Why is my topic important:
like: Now is a period in time when our national security is threatened by foreign terrorism and,thus, it is imperative that we, as a nation, remain united. The unity of our nation must not be threatened by division among our own people because of contrasting views and prejudices. It is thus important to explore how the American South came to be associated with such stereotypical characteristics and who, today, may still hold these stereotypical views about the South. In addition, what stereotypical behaviors are detrimental and which are beneficial to the South’s profile and why?

SCRATCH THAT....and here we go again..

ok, my thesis was choppy and way too broad before. So I decided, Instead of just using my paper to outline how southern religion has progressed through history and how its lead to certain generalizations,  that i would reevaluate. I really thought about what specific topic within that context I could write about for 20ish pages...here is what I came up with.

what am i needing help with: am I doing ok at clearly defining what I mean or am i getting too wordy? should I define what an "outsider approach" is right of the bat, or is it obvious? 

 Intro and thesis/map:

“There is a society of abstract North American group living in the territory between the Canadian Cree, the Yaqui and Tarahumare of Mexico, and the Carib and Arawak of the Antilles. Little is known of their origin, though tradition states that they came from the east. According to Nacirema mythology, their nation was originated by a culture hero, Notgnishaw, who is otherwise known for two great feats of strength--the throwing of a piece of wampum across the river Pa-To-Mac and the chopping down of a cherry tree in which the Spirit of Truth resided.”

In the satirical investigation, Body Ritual Among the Nacirema, Horace Miner describes how an exotic culture, the Nacirema, “presents such unusual aspects that it seems desirable to describe them as an example of the extremes to which human behavior can go.” The “magical beliefs and practices” of this society have been depicted by anthropologists and sociologists in attempts to subjectively examine the behaviors and practices of the American people. Although the satirical word play throughout the report simply makes the paper’s jargon seem quite humorous in retrospect, it also sparks an awareness of how the American lifestyle can be seen as ridiculous from an “outsider’s” perspective.

In modern American culture, there are many negative connotations surrounding various religious stereotypes.  For the sake of this paper, a stereotype is defined as particular representation or label that is specified by a general society. For example, many of the generalizations concerning southern Christianity cling to a hypocritical context and many of the perceptions of Judaism have to do with wealth and greed.  Likewise, common southern scrutiny about atheists revolves around the depiction of a brash liberal with hatred towards Christ. Regardless of whether these generalizations may be true or false for a particular person or group, I propose that there is a relevant application of these accusations in the distinction between insider and outsider views in southern religions. 

Throughout my paper, I will argue for a new direction surrounding the generalized views of Christianity, atheism and Judaism in regards to the outsider perspective. This direction will be presented through the relevance of how certain stereotypes are predominantly established through certain southern antics of how these accusations are received; either through taking pride in the designation, declining the claim or by proving it to be true with out realization. My perspective goes beyond the assumptions of what these religions really are. I will not attempt to argue for or against a certain religion or focus on the truth of any religion. I will present my point through the assumption that there are naturalize ways of approaching this subject at hand. First, I will simply make the distinction of what an outsider perspective really is and then I will dissect whether the outcome of an outsider perspective is actually attainable. Next, I will use the geographic generalizations of southern America to show how attempting to typecast through an unbiased outsider perspective can cause self-contradiction in the end. Through my resolution, I will lead to a broader understanding of the stereotyping within and about certain southern religions in America. 

work in progress

Rough thesis 

I will argue for a new direction surrounding the idealized views of Christianity in the south from an insider and outsider perspective. I will not attempt to argue for or against a certain religion or focus on the truth of any religion. My perspective goes beyond the assumptions of what southern religion really is. I will simply start with the implication that there are naturalized ways of approaching this subject at hand. My resolution will lead to a broader understanding to the establishment of and capitalization of modern southern Christianity within a historical context.

I know that I want to trace Christianity from Columbus (establishment of a new world for """freedom""" of religion, or at least how they want it) to present to show how christianity has turned into a capitalized joel osteen kinda thing. 

Has this religion always been "corrupted" or has it progressively been dissected by different denominations/perspectives throughout the years?