Cultural Diversity and Religious Pluralism

Justin Peterson, Spring 2016

The aim of this documentary is to analyze how we as people have progressed our cultures to where we can coexist in the same environment. Everyday there are people from different demographics , traditions and cultures. Culture is the beliefs, customs arts and such of a particular society, community or gathering of people.  How you are raised in your culture is seen through your thought process, ways of behavior, and your acquaintance with humanities.  There is something that is indirectly at the center of all of this.

Religion plays a center role for cultural diversity. We will talk about how religion is a major influence in the world we live in today and give examples about that. Then moving forward we get into the topic of the resurgence of religion. This resurgence refers to the period of decolonization where we see how the religious factor is the source of cultural identity. Moving forward we hit the topic of religious pluralism. Which is the idea of religious beliefs systems being able to coexist in society and diversifying amongst each other. But coexisting doesn’t always happen. As with Christian and Muslins in Nigeria, Catholics and Protestants in Ireland or Hindus and Muslims in India there can be very violent clashes between respected religious groups. When cultural diversity is prominent like here in America these violent clashes rarely see the front page. There is a freedom of religion here that allows everyone their right of expression. So in closing we embark and question active people in society and get their feedback on cultural diversity and how they see religion being the driving force. They analyze how they’ve adapted to being around other people who celebrate their religions with no shame and even invite friends that aren’t of the same belief system to join them in their holidays.

Finally we have conclude that cultural diversity is prominent now in Florida for those who  grew up in the 90s. Being able to go to school, play on sports teams, and just be around kids that weren’t all the same culture or religion let us not stereotype or discriminate ones belief but respect it. We are constantly taught humanities and we become at a younger age now more aware of other religious holidays as you see yourself begin to go to school with more of them. All this plays back to the civil rights movement in the 1960s that paved way for religious diversity not only for African-Americans but other Americans. Jews also had to fight for there acceptance here in America too.  Religion is at the center of our cultural diversity because every citizen in America owns the right to “freely exercise” their religion if they want. Having this jurisdiction allows people to openly welcome each others beliefs and work together for the elevation of man.