In October, there was a mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Eleven people were killed and seven were injured. This is, to date, the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the U.S. Anti-Semitism is the hostility or prejudice against Jews, and is not a new problem.

The suspect, Robert Gregory Bowers was known to believe Jews are the children of Satan, as his social media account described. He was a part of a website for neo-Nazis and white supremacists, and promoted anti-semitic conspiracy theories.

Marnie Fienberg, who lost her mother-in-law to this shooting, thinks she can raise awareness and possibly reduce anti-Semitism by inviting guests to learn about their practices and gain insight into the Jewish community. She wants to reduce the increasing bias against Jews and came to the answer that Seders, “would be a meaningful introduction to Judaism for people who did not know much about the religion and might believe negative stereotypes about its followers” (Zauzmer).

A seder is a Jewish ritual service and dinner, taking place on the first night or two of Passover. Fienberg wants to get a lot of non-Jewish people to attend Seders this year, calling the program “2 for Seder.” This plan includes Fienberg inviting Jewish homes to invite at least two non-Jews to their Seder. Over 730 families are participating in Fienberg’s program.

Although this program cannot rid anti-Semitism fully, it is a step closer in the right direction. As more people will have experienced a Jewish ritual, they can use their new insight to show people with negative views of Jews that they are wrong. If this program continues to grow over the years, anti-Semitism has a good chance at dramatically decreasing. “2 for Seder” can educate people of all ages and backgrounds, encouraging people to engage in discussion.

On Monday, April 15, a 21 year old man was charged with hate crimes and accused of burning down three black churches in Louisiana. The three churches include Greater Union Baptist Church, St. Mary Baptist Church, and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. The churches had been home to generations of black families for over a century.

The fires occurred when the churches were unoccupied, leading me to believe this hate crime had everything to do with religion and race… not because Matthew was out for specific people, but the black community as a whole. A large amount of evidence pointed to Matthew as guilty for committing these crimes, such as his cell phone location identifying him at the scene. It is suggested that there may be a possible connection to Matthew’s black metal band, “Black Vultures.” This genre of music has previously been connected to the burnings of churches.

In class, we learned about the invisible institution, a safe and stable place to stay during slavery. African American churches symbolize safety and hope for the community, and now they are no longer safe because of these hate crimes. Racist crimes have been a recurring issue in the Jim Crow South, and Holden Matthew’s cruel acts add to the list. The community of St. Landry Parish is 41 percent black and the churches were only a mile apart.

My boyfriend had asked me if I had heard about the church burnings and the sad thing is, I responded, “Which one?” There has been far too many incidents of hate crimes upon churches and race that it’s almost like a weekly occurrence. I think our society has become desensitized to these events, and to see these hate crimes in the news is just expected. Luckily no one was physically hurt in these fires but many were emotionally and spiritually hurt, as it was an attack on their race, religion, and community. We need to do more to raise awareness and stop these hate crimes from continuing to happen.

Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco preaches unconditional love, accepting all people no matter their race, class, or sexual preference. While many churches tell you who you can and cannot love, Glide welcomes everyone with open arms. During the AIDS crisis, Glide even offered HIV screenings. They also make constant efforts to feed the homeless.

I actually had the opportunity to visit Glide Church a year ago and it was an eye-opening religious experience, to say the least. I had never experienced such a liberal church service and I thought my home church was progressive. At my church, the pastor tells you to turn to the people next to you and shake hands. At Glide, everyone got out of the pews and were hugging and talking to each other for about ten minutes. Strangers came up and hugged me. It was quite liberating to see kids roaming free, people laughing and crying, and even some Instagram live streaming the service.

Shocking to me, a gay married couple shared their testimony with the audience. One man was diagnosed with HIV as a young man and shared how thankful he was for the Glide community’s support during this tough time and for giving him and safe place to go. I had never even heard the word “gay” spoken in church, let alone have two gay men sharing their story on stage. I feel that most Christian churches ostracize the LGBTQ+ community, and it was refreshing to see the church not only acknowledge them, but have these people as members of the church and even part of the choir.

