Religion Paper

WORLD RELIGIONS – REL 212 World Religions

HINDUISM &JAINISM

WEEK 2

Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe

This religion believes in reincarnation and as a result of the cycles the origin of the universe cannot be clearly stated. Still, this chaos of births and deaths is controlled by three Gods, brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

Nature of God/Creator

Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are responsible for holding the world together. Brahma creates a world which is preserved by Vishnu and Shiva destroys the world so it can be rebuilt again,

View of Human Nature

Humans have a ritualistic life, giving proper sacrifices to thegods, get married and have children. Humans then live their lives according to the teachings of the religious texts.

View of Good & Evil

Good and evil are viewed on a lens of relativity. As such, depending on the point of view, what is good or evil changes. What brings happiness is termed good and that which brings pain is evil. This then states that what is good or evil is simply a matter of the mind.

View of Salvation

Called moksha, it involves attainment of enlightenment and being liberated from the cycle of life and death.

View of After Life

The belief in reincarnation means that life after death is believed to be the rebirth into a new body.

Practices and Rituals

Yoga an enabler of meditation, puja which is relating to a divine object in the morning.

Celebrations & Festivals

Holi is a time for merrymaking, Shiva ratri to celebrate the goddess and Diwali which can also be new year’s eve.

Week 2 - Sources

Robinson, J. B. (2004). Hinduism. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers.

Jacobs, S. (2010). Hinduism today.

BUDDHISM

WEEK 3

Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe

With his belief in cycles and birth, Buddha stated that determining the origin of the universe is inconceivable and cannot be explained. Buddha said of humans hunger to find the origin of everything as a poverty of thoughts.

Nature of God/Creator

Buddhism does not recognize the existence of a creator and present mankind as the vessels to their own destiny.

View of Human Nature

Buddhism teachings elaborate on self-originating change to oneself through meditation and following the teachings of Buddha. Meditation helps in training the mind which can then gain control of the body as a result. This enables the mind to be fully aware of thoughts and actions and promotes compassion towards others. The aim of humans is to attain a state of total enlightenment.

View of Good & Evil

Buddhism originates good and evil from human preference. As a result, overcoming evil is simply done by changing preference. Evil stems from a bout of desire. A tenet of Buddhism is the eight-fold path. Adhering to this will take away the desire that would have caused evil.

View of Salvation

Buddhism is about attaining a state of enlightenment, an understanding of oneself and the readiness and willingness to be of assistance to those around you.

View of After Life

Buddhists believe in reincarnation, believing that when one dies, their soul moves to a different body from where life continues henceforth. Recognizing that life is full of suffering, one can also transcend death and birth by achieving nirvana. Its expressed as the extinguishing of a flame. It is a liberation from all physical realms and their desires.

Practices and Rituals

To achieve enlightenment, meditation plays a key part. This is in itself a complete work out of the mind.

Celebrations & Festivals

Include Vesak which is Buddha’s birthday, Buddhist new year, magha puja day, asalha puja day and many more.

Week 3 - Sources

DAOISM& CONFUCIANISM

WEEK 4

Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe

Confucianism recognizes no existence of a creator. It has the belief that earth is self-generating and self-sustaining. Nature is viewed as one big unified integral unit and is always in a state of change.

Nature of God/Creator

This religion recognizes no God or creator.

View of Human Nature

The teachings of Confucius were heavily centered on humanism and its values of knowledge, humanness, etiquette, justice and integrity. The religion also has a huge belief in the strength of humans to be taught new things and become amazing.

View of Good & Evil

Confucianism encourages the practice of leading a honest life with compassion to others. Confucius still acknowledgedthat suffering and evil will always exist on earth.

View of Salvation

Confucianism rolls along with the Chinese practice of ancestor worship which could be a form of salvation, albeit for the dead.

View of After Life

Confucius encourages living a life that is bent towards good morals and behavior. This encourages with asking humans not to do with the expectation of receiving rewards after death. The concept of an afterlife is therefore not one perpetuated under Confucianism.

Practices and Rituals

The single ritual in Confucianism that’s popular is ancestor worship. It involves communicating with them and offering sacrifices. Most everyday tasks in a Confucius household are considered rituals.

Celebrations & Festivals

Confucius’ birthday is celebrated on September 28.

