Religious Rejections of Globalization

Religious Rejections of Globalization Introduction The conflict between Western and Islamic worlds has drawn the attention of various scholars such as Samuel Huntington and Fukuyama whom predicted future war would be premised on cultural differences. Since the 1990s, countless scholars have analyzed Islam and its connection to religious fundamentalism in order to understand why fundamentalists are so radically opposed to economic modernization and social change. More surprisingly however, is the fact that Western academia and political leaders have largely ignored assertive Christian responses against globalization, especially those coming from Christian fundamentalists whose numbers and political influence continues to grow around the world. The re-emergence of religious fundamentalism as a political force has been propelled by the perceived threat of globalization which promotes the spread of Westernization, neoliberalism and secularism (Juergensmeyer 140). In the eyes of many religious movements, globalization challenges the prese nce of local religions by encouraging capitalist beliefs that do not take into account moral principles. Among these religious groups, Christianity is of particular importance because of its status, outreach and role in international affairs. When we talk about Christianity, we refer to a set of religious values and beliefs that led to the creation of various denominations, organizations and creeds. The following essay argues that the religious rejection of globalization within the Christian community has been spearheaded by religious fundamentalist groups in order to prevent the creation of a secular world order because it threatens to reduce their influence, power and legitimacy. Presently, Christianity’s role and status in international affairs is being redefined by two important groups: Christian liberals and Christian evangelicals. This internal religious competition aims to democratically capture important decision-making positions within the hierarchy of western states to reassert Christianity presence on the public sphere to ensure social and moral order. Liberal Christianity and civil society’s anti-globalization response The influential expansion of global society has redefined the role that religious groups play in the development of important international policies. As multiple sectors of global civil society have come together to denounce the negative effects of globalization on the poor and vulnerable, religious groups have joined their voice to highlight the need to create a better world order (Lechner 115). It is important to note that global civil society’s critical responses to globalization have largely evolved along secular lines (Lechner 116). At the same time, if we define civil society as all forms of voluntary association outside the market and state, then religion constitutes the largest segment of civil society (Lechner 116). The Roman Catholic Church alone accounts more members than all advocacy networks combined together which helps explain Christianity’s influence and outreach on major international socio-economic issues (Lechner 116). The Roman Catholic Church has pl ayed an important role in condemning the neo-liberal model imposed by Western states because of its tendency to support the imposition of economic values over moral principles. During a speech by Pope John Paul II, during his visit to Havana in 1998, the leader of the Catholic community openly expressed his concern on the negative effects that capitalism has on the vulnerable but also on the worldwide presence of Catholicism (Robertson 612). He claimed that the absolutizing of the economy was wrong for three main reasons: 1-markets were imperfect and were bound to leave people unsatisfied, 2-withouth proper regulation, the community markets do not serve the common good which results in exclusion and marginalization and 3-left to their own devices, markets promote economic inequality (Lechner 124). In this sense, the religious Christian left and the western secular left have evoked similar arguments and appear to pursue the same socio-economic goals (Lechner 124). In the late 1990s, both the Catholic Church and Protestant Churches pressured affluent states for the forgiveness of poor nations’ foreign debt because it imposed heavy economic burdens on people whose human dignity was constantly challenged by unequal and oppressive conditions (Lechner 117). On November 6, 2000, President Bill Clinton signed a foreign aid bill fully funding debt relief for poor countries (Lechner 118). Liberal Christians around the world celebrated this victory that had rallied multiple sectors of global civil society behind a common goal. Truly, Jubilee 2000 demonstrated how the power of religious scripture could be used to re-shape the history of the â€Å"secular world† (Lechner 119). However, it is important to acknowledge Jubilee’s 2000 success was primarily caused by secular forces who lobbied tremendously well to achieve their goal (Lechner 120). In addition, the Catholic Church previous support for economic liberalism as a way to force the fall of communi sm contradicted its new discourse against globalization and neo-liberalism which further divide its community. These contradictions demonstrate that liberal Christianity’s moderate approach is too passive to efficiently oppose globalization and further highlights its dependence on secular forces to provide political solutions for the world’s most worrisome problems. The rise of religious fundamentalism in Christianity Liberal Christianity’s global decline has helped Christian evangelicals spread their political message in more assertive, faster and active manner in the Americas, Asia and Africa. At the moment, liberal Christianity represents a mere minority within their societies who no longer share their assumptions and are experimenting drastic socio-economic changes as a result of globalization (Stahl 350). This political vacuum has been filled by both secular individuals and Christian evangelicals that have attracted considerable