RELIGION

CHAPTER 7
Religion and belief systems
 Since time immemorial mankind has been in constant search for an
explanation about the truth and meaning of life. Questions regarding
the meaning, purpose, and the mystery behind everything that
happens in this world continue to plague our very existence. People
have been asking about things that are beyond the capacity of
ordinary reason. In addition, humans have always had a sense of
yearning for something that is beyond the physical needs of life.
There is always this longing to be able to understand the nature of life
and what lies thereafter. These inquiries have further led mankind to
actually believe in something that is greater than the limits of human
reasoning. However, it would be hard to pinpoint the exact moment in
history when this happened.
RELIGION
 The set of beliefs, feelings, dogmas and practices that
define relations between human being and sacred or
divinity. A given religion is defined by specific elements of a
community of believers: dogmas, sacred books, rites,
worship, sacrament, moral prescription, interdicts and
organization.
Religion may be defined with its
three great characteristics:

 Beliefs and religious practices

 The religious feeling (e.g faith)
 Unity in a community of those who share the same faith
(Church, Temple, Mosque)
Social Functions of Religion
 Religion is beautifully interwoven into society to address
questions that we humans, do not have an immediate
answer to. Religion functions as a thread that binds people
into certain beliefs and practices that would cover for
their desire to be emotionally and spiritually satisfied.
Social Functions of Religion
 Religion is integrated and ingrained in our society,
that some cultures revolved around certain religious
traditions and customs. In turn, these practices
affect how people perform day-to-day
functions. It has a significant impact on what they
choose to eat, wear, say or do. It also affects how
they see themselves as a member of society and
how they interact with other people as well.
Your different managers is saying different
things from the other
One says to sacrifices on Monday, another says
sacrifices on Tuesday…
One says to pray before sunrise….Another says to
pray after the sunset…
One says to worship cattle…another says to
sacrifice it…
One says go to temples without any shoes, another
says go to church wearing boots…
TYPES OF
RELIGION
 According to the CIA World Factbook (2012), world
population is at 7, 021,836,029. of this number, 31.59% are
Christians. 23.2% are Muslims, 15% are Hindus, 7.1% are
Buddhist, 0.35% are Sikhs, 0.2% are Jewish, 0.11% are
Baha’is, 10.95% have other religions; 9.66% are non-
religious, and 2.01% are Atheists. All of these religions have
commonalities in one way or another but they are also very
different from one another.
 There are five religions that are considered to be major on
the number of followers they have all over the world. These
major religions are Judaism, Christianity, Islam,
Hinduism, and Buddhism.
JUDAISM
 Originated in the West Asia is one of the
oldest religions in the world. It is centered
on the belief that there is only one God
called Yahweh who made an agreement
with his people which was symbolized by
the Ark of Covenant.
According to this covenant, the descendants
of Abraham regarded as the ancestor of the
blessed nation of Israel, will prosper for all
days to come because they are God’s chosen
people.
Judaism’s holy text is called Torah which
is also known as the Old Testament of the
Holy Bible. It contains the Ten
Commandments which reveal God’s
direction for his people.
 In terms of structure, Judaism does not
recognize a single international centralized
body in charge of its religious practices.
Rather, each local congregation is headed
by a rabbi (teacher) to oversee and manage
their affairs. Jewish people worship in
synagogues which also serves as a center
for education and community activities.
CHRISTIANITY
A religion that is based on the life of and
teachings of Jesus Christ as chronicle in
the New Testament of the Holy Bible.
Adherents to this religion belong to either
one of its three major groups-Roman
Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox
Christians. These have different practices,
customs and doctrines.
 However, the belief system revolves
around Jesus Christ as the Saviour and the
sole salvation of mankind. Christians
believe that the universe is created by an
omnipotent and omniscient God who sent
his son down to earth to redeem mankind.
 Furthermore, most Christian groups also
believe in the doctrine of Trinity which say
that there is God with three different
personas-the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit. They believe that the Father
sent His son, Jesus Christ to save mankind.
When He left the world God’s spirit
remained on earth through the Holy Spirit.
ISLAM
Islam, which literally means submission, is
a religion that originated in Saudi Arabia in
West Asia or the Middle East. The
fundamental belief system of this religion is
based on the teachings of the Prophet
Muhammad who was born in Mecca
around the 570.
According to Muhammad, there is only one
God called Allah to whom all people
should submit to. His followers wrote about
his teachings and later complied them to
form the holy text for Muslims known as
the Quran (Koran).
 The Five Pillars of Islam are: Shahadah,
the profession of Islamic faith; Salat, the
performance of prayers five times in a day;
Zakat, giving alms to the poor, Sawm,
fasting during the month of Ramadan; and
Hajj, the holy pilgrimage to Mecca.
 Islamic leader is called Imam whose main
responsibility is to lead the people in prayer
as well as manage the affairs of the mosque
which is the place of worship for Muslims.
BUDDHISM
One of the oldest, most established religions
in the world. It originated in a kingdom in
South Asia known today as the country of
Nepal. It was founded by Siddharta
Gautama, more popularly known as
Buddha or the Enlightened One.
 He was previously a prince living in a life
of comfort and luxury before he got
enlightened, Buddha’s enlightenment came
about when he saw that life is full of
sufferings-poverty, sickness, and old age.
 His teachings known as the Dharma states
that for a person to overcome the pains and
sufferings of life, one must break free from
the cycle by following the Middle Way and
the Eightfold Path.
 The Middle Way is to live life devoid of
human desires and full of self-denial. The
Noble Eightfold Path consists of the
following: right view, right intentions,
right speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right
concentration, and right mindfulness.
HINDUISM
 Considered to be one of the oldest religions
of the world in existence. It is deeply rooted
in the culture of India as it predates back the
recorded history of the country and even the
rest of the world.
Hinduism does not have a known founder or
a single text which could be regarded as the
source of its doctrines. However, its
teachings could be found in ancient texts
called the Vedas (Rig Veda,Sama Veda.
Yajur Veda and the Atharva Veda).
Furthermore, Hindus believe in multiple
gods but the most important ones are the
Trimurti. These gods are Brahma, the
creator of the universe; Vishnu, the
preserver; and Shiva, the destroyer.
 Another central belief to Hinduism is the
caste system which classifies people into
different social classes. The four main
categories of the caste system are:
Brahmans, the highest rank composed of
priests and scholars; Kshatriyas, rulers and
warriors, Vaisyas, merchants and
professionals; and Sudras, labourers and
servants. Outside the caste system are the
Other known religions
of the world
Confucianism
 Centered on the teachings of Confucius or Kong Zi who is a Chinese
philosopher

