Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Writer:
Eric E. Froilan,
Tungawan National High School
Tungawan District
Zamboanga Sibugay Division
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Day 1.
Origins of Religion
Since the nineteenth century, people began to show great interest in explaining the origins of
religion. In fact, numerous theories have been postulated to explain the origin of religion while
looking at primitive societies for ideas concerning the development of belief systems (Hendry
1999).
• Archaeologists believe that they have discovered elements of religious belief
practised by Homo sapiens almost 60,000 years ago.
Apart from burying the dead, various items such as foods, tools, and other
objects were placed inside the site.
All these rituals imply reverence to their loved ones and perhaps the thought
that the dead will utilize these materials in the afterlife.
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While they believe in the presence of supernatural entities, they also try to
communicate with them (Ember & Ember 1996).
• The nineteenth century witnessed the development of the fields of the social
sciences that enabled scholars to apply a more scientific way of explaining
phenomena rather than speculate on matters concerning the origin of religion.
Through field research, observations, and analysis of historical documents,
scholars formulated a number of theories that have endured well into the
present time.
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or the father of the many lesser
deities. This high god went away
and had little contact with the
world that resulted in majority of
attention and worship to local
deities. Primitive societies were
originally monotheistic, but
because it was difficult to worship
just one god, religion was
corrupted to polytheism
Magic Theory James George Frazer (1854- People had gone three phases of
1941), Scottish social development concerning the spirit
anthropologist world: (1) primitive magic
(wherein people attempted to
control nature in the hope that
nature will cooperate if rituals are
done properly); (2) religion
(wherein people implored nature
to cooperate since they have
realized that nature can not be
coerced); and (3) science
(wherein a rational understanding
of nature is operative).
Wish Fulfilment Theory Ludwig Andreas von Feuerbach There were no gods and that
(1804-1872), German belief in gods was simply wish
philosopher and anthropologist fulfilment. Troubled people who
could not cope with the difficulties
in life projected their wishes and
developed gods and religions
Karl Heinrich Marx (1818-1883), Religions were developed by the
German philosopher and few as a means to control the
sociologist masses and suppress revolution
as a result of the continuing
struggle between classes. Rulers
and allied priests wished to
control all wealth so they had to
create a scheme of gods,
heavens, and hell. Masses were
persuaded to accept poverty and
be obedient to inherit bliss in
another life.
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), Religion originated from the guilt
Austrian neurologist and founder that individuals supposedly feel in
father of psychoanalysis hating their fathers. All males
possess a similar tendency to
desire our mothers and hate our
fathers. As a result of this
subconscious hatred and ensuing
guilt, a great father image was
projected in the sky called God. A
healthy mature person can face
problems without the need for
gods or religions.
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1. Elements of Religion
Most scholars agree that every religion has the same three basic elements:
A. Wisdom or Creed
• Refers to the Theological Beliefs and scriptures or Holy Writings of s religion.
• A Creed is a Set of Truths that must be accepted and agreed to by those who
wish to belong to the religion, those who choose to be a follower or disciple.
Briefly, a creed is a “Summary of the principle beliefs of a religion”.
B. Worship or Cult
• Refers to the way of worshipping, to the rituals that are practiced by followers of
the religion.
This is often a difficult element to describe, because it involves so many
diverse elements.
C. Works or Code
• Refers to the Ethical Values and the system of Moral Practice directly resulting
from an adherence to the beliefs.
• It is a set of moral principles and Guidelines that must be respected and followed
by those who would be identified as members of the religion.
A code, when used in a religious sense, is simply a summary of the principles
and guidelines by which people choose which actions are good, and which to
avoided.
2. Characteristics of Religion
Figure 1. Common Characteristics Among Religions
belief in a deity’s
relationship with
the world
rules followed as a
result of beliefs
Derived from David A. Brown, A Guide to Religions, p. 8.
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3. Importance of Studying Religion
Directions: Share your ideas related to the elements of religion using your own words in 2or 3
sentences. If you do not feel comfortable answering these questions, or if you do not practice a
religion, look for a friend or family member who will share his/her beliefs and practices with you.
Refer to the rubric on page 7.
3. SACREDNESS: Can you think of a sacred place associated with your religion?
Why is it sacred?
