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4 pages/β‰ˆ1100 words
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APA
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Religion & Theology
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English (U.S.)
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Topic:

The Perspective of Educational Institutions

Essay Instructions:

SCAR 2QQ3 Summer 2022 Third (Final) Assignment Questions
Your response should contain references to lecture material from at least TWO of the last four lectures. You are under no obligation to agree with the lecture points or the views of the films. This assignment, other than instructions about length, should be treated in the same way, with the same advice, as the first assignment.
The lectures you must choose from are: The Peoples Temple
The Branch Davidians
Jesus Camp
Conspiratorial Thinking and the Future of Cults
You are also allowed to refer to other materials utilized from previous class lectures or course readings/films, but these would be used in addition to the requirements named above. There are to be no other secondary sources used. There is no length restriction, my anticipation is that papers will continue to be about five pages in length. You have more space if it is desired.
This assignment is due in the electronic dropbox on Avenue on August 12th by Noon. Unlike other assignments in this class there is no acceptance of late material and there is no second deadline. The department has set strict regulations as to when final grades are to be posted.
Questions (Choose One)
1. We live in a society where ideas and ideologies are presented to us through the lens of media. We have 24-hour news channels, social media feeds, and documentaries endlessly streaming on several platforms. It seems fair to suggest that much of what we “know” about the outside world, and the strangers within it, is presented to us by the media. How might institutions of education differ, if they do, in the presentation of education and ideas? How do you think that your education has influenced your understanding of religious groups or “cults”? Do you think that your education is neutral, or does it have a vested interest in privileging certain ways of thinking? Are we being indoctrinated or are we learning something? How does a person think for themselves; how does one remain immune from the cult of mainstream society?
2. What is the difference between being indoctrinated by a cult and being receptive to your own ideas of spirituality? Is what you believe about truth, love, and life entirely borne from your own head or is your thinking predominantly a result of dominant influences (or rebellions against those influences)? Do you have firm knowledge of who you are, or do you think of yourself as a mystery? Are you righteous in what you believe about what is important in a human life? Would I be well served to follow and listen to you to better become me? How do
you distinguish a good influence from a bad one and how tied is your distinction to that which you have been influenced to believe?
3. Groups in society that have been labeled cults often criticize our mainstream values and ways of living. They tell us that we are living wrongly and that we are becoming monstrous people as a result. Do you think that there is something to this criticism or do you think that the fact that these groups also may perform terrible and preposterous things, in our view, makes their critique suspicious? What makes cults such targets in our society? What does this targeting say about our society? What does it say about how you think about cults and why you took a
course about them? Why might you care about this question?
4. Is there a possibility of separation, in at least two groups we have considered in the last third of the course, between the congregations of these groups and their leadership? What is the relationship, in your chosen groups, between authority and acceptance of that authority? Does the behavior of the leader implicate the group in terms of complicity and support? Is the idea of leadership in a religious setting antithetical to religion if religion is understood as a personal relationship to the divine or do some people possess wisdom? Should religions and religious leaders inform us about what it is to live or criticize certain values? What should religions and religious leaders do to confront negative influences, if there are such things, in the world?

Essay Sample Content Preview:

The Perspective of Educational Institutions Introduction
Since the invention of basic media sources society has relied on televisions, radios, and newspapers to inform them of issues in the community. The progressive evolution of these media sources has empowered their role as the primary source of information. Consequently, public trust in these institutions has only improved over the years. Hence, media companies dictate the norms and perspectives in society. The effect extends to religious and spiritual realms in civilization. Thus, a dilemma emerges when assessing the ingenuity of content from major stations. This evaluation seeks to critique media as a source of spiritual guidelines in society, its implications on people's beliefs, and the transparency of religious information.
If media facilities choose to present content on education, they must prioritize evidence-based components. Over the years, science has taken a central position when assessing the logical perspectives of different fields. Primarily, any assertions presented must provide irrefutable evidence to support the concept. Therefore, the media must seek to provide evidence regarding the concepts inferred. A perfect analogy for this regards the Golden States of Grace. The main objective of the project was to present an unbiased evaluation of spiritual exercises in a diverse yet highly controversial population. These included the Buddhist, Mormon, transsexual gospel choir, self-identified addict Jewish, and Mexican folk divinity (Nahmias, 2008). While the cultures of such beliefs remain vague and untapped, the scholars sought to provide an accurate perspective of their values and beliefs. Thus, Rick Nahmias used his camera to record every step of their interactions with the different deities. Therefore, any notions presented by the study outcomes would reflect the actual footage as evidence. This approach contradicts that of the media which may be developed and reported by rival groups. For instance, many perceive certain religious institutions to worship Satan though the evidence may be lacking.
Influence of Course Concepts on Cult Conceptualization
A primary discovery through the course endeavor is that cults thrive among individuals with share cultures, beliefs, values, and intellect. I was particularly intrigued by the latter facet as a structural component of a cult. The rise in intellectual capabilities of individuals prompts society to question basic beliefs and rituals in the community. This aspect might justify the sudden surge in the number of atheists over the past three decades (Lalich, 2004). Lower intellectual values are associated with acts of extremism regarding faith. Therefore, the organizations were likely to intimidate believers to conform to their teachings and maintain the status quo. In contrast, a more intelligent society is likely to possess a more open-minded perspective on cults. Consider, the devastation caused by the Heaven’s Gate foundation two decades ago. Reverend James Warren Jones convinced 194 members of his congregation to take their own lives. I am not convinced such actions would permeate a highly intellectual society. Such a population would require logical convictions that such actions would have positive outco...
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