Week 4 - Sources

Yao, X. (2000). An introduction to Confucianism. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Wong, S. K. (2012). Confucianism, Chinese history and society. Hackensack, N.J: World Scientific.

WEEK 5

SHINTO

Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe

As a predominantly Japanese religion, the Shintoism creation story centers on the creation of what is now modern day japan. As a polytheistic religion, gods called on two among them, Izanagi-no-Mikoto (male) and Izanami-no-Mikoto (female). With a spear, these two stirred the water and created the japan archipelago from the nothingness.

Nature of God/Creator

Shinto is a polytheisticreligion with a myriad of gods. The name loosely translates to the way of the gods. The gods/spirits in Shinto are referred to as kami. Their essence is personified in objects all around from trees, rocks, animals and even humans. The kami are divided into three, the nature powers personified in objects of nature, family ancestors and the souls of important dead persons.

View of Human Nature

With importance attached to the environment, Shintoism fosters peace among those practicing it, a trait that is transferred to those around them.

View of Good & Evil

With human beings simply being the physical vessels of spirits, the decisions of good and evil can be boiled down to positive or negative life experiences which are responsible for influencing behavior.

View of Salvation

Salvation can be attained after death by the worship accorded to one by their descendants.

View of After Life

Life after death is not given much prominence. This is because of the belief of rebirth. Death means the kami ceases being visible and retreats to the netherworld to be reborn later. For purposes of being reborn well, people will do good in their lives as a way of shoring up their karma and better prospects of being reborn favorably. People also pay respects to their ancestors so they too can have an easier time in the ancestors’ world after dying.

Practices and Rituals

Omairi is the visiting of a Shinto temple to pay respect to the kami. Kagura is a dance to entertain and appease the kami. Harai is offering foodstuffs to kami.

Celebrations & Festivals

Dosojin Matsuri involves gathering shrine talismans, decorations and ornaments and burning them in a bonfire. Hatsumode is the first visit to the shrine at the beginning of the year. Jinchisai is done to purify the construction of a new building.

Week 5 - Sources

Katō, G. (2011). A study of Shinto: The religion of the Japanese nation. London: Routledge.

Markham, I. S., & Ruparell, T. (2001). Encountering religion: An introduction to the religions of the world. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers.

WEEK 6

JUDAISM

Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe

According the Jewish holy book, the Torah, God created the entire universe is six days and then rested on the seventh. He created all things from the word of his mouth and made man from soil and breathed life into him.

Nature of God/Creator

Jews believe in the unquestionable existence of one God. God possesses no gender or corporeal form. God is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent and infallible. God is eternal and has always and will always exist.

View of Human Nature

God granted mankind the ability to comprehend and discern. Man is therefore free to choose his path. A commonly held belief is that after their thirteenth birthday, one is now solely responsible for their actions and can make decisions on their life upon which they will be held accountable by God. The things required of a Jew to do are called the mitzvoth.

View of Good & Evil

A Jew is required to do good by following the laws of the Talmud. The Talmud is a collection of all Jewishlaws known as halakah that a Jew must abide with. The deeds required are identified as the mitzvoth and every needs to follow them. Going against these teachings id regarded as being evil since it will be a violation of the sacred text.

View of Salvation

Jews don’t believe in original sin at the time of birth. All mankind is the ability to choose their path. Righteous is achieved by following the teachings of the holy book. They also believe in the eventual coming of a messiah who will deliver the people of Israel.

View of After Life

While not expressly described in the Torah, Jews believe in the spiritual afterlife known as Olam Ha-Ba, translated as the world to come. Humans ascend here by doing good deeds which then assures the allocation of greater rewards, the world to come. Those who don’t live a righteous life are condemned to Gehinnom, which is hell, a place of great suffering where the souls of the unrighteous are taken through purification so they can ascend into heaven.

Practices and Rituals

A Jewish male is circumcised eight days after their birth. This is a result of the covenant made between God and Abraham. A girl undergoes a bat mitzvah upon attaining the age of twelve years and a boy a bra mitzvah at thirteen years. They have now come of age and can be held responsible for their actions.