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SCORING RUBRIC
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Indicators 20-25 `15-19 10-14
Excellent Very Good Good
Relevance Information written in Information written in Information written in
the output is very the output is somewhat the output has no
relevant to the topic relevant to the topic relevance to the topic
Organization Very organized. Quite organized. No organization at all.
Sentences and ideas Sentences and ideas
are well-arranged. It is are not properly
easy to understand and arranged. It is quite
follow. easy to understand and
follow.
Neatness Very neat Quite neat Partly neat
III. Evaluation
Directions: Read the statements carefully then choose the letter of your answer. Write it
on the space provided for each number.
_____1. What refers to the organized system of beliefs, ceremonies and rules used to
worship God?
A. Religion B. Belief System C. Cultural Practices D. Folkways
_____2. What theory explains that beliefs in God was simply a wish fulfillment?
A. Magic B. Animistic C. Wish Fulfilment D. Nature-Worship
_____3. What is the way of worshipping and how rituals are practiced by the followers?
A. Wisdom B. Works C. Worship D. Wish
_____4. Why does a code consider very important element of religion?
A. It is a summary of principles and guidelines which people follow or avoid
B. It is a set of commands that needs to be treasured and practiced in specific time
C. It is where the sacred element of every religion lies that is unique form the others
D. It is instructions and commands of God are found and must be interpreted
_____5. What is NOT a common characteristic of a religion?
A. Places and people believed to be holy C. Connection to nature and animals
B. Belief and ways to worship a deity D. Rules followed as a result of belief
IV. Reflection
One thing that amazes or frustrates me about religion is…………
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Day 2.
We heard terms like belief systems and worldview. What could be the relationship of these
terms to the world religion? Let’s find out in this lesson.
Worldview is a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world. Worldview is more than
culture as it extends to perceptions of time and space, of happiness and of well-being. In
fact, the beliefs, values, and behaviors of a culture stem from its worldviews.
Derived from the German term ‘weltanschauung,’ the term ‘worldview’ refers to the cluster
of beliefs an individual holds about the most significant concepts of life such as God, the
cosmos (universe), and humanity.
These beliefs, which may or may not be true, form a general picture, a broad-spectrum
outlook, or a grand perspective on life and the world.
• It is a collection of beliefs about life and the universe being held by people (The Free
Dictionary 2014). For a certain individual, social environment and upbringing are critical in
the development of a religious life.
Belief System refers to the set of principles or tenets which together form the basis of a religion,
philosophy, or moral code.
• It also refers to a particular way of ordering the realities of one’s world.
• Belief systems are often deemed as convictions, often in the form of supernatural or
religious beliefs, though they may also take the form of scientific views, or any philosophical
belief relating to the sphere of daily life.
Kinds Description
1. Monism there is no real distinction between god and the universe
2. Polytheism the belief and worship of many gods
3. Monotheism the doctrine or belief in one supreme god
4. Atheism disbelief in or denial of the existence of a personal god
5. Agnosticism god cannot be known
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• On the other hand, polytheistic religions that are common among early people
recognize many principal gods among whom no one is supreme. These include
the ancient religions of Egypt, Greece, and Rome wherein people worship a
multitude of personal gods. Eastern faiths like Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism,
Hinduism, and Confucianism falls under this category.
Meanwhile, monism asserts that there is no genuine distinction between
God and the universe. Two implications arise from this belief.
• Firstly, it contends that God is dwelling in the universe as part of it.
• Secondly, the universe does not exist at all as a reality but only as a manifestation
of God.
Furthermore, agnostics deny the possibility for man to acquire knowledge of the
existence of God.
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II. Facilitating Activity
Task. My Belief System
Directions: Give what is asked, then provide one (1) reason about your belief system.
1. Religion: ________________________________________
Reason: ________________________________________________
SCORING RUBRIC
Indicators 15-20 10-14 5-9
Excellent Very Good Good
Relevance Information written in Information written in Information written in
the output is very the output is somewhat the output has no
relevant to the topic relevant to the topic relevance to the topic
Organization Very organized. Quite organized. No organization at all.
Sentences and ideas Sentences and ideas
are well-arranged. It is are not properly
easy to understand and arranged. It is quite
follow. easy to understand and
follow.
