WORLD RELIGIONS
AND BELIEF SYSTEMS
An Encounter with mystery and the unknown
Embedded Files
This course explores the main tenets and practices of major world religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shintoism. It aims to help learners understand the historical contexts of nine religions, appreciate their uniqueness and similarities and promote mutual understanding among believers of different faiths. They are expected to demonstrate understanding and appreciation of one’s faith and that of others.
" I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't,
than live as if there isn't and to die to find out there is.
-Albert Camus
Judaism is characterized by a belief in one transcendent God who revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets and by a religious life in accordance with Scriptures and rabbinic traditions.
-Source: Jacobs 2007, p. 511 quote: "Judaism, the religion, philosophy, and way of life of the Jews."
Symbol
Star of David is a Jewish symbol composed of two overlaid equilateral triangles that form a six-pointed star. It appears on synagogues, Jewish tombstones, and the flag of the State of Israel.
Sacred scriptures
The Jewish people (Jews) have been called the "People of the Book" in reference to the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh or Mikra) that has been the authority guide and inspiration of the many forms of Judaism that evolved through out different periods of time and places (Parrinder 1971). The three principal sections of Hebrew Bible, namely: Torah or (teaching), Nevi'im or (Prophets), and Ketuvim or (writings).
Synagogue
Synagogues are the Jewish Temples of worship, instruction, and community fellowship that contain separate rooms designed for specific activities.
Sabbath is the most important day in the Jewish calendar which commemorates God's completion that begins a few minutes before sunset on Friday and runs until an hour after sunset on Saturday or almost 25 hours to be precise.
Tenet
Judaism is anchored upon God’s revelation to Abraham that He is the creator and the ruler of the universe, and that He loves his creatures and demands righteousness from them. All people are created in the image of God and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
Did you know that one of the issues of Judaism is the Holocaust? This pertains to the methodical, bureaucratic, and state-sponsored persecution and execution of around six million Jews (Perry 1988). This plan is called "The Final Solution to the Jewish Problem", that was implemented by the Hitler-led Nazis which its main objective is to annihilate European Jews by genocide or murdering the entire group of people (Parrinder 1971).
Islam is the youngest among the world’s major religions. With more than 1.5 billion adherents comprising almost one-fourth of the entire world population, Islam is the second largest group and one of the fasting growing religions in the world.
Symbol
The star and crescent has become the acknowledged representation of the Islamic faith. Traditionally, the crescent moon or the hilal has early connections with royalty. It is also closely linked to the lunar calendar that orders the religious life of the Muslims.
Sacred Scriptures
The sacred writing of Muslim is called Quran that literally means “recitation”. The Quran is the revelation from God of his speech and is the foundation of the Islam religion. It is the supreme authority in all matters of faith, theology, and law.
Five Pillars of Islam
Five Pillars of Islam
We learned that the basic obligations of Muslims are called Five Pillars of Islam and all Muslims believe and accept the entirety of these obligations. The Five Pillars give structure and unity to all believers of the Islamic religion.
Tenet
Islam began as a way of life (din) for its followers which God intended for his creation from the very beginning (Bowker 1997). In time, God had to send several prophets, including Moses and Jesus, to summon people back to the din as a result of human rebellion and transgression. Ultimately, all prophets were rejected, persecuted, or killed except for Muhammad.
Did you know that it is prohibited for any woman to lead prayers? They must not enter any mosque when someone is having her menstrual period. Women in Islam must accept that their roles in society vary greatly when compared t men.
Christianty is considered the most popular religion in the world with the most number of adherents among all religions. It centers on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is considered the Messiah or Savior of humanity.
Symbol
The cross serves as a symbol of Jesus Christ’s victory over sins when He died on the cross for humanity’s redemption and salvation.
Sacred Scriptures
The Bible is considered as the sacred scripture of Christianity. It is a collection of songs, stories, poetry, letters, history, as well as literature.
Church
The Santa Monica Parish Church, also called Panay Church, is one of the Christian and a historic church in Panay, in the province of Capiz, on Panay island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It was built in 1884 on the site of an earlier church, built in 1774 by Miguel Murguia, which was gravely damaged by the typhoon of 17 January 1875. The church is built of coral blocks and is approximately 70 metres long, 25 m in width and 18 m in height; the walls are about 3 metres thick.
