FINAL PAPER: World View Chart Writing Assignment

REL212 WORLD VIEW CHART (alternate version)

This chart contains all the research you need to write the final paper for this course. If you do the research and reading on the religion(s) we study each week, and if you give yourself a good guide to the religions using this chart, you will have a good foundation for that final paper. The more information you provide for yourself with this chart, the easier it will be to write your final paper. Do not forget to provide adequate material for any in-text citations and be sure to include a reference page as well.

Complete and submit the following worksheet. Provide citations for any source(s) you used to explain or provide examples for in your research. List in APA Style full references for any in-text citations and source(s) made in the above chart.

Student Name: PHABIAN SMITH

RELIGION(S) OF THE WEEK

Provide your response in this column.

· State the name of the Religion being addressed in this chart.

· Please address ONLY ONE (1) religion per chart.

Shinto and Zoroasterism

ORIGIN OF ALL THINGS

Provide your response in this column.

· State the creation story that this religion uses to explain the creation of the universe. If you cannot identify a creation story for this religion, offer a suggestion as to why this religion may not have one.

· Back up your statement with explanation and/or example.

· You should have a minimum of 3 complete sentences when this is complete.

Those who subscribe to Shinto believe that the world by a heavenly Kami who was god-like. The Izanagi and his woman Izanami are considered the original two Kami and joining in union to create the cosmos (Underwood, A. 2013).

On the other hand, Zoroastrianism is a belief that is of the school of thought that Ahura Mazda created the world. Later Mazda created the seven abstract beings known as Amesha Spentas (Gaer, J. 2016). After that, the story goes that Ahura created the universe for ensnaring evil and a perfect man known as Goyamud and a bull. Ahura later created the all the other things that exist in the world today.

NATURE OF GOD/CREATOR

Provide your response in this column.

· State the nature of the god(s) worshiped by this religion. If you cannot identify a god (or gods) for this religion, offer a suggestion as to why this religion may not have one.

· Back up your statement with explanation and/or example.

· You should have a minimum of 3 complete sentences when this is complete.

There is not much information to corroborate whether there was really a supreme god in their doctrines, however the Shinto still believed in Amaterasu as being both a natural Kami and as well as an auspicious ancestor Kami.

Zoroastrianism believes that the supreme god of the universe is Ahura Mazda, and that him alone is wholly pure, powerful and good.

VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE

Provide your response in this column.

· State how this religion views human beings.

· How are human beings viewed with regard to their characteristics and their place in the universe? If you cannot identify how this religion defines human beings, offer a suggestion as to why it doesn't.

· Back up your statement with explanation and/or example.

· You should have a minimum of 3 complete sentences when this is complete.

According to the Shinto beliefs, human beings are supposed to live in harmony and embrace a peaceful coexistence with both nature and fellow human beings (Gaer, J. 2016).

Zoroastrianism promotes a maxim: Good thoughts, Good words, and Good deeds and always try to live their lives according to these deeds. Zoroaster himself was a family man so he subscribed to those values that tried to bring stability in the family.

VIEW OF GOOD & EVIL

Provide your response in this column.

· State how this religion defines the concept of good and evil.

· Most religions encourage their adherents to be good and to shun evil. How does this religion define these terms for those who practice this religion? If you cannot identify how this religion defines good and evil, offer a suggestion as to why it doesn't.

· Back up your statement with explanation and/or example.

· You should have a minimum of 3 complete sentences when this is complete.

Unlike many religions where man is portrayed as the son of God, Zoroastrianism portrays the relationship that exists between man and their god as one more of a helper (Gaer, J. 2016). Thus, through man’s positive deeds, evil deeds are eradicated, and god’s paradise is established on earth.

The Shinto idea of evil is that they are pollution and impurities, which require cleansing through rituals of purification. The Shinto do not view suffering as a form of punishment, but, rather, a natural element of human experience.

VIEW OF SALVATION

Provide your response in this column.