Neatness Very neat Quite neat Partly neat
III. Evaluation
Directions: Read the statements carefully then choose the letter of your choice by writing
it on the space provided for each number.
_____1. What refers to the set of principles or tenets which together form the basis of
religion?
A. World Religion B. Belief System C. Philosophy of Religion D. Philosophy
_____2. What describes an Atheism belief system?
A. One God B. Many God C. Unknown God D. No God
_____3. What forms the Monotheistic Religions?
A. Islam, Judaism, Christianity C. Greek, Roman, Egyptian Religions
B. Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism D. Confucianism, Taoism, Agnotism
_____4. Why does Monism assert that there are no genuine distinctions between God
and universe?
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A. Universe is just made of planets C. God is part of universe
B. Universe is made by God D. God is an imaginary object of universe
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Day 3.
I. Mini Lesson/Lecturette: Theology and Philosophy of Religion
Philosophy is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence,
especially when considered as an academic discipline.
• The word ‘philosophy’ came from the Greek words ‘philo’ (love) and ‘sophia’ (wisdom)
and is thus literally defined as “the love of wisdom”.
• Considered by some as ‘the mother of all branches of knowledge’, it may be defined
as the systematic examination of principles and presuppositions of any field of inquiry,
including religion.
Philosophy in general is the rational investigation of truth, whereas
Religion often makes the same kind of truth claims but doesn't claim to base it on
reason or rationality, but instead it is based on other things like faith.
There are things that we experienced in life which are not based on rationality/logic
but simply because of our faith.
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Philosophy of Religion refers to the philosophical study of the main themes and concepts
involved in religions.
• It may also include an enquiry into the religious significance of historical events
(e.g., the Holocaust) and the general features of the cosmos, the laws of nature,
and the occurrence of conscious life.
• Philosophy of religion deals primarily with issues concerning religion, which
includes analysis on the existence of a divine being or on sacred texts.
It may involve studying the “concepts and belief systems of the religions as
well as the prior phenomena of religious experience and the activities of
worship and meditation on which these belief systems rest and out of which
they have arisen” (Hick 1990).
It seeks to analyze various concepts such as god, spirit, karma, creation,
immortality, heaven, hell, and purgatory among others.
Philosophy of religion is not a branch of theology but a branch of
philosophy. It is said that this particular study need not be undertaken from
a religious perspective at all because atheists, agnostics, and the person
of faith can and do philosophize about religion (Hick 1990).
Faith God
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SCORING RUBRIC
Indicators 15-20 10-14 5-9
Excellent Very Good Good
Relevance Information written in Information written in Information written in
the output is very the output is somewhat the output has no
relevant to the topic relevant to the topic relevance to the topic
Theme Conclusive and Quite conclusive and Has dubious/not clear
holistic/capture the seems capture the meaning
message in one word message in one word
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III. Evaluation
Directions: Read the statements carefully then choose the letter of your choice by
writing it on the space provided for each number.
IV. Reflection
What I love about the lesson is...____________________________________
I find difficulty in..._______________________________________________
Day 4.
I. Mini Lesson: SPIRITUALITY vs. RELIGION
We are through with the context of religion, and all the terms that are connected to it. This time,
we will try answering one of the questions in our mind about being religious. What is a religious
or spiritual person? Is it enough to say that a person is religious if he/she goes to church
devotedly? Well, let’s try to find out.
Spirituality is the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to
material or physical things.
• Spirituality is one’s integrative view of life. It involves a quest for the meaning and ultimate
value of life as opposed to an instrumentalist or materialistic attitude to life.
• The term “spiritual” being defined as “relating or affecting the human spirit or soul as
opposed to material or physical things” (Oxford Dictionaries 2014). One author points out
that it is quite common for people to say that they are “spiritual, not religious” (Grassie
2010).
Spirituality comes in since for thousands of years, people have been searching and
yearning to understand the mystery of life and the universe. There may come a point
in time when an individual realizes that life is not entirely accidental and meaningless
(Parrinder 1971).
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Spirituality may be manifested in quite a number of ways. For example, a person may
believe in the presence of an overwhelming power greater than oneself or perhaps a
person can be fully mindful of one’s purpose in life. That person can also have a
feeling of oneness or a bond with other living beings.
