Historically there are certain close connections between religion and the process of literacy education. Religion has been introduced in many ways towards education; based on the teacher's and student’s beliefs, and the community's culture in their religion area. The literacy sponsors for me in my education career was the Mormon community. Through analyzing my literacy practice, it became more clear and more visual toward the Mormon community that had persuaded their religion in the school’s education. Moreover, both religion and literacy is the proper behavior that improves learning and writing within the discourse community. Professor Deborah Brandt’s “Sponsors of Literacy” voices the belief that supports literacy are the things that affect the person’s skill styling. As Brandt defines literacy sponsors as “agent, local or distant, concrete or abstract, who enable, support, teach, model, as well as recruit, regulate, suppress, or withhold literacy-and gain advantage by it in some way” (Brandt 2). Brandt argues that everything in the person determines their skill process which could suggest to the fact that each individual has their particular literacy style and means of writing. Like the fingerprint, no two people’s pieces of work would remain the same. As I think back, I know how some certain religion has influenced the way I understand writing, too as how I describe. It is amazing to consider how those similar feelings may have influenced another individual’s skill in a new way by cooperating with their religion teaching skills.Teacher’s and Student’s Beliefs on Religion LiteracyIn my education career from first grade to twelfth grade, I lived in numerous Mormon communities in both Northern and Southern Utah. I’m not religious nor I’m not a Mormon, however, I was baptized in an LDS Church when I was nine years old. I was mainly pressured and forced to get baptized by the missionary members; even though I’m baptized I don't consider myself a Mormon nor do I follow the religion. The schools I went to are the public schools until high school was a private performing art school. Even though it was a public and private school, there was always a way the teachers cooperate with their beliefs into school teachings. Also, the majority of the students in my school were part of the Mormon community; on the other hand, most of my friends weren’t religious however I did have some that were. The ones that weren’t, saw the belief forceful towards your idea of life. The teachers would pressure you on your beliefs for not believing in their ways. This created a dynamic diversity toward their education; the teachers proceeded their religion onto the ones who didn’t have a belief. The ones who did believe in religion, would always put their learning from their sponsors into the communication and would question why you weren't part of a religion. The religious students would affect the non-religious students by having them feel guilty and pressured to fit into the school; to have an easier time in their education rather than it being a perspective on themselves.
It was visible that the people there had a strong belief in their religion. As the school was processed in a Mormon area, it was hard to get away from their devout outlook on life. The teachers in my schools shared their personal opinions with the students and encouraged them to express their understanding of this sponsoring institution. Responses to students’ questions are offered within the theological structure of this sponsoring religion or denomination. A sociologist Nicolette D. Manglos-Weber of Kansas State University, the “religious identity shapes the odds of completing primary school.” (Manglos-Weber). As well as “there is an association between Christian groups and the state, which potentially discourages those of other religions from seeing state-sponsored schools as legitimate.” (Manglos-Weber). This states the learning of religion is already here at national schools; the powerful group controls our social institution, manipulates them to maintain their power in literacy education.The Community’s Beliefs on Religion LiteracyAs the Mormon community was spread through Utah, it affected the way the teachers teaching. The religion was persuaded to me, as the teachers use their perspective view through teaching with their own cultural beliefs to the students. In the community, it was about the norms and to follow those norms to be in the good path to their faith. The teachers, students, and the community were very active in their churches; this gave a direct turn on me when I was younger. In my youth years, my Mormon friends pressured me to go to their Young Women's activities; Young Women is an “organization is an auxiliary to the priesthood. All auxiliaries exist to help Church members grow in their testimonies of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the restored gospel. Through the work of the auxiliaries, members receive instruction, encouragement, and support as they strive to live according to gospel principles.” (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). I went more of the interest towards the religion; to see what the other students were talking about in school and also to make friends; to have an easier bonding in school. As I experience the Young Women's activities within the community, I was more exposed to the religion; by having to go to church to complete an activity skill or task. In a way, the experiences gave me knowledge about there religion, culture, and values in their community. To me, it didn’t matter if you were a boy or a girl nor your races; the community will always persuade you to come and join or at least experience their religious side.
Within the schools, the teacher’s religious literacy skill assume there teaching is the key to a well-rounded education; it assumes they thought it will enhance the student’s education by teaching them more knowledge about their religions. As Brandt says, “Under a conservative regime, they developed forms of critical literacy that sustained religious, educational, and political movements both before and after emancipation (Cornelius, 1991). Most of the time, however, literacy takes its shape from the interest of its sponsors. And, as we will see below, obligation towards one’s sponsors run deep, affecting what, why, and how people write and read.” (Brandt 4). This describes that sponsors provide literacies that are in their own best interest, and for religious literacy sponsors, the goal of sponsoring literacy is often to convert people to their religion or strengthen the faith of their members. It analyzes how the community can get persuade towards there beliefs to teach there own ways to educate their students and children. This indicates the relation to the secondary discourse by learning through social institutions with the uses of language.ConclusionOverall, it may be said religion has been presented from numerous points of view towards education. In the view of the teachers and students, and the communities way of life in their religion region. Through breaking down my literacy practice, it turned out to be all the more clear and increasingly visual toward the Mormon community that had convinced their religion in the school’s education. With the new knowledge towards religion and the ideological towards my education; Brandts argues that everything in the person decides their skills process which would propose to the way that every individual has their specific proficiency style and methods for writing.