RELIGION

The word religion is one of those words that we always use without pausing to consider its
real or actual meaning and when we talked about it all of us have idea. Some of us but not all
still were thinking what is religion? Even though they encounter the word still they searching
for its definite meaning .The most common definition of this term is a particular set of beliefs
but a religion is more than a set of beliefs.

According to the famous Philosopher Karl Marx "Religion is the opium of the Masses" which
means that religion is used as oppressors to make people feel better about the distress that
they are facing or due to poor and exploited experience. Sometimes people see the religion as
an expression of material and injustice of the economy. But what is religion? Religions are
shared transcendental beliefs that passed down from the believers; these are the adherents that
held to be actively meaningful and serious and either based on the formally documented
doctrine and/or established cultural practices. Religions often include: spiritual explanations
of the places in the world that attempts to answer the questions “why we are here”;
worshiping the deities or supernatural entities including ancestors; the conceptions of “holy”
and “sacred” activities or ideas and objects; it is also about the set of rituals, calendar events
based on the changing seasons, some distinctive dresses code, codes of morality and actions
that are mandated by the supernaturally being, from a supernatural force or from the will of
the Universe itself, and a caste of privileged exalted professionals that have a particular
claims that are in touch by the transcendental forces. Religions have the fundamental set of
practices and beliefs that are generally agreed by a group of people. This set of beliefs and
practices concern about the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe it also involves
devotionals and ritual observances that contain a moral code that is governing the conduct of
human affairs.

On the other side ethics is based on well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe
what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness,
or specific virtues. It is teaching us on how to act, speak or even interact w/ other people in a
right way and that is having moral in any aspect.
CHRISTIANITY

Christian ethics teaches us how to live.

Christian ethics asks what the whole Bible teaches us about which acts, attitudes, and
personal character traits receive God’s approval and which ones do not.

This means that Christian ethics teaches us how to live. It is important to study Christian
ethics so that we can better know God’s will, and so that each day we can “walk in a manner
worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him” (Col. 1:10).

Christianity as one of the religion that contributes to ethical actions of people helps to
perceive what is the right and wrong thing to do in the eye of the creator and the people
within the environment

The ultimate basis for Christian ethics is the moral character of God.

God delights in his own moral character, which is supremely good, unchanging, and eternal.
His moral standards for human beings flow from his moral character. Christianity shows
moral character of God that serves as the basis on what should do. The characters that are
morally depicted by God provide an answer with the statement “ought” in the field of ethics.

Christian ethics is based on the Bible.

The Bible is a higher authority in ethics than tradition, reason, experience, expected results,
or subjective perceptions of guidance. While these other factors can never override the
teaching of Scripture, they can still be helpful for us in making a wise decision. Since ethics
has something to deal with how a person should morally behave, bible used in Christian play
a vital role as a source of ethical factors that people follow and apply in real life situation.
Bible is the physical aspect that provides ethical and moral decisions, so it will mainly be the
basis of people to read and pursue.

Although we are justified by faith in Christ alone and not by works, extensive New
Testament teachings about living the Christian life show that our day-by-day obedience as
justified Christians is an important part of the Christian life.
Obeying God brings numerous blessings to our daily lives

In terms of religious aspect, ethical acts and decisions show that once a person do good things
based on religious sources mainly the Bible, it will provide and give back numerous
blessings.

God intended that obedience to him would not be burdensome (1 John 5:3) but would bring
us great joy. For this reason, when Christians are not “conformed to this world” we discover
that following the will of God is a path of life that is for us “good and acceptable and perfect”
(Romans 12:2).

Willful sin brings several harmful consequences to our daily lives.

It is not too popular to talk about sin today, but it is a huge topic in the Bible. On the state of
blessings, sin provides an opposition that when a person did not follow or do ethical actions,
the person will then receive consequences in regards with what he or she did. It is indeed
perceive in Christian religion that people believe on the aspect of every actions have their
corresponding consequences towards the person. The New Testament mentions several
harmful consequences that come from willful sin in the life of a Christian. These
consequences include a disruption of our daily fellowship with God (Ephesians 4:30; 1 John
3:21), the awareness of God’s fatherly displeasure and the possible experience of his fatherly
discipline (1 Cor. 11:30; Hebrews 12:5-11; see also Ephesians 4:30; Revelation 3:19), and a
loss of fruitfulness in our ministries and in our Christian lives (John 15:4-5).

Christian ethics teaches us to consider four dimensions of any action, and nine possible
sources of information.

Christian ethics is not concerned only with our right and wrong actions. We are complex
people, and life itself is complex. Therefore, in studying Christian ethics, God wants us to
consider not only the action itself but also a person’s attitudes about the action, the person’s
motives for doing the action, and the results of the action.

In seeking to know God’s will, sometimes we must make a decision instantly, with no time to
ponder the situation (see the story of Joseph in Genesis 39:12). But at other times, we are able
to ponder a decision at some length. When we have more time to ponder a decision, we can
consider as many as nine possible sources of information and guidance: (1) the Bible, (2)
knowledge of the facts of the situation, (3) knowledge of ourselves, (4) advice from others,
(5) changed circumstances, (6) our consciences, (7) our hearts, (8) our human spirits, and (9)
guidance from the Holy Spirit. We need wisdom from God in order to evaluate these factors
rightly in making a decision.

We should never think that God wants us to choose a “lesser sin.”

Although several evangelical ethics books claim that, from time to time, we face situations of
“impossible moral conflict” where all our choices are sinful and we must simply choose to
commit the “lesser sin,” this idea is not taught in Scripture. It is contradicted both by the life
of Christ, “who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15),
and by the promise of 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says that God will always provide a “way
of escape.”

