POS 4291
Religion & Politics

Midterm Study Questions

1. Karl Marx described religion as an "opiate" that discouraged people from challenging the inequities of life on earth. How does Marx's verdict stand up when you assess the villagers of Le Chambon (in the video "Weapons of the Spirit" and of  Fanny Lou Hamer in God's Long Summer? How did they relate their political beliefs to their religious beliefs and values?
   
   
2. A leader of the Southern Baptist Convention has praised President Bush for his Godly effort to bring the blessings of liberty and freedom to the Iraqi people. Meanwhile, the National Council of Churches has condemned the Iraq war as a violation of human rights and a betrayal of American values. Discuss these contrasting positions from a civil religious perspective.
   
   
3. Suppose you meet somebody at a party who hears that you're taking a course on religion and American politics. That person informs you that "everybody knows" that religion is dead or dying in the United States and doesn't really matter in politics. Assuming you were sober and had access to your class notes and readings, how would you respond to this person?
   
   
4. The Florida Department of Corrections recently ended its "Dietary Accommodation Program" which provided food that met the religious food requirements of Jewish and Muslim inmates. Citing cost and fairness, DOC offered instead the option of vegan food that makes no use of animal products. A rabbi pointed out that vegan food might not satisfy the Jewish dietary laws because of preparation and would force observant Muslims to choose between violating religious beliefs or the hardship of eating vegan meals, calling this option "not a reasonable accommodation." How do you think the U.S. Supreme Court would respond to inmates who filed a case claiming their free exercise rights had been abridged by the cancellation of the program?