As I read through this section the thing I found most interesting was looking at religion as part of your identity or considering that to be part of you. I find that I agree with this section. No matter what religion you are there are certain values and beliefs that you are taught and that stick with you and that stay with you. This section also talks about Irish Catholics and how all Catholics are not Irish and not everyone that is Irish is Catholic. Religion is part of an individual’s identity not an entire countries identity. I also find looking back on history in both the United States and other parts of the world that people were discriminated against solely based on their religious beliefs. Irish Catholics were persecuted upon enter the United States as well as those who shared Jewish beliefs. Both of the sets of religious groups have been blamed by other religious groups in American history for being the reason of problems that have existed. Again an entire group of people have been blamed for certain problems simply based on their religion. An example of this could be when John F. Kennedy was running for president. Many people did not or were hesitant to vote for him simply because he was Catholic. They felt that by putting a person with Catholic beliefs into presidential office somehow the United States would not be ran by an American but by a Catholic. As if being Catholic was the only part of John F. Kennedy mattered. And while I believe being Catholic was part of Kennedy’s identity it was the only aspect that made up his identity. And while we like to believe as a country we no longer look simply at a person’s religious beliefs to look at their individual identity I believe today it is still a major part of us.
Questions:
1) Do you believe that as a society we look at a person religious beliefs and then draw opinions about who they are simply based on those beliefs?
2) Do you think a person’s religious beliefs will affect them being elected into a public office?
I agree how one's religion is a big part part of his or her identity. Whether we draw opinions about someone based on his religion, I think this is not always or shouldn't be the case, but is sometimes subconsciously done on accident.
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