Forced Religion or Spiritualism on Academic and Social Learning in Adolescents Research Paper

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They do this without paying attention to the person that undergoes difficulties in their lives and are simply certain that religion is the only way through which one will no longer find life problematical. Religious tutors believe that religion is the best method of assisting adolescents who come across an impediment at a certain moment. Most are actually determined to force religion into teenagers, with the confidence that it is the only solution. As a result, numerous adolescents believe that religion is indeed the answer to their problems (Craigen & Foster, 2009).

Adolescence is a difficult period, with young people being confused with the purpose of life and with what options they have to make. Emotional experiences are more intense in adolescents and a large number of teenagers resort to attempting to commit suicide, considering that such an act would benefit them. Religion is used as a way to guide adolescents and to provide them from committing evil. However, when one is determined to take his or her life, the respective person should receive assistance from a professional psychologist, as religion does not address all the factors meant to bring back hope and rationality into the individual (Craigen & Foster, 2009).

Religion and spirituality are extremely controversial, generally because they can be interpreted in diverse ways. As a rule, spirituality can be identified as "the commitment to a particular paradigm that gives honor to the principles of interconnectedness and the inner being" while religion can be recognized as "one way in which people choose to practice their spirituality" (Patton & McClure, 2009). Thus, religion can be the method through which people can attain spiritual enlightenment.

When thinking about notions like spirituality and religion, people often relate to faith. Faith can be seen as a technique through which one can adapt religious theories to reality. Faith is the reason for which people sometimes act without thinking rationally and without thinking about the aftermath of their actions. In particular cases, faith can bring a great deal of help to someone whereas in others it can influence a person to commit morally wrong acts.

Religion does not just deal with an individual's psychological condition, but it also addresses other factors, such as culture and social behavior. Islam does not involve extremist religious methods, as most of the world likes to think, as it mainly concerns people's methods of living. This religion teaches individuals how they should behave in society and how to withdraw from performing evil deeds.

Islamic religious texts often involve passages advising Muslims to take care of their physical condition. However, when considering women, Islam is less cooperative in regard to physical activity. Religious beliefs along with the behavior imposed to them by their tutors prevent Muslim girls from behaving similarly to Muslim boys.

When residing on the American continent, Muslim adolescents are less able to perform physical exercise because of their condition, with the American community holding several stereotypes on the subject of Islam.

Dennis M. McInerney, Neil Davidson, Rosemary Suliman, and Bob Tremayne's journal article "Personal Development, Health and Physical Education in Context: Muslim and Catholic Perspectives" brings into attention Muslims and Christians and how their religious beliefs affect their physical condition.

125 Muslim adolescents and 153 Catholic adolescents of mixed sexes were part of survey meant to find information about the influence of religion on each group. The majority of Muslims (85%) resided in areas of Sydney where Arab language predominated.

The study consists out of 362 individuals with the average age of 14.5 and emphasis was put on the Muslim and Catholic groups. The number of Muslims who claimed to be passionate about their religion was higher than the one of Catholics with the same feature (42% and respectively 34%). 69% of the Muslim group stated that they were fond of sports and that they seized any opportunities to participate in sports-related events (Mcinerney, Davidson, Suliman & Tremayne, 2000, p. 26).

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Muslims were reportedly less willing to engage in sporting activities in comparison to Catholics. This is owed to the concepts promoted by Islam, which are less supportive of sports being performed outside the family. This reduces the chances Muslims have to create an identity, given that their families and religions are in most occasions reluctant to allow them to engage in personal development, health and physical education activities (PDHPE). Muslim adolescents were apparently more willing to support their families in the belief that educational institutes should not engage in personal development (Mcinerney, Davidson, Suliman & Tremayne, 2000, p. 26).

Catholic teenagers did not seem to be contrary to concepts involving schools getting involved in shaping a young person's character and physical condition. In contrast to Muslim adolescents, Catholics appeared to be more approving of personal development being taught in schools (Mcinerney, Davidson, Suliman & Tremayne, 2000, p. 26).

When considering mixed-sex activities, Muslims strongly disagreed, obviously expressing their desire for personal development and physical education to be performed on account of each person's gender, with the boys being separate from the girls. The main reason put across by Muslim adolescents with the purpose of motivating their beliefs related to their cultural values and to how they were very strict, disallowing a series of behaviors. Catholic students were apparently certain that PDHPE activities were essential (Mcinerney, Davidson, Suliman & Tremayne, 2000, p. 26).

Given that the subjects studied did not express great dissimilarities when it came to their socialization abilities and their physical abilities, one could easily attribute the Muslim group's reluctance to get involved in PDHPE programs to its religious convictions. Factors such as "dress, public display, independence and cultural values" were found to be of great importance when considering the Muslim group's willingness to be part of PDHPE-like programs. Not only were Muslim students unenthusiastic as regards their involvement in PDHPE programs but most of them also claimed that such activities should be present within the family only (Mcinerney, Davidson, Suliman & Tremayne, 2000, p. 26).

Involvement in PDHPE programs largely depends on parental advising, with most Muslim parents being reluctant to permit their children to undergo such activities. The fact that Muslims are less willing to engage in PDHPE activities when compared to Catholics should not mean that teachers have to accept this condition. Educational institutes need to adapt to the needs expressed by all groups attending them, so as for each student to be able to identify with the program they are undergoing. Students from all backgrounds have to be encouraged to be an active part of their school system, since this is critical when considering their personal development.

Teachers and tutors alike have to understand the meaning of diversity and refrain from imposing absurd principles to adolescents. Islam is an especially problematic religion, given that Muslims are very strict when it comes to traditions and most will be reluctant to drop their convictions, regardless of the effect that their actions will have. Considering that everyone is equal is not exactly the best method of dealing with adolescents, as one has to pay attention to other factors, with cultural beliefs being of great importance in determining a teenager's behavior. Religion can influence a person to the point where everything they do is performed in agreement with the principles promoted by their religion. Adolescents are particularly affected by religious teachings and are unable to act in discordance with the concepts they believe should guide them through their lives. As a result of being reluctant to join school activities because of their religion individuals are likely to be discriminated and they face the risk of being psychologically affected.

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