Introduction To World Religions and Belief System: Learning Competencies
Introduction To World Religions and Belief System: Learning Competencies
Introduction To World Religions and Belief System: Learning Competencies
Module 1
Concept, Elements and
Characteristics of Belief Systems,
World View, Religion,
and Spirituality
Learning Competencies:
Lesson 1
WORLDVIEW, BELIEF SYSTEMS AND RELIGION
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, students are expected to:
understand the concept of worldview, belief systems and religion;
differentiate worldview, belief systems and religion and;
discuss the characteristics and elements of religion.
Since childbirth there are rules or traditions that are imposed to you by your parents
and society where you belong. “Do this because this is right.” “Be good to others!” “Huwag
kang gumawa ng masama kung ayaw mong ma-karma.”. These are simple reminders of our
parents. When you are brought to the school for your education, same values or beliefs are
being strengthened. In some period of your life, you have become a member of a religious
organization or perhaps by tradition. The beliefs and values that you have learned from your
parents and school are reinforced by the teachings of that specific religion. All that you have
learned from your parents,school, religious affiliation and other influences became your
belief system and your worldview. Carol Hill describes worldview, as “By worldview (or
belief system) I mean the basic way of interpreting things and events that pervades a culture
so thoroughly that it becomes a culture’s concept of reality-what is good, what is important,
what is sacred, what is real. It is more than culture, even though the distinction between the
two can sometimes be subtle. It extends to perceptions of time and space, of happiness and
well-being. The beliefs, values, and behaviors of culture stem directly from its worldview.”
(Hill, 2007)
Often times you are not conscious of your own worldview unless it is challenged or
dared by other belief system. A very simple definition of a “worldview” is given by Matt
Slick. According to him a worldview is a set of beliefs used to understand the world.
Everyone has a set of principles by which to judge right and wrong and which guides them in
everyday living. You stop at a red light and go at a green. (Cornejo, et al, 2019). Google has a
simple definition, it says,” Belief systems are the stories we tell ourselves to define our
personal sense of ‘reality’ (the way things actually exist). Every human being has a belief
system that he/she utilizes and it is through this mechanism that we individually “make
sense” of the world around us.” It could be a set of beliefs or a philosophy of life. Belief
system shapes your worldview about the world, your existence, and relationships with your
fellowmen. In other words, “a worldview whether religious or nonreligious, is a personal
insight about reality and meaning, often termed a “life understanding” which may call a
product of belief systems. Most often worldviews are shaped by religions. (Serapio,2016).
Worldviews are not all about God, but these are also about our views about reality, man, truth and
values. There are also economic, political and social worldviews.Moreover, the term worldview
refers to an individual’s overall perspective of the world. Hence, a person’s worldview may be the
same or different from another’s worldview. This worldview is also called belief systems. It refers to
the order or the way a person views the realities of the world which is relative to one another, due to
some individual, social as well as cultural factors.
Belief in god or gods is found in almost all religions. There is a good reason to presuppose that
religion had existed during prehistoric times and this has continued to the modern day. Human life
may have produced hundreds of religions and belief systems. There could be more unknown than
known religions in the world since recorded history covers only several thousand years of human
existence.
Theism is defined as “a belief in the existence of one god viewed as the creative source of the human
race and the world who transcend yet is immanent in the world” (Merriam-Webster, 2014).
Monotheism is the belief that there is only one (mono) Supreme God who created everything, while
polytheism recognize many (poly) gods. Examples of modern-day monotheistic religions include
Judaism, Christianity and Islam, while Hinduism is considered to be a polytheistic religion.
Monism, another belief system contends that God and the universe exist as one. There is no distinction
between god and the universe.
Atheists do not believe in any god or divine being, while agnostics neither believe nor disbelieve in
god for they deny the possibility for man to completely acknowledge the existence of God.
Religion may be defined as “an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to
worship a god or a group of gods” (Merriam-Websters Dictionary 2014). The Latin word religion
refers to “something done with overanxious or scrupulous attention to detail” (Bowker 1997). This
term may have probably been derived from the Latin verb religare which means “to tie together, to
bind fast.”
