that adoption agencies are going to have to place children with homosexual couples even if the adoption agency is against same-sex marriage. Another argument is that churches may have their "tax exempt status challenged or revoked if they publicly oppose same- sex marriage". These are just a few arguments that religious groups have for the passing of Proposition 8. Of course as most of the people in California know, Proposition 8 passed- 52.5% for the passing of the Proposition and 47.5% against, which is a really close vote. I hope that one day gay marriage is allowed in California because I think that everyone should have the right to get marriage to whomever they want to.

Stem Cell Research

For years now there has been this ongoing debate over stem cell research. Basically stem cells can be used to create a diversity of new cells that a person may need to repair certain cell that may save a persons life, sounds great, but then the controversy comes in which is that stem cells are most often created by using embryonic tissues- in other words an embryo. Of course both religious groups and anti-abortion groups (which usually consist of religious people) are against stem cell research. Religious groups believe that the life of the embryo starts at the moment of conception and they also believe that "embryos are human beings with the same rights and this entitled to the same protections against abuse as anyone else" (fox). Although this may be true, I think that stem cell research can save thousands of lives and that cures can be found for countless diseases. According to the article, The False Controversy of Stem Cell Research, "fertility clinics destroy far more human embryos than stem-cell research ever would, yet they are not controversial". It seems to be that this is a difficult issue, but I personally believe that stem cell research should be funded because maybe cures can be found and not only current lives can be saved but future lives can be saved as well. Sometimes I think that religious groups need to look at the figure picture, in this case they need to realize the countless amount of lives that could be saved.

The Death Penalty

The death penalty is not as big of a religious/ political issue as gay marriage or abortion may be, but it is still often debated about. The death penalty is a very sensitive subject to talk about, at least for me. I personally do not believe that capital punishment should be enforced because as Gandhi once said an eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind. I just think that there is no use in yet another life, why could not they just let the criminal rot in jail for life which seems like a worser punishment to me.

Religion wise obviously each religion feels differently about the death penalty. Though I am going to focus on the Christians. In the United States a majority of the Protestants support the death penalty and on the opposite side, the Catholics are against the death penalty. These two groups have continuously been fighting each other about this issue of the death penalty. The question at hand is whether or not America will ever get rid of the death penalty and if these religious groups should have a place in making that decision- which they should not.

The Pledge of Allegiance

Everyone remembers having to say the Pledge of Allegiance everyday in elementary school. If you do not it goes like this, "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all". I remember saying this in school every morning, but I never really thought anything of it. Then later on in high school it came to my attention that people did not like to say the Pledge of Allegiance and I always wondered why- then I found out. They told me that they did not like saying the allegiance because of the phrase "under God". There was even a case in 2002 in Sacramento, where a person named Michael Newdow (who was an atheist) took the Pledge of Allegiance to court because of the phrase "under God". There of those that are of different religions, those that may not necessarily believe in God have to say of the Pledge of Allegiance and this hardly seems fair to me. It does not seem right that everyone has to say this phrase, is it not about time that it is taken out?

The Christian Right

Many of us have heard of the Christian Right, sometimes also known as the Religious Right, the question I have to ask is whether or not they should have a place in politics. Sometimes the attitude of the Christian Right scare me and about ninety-nine percent of the time I do not agree with the opinions of the Christian Right Coalition. For many years now, the Christian Right Group have continuously been trying to get a Republican Christian candidate elected as President. They have successfully done this a few times, their most recognized was Ronald Regan and most recent person was George W. Bush. The Christian Right Coalition is continuously growing in power, but do they even belong in politics? To me personally, I feel like they could do so many more better things to change the United States with their power, instead investing most of it in just politics.

Shia Sunni Conflict

The conflict between the Shiites and Sunnis have been going on for 1,400 years and this conflict is still continuously going on. The Sunnis and Shiites have been killing each other in Iraq, although in many areas they are peaceful to one another. This fight between the two religious group has caused political problems in the country of Iraq and this has also continuously been in the news all over the world. I wonder if the two will ever solve their problems and just accept their differences, hopefully they will. I also think that the United States invading Iraq could have possible made this fight between the two even worse, worsening their problems and causing even more deaths.

