Self Check for Lesson 3 Test

1.  In most, but not all, U.S. communities, a majority of the people will be adherents of what major world religion?

2.  Of the world's popular religions, the topmost (ranked by percentage of world population) are Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.  Which set of numbers best represents their level of representation in the U.S.?

3.  The most authoritative source for a "religious diversity head count" in the U.S. comes from:

Example:  The ARIS 2001 from the Graduate Center, City University of New York.  Recall that the protections of the U.S. Constitution (separation of religion and government) mean that the Census Bureau cannot collect information about citizens' religious affiliations.  

4.  Which category of minority (non-Christian) outlook is the largest in the U.S.?

5.  Which category of Christianity in the U.S. is the largest?

6.  The 2001 Public Agenda survey of Americans' beliefs about religion and public life concluded which of the following?

Note:  This is an encouraging finding for U.S. pluralism, and an important concept for teachers who aim for religious neutrality to reinforce.

7.  Analyzed critically, the phrase "America's religious diversity" falls somewhat short if the purpose is depicting the demographics in the realm of ultimate beliefs.  What's the problem?

8.  Of the two terms (religion and worldview), "religion" is definitely the better term to use whenever:

9.  For tallying of U.S. demographics, find at least three groupings below that would be sensible (avoid all problematic groupings)

Problematic:  {Nonreligious, Religious, Other} leaves doubts about what "other" would include.  {Baptist, Catholic, Evangelical, Other} has overlap; e.g., evangelical Baptists.  {Catholic, Evangelical, Other Christian} leaves out non-Christian groups (religious and nonreligious).  {Christian, Religious, Nonreligious} ignores that Christians are religious, so categories are not exclusive.  {Nondemoninational, Orthodox, Catholic, Other} use terms not clearly associated with a single identity group.

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Completion: Use words and phrases from the list (each item is used only once).

Set 1 (17.-22.)  A Civic Perspective:

civic diversity  <>  worldview  <> freedom of conscience  <>  religions  <>  individuality of each person  <>  nonreligious people

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Set 2 (23.-28.)  Diversity, USA:

Catholics  <>  Protestants  <> homogeneous  <>  
heterogeneous  <>  religion  <>  demographics

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Short answers (Typing beyond the bottom of the scroll boxes will not print.)

29.  Why does this lesson use a "stew" analogy rather than the familiar "melting pot" analogy to discuss the demographics of U.S. religious diversity?

Example response: The idea of a melting pot for ultimate beliefs would seem to indicate that the worldviews of the varied peoples would become homogenized (pureed over time).  Instead, groupings of peoples who share similar worldviews (semi-homogenous chunks!) are living side by side (dwelling in the stew) as citizens with other groupings quite unlike themselves.  Worldview diversity has been part and parcel of the character of the nation all along (Native Americans and colonies).  The country is a pluralistic one and likely to remain so if it retains its status as a secular democratic nation with its First Amendment guarantees for individual freedom of conscience intact.

30.  Compare the concepts behind the terms worldview diversity and religious diversity.  Relate the comparison to the overall goal for public school teachers:  exhibit neutrality

Example response: Religious diversity and worldview diversity are used interchangeably to represent the spectrum in the realm of ultimate beliefs and the societal organizations around such.  Worldviews, though, can be more readily linked to the individuality of persons (no exceptions to each person having one!) occupying the "supposed to be level and democratic playing field" of the American public and its public education.  Religion, not being a universal of humanity (although prominent!), can tend to separate people into categories and cast them at different levels (those do and those who don't).