What Does Eastern Religions Mean For Americans - 1397 Words

â€Å"What does Eastern Religions mean to Americans?† Starting in the 19th century, Buddhism began to make its way to America through the immigration of the Chinese whom brought their religious traditions with them. Buddhism continued to gain popularity in America when Buddhist texts, as well as Buddhist teachers, were brought here to share and spread their religion. It wasn’t until the late 1950’s/early 1960’s that we see the interest in Buddhism, particularly Zen Buddhism, blossom throughout the country. Through the memoir â€Å"Sacred Hoops† by Phil Jackson, an NBA player and coach, we are able to see how Zen Buddhism not only altered his life, as well as his players, but how the religion also adapts to American culture. From reading both â€Å"Sacred Hoops† and learning about Buddhism throughout this semester, I would argue that Eastern religions, specifically Zen Buddhism, is not only a way for Americans to escape the reality of American culture but also provides a complete alternative to Christianity and other similar religions that are predominate in America. Phil Jackson was born into a family of strict Pentecostal Christians. Both his mother and father were practicing ministers of the â€Å"Assemblies of God† so life as a child was stricter than most. Things like Television and movies weren’t allowed in his household, so sports, including basketball, was the one way that Phil and his brothers would get to participate in â€Å"normal† childhood activities. Even though Phil grew up in aShow MoreRelatedA Democracy Of The Middle East1304 Words   |  6 PagesThe Arab world is moving towards a democracy that accurately reflects the values of Islam. This is already exemplified in the Muslim Democracy of Turkey. Additionally, Joshua Mitchell, a professor at Georgetown University, has noticed his Middle Eastern students slowly adopt more Western ideas. This is indicative of the population of the M iddle East as a whole. Both of these examples of a â€Å"Westernizing† Arab world are unsurprising because of the flexible nature of a democratic form of governmentRead MoreAmerican606 Words   |  3 PagesProfessor J. O’Brien October 6, 2013 What Does It Mean To Be An American? For hundreds of years the United States has been attracting immigrants from a variety of different countries, races, and religions to come live in a land full of freedom and opportunity. These people were looking for more than just rights and privileges. Their real desire was to become something that represents pride and honor, an American. Being an American means much more than living in the United States. AlongRead MoreTerrorism Is A Major Criminal Act922 Words   |  4 PagesMarathon bombing. Terrorism does not discriminate. Anyone can be a victim of a terrorist attack. This statement is proven true in the multiple accounts of Terrorism going on in the Middle Eastern countries, however America also has to deal with terrorism. Terrorism is a way of defiance, it comes in many ways and they also have many reason to do so. Terrorism is based upon their acts , their motives and hatred. Terrorism motives range to where they were born, who and what encouraged them, and theirRead More Buddhism Essay1562 Words   |  7 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;For over 2000 years Buddhism has existed as an organized religion. By religion we mean that it has a concept of the profane, the sacred, and approaches to the sacred. It has been established in India, China, Japan and other eastern cultures for almost 2000 years and has gained a strong foothold in North America and Europe in the past few centuries. However, one might ask; what fate would Buddhism face had Siddartha Guatama been born in modern times; or more specificallyRead MoreReligious Terrorism : Islamic Terrorism1586 Words   |  7 PagesAccording to a survey done by the Atlantic, seventy-five percent of Americans think that religious terrorism is a growing, major threat to modern society (Merritt). Terrorist acts based off religion are usually done by individuals labeled as â€Å"Religious Extremists.† Since there are no official definition for a religious extremist, one might say that a religious extremist is someone who takes the teachings of their religion way too far. What does an individual imagine when they hear the word â€Å"terrorist?† StereotypicallyRead MoreEdward Saids Theory Of Orientalism1561 Words   |  7 PagesThe theory of Orientalism was made popular by Edward Said in his 1978 work ‘Orientalism: Western Concepts of the Orient’. This essay will examine an Orientalist approach to specific countries’ people and religions. For the purpose of this essay I will focus on Orientalism in relation to the religion of Islam and the country of Thailand. In addition to this, also discussed will be the criticisms and successive philosophical challenges to Orientalism. First it is important to define Said’s OrientalismRead MoreEssay on Resentment towards Middle-Easterners after 9/111206 Words   |  5 Pagesof Americans watched the events transpire on T.V. a third aircraft, a Boeing 757, collided with the Pentagon at approximately 0945 local. A fourth aircraft, United-Airlines Flight 93 out of Newark New Jersey, was hijacked. The passengers onboard attacked the hijackers and the plane plummeted toward the ground crashing into a field in Pennsylvania. The events that occurred on this day, September 11th 2001 (9/11) have caused significant damage to the minority group of people from Middle Eastern decentRead MoreBehnam Namdar. Professor Solheim, History 107 . Winter1593 Words   |  7 Pagesconstitution does not need a bill of rights, cause people and also states have power to not allowed any power to the federal government, but anti-federalists believe that the bill of rights its obligatory in government. According to the first amendment, congress does not allow to make any law under any circumstances regarding the institution of religion or abbreviating the freedom of speech, or the right of the people peacefully to assemble. Basically what this is mean is that congress does not haveRead MoreComponents And Life Factors That Help From A Person s Identity1633 Words   |  7 PagesFurthermore, I am a 19 year old, white (Euro-American) female raised and living amongst other white (Euro-American) family members. My family would be considered working middle class in the socioeconomic system. Each family member (including me) only speaks American English. We know a few phrases or words in other languages, but could never have a conversation in another language. Moreover, some of the most influential aspects of my identity are my religion and where I was raised geographically speakingRead MoreThai vs Western Culture1605 Words   |  7 Pages Many countries have different religions and cultures. Culture is a form of human intellectual achievements. It is like learning a human’s behavior pattern. It does not matter what background you have or which part of the world you are from, everybody has a culture in them in some way. It involves interactions between people, for example verbal communication, non verbal communication and or facial expressions. For verbal communication people tend to greet each other in the politest way using common