amount of support towards their opposite political goals. Religious movements whether liberal or conservative tend to perceive globalization as a competing form of religion association that contains a set of established ideas, beliefs, authorities, goals and followers (Stahl 341). For this reason, religious groups zealously oppose this expanding force. However, religious conservatives appear to be more successful than their liberal parts in using certain aspect s globalization to reach people and transmit their political goals (Jesus Camp). Many Christian evangelicals in the United States believe that their government has been taken over by corporations and foreign agents that seek the expansion of evil and corrupt forces within their nation (Jesus Camp). This threat often takes form in secular institutions and policies that are often demonized publicly by evangelical leaders who lobby their communities to vote for a particular candidate who will accurately represent their traditional values. The ongoing expansion of Christian fundamentals and their active political involvement in public affairs makes them a considerable force that can effectively influence the political spectrum of multiple nations. Despite this, few western scholars consider Christian fundamentalism a real threat to the stability of their nations as they wrongly believe that the most dangerous face of fundamentalism is to be associated with Muslim faith. Religions of revolution and their radical answer to globalization The modern social stability of Western secular societies has been built on the free practice of religion in the private sphere. This explains why, westerners are so fearful of the public imposition of a single religious tradition that could violate the freedoms and rights of individuals. According to Stahl, religious complaints against globalization focus on two main themes: the demand for justice and the defense of tradition (Stahl 339). Stahl uses these themes to draw a comparison between Osama Bin Laden whose exemplifies Islam fundamentalism and Dwight Hopkins who embodies Liberal Christianity (Stahl 339). Osama’s complaints are addressed in Letter to America (2002) and Resist the New Rome (2004). He believes that Muslim fundamentalists are fighting a defensive war against the forces of imperialism and aggression which are responsible for the establishment of corrupt and dictatorial regimes throughout the Muslim world (Stahl 339). He claims this religio-economic war is a co ntinuation of the Crusades and other past struggles between Muslims and Christians (Stahl 340). He criticizes the economic, environmental and cultural decline of the West and defends Islamic tradition from what he believes to be an infectious and corrupt culture (Stahl 340). He also denounces the theft of Muslim wealth and America’s refusal to ratify Kyoto. Despite this, most of his criticism is directed towards individual behavior, especially the treatment of women and sexualisation of culture (Stahl 340). Immorality is high on his list, economic exploitation is not. His call for Muslim community to violently resist the enemies of Islam appealed to many devoted people regardless of their socio-economic background (Stahl 341). On the other hand, Hopkins’ complaint based on liberal Christianity is one dimensional because it focuses on the economic aspect of globalization (Stahl 341). As Bin Laden, Hopkins advocates for justice and defense of tradition, although he clear ly understands these concepts differently than his counterpart. On the demand for justice, he criticizes the grotesque accumulation of wealth and power into the hands of few individuals. He attributes this to be the cause of corrupt politics and the unrestricted destruction of the environment (Stahl 341). In defense of tradition, he claims that globalization is a competing form of religious organization that seeks to promote material realities and economic values over moral principles (Stahl 341). Bin Laden and Hopkins are quite different. Bin Laden was ready to kill to achieve his version of Islam whereas Hopkins liberation theology called for spiritual resistance and struggle for freedom and justice (Stahl 342). Liberal Christian has slowly become a religion of resistance that has struggled to mobilize its followers against globalization. On the other hand, Islamic fundamentalism is religion of revolution that violently opposes globalization. The means advocated Islamist fundament alism are not that different from Christian fundamentalists who have also adopted a confrontational direct tone to send out powerful political messages. Conclusion To conclude, Christianity’s position and role within the Western World is being redefined by two competing religious movements that aim to democratically capture political power within their state to reassert religion’s role on the public sphere. On the one side, Liberal Christianity appears to have a renewed interest in opposing globalization and neoliberalism which has motivated many liberal Christians to join forces with the secular left. The success of Jubilee 2000 attests on what this cooperation can provide in terms of progressive and inclusive social policies. However, liberal Christianity’s moderate critique of globalization has also been qualified as too passive by many of its members that are drawn by Christian conservatives’ more pro-active and direct message. As Christian evangelical’s popularity and numbers continues to grow, they have become an influential political force that opposes secularism and modernization in their own nations. As the dominant forces within Christianity are slowly turn it a religion of revolution, they are adopting various fundamentalist values and premises which threaten to unbalance the social stability of these secular societies. Western societies tend to picture Islam as the main motor of religious fundamentalism in the world. However, what they ignore is that the real threat to their society’s stability comes from the radicalization of Christianity which supports a more confrontational approach to promote their religious values.