The “impossible moral conflict” view easily becomes a slippery slope that in actual practice
encourages Christians to sin more and more.

BUDDHISM

“Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.”

Buddhism is a religion of a Eastern and Central Asia living out the teaching of Siddhartha
Gautama which suffering is a fundamental in life and one's life can be liberated from it
through cultivating wisdom, virtue and concentration.

Buddhism is a spiritual tradition founded in India around 500 BCE by Prince Siddartha
Gautama or also known as Gautama Buddha which in Sanskrit when it says ‘Buddha’ it's
pertaining to the “awakened one”. Most Buddhist traditions (the main two being Theravada
and Mahayana) share a common ethical code for lay followers, while monastic codes tend to
vary by region and tradition.

The common ethical principles of Buddhism were articulated by Gautama Buddha. They
include the Five Precepts "virtues" and three of the eight points on the Noble Eightfold path
to enlightenment.

According to Buddhism belief, "to live is to act" so our actions can have either harmful or
beneficial consequences for oneself and others, that's why actions played a essential role to
fulfill one's purpose in life. Buddhist ethics is concerned with the principles and practices that
help one to act in ways that are appropriate which provide help rather than harm. The core
ethical code of Buddhism are the five precepts, and these are the way of purifying the ethical
principles of an individual. The precepts are not rules or commandments, but ‘principles of
training’, which are undertaken freely and need to be put into practice with intelligence and
sensitivity so that oneself may have a meaningful life. The Buddhist tradition acknowledges
that life is complex and throws up many difficulties, and it does not suggest that there is a
single course of action that will be right in all circumstances but rather the actions will speaks
if it is being right or wrong, Buddhism speaks of the being skilful "kusala" or unskilful
"akusala". In Triratna, our faith in the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha finds
everyday practical expression in our aspiration to live by ethical precepts, to the best of our
ability.

In the Five Precepts, Gautama Buddha advises that an individual should practice to abstain
from the following: harming living beings, taking things not freely given, sexual misconduct,
false speech, and intoxicating drinks and drugs causing heedlessness (Knierim). However,
there are up to ten precepts for lay practitioners and sometimes hundreds for ordained monks
but still these five are the most basic and important.

The basic doctrines, beliefs and practices of early Buddhism which still remain common to
all Buddhism are the “Four Noble Truths”. The existence of suffering which is also known as
dukhka wherein they believed that suffering is inevitable in one's life. Suffering always has a
cause namely craving and attachment; trishna. However, suffering can be still avoid for there
is a cessation of suffering which is nirvana, it the time thus someone can make their life
lighter and free from suffering. Having said that, there is also a path to the cessation of
suffering called the “Noble Eightfold Path” to enlightenment consists of nurturing the
following: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort,
right mindfulness, and right concentration.

These virtues generally fall into three categories. The right view and right intention are
intended toward cultivation of wisdom while the middle three which the right speech, right
action and right livelihood are purposely toward refinement of ethical conduct, meanwhile
the latter three; right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration are designed for the
mental development of an individual. Buddhism characteristically describes reality in terms
of process and relation rather than entity or substance.

All the imperatives mentioned above are not explained to be as commandments like in the
Judeo-Christian tradition, but more as guidelines for attaining enlightenment. Enlightenment,
or Nirvana in Sanskrit, is a state of mind or being in which one simultaneously realizes one’s
true identity which is infinite and eternal, it is the illusory nature of the world, and perfect
bliss and equanimity. In mainstream, Buddhism has no separate “god” who is the judge or
arbiter of ethical action. Rather, it is a general psycho-spiritual “law” that certain behaviors
promote enlightenment and abate suffering while others impede enlightenment and bring
about suffering. In these terms that an act or series of acts is generally deemed ethical or
unethical. Ethical behavior both leads to and flows from an enlightened mind.

Experience is broke down into five totals ( skandhas ). First is the form or "rupa", which
means to material presence; the accompanying four, is sensations or "vendana", perceptions (
samjna ), psychic constructs ( samskara ), and consciousness ( vijnana ), refer to
psychological processes. The central Buddhist instructing non-self ( anatman ) affirms in the
five totals no independently existent, unchanging self, or soul, can be found. All phenomena
arise emerge in reliance on causes and conditions, and accordingly are dependent upon
inevitable decay and cessation. The casual conditions are characterized in a 12-membered
chain called dependent origination ( pratityasamutpada ) whose links are: ignorance,
predisposition, consciousness, name-form, the senses, contact, craving, grasping, becoming,
birth, matured age, and death, whence again ignorance.

The role of religion to ethics is restricted to theory of religion. That is, religion never again
has any power in directing good issues outside of its environment. Consequently, religion has
is not real to play in morals (general). However, a task to carry out in the morals that is found
in religions. Religion does have a role to play in building up a feeling of morals, however it is
fairly limited. This is because religions tend not to emphasize the role of critical and
independent thinking which is important in developing a sense of ethical responsibility. What
religions tend to do is to give a list of 'do's' and 'don'ts' that the faithfuls need to follow. But if
does not provide much explanation about why these rules should be followed. The goal of
ethics as been seen in various manners: according to some, it is the wisdom of right from
wrong activities; to other people, ethics isolates what is ethically great based on what is
ethically awful; on the other hand, ethics implies to devise the principles by means of which
conducting a life worth to be lived.
CONFUCIANISM

'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' The Chinese philosophy of
Confucianism puts it this way: 'Do not do to others what you would have them not do to you.'
This is the golden rule of Confucius—the founder of the Confucianism.

Confucianism was developed in China by Master Kong or commonly called as “Confucius”

in 551-479 BC. His name was given by Jesuit missionaries who were visiting there.
However, the fundamental principles of Confucianism began before his birth, during the
Zhou Dynasty. For Chinese culture, Confucianism was part of their social fabric and way of
life to Confucians. According to him, everyday life was the arena of religion.

