WORLD RELIGION | MIDTERMS

Religion

is an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods (Merriam- Webster Dictionary, 2014)

Worldview

▪A collection of beliefs about life and the universe being held by people.

▪It is a collection of attitudes, values, stories and expectations about the world around us, which inform our every thought and action. Worldview is expressed in ethics, religion, philosophy, scientific beliefs and so on

Belief System

is a set of beliefs or principles that helps us interpret our everyday reality, understand, organize, and make sense of the world.

Belief in supernatural powers

The power which is beyond human powers. The human sufferings enable human being to seek God’s help for their problems

Belief in the holy or sacred

This is the heart of every religion. Every religion has sacred books or texts. For example, Scriptures and the Bible are sacred for the Jews and so with the Christians, Qur’an for Muslims and Tripitaka for Buddhists and Vedas for Hindus. But something sacred is not just books but also places, symbols, animals, rocks and many more. Hindus for example believes that cows are sacred because of their beliefs in reincarnation.

Systems of rituals

These are the different ways each religions expresses their faith. Catholic Christians have the seven sacraments which include ceremonies and rituals. For example, Baptism. A child must be baptized at an early age in the church with the presence of parents, God parents, priest as celebrator and the community that supports the child. The most important symbol of baptism is water. It symbolizes cleansing from sin. The child also has to wear white dress to symbolize purity.

Sinful acts

Usually a violation of the laws established by God which each member has to follow. For example, the Ten Commandments for Judaism and Christians and the Five Pillars of Islam which when violated the believer commit a grievous sin.

The Method of salvation

The belief in the afterlife or the idea of heaven and hell. If you are a good believer you will go to heaven but if not, you will go to hell. Islam went further by believing that if one’s life is sacrificed against the enemies of Islam, their soul goes straight to heaven.

Mode of worship

Each religion has different expressions of worship which include praying, kneeling, dancing, singing to name a few.

Liturgy and Ideology

is described as public worship. It is a gathering of believers with ceremonies such as wedding ceremonies, worship services or bible studies.

Place of worship

Each religion has holy places which they believe God is present such as churches, temples, mosques and other sacred places.

Theism/Theistic

The belief in the existence of one or more divinities or deities, which exist within the universe and yet transcend it. The word "theism" was first coined in the 17th Century to contrast with Atheism. Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Baha'i and Zoroastrianism are all theistic religions.

Monotheism

The term monotheism comes from the Greek monos, (one) and Theos (God). Thus, monotheism is the belief in the existence of a single god.

Deism

A form of monotheism in which it is believed that one God exists, but that this God does not intervene in the world or interfere with human life and the laws of the universe.

Polytheism

The term is based on the Greek roots poly (many) and Theos (God). Thus, the term is used to describe belief systems in which several gods are acknowledged and worshiped.

Agnoticism

The belief that the nature and existence of gods is unknown and cannot ever be known or proven.

Atheism

The belief that gods do not exist, or a complete rejection of Theism in any form. Some atheists argue a lack of empirical evidence for the existence of deities, while others argue for Atheism on philosophical, social or historical grounds.

Animism

The belief that souls inhabit all or most objects (whether they be animals, vegetables or minerals). Animistic religions generally do not accept a sharp distinction between spirit and matter, and assume that this unification of matter and spirit plays a role in daily life

Theology

originated from the Christian tradition and is rooted in two Greek words, Theos meaning “god” and logos “word”. Most literally then the word theology means “words about God” or “the study of God.” (Manaloto & Rapadas, 2016).

Philosophy of Religion

is the philosophical study of the meaning and nature of religion. It includes the analyses of religious concepts, beliefs, terms, arguments, and practices of religious adherents (Meister, n.d)

▪ Two famous and highly influential Christian theologians who also engage in philosophy of religion: St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas.

Saint Augustine

▪ Contribution: his theory that evil is the absence of good.

▪ He used his theory to resolve the philosophical question,

▪ “If everything comes from God, where does evil come from? ▪ According to him, evil exists in the world, but it does not come from God, for what only comes from God is good.

Saint Thomas Aquinas

▪ Famous for his five proofs for the existence of God: causation, motion, necessity, design, and degrees of protection.