In its original sense, the word refers to expression of proper piety, that is, binding to god
(Grassie 2010). Quite later, religion was used to designate formal belief systems and tenets. The term
was eventually applied to what we now call as religion because of the manner in which people
performed rituals during those days. While religion may be universal in all stages of human history, it
does not follow that all individuals are religious or even religious to some degree (Parrinder 1971).
The motivation to live a life which promotes human wholeness in accordance with the
meaning discovered.
The search to be free from the feeling of disharmony deep within the human person.
CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION
Most scholars agree that every religion has the same three basic elements:
1. Wisdom or Creed
A creed is a set of truths that must be accepted and agreed to by those who wish to belong to
the religion, those who choose to be a follower or disciple.
2. Worship or Cult
Refers to the way of worshipping, to the RITUALS that are practiced by followers of the
religion.
This is often a difficult element to describe because it involves so many diverse elements.
3. Works or Code
Refers to the ethical values and the system of moral practice directly
2. COMMUNITY: The belief system is shared, and its ideals are practiced by a group.
3. CENTRAL STORIES/MYTHS: Stories that help explain the beliefs of a group; these are told
over and over again and sometimes performed by members of the group. They may or may not be
factual.
4. RITUALS: Beliefs are explained, taught, and made real through ceremonies.
5. ETHICS: Rules about how to behave; these rules are often thought to have come from a deity or
supernatural place, but they might also be seen as guidelines created by the group over time.
8. SACREDNESS: Religions see some things as sacred and some not sacred (or profane). Some
objects, actions, people, and places may share in the sacredness or express it.
The elements or characteristics of religions mentioned above are necessary for a particular religion to
perpetuate their worldviews and belief systems.
I. Match Column A with Column B. Write the letter of the correct answer on the space provided.
Column A Column B
_____ 1. a belief in the existence of one God viewed as the a. agnosticism
creative source of the human race and the world. b. atheism
_____ 2. relating or affecting the human spirit that is one’s
c. monism
personal integrative view of life
d. monotheism
_____ 3. the belief that there is only one God who could have
e. polytheism
designed and created the universe
_____ 4. the belief in many gods f. religion
_____ 5. the belief that there is no distinction between God and
g. spirituality
the universe
h. theology
_____ 6. the denial of the existence of God
_____ 7. the belief that God’s existence cannot be known i. theism
_____ 8. an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies and rules j. worldview
used to worship a god or gods
_____ 9. the overall perspective or view of life and the world
_____ 10. the systematic study of the existence and nature of the
divine
1. BELIEFS: What is your religion and what is one central belief of your religion?
_____________________________________________________________.
5. ETHICS: What is one rule from your religion that you are supposed to follow?
_____________________________________________________________.
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, students are expected to:
Distinguish the characteristics of religion, spirituality and theology;
Differentiate religion, spirituality and theology;
Analyze the relationship of the three concepts.
Introduction
Human beings since time immemorial continue to raise questions that have been asked again
and again such as Does God exists? Why are you here? Where did you come from? Who created us?
And where are we going? Our longing for answer enables human beings to depend for a divine power
or supernatural being hopeful for some answers to the riddles of life. In the process, a person
searching for profound answers is the beginning of his encounter with the divine. Hence religion was
born.
Religion does not happen in a vacuum it develops in a certain space and time. In this lesson
we are going to explore the interconnectedness of geography and culture as the grounds for the
development of religion.
Explaining Religion
Religion, etymologically is defined as coming from the Latin world, “religare” or which means “to
bind” or “to tie”. However, Oxford English Dictionary points out though that the etymology of the
word is doubtful. Early writers like Cicero connected the term with “relegere” which means “to read
all over again.” (Cornejo et al, 2019). Some persons even gave a negative definition of religion like
Karl Marx, the founder of Communism. He said the religion is the opium of the people. It means we
become so dependent with God that we rely everything to him and we undermine our capabilities as
human beings.
Across the globe, with the existence of the different world religions, some of the common
characteristics among religions are as follows: it involves belief in a god or deity, their relationship
with the world and the ways to worship them, it comprises holy and sacred places and people, and
encompasses a set of rules to follow in line with the transcendental beliefs.
Other basic concepts that need to be understood in the study of religion, are theology and philosophy
of religion.
