McMillian1

GeorgeW.McMillian
ProfessorMaryMartin
English110
December12015
TheEffectsofReligiononFollowingOurPassions
EversincetheParisattacks,thewholeworldhasbeenparanoidofanotherviolentoccurrence,
butthathasntbeentheonlysideeffecttothistragedy.Thebacklashmuslimshavereceivedhasnot
beenthisseveresince9/11.Islamiccommunitiesaroundtheworldareexperiencingdiscriminationasa
result.Thisincludesextrainvestigationofmuslimresemblingtravelersatbordersandanoverallfearof
theislamiccommunity(CNN.)
Whathappenstouswhenwedie?Whyarewehere?Howdidwegethere?Theseare
questionsthatwehavebeenaskingsincethebeginningoftime.Unfortunately,science,atleastatthis
pointintime,hasnotbeenabletoanswerthesequestions.Asaresultofthiscuriosity,manygroupsof
peopleovertheyearshavechosentoprovidetheirownexplanationsalongwithtraditionsandacodeto
livebyWecallthisreligion.
Asoftodaythereareonlyafewmajorreligiousgroups(intermsofbelievers/followers).
ChristianityandIslamarethelargestgroupsbyawidemarginChristianityboasts2.17Billionfollowers,
tailedcloselybyIslamwith1.6Billion.BehindIslamisunaffiliated(1.13Billion)andHindus(1.03
Billion).Buddhisthaveroughly0.49Billionfollowers.Judaismmakesuplessthan1percentofthe
worldpopulation(TheFutureofWorldReligions...).Takingaglimpseintothedemographicsisonlythe
beginning.

McMillian2

Asexpected,thetwolargestreligions,ChristianityandIslamtendtoclashmostoften.For
centuries,themiddleeasthasgenerallybeenaveryhostileplace.BeginningwiththeCrusadesand
continuingthroughthe21stcentury,therehasalmostalwaysbeenconflict.Inthepastfewdecades,the
conflicthasbeenverysevere,involvingmanycountriesaroundtheworld.9/11,ThesocalledWarOn
Terrorism,andmostrecentlytheShootingsinParisandSanBernardino,California.Mediaoutletsfrom
bothsidesoftenmisconstruetheinformationormakeexaggeratedstatementsregardingtheseevents.As
aresult,theChristianandMuslimcommunitieshavegrownfurtherandfurtherapart.Inorderto
understandthecomplicatedrelationshipbetweenthesetworeligions,wemustunderstandthereligions
themselves.
Christianity(monotheistic)islikelytheeasiesttounderstandduetoitsprominenceintheUnited
States.WhiletheUSdoesnthaveanofficialreligion,theAmericancultureisalmostsolelybasedon
Christianity.ChristiansbelievethatJesusChrististhesonofGodandcametoEarthtoforgiveallof
humanityfortheirsinsbybeingcrucified.ThebasisforChristianvaluesderivesfromtheHolyBibleand
morespecificallythetencommandments.Likeeveryreligion,Christianityhasmanydifferenttraditions
andpracticesthatareoftenspecifictoeachdenomination.Themostwellknownandcommercialized
traditionsareChristmas,thecelebrationofJesusbirth,andEaster,thecelebrationofJesus
resurrection.
Islam(alsomonotheistic),whichmeanssubmissionorsurrenderinArabic(IslamReligion
ofPeace...)islikelymoredifficulttograsp,especiallyforsomeonenotonlyfromtheUS,butof
MidwesternoriginBeinglandlockedinthemiddleofalargecountryworkswonderstoshelterpeople
fromothercultures.Midwesterners(intheUS)oftenspeakofmiddleeasterncountriesasiftheyre
foreignplanetsinhabitedbydangerousaliens.Intruth,Islamisnotaviolentreligion.Whilethereare

McMillian3

organizationssuchasISIS,Taliban,orAlQaedawhocommitviolentactsinthenameofIslam,we
shouldnotlettheseterroristorganizationsactasthefaceofIslam.Infact,thisreligionhasmanyofthe
sameprinciplesasChristianity.IslamandChristianitybothbelievethatMary,themotherofJesus,wasa
virgin,GodsentprophetssuchasMoses,Noah,andAbraham,thattheTenCommandmentsaretobe
followed,therewillbeadayofjudgement,andmanyotherwellknownChristian(andIslamic)beliefs.
Itsveryfrustratingtowatchmanypeopleofbothreligionsfailtorecognizetheirsimilarities.The
threemaindifferencesare1)thatChristiansbelieveinthetrinitywhileMuslimsdonotbelievethatJesus
isGodoreventhesonofGod.2)IslamclaimsthatJesusdidnotdieonthecrossnordidheresurrect
fromhisdeath.3)manyChristiansbelieveinoriginalsin,meaninghumansarebornassinnersbecauseof
AdamandEve'sbetrayalofGod.Islamfirmlybelievesthatnooneisresponsibleforanotherpersons
wrongdoing(DiscoveringIslam,Islamvs.Christianity).
Manyhorrificeventshavetakenplaceasaresultofthismisunderstanding.Itsvery
unfortunatehowweseeminglyareonlyabletoseeourdifferences.Mygreatestconcernasidefromthe
horrorsofwaristheaftermath.Howwillthisconflict,whichhasparticularlyheightenedthiscentury,
affectourworld?Whatwillitbelikeforachristianboyandanislamicgirltoplaytogetherintwenty
years?WhatwillitbelikeforanIslamicmantowalkintoajobinterviewintheUS,thirtyyearsfrom
now?Couldadifferenceinreligionbeallthatittakestohinderonescareer?
TheUSisalreadyanintimidatingplaceforMuslimpeopleEspeciallywiththeUSinvolvement
intheMiddleeastandHeadlinessuchas:DonaldTrump:BanallMuslimtraveltoU.S.(CNN).IfI
wasimmigratingtoanewcountrywhosepotentialleaderspubliclyproposethatIshouldntbethere,I
wouldcertainlyfeellikeIdontbelong.WeasAmericanscanoftenbeveryunwelcoming.InMaysan
Haydarsmemoir,VeiledIntentions:DontJudgeaMuslimGirlbyHerCovering,sheaccounts

