Dealer's Choice

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint's news website posted an article on December 12, 2015 declaring the placement of the angel Moroni on top of a Hartford,

The War on Christmas

Every year we are reminded on the war on Christmas. This year, Starbucks was the main target with switching from their holiday cups, to plain, red cups. Some, such as a man in congress,don't support the change in these coffee cups.

Is America a Christian Nation

As we wrap up the semester, Lippy leaves us student with the chapter asking "Is America a Christian Nation?". I feel like there are many ways to answer this question.

Anti-Muslim Sentiment

After reading the Huffington Post's religion section from December, I'm learning that the anti-Muslim sentiment is hitting the internet in a huge way.

Islam

From the Huffington Post, a Muslim taxi driver was shot on Thanksgiving day. The driver was shot in the shoulder after driving away then the passenger brought out a rifle and began to shoot. The driver had been answering the passengers questions related to his Islamic religion and how he doesn't support ISIS. Reporters and police are classifying this as a hate crime.

Hate crimes have been present throughout our history against those with opposing religions. The Mormons has towns burned down and the Chinese were isolated into specific areas of towns across America, formally known as Chinatowns(Lippy 252). What's different about the recent Islamic attacks on Muslims in America is that many are supporting the Muslims, even arguing that the government should step in stating people have the right to religious exercises and beliefs. Whereas back in the day, the government wouldn't have stepped in and many would support and take part of the hate against various religions.

Hinduism in America

After visiting the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Wisconsin website, http://aha-svtemple.org/,I was able to see how local Hindus embrace their culture. In our readings, we learn about their rituals and importance of community. This website has many links where users can see community involvements and times for their Puja services. Their mission statement and vision is centered around preserving their culture and bringing a community together.
They post calendars, news updates and newsletters to their user, keeping their community updated and current with events. They are becoming connected through social media as well. There are many opportunities for those interested to reach out and get connected electronically. In our readings, we learn that Hindus were largely accepted when they made their way into our mainstream culture. By having the "finger tip" accessibility, they are able to do so faster.

I found it interesting because I live right outside Madison and didn't know there was this large of a community around me. I want to make my way to a service and see first hand this culture on a whole new level.

Anti-Mormonism

      Mormonism has been around in our country since the middle of the 19th century but hasn't always been accepted. Like many religious groups we have studied so far, the Mormons have been making their way into society to be accepted by humanity.