An Investigation to Show How Water Temperature and Alcohol Concentratio

An Investigation to Show How Water Temperature and Alcohol Concentration Affect Membrane Permeability Aim The aim of the experiment is to show the cell’s membrane permeability is affected by being placed into different temperatures of water. Also the effect of placing beetroot in to different concentrations of alcohol. Beetroot cells contain a red sap, which leaks out of the cells if their membranes are damaged or altered. Cell membranes are made up of a bilayer of phospholipids, which also contains proteins. Which either float around or are fixed. Some are found in the inner or outer layer and some span the whole membrane Carbohydrate chains attach themselves to the external membrane forming glycoproteins and glycolipids. It also contains cholesterol. We will be able to tell how damaged they are because we will see a deeper coloured red in the water from where more of the red sap has leaked out of the cells. Method A fresh cylinder of beetroot was taken and using a scalpel any skin was removed. Care should be taken when a scalpel is used to cut objects into small pieces. It was then cut into 40 discs using the scalpel. Next the discs were placed in a boiling tube and rinsed repeatedly in till the water ran clear. Then two sets of five boiling tubes were set up into racks. Then using a measuring cylinder measured 10cm ³ of tap water was placed in five of the boiling tubes of the set that would be testing the effect of different temperatures. These were then left in the different water baths to adjust to the temperature. The other five had 10cm ³ different concentrations of alcohol ranging from 25%-100%. There was also one with 10cm ³ of water. Next four discs of the beetroot were placed into each boil... ...es down to 24%. I think this an anomalous result as after researching this 100% alcohol is used to preserve food so the light transmission percentage should of gone up but this needed to be repeated. I think the main source of error in these two experiments that could have lessened the accuracy was that there was some variation in the thickness of some of the beetroot discs. I think this is hard to improve as this is generally down to human error of not being able to cut beetroot exactly into 1-2mm discs. The experiment needed to be repeated to see more clearly if there were any anomalous results. Works Cited: Advanced Sciences Biology 1, Mary Jones, Richard Fosbery and Dennis Taylor AS guru Biology, John Graham and Anthony Lewis Biology Principles and Processes, Michael Roberts, Michael Reiss and Grace Monger Www.bbc.co.uk/asguru/biology

Unit 207 Use Electronic Message Systems

KNOWLEDGE & UNDERSTANDING QUESTIONS Unit 207 Use Electronic Message Systems Learning Outcome 1 | | |Learner’s Name xxxxx Signature | | | |Assessor’s Name Signature Date 31/1/12 | Learning Outcome 1 – Understand the use of electronic message systemsDescribe the main types of electronic message systems The main types of electronic message systems are email, fax and instant messaging chat. Describe the different features of electronic message systems Emails come direct to your pc and are easily accessible. Fax machines send information electronically but relayed at the other end in paper form. Instant messaging chat pops up on the computer screen when you receive a message. 1. 3 Explain the purpose of keeping an electronic message system up to date (ie why is it important)Old emails take up space and should be deleted when finished with in order to free up space. Also, under the data protection act, we should only keep patient information for as long as it is nee ded so therefore it is important that once we no longer need the email, that we destroy it. 1. 4 Describe how to use an electronic message system to check and delete or discard messages Email systems work in different ways, when I get an email, my computer displays an envelope in the task bar area, plays a sound and also pops up on my screen to let me know that I have mail.To delete a message when I am reading the message, there is an X which I can click on and the message will delete, if I am in my inbox, I can highlight on the email to be deleted and right click to delete, to delete multiple messages I can click on the Ctrl key and highlight all messages to delete, then right click and select delete. 1. 5 Explain the purpose of leaving clear messages for others( ie why is it important) Leaving clear messages increases the chances of the email being opened by the recipient and read and understood.If you use a clear subject for the email, the recipient will have an understanding of what the email is about and prioritise it. It is important that the opening sentence of the email is clear and specific so the recipient can understand and decide their course of action. It is also important to check the grammar and spelling of the email and not use abbreviations that the recipient will not understand. Do not use CAPITALS AS IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE SHOUTING. ———————– [pic]

Immigration Reform - 1221 Words

Immigration Reform is a serious and current issue in politics, in government, and in the lives of millions of people. Immigration reform is a term used by the American government and in politics. It refers to the changes to the current immigration policies in the United States. â€Å"Reform† is defined as a â€Å"change into an improved form or condition, by amending faults or abuses.† So, in a nutshell, Immigration Reform means the improvement of the law regarding how we, the United States, handle immigration. The only reason a country may revise its immigration policy/policies, is if it is having troubles such as illegal immigration. In the United States today, our government is having such troubles – illegal immigration. The statistic on illegal†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Immigration isn’t a big issue that I’ve had to encounter... As for immigration itself, it is hard. My parents came here to have a better life, but sometimes it comes w ith a cost. Not being able to get an education just because you dont have your papers... It’s a constant fear of losing everything you have worked for over the years. For children it’s the fear of losing a loved one, safety, comfort and joy. The fear of having your parent get deported.† Ambar’s opinion of Immigration Reform was this: â€Å"I think that we are wasting money trying to keep people out [of the US] when we could be using that money for a much better cause. I also think that government has no right to say who has the right to be here [in America] and who doesn’t, because we were all illegal immigrants at one point [in time]... America was made to be a free country, [to give people] a better chance at life... All the jobs that [unemployed Americans] say we [immigrants] are taking away from them, are jobs that only pay minimum wage and that Americans do not want to do anyway. 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