American religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American religion - Essay Example While the Asian Americans came with astonishingly diverse cultures and religions, it is notable that Christianity, amongst all the different creeds, has significantly permeated their varied forms of religious experiences of the Asian Americans as differentiated from that of the other minority groups in America. In the last century, with a huge number of Asians migrating to America, each of them brought their respective kind of religion akin to their culture and their respective ways of life. Hence to the West came Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and other forms of religious faith. While the Asian Americans came with astonishingly diverse cultures and religions, it is notable that Christianity, amongst all the different creeds, has significantly permeated their varied forms of religious experiences. Christianity was predominant as it seemed to have provided answers to the seeming need for a sense of community or belongingness, ultimately leading to the fulfillment of an ethnic desire for their identity development in America. In attributing the Christian faith to be the popular choice of the Asian American immigrants, it is likewise important to recognize the fact that through this newly acquiesced form of religious fellowship, they have been given opportunities for leadership, a feeling of oneness and unity, a remarkable sense of renewed hope in existing in a foreign environment. All told, the Christian congregations have given in effect the much needed resources to enable them to overcome whatever deficiencies they may have in their social status. In an era that is marked by a myriad passion of faith, the religious role has become an integral part in the process of acculturation. The influence of Christianity in this aspect cannot be ignored. The sharing of common socio-cultural traditions and national history among Asians has led them to this closely-knitted socio-religious networking and has given them comfort in their day to day experiences. To say the least, religion has not only given them a most intimate experience, but more so, a widely shared community sharing that bestows on each one the provision of comfort and solace of life's uncertainties and even that of death, in effect inspiring them to achieve their dreams and aspire for renewed hopes to face the realities of everyday life. To a large extent, it can be said that, this religious orientation has in truth and in fact become very crucial to the adjustments in the way of life of the immigrant populace to their new homes in America. The new immigrants, together with their future generation and their Christian faith that holds them together, will undoubtedly continue to strive and also to survive, perhaps even beyond the boundaries of culture or religious transformations. One interesting aspect though in this thought is to ponder on whether indeed being Americanized is simply undergoing the process of being Christianized. If so, what then becomes of the other minority groups in America sans such religious experiences relating to those of the Asian Americans Is it an issue of mere belongingness, the fear of survival or the need for ethnic identity Does this necessitate the need for the minority groups to find the same commonality in their way of life or in their spirituality for that matter From this, it may b e gleamed that religious orientation has basically been crucial in structuring a different way of life for the Asian immigrants to adapt themselves into the stream of American society. Religion has essentially become a part in understanding the disparity that lie between the Asian Americans and the minority groups. Ultimately, the influence of Christianity on the Asian Americans cannot be ignored. The freedom of religion is embodied both in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Constitution of the United States of America. While the Universal Decla