Theology involves the systematic study of the existence, nature and purpose of god. When religion is
man’s way to God, theology may be explained as understanding God’s way to man.
Philosophy of religion, on the other hand, involves studying the “concepts and belief systems of the
religions as well as the prior phenomena of religious experience and the activities of worship and
meditation on which these belief system rest and out of which they have arisen” (Hick, 1990 as cited
by Ong, 2016). It is not a branch of theology but a branch of philosophy, hence the study and analysis
of concepts like god, spirit, karma, creation, immortality, heaven, hell, and purgatory among others,
need not to be taken in a religious perspective.
Derived from the Latin word spiritus, with its verb root spirare, which literaly means “to breathe”,
spirituality may be linked to a person’s longing for the value of life. While religion is viewed as set of
ideals practiced and followed by organized groups, “spirituality is something an individual can have
without being implicated in the ambivalent complexity of human societies and institutions” (Grassie
2010) as cited by Ong, 2016. Some may associate spirituality with religiosity but many asserts that
spirituality—inner peace, satisfaction and contentment—may be found independent of any religious
beliefs or doctrines. Thus, spirituality can be described as one’s holistic and integrative view of life
and involves a quest for meaning and ultimate value of life. Hence, one can be spiritual without being
religious
When you become a member of a religious organization, you normally sacrificed your personal
worldview in favor of the religious world view or set of beliefs offered by that organization. Religion
invites a person into a spiritual relationship with some divine entity. This spiritual relationship
stemmed from the belief that there is a life after this world which is more important than physical life.
Hence it is the role of religion to invite all persons to believe in God for them to be saved from this
world.
Popular view holds that you should become a member of a religious organization to cultivate your
spiritual life. Their views lead to the misunderstanding between Religion and Spirituality. The
question is: Is religion the same as spirituality? Can you become a spiritual person without being a
member of a religious organization? What is the difference between being religious and being
spiritual?
Deepak Chopra has a very interesting differentiation between religion and spirituality. He said,
“Religion is a belief to someone else’s experience while Spirituality is having your own experience.”
Let us take a look at this illustration below to emphasize their differences by starting with questions.
(taken from the book, “Fundamentals of World Religions” authored by Cornejo,Nigel,Ebia, Erlito and
Ferrer, Paciano, 2019.p16)
Religion Spirituality
For religion the questions are: For spirituality the questions are:
What is true or false? What is right or wrong? Where do I find meaning? What is my purpose?
Where do I belong? What rituals, sacraments Where do I find my direction in life? What are
should I do? my values?
Table 2. Difference of Religion and Spirituality
From the questions above you can deduce that religion and spirituality have different
concerns. Spirituality is more of a personal experience concerns with what are the essentials in life
while religion focuses more on membership, rituals, right and wrong or truth and falsity. Religion is
more legalistic in terms of practice of beliefs while spirituality entails more freedom in
exercisingwhat they believed.
Religion Spirituality
Religion makes us vow Spirituality sets us free
Religion shows us fear Spirituality shows courage
Religion tells us the truth Spirituality allows us to discover the truth
Religion separates from other religions Spirituality unites them
Religion makes us dependent Spirituality makes us independent
Religion applies discipline Spirituality applies destiny or faith
Religion makes us follow its journey Spirituality allows us to create our own personal
journey
Table 3. Phenomena of Religion and Spirituality
Going back to the question, “Can you become a spiritual person without becoming a member of a
religious organization? Definitely the answer is yes. The line between what is spiritual or religious
may not be always clear or distinct depending on the interpretation. (Serapio, 2016). At this point, I
think you can now describe the characteristics between religion and spirituality.
The descriptions above are not exclusive for each other. In fact, religion and spirituality can blend
harmoniously. The kernel of religion is spirituality, and the essence of spirituality is God or the
Supreme Being (Serapio, 2016). In addition, spirituality is: (1) Beyond all religions yet containing all
religions.(2) Beyond all science yet containing all science.(3) Beyond all philosophy yet containing all
philosophy.
