1. Getting the message

A. Mark each statement true ( T ) or false ( F ).

1. Protestants and Christians are all Catholic. ______

2. The national religion of the U.S. is Protestantism. _____

3. In the U.S., all forms of prayer have been banned from public buildings. ___

4. Abortion is legal in the U.S., but some religious people consider it immoral. _____

5. The majority of Americans attend church services at least once a week. ____

B. Discuss the questions in small groups. Then write answers using complete sentences.

1. How does separation of church and state protect religious groups? Name two ways. _________________________________________

2. How does separation of church and state protect the rights and freedom of individual citizens? Name two ways. _______________________________

3. What evidence supports the idea that most Americans believe in God? Name two points. _____________________________________________________

2. Building your vocabulary

A. These are the 15 key vocabulary words for this chapter. They are boldfaced in the reading. Pronounce these words after your teacher and discuss their meaning.

atheist moral secular

congregation polygamy sin

denomination prayer spiritual

eternal prohibit violate

exist restriction worship

B. Complete these sentences with some of the key vocabulary words. Make the nouns plural if necessary, and put each verb into the correct tense and form.

1. A church is a place of _________ .

2. In most religions, the idea of life after death refers to a(n) _________ life rather than a physical life. Life after death refers to _________ life, which continues forever.

3. __________ is illegal in the United States and is also generally considered a(n) __________ .

4. Some people believe that God does not _____; these people are called ____ .

5. A teacher cannot display a prayer in a public school classroom. That would be against the law because it would ______ laws about separation of church and state.

6. A religious _______ is a major division or branch of a particular religion. (Smaller groups are called sects.)

7. A(n) ________ is a group of people who attend the same individual church or synagogue. They often say _________ together.

8. ________ activities do not involve religion.

C. Match each word or words in column 1 with the word or words in column 2 that means the opposite (their antonyms) by writing the correct numbers on the lines.

1. belief in God ________ allow

2. forbid, prohibit, restrict ________ monogamy

3. moral, ethical ________ religious, sectarian

4. parochial ________ public, secular

5. physical ________ atheism

6. polygamy ________ spiritual, mental

7. pro-choice ________ sinful, evil

8. prominent ________ unnoticed, unknown

9. secular ________ mandatory, required

10. voluntary ________ pro-life