Self Test for Lesson 2

1.    If the United States is indeed the “world's most religiously diverse" nation, it means you are likely to encounter in your classroom:

a larger percentage of Christian students than one would expect in most any other nation

a smaller percentage of Christian and Jewish students than teachers have elsewhere

students from a wider spectrum of worldview backgrounds than teachers in other countries

a larger number of students who are not religious than one would find in other parts of the world

2.    We've seen a dramatic expansion in the religious diversity of the United States in recent years.  What factor most lies behind this increase?

redistribution of population from urban to metropolitan areas

changes in U.S. immigration law

improved effectiveness of religious movements in garnering additional members

birth rates within some religious groups

3.    Trying to be prepared, a teacher can study tenets and practices of widely varied worldview groups.  Will s/he be familiar with perspectives encountered in the classroom?

Probably, since there are actually only one or two life stance outlooks one would expect to meet up with in any classroom today

Yes, because monotheistic traditions comprise the dominant outlook with other worldviews meriting no serious consideration

No, because schools are receiving students from a wider spectrum of worldview backgrounds than any teacher can hope to master

Probably not, since the only way one can learn about a worldview is to grow up in that type of family or circumstance

4.    If the United States is indeed the “world's most religiously diverse" nation, it means you are likely to encounter in your classroom:

a larger percentage of Christian students than one would expect in most any other nation

a smaller percentage of Christian and Jewish students than teachers have elsewhere

students from a wider spectrum of worldview backgrounds than teachers in other countries

a larger number of students who are not religious than one would find in other parts of the world

5.    One can be certain that another person's life stance  is:

the only force that is driving the individual's extreme commitments or heroic actions

relatively detached from the larger scheme of things in one's lifetime

shaping the individual's overall outlook on people and living and what life is all about

unconnected to such matters as home life, personal friendships, work choices, and politics

of no comfort and solace regarding matters of conscience

6. It is a realm of strongly held positions and emotions
7. It is something in which people everywhere are interested and involved
8. It is capable of stirring great controversy within education
9. It is easily defined
10. It is a favorite conversation topic for Americans
11. It can lead to violations of religious liberty
12. It is the only source for moral conscience
13. It inspires many people to important actions

       T or F

1. Christians and Moslems have the same view of the word “faith”.
2. For many people the religion of their birth remains their religion throughout life.
3. Some religions don't require faith for participation.
4. Some religions represent a way of life or a search for truth, and not a faith in a given truth.
5. The US has a low church attendance compared to other countries.
6. You can tell when a student is religious by whether s/he attends worship services or not.
7. American tends to divide life into a public secular world  and a private religious world
8. It is a Mediterranean regional ethic that tends to create a private spiritual world and a public secular world.
9. Worldwide, the number of individuals who choose to live a secular life without a religious component is getting smaller and smaller.
10. At a time in life many people are uncertain that they can believe anything specific about the divine.
11. It is not socially acceptable in the U.S. to state publicly that one is an atheist.

    A classroom discussion about religion is vastly different from one on something like .   For one thing, in a public school human worldviews involve matters of  concern.  This calls for a climate of religious neutrality to be maintained, a legal challenge that doesn't apply to typical subjects.  There is not much for a teacher to go on in the way of either.

Also, whereas a teacher may wish to be and impartial, but things just aren't as straightforward when the subject comes to religion.  It's more difficult for a teacher to avoid being caught up in his/her own .  For example, it is often hard for a teacher to distinguish whether information about some event derives from or whether it comes from what one's religious upbringing has taught.  It is also harder to summon for persons whose  worldviews stand in opposition to one's own life stance.  Being fair and would be nice for courtroom judges and classroom teachers alike, but the realm of ultimate beliefs proves tricky terrain for both. 

34.  Why are people's deeply held beliefs so important?