My mother works at my church as the Children’s Ministry Director and I hear about the politics that go on behind the scenes. They have to discuss whether it should be allowed for a gay couple to bring their child to Sunday School. The Bible does note that marriage is between a man and woman but it also says to love your neighbor. Something that resonated with me that the pastor at Glide preached was, “You can only love God as much as the person you love the least.”

Nipsey Hussle, an Eritrean rapper, recently passed away and many mourn his legacy. Friends, family, and fans gathered to celebrate his life and African Spirituality at his memorial service. Nipsey Hussle’s mother performed a theology ceremony and African ritual, emphasizing how her spirituality helps her grieve. Her all white outfit symbolizes her spirituality as she speaks to the masses.

In class, we learned about African American Christianity and spirituality. Nipsey Hussle shares with others her spirituality in attempt to help them grieve as well, when she says, “I know that we are all divine creatures...We are all divinity within. We don’t need to look to the sky for a god. God is within. I have perfect peace. I am happy. I’m complete. I am strong. And if I can feel this way, so can you,” she began. Her roots and culture aided in the African traditional service, calling on deceased ancestors to join. Nipsey’s mother explained this method with the audience that may not be familiar with it.

As learned in class, African American Spirituality helps people find new hope where there is none. Nipsey’s mother expresses this optimistic hope in her speech, despite the tragic death of her son. The Black Church is a very important part of the black community and even affects political behavior. African Americans are mainly Christian and evangelical. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X sough cultural affirmation, critiques American Christianity, and sought solidarity with the masses.

Gun violence is a big problem within the rap community, and you hear time after time rappers being involved in incidents with gang and drug violence, sometimes resulting in death. African American spirituality gives hope to some oppressed individuals, in effort to give their life more meaning and a safe, loving community. Nipsey Hussle gave a lot back to the community and was a big advocate for gang violence to prevent the youth from going down this dangerous path.

As discussed in class, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a religious group, founded by Joseph Smith in 1830. You may know this religion as Mormonism. Joseph Smith, the modern-day prophet to Mormons, was told by God to establish this Christian church. Mormons follow the Book of Mormon, which contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2200 BC to AD 421. Mormons believe God the Father and Jesus Christ are separate physical beings.

The church has over 15 million members across the world today and is growing rapidly. Mormons are generally known to be conservative Republicans. As we talked about in class, there are several factors that religion may affect politics such as their size, leaders, wealth, and support. The church’s large presence in the State of Utah has had a great effect on politics.

Mormons are taught by their scripture that they should not drink alcohol, and as a result of their concentrated presence in Utah they have been able to control alcohol limits in the state. On Monday April 11, the LDS church opposed a measure that would raise the alcohol content in beer that would be allowed to be sold in Utah stores. Retailers need support in this vote to be able to keep stocking alcohol as low-percentage beers are on the decline.

The bill was approved on Thursday. Personally, I do not understand why raising the alcohol content in beer would affect Mormons if they do not drink alcohol to begin with. If they do not want alcohol, they do not have to buy it. There will still be beer with lower alcohol contents available in store; they are not raising the content in all beer. Mormons may not want others in Utah, religious or not, to be inclined to drink more alcohol because it goes against their morals. I am curious to see if their pull on politics will continue to weaken.

The Evangelical church is a transdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity. They believed that salvation can be achieved through Christ’s atonement. The branch is very influential to Christian religion today. The Evangelical church has been on the decline for the past few years, so they are making efforts to appeal to more of the U.S.

This article uses celebrities such as Chris Pratt, Justin Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Selena Gomez, Hailey Baldwin, and Kevin Durant to share what the Evangelical church is about. Turner explains that the churches which these celebrities attend are typically consistent with evangelical teachings. As young people are not involving themselves with the church as much these days, the celebrities may attract them to the Evangelical church. The church makes efforts to appeal to the younger generations, incorporating things they would love like fashion and music.

