A New Religious America

In Diane Eck's Book, A New Religious America, she begins by acknowledging a new idea of America. She goes on to explain that traditionally in the United States, Americans have thought of religion in the United States as Christians, with politically correct superficial consideration for Jews. A new era dawned with the falling of the twin towers on September 11, 2001. Americans were forced to open their eyes to new cultures and a very different landscape that seemed to have crept up on them. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 allowed all people of the world to enter the borders of the United State of America, and with the immigrants they brought their religious traditions and customs. The presence of the new cultures is very hard to ignore because of their growing numbers. According to Eck in the United States there are more Muslims then Episcopalians, and more Muslims then members of the Presbyterian Church, and as many Muslims as there are Jews. The new American landscape is decorated with Mosques and Temples of exotic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. In the past thirty years the United States has become the most "religiously diverse nation" on earth. And as chronicled by Diane Eck the question now is: what will the idea and vision of America become, as citizens, new and old embrace all this diversity?

The Constitution of the United States proudly declares, "We the People of the United States of America". This is all well and good, but the United States has always had problems defining whom they want to let in as "we". When the forefathers placed that in the United States they were not including immigrants, women, or blacks, into the "we", but that has changed over time. 911 brought with it some violent acts towards people who were thought of as different. Xenophobia reared its ugly head with the falling of the twin towers, people all over who presented any of the stereotypical attributes of someone that could be related to Muslim were shot at, homes vandalized or worse murdered. Fear, insecurity, but most of all ignorance fueled the Acts of those perpetrators. Every Religious community in the United States today lives and worships amongst other communities that are different, it may be across the street, but there has been little attempt to inform one about the other.

The United States is a country with the primary goal of pluralism. Hinduism is a religion with the fundamental basis of pluralism. The worship service is very different from the strict structured services of Christianity. Unity within diversity is a central and fundamental aspect of Hinduism, because of the wide array of Gods and sects inside the religion. All of the Gods and sects are connected by the one reality called Brahman which means Truth or even God. The fact that their religion is based on pluralism allows them to bring to America civil pluralism. The multiplicity in the religion is evident in the customs of worship. In general the temples have a wide array of Gods and Images but one central deity. And it is not unusual to see different people worshipping to different deities concurrently. It is a specific worship amongst others to different Gods and sects. This world view seems to be perfect for America.

Swami Vivekananda was the first Hindu voice that Americans had ever heard in the summer of 1893. He was in Chicago to attend the World's Parliament of Religions. His good English, articulate speech abilities, and charismatic personality found him in the company of prominent intellects during the end of 19th century. He hoped to raise money for the humanitarian work of the Ramakrishna mission in Calcutta. Vivekananda also launched the Vedanta society in the United States. The Vedanta Society offers a place in which new Hindu Immigrants can find the already assimilated Hindu religion. The assimilated form of Hinduism appealed to liberal Christians and worldly seekers.

Hinduism has progressed tremendously in the United States. Growing up in the United States as a Hindu-American entails a combination of samskaras, and Hindu summer camps on the fourth of July. Samskaras are rites of passage that begin with prenatal rituals to childhood rituals such as the name giving ceremony. Upanayama is a very important ritual for boys in which he is brought to a guru; he receives a sacred thread from the upper castes, and he also receives instruction that will guide him through life. American Hindu life is occurring all over the country and it is intertwined with American pluralism and tolerance.

Diane Eck began her chapter on Buddhism in America by explaining that the Buddhist birthday is celebrated for weeks on end in Los Angeles. This shows that the Buddhist religion is very important to study because many Americans are Buddhist. The celebration was set in the Bodhisattava Hall. Eck did an amazing job in describing the vibrant colors, the significance, and the serene images of the ceremony. The Buddhist temple was far from normal America, and yet the Buddhist temple was lined with American flags.

Shakyamuni was the Buddha whose birthday was being celebrated he was a prince who left his comfortable life to find the source of suffering in the world. Generations of people worshipped and chanted in the same manner that the Americans were worshipping on that day. The history of the moment seemed to signify that the religious belief was a spiritual connection that did not make them any less American.

The home of Buddhism is India, and has moved eastward through Asia, until it came to the west. Master Hsing Yun, was the leader of the Humanistic Buddhist Movement of Taiwan. The temple that he built has a population of about twenty thousand members, which consists mostly of Chinese immigrants. There were many obstacles in getting this massive temple. One was the cost of thirty million dollars, the other was that it takes up so much land, and there was a lot of concern by the community on its building. Ironically, the building was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day of 1989. Like anything new in America, the Buddhist temple was not automatically accepted. And on the first Fourth of July the float created by the temple was heckled. But the temple continued to connect with their neighbors, and they were successful.

Master Hsing wanted for the practices of Buddhism to be carried out all through life, not just at the time of death. They would participate in a Three Refuges Ceremony, in which a person would affirm their faith in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sanga. When the Hsi Lai was caught up in some controversy over money issues that may have been linked to the Al Gore Presidential Election, the temple finally received some attention. Sadly, most Americans do not know of the temple through its achievement and the devotion of its followers but through the infamy of