According to Confucius, he believes that people live their lives within parameters firmly
established by Heaven—for him means both a purposeful Supreme Being as well as ‘nature’
and its fixed cycles and patterns. Confucius argues that men are responsible for their actions
and especially for their treatment of others. We can do little or nothing to alter our fated span
of existence but we determine what we accomplish and what we are remembered for.

Confucius represented his teachings as lessons transmitted from antiquity. He claimed that he
was “a transmitter and not a maker” and that all he did reflected his “reliance on and love for
the ancients.”

6 VIRTUE ETHICS BY CONFUCIUS

Xi is the virtue of learning. Someone who meditates on the concept of xi is one who has a
natural capacity or desire to learn. This virtue is important for many reasons, but probably the
most important is due to the danger of ignorance. One who is ignorant or does not desire to
learn is in danger of leading a foolish existence and spreading folly among other people. The
act of learning and living in wisdom brings with it virtue and a meaningful, impactful life.

Zhi is the virtue of character. The closest translation of zhi is the substance of which one is
made. This can refer to the physical construction of a person but is more about the character
of that person. Both zhi and xi state that a person is neither created good nor bad but is free to
choose how he or she will learn, grow, and progress. For example, someone might be born
into a family of criminals, but it is up to them whether they will chose a path of immorality or
morality.
Li is a classical Chinese word which is commonly used in Chinese philosophy, particularly
within Confucianism. Li does not encompass a definitive object but rather a somewhat
abstract idea and, as such, is translated in a number of different ways. Wing-tsit
Chan explains that li originally meant "a religious sacrifice, but has come to mean ceremony,
ritual, decorum, rules of propriety, good form, good custom, etc., and has even been equated
with Natural law.

Yi literally "justice, righteousness; meaning," is an important concept in Confucianism. It

involves a moral disposition to do good, and also the intuition and sensibility to do so
competently. Yi resonates with Confucian philosophy's orientation towards the cultivation of
benevolence and skillful practice.

Wen—the arts of peace. The sum of culture in its aesthetics in spiritual mode (music, poetry,
and art). Confucius valued the art tremendously, and considered people who are indifferent to
arts only half human. He was not interested in art for art’s sake. But rather in art’s power to
transform human nature in the direction of virtues, its capacity to ennoble the heart, to soften
people by leading them to be sensitive to the needs of others.

Ren is the Confucian virtue denoting the good quality of a virtuous human when being
altruistic. Ren is exemplified by a normal adult's protective feelings for children. It is
considered the outward expression of Confucian ideals. Yan Hui, one of the Four Sages, once
asked his master to describe the rules of ren.

Confucius teachings are a combination of Chinese religious thought and ancient philosophy.
He focuses on the importance of developing human qualities such as benevolence, generosity,
love, compassion, and sincerity. Confucius also stresses honesty above love. By practicing all
the values and teachings of Confucius, they will find contentment and probably enjoys a
happy, productive, and peaceful life.

DAOISM

Daoism, or Taoism, is a collection of Chinese philosophical traditions that have developed

since 4th century BCE. Before the Chinese Communist revolution, Daoism was one of the
strongest religions in China. Numbers significantly reduced, and it has become difficult to
assess the population of Daoists.
The sacred writings Daodejing and the Zhuangzi are composite texts written and rewritten
through the centuries with varied input from multiple anonymous writers. The former text is
more poetic in style, while the latter is a unique narrative, considered in the Literature
community as a distinctive treasure for its style.

The tradition is all about following dao or “the Way.” This is not concretely defined. Rather
than being considered a religion, Daoism is better understood as a system of belief, attitudes,
and practices set towards accepting oneself and following Dao.

Daoism worships many deities. They are part of the universe and depend, like everything, on
Dao.

Daoist practices include meditation, feng shui, fortune telling, and the recitation of scriptures.
Alchemy is also practiced internally, in the form of breath exercises, massage, martial arts,
and yoga, and externally, with minerals and herbs to promote longevity.

The simplest summary of these principles is this: act in a way that benefits others while
recognizing the risk of having underlying motives for ones actions. The easiest way to do this
is spend time realizing the truth of the principle of interconnectedness and interdependence.
Each person is dependent on others for his or her own happiness and wellbeing and when we
both acknowledge and realize this we can act morally with no undisclosed motives. We
should learn to become the better version of ourselves for the benefit of the whole and the
betterment of our community and country.

Matthew 6:2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the
hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you,
they have received their reward in full.”

ETHICS IN DAOISM

Taoist ethics are less concerned with doing good acts than becoming a good person who lives
in harmony with all the things and people in our environment.

Taoist ethics are inseparable from Taoist spirituality and both contains the same idea or
concept.

If a Taoist wants to live well they should take all their decisions in the context of the Tao (the
way or road). It is trying to see what will fit best with the natural order of things.
Taoists thus always do what is required and dictated by events and their context, but they
only do what is required and nothing less or more.

So, in theory at least, Taoists tend to not initiate action but wait for events to make action
necessary and avoid letting their own desires and compulsions push them into doing things.

APPLICATION

In practice Taoism recommends the same sorts of moral behaviour to its followers as other
religions.

It disapproves of killing, stealing, lying, promiscuity, gossiping and bad manners but
promotes altruistic, helpful, polite, kindly and good behaviour.

Taoists believe that good behaviour is an essential part in improving oneself and the world as
well.

Personal and community ethics

The Taoist ideal is for a person to take action by changing themselves, and thus becoming an
example of the good life to others.