Here is a link to a video showing the impact of this conflict.

Recession and Religious groups

Everyone in the United States knows that our economy is not doing very well, obviously their is a recession going on. Also, everyone is being affected and this includes religious groups. Many places of worship have claimed to being going bankrupt and some faith schools are even being closed due to their lack of finances. David Roozen, a faith communities researcher, states "In 2010, I think we're going to see 10 or 15 percent of congregations saying they're in serious financial trouble". It is sad that many congregations and religious schools have to close due to the economic recession. It seems that people need church now more then ever because they need something to believe in, something they can put hope in due to financial trouble.

The Pope

Many times the public are skeptical about voting for someone that is Catholic. I still remember learning that the very first Catholic president that got elected was John F. Kennedy. I remember thinking "wow I can not believe that it took so long for a Catholic person to get elected" since I myself am Catholic. I use to wonder why this was. Then I remember a teacher telling me later on that it has to do a lot with the Pope. Apparently many people believe that the Pope will somehow control the White House through the President, if a Catholic president was to be elected- mostly because the Pope is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and often times Catholic people will listen to the Pope. For this reason a lot of people are afraid to vote for Catholics, but as time progresses things are starting to change and more Catholics are being elected.   

Abortion and Religion

It seems that ever since women started to stand up for their rights and for control of their own bodies abortion has continued to grow as an issue. Even though this issue is suppose to be a political issue, it also somehow became intersected with religion. In a gallup poll, majority of Christians are against abortion. Majority of those who are not religious are for abortion. Also the polls show that among Christians, those that go to church more often are more against abortion. As for the political issue of abortion- religion has become a big part of it. Those who are usually religious lobby against abortion, but I believe that they should be kept separate. It seems to never work well when religion and politics mix together.

Presidents

Today I wondered why is it that we never had a Jewish president or a Morman president. I wondered why religion has become such a big part of politics. I wondered why it matters what religion someone is. Why are people judged on their religion? Does religion impact their judgement? I personally do not understand this and I feel like religion does not really play a role in a president's ability to lead the United States. I feel like being part of the United States means diversity. So why are we not actually applying this when we vote for our representatives?

atheist president

When looking at the polls for who the people America would vote for it is clearly stated that those who are atheist would come last. I wonder why this is. Why do people continuously put religion or in this case lack of religion at focus. Does it really matter if a person has a religion or not? Does having a religion or lack of religion make a person any greater or lesser of a president? I personally think not. When I think about myself and my religion, I do not think my religion really creates my opinions I have about politics. In the Gallup poll , atheist came dead last and surprisingly homosexuals and mormons were ahead of atheists. Again why can not the people of America understand that voting for a President should not have anything to do with what kind of religion the person is. Being a hopeful person, I am going to think that this will change someday.

Gay marriage

One of the biggest debates today is about gay marriage. In the country where approximately 8.8 million people are gay, lesbian, and bisexual one would think that gay marriage would be passed in a country that is all about freedom. So why not freedom to marry whomever one would want to? I for one believe that anyone should have to right to marry whoever they want to. To me personally excluding that LGBT community from marrying whoever they want to is discrimination, much like how African Americans use to be discriminated against. When I ask myself why is not gay marriage already passed in the United States, I can not help but think it is because of religion. Religion seems to play a big part in the role of the gay marriage debate. A majority of Americans are Christians, which in most Christian religions teaches that a relationship between two men is forbidden and wrong. Though this is taught in a lot of Christian religions, does not the Constitution state separation of church and state. So why do we not follow this? I hope that for the future of American that this does change and that someday in the future gay marriage will pass.

Obama and religion

When I think back to the period of the 2008 presidential election, it seems that religion immediately pops into my head. In my opinion it seems that the United States has this certain obsession with religion, even though there is suppose to be a separation of church and state. I can still remember our current president- Barrack Obama being constantly accused of being a Muslim. Many articles were written about his religion, articles such as this (click me), titled "CNN debunks false report about Obama". I can still remember rumors being started about Obama just because he supposedly was a Muslim. I can not help but think so what if he is Muslim? Does it really matter what religion someone is? Why does this affect our society so much? Over time I hope that this changed and that people focus on what is really important in selecting a presidential candidate- politics.