A Discussion About Religion and Sociology - an Interview with My College Professor

I want to keep this interview as professional as possible. To insure that that this interview is conducted in a professional manner, I will ask questions pertaining to modern day society within the U.S. and your experiences, rather than questions based on your religious beliefs.

Professor Vanella's educational background:

-Masters in Sociology, Masters in Social Welfare from SUNY Stony Brook

1. What are the most critical ways, found either statistically or through mere logic, that religion affects modern day society within the U.S.?

Tremendously so. It influences our everyday life how we interact with other people, by the community which we participate, and the morality by which we live.

2. Polls and some studies show that religion can heavily sway the presidential election, so it becomes obvious that practically all elections would be swayed as well. What are your feelings on this?*

I'm somewhat skeptical and concerned that when dialogue by a presidential candidate uses the word of God so strongly that people may in fact be swayed in directions that may not be as helpful to the country as could be.

3. I have been reading a book on my own time that tries to disprove "God". Within this book, The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, there is a specific quote that intrigued me. Tell me how you feel about this quote as well, and also tell me whether you believe society would beg to differ.

"We have names for people who have many beliefs for which there is no rational justification. When their beliefs are extremely common we call them 'religious'; otherwise, they are likely to be called 'mad', 'psychotic', or 'delusional' ... Clearly there is sanity in numbers. And yet, it is merely an accident of history that it is considered normal in our society to believe that the Creator of the universe can hear your thoughts, while it is demonstrative mental illness to believe that he is communicating with you by having rain tap in Morse code on your bedroom window. And so, while religious people are not generally mad, their core beliefs absolutely are." -- Sam Harris in The End of Faith.

The quotation is merely an opinion, and it would be dismissed by a general person. Personally, I think that it's something that has plagued humanity from the beginning of time and will more than likely continue to plague us. We consistently look at the meanings of life, and the notion of a creator. It's human mortality and it's at the core of our being, and we're troubled at how it works and doesn't work. We have trouble trying to find meaning in it.

4 = Deleted.

5. "Jesus Camp" is a movie documentary about an evangelist religious camp. However, the movie has been described as eye-opening and 'horrifying' by many since it seems as if the children are being brain-washed. Have you seen this movie? And, if you have, what is your take on it?

----- Are camps like this right? I don't think so. Brain-washing is never right. I think we all try to socialize out children, and we try to teach them right from wrong. We use the notion of God to instill right and wrong. I think we use God to teach fear amongst other things.

6. As I stated before, Atheism (as well as Agnosticism) is generally correlated with negativity. Do you believe that over time, if ever, this absurd correlation will finally fade within American society?

I think it's changing and that it's more accepted and respected within certain social groups. As there is more tolerance and more diversity that hopefully we will become more accepting of people's belief systems.

7. Some great people are/were Atheists, but I am positive that a bulk of people do not recognize this. Such people include: Albert Einstein, "Honest" Abe Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Frost, John Adams, James Madison, Karl Marx, Dave Matthews, Billy Joel, George Carlin, and even Helen Keller. If the unknowing people were to find out that these people were in fact Atheists/Agnostics, do you believe that society would pay less attention to their histories and/or accomplishments?

I'd like to think not. Among certain circles of people that fact may be a hindrance. I would hope that a vast majority of Americans today would be less hindered by knowing that fact.

8. Prayer is when one, or many people spiritually talk to their God. Some people believe that prayer can in fact help cure the sick and ill. However, in the largest experiment of its kind, it was found that prayer actually made people's conditions worsen due to a false sense of security. The study was conducted on heart bypass patients, and included 1,800 heart bypass patients. When the experiment was finished and the conclusions rolled in, theists went on the defense using an array of excuses for the experiments failure. From your professional point-of-view, how do you think theists would have acted if the experiment actually favored their beliefs and opinions?

I think theists would probably question the findings, and want to know more about the findings and the whereabouts. The true purpose of prayer is to never inflict any false sense of security, but actually promote hope and reassurance and comfort, not the lack of these things.

I think people need to know what it is they are praying to and what they are praying for and their purpose. It goes on to how we perceive on God and what is God. Also what is life.

To me there is a large difference between God and religiosity, God is much more dry than that.

9. What do you believe society, a secular society, would be like without religion at all?

I would hope and pray to God that it would be one of tolerance and acceptance of each others differences and belief systems.

10. In question #2 I pointed out some statistics that showed that religion can heavily sway an election, more notably the presidential election. Would it be better for society if a rule was implemented where running candidates could not release information about their religious beliefs?

Good question, very good question. I do believe in the separation of state and religion for that very reason. (So it would not affect or sway any sort of elections including the presidential election, ect.)

*http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/09/10/poll_shows_religion_can_sway_votes_for_president/

**Do not take every answer word-to-word, as there probable marginal error from speedy typing and other variables. However, the general idea of my professor's answers are stated within the article itself.