The article discusses that churches are putting more of an emphasis on relationship over religion, likely to not seem so organized and to attract more non-believers. Also, the music has transformed from hymns to songs that younger people will enjoy. Personally, I belong to a Lutheran church and although it is not evangelical, they are constantly making efforts to modernize the church while being able to keep their older generations. As a result they have kept an early-morning Sunday service that is traditional and the rest are contemporary so that people have the option. I personally like the contemporary service because they have a great band and it seems more laid-back and not as strict. They have also transformed the teachings into something applicable to anyone, whether you are a believer or not. The article points out these similar efforts by the Evangelical church. It feels like a friendlier, loving atmosphere overall and I am more motivated to attend the services, especially knowing the teachings will be useful.

Turner explains that the pastors at these growing Evangelical church have become influencers as well, utilizing social media to their benefit, with thousands of followers. The church has a new appearance but the same traditional core values and teachings that it always had. Like a brand, a church needs good marketing to sell. I think all churches are capable to revamp their brand to grow without changing what they believe and teach.

On Monday April 15th, the iconic and historical cathedral, Notre Dame, caught on fire. Even more heartbreaking, the fire occurred during Holy Week. The cathedral is 850 years old and a great symbol of the Catholic church. It is admired for its architecture and design as well as providing a place to practice faith. The people of Paris mourned this historical loss and a feeling of melancholy hit the city and others around the world. People stood outside the monument praying, singing, and holding vigils. Many people I know were posting on social media, sharing their sadness for the news, treating it like we lost a great figure.

Meghan Keneally says, “Its place in Catholicism is undisputed, as is its role in French history. It was the site of some of the most notable coronations, including that of Emperor Napoleon.” It is one of the most sacred places in Catholicism.

The varying styles within the cathedral, such as Renaissance and Naturalism, denotes the uniqueness of the building. Notre Dame is considered one of the greatest examples of French Gothic architecture and tourists flock to the cathedral to enjoy the artwork, furniture, and designs. Even as religion has declined in France over the years, Notre Dame remains a strong symbol of French Catholicism. Not only is Notre Dame an inspiration for religions, but for several films, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Notre Dame is a place for religion, but it provides a great example of the influences and richness from other cultures coming together into one symbolic monument with great of historical meaning. Every year, about 13 million people enter Notre Dame. In midst of the fire, people have come together from different cultures, religious and not, to mourn and share their relationship with this beloved icon.

Fundamentalist Mormonism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaZKbuuL9Ks

The TLC show, “Three Wives, One Husband,” gives an inside look at the lifestyle of polygamist families. Polygamists practice marriage with multiple people at once, but polygyny is specific to multiple wives . It is a strange concept to outsiders, but completely normal for these families in Rockland Ranch, Utah. In this community specifically, the husband is sure to spend alone time with each wife as they have seperate bedrooms, but they interact as one big family. Their goal is to become “like God.” These families are aware that their lifestyles are odd to others, as they have to encounter and explain their relationships when they go places such as the grocery store. Their lives can be difficult as it transgresses from the mainstream Mormon church. The men accept a new wife into the family through a courting process and needs approval from the other wives and children.

In class, we talked about polygamy being illegal throughout the U.S., under the Edmunds Act. Even Brigham Young, a pivotal figure and the second president of  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, practiced polygamy with 55 wives. Joseph Smith, the founder of the church, introduced the idea of plural marriage. Fundamentalist Mormons typically live in small sects with a community of other fundamentalists. They believe they maintain the core beliefs of the LDS church. Some believe Mormons are in the wrong from straying away from polygamy, while others think Fundamentalists are in the wrong for still practicing it.

Watching this Netflix show with my roommates was quite intriguing, as I love learning about abnormal cultures and lifestyles. It is interesting to see how normal polygamy is for the families in the show, but now abnormal it is to many people and myself. I went into the show very closed-minded about the concept of polygamy, with the viewpoint that a marriage is not genuine when shared with other spouses. After watching some of the show, I opened up to the idea of polygamy in marriage, although I still believe I could never practice it myself. I know I would constantly feel inadequate or part of a competition; even some of the wives expressed these feelings in their marriage. The show gives a look at the ups and down these families go through, as it is not all sunshine and rainbows. The people in the show seem like genuinely good people that love God and mean no harm, so I support their lifestyle as it does not affect nor hurt me.