· All religions suggest that human beings are faced with a “problem” that needs to be overcome. What is the “problem” this religion identifies, and how does it suggest that we can overcome it? If you cannot identify how this religion defines the “problem,” or how to overcome it, offer a suggestion as to why it doesn't.

· Back up your statement with explanation and/or example.

· You should have a minimum of 3 complete sentences when this is complete.

Zoroastrians believe that choosing good over evil, meditation and prayer go a long way in helping a person to a pathway of spiritual growth (Gaer, J. 2016). They view salvation as the only way through Christ Jesus. They believe that Jesus, their father, dwells in them me doing his own work within them.

The Shinto, view salvation as the act of an individual speaking, and doing, good deeds to go to God. They also practice the four affirmations of the Shinto spirit live a simple and harmonious life with nature.

VIEW OF AFTERLIFE

Provide your response in this column.

· What does this religion teach about “what comes next” after all is said and done? For Eastern religions that teach reincarnation, this question is about what happens after moksha is attained. For Western religions, this question is about what happens when we die. If you cannot identify how this religion defines the afterlife, offer a suggestion as to why it doesn't.

· Back up your statement with explanation and/or example.

· You should have a minimum of 3 complete sentences when this is complete.

Shinto religion teaches that all human beings have an eternal soul and spirit and that after death, the Shinto believe that the spirit of the dead inhabit the next word where their deities reside. Takamanohara (heaven), Yomi (the underworld), and Tokyo Located somewhere past the sea) are but just the many places their deities reside. The Shinto also believes that the spirit of their ancestors and Kami can protect them.

Zoroastrianism have the belief that the spirits of those who die hover near their earthly body for three days and night before passing to an initial judgment of every individual (Boyce, M. 2001). Just like Christians who believe in the death and rising of Jesus on the third day so are the Zoroastrians, they also believe in the resurrection of Christ who rose on the 3rd day after his death.

PRACTICES AND RITUALS

Provide your response in this column.

· How do members of this religion “practice” their “faith?”

· What ceremonies, or rituals, do they use to help pass this religion on to the next generation? If you cannot identify how this religion is practiced, offer a suggestion as to why it doesn't have any rituals or practices.

· Back up your statement with explanation and/or example.

· You should have a minimum of 3 complete sentences when this is complete.

Shinto believers can visit any Shrine but must follow basic steps while visiting the Shrine: these include approaching the Torii and bowing before entering (Underwood, A. 2013). If there is a washing basin, they need to wash their left hand first, then the right hand, and rinse the mouth. They are also required to ring a bell when approaching the shrine before starting their prayers. Bowing two times, clapping two times and putting their hands in front of their heart while praying is not an option. All these are done to entertain Kami.

For burials, Zoroastrians took their dead into a Tower of Silence and laid out under the sun, where vultures devoured them (Gaer, J. 2016). Their places of worship are known as Fire Temples where flames are kept burning with sandalwood and Frankincense (Boyce, M. 2001).

CELEBRATIONS AND FESTIVALS

Provide your response in this column.

· Identify one or two celebrations and/or festivals that members of this religion use to express their beliefs in public, or in private.

· Name the festival(s) and give a short explanation of how it is observed. If you cannot identify any celebrations or festivals for this religion, offer a suggestion as to why it doesn't have any.

· Back up your statement with explanation and/or example.

· You should have a minimum of 3 complete sentences when this is complete.

The Shinto festivals and celebrations include “Matsuri” which means “Inviting down the God”. They also celebrate the New Year, as they believe that the first day of the year is a good time to ask for blessing at the shrine (Underwood, A. 2013). Wedding and groundbreaking rituals are also ceremonies and rituals practiced by the Shinto.

The basic moral principles that guide the life of a Zoroastrian are three: Humata, “Good thoughts”, Hukhata, “Good words”, and Havarashta, “Good deeds”. Children commit themselves to these three basic principles to abide by them during their initiation ceremonies that mark their responsible entry into the faith as practicing Zoroastrians. These principles are also included as part of the Zoroastrian prayers (Boyce, M. 2001).