CAPS #2

Religion is a powerful force in our world today. It has the power to push people to be the best they can be and make people run as far away from that. It can give people a sense of hope or a sense or complete disappointment. Religion has the power to make people believe that there is more out there than just themselves and this world or give people reason to believe this is the only chance they've got. Religious histories play an important role in understanding what has shaped in country, wars, communities, and families in history.

All types of religion plays a huge part in our history.  Religion has created huge controversy. Near 9/11 there were certain prejudices around people of the Muslim religion. President Obama addressed the issue in a speech at a White House dinner. He ended this speech with this quote, "The principle that people of all faith are welcome in this country and that they will not be treated differently by their government is essential to who we are," (Martin & Nakayama 2013). It's easy to forget that religion plays a key role in our histories because at times it seems like such a small detail in someones life.

We can hold onto prejudices in our minds about certain religions and not even know we are. We can easily make up our mind about someone just by the words under their religion tab on Facebook. Rather than looking back on history and blaming a religion, we should look at all different angles. An example of this in the US is the fight for marriage equality. Non-religious people often look at those who are opposed to marriage equality and assume things about ones religion. I've personally experienced this, rather than someone making assumptions about your religion, people should be open minded to hearing what others have to say. As far a intercultural communication, religious persecution and prejudices should not be something that creates tension. Having a better understanding on history and religions can give us more of a background before we make a judgment about someone or a specific time. A better understanding on one's religion can be beneficial to your own life as well as many others in the present and in history.

Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2013). Intercultural Communication in Contexts (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill