How to Write About Religion Topic For a PaperOne of the most difficult topics to write about in college is religion. For the average student, any religion topic for the paper will bring to mind the myriad of stereotypes associated with that particular group of people, often times with the same thinking.
So let's start with some facts: the United States is not a monolithic religious group. There are denominations within each denomination that share some common beliefs and practices. There are many different ways to look at and categorize different aspects of their religions. For example, Mormons do not believe in a literal heaven and hell. But they do believe that God created the earth and that we are here to teach and lead and be a blessing to others. Likewise, Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Baptist, Islamic, Sikh, Orthodox Jewish, Buddhist, and Zoroastrian are all believers in a much broader sense of the word than Protestants or other Protestant groups. If you want to use for your topic on a paper about any specific religions, you should always take time to understand the culture of the group you're writing about. Get to know the way of life of the person. Find out what they do on their holidays and their religious holidays. Find out what their daily rituals are and if they are similar to yours. Make sure you're aware of generalizations and stereotypes. The best way to avoid these is to know what they are and avoid them. For example, many Protestants are accustomed to hearing of infanticide and abortion. They may associate these with their own traditions and beliefs but those have nothing to do with religion. Your subject of choice must give you a decent impression of the religion being discussed. If you cannot prove that it's true, you're better off keeping quiet and not saying anything at all. The best way to make sure that you are respectful of all religions is to make sure you understand the diversity of beliefs, practices, and cultures. While it is a problem that many religions will express themselves with a sense of paranoia, by speaking of the enemy and their nefarious practices, it is also the case that there are good reasons to be concerned with certain things. For example, that's why Catholics and other religions have prohibitions against birth control. You need to make sure that you make a basic understanding of the beliefs of a religion before you begin to write about that topic. It doesn't have to be complex, just you and your subject, both of you communicating clearly about the subject.
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