McMillian4

someofthestereotypingandassumptionssheencounterswhilewearingherjilbabandlivinginNew
YorkCity.Whileonsubways,sheoftensensespeoplewatchingher,scanningtodecidewhetherornot
sheis,oneofusoroneofthem.Shealsoaddsthatthesesuperstitionsdissipatewhenshegivesup
herseattoapregnantwomenorhelpsanoldmanupthestairs(Haysan).
Personally,Imawhitemale.Myoddsoflivinginpovertyareasstatisticallylowaspossible
(Mantsios).NordoIhaveanabundanceofexperienceinbeingdiscriminatedagainstorharasseddue
tomysexuailty,religion,etc.However,mybestfriendhappenstobeafirstgenerationAmericancitizen
ofanIslamicfamily,hisparentshailingfromAfghanistan,oneofthemoreconflictedMiddleEastern
countries.Whileextremelyrare,Ivewitnessedonafewoccasions,classicreligiousdiscriminationvia
wordofmouth.Irememberoneincidentspecifically,earlierthisyear,whilewewalkingthroughthehalls
ofourhighschool.WhileIdontrecalltheexactcontext,Ibelievethewordswere,Becauseyoure
Muslim.Andofcourse,thewordmuslimwaspoorlypronounced:moosleem.
Evidently,thereisanissueWhichunfortunatelyisoftenhardtorecognize,especiallywhenwe
arenotaffecteddirectly.WeliveinacountrythatisdominantlywhiteandChristianandoften,evenifwe
areonthesameside,wearesimplyunabletoputourselvesinthesameshoesoftheoppressed.
Theissueisnotonlyreligiousprejudicebuttheconsequencesofitaswell.Thebacklashthe
USalreadydamagedreputationreceivesasaresultofreligiousprejudiceisdetrimentaltoourrelations
withforeigncountries.Andofcourse,theeffectithasononeofthemostimportantaspectsofourlives:
ourpassions,ourcareers.NewResearchfindsthat,inFrance,jobdiscriminationisnolongerjusta
superstition,butaprovenissue.Accordingtoanexperimentwhereresearcherssentidenticaljob
resumeswithvaryingreligiousbackgrounds,catholicsreceivedcallbacks20.8percentofthetimewhile
muslimsreceivedcallbacksonly10.4percentofthetime(TheWashingtonPost).Clearly,anissue,not

McMillian5

onlyintheUS.Wemustactsoonifwearetorepairandreversethestateoftherelationshipbetween
ChristiansandMuslims.Nomatteryoursexuality,race,financialwellbeing,race,oryourreligion,you
shouldhavetheopportunitytocompeteinthejobmarketequally.Besides,thethreeleadingmonotheist
religionsoftheworld,Christianity,Islam,andJudaism,allcondemnprejudice.

WorksCited

DonaldTrump:BanallMuslimtraveltoU.S.CNN.CNN.Web.18Dec.2015.

Haydar,Maysan.VeiledIntentions:Don'tJudgeaMuslimGirlbyHerCovering.NewYorkCity,
2010.Print.

"IslamReligionofPeace.IslamStandsforPeaceandJustice,andProhibitsViolenceand

McMillian6

Aggression."IslamReligionofPeace.IslamStandsforPeaceandJustice,andProhibitsViolenceand
Aggression.Web.8Dec.2015.

"IslamvsChristianity."DiscoveringIslam.Web.18Dec.2015.

Mantsios,Gregory.ClassInAmerica.RereadingAmerica.Print.18Dec.2015.

"NewResearchShowsThatFrenchMuslimsExperienceExtraordinaryDiscriminationintheJob
"TheFutureofWorldReligions:PopulationGrowthProjections,20102050."PewResearchCenters
ReligionPublicLifeProjectRSS.PewResearchCenter,2Apr.2015.Web.8Dec.2015.

Market."WashingtonPost.TheWashingtonPost.Web.18Dec.2015.