Most often theology and religion brought confusion in terms of meaning and practice. Theology also
believes about God just like religion but it utilizes more the intellect to understand everything about
God rather than faith alone. Theology is a systematic study of God just like other disciplines such as
philosophy, psychology, sociology and other sciences. The priests, pastors, ministers or even lay
people must undergo theological trainings before they are ordained to become a priest or pastor or
minister. Theology is normally taken in the Seminaries or theological schools as an academic subject.
A priest who is a major in theology should undertake a four-year course to get an AB Theology
degree. Then he proceeds his masters and doctoral degree in theology to become full pledge
theologian. There is a saying that most theologians lost their faith in God because they use only their
mind in knowing God more than faith.
Philosophical theology: Philosophy uses reason to explain the essence or the ultimate reasons why
things exist and where they come from. Philosophical theology uses reason alone in knowing about
God. A famous theologian in the Catholic Church in the 13th century, St. Thomas Aquinas exemplify
this approach. His work is called the “Summa Theologiae” wherein one summa is devoted to the
“Five Ways of Knowing God.” Here the existence of God can be proven in five ways using logical
argumentation.
I. In the discussion of belief systems, religion and spirituality, define the following key terms:
1. Religion
2. Spirituality
3. Worldview
4. Theology
5. Philosophy of Religion
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. Can you give an example of a worldview? Describe this particular worldview.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. Why is it important to respect worldviews different from ours?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4. Evaluate yourself: Are you more of a spiritual or a religious person? Explain your answer.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Module 2:
Interconnectedness of Geography, Culture, and
Religion
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, students are expected to:
Analyze the interconnectedness of geography, culture and religion;
Understand the influence of geography to religion and culture;
Classify the Abrahamic religions.
Geography is the basis of understanding history. History is about the origin of life; how
every group of people live and develop their unique way of life. Culture simply means, any
way of life as shown by many attributes that you will find basically from this module which
will lead you to better understanding why you believe in something greater than the universe.
This belief defines the religion that manifests through your character.
You see, you’re already given the hint how all things are interconnected. All you need is
to discover the details for yourself for it will be fun, exciting, and very much enriching.
Word Definition
Adonai - ancient Hebrew God
Allah - the one God of Islam
Belief System - stories or ideas that define our personal sense of reality, and
through which we make sense of the world.
Buddhism - a path of practice and spiritual development that started in India.
It strives for a deep insight leading to the nature of reality.
Christianity - a monotheistic faith based on the life, works, and teachings of
Jesus Christ.
Confucianism - both an ancient religion and philosophy of China; it originated
as a philosophical system founded on the teachings of Confucius.
Confucius - a Chinese philosopher whose teachings are the basis of
Confucianism.
1
42
5
1
32
2
1
0
2
5
BCE
B
500
479
2
6
0
7
10
5
The Patriarch Abraham
83B
580
632
BC
C
Table 5. Date Significance of the Origin of World Religion
Played a major role in the establishment of the three monotheistic religions: namely,
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, which account for more than half of the world’s
total population. As such, these organized religions are collectively known as
ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS.
The importance of Abraham in these three religions lies in the fact that the patriarch
C
appears as an elemental (primary) figure for monotheistic belief system and a paragon
(exemplar) for extreme devotion.
Then and now, the followers of the three Abrahamic religions are presented with a choice
between good and evil.
Hinduism
It perfectly reflects Indian heterogeneity with its eclectic (diversified and assorted)
ways of religious expressions that are quite confusing to outsiders.
It has no specific founder, no one sacred book, and with innumerable gods and
goddesses that any Hindu can venerate. As such, Hinduism can be considered as
museum of religions.
It was during the Vedic Period that Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma became
systematized as a religion that preached order and purpose to the cosmos and human
life.
During this period, universal order became equated with a stable society as evidenced
by the establishment of a centralized government and the integration of collective
traditions into Indian lives.
Buddhism
It centers its attention on the figure of the Buddha, who was not a god but a human
being who came to discover how to terminate sufferings in order to escape the painful
and continuous cycle of rebirth.
Buddhist followers revere Buddha in the same way that the members of other world
religions worship their gods.
The Mahayana sect of Buddhism differs from Theravada school because of its rich
array of buddhas and bodhisattvas who have attained spiritual enlightenment.
