IWR 3.1

• Positive effects of religion include learning, culture, holidays and festivals, morality, arts and architecture, Judeo-Christian tradition, science and scholarship, economics, tourism, social and civic work, politics and governance.
• Muhammad was an Arab living in the arid Arabian Peninsula who followed the customs and traditions of his people before Allah manifested Himself to him.
• Abraham came from Ur, a city in the fertile land of Mesopotamia, known to be a cradle of ancient civilization.
• Gautama Buddha was born in the Indian subcontinent, where ancient civilization thrived for thousands of years.
• Each founder of a major religion was part of a larger community, and their culture and society influenced how they practiced their beliefs and manifested their faith.
• As each major religion became more organized, they, in turn, became influential to their communities, countries, and eventually, to the entire world.
• The origins of these religions paved the way for the flourishing of religious rituals and practices worldwide.
• The spread of religion brought significant positive changes to individual and community life.
• One of the five pillars of Islam is zakat, which enjoins Muslims to provide alms to the poor.
• The University of Paris is the first university in the world that originated from the cathedral schools administered by Catholic clergymen.
• The Goryeo Dynasty institutionalized the civil service examination to qualify candidates aspiring for government positions in China.
• Religious tourism, such as pilgrimage, contributes to the economy of society.
• Arabic is a Hamito-Semitic language that is considered as the official religious language of Islam.
• Some of the notable contributions of religion to politics and governance are international peace relations, the establishment of special laws, and the influence of Confucianism on the political philosophy, particularly of East Asian societies.
• The Shinto Festival celebrated by Japanese communities which attracts local and foreign tourists is called matsuri.
• The monetary value of these religious buildings is enormous.
• The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan has been a pilgrimage site for many years.
• Religion has intrinsic value in society, contributing to social cohesion, moral order, and a sense of purpose among people.
• The economic contribution of religion is difficult to determine, as it is easier to see the microeconomic contribution compared to the macroeconomic input.
• These treasures are national assets that can attract tourists and investments, contributing to the economy of a country.
• The Shrine of Our Lady of Antipolo in Rizal attracts many Catholic devotees, boosting businesses and creating jobs in communities near the church.
• These institutions serve as the centers of higher learning in the Philippines for centuries.
• In India, millions of Hindu pilgrims converge in the Indian city of Prayagraj to pray and dip into the sacred water of the Ganges River.
• Religions have contributed many prominent religious leaders and scholars to the formation of knowledge.
• In the Philippines, many century-old universities were established and managed by Catholic religious missionaries like the University of Santo Tomas (Order of Preachers), the Ateneo de Manila University (Society of Jesus), and the University of San Carlos (Society of the Divine Word).
• Religion contributes to the local economy through tourism, with pilgrimages being common activities among the followers of the faith.
• The cultural heritage of religion creates many tangible assets to society, such as beautiful churches, cathedrals, shrines, mosques, and other important religious treasures.
• Religions have influenced many areas of a local economy through faith-based activities, religious artifacts, architectural treasures, and imprints in society.
• Architecture is a great indication of the positive influence of religion on society, with European city centers decorated with beautiful churches and cathedrals and East Asian shrines and temples constructed to practice Buddhism, Shintoism, and Taoism.
• Islam and Arabic have been connected since Muhammad wrote the holy book of the Quran, with the language used in the Quran being used by the tribes living in the Arabian Peninsula.
• Religions help to preserve dying languages, with the Latin Language starting to die out in the 6th century but preserved due to its use in official Catholic documents, worship services, and priests' and nuns' education.
• The common tradition that lingers in many Western societies is the Judeo-Christian Tradition, with many practices in Western society being attributed to these two great religions: Judaism and Christianity.
• Many important government buildings were built to reflect the impact of these religions, with shrines, basilicas, and churches in the Philippines, built by Spanish colonizers that still stand today, being considered important cultural treasures.
• The Paoay Church, the Vigan City center, and Bantay Watchtower in Ilocos Sur and the walled fortress of Intramuros in Manila are important monuments of the past that can be associated with the Philippines' Catholic identity.
• The positive influence of these religions encompasses many aspects of society, such as education, law enforcement, morality, and lifestyle.
• Even art is influenced by religion, with Indian classical music being inspired by Hinduism and Western classical music rooted back to Church music composed by Ludwig Van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Johann Sebastian Bach.
• The Pali Language and Theravada Buddhism also have a similar relationship, with the religion preserving the language used in religious documents, worship, and other rituals.
• In early civilizations, people rely on religion to give meaning to the things that are happening within and around society, including the unexplainable phenomena they claim to experience.
• Society has been greatly influenced by religions, and it can be seen in many aspects of people's day-to-day life.
• Culture and religion are intertwined that the demarcation line separating these aspects of society does not exist.