Of The Importance Of Religious Opinions

Excerpt from Of the Importance of Religious Opinions From' the midil of thele *claihin and contradic tions, continually recurring, a mtnlfier, poflelled of a reflecting mind, is incellantly called back to the idea of imperfection. V He will, ' undoubtedly, be forry, ' when he feese the great difprnportion which exxlls be tween his duty and his powers: and he will fome' times grieve and be'dtfcouraged, at perceiving the oh-r' {lacles he mull furrnount, and the difficulties he mufl' overcome. E He raifes; with labour' and care, banks on the {irand the waters fwell; their courfe becomte more rapid; and the firll precautions rendered infuf-v ficient, oblige him to have recourfe to new worksi which, thrown down in their turn, hurry on a contin' ued {uccellron of fruitlets *toil and' ufelefs attempts. What, then, would be the confequence, if once the' {almary chain of religious-{entiments were broken P, whatould be the event, if the action of that-pow erful fprmg were even entirely dellroy ed 3' 'you would) foon lee every part of the {ocial Bruflure tremble from its foundation - and the hand of government unable to fuflatn the vall and tottering edifice. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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Religious exemptions have a long history in American law, but have become especially controversial over the last several years. The essays in this volume address the moral and philosophical issues that the legal practice of religious exemptions often raises.

Common views of religion typically focus on the beliefs and meanings derived from revealed scriptures, ideas, and doctrines. David Morgan has led the way in radically broadening that framework to encompass the understanding that religions are fundamentally embodied, material forms of practice. This concise primer shows readers how to study what has come to be termed material religion—the ways religious meaning is enacted in the material world. Material religion includes the things people wear, eat, sing, touch, look at, create, and avoid. It also encompasses the places where religion and the social realities of everyday life, including gender, class, and race, intersect in physical ways. This interdisciplinary approach brings religious studies into conversation with art history, anthropology, and other fields. In the book, Morgan lays out a range of theories, terms, and concepts and shows how they work together to center materiality in the study of religion. Integrating carefully curated visual evidence, Morgan then applies these ideas and methods to case studies across a variety of religious traditions, modeling step-by-step analysis and emphasizing the importance of historical context. The Thing about Religion will be an essential tool for experts and students alike. Two free, downloadable course syllabi created by the author are available online.