These beings are already eligible to enter nirvana but choose to delay this glorious
path to guide others to the path of salvation.
Born near the end of the 6th century BCE, Siddhartha Gautama’s life is closely linked
with the historical and religious development of Buddhism in India. Gaining new
converts due to its mass appeal as compared to the exclusivity of Hindu beliefs,
Buddhism spread far and wide from India to Sri Lanka and to Southeast Asia.
The religion was transported to China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Across the
Himalayas, it reached the Tibetan lands.
Presently, Buddhism has become more popular outside its place of origin while
Hinduism has remained entrenched (rooted) in India throughout many centuries.
Confucianism
Even during the olden days, the Chinese had already endeavored to establish and
attain good governance. China adopted Confucius’s ideals and ethics as the nation
developed meritocracy (power goes to those with superior intellects) as a basis for
government officials.
Confucius is regarded as China’s greatest philosopher and teacher who lived at the
same time as Siddhartha Gautama in India.
Daoism
Confucian ideals aspire to harmonize human relations and serve as guide to social
behavior. An ideal human society it the utmost concern for the Confucian followers.
Confucius dwell upon the theme of the Dao as being the truth or way things out to be
done concordant with specific view to life, politics, and customs.
Confucian Dao concerns human affairs.
Mysteries abound the birth and life of Laozi (Lao-tzu) who may have written Dao De
Jing (Tao Te Ching or The Book of the Way and its Power.
Believed to be a contemporary (modern version) of Confucius, he once worked as a
record keeper at the time of Zhou Dynasty but soon left the service due to his
frustration with corruption.
Around 142 CE, Daoism began as an organized religion with the establishment of the
Way of the Celestial Masters sect by Zhang Daoling during the Han Dynasty.
The writings of Daoism centers on the concept of Dao, as a way or path signifying
appropriateness of one’s behavior to lead other people.
Dao in Daoism means road, path or way in which one does something.
Daoist Dao means the way the universe works.
Shintoism
It is a loosely organized local belief in Japan, somewhat an ardent (dedicated)
religious form of Japanese patriotism. Its mythology highlights the superiority of
Japan over other lands.
Japanese people believed that their emperors literally descended from the sun goddess
Amaterasu.
Conscious effort is done to revere the beauty of Japan’s lands, especially
mountains.15
The term ‘Shinto’ was coined around the 16th century CE to distinguish native belief
system from the imported religions of China and Korea, including Buddhism, Daoism
and Confucianism.
The term came from the Chinese words ‘shen’ and ‘tao’ roughly translated as the
‘way of the gods’.
Of primal importance were the kami that were often defined as the gods but could
also refer to deities of heaven and earth, or even spirits in human beings, animals,
trees, seas, and mountains.
B. GEOGRAPHY OF FAITH
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Front
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Digital Communication and Technological College Inc.
Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems
Prepared by: Ms. Mary Ley Ann Valencia, LPT 18
The Western Frontier
West Asia is the home of three great religions (J, C, I).
Religions have increasingly become involved in domestic politics of West Asia,
resulting in prolonged conflicts among countries that have claimed thousands of lives.
The Levant: Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Syria, and Palestine.
Israel remains the only country in the world with a Jewish-majority population
comprising almost 75% of its citizens.
The Arabian Peninsula, the world’s largest peninsula, consists of countries that are
predominantly Islamic in character. (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, United
Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Oman). Most West Asian countries follow Shi’a and
Sunni denominations of Islam. Iran and Iraqassociate themselves with the Shi’a sect
while Muslims in Saudi Arabia belong to Sunni branch.
The topography of West Asia is characterized by vast areas of mountainouserrains
which played significant roles in many religious beliefs as these landforms provide
ideal settings where gods live or wherein gods and mortals meet.
Mount Sinai Sinai Peninsula in The peak where Moses received the Ten
Egypt Commandments
Mount Zion/ Jerusalem Known as Known as the city of David and Temple Mount
Mount Moriah the city of Site of transfiguration of Jesus Christ
Mount Tabor Israel
One of the most sacred sites in the world revered by JCI. Three structures are found in
the present site: Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock, and the Domen of the
Chain. The Jewish people consider the Temple Mount as their holiest shrine. Mount
Moriah is also believed to be the site of sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham.
