Impact of Belief Systems

• Belief

  An opinion or something that a person holds to be true
• Belief system

  An ideology or set of principles that help every people to interpret everyday reality
• Forms of belief systems

  • Religion
  • Political affiliation
  • Philosophy
  • Spirituality
• Christianity

  • The world's largest religion (2 billion followers worldwide)
  • A monotheistic religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior
  • Christians believe in the Holy Trinity as forms of the same God
• Christian beliefs

  • One God (Christianity as a monotheistic religion)
  • Justification by Faith (Salvation occurs with faithfulness and each must live by the principle of love)
  • Eternal life (Life after death. Heaven is the final destination of believers)
  • Saints (They are recognized when they live particularly good a holy life, with whom miracles are claimed to have been associated after their death)
• Christian prayers and rituals

  • Prayers (It is the way to communicate with God. Prayers can be formal and ritualistic, but they can also be personal and spontaneous)
  • Church (Symbolically, the church is the body of Christ and is made up of a community of believers)
  • Priests (They are the spiritual leaders of Christians)
  • Bible (it is the Holy Book and a product of divine inspiration and considered by believers as the infallible Word of God)
  • Eucharist (it is a celebration in mass to commemorate the final meal Jesus took with his disciples before the crucifixion)
  • The Ten Commandments
• The Ten Commandments

  • Thou shalt have no other Gods before me
  • Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
  • Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain
  • Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy
  • Honor thy father and thy mother
  • Thou shalt not kill
  • Thou shalt not commit
  • Thou shalt not steal
  • Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor
  • Thou shalt not covert any/ thing that is thy neighbor
• The impact of Christianity on business

  • In Producing Goods (God has intended for mankind to develop Earth, by imparting the knowledge and skills to be able to make something from the materials that God had provided)
  • In Employing People and Being Employed (The Bible does not view hiring another as exploitation. Employers must exercise caution not to oppress and be unfair)
  • In Buying and Selling (Commercial transactions are in themselves good because the community can help and fulfill each other's needs. A Christian must avoid self-interest)
  • In Earning Profit (The Bible teaches about stewardship – expanding or multiplying the possessions God has entrusted mankind. Seeking profit is fundamentally good, however, caution must be made that the profits are not acquired through the exploitation of others or due to unfair business practices)
• Islam

  • The word Salam (Islam) is interpreted as "peace" or "submission"
  • A follower of Islam is called a Muslim
  • The Arabic word Allah means "the one True God"
  • The world's second-largest religion with 1.62 billion followers globally and the fastest-growing religion in the world
• Islamic beliefs

  • The Shahada (Witness) (The testimony of faith is called Shahada. "La Ilah ha il Allah; Muhammad Rasul-Allah." (No deity by Allah; Muhammad is His Messenger))
  • The Salat (Prayer) (Muslims perform five daily prayers as an act of personal communication with God. The prayers are said while facing the direction of mecca. A congregational prayer on Friday afternoons is compulsory for men)
  • The Zakat (Alms) (All Muslims are obliged to give a charity tax of 2.5 percent of their wealth and asset each year over what is required of the less fortunate)
  • The Siyam (Fasting) (During Ramadan (the ninth month of the Islamic calendar), Muslims are prohibited eat and drinking from dawn to dusk. Ramadan is considered the holiest period in the Islamic year)
  • The Hajj (Pilgrimage) (It Begins in Shawwal (the tenth month) and lasts through the middle of Dhu al-Hajj (the twelfth month). The actual rite and prayers take place at the sacred Ka'ba in Mecca)
• The impact of Islam on business


  • The practice of freedom of enterprise (Muslims are free to choose a way to earn a livelihood within the limits set by the Islamic Shari'ah)
  • Be honest and truthful (Qur'an disapproves of any wrongdoings. One must strive to earn through legitimate transactions and interests)
  • Trade through mutual consent (The validity of a transaction depends on mutual consent)
  • Treat workers fairly (Islam encourages the spirit of brotherhood between employer and employee)
  • Keep one's word (Muslims should honor and fulfill business obligations as promised)
  • Be humble (One should conduct life by the teachings of Allah. Muslims should avoid extravagance and must exhibit goodwill in all transactions)
  • Seek halal earnings (Muslims are obliged to earn halal money, not just earn money. Muslims are prohibited to deal with haram (unlawful) items such as dead meat, pigs, and idols)
• Buddhism


  • A nontheistic religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama
  • Based on a life of peace with universal love and compassion, omniscient wisdom, and boundless spiritual power
  • There are 500 million Buddhist worldwide
• Buddhist beliefs

  • There is suffering that is ingrained and part of life
  • Suffering is due to attachment to things
  • There is a cessation to suffering
  • There is a life path to end suffering
  • Noble Eightfold path – By following the path one can transform the negative mind into a positive one and attain enlightenment
• The Noble Eightfold Path

  • Right view - To understand wholesome and unwholesome deeds and comprehend the law of Karma
  • Right intention - The intention of non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion
  • Right speech - Abstaining from false, malicious, harsh speech, and idle chatter
  • Right action - Abstaining from killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct
  • Right livelihood - Abstaining from wrong and corrupt means of livelihood
  • Right effort - Awakening zeal for abandoning unwholesome states; arising and sustaining wholesome states
  • Right mindfulness - Constant contemplation on body, feelings, mind, and Buddhist teachings
  • Right concentration - Abandoning lust, ill-will, sloth-torpor, worry, agitation, and doubt through meditation
• The impact of Buddhism on business

  • Buddhism's main tenet is to not harm
  • Opportunity favors the hard worker
  • To strike a balance between toiling and overworking
  • The Eightfold path states one must-see reality unfiltered, say the truth, practice no-harm in words and actions, and commit no wrong
  • One must free oneself from temptations, cravings, and distractions
  • Buddhists are reminded to be mindful and to keep calm
  • Nonexploitation
• Judaism

  • The oldest monotheistic religion in the world but the smallest major religion with 18 million followers
  • The majority of Jews are in the United States and Israel
  • It emphasizes justice, charity, modesty, and doing good deeds
  • The Jewish population has only grown 25% since the Holocaust
• Jewish beliefs

  • One God - There is one God, creator of the universe, and main power in the universe
  • Jewish Identity - "Jew" is used to refer to all the descendants of Jacob (son of Isaac) and Judaism is used to refer to their beliefs. Jews are also referred to as Israelites. A Jew can be any person who has a Jewish mother regardless of whether that person practices Judaism or not
  • Holy Book (TaNaCh – acrostic for 3 groups of books of Jewish scriptures)
  • Israel - Jerusalem is the holiest city and the capital of Israel. Living outside of Israel is considered unnatural for the Jews
  • The Maschiach (Messiah) - An anointed one will come to Earth and save the Jews
  • Rabbis and Synagogues - rabbis are the spiritual leaders and lead the community and provide guidance and education. A synagogue is the place of worship, a place where Jewish people congregate, study, and do charitable work
  • Sabbath - Jewish holy day. It is a day of rest to thank God for creating the universe
  • Life Events (Brit ila- circumcision ceremony, Bar (boys) / Bat (girls) Mitzvah- coming of age, Wedding)
  • Jewish Laws - Halakhah means "the path that one walks"
  • Kosher Food - Kashrut is the set of religious rules that Jews follow in preparing kosher food. Kosher food means that the foods conform to Jewish laws
• Traditional Jewish commandments

  • Business in Good Faith
  • Treatment of Workers
  • Trading