Religion–A search for new meaning (10 questions)

To participate in the discussions for this module, students must initiate a thread and clearly indicate in the subject line what specific question they are addressing in their posts.

Question 1: Under what conditions do revitalization movements occur? Do any of these conditions exist in the United States?

Question 2: In what ways are the Satanist and Wiccan religions similar? In what ways are they different?

Question 3: Why do people join high demand religious groups?

Question 4: Why do we label some religions as cults? Do you think this term should be used to describe any religious groups? If so, in what cases?

Question 5: Do you think mind control is possible?

Question 6: Should there by any limits to the free exercise of religion? If so, what?

Question 7: Are UFO religions really religions? Why or why not? In what ways are descriptions of alien abductions descriptions of are religious experience?

Question 8: The past decades in the United States have seen a decline in membership in traditional mainstream religions but an increase in membership in both New Age/Pagan religions and fundamentalist religions. In what ways are these two types of religious movements very different? In what ways are they similar? Why do you think they have been popular while traditional religions have declined?

Question 9: Why do you think religiously motivated violence has increased in recent decades? Why do you think people commit such acts?

Question 10: Mark Jurgensmeyer argues that acts of religious terrorism are highly symbolic and can be analyzed in much the same way that religious ritual is. What are the symbolic elements of such an act? In what ways are they like rituals?