Choice Assignment (Select ONE of the Religion and Language Projects below

to complete)

The Architecture of Worship and Location of Languages Project

Throughout the history of the world's religions, the followers have built structures and
monuments to enhance the rituals and ceremonies of worship. Some of these structures are very
simple and others have, as the worship became more complex, developed into styles of religious
architecture that are very familiar today.

For example, today's Gothic cathedrals are easily identified as part of the Christian tradition. Of
course, these styles have borrowed from the past, selected parts of older styles such as the
classical Greek and Roman, and even sometimes simply converted older structures to fit a new
religion.

Along with a religious connection, each of these sites illustrates a connection to particular
languages.

You will be select ONE structure or monument from EACH of the following religions. You will
research the structures and locate a picture of each (don't forget the citations). Select the format
and incorporate:

 the name of each structure/monument

 a picture
 an informative caption about each picture and the language associated with this area
(consider families, branches, groups, dialects, etc).
 On the last page of the presentation, include one paragraph discussing the architectural
similarities and differences that seem to emerge from the pictures and one paragraph
discussing the language similarities and differences that seem to emerge from the
pictures.

Christian

 National Cathedral, Washington D.C.

 Notre Dame, Paris, France
 St. Peter's Basilica, Rome

Islamic

 Blue Mosque, Istanbul

 The Kaaba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
 The Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem

Jewish

 The Wailing Wall, Jerusalem

  Touro Synagogue, Rhode Island
 Beth Sholom Synagogue, Elkins Park, PA

Hindu

 Angkor Wat, Cambodia

 Temple Complex, Kanchipuram, India
 Meenakshi Temple, Madurai, India

Buddhist

 The Potala, Lhasa, Tibet

 Dalada Maligawa, The Temple of the Tooth, Kandy, Sri Lanka
 Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka

Sacred Sites Website (Links to an external site.)

Submit your completed assignment when finished.

Religious Conflict Project

The major world religions seem to share many beliefs. In every day practice, however, some of
those religions appear to be in great conflict. Students will conduct research on one of the
following conflicts (or propose your own idea to your teacher).

 Arab/Israeli in the Middle East

 Taliban/less conservative Muslim/Western supporters in Afghanistan
 Muslim/Sikh/Hindu in Kashmir
 Catholic/Protestant in Northern Ireland
 Fundamental Christian/Chinese Communist in China
 Fundamentalist Muslim/ Coptic /Egyptian government in Egypt
 Tibetan Buddhists/Chinese government in Tibet
 Hindu Tamil/Sinhalese Buddhist in Sri Lanka
 Muslims/Christians in Eastern Europe
 Muslims/Christians in Sudan and South Sudan

Below are some quotations from a diverse group of people who have something to say about
how religion guides actions and even creates violence.

Thomas Paine, 1737-1809, early American patriot

"My country is the world and my religion is to do good."

"Every religion is good that teaches man to be good."

Jonathan Swift, 1667-1745, British author and novelist

"We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another."

Blaise Pascal, 1623-1662, famous French mathematician, philosopher, physicist, and

religious scholar

"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."

James Madison, 1751-1836, early American patriot. From the Federalist Papers of 1787.

"A zeal for different opinions concerning religion, concerning government, and many other
points....have, in turn, divided mankind into parties, inflamed them with mutual animosity, and
rendered them much more disposed to vex and oppress each other than to cooperate for their
common good."

Wendall Phillips, 1811-1884, Massachusetts abolitionist, active during US Civil War

"Difference of religion breeds more quarrels than difference of politics."

George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, British dramatist and critic born in Ireland.

"There is only one religion, though there are a hundred versions of it."

"Religion is a great force--the only real motive force in the world but what you fellows don't
understand is that you must get at a man through his own religion and not through yours."

Ch'en Tu-hsiu, 1856-1950, early Chinese Communist who helped to found the Chinese
Communist Party but was expelled in 1927.

"All religions, laws, moral and political systems are but necessary means to preserve social
order."

Vine Victor Deloria, Jr., 1933 -, a Standing Rock Sioux Indian who is now Professor of
American Indian Studies, History, Law, and Political Science at the University of
Colorado, Boulder. He is the author of Custer Died for Your Sins.

"Religion cannot be kept within the bounds of sermons and scriptures. It is a force in itself and it
calls for the integration of lands and peoples in harmonious unity. The lands wait for those who
can discern their rhythms. The particular genius of each continent, each river valley, the rugged
mountains, the placid lakes, all call for relief from the constant burden of exploitation."

"As the long-forgotten peoples of the respective continents rise and begin to reclaim their ancient
heritage, they will discover the meaning of the lands of their ancestors."
Each student will create a presentation in the format of their choice that references the following
categories:

 Groups involved
 History of the conflict
 Current struggles
 Attempts at peace
 Future predictions
 Select one quote from the list above and locate another quote
o Explain the meaning of the quote
o Explain how it could be related to the conflict in question

Submit your completed assignment when finished.