Article

Good Evening Everyone,

Reading the article and the results of transcendence graph Fig.1 verifies that religions has prejudiced the participant to familiarity. The results showing; less agitation of a 7.5 in low and high is about 3.5, and those participant with no opportunity go from agitation of low 5 to a high of 5.5 of the negative effects. The validity of the research validated by the previous research on Dissonance-reduction attempts vs transcendence. The results are aligned with additional results of the differences versus those participants who have no religious preference or just reviewed a religious preference. It is true, that if people have robust religious beliefs can have less cognitive dissonance.

Thus, consistent with Abelson’s (1959) speculation, transcendence indeed appeared to be a viable mode of reducing dissonance and associated negative affect: More extreme profession of transcendent beliefs (God’s workings as mysterious but benevolent, etc.)

Renay Justus

Trinity Sutherland

Our text defines prejudice as an attitude or affective response (positive or negative) toward a group and its individual members. The discussion question is do I believe that religion both makes and unmakes prejudice. It is very easy to see how religion, both internally and externally, can contribute to people developing prejudices. People outside of a religious group looking in could easily associate all of the members as similar. The idea that members of a specific church are honest. The assumption that churchgoers are honest is a positive prejudice. At the same time, members of the same church could be judging non-members as lawless heathens. The belief that unless someone is a member of the same church, they are not saved or good because their beliefs are not the same. The real question here is not whether religion can contribute to prejudices but can it unmake prejudices? In Allport’s view, “the extrinsically motivated person uses his religion whereas the intrinsically motivated lives his religion” (Allport & Ross, 1967, p. 434 Donahue.D Nielsen, M 2005) An external presentation only of being religious could create an “us verse them” mentality, with the religions person viewing themself as superior. In contrast, an intrinsically motivated person is doing their best to live their beliefs. This idea by itself can not unmake prejudice. Adding an intrinsic Christian view to religious life can create an opportunity to reduce prejudices. I would not say other religions do not have the same chance, but I am unsure due to my lack of familiarity. I would say any religion that encourages community service, and humility has the possibility. Prejudice seems to be strengthened and supported by the conflict theory. The conflict theory simplified is the belief that groups are in conflict to obtain resources, power, and prestige. The very theory leads to the creation of prejudice because it divides groups along a line, which will lead to the generalization of its group members. The religious behavior of humility based on beliefs that we are all the same and need one another is what is needed to unmake prejudices. We learned in our text about LaPiere’s study of attitudes and behavior, which show it is possible for a person to hold a prejudiced view against a group of people, but, it is more difficult to maintain a behavior prejudice when a person is presented with an anti-stereotypical representation of a group member. When religion leads to more one-on-one interaction, it changes the “us versus them” mentality to a more cooperative perspective. Religion can lead to both the creation and destruction of individual prejudices.