What is Ecumenism and why do we need it?
What is Ecumenism and why do we need it?
One universal church Father David Jones
CATHOLIC PRACTICES
Ecumenism is the movement to promote Christian unity. Jesus founded one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. Catholic with an upper case “C” is used for the proper noun naming the Catholic Church. In the creed catholic is spelled with the lower case “c” to mean ecumenical, universal, or all over the land.
Ecumenism is needed because despite the will of God, we the people get divided up when individuals and groups don’t hear God saying and doing the same thing to each and all of us. When divisions rise to a level that compromises the unity of the church, an ecumenical council can be a gathering that clarifies and corrects who we are and what we are teaching in the name of Jesus. The last ecumenical council convened was the Second Vatican Council that opened in 1962 and closed in 1965.
Ecumenism reminds us that Jesus founded one church. All the Christian churches on the blocks we pass on our way to our parish are filled with sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus.
When we invite or visit their houses of worship for prayer, a concert or any reason, we are visiting sisters and brothers, but we are not one church.
We need ecumenism.
We don’t receive or share communion because our beliefs are not quite the same. Jesus has more work to do before we will be one again.
It always takes an act of God to make us one. This is true in marriage, after death and even in church. The only way any one becomes two or more is by God.
Did you know that some Catholics observe lent with a ritual called "penitensya" which means self -flagellation, meant to depict the suffering of Christ. This is more popular in the Philippines.
When you feel stressed, lonely, worried, or other troubling emotions that burden you, below are the holy hotline numbers that can put your heart and mind at ease. Feel free to press the call icon that can be seen at the right side beside the bible verses that could relate to what you feel. Upon pressing the icon, you'll surely feel unburdened. A message of hope is what makes Christianity a unique religion.
When you feel stressed... Matthew 11:25-30
When you feel stressed... Matthew 11:25-30
When you feel worried... Matthew 8:19-31
When you feel worried... Matthew 8:19-31
When you feel lonely... Psalm 23
When you feel lonely... Psalm 23
When you feel weak... Psalm 18:1-29
When you feel weak... Psalm 18:1-29
When you feel sinned... Psalm 51
When you feel sinned... Psalm 51
When you feel anxious... Philippians 4:4-9
When you feel anxious... Philippians 4:4-9
When you feel betrayed... Psalm 27
When you feel betrayed... Psalm 27
When you lack of faith... Exodus 14
When you lack of faith... Exodus 14
When you feel hurt... John 15
When you feel hurt... John 15
When you're unhappy... Colossians 3:12-17
When you're unhappy... Colossians 3:12-17
Hinduism is considered as the oldest and most complex of all religions that existed in the world. The name Hinduism was given to describe the wide array of belief systems in India and it was originally known as "Arya Dharma" or the "Aryan Way". It is unique to other major religions because it has no known founder.
Symbol
The "AUM" is a common symbol for Hinduism. It represents the Ultimate reality and the Universe. The three aspects of God have represented in this symbol which are the Brahma (A), Vishnu (U), and the Shiva (M).
Sacred scriptures
The sacred scriptures of Hinduism are divided into classes: the Shruti and Smriti. Shruti means "that which is heard" which the four collections of the text of Vedas form this book and it is considered as the primary sources and most authoritative texts of the Hindu faith. On the other hand, the Smriti is also one of the components of Hinduism's sacred scriptures which means "that which has been remembered" and it is composed of stories, legends, epics, codes of conduct from society, and guidebooks for worship.
Temple
The Mandir or Devasthana is their famous temple. It became a symbolic temple for all Hindus because it is a house and a body of divinity for them. Its structured designed has the purpose to bring connection to every Hindus and their Gods.
Tenet
Brahman is the ultimate reality of Hinduism. It is often seen in three forms or functions which are called the Trimurti. These are expressed in God forms namely; Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer). The devotees can pray and after sacrifices so that they can gain favor from the deities to assist them in their struggles for salvation.
Source: Hiltebeitel, Alf (1999). Rethinking India's Oral and Classical Epics. University of Chicago Press.
Did you know that Samsara is known as the cycle of life for every Hindus?
It is stated that when every atman or soul dies, it may reborn in a new life form according to the moral law or karma.
