Religious Diversity: What You Need to Know

Introduction 

Religious diversity refers to the community practice of accepting and incorporating different beliefs and practices in religion. Currently, many societies are becoming tolerant to religious diversity. Since the colonial era, religions are rapidly increasing in number, with every group of people emerging with their own viewof the Supreme Being. While this may seem to threaten the unity and peace of a society, various frameworks have been in existence to guide the interaction of the people from diverse religions and enhance harmony among all people regardless of religion. The fact that there are many religions invites the idea of the similarities and differences that exist among these religions. Despite the differences and similarities in the practice and beliefs, the societies still live together in harmony. There is always a need for all people and societies to develop tolerance and religious diversity for a peaceful and harmonious community that will be supportive of development and progress. 

Pertinent Factors on Religious Diversity 

There are several factors that affect religious diversity. These factors include historical, political, social, economic and cultural. Each of these elements plays a key role in determining the peaceful existence of the community members of diverse religions or even the unharmonious existence of these societies. Historical factors have over the years impacted the peaceful living o f people practicing different religions. The history of religious diversity of the United States of America has faced with many conflicts and challenges ever since the colonial periods. During the European colonization of America, the colonies came to preach their own religion and limited the Native Americans to the religion that they practiced (Fourie, Rosselló,&Santana, 2015). Since then, many faiths emerged with different teaching and beliefs and, this has brought contention among the communities. While some religions are ready to accept that their practice is different from that of other religions, others are resistant and believe that the religion they practice is the true religion and all the rest are false. They have seen the need to respect the belief of everyone for the society to live harmoniously. This view has over the history affected communities and even led to conflicts and historical injustices. Many parts of the world including America has witnessed religious conflicts and injustices that arise as a result of various beliefs and practice of religion. 

The second aspect that affects religious diversity is the social elements. The latter ones are concerned with the way people in the community interact, co-exist, and the way they view and accept many religions amongst them. While many religions mean many different beliefs and practices within the society, those societies that are able to embrace the spirit of religious acceptance through pluralism emerge out to be peaceful with much prosperity. In a society where people avoid discriminating each other or get into a conflict with any other due to the fact that they practice different religions always get to live in harmony and experience a lot of development. Alternatively, those societies where people view each other as a member of this or that religion and do everything based on religious discrimination are more likely to experience conflicts and disharmony which can affect their prosperity. 

The cultures of the society may also enhance or limit the religious diversity in the community. In a society where there are a variety of cultures, people are more likely to embrace religious tolerance. Acceptance of many cultures in the society helps enhance peaceful co-existence of the society members. When people can accept a variety of cultures and still live in harmony, then the same community is capable of accepting and embracing diverse religious beliefs and lives in harmony. Shared culture promotes harmony in the community, and when there is harmony, the community members are more likely to embrace and accept the diverse religious beliefs. 

Another factor that plays a key role in the religious diversity of the community is the economic factors. Religious diversity has all along been associated with the productivity and economic competitiveness of the societies. According to World Bank, religious diversity is positively related to the economic competitiveness ( Parsons , 2012). Pluralism is also associated with the development of more urbanized societies. It tracks the key marketers of the social tolerance ( Jackson , 2013). Because of the positive relationship between the economic growth and religious diversity, most people in the community will embrace religious diversity and social acceptance for the sake of the development of the community. The state of the economy of any community relies upon the existence of peace and harmony among the community members. 

Developmental Theory Models on Religious Diversity 

There are three major developmental theory models on the religious diversity. Which include pluralism, exclusivist, and inclusivism theory models. Religious pluralism is the acceptance that all religions are equal, valid, and ultimately lead to God. It is basically accepting and celebrating the existence of diverse religions in the community. Pluralism advocates for the tolerance of each other’s religion while at the same time recognizing them as valid and valuable religions in the community (Giordan & Pace, 2014). This approach views all religions in terms of equity and understanding. It views all religions to be equal and good, and that no religion is superior to any other. Such approach is always encouraged because it promotes religious diversity and makes people live in peace and harmony contributing to the progress of the community. 