People should develop themselves so that they live their life in complete harmony with the
universe. The main philosophy is to not do good things but becoming and developing
ourselves to become a better and good person.

Changing and improving oneself is a way to make this world a better place because as person
behaves and acts well to other people, the community will respond and respect everyone.

Women

Taoism is a gender-neutral religion. This is implied by the concept of Yin Yang which
teaches that masculine and feminine are complementary, inseparable and equal.

The Tao Te Ching uses female images such as the mother of the universe and the mother of
all things when describing the Tao.

Taoism has always accepted that women have an equal part to play in spiritual life. Women
took priestly roles from the earliest days of organized Taoist religion and Taoist legend has
many tales of female deities.
Taoism emphasizes characteristics from women such as softness and yielding, modesty and
non-aggression. It teaches that the weak will overcome the strong.

Politics

Taoist texts suggest that the ideal way for a leader to run their country is by example and with
minimal intervention:

“So a good leader is one that the people respect and whose instructions are willingly
followed. The good leader achieves this by living virtuously in private, and living publicly so
as to influence his people for the good.”

Human nature

Taoism also requires human beings to be humble and recognize that they are not just obliged
to make the world a better place but they are actually ignorant of what is happening all
around us that they are likely to make things worse if they take or do actions.

Anarchism

Taoism was adopted by the Hippy movement of the 1960s as teaching an alternative way of
life that promoted the freedom and autonomy of the individual over the limitations of society
and government unfortunately Taoism does not teach this and doesn’t include this on their
teaching or philosophy.

ISLAMIC

Islam is the world's second largest faith, with about 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. Although
its roots go further back, scholars typically date back to the 7th century when Islam was creat
ed, making it the youngest of major religions in the world.
Islam started during the time of the Prophet Muhammad's life in Mecca, in modern
day Saudi Arabia. Today, the religion is spreading rapidly throughout the world.

Islam Facts:

 "Islam" means "submission to God's will."

 Islam's adherents were called Muslims.
 Muslims are monotheistic and worship one God, allknowing, who is revered as Allah
in Arabic.
  Islamic believers seek to live a life of complete surrender to God. We believe that wit
hout Allah's permission nothing can happen, but people have free will.
 Islam states that the word of God was revealed by the angel Gabriel to the prophet Mu
hammad.
 Muslims believe that a number of prophets were sent to teach the rule of God. We hon
or some of the Jewish and Christian prophets, including Abraham, Moses, Noah, and
Jesus. Muslims contend that the last prophet was Muhammad.
 Mosques are places of worship for Muslims.
 Several significant Islamic shrines include Mecca's Kaaba Shrine, Jerusalem's Al-
Aqsa Mosque, and Medina's Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad.
 The Quran (or Koran) is Islam's core sacred text. Another big book is the Hadith. Man
y content found in the Judeo-Christian Bible is also respected by Muslims.
 Through praying and reciting the Quran, followers worship Allah. They think there's
going to be a judgment day, and life after death.
 A central idea in Islam is "jihad," which means "battle." While the word has been use
d negatively in mainstream culture, it is assumed by Muslims to refer to internal and e
xternal efforts to defend their religion.

Muhammad

The prophet Muhammad was born in 570 A.D. in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and was sometimes s
pelled Mohammed or Mohammad. Muslims believe that he was God's last prophet to expose
their religion to mankind.

An angel named Gabriel visited Muhammad in 610 A.D., according to Islamic scriptures and
tradition. While in a cave he was meditating. The angel ordered Muhammad to recite Allah's
words.

Muslims believe that throughout the rest of his life Muhammad continued to receive revelatio
ns from Allah.

Starting around 613, Muhammad began to preach the messages he received throughout Mecc
a. He taught that there was no other god but Allah and that Muslims were to dedicate their liv
es to this god.
Hijra

Muhammad traveled with his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622. This journey has beco
me known as the Hijra (also written Hegira or Hijrah), and marks the start of the Islamic cale
ndar.

Seven years later, Muhammad returned to Mecca and conquered the region with his many fol
lowers.

Abu Bakr

Islam started to spread rapidly after the death of Muhammad. A number of leaders, known as
caliphs, were Muhammad's successors. This political system, administered by a Muslim ruler,
has become known as a caliphate.

Abu Bakr, the father-in-law and close friend of Muhammad, was the first caliph.

Abu Bakr died about two years after being elected, and Caliph Umar, another Muhammad's f
ather-in-law, succeeded him in 634.

Other Types of Islam

In the Sunni and Shiite groups, there are other, smaller Muslim denominations.

Wahhabi: This Sunni sect was founded in the 18th century, consisting of members of the Tam
eem tribe in Saudi Arabia. Followers follow Muhammad bin Abd al-
Wahhab's extremely strict interpretation of Islam.

Alawite: In Syria, this Shiite variant of Islam is prevalent.

Nation of Islam: In the 1930s in Detroit, Michigan, this mostly African-

American, Sunni sect was founded.

Kharijites: After disagreeing about how to select a new leader, this sect broke from the Shiite
s. We are known for their religious fundamentalism and are called Ibadis today.

Quran

The Quran is considered the most important holy book among Muslims (sometimes spelled Q
uran or Koran).
This contains some basic information found in the Hebrew Bible as well as revelations offere
d to Muhammad. The text is known to be God's holiest word and precedes all previous writin
gs.

Which includes some basic information found in the Hebrew Bible as well as insights that M
uhammad has been provided.

The book is written as the first person with Allah, speaking to Muhammad through Gabriel. It
includes 114 chapters called surahs.

Scholars believe that the Quran was compiled shortly after the death of Muhammad, under C
aliph Abu Bakr's guidance.

