1.2 - the nature of religion - DONE

origin of religions

in the stone age, religions were created as a way to explain things that they did not understand.

for example they did not understand the rising and setting of the sun so the sun became a God to them

how and where did each of the 5 major religions begin

hinduism - 3000 BCE in west india

judaism - 2000 BCE in israel

buddhism - 500 BCE in northern india

christianity - 33 BCE in jerusalem

islam - 500 CE in saudi arabia

common characteristics of religion

people who belong to a religion will:

1. believe in a deity

2. gather as a group to worship the deity

3. follow the beliefs and teachings of the religion

4. participate rituals and practices in religions

5. have sacred writings

6. have sacred places

7. have celebrations specific to their religion

8. pray in some form

9. use signs or symbols to represent aspects/ beliefs of the religion

religious beliefs

beliefs are core to the faith and understanding of a particular religion

e.g. Christianity believe that Jesus was God who became man and died for the sins of humanity

religious teachings

teachings come out of the belief and support it

e.g. Jesus gives guidelines about how not to sin so he doesn’t have to die again

how do people express their religious faith

gather with the community with similar beliefs to worship God, participate in rituals of the faith, saying prayers e.g. creed, believe in God, living the beliefs of the religion

what is a religion

a religion is a group of people with common beliefs about a God or their experiences of a God

worldview

the way in which an individual sees the world

influenced by:

• the society that you live in

• family

• the religion that you belong to

• atheism, secularity, humanism

• political ideologies - communism, fascism

• the time and place you live in

christian

believes in God and the trinity

believes that God created the world, and in heaven and hell

atheist

does not believe God exists

believes the world was created with the big bang

agnostic

someone who thinks the divine is unknowable

secular

not connected to God

humanist

believes that a God isn’t needed to live an ethical life

religious practices

recognised way of doing something religious