• Spirituality is derived from the Latin word spiritus, its verb root is spirare which means “to
breathe” literally. There is an impression that people are surrounded by a “divine reality as
pervasive, intimate, necessary, and invisible as the air we breathe” which is similar to Hindu
prana and Chinese chi. (Grassie 2010).
• Spirituality is something an individual can have without being implicated in the ambivalent
complexity of human societies and institutions” (Grassie 2010).
Although traditional spirituality is frequently associated with religiosity, many people
assert that personal spirituality can grow separately from religion. One may find inner
peace, satisfaction, and contentment in life that are truly independent of religious
dogmas and tenets.
• Religious but not spiritual (RBNS) man is thus sketched as someone who can give gifts,
pray, and do many good works, but he or she does not understand what it is to offer
oneself. Accordingly, this person may pay ‘tithes’ exactly, but he or she will not put himself
or herself to death in the moments of temptation.
• Spiritual but not religious (SBNR) individuals associate faith with the private realm of
personal experience rather than with the public realm of religious institutions, creeds, and
rituals. He or she may ignore membership in religious institutions, participation in formal
rituals, and adherence to official denominational doctrines.
SPIRITUALITY RELIGIOUS
Belief that the divine is within us Belief in a superhuman power outside of
you, the creator of the universe.
Personal Belief or Values System Dictated Belief or Conditioned Mind
God is inside the heart God is inside the Mind
People’s Inherit Goodness People’s Inherit Sinfulness
Spiritual Development Praise and Worship
Authentic Self Conditioned Self
Joyous Living Narrow Creeds
Spiritual Laws Based Faith Based
Heaven is a state of mind Heaven is a place you go when you die
Human Relationship/ Deed Brick or Mortar Temple
Belief within individuals Expressly Stated; organized belief system
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II. Facilitating Activity
Directions: Write S if the statement is Spiritual and falls on the concept of Spirituality
and R if the statement is Religious and falls in the idea of Religion in the space
provided before the number.
_________1. It is good to meditate God’s word day and night for the sake of our soul.
_________2. I go to church devotedly but I am not praying at home, just at the Church.
_________3. I read God’s word but failed to apply every day.
_________4. I obey God because He is my master.
_________5. Regardless of my friend’s religious background we love each other.
_________6. I do rosary but hate my enemies.
_________7. Whenever I feel mistreated, I remained humble because vengeance is not
mine.
_________8. I always hear do not cover your neighbor’s wife, but we have an affair so
we do it discretely.
_________9. I prioritize church involvement rather than my academic studies.
_________10. To be happy in Jesus is to trust and obey.
III. Evaluation
Prepare a summary of your overall understanding of our lesson which in religion. Choose
one (1) area of focus among the given tasks below using your identified MI’s (Multiple
Intelligences). You are allowed to add photos, colors and borders to your work to make it
presentable. You can also use other/extra sheet when necessary.
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Write a reflection of your understanding about the lesson and how this topic will be
useful for our recovery on Covid-19. Do it in fifty words.
SCORING RUBRIC
Indicators Weight 5 3 2 Tot
Excellent Very Good Good al
Relevance X4 Information written Information written Information 20
in the output is very in the output is written in the
relevant to the topic somewhat relevant output has no
to the topic relevance to the
topic
Organization X3 Very organized. Quite organized. No organization 15
Sentences and Sentences and at all.
ideas are well- ideas are not
arranged. It is easy properly arranged.
to understand and It is quite easy to
follow. understand and
follow.
Completeness X3 All points for the All points for the All points for the 15
output discussed output discussed output discussed
are meet with are meet but are not meet with
complete parts. lacking three to five incomplete parts.
details.
Creativity X3 Very creative Quite creative No creativity at all 15
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IV. Reflection
Overall, the lesson about religion made me realize many things like…___________
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References
References:
Ong, J., & dL. Jose, M. D. (2016). Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems (M.
D. dL. Jose (ed.)). Vibal Group, Inc.
That Fat, Jolly Fella Isn’t Buddha. (2018, August 24). HowStuffWorks.
https://people.howstuffworks.com/that-fat-jolly-fella-isnt-buddha.htm
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