Islamic Calendar

The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar used in Islamic religious worship, also called the Hijr
a calendar. The calendar began in 622 A.D., marking Muhammad's journey from Mecca to M
edina.

The Islamic calendar displays the proper days of Islamic holidays and festivals, including the
time of fasting and prayer known as Ramadan, which takes place during the calendar's ninth
month.

Islam Symbols

There is no single image or emblem of Islam, as in many religions, universally accepted by al

l Muslims around the world.

In some predominantly Muslim countries, the crescent moon and star was adopted as a symb
ol of Islam, although it is believed that the crescent moon and star image predated Islam and
was originally a symbol of the Ottoman Empire.

The green color is also sometimes associated with Islam, as it was reportedly Muhammad's fa
vorite color and is often featured prominently in predominantly Muslim countries ' flags.

Five Pillars of Islam

Muslims observe five basic principles of their religion. These include:

Shahada: announcing one's faith in God and faith in Muhammad.

Salat: praying five times a day (at dawn, at noon, at midday, at sunset and at night).

Zakat: to send to the poor.

Sawm: to fast during Ramadan.

Hajj: to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in the lifetime of a person if the person is a
ble to do so.

Sharia Law

The legal system of Islam is known as the Law of Sharia. This code of conduct based on faith
directs Muslims to live in almost every aspect of their lives.

Sharia law requires a modest dress for men and women. It also outlines guidelines for Musli
ms on marriage and other moral principles.

Sharia law is known for its harsh punishments if crimes are committed. For example, a perso
n's hand is amputated by the punishment for theft. Adultery, by stoning, can carry the death p
enalty. However, such extreme measures are not supported by many Muslims.

Muslim Prayer

Prophet Muhammad is credited with the building of his first mosque in Medina's courtyard. T
oday, mosques follow some of the same ideals that he set out in 622 A.D.

Muslim prayer often takes place in the large open space or outdoor courtyard of a mosque. A
mihrab in the mosque is a decorative feature or niche indicating the direction to Mecca and th
erefore the direction to face during prayer.

Muslim prayer is often conducted in a mosque's wide open space or outdoor courtyard. A mih
rab in the mosque is a decorative element or niche that signifies the direction of Mecca and h
ence the direction in which to face during prayer.

Muslim Holidays

The two major Muslim holidays are:

Eid al-Adha: honors the willingness of the Prophet Abraham to die for Allah his son.

Eid al-Fitr: marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting in Islam.
Muslims also celebrate other holidays including Islamic New Year and Muhammad's birth.

Ethics

Like the Christian view of morality, the Islamic theory of ethics declares moral absolutes. Wh
ile the Bible is based on ethics in the essential character of Christ, the Quran states that essent
ially it is impossible to know Him.
Some actions are good, not because they come from the character of God, but because Christ
chooses to call them good. A different set of moral principles could have been decreed by All
ah. Therefore, by the grace of God, Muslims recognize moral goodness. Islam and
Christianity agree to some of the same moral standards although significant differences exist.

Muslims see Muhammad as the ideal human being as they deem Islamic morality, the one tha
t all people will try to emulate. The Five Pillars of Ethics, together with more general principl
es, form a foundation of Islamic ethics.
Besides many motivations for ethical behaviour, the most powerful is the anticipation of final
judgment.

Islam in Modern Day

The supposed association of Islam with terrorism and mass killing has sparked a political deb
ate in many countries over the past few years. The divisive phrase "radical Islam" has become
a well-known tag for identifying the link between religion and acts of violence.

Although some Muslims use their faith to justify terrorism, it is not the vast majority. In fact,
Muslims themselves are often victims of violence.

While some Muslims use their faith to justify violence, they are not the vast majority. Indeed,
Muslims are often victims of violence themselves.

While Muslims aim to clear up misconceptions about their faith, the religion continues to
spread rapidly. Today, Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion. Experts predict Islam
will surpass Christianity as the largest religion by the end of the century.

HINDUISM

Religion that originated in India and is still practiced by most of its inhabitants, as well as by
those whose families have migrated from India to other parts of the world (chiefly East
Africa, South Africa, Southeast Asia, the East Indies, and England). The word Hindu is
derived from the Sanskrit word sindhu (“river”—more specifically, the Indus); the Persians in
the 5th century BC called the Hindus by that name, identifying them as the people of the land
of the Indus. The Hindus define their community as “those who believe in the Vedas”
(see Veda) or “those who follow the way (dharma) of the four classes (varnas) and stages of
life (ashramas).”

Hinduism is a major world religion, not merely by virtue of its many followers (estimated at
more than 700 million) but also because of its profound influence on many other religions
during its long, unbroken history, which dates from about 1500 BC. The corresponding
influence of these various religions on Hinduism (it has an extraordinary tendency to absorb
foreign elements) has greatly contributed to the religion's syncretism—the wide variety of
beliefs and practices that it encompasses. Moreover, the geographic, rather than ideological,
basis of the religion (the fact that it comprises whatever all the people of India have believed
and done) has given Hinduism the character of a social and doctrinal system that extends to
every aspect of human life.

How hinduism evolved, Other Facts and beliefs

Hinduism embraces many religious ideas. For this reason, it’s sometimes referred to as a
“way of life” or a “family of religions,” as opposed to a single, organized religion.

Most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic, which means they worship a single deity, known as
“Brahman,” but still recognize other gods and goddesses. Followers believe there are multiple
paths to reaching their god.

Hindus believe in the doctrines of samsara (the continuous cycle of life, death, and
reincarnation) and karma (the universal law of cause and effect).

One of the key thoughts of Hinduism is “atman,” or the belief in soul. This philosophy holds
that living creatures have a soul, and they’re all part of the supreme soul. The goal is to
achieve “moksha,” or salvation, which ends the cycle of rebirths to become part of the
absolute soul.