Buddhism is one of the most practical among the world's great religions because its belief system intends to meet basic human needs and solve humankind’s spiritual problem without depending on supernatural forces (Brown 1975). The two main divisions of the religion are Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism.
With around 360 million followers, Mahayana Buddhism is practiced in China, Japan, and Mongolia. Meanwhile, Theravada Buddhism, with 150 million adherents, is followed in Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.
THERAVADA BUDDHISM
THERAVADA BUDDHISM
Theravada Buddhism or “school of elder monks” or “school of the ancients” draws on the collected teachings of the oldest recorded texts of Buddhist texts to become its central percept, the Pali Canon. This school claims to have preserved the original teachings of Siddhartha with pristine purity (Clasper 1992).
Symbol
The Dharmachakra generally refers to a typical Dharma Wheel with eight spokes - representing the Eightfold Path - and is the oldest, universal symbol for Buddhism.
Sacred Scriptures
The Pali Canon or the Tripitaka (three baskets) are the unique body of sacred text of Theravada Buddhism. Preserved in Pali language, this standard collection of scriptures of Theravada Buddhists is the first known, the most conservative, and the most complete extant early canon of Buddhist writings.
Monument
In Buddhism, stupas are commemorative monuments that contain sacred relics associated with Siddhartha himself, and the vulnerable monks and nuns.
Tenet
The teachings of Siddhartha include discourses on the basic tenets of Buddhism, such as the “Four Noble Truths” and the “Noble Eightfold Path.” Siddhartha’s pursuit for enlightenment was due to the dissatisfaction he continually experienced despite living an opulent life in the palace. The Pali term for unsatisfactoriness or suffering is dukkha.
Source: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/buddha/
It is one of the two major traditions of Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism has diverged into numerous schools with each developing its own canon and rituals since its founding more than two thousand years ago. It emerged out of monastic rule and doctrinal differences within the original form of Buddhism.
Mahayana Buddhists advanced the radical idea that Siddhartha Gautama was not the only Buddha. There were other divine beings that came to our world even before Siddhartha, some of them came after him, and still others in the future.
Source: Damien Keown (2003), A Dictionary of Buddhism, Oxford University Press, p. 38
Sacred Scriptures
One of the most popular and prominent Mahayana Bhuddist texts (or sutra) is the Lotus Sutra containing the most definitive teachings of Buddha.
Sangha
The Mahasamghika “of the Great Sangha", one of the early Buddhist schools, became the source for the initial growth of Mahayana Buddhism.
Tenet
One distinct feature of Mahayana Buddhism concerns its teaching about an enlightened being or bodhisattva (enlightened existence) who is already available to enter nirvana but opts to forego this right to assist others attain the same state.
Did you know that Samsara is known as the cycle of life for every Hindus?
It is stated that when every atman or soul dies, it may reborn in a new life form according to the moral law or karma.
Confucianism is an ancient Chinese belief system which focuses on the importance of personal ethics and morality. It gives primary attention to human relationships, thus advocating social values and ideals which should serve as the foundation of Chinese society.
Symbol
One of the symbols which is important to Confucianism is “water”. The water is one of the five important elements in chinese philosophy, alongside wood, fire, earth and metal. It is considered as the source of life, valued for its significance in the natural world and for sustaining life.
Sacred Scriptures
It focuses on short predictions following a type of divination called cleromancy wherein six random numbers are picked and arranged under sixty-four hexagrams. A hexagram is any of a set of sixty-four figures made up of six parallel or broken lines.
“When you have offended against Heaven, there is nowhere you can turn to in your prayers.” (Analects 3.13)
Tenets
Rectification of Names
Rectification of Names
Confucius believed that to return to the ancient Dao, people must play their assigned roles in society. The Five Relationships include:
Filial Piety as an Important Virtue
Filial Piety as an Important Virtue
For Confucius, family relations provide a model for social behavior. Respect for elders, whether your own or others, is emphasized, as well as kindness to your own children and juniors, including those of others.
“The most important thing in the world is family and love” . – John Wooden
Did you know that Confucius believed that the afterlife was not in the realm of human comprehension? He said that people should live based on the promotion of social relations rather than on the expectations of rewards or punishments after death.