Vast expanse of deserts and bodies of water also played important roles in biblical
history such as:
Yam Suph (Red Sea) – Israelites crossed this as they escaped from Egyptian
lands
Sinai Desert – Israelites lived here and route the Promised Land (Spiritual
cleansing).
Presently, followers of Abrahamic religions place high regard on the city of Jerusalem
in Israel because of the numerous sites that are central to their belief system.
There are more than a thousand synagogues, more than a hundred churches and more
than 70 mosques.
The Western Wall (Wailing Wall or Kortel), one of the four remaining walls that
surrounded Temple Mount, is the second holiest shrine for the Jews.
Jerusalem has been sacred for the Christians for almost two thousand years now.
Important sites include Mount Zion and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is
the site of the Golgotha (or the place of crucifixion) and the empty tomb of Jesus
Christ.
Digital Communication and Technological College Inc.
Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems
Prepared by: Ms. Mary Ley Ann Valencia, LPT 19
Lastly, Jerusalem has been sacred for the Muslims for almost 1400 years now. For the
Sunni Muslims, it is their third holiest city.
Located at the Temple Mount, the Islamic Dome of the Rock is the most recognizable
structure in Jerusalem. It is believed that the rock is the spot from which Muhammad
ascended to heaven. Likewise, the First and Second Temples are believed to lie
beneath or near the shrine.
Another Islamic structure is the Al-Aqsa Mosque associated with the night journey
undertaken by Muhammad.
C. CULTURAL MILIEU
World religions can be regarded along the lines of their exclusivity or non-
exclusivity.Exclusive religions are oftentimes monotheistic with Judaism, Christianity,
andIslam.Meanwhile, non-exclusive religions are Hinduism, Buddhism,Confucianism,
Taoism andShintoism.
I. TRUE OR FALSE.
Directions:Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if otherwise. If the statement
is FALSE, underline the word(s) that make it wrong.
_____ 1. The term ‘Shinto’ came from two Indian words, shen and tao.
_____ 2. Confucius is regarded as India’s great philosopher and teacher.
_____ 3. Judaism has 48 prophets and 7 prophetesses.
_____ 4. Islam believes that Muhammad is the seal of the prophets.
_____ 5. Christianity has 16 Apostles and some of them wrote parts in the New Testament.
_____ 6. God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac at Mount Hira.
_____ 7. The Analects and Dao De Jing are sacred texts in Chinese religions.
_____ 8. The Ganga is the holiest river for the Muslims.
_____ 9. India is one of the oldest surviving civilizations, with its history dating back to
atleast 2000 BCE.
_____ 10. The Hindus believe in the trimurti or the three forms of their god.
_____ 11. Dharma is sometimes used to indicate all the factors of existence for the Theravada
sect.
_____ 12. The holy mountains in Japan are Mount Fuji, Mount Tate, and MountMoriah.
_____ 13. Christianity acknowledges one God in three persons, the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit.
_____ 14. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is another Islamic structure associated with the night journey
undertaken by Muhammad.
_____ 15. Japan developed a unique form of Buddhism taking its fullest meditative form
under Zen.
Concept Map
Based on the readings, what are the 3 things that are related to World
Religion? Fill out the concept map below.
Introduction
“Faith is like a Wi-Fi, it’s invisible but it has the power to connect you to whatwe
need.” Do you agree with that? If you do, this module will help you learn howreligions pave
way to attaining the things we need and how it provided significantpositive impact to culture
and society. You will learn how religion through faith andpositive beliefs and practiceshelped
in influencing a person’s life. Aside from itspositive impacts, you will also learn the
downside or the negative influences ofreligion.
