Write a Religious Experience Paper There is no better way to learn about a religion than to observe it and rub shoulders with those who practice the faith. However, COVID prevents our use of this excellent tool. Instead, watch a virtual service of worship from a religion that is completely foreign to your own experience. Do not choose a Christian worship service unless you check with me first. (Only those who have never been in a church will be allowed to attend a Christian service for this assignment.) Christian churches include denominations such as Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, non-denominational churches, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and more. If Jesus is part of their belief system, that is a Christian church. Most of you will need to observe a different kind of experience, such as Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Bahai, etc. Many of the religious communities are offering virtual experiences through Facebook Live, Youtube, or Zoom. Find a recent one (from this year, 2021) and “attend.” (Physical attendance at open local houses of worship is also allowed, though you will need to follow all COVID guidelines.) Religions we will be studying this semester include Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, and Islam, all great choices for this assignment. Please choose an experience that is either live, or recorded and posted this year (2021). Take note of the environment for the service and any religious objects in use. Was there music or chanting? Were you able to “see” others worshiping? If there was teaching, explain what you learned. Keep in mind two things. First, do not use a video about a religion, but rather watch an entire worship service (no documentaries). Second, you will be adding the link to the service and I will watch it when I’m grading your paper. Making stuff up and/or not watching the entire experience will result in lost points on your paper. As further proof of your attendance, take a picture or screenshot of the broadcast as it is happening and attach it to your paper. If you attend personally, take a picture of yourself on site. For your paper, consider the following questions, putting your thoughts into an essay: How did you find this experience? Why did you choose it? What were your expectations? Describe the worship space, the people, and the sacred objects. What happened in the experience? Describe any teachings you heard or beliefs promoted. What questions did you have? Would you recommend the experience to a friend? This is a first-person paper. You will be describing your experience. If this is a virtual service, add the link to the source. No other research is required for this paper. If you do use information from a book or the internet, you must cite sources properly on a Works Cited page and in MLA format. Citing Electronic Sources (Links to an external site.) Citing Other Common Sources (Links to an external site.) Minimum criteria for the paper to be accepted for grading: 500 word minimum experience meets the assignment criteria MLA format Writing hints for this paper: Do not capitalize a word simply because it is religious, such as “rabbi” or “temple.” Using standard capitalization rules, capitalize proper nouns such as “Rabbi Hickman” or “Temple Israel.” Titles of books should be capitalized, such as Holy Bible, Qur’an, etc. Pay attention to the spelling of “meditation,” and do not spell it as “mediation,” a completely different word. MLA format is required for this paper. MLA Format
