Religion and Belief Systems Summary

Religion and Belief Systems

What is Religion?

  • RELIGO: Means "to bind" or "to obligate."
  • Belief in a God or gods; adherence to beliefs about life's mysteries.

Types of Belief

  • Monotheism: Belief in one God.
  • Polytheism: Belief in multiple gods.

Functions of Religion

  • Establishes social cohesion (unity through morality, fairness, charity, and justice).
  • Serves as a form of social control (e.g., the Ten Commandments).
  • Provides a sense of purpose.

Perspectives on Religion

  • Emile Durkheim: Religion as a social institution with unified beliefs and practices recognizing the sacred.
  • Karl Marx: Religion as the opium of the people, maintaining unequal social systems.
  • Max Weber: Religion as an important factor in the rise of capitalism.

Belief System

  • Faith-based beliefs not formalized into a religion.
  • A fixed, coherent set of beliefs in a community.

Animism

  • Belief that everything has a spirit; nature worship.
  • Oldest type of belief system.

Types of Religious Organizations

  • Church: Large, formalized organization.
  • Denomination: Less formal, gains members through recruitment.
  • Sect: Differs from and often rejects larger religion's beliefs; strict doctrines.
  • Cult: Small, localized communities with doctrines outside mainstream traditions.

Major Religions

  • Christianity: Largest religion (2.2 billion followers), based on the teachings of Jesus.
  • Islam: Second most popular, a complete way of life revealed to Prophet Muhammad; followers believe in one God, Allah.
  • Hinduism: Sanātana Dharma ("the eternal law"), focuses on practice, belief in Brahman, reincarnation (Samsara) governed by Karma.
  • Buddhism: Based on Siddhartha Gautama's teachings; focuses on suffering and achieving Nirvana (enlightenment).

Institutionalized Religion

  • Formed by a sect, organized with established belief systems and rituals, official doctrine.

Separation of Church and State

  • Enshrined in the 1987 Constitution (Art II. Sec. 6).
  • No establishment of religion or prohibition of free exercise.
  • Religious denominations cannot register as political entities (Art. IX (C) Sec. 2 (5)).
  • Religious sector excluded from party-list representation (Art. VI. Sec. 5(2)).