Comparative Culture

Abstract

In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting the role of religion in the cultures in the United States and an Arab nation of Egypt.

Comparative Culture Essay

The roles that Religion have played in developing the cultures of the United States and the Arab nation of Egypt have many similarities and differences, such as beliefs, laws, and social norms. I am going to start by talking about the history of religion in of both the United States and Egypt.

The culture of the United States is considered to be of Western culture, it has also been developing since before the United States became an actual country. The United States was mainly influenced by the British culture, with its colonial ties with the British, which had also spread the English language, legal system, and other cultural inheritances. There are several other important influences that had came from other parts of Europe, mostly from other countries from where a large number of people had immigrated from Ireland, Germany, Poland, and Italy; the Native American peoples; Africa, especially the western part, from which came the ancestors of most African Americans; and young groups of immigrants. American culture also has shared influence on the cultures of its neighbors in the New World.

The Culture of Egypt can be researched back to five thousand years of which history is recorded. Ancient Egypt is considered to be among the earliest civilizations. (Wikipedia, 2007) "For millennia, Egypt maintained a strikingly complex and stable culture that influenced later cultures of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. After the Pharaonic era, Egypt itself came under the influence of Hellenism, for a time Christianity, and later, Arab and Islamic culture. Today, many aspects of Egypt's ancient culture exist in interaction with newer elements, including the influence of modern Western culture, itself with roots in Ancient Egypt." The Arabic nation of Egypt used to be a polytheistic nation which means they believed in many gods, as where the United States was mainly christian and followed the belief in one god. The beliefs for both nations are pretty smilar they believe in one god (Allah in the Islamic faith), they have laws that stem from their religious texts, traditions and beliefs that govern both nations. The social norms in the United States consist of the Ten Commandments (which we follow) and the Five Pillars of Islam,which Egypt follows. The way marriages work in the U.S. is that people have a right to choose whom they marry and most marriages in Egypt are arranged by the parents, we both believe in having children after being joining in matrimony.

The United States and Egypt have a lot of historical similarities, Egypt is considered to be the United States older brother. In both nations they have religious texts, ours is called the Bible and Egypts is called the Qur'ran. We also live by the Ten Commandments and Egypt lives by the Five Pillars of Islam. Our laws and Egypts laws are governed by both our religious texts. We