Jainism
 An Indian religion founded by a wealthy prince named Mahavira

Shinto
 The oldest surviving religion of Japan. It literally means the way of
the gods.
Sikhism
 A religion which originated in Northern India and is founded by Nanak,

Taoism
 A Chinese philosophy of the way of life as preached by a man named
Lao Zi or the old master

Greek Mythology
 With a polytheistic belief system in multiple gods that rule the world
and beyond.
There are also thousands of tribal
religions existing in the world
particularly in Africa. These belief
systems usually regard nature and all its
elements as sacred.
Ecumenism and
Interfaith Dialogue
Ecumenism
 Refers to the movement or tendency which emphasizes
worldwide Christian unity and universality. The term
ecumenism is derived from the Greek words oikoumene
which means “the inhabited world” and oikos “house”. The
origins of the Ecumenical movement can be traced back to
the teachings, commands, promises and prayers of Jesus
Christ.
 Ecumenism refers to a literal idea of a single church which
could be achieved either by organizational unity (through
the Roman Catholic Church) or spiritual unity (through
universal and standard teachings and doctrines concerning
matters of the Christian faith)
Interfaith Dialogue or Interfaith
Pluralism
 Promotes the idea that despite the diversity of religious
belief systems existing in the world today, a peaceful co-
existence can be achieved.
 Promotes a general understanding among different belief
system based on mutual respect and an attitude of
cooperation. The idea is that every religion should be
respected for what it is. In fact, trying to change the way
people think about religions would not lead to a better
dialogue and commitment of peace.
100 word essay
Write a reflection/reaction from the movie PK