Essential Features Of A Civil Religion According To Rousseau (Essay Sample)

Civil Religion by Rousseau
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1 What are the essential features of a Civil Religion according to Rousseau?
According to Jean Jacques Rousseau, due to the inability of a sovereign state to consider the private beliefs of their citizens, the civil religion should apply. In this, there are essential features, which include the affirmation of the existence of a supreme being. This means that human beings should recognize a person more powerful than the power of the government. At this, he adds that it civil religion must also have a belief in the afterlife. At this the just will prosper and the wicked will be punished by the Supreme Being. At this, the social contract between human beings must be kept sacred, including the laws that guide it. Rousseau also added that the civil religion should have a provision of those willing to tolerate others, in the same way they should be tolerated CITATION Jea26 \l 1033 (Rousseau, 1926). However, for those who do not belief in the life after earth, should not be tolerated by the state as they are do not belong to a church. An overlapping consensus is what builds up the structure of a religious church and civil beliefs in a just state. At this civil religion dogmas need to be affirmed by those who follow each teaching through different faiths, be it they are Christians or not.
2 In what way Rousseau’s idea of Civil Religion can be applied to USA today.
In the United States, civil religion is mostly identified through Americanism. For example, Statue of liberty and freedom of worship. Other aspects of brands, theologies, political parties, ideologies, and music types have also been incorporated in the American society with an aim of pushing unique agendas in civil religion. At these, each American finds identities where they speak and draw meaning from the national concept of civil religion CITATION JAE16 \l 1033 (Edwards & Valenzano, 2016).The Americans are also allowed to create their own groups where they continue to push their own civil agenda under teachings and principles that they believe in. however, all these is under one constitution which is the civil bible for the nation.
3. In what way Rousseau’s idea of Civil Religion cannot be applied to USA today. Rousseau stated “But whoever dares to say: Outside the Church is no salvation, ought to be driven from the State.”
Rousseau’s idea of civil religion cannot be applied in the United States today due to the limitation it provides. The modern American understand of civil religion is the right to worship, believe and push for an agenda that is of the individual and community benefit. It does not have to conform to Christian teachings; so long as it is a belief with a civil rights agenda, it is accepted CITATION JAE16 \l 1033 (Edwards & Valenzano, 2016). The idea of Rousseau can be said to be Christian based due to the time the philosophy was written CITATION Jea26 \l 1033 (Rousseau, 1926). In this time, Christian practice was paramount in the region Roseau lived thus Christian leaders were recognized as part of governance.
4. Why it is dangerous for any religion to be exclusive in their belief (i.e. only they can be
Saved)? [Pretend you agree with Rousseau.]
If any religion is allowed to be exclusive, the society will not move in one direction. Diff...