The Jews

The Jewish religion is ancient. The Jewish people have suffered through thousands of years of cruel persecution and oppression. America has served as a great refuge for Jews, who quickly became part of American life. Jews share many concepts with Christianity, yet differ in that they believe the Messiah has not yet come. Jews believe in the immortality of the soul but not in Christian concepts of heaven and hell. Rabbis, meaning teachers, are leaders in the Jewish faith, but any knowledgeable Jewish layman may lead a Jewish service. The Torah, the first five books of the Bible, is kept on a scroll and read aloud every Sabbath (Saturday) during worship. These scrolls are sacred to Jews. Very religious Jews also observe ancient “Kosher” dietary laws: no pork or horse meat, no shellfish, no mixing of meat and dairy products. Kosher food and meats must be prepared according to certain rituals under rabbinic supervision. In neighborhoods with large Jewish populations kosher foods are available in special stores, and even in special sections of supermarkets.

Hinduism

In the 1960s, even before the liberalization of immigration laws in 1965, a growing number of native-born Americans began to become interested in Hindu practices, largely through the entryway of the Hindu discipline of yoga. Hinduism hence has a “counter-culture” association. Hinduism is the world’s oldest organized religion. In contrast to Christianity, Islam and Judaism, Hinduism is more a way of life than a religion. It came together as an amalgam of diverse beliefs with no single founder. Today’s Hinduism encompasses a wide variety of beliefs. Hinduism’s most well-known concept is, of course, Karma, popularly thought to be synonymous with fate and destiny, but in Hinduism more a concept of cause and effect in human actions. The word, in its less-theistic sense, has become a part of everyday American English. The Hindu practice of yoga is much more than a physical exercise as practiced in the west, but rather a path to spiritual enlightenment. Hindu worship involves a great number of representative images, icons, and shrines designed to connect the practitioner with divinity on an everyday basis.

Islam

Islam today is the world's and America's fastest growing religion. Muslims proclaim the oneness of God and follow the teachings of Mohammad, who they believe to be the seal of the prophets. The five daily prayers inscribed on Muslims are held in mosques that also serve as community centers. Muslim men and women are required to dress modestly: women cover their heads and bodies and men often grow beards. Yet, many others dress up liberally and lead liberal lifestyles. In between, there is a group of Muslims who practice some aspects of Islam but not others. As diverse American Muslims are, the American public's viewpoint of Muslims is even more diverse. The events of 9/11 raised a controversy about Islam, one so intense that it put all Muslims under the spotlight, alienated them, and polarized the American public. Statistics show that one in two Americans has unfavorable opinions about Islam and Muslims. There is a national trend of lumping Muslims all together under a violent stereotype. Yet, Muslims globally and nationally have an emerging voice defending their cause and faith against Western bashers and Muslim extremists. When Mohammad Ali, for example, visited ground zero in the aftermath of 9/11, he declared: “I've been a Muslim for 20 years... People recognize me for being a boxer and a man of truth. I wouldn't be here representing Islam if it were terrorist... Islam is peace.”

Buddhism Buddhism in the United States has both ethnic and non-ethnic connections. As is the case with Hinduism, non-Asian Americans have since the 19th century been attracted to Buddhism as a path to spiritual awareness. This is particularly true in the case of Zen Buddhism, which has been associated with American counter-culture, and with the broad appeal of Tibetan Buddhism under the leadership of the popular Dalai Lama. Buddhism reflects the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, called “the Buddha,” who lived on the Indian sub-continent between 600 and 400 BC. The Buddha promulgated paths to spiritual enlightenment revolving around the concept of escaping the eternal earthly cycle of suffering and rebirth called Samsara, and achieving a state of escape called Nirvana. The various schools of Buddhism lay down paths to enlightenment that involve meditation, monastic living, ethical precepts, study, and other means of escaping the cycle of earthly suffering.

Atheism In the strictest terms, the word “atheist” refers to a person who does not believe in any god, for whatever reason. For some atheists, the term is a mere description; they are not religious and give little more thought to the subject. Another group of atheists actively attempts to resist religion and objects to its place in the daily life of the country. Most Americans who call themselves atheists risk extreme social disapproval by doing so. Although atheists, like many religions, have their own organizations and periodicals, they have never made much of a dent on American public opinion. Even people who have no interest in religion are more likely to call themselves “agnostics,” a term that connotes the state of not knowing whether a god exists rather than a strong belief that no god exists. A further group, unaffiliated with organized religion, evinces a belief in a “higher being” and hence qualify as neither atheists nor agnostics. Deeply religious Americans consider atheists a sorry, benighted, unenlightened group of people. Even Americans for whom religion has little place in their lives (a solid third of the population) somehow draw the line at associating any positive good with atheism.