religion midterm

• Religion


  A belief in worship of or obedience to a supernatural power or powers considered to be divine or to have control of human destiny, or any formal or institutionalized expression of such belief
• The English word "religion" is derived from the Middle English "religioun" which came from the Old French "religion"
• Why Religion is Important

  • The majority of religions have developed starting from a revelation based on the exemplary history of nation, of a prophet or a wise man who taught an ideal of life
  • Religion is one of the primary disciplines for investigating the boundary questions of life and death, of love and hate, that characterize the human condition
  • The goal of studying religion should be wisdom and not knowledge for own sake. It shouldn't be simple knowledge about the world but wisdom about right relationship within the world
  • Because it raises questions of purpose and value along with developing important life skills
• Different Elements of Religions

  • Dogma
  • Sacred Books
  • Rituals/Traditions
  • Worship
• Dogma


  A principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true
• Sacred Books


  Any book regarded by a religious body as an authoritative source or divinely inspired statement of its faith, history, and practices
• Rituals/Traditions


  Any repetitive and patterned behavior that is prescribed by or tied to a religious institution, belief, or custom, often with the intention of communicating with a deity or supernatural power
• Worship


  An act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. It's a type of unquestioning devotion to a superstitious belief or deity
• Basic Components of Religion


  • Belief in Supernatural Power
  • Man's adjustment to Supernatural Powers
  • Acts defined as Sinful
  • Method of Salvation
• Belief in Supernatural Power

  Every religion believes in some supernatural power i.e. powers outside of man and the present world. The supernatural powers are believed to influence human life and conditions
• Man's adjustment to Supernatural Powers

  Man is dependent on these supernatural powers hence, he must adjust himself to the powers. As a result, every religion provides for some external acts or rituals such as prayer
• Acts defined as Sinful


  Every religion defines some acts as sacred and some other as sinful which supposed to destroy the harmonious relationships between man and god
• Method of Salvation


  Man needs some method by which he can attain salvation or Nirvana or by which harmony between man and god will be reestablished by the removal of guilt or bondage. Because every religion consider salvation as the ultimate aim of life
• Other Components of Religion

  • Belief in some sacred things
  • Procedure of Worship
  • Place of Worship
• Belief in some sacred things

  Every religion believes on some holy or sacred things which constitute the center of religion. These sacred or holy things are symbolic. But this belief based on faith
• Procedure of Worship


  Every religion has its own specific procedure of worshipping. The follower of religion worships the supernatural power either in the form of a statute or in a formless manner
• Place of Worship


  Every religion has its own definite place of worship in which its followers offer their prayer to the supernatural power
• Other Terms associated with Religion

  • Faith
  • Belief
  • Soul
  • Spirit
  • Atheism
  • Agnosticism
• Faith


  Complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof
• Belief


  An acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists. The belief in a religion's central articles of faith
• Soul


  The soul is our humanity that makes us feel emotions, will and desires
• Spirit


  The spirit is our deeper connection with a supreme being when we believe them. This is what connects us to a supreme being or deity
• Atheism


  Is in the broadest sense an absence of belief in the existence of deities or supreme being
• Agnosticism


  Is the view that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable
• Different Views on Religion and Spirituality

  • The Spiritual's Views
  • The Outsider's View
  • The Sociologist View
• The Spiritual's Views


  Religion is a human intervention that centers on specific rituals and a set of stories that outline a basic moral code and belief system. Spirituality relates to the spirit or essential essence of humanity. People who say they are spiritual are working to grow and better this inner force. Religious people are generally spiritual people as well, but spiritual people do not necessarily have to be religious. They may work to attain a heightened spirituality through alternative methods
• The Outsider's View


  Religion to the outsider, the defining characteristics of would be its rituals. Every religion asks certain things of its followers. Spirituality is a little harder to recognize. Today, with the rise of New Age philosophy, many people try to attain a higher spiritual state through meditation, chanting, prayer, or contemplation. These practices are also espoused by certain religions
• The Sociologist View


  Religion is a social force for unity within a group. A religion is often referred to as a community believer. It strives for uniformity of thoughts and action in its members. At the same time, it provides these members with a community for spiritual and physical support. Spirituality is an individual phenomenon. Many people prefer a more individual approach
• Religious Worldview


  • Monism
  • Polytheism
• Monism


  Theory or doctrine that denies the existence of a distinction or duality in some sphere, such as that between matter and mind, or God and the world. The doctrine that only one supreme being exists
• Polytheism


  A belief in and worship of many Gods. Polytheism is a belief system that is similar to animism, totemism
• Totemism


  A system of belief in which humans are said to have kinship or a mystical relationship with a spirit-being, such as an animal or plant. The entity, or totem, is thought to interact with a given kin group or an individual and to serve as their emblem or symbol
• History of Religions


  • Mesopotamian Religion
  • Ancient Persian Religion
  • Religion in Egypt
  • Religion in Meso America
  • Greek Religion
  • Roman Religion
  • Philippine Religion
• Mesopotamian Religion


  • Mesopotamia has been cited as the birthplace of religion
  • Their first written records of religious practice was during the Summerians
  • Great God was Marduk, and he defeated Tiamat
  • The claim of some historians that the Mesopotamians were slaves to their gods
• Ancient Persian Religion


  • The early religion of the Persian arrived on the Iranian Plateau with the migrations of the Aryans
  • They were a polytheistic with a supreme god, Ahura Mazda
  • Zoroastrianism – Zoroaster's vision
• Religion in Egypt


  • Egyptian religion was a combination of magic, mythology, science, medicine, psychiatry, spiritualism, herbology, as well as the modern understanding of 'religion' as belief in a higher power and a life after death
  • The principle of harmony known as ma'at was of the highest importance in Egyptian life
• Religion in Meso America


  • Remembrance of the dead and the part they still play in the lives of those on earth was an important component of all ancient religions including the belief system of the Maya
  • They imagined an even worse fate where one was constantly under threat of attack or deception by the demon lords who inhabited the underworld (known as Xibalba or Metnal)
• Greek Religion


  • Zeus – Supreme being/god of Thunder
  • Hera – goddess of Marriage and Birth
  • Athena – goddess of Beauty
  • Apollo – god of Healing
  • Poseidon – god of the sea
  • Ares – god of War
  • Artemis – goddess of the wilderness
  • Demeter – goddess of Agriculture and Fertility
  • Aphrodite – goddess of Love and Beauty
  • Dionysus – god of Wine and Festivity
  • Hermes – god of Trade
• Roman Religion


  • Jupiter - King of the Gods, and god of thunder and lightning
  • Juno - Wife of Jupiter; goddess of women and fertility
  • Mars - Son of Jupiter and Juno; god of war
  • Mercury - God of travelers and tradesmen
  • Neptune - Brother of Jupiter; god of the sea
  • Venus - Goddess of love and beauty
  • Apollo - God of music, archery, healing, poetry and truth
  • Minerva - Goddess of wisdom, learning, arts, and industry
  • Diana - Goddess of hunting, archery, and animals
  • Vulcan - God of blacksmiths and volcanoes
• Philippine Religion


  • Bathala – The supreme god of being
  • Amanikable – Originally this god was