One fundamental principle of the religion is the idea that people’s actions and thoughts
directly determine their current life and future lives.
Hindus strive to achieve dharma, which is a code of living that emphasizes good conduct and
morality.

Hindus revere all living creatures and consider the cow a sacred animal.

Food is an important part of life for Hindus. Most don’t eat beef or pork, and many are
vegetarians.

Hinduism is closely related to other Indian religions, including Buddhism, Sikhism and
Jainism.

Hinduism evolved from a mixture of cultures in India, especially the Aryan and the Dravidian
cultures. ... A. Hinduism was originally called Sanathana Dharma, which means
righteousness forever. The Persians, who invaded India in the sixth century BC, gave
Hinduism its name from the root word Indus.

Interesting Hinduism Facts:

The word Hindu originates from the Indian Indus River.

There are more than one billion followers of Hinduism in the world today.

Hinduism is not a single religion; rather it is practiced by many different religious groups
from India.

Most of Hinduism's sacred texts were written in Sanskrit in ancient times.

The oldest ancient sacred texts of Hinduism are called the Vedas. Vedah means knowledge.

Hindus are guided in their daily lives by the Vedas scriptures, which were used to develop the
Hindu system of worship and beliefs.

The Vedas include Rigveda, Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda, and atharva-Veda.

The Upanisads are Hindu Holy Scriptures that encompasses both the individual soul and the
universal soul, and references reincarnation.

The Smrutis are the Hindu Holy Scriptures that contain the Laws of Manu, created in about
250 BC.
The Ramayana are the Hindu Holy Scriptures containing a story about how good will always
triumph over evil. The husband and wife in the story, Rama and Sita are considered to be role
models of the perfect marriage.

The Mahabharata are Hindu Holy Scriptures containing a poem about a war in a family.

The 18 Puranas are Hindu Holy Scriptures containing ancient stories about the lives of saints
and different incarnations.

Important Hindu festivals include Diwali (festival of lights), Vijayadashami (victory of good
over evil), Gudhipadawa (Hindu New Year), Mahashivratri (the day of the universe's
creation), Makar Sankranti (Sun in Makar Rashi's transmigration), Navratri (nine day worship
of Mother Goddess), Ramnavami (Lord Rama's birthday), and Ganesh Festival (Festival of
Lord Ganesha).

Hindu restraints include Ahimsa (not to harm others), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (not to
steal), Brahmacharya (no promiscuity in word, deed or thought), Kshama (forgiveness),
Dhriti (steadfastness), Daya (compassion), and Arjaya (honesty).

At different stages in human life there are rituals performed, which are called Samskaras.

The Hindu philosophy is divided into six Darshanas including Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya,
Vaisheshika, Mimamsa, and Vedanta.

Hindus believe in Karma, which are a person's deeds. They believe that a person's actions
will determine their fate, both in their current life and in the next.

Hindus believe in Reincarnation. They believe the soul is immortal and the body is mortal,
and when a person dies their soul will be reborn into another body until that soul eventually
achieves salvation and the cycle of death and rebirth ends.

In Hinduism salvation is called Moksha or Nirvana. A person is able to achieve salvation

when their soul becomes one with God (or Brahman).

Acupressure and acupuncture and vital Hindu customs.

Sanskrit, the language used in ancient Hindu texts, is the oldest language in the world.

In Hinduism, wasting food is considered very bad.

The holiest Hindu temple is the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

JUDAISM

What is Judaism?

Judaism is an ethnic religion of the Jewish people which are composed of religious, cultural,
and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. Religious Jews believed that Judaism
is the expression of the covenant that God established together with the Children of Israel. It
can also be described as an ethical monotheism which believes on a concept that there is only
one supreme God who gives commandments that constitute a moral law and create peace for
all humanity. In Jewish belief, God is the single creator and animator of the world. He has no
helper, no children, and no rivals. They’ve also believed that God is the invisible force that
makes everything happen and knows about the past, the present, and the future of everything.
God granted humanity the gift of choice (freedom) and when people follow his ways, God
grants them a reward which can happen in this world, or in the World to Come (the era of
resurrection or the afterlife).

How Judaism began?

Judaism began about 4000 years ago with the Hebrew people in the Middle East. Abraham is
considered as the father of the Jewish faith because he promoted the central idea of the
Jewish faith which is there is one God. At the time many people in the Middle East
worshipped many gods. It is said that Abraham and his wife Sarah, who were old and
childless, were told by God that their children would be as plentiful as the stars in the sky and
that they would live in a land of their own (the Promised Land). This gradually came true.
Abraham's son, Isaac had a son, Jacob, also called Israel. In this way the descendants of
Abraham came to be known as the Israelites. God promised the Israelites he would care for
them as long as they obeyed God's laws. The Hebrews lived in Egypt where they were
enslaved so God chose Moses to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt and guide them toward the
Promised Land. At Mount Sinai, God has given Moses the moral laws which would lead the
humanity to good. The moral laws were called the “Ten Commandments” which became the
basis to form the Torah, the book of Jewish law.

Jewish Ethical teachings

Jewish teachings focused on the first five books of Moses (from the book of Genesis to the
end of the Book of Chronicles.) wherein he recorded the story of creation and the history of
Abraham’s family up until his time and this is what they call “Written Torah”. Alongside the
Divine traditions that Moses recorded in the Torah, there were many details and
commandments from God that were communicated and preserved orally which what they call
“Oral Torah”. Included in the moral principles set out in the commandments in the Torah and
in the later literatures are rules about justice, equality before the law, loving-kindness, social
welfare, and the ideals of peace and political freedom. Some examples of moral principles
that are written in the books are:

Leviticus 19:17 – “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

Psalms 37:11 – “The meek shall inherit the earth and delight in the abundance of peace”.

