Sample Reflection Paper on Religion: Respecting Differing Beliefs
A reflection paper is a written piece that presents the thoughts, feelings, and insights of the writer regarding a given topic. As the name itself indicates, the paper is written following a period of reflection. A reflection paper is often written as an essay, which means it needs to have a thesis statement and other basic elements. This sample reflection paper discusses the writer’s thoughts on the importance of respect when it comes to differences in religion.
The effects of technological innovation have greatly boosted the process of globalization . Hence, not only has the world become more connected, but it has also become easier for people to move across geographical and political borders. Ultimately, this has resulted in greater racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity in many regions, especially in urban areas that attract millions of people due to the presence of economic opportunities. But as cities and countries become more diverse due to immigration, issues related to differing backgrounds also emerge. Religious differences, in particular, have on many occasions led to tension, discrimination, and even outright violence between individuals and communities. This ubiquitous issue necessitates a change in perspective driven primarily by the observance of respect. As someone who lives in a diverse city, I have found that respect makes all the difference. Not only is observing respect the right thing to do, but it also encourages people to focus on their similarities rather than differences as well as helps in the creation of robust and harmonious communities. Ultimately, respect stops religion from being a barrier to social integration.
First of all, respect is important in matters concerning differences in religion for the very reason that it is the right thing to do. The world is an extremely big place and there are hundreds if not thousands of religions. Many of these religions claim to be the only right authority over spiritual matters. Because of this inherent variety in beliefs and practices, it only makes sense to be respectful of such differences. If people insist on disrespecting others because their beliefs or practices do not align with their own, then such an attitude towards differences can only end in conflict and even bloodshed. I think that it is important to remember that people seldom have a choice over aspects of their racial, ethnic, and cultural identity . These are molded by the circumstances into which one is born and other social forces. I do not think anyone should hate on someone else because the religion that that person follows has been shaped by forces beyond their control. Upholding respect because it is the right thing to do, of course, also requires a degree of empathy. For instance, a person should think about how they would feel if they become the subject of prejudice or hostility because of their faith. Taking the time to do this simple task should be more than enough to lead a person to the conclusion that respect is the way to go.
Apart from being the right thing to do, respect is also important because it encourages people to focus on their similarities rather than differences. Religions have many important differences when it comes to explaining spiritual matters. They differ when it comes to explaining the origins of the world, history of the faith, the nature of god or gods, and the ultimate fate of humanity among many other aspects. For instance, the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam assert that there is only one god, whereas Hinduism has a multitude of gods while Buddhism has none. But despite these differences, there are central tenets that most religions share such as having kindness and compassion, being tolerant and forgiving, loving one’s neighbor as one loves oneself, upholding justice, shunning and standing up against evil, and taking care of the world. These are all teachings that most if not all religions uphold, which means that they can unite people rather than divide them. By respecting each other, people will not be blinded by their differences but instead will be bound by their similarities.
Finally, respect is important as it helps in the creation of robust and harmonious communities. I have lived in the city my whole life, and I have witnessed firsthand how differences in religion do not have to get in the way of building a community. In my street alone, we have Christian families, Muslim families, a small Buddhist shrine, and many other residents of various backgrounds. There are even irreligious people in our neighborhood, most of whom are young people who lead less traditional lifestyles. But these differences have not stopped people from being kind to each other. Most of us know each other, we keep an out for our neighbors’ houses when they are away, we share food when there are special occasions, and we help each other in times of need. All of these are made possible because we respect each other’s religions and do our best to follow their teaching of loving neighbors. For example, there is a same-sex couple living in one of the apartments down the street with Christian and Muslim families. But the couple is popular because they are kind to their neighbors. Meanwhile, their more traditional neighbors do not judge the couple because they know that the couple’s private life is not their business. Ultimately, respect has not stopped our community from being socially integrated. In other words, we have learned to live and let live.
Religion is understandably one of the most contentious issues in history. Even in this modern world where people are more connected by technology and there is more diversity, religious differences remain a problem in many communities. Though immigration continues and more people of different backgrounds find themselves living together, hope can be found in observing respect. As my neighborhood shows, respect proves that immigration is a vehicle of social change . Respecting differences in religion is the right thing to do. It also encourages people to look at their shared beliefs rather than differences. Finally, it facilitates social integration by way of building harmonious communities. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
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