Religious exclusivism, on the other hand, is an approach to religious diversity which goes for the belief that only en religion is true, and that all other people following a different religion do not have true faith and therefore false. Religious exclusivism approach supports religious discrimination by viewing other religions as inferior and false and that only one religion is true ( Beaman, 2012 ). People see their faith as the most superior and isolate themselves from people of other faiths on the ground that they are not following the true faith This approach to religion can be a threat to religious diversity as well as a hindrance to the prosperity of the society. It promotes non-tolerance to other religions while the same time promoting religious discrimination which could lead to conflicts. 

Lastly, religious inclusivism is an approach which holds that while one set of religious belief is true, the other sets of religious beliefs are to an extent partially true. It holds that the believer’s own view is absolutely true, and the believers of other religions are also correct as long as they agree with what they believe (Reiss, 2015). While it holds that one religion is true, it does not regard other religions as inferior or false. 

Laws on Religious Diversity 

Many countries around the world, including the United States, have passed laws that are aimed at protecting and promoting people of all religious groups while at the same time promoting freedom of worship. In the United States, the First Amendment to the constitution introduced a religious clause that guarantees religious liberty, freedom, and conscience for all Americans. It protects people of all faiths to practice their own faith without being discriminated based on their religious choice. The Establishment Clause bars the government from inhibiting religions and it ensures that the government plays a neutral ground on the matters of religion. There is also the Free Exercise Clause such as the federal religious freedom restoration act which protects the rights of religious individuals and institutions to be free to follow their own chosen faith without being discriminated or interfered with by anyone. 

Citizens are also expected to uphold religious freedom for all the people in the community. Religious liberty works best when each and every person and group take the responsibility to guard not only their own rights but also the rights of those people with whom they disagree with on the matters of religion. All religions are left to interpret their own faith and belief and not even the government can interfere in that. Religious discrimination is an offense, and anyone discriminated based on his or her faith can seek remedy in the courts of law. It is the right and choice of every person to choose to practice any faith and no one should discriminate an individual on the basis of his or her religion. These laws have been significant in promoting religious diversity among the people of United States of America. People have learned that accepting and being tolerant of any belief or faith is essential for peaceful co-existence of any community. 

Interaction of Religious Diversity with Cultural Diversity and Racial Diversity 

Many aspects of diversity may interact to have an influence on the society at varying levels. The interaction between the religious diversity with the cultural diversity and racial diversity can create a new spectrum in the community. This interaction can bring in new changes in the way certain things in the community are done. The interaction between the three aspects of diversity can create new demands that people are forced to adhere to. For example, an interaction between cultural diversity and religious diversity may dictate the dressing code that members of the community are supposed to adopt. If one puts a dressing code that seems to contradict with the religious diversity, this interaction will influence them to conform and adhere to the required dressing code. 

In a society where there is a diversity of the three aspects, members always tend to conform to the new spectrum that results from the interaction between cultural, religious and race. The interaction between the these aspects can produce a new set of spectrum that is uniform to all the diverse cultures, religions and races so that people tend to act in a way that is directed by the outcome of the interaction between all these elements. Such an interaction can be important in enhancing the peaceful co-existence of the members of the community. It ensures that people live together in harmony and unity despite having different cultures, practicing different religions and at the same time coming from different racial groups. In a community where there is an interaction between various aspects of diversity, peace, unity, and progress are always available. 