Exodus 23: 4-13 – “Do not join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness. Do not
follow a crowd to do evil; neither shall you testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert
justice; neither shall you favour a poor man in his cause if it is not just.

And in the oral preaching they’ve included:

If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him
again.

Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.

Take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the officials and perverts the words of the righteous.

Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your
donkey may have rest, and your servant, and the stranger may be refreshed.

Keep far from a false charge, and don’t harm the innocent and righteous: for I will not justify
the wicked.

Other ethical principles of Judaism are:

Tzedakah

This is generally translated as “charity” in English. However in Hebrew the meaning is closer
to righteousness and fairness. Indeed, the Hebrew root of the word ‘tzedakah’ is tzedek,
which means ‘justice’. In Judaism, giving to those in need is not viewed as a generous,
magnanimous act; it is simply an act of justice and the right thing to do. It is the performance
of a duty prescribed in the Torah:

Deuteronomy 15:11 –

“For the poor will never cease out of the land; therefore I command you, you shall open wide
your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in the land.”

Tikkun Olam – Repairing the World

The concepts of justice, righteousness and freedom come together in the vision of an ideal
world articulated by the Prophets. This is expressed in the idea that each of us can make our
contribution to making the world a better place. It is often evidenced by a strong Jewish
involvement in advancing social justice and in protecting the rights of other minority groups.

The golden rule of Judaism

Rabbi Hillel the Elder (c.60 BCE-c.10CE) was once asked by a man, “Teach me the entire
Torah while I stand on one foot. He responded “What is hateful to you, do not do to your
fellow. This is the entire Torah and the rest is commentary. Now go learn.”

Judaism and Human Rights

It is significant that when the United Nations drafted a declaration of human rights they
emphasized that it was to be a Universal Declaration. Human rights were proclaimed to be
universally applicable and universally derived.

It follows that no religion or group of religions can claim any exclusive virtue when it comes
to human rights. The international code in effect recognizes that all religious and cultural
groups have a common understanding of those essential rights which they are united in
proclaiming. It is an approach which is reflected in the Jewish attitude that no religion has a
monopoly of truth, and that each reflects its own culturally appropriate path to an
understanding of the Divine, and the relevance of that understanding to human affairs.

SCIENTOLOGY

In 1923 when L. Ron Hubbard a Science Fiction writer began his studies of the mind and
spirit that result in a manuscript called “EXCALIBUR” in 1938. Scientology describe Mr.
Hubbard’s term “the study of knowing how to know” that first appeared in his unpublished
work. Hubbard was against about publishing his work because according to him “Excalibur”
does not contain any therapy but it was a simple discussion of the composition of life. But
consequently he said “I decided to go further” that resulted in Dianetics which was
introduced to much more wider field of Scientology that provide an actual “therapy” that can
be easily applied by the man in the streets.

In 1947 he wrote another manuscript detailing the core discoveries of Dianetics that was
published in 1951 as Dianetics: The Original Thesis. The copy of Dianetics continued to
circulate until Hubbard started to receive a flood of letters from the other people requesting
for more information about the Dianetics. He spends most of his time answering all the
questions until he decided to write a comprehensive text on the subject entitled Dianetics:
The Modern Science of Mental Health.

9th of May year 1950, Hubbard’s Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health sparked a
popular enthusiasm and became New York Times best seller for 28 weeks. It was the biggest
selling book that contained the discovery of the reactive mind, the hidden source of
nightmares, unreasonable fears, upsets, and insecurity. Hubbard considered Dianetics as a
steppingstone to the discovery of isolation of a long-elusive life source. The techniques in
Dianetics provided the means for the practitioners to discover past lives, which led to
accomplishment of what is known as exteriorization that demonstrated the spirit was indeed
separable from the body and mind: The Scientology religion was born.

From there Hubbard dwelled deeper into the spiritual nature of man that documents his
discoveries in thousand lectures, films, articles, and books that where all recorded. While
presenting those discoveries he circumnavigated the world and so the Churches opened in the
four continents-headquartered on his long-term residence in England.

Through consequential years Hubbard continued to advance on his work until he passed in
1986. His legacy of millions of published words, lectures, films, and 250 million copies of
books in circulation he inspired a movement spanning all throughout the continents and all
cultures.

What is Scientology?

Scientology is a religion that propoundment a path leading to a thorough and positive

understanding of one’s true spiritual nature and one’s accord to self, family, groups,
Mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe and the Supreme Being.
Scientology addresses the spirit-not the body or mind-and affirms that man is far more than a
product of his environment or his genes. It encompasses a body of knowledge which extends
from convinced fundamentals truths. Heydays among these are:

Man is an immortal spiritual being.

His experience extends well beyond a single lifetime.

His capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realized.

Scientology influences man to be basically good, and his spiritual salvation bank on himself,
his fellows and his attainment of brother hood with the universe. Scientology is not arbitrary
religion where one is asked to accept anything on faith alone. Antithetically one discovers for
oneself that the principles of Scientology are true by applying its principles and observing or
experiencing the results.

Scientology’s ultimate goal is “true enlightenment and freedom for all.”

Scientology Beliefs:

In his introductory book, Scientology: A New Slant on Life, L. Ron Hubbard, the Founder of
the religion, writes: “Scientology is the science of knowing how to know answers.”