▪ Arguments of causation and motion: claim that the series of causes and effects and movements in the world, must begin with God being

Christina Puchalski

of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health, contends that "spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose and the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred."

Spiritus

verb root "spirare" which means "to breath"

Geography

Is the study of places and the relationships between people and their environments.

Religious Regions

The most commonly described religious regions are those where a religion is practice.

Religious Ecology

Deals with how different religions perceive and interact with their natural environments.

Religious Society

The connection of religion to other components of society is necessary to its development

Religious Landscapes

Religions also have distinctive landscapes. Variations in religious landscapes also give particular regions a unique character and can be seen in the form, orientation, density, and architecture of structures.

Religious Diffusion

Is important because the landscapes and regions that religions create are all products of spatial expansion.

Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord) and He created the world

Similar to living organisms, religions are born in history and they gradually develop into living traditions and affect the lives of their followers. Quite unfortunately, other religions also decline as in the case of Zoroastrianism that once flourished in South Asia but is now only confined to Iran, India, and Central Asia.

Brasswell 1994

They may also contribute to the foundation of other religions such as those themes Christianity borrowed from Judaism, and themes Islam borrowed from both Christianity and Judaism

Ember and Ember 1997

Scholars hold the view that religion is universal and can be found in all known contemporary societies

The Patriarch Abraham

Played a major role in the establishment of the three monotheistic religions: namely, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (known as Abrahamic religions) which account for more than half of the world's total population at present.

Hinduism

Can be considered as museum of religions. It perfectly reflects Indian heterogeneity with its eclectic (diversified and assorted) ways of religious expressions that are quite confusing to outsiders. Main: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver; and Shiva the destroyer Main Doctrine: Reincarnation and Karma

Buddhism

It centers its attention on the figure of the Buddha, who was not a god but a human being who came to discover how to terminate sufferings in order to escape the painful and continuous cycle of rebirth. Buddhist followers revere Buddha in the same way that the members of other world religions worship their gods. The religion was transported to China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Across the Himalayas, it reached the Tibetan lands.

Confucius

China adopted these ideals and ethics as the nation developed meritocracy as a basis for government officials. It is regarded as China's greatest philosopher and teacher who lived at the same time as Siddhartha Gautama in India. Confucian ideals aspire to harmonize human relations and serve as guide to social behavior. An ideal human society it the utmost concern for the Confucian followers.

Daoism

Mysteries abound the birth and life of Laozi (Lao- tzu) who may have written Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching or The Book of the Way and its Power. Around 142 CE, it began as an organized religion with the establishment of the Way of the Celestial Masters sect by Zhang Daoling during the Han Dynasty.

Shintoism

Japanese people believed that their emperors literally descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu. The term 'Shinto' was coined around the 16th century CE to distinguish native belief system from the imported religions of China and Korea, including Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism.

Xiao

filial peity (moral conduct of Confucianism) refers to the attitude of obedience, devotion, and care of one's parents and elder family members

Jainism (ahimsa)

(social solidarity)

"concept of non-violence" ahimsa is not only a worldview but a way of life.

The killing and consumption of animals is strictly prohibited, for it is central to the idea of ahimsa that they must minimize their violent impact on the environment. Treating other people with respect is also a way of practicing ahimsa.

Babylanes or catalones

Equally important is the belief in religious leaders whose function was to mediate between the deities and the people.

• In ancient Philippine society for example, spiritual leaders were called babaylanes or catalones, whose functions were to intercede between the deities and people; to continue the rituals; to play as healers; and to act as cultural leaders of the community.

Most of the spiritual leaders were women; and if men wanted to become one, they had to give up their sexuality to perform the prestigious role of being a babaylan.

People from ancient societies (to date) have a common belief in the need for intermediaries to communicate with the deities and the supernatural.

Religion promotes social harmony

Religion provides divine authority to ethical and moral principles which also help promote unity among people. Common participation in rituals together with basic uniformity of beliefs help promote social cohesiveness.

Religion Provides Social Change

Since religion is a source of moral values, religion provides social change. It can be very effective in lobbying and campaigning for certain social issues using Its own moral teachings as the basis of argument.