Resources and Programs to Support Religious Diversity 

There are a number of resources and programs that have been introduced to help teach about the importance of religious tolerance and acceptance of religious diversity. There are community-based programs, which are key tools used to address and enhance religious diversity in different societies. These community-based programs focus on providing education to members of the community so that they understand and embrace the spirit of unity and harmony irrespective of the religious group that one comes from. Through community to community meetings and discussions, the members of the community get aware that all religions are equal and that one needs not to discriminate an individual on the mere ground that they believe in different faiths. The program seeks to undertake mass education on the differences that exist in religious beliefs as well as practices and teach the public the importance of enhancing religious diversity amongst them. This program has been useful in promoting religious diversity while at the same time enhancing an understanding among people on the need to live together as a community for the sake of prosperity and development. 

There are also “blog posts on the teaching tolerance website” which is another tool for enhancing religious diversity among the community members. This website offers teachings to the community members on the importance of embracing tolerance and accepting religious diversity. It helps in addressing Islamophobia in the neighboring communities and makes people become tolerant to many religious beliefs. All these programs have one major goal, to promote tolerance and enhance religious diversity. 

Personal Characteristics 

My personal characteristics can complement and enhance religious diversity in the community. While I have my own religion and faith that I believe in, I respect and value other religions and I believe they are also paths to God. I do not consider one religion to be superior to the other, but view all religions as equal. I understand the importance of respecting the religious belief of every person even if they contradict with my own belief. To me, the religion that one practices does not matter, what matters is an individual’s heart. This is something that I have learned to adopt after I got to understand the importance of religious tolerance and the need to have diverse religious practices in any community. While I believe in religious pluralism, my family background believes in religious inclusivism in which they consider one religion as true, but does not disregard other religions. Despite having been influenced by this belief, I came to develop my own understanding of religion. 

Becoming Culturally Competent Professional 

The first step to becoming a culturally competent professional is to understand and accept that people come from different cultures and backgrounds with different practices and beliefs. It will give an insight into avoiding cultural biasness. After understanding and accepting that people are different and have different beliefs, an individual can develop a cultural diversity mind where one becomes tolerant of diverse religious beliefs as well as cultural practices. Treating every employee with equity and fairness regardless of the cultural background or religious belief of that particular person will be a step forward towards becoming a diversified professional. The next level is for an individual to create a diversified workplace which accommodates all people from all cultural and religious backgrounds so that no person feels unaccepted in the workplace. Making the environment supportive of all cultures and religious beliefs is also a step forward to becoming a culturally diverse professional. 

Conclusion 

There is always a need for all people and societies to develop tolerance and religious diversity for the existence of a peaceful and harmonious community that will be supportive of development and progress. While people come from different backgrounds and practice different religions, it is important to follow the pluralism approach and see each other’s religion as equally important as one’s own religion as this will enhance harmonious living. Religious discrimination and bias can always lead to conflicts in the society where everyone views another person’s religion as inferior. Professionals must develop the mind of accepting cultural diversity and becoming tolerant to diverse religious practices even if they conflict with own beliefs. 

References 

Beaman, L. G. (Ed.). (2012).  Reasonable accommodation: managing religious diversity . UBC Press. 

Fourie, J., Rossell ó , J., & Santana ‐ Gallego, M. (2015). Religion, religious diversity and tourism. Kyklos , 68 (1), 51-64. 

Gebert, D., Boerner, S., Kearney, E., King Jr, J. E., Zhang, K., & Song, L. J. (2014). Expressing religious identities in the workplace: Analyzing a neglected diversity dimension. Human Relations , 67 (5), 543-563. 

Giordan, G., & Pace, E. (2014). Religious Pluralism. Framing Religious Diversity in the Contemporary World, Brill, Leiden-Boston . 

Jackson, R. (2013).  Rethinking religious education and plurality: Issues in diversity and pedagogy . Routledge. 

Parsons, G. (Ed.). (2012).  The Growth of Religious Diversity-Vol 1: Britain from 1945 Volume 1: Traditions . Routledge. 

Reiss, M. J. (2015). Religious and cultural diversity and inclusive practice. Teaching and Learning in Diverse and Inclusive Classrooms: Key Issues for New Teachers , 111.