They beliefs hold that a Mans salvation depends upon himself, his relationships or interaction
with other and universe In that regard, Scientology is a religion in the most profound sense of
the word, one of the concerned is the full rehabilitation of Man’s innate spiritual self—his
capabilities and the awareness and his certainty of his own immortality. Scientology beliefs
are built upon the fundamental truths of life. From these exact methods by which one can
improve conditions were derived. They believe that man is a spirit. One is a spirit, who has a
mind and occupies a body. You are you in a body. Also they have the concept of God which
is expressed as the Eighth Dynamic-the urge toward existence as infinity. Also identify as
Supreme Being. They also have religious beliefs about the creation of the universe and some
of the religions have their own concept on how does the universe has been create. In
Scientology, this view flows from the theory of theta (the life force, or spirit) creating MEST
(a coined word for the physical universe, Matter, Energy, Space and Time). When it comes to
scientology it teach the Material Plane that we must control our own fate it is showing us
“something can be done about it” even some situation that a person experience even it
prevent for getting what you want still you must be in control of everything. Next is the
spiritual plane that teaches us that you are spiritual being. Last the adventure is a process of
challenging yourself to know more about your ability. Every religion is now getting bigger
and many people are expanding their faith.

3 Planes in Scientology:

The Material Plane

It teaches us that we are the master of our own destiny, on whatever level you may found
yourself it shows us that “something can be done about it” and whatever things that are
holding you back or things that prevent you from getting what you want, Scientology can
help you and show you the tools that you needed to achieve it.

The Spiritual Plane

Scientology teaches us that you are s spiritual being. Your body, experiences are not you; you
operate your body to record all of your doings like; schooling and up-bringing. Scientology
takes away all of the false data that prevents you from knowing that you are a spirit.

The Adventure

Looking for your true self is a challenging process that will take some times to be done. You
might find yourself in your current state and might like it, but thus have no interest in
Scientology, or unacceptable to it. In that case Scientology can teach you and from there your
adventures will begin, just like a usual adventure that you need to follow the path in finding
your true self.

Scientology Practices:

The principles of Scientology are learned in a Scientology church or mission or studying

Scientology books and materials, the actual practice of Scientology takes place in society.
Being an active Scientologist doesn’t mean that you need to attend a Scientology church or
studies Scientology, but you need to be actively uses the insights and knowledge that
Scientology gives you to make a real, positive difference in the lives of others. Scientology’s
beliefs and practices makes up by many principles. The vast amount of data give one a new
and broader view of life. The observation in the humanities adds a huge amount of
principles. It is valuable purely as a body of knowledge. The achievement of Dianetics and
Scientology develop exact, precise methods in increasing Man’s Spiritual awareness and
capabilities. Using Scientology the person can achieve life-enhancing improvements.
Scientology is all about learning to do things to improve conditions in your own life and in
particular in the lives of others.

CONCLUSION

This paper entails how we answer the question, "Can humans be ethical without being
religious?” A longstanding argument has been issued whether ethics plays a role in religion.
According to World Religion statistics, there are approximately 4,200 religions in the whole
world. Needless to say, most religions have an ethical component. Ethics, which is a major
branch of philosophy, encompasses right conduct and good life. It is significantly broader
than the common belief of identifying which is right from wrong. It is also related to ideas
such as right, good and duty. These concepts were derived in ancient Greece by Plato and
Aristotle in the 3rd & 4th Century BCE.

One of the main aspects of ethics is "the good life", the life being worth living for or life that
is simply satisfying, which is explained by ton of philosophers. The ancient Greeks called it
"eudaimonia" or happiness. The ancient Greeks believed happiness was brought about by
living one’s life in accordance with virtue- positive traits of character. Virtue in the highest
sense, in an adult who has been brought up well, will not just involve good personal habits
such as courage and temperance, but also friendship and justice and intellectual virtue. The
essence of virtue is in the wholeness of the person brought about by integrity.

Immanuel Kant defended the idea of God as a basic requirement of ethics. He said that we
ought to be virtuous for it is our duty to be so. Kant believed that virtue should be rewarded
by happiness, and it would be intolerable if it were not so. Since it is clear that virtue often
does go unrewarded in the present life, Kant argued that the soul must be immortal. Virtue
must receive its due recompense in a future life, and there must be a God guaranteeing that it
is so rewarded. The existence of God and the immortality of the soul were what Kant
believed and therefore called them as postulates of practical reason, the assumptions without
which, so he claimed, ethics and a moral life would not be possible.

If religion has a role in moral decision-making, then what should be that role? In America, for
many individuals, their religion is a centrally defining characteristic of who they are, such
that they would be nearly incapable of making ethical decisions independently of their
religious beliefs. Further, in the Philippine setting, Filipinos are more likely engaged with
their religion and portrays conservativeness. That the issues regarding religion are becoming
bigger of a deal.

As mentioned, religions have ethical components. Some of our most basic moral sentiments
are directly connected to religious ideology. For example, most people agree that things like
murder and adultery are always wrong, regardless of circumstances. Most major world
religions will be against these sentiments. At this point, we do seem to regard religion as a
good source of basic moral guidance, making it unwise to disagree towards this immoral
actions considered by the society. Therefore, it seems that there is little to no connection
between religion and ethics.

However, the link between religion and morality is best illustrated by the Golden Rule.
Obviously, all of the world’s great religions preach some versions of the Golden Rule: “Do
unto others as you would wish them do unto you”. We grew knowing that we should treat
others the way we would want to be treated. This is the basic ethic that guides all religions. If
we do so, happiness will ensue.

Some people, especially religious people, say that there can be no morality without religion.
They say that without God, ethics would not prevail. It is described through the written and
oral law that directs people to an understanding of the nature of human values, of how they
ought to live and of what constitutes right conduct.

The role of philosophers in this view only tries to define and promote ethical concepts based
upon logic and reason. A religious person on the other hand, follows his or her code of
conduct because he/she believes that religion is intrinsically attached to the human persona
and cannot be untied.
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