Religion Provides Moral Values

By providing moral values, one is able to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil. It also provides a system of reward and punishment that administers and standardizes people's behavior in society. Some people believe that it is sometimes more effective than the laws implemented by the state, since most people give more importance to the reward and punishment in the afterlife.

Religion Causes Discrimination

Religion can also be a source of discrimination, or the prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the basis of race, religion, age, or sex.

Religion Triggers Conflicts and Fights

Religion also has some aspects which make it susceptible to be a source of conflict and war. History witnessed numerous lives sacrificed and lost in the name of religion. Wars have been fought in the name of religion, and this phenomenon continues up to the present time.

Religion Impedes Scientific Success and Development

Throughout history, religion has proven to impede scientific development. Catholic Church used to teach that the

world is flat

Geocentric theory (Ptolemy) and Heliocentric (Copernicus)

Religion Obstructs the Use of Reason

Many question the suitability of religious doctrines to the needs of the present and future generations. In order to put these dogma to practice, religion should, therefore, evolve and learn to adapt to the ever changing world.

Trepanning

Self-Immolation

or the killing of oneself as a form of sacrifice, originally referred to as the act of setting oneself on fire. But now it refers to a much wider range of suicidal choices such as leaping off a cliff, starvation, or ritual removing of the guts (also known as seppuku). It is used as a form of political protest or martyrdom.

Sati

or the practice of self-immolation of a widow on her husband's funeral pyre, is said to have originated 700 years ago in India. It is believed to have started among the ruling class or rajputs in India, when the rajput women burnt themselves to death after their men were defeated in battles to avoid being taken by the conquerors.

double-edge

Religion is a __________ ________ sword

Makati City

In the Philippines, there is a small community of Jews composed of around 100 families that are located at what place?

Beit Yaacov synagogue

The Philippine Jewish community hold religious worship and instruction at ______

Rabbi Eliyahu Azaria

This Beit Yaacov synagogue is led by their spiritual leader

Chabad-Lubavitch House

They also have a _________which offers Torah classes, synagogue services, and assistance on Jewish education and practice (“The Jewish Community of the Philippines," n.d.).

Judaism

The story of the Jewish people begins with Abraham, the father of Judaism and the inspiration for other Abrahamic religions (i.e., Christianity and Islam). In the Book of Genesis (15:16).

Jacob - Israel

God's covenant with Abraham was renewed with ________. After Jacob's encounter with the Angel of God at the river Jabbok, Jacob sought God's blessing and his name was changed to Israel (Gen 35:10). Israel had twelve sons from which the twelve Israelite tribes originated.

The TaNaKh

Hebrew Bible classified into three groups: Torah (the teachings), Nevi’im (the prophets) and Kethuvim or Ketuvim (the Writings) known as?

SUPPLEMENTARY

called Talmud and Midrash

PRIMARY

Those found in the Hebrew Bible known as Tanakh

Bible

Is a collection of Books

Torah

(to teach) – most important text and composed of Five Books of Moses as well as the 613 commandments (mitzvot).

Sefer Torah

written in a scroll around two wooden poles. Written by a sofer (scribe)

Genesis (Bereisheet), Exodus (Shemot), Numbers (BaMidbar), Leviticus (Vayikra), Deuteronomy (D’varim)

What are the five books of Moses?

Genesis (Bereisheet)

Creation of the world, the Great Flood, and the stories of Judaism’s patriarchs and matriarchs.

Exodus (Shemot)

tells the story of Israelites bondage in Egypt, their Journey to Mt. Sinai (where the Ten commandments received)

Numbers (BaMidbar)

talks about the Israelites wanderings in the desert as they continue towards the Promise Land.

Leviticus (Vayikra)

deals mostly with priestly matters such as rituals, sacrifices, atonement and ritual purity.

Deuteronomy (D’varim)

final book of Torah. Recounts the Israelites’ journey according to Moses and ends with death just before they enter the Promise Land.

The Mitzvot

Composed of 613 mitzvah or commandments that relate to Jewish observance and religious practice.

• Jews manifest their Fidelity to God and translate the Torah into action.

The Nevi’im

Consist of materials from what are called former prophets (or major prophets) and latter prophets (or minor prophets)

The Kethuvim

Consist of materials that are generally based on human knowledge and experiences (writings) some of which reflect Greek, Persian and Egyptian influences that greatly influenced the Israelites.