The most important aspect of religion is its relentless struggle to focus on
thedimension of depth in our lives. We are subjected every day to the pressure toattend to the
things we thought more important. We, humans have a need to makesense of our
experiencein and of the world in which we live. Starting with humanexperience, both
objective and subjective, we seek to understand causes and effectsand their significance in
our lives. Stemming from this search for meaning, anyparticular religion is a culturally
evolved system, in which the persons involveddevelop and share common understandings,
beliefs and practices and formcommunity bonds of identity and support. Many religions
claim a "mentor" who isrevered and remembered as an "exemplar" for their beliefs, values,
and practices.Mentors are called in many names; Priest or Pastor for the Christians, Rabbi for
theJews, and Imam for the Muslims to name a few. At its best, a religion can provide
thefollowing:
1. Meaning, Purpose and Hope, based on the beliefs, traditions, and values,
oftenexpressed in myths and stories. These traditions are so diverse that they presenta
wide range of responses and a variety of answers to the perennial questioningof human
existence. When we participate in these traditions, we joinexperientially the on-going
journey of discovery of what it means to be human.
3. Personal identity as part of a group with similar world views, beliefs, values,
practices, and lifestyles relationships of commitment to giving support and
caringcritique to one another. Buddhists cultivate practices of mindfulness,peacefulness,
and compassion. In one form or another, all religions inculcatethese practices. The
Jewish teachings about mitzvoth, the obligations to performmoral acts, particularly acts
of kindness, and Tikkun olam (repairing the world)have inculcated over the centuries an
intense commitment to socialjustice. Giving to charity is a fundamental mark of Islam.
Such practices areconstant reminders that there is more to life than the moment, more
than individual, selfish “getting ahead.” Opportunities in community to identify
andprovide needed action and service to meet needs of the wider community and
theworld. Lastly, religion provides the opportunity to live within an ethical framework,as
a way of putting the world and modern life within the perspective.
4. Rituals of giving thanks and appreciating one’s blessings that helps withemotional
health and happiness and celebrating the goodness of life andpractices experienced in
community for life transitions of birth, commitment,forgiveness, and death.
All of them have a negative side that needs to manage well for human
community mental health. Example of which are as follows:
1. Promotes backward and harmful policies. Religion has been used to defendslavery,
just like how the Spaniards took advantage of some our ancestors, racialsegregation, and
sexual discrimination. Although these policies have nojustification aside from religious
dogma that was invented centuries ago toaddress a very different context than the one,
we face today. Absolute ideals notonly lead to fanaticism but are unrealistic in a
complicated world.
Here are some of the practices of the different religions that promoted community
gatherings and brought positive impact to the society.
The Seder meal reminds Jews that they are shaped by a very long history, ahistory
that gives them identity. Seder, (Hebrew: “order”) religious meal served inJewish homes on
the 15th and 16th of the month of Nisan to commencethe festival of Passover.
ThoughPassover commemorates the Exodus, the historicaldeliverance of the Jewish people
from Egyptian bondage in the days of Moses, Jewsare ever mindful that this event was a
prelude to God’s revelation on Mount Sinai.For each participant, therefore, the seder is an
occasion to relive the Exodus as apersonal spiritual event. The religious nature of the seder
with its carefully prescribedritual makes the dinner quite unlike family dinners held on civil
holidays. ReformJews and Jews in Israel omit the second seder because they limit Passover to
seven. days.
The Eucharist which people share bread and wine as a symbol of the lastsupper and
the death of Christ, signals to Christians that the center of life’s meaningis giving oneself
forthe welfare of others. Another one is Christmas, the longest andhappiest of the Filipino
festivals. Christmas in the Philippines commences onDecember 16 and ends in the first
Sunday of January (or the feast of Epiphany).Forthe nine days preceding December 25
(Christmas Day), masses popularly knownas Simbang Gabi or Misa de Aguinaldo are held
starting at four o’clock in themorning. After the mass, the people hurry to the tiny stalls
which sell fresh rice cakesand other native delicacies, with free steaming cups of tea. On the
eve of ChristmasDay, families dine together in what popularly called Noche Buena. On the
eve ofNew Year’s Day (December 31st), the families make as much noises they can
bylighting firecrackers, beating pans and cans, and blowing horns and whistles up
tomidnight. They then dine together again for the Media Noche. The Lantern or Parolhas
become the most popular symbol of Christmas in the Philippines. It is a visualexpression of a
creative and imaginative mind. In the evenings especially, you cansee displays of beautifully
lighted Christmas lanterns.
II. Direction: Identify the word being described by the following sentences. Choose your
answer from the words inside the box.