Daoism or Taoism, is a philosophical tradition of Chinese religion which emphasizes living harmony with the tao. It also emphasizes nature with compassion, humanity, and combines them with the cosmic elements of the faith, which allow greater meaning and closer relationship to be achieved.
Daosim functioned as a philosophy of abandonment and withdrawal from the rampant warfare and social unrest which characterized the reign of the Zhou dynasty - a period of constant struggle for power, health, and prestige.
Symbol
Yin and Yang signifies the perfect harmonic balance in the universe. According to the Tao (Dao), the big circle signifies the source of existence. Meanwhile, the black and white teardrop-shaped halves signify the Yin-qi and Yang-qi, known as the primordial feminine and masculine energies, respectively.
Sacred Scriptures
Daoists believe that everything comes from the Dao. Human nature should be aligned with the rest of nature to achieve harmony and balance. Self-cultivation should be encouraged for people to return to the natural mode of existence.
Tenets
Daoists believe that everything comes from the Dao. Human nature should be aligned with the rest of nature to achieve harmony and balance. Self-cultivation should be encouraged for people to return to the natural mode of existence.
Source: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/daoism/
Did you know that Daoist has no concept of heaven and hell as compared to other religions? In their scriptures, there were mentions of heaven as the above of their deities and life on earth should be in harmony with the will of heaven. However, based on their concepts of qi, heaven is achieved when one achieves immortality, and if this is not possible, then long life is enough.
Shintoism is considered as the very essence of Japanese devotion to unseen spiritual beings (kami) and powers. It is a local kind of religion that is focused on the land of Japan. Unlike other religions, it has no known founder nor god, and it may be practiced with other religions such as Buddhism and Daosim.
Symbol
The Torii Gate is the most common symbol for Shintoism. It represents the transition between the world of humans and the world of gods and goddesses.
Sacred Scriptures
Kojiki and Nihongi are considered sacred scriptures on Shinto, although they are not exclusively about Shinto. These books are considered to have dual purpose: a political as well as moral purpose.
Shrine
Shintoism Shrine or jinja, was officially coined by the Japanese government in the 19th century when Shintoism gained state support and was recognized as a state religion. Unlike other religions, Shintoism has no weekly service. Instead, people visit shrines at their own convenience. They hold most of their rituals at the shrines, which they believe are the abode of the kami or spirits.
Ritual Purifications (Meditative Practices)
Misogi (Ablution)
Misogi (Ablution)
The Japanese observe the misogi or ablutions (the act of washing one's body part, usually for religious purposes) which is performed after funeral ceremonies when all members of the family go into the water together to cleanse themselves in a purification bath.
Harai (Exorcism)
Harai (Exorcism)
Harai or exorcism (the expulsion of an evil spirit from a person or place) is performed usually by a priest by swinging a purification wand over the people and the objects to be exorcised.
Imi (Abstention)
Imi (Abstention)
Imi or abstentions (the act of restricting oneself from indulging in something) are practices performed against impurity.
Tenet
Tenet
As long as people worship the kami, they are protected and provided for by the kami; not performing the necessary rituals that will appease the kami will certainly not earn the favor of the spirits.
Do you know that death is considered as the worst form of impurity in Shintoism? When a person dies, his or her body is considered as the most impure thing.
"Spirited Away" is a 2001 anime film by renowed Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki. Shinto perspective, specifically Shrine Shinto is used in the film, with its settling at a bathhouse where various creatures, including the kami, were seen to bathe and be cleansed. This is accordingly derived from the Shrine Shinto practice of calling all the local kami to invite them to bathe with them in their baths. Cleansing through water is a very important tradition in Shintoism, with purification as the most significant way to rid oneself of sins.
The fighting in Israel and the Gaza Strip entered its second week.
Israeli warplanes bombarded Gaza City on Monday morning as Hamas continues lobbing rockets on southern cities in Israel. Roughly 200 Palestinians have died, and officials say nearly half of them are women and children. Israel has reported at least 12 dead.
Of course, many more people have suffered in the long history of this conflict. Since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Israel and Egypt have maintained a blockade on the area.
Khaled Elgindy, director of Israeli-Palestinian Affairs at the Middle East Institute, answers some fundamental questions that get to the root of what’s happening in Gaza.
At heart, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a dispute over land. But religion is often the proxy for those disputes, pitting two different ethnicities and religions.
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