Talmud

• The _________ is a written collection of teachings that were originally spoken among Jewish scholars and rabbis.

• Some Jews believe that Moses received additional teachings (transmitted verbally to the community's leaders, and then from generation to generation) which became known as Oral Law.

• Oral law included additional details about, and interpretations of, the biblical laws.

Synagogue

Jews worship and study in a _________. In the ________, Jews holds religious services which includes prayer and readings from the Torah. Religious services are led by the rabbi who is assisted by a cantor.

Morning, Afternoon, and Evening

Jewish males observe three daily prayer services during the day (_____, ______, ______). When making prayers, they must face the direction of the site of the temple in Jerusalem.

Kosher

Jews also follow strict rule on how to slaughter animals since only a shoshet (religious Jew who is duly licensed and trained) can kill animals to make it _______

Kosher

is a term used to describe food that complies with the strict dietary standards of traditional Jewish law.

• For many Jews, keeping _______is about more than just health or food safety. It is about reverence and adherence to religious tradition.

Meat (fleishig)

mammals or fowl, as well as products derived from them, including bones and broth

Dairy (milchig)

milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt

Pareve

any food that is not meat or dairy, including fish, eggs, and plant-based foods

Kashrut

Jewish law (________) requires that Jews may not eat certain foods like pork, certain seafood or food without the blood removed. Dairy and meat products may not be consumed at the same meal.

The Sabbath (Shabbat) Day

• Occurs every sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday.

• Strictly no work is to be done on Sabbath for it is the most sacred day of the week for the Jews dedicated solely to prayer and rest from the usual everyday activities.

• The observation of Sabbath honors the day when God, after seeing that all that He created was good, rested on the seventh day and most importantly, God’s commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Circumcision and Rite of Package

On the eight day after their birth, male infants are circumcised, which signals their entry into the covenant between God and their Jewish patriarchs.

Bar Mitzvah

Age of thirteen – they are already considered adults and can participate in a special religious service called what?

Bat Mitzvah

in some forms of Judaism, girls also undergo the same ritual when they reach the age of twelve.

Ketuba

when Jews decide to get married, they participate in a ritualized wedding ceremony and sign a _______ which outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom, in a relation to the bride.

Passover (Pesah)

An eight-day festival commemorating the freeing of the Israelites from the Egyptian bondage. A ritual fest on the first two nights of this holiday called a Seder includes the counting of _________ story.

Shavuot (Pentecost)

A festival which marks the giving of the Torah to the Israelites at Mt. Sinai by God. It is a two-day holiday which is often celebrated by having an all-night study session on religious topics with friends.

Succot (Booths)

• A festival which Jews build temporary booths where they take their meals for one week.

• This reminds the Jews of the time when they lived in booths in the desert after being delivered by God from their slavery in Egypt.

Rosh Hashanah

This marks the new year of the Jewish calendar. The ram’s horn (shofar) is blown ritually during Rosh Hashanah to serve as the beginning of ten days of repentance which culminates in Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)

The holiest day of the Jewish calendar. Jews refrain from eating or drinking for the entire holiday. Yom Kippur marks the day in which every individual is judged by God.

YHWH

Jews were later to deem their God’s name too holy to pronounce and did not preserve its original vowels, so it became known only by its four consonants:

El, Elohim, Adonai

YHWH was also known by several other names, including __, _____ and ______, meaning God.

Orthodox Judaism

• The religion of those Jews who adhere most strictly to traditional beliefs and practices.

• both the Written Law (Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament) and the Oral Law (codified in the Mishna and interpreted in the Talmud) are immutably fixed and remain the sole norm of religious observance.

Conservative Judaism

• Religious movement that seeks to conserve essential elements of traditional Judaism but allows for the modernization of religious practices in a less radical sense than that espoused by Reform Judaism.

Reform Judaism

• holds that Judaism and its traditions should be updated and made compatible with contemporary culture. It is the first to permit the use of vernacular language in worship and the ordination of women as rabbis.

Anti-Semitism

sometimes called history’s oldest hatred, is hostility or prejudice against Jewish people.

Prejudice

of people against Jews simply because they are Jewish