Mdtp

• Belief System


  Principles or tenets that, together, form the basis of a religion, philosophy, or moral code. It also refers to a set of principles that help in interpreting our daily reality.
• Kinds of Belief Systems


  • Monotheism
  • Polytheism
  • Monism
  • Atheism
  • Agnosticism
• Monotheism


  There is ONE God who created the Universe, or may have directed all events leading to the creation of everything. There is one Supreme GOD, both personal and moral, and who seeks a total and unqualified response from humans.
• Polytheism


  Recognizes many principal Gods among whom no one is Supreme.
• Monism


  It asserts that there is no distinction between God and the Universe. It implies that (1) God is dwelling in the Universe as a part of it, and (2) the Universe does not exist at all as a reality but a manifestation of God.
• Atheism


  There is a disbelief or denial that God exists.
• Agnosticism


  There is a denial of knowing God or to acquire knowledge of God.
• Religion


  Organized systems of beliefs, ceremonies, or rules used to worship a God or a group of Gods. It is the expression of proper piety, devotion or respect, that is binding to God.
• Spirituality


  It involves the recognition of a feeling or sense of belief that there is something greater than oneself, something more to being human than sensory experience, and that the greater whole of which one is part of, is cosmic or divine in nature. It is about one's soul and inner self.
• World Religions


  • Abrahamic Religions
  • Indic Religions
  • Eastern Religions
• Abrahamic Religions


  Religions evolving on Abraham, a figure seen on Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
• Indic Religions


  Religions originating from the Indian Subcontinent. These are Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism.
• Eastern Religions


  Also known as Taoic religions, these are originating from the Far East. Examples are Confucianism, Taoism, Chinese Folk Religion and Ancestral Worship.
• Christianity


  It is based on the life and teachings of Jesus. Currently, the world's largest and most widespread religion, with an estimate 2.4 billion adherents. Christianity began in the 1st Century after the birth of Jesus. The disciples of Jesus Christ spread their faith, despite persecution.
• Catholicism


  The largest Christian denomination, with 1.3 billion adherents. The core belief is centered on the Nicene Creed. It holds that there is one eternal God, who exists as a mutual indwelling of three persona – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, altogether called as the Holy Trinity. Its belief are found in the Sacred Scripture, called the Bible, consisting of 33 books called the Old Testament, and 27 books of the New Testament.
• Protestantism


  It emphasizes justification by God through faith alone (sola fide), rather than through a combination of faith and good works. Protestants adhere to the concept of an invisible church, so they are located inside commercial buildings, or have churches not conforming to the usual Catholic architecture.
• Protestant Denominations


  • Anabaptists
  • Adventism
  • Anglicanism
  • Baptists
  • Calvinists
  • Lutheranism
  • Methodism
  • Pentecostalism
  • Evangelical Christians
• Islam


  It is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centered on the Qur'an and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents are called Muslims, and has 1.9 billion adherents worldwide. Muslims consider the Quran to be the verbatim word of God and the unaltered, final revelation. They believe that Muhammad is the main and final Islamic prophet, through whom the religion was completed.
• Judaism


  It is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centered on the Torah, which are the 5 books of the Old Testament, known as the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). Adherents are called Jews. Jews consider only one God, and people serve God by living according to their teachings.
• Hinduism


  Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs include (but are not restricted to) Dharma (ethics/duties), samsara (the continuing cycle of entanglement in passions and the resulting birth, life, death, and rebirth), Karma (action, intent, and consequences), moksha (liberation from attachment and samsara), and the various yogas (paths or practices). Hinduism is an Indic religion, polytheistic as it reveres many gods. But there are three central figures: Brahma – The Great Creator, Shiva – The Great Destroyer, Vishnu – The Great Preserver.
• Buddhism


  Generally speaking, Buddhism is a religion that does not include the belief in a monotheistic creator deity. As such, it has often been described as either (non-materialistic) atheism or as nontheism. The Buddha's central teachings emphasize the aim of attaining liberation from dukkha (often translated as "suffering" or "unease".
• The Four Noble Truths


  • Life always involves suffering, in obvious and subtle forms.
  • The cause of suffering is craving and fundamental ignorance.
  • The good news is that our obscurations are temporary.
  • There is a path which leads one away from craving and suffering.
• The Eightfold Path


  • Right View
  • Right Intention
  • Right Speech
  • Right Action
  • Right Livelihood
  • Right Effort
  • Right Mindfulness
  • Right Concentration
• Barriers to religious diversity in the workforce


  • Discrimination
  • Divides
  • Gaps in understanding
• Religious diversity in the world's workforce continues to present difficulties at various stages of employment, from the recruitment process, to progression in work, to the daily work routine
• Discrimination in access to employment is a major barrier to achieving fair employment for minorities
• Recruitment process for religious minorities


  Specific problems
• Discrimination at interview for religious minorities


  • Stereotypes or prejudices
  • Inappropriate interview procedure
  • Anticipated discrimination
• Wearing religious symbols is a manifestation of the freedom of a person to practice their religion and is often a central aspect of the individual's life
• Biased recruitment procedures


  • Employment agencies proposing certain jobs to certain religious communities
  • Culturally biased selection procedures
  • Broader structural inequalities along religious, racial and ethnic lines
• Discrimination in employment is extremely hard to prove in individual cases, due to the range of different recruitment criteria and the general freedom of employers to recruit on the basis of broad ideas of merit and suitability for the role
• Challenges for religious minorities in work and career progression


  • Wearing religious symbols and discriminatory dismissal
  • Cultural gaps and the glass ceiling
  • Visible differences
  • Perceived 'political' differences
  • Practices and beliefs
• Challenges for religious minorities in the daily work routine


  • Religious symbols
  • Religious practices
• The absence of dedicated spaces for prayer, meditation and associated rituals is a particular barrier for some religious minorities
• Many religious minorities adhere to religious dietary restrictions, e.g., halal, kosher, vegetarian or vegan (for religious reasons) diets
• Misunderstandings on multiple identities, politics and religion for religious minorities


  • Overlapping stereotypes, assumptions and negative opinions
  • Linked to prevailing political views about certain religions
• Barriers create a situation in which religion (or some associated practices, behaviours and values) is seen as incompatible with working in and contributing value to an organization
• Employees who feel accepted and respected for who they are will be the most productive
• Valuing difference as a strategic issue for employers

  • Robust analysis of why they need a policy of religious inclusion
  • Employers marketing themselves on diversity and inclusion, but minority staff not seeing the return in the work environment