Celebrations & Festivals

There are many celebrations and festivals on the Jewish calendar. Every week, all Jews must observe Shabbat, the seventh day. This is a day of worship to God and one must not work. Jews also celebrate Yom Kippur (day of atonement that involves fasting), Rosh Hashanah (the new year), Purim (celebrating Esther’s bravery), Passover (celebrating the liberation of Israelites from Egypt), Hanukah (celebrated for eight in remembrance of the recapture of Jerusalem and others like Shavuot and sukkot.

Week 6 - Sources

Abrahams, I. (2008). Judaism. Waiheke Island: Floating Press.

Solomon, N. (2009). Judaism. New York: Sterling Pub. Co.

WEEK 7

CHRISTIANITY

Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe

Christians believe God created the universe in six days and rested on the seventh. According to the Bible, God did this via word of mouth, with the universe coming into being after his command. He created man from the soil and breathed life into him. To give man a female companion, he took one of man’s ribs and created a woman.

Nature of God/Creator

God is all powerful and all knowing. As creator of the universe, he possesses infinite power and knowledge beyond human comprehension. God exists as a trinity, with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God is helped by spiritual beings known as angels who perform his will and act as his messengers to humankind.

View of Human Nature

Human beings are born with free will, able to make choices affecting their lives. As the only manual creation of God, man is regarded as the superior of all of God’s creation and has been granted dominion over earth.

View of Good & Evil

After the sin of the first humans created by God, all of mankind is born with original sin. Given that they possess free will, man is then expected to make the conscious decision to do good so as to gain favor before God. The Bible contains what a Christian is required to do. The Devil, a fallen angel, is regarded as the epitome of evil. His purpose is drive humankind into sin and against the will of God.

View of Salvation

With the crucifixion of Christ on the cross and his subsequent death and resurrection, Christians achieve salvation when they are born again, which is when someone decides to accept the Son of God as their savior and vow to do what is required of them as per the Bible. A saved Christian is assured of eternal life in heaven.

View of After Life

Christians believe in life after death. After death, a saved Christian, one who did good deeds in their lifetime and abided by God will get into paradise with God where they will eternally live a life of happiness. People who die without accepting God as their savior I condemned to hell, where they will suffer for eternity by being burnt.

Practices and Rituals

One becomes a Christians after being saved. To signify their state of salvation, they are baptized, a ritual that involves immersion in water and emergence as a new being in God. Christians reach out to God via prayer where they talk directly to him.

Celebrations & Festivals

Every Sunday, Christians go to a place of worship. Here they praise and worship God and listen to teaching from the Bible. They also celebrate Easter to remember the death and resurrection Christ and Christmas to celebrate his birth.

Week 7 - Sources

Grotius, H., Clarke, J., & Antognazza, M. R. (2012). The truth of the Christian religion. Indianapolis, [Ind.: Liberty Fund.

Chryssides, G. D. (2010). Christianity today. London: Continuum.

WEEK 8

ISLAM

Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe

Just like the Jews and Christians, Islam also recognizes that God (Allah) created the universe in six days. However, instead of regarding these as days, the Muslimsbelieve them as periods each of them lasting as much as thousands of years. Discarding the Christian and Jewish beliefs of God resting, Muslims believe that Allah simply sat back and admired his creation.

Nature of God/Creator

Recognizing Allah as great, Islambelieves in the indivisible nature of Allah. As a result, this singular existence of Allah means there should be no man-made representation of Allah. Islam regards Allah as all-knowing and all-powerful. Islam believe Allah exercise his will through the prophets, chief among them Mohammed.

View of Human Nature

According to the Koran, man is created with free will and has the purpose of obeying and servingAllah. Unlike Christianity, there is no notion of original sin in Islam. Instead, they believe all mankind is born into submission to Allah (al-fitra).

View of Good & Evil

The Koran states that Allah created both good and evil. Allah then revealed this to man, who created with free will, chooses what he will follow. These rules on good and evil in Islam are governed under a legal system called sharia.

View of Salvation

Salvation in Islam is attained on the day of judgment when a person’s actions from their age of puberty will be taken into account. The good will be considered saved and taken to heaven.

View of After Life

Muslims believe that people are taken into judgment by Allah after they die. Allah rewards the doers of good deeds with a place in heaven (jannah), where there is happiness and satisfactions. Wrong doers are condemned to hell (jahannam) to suffer for their sins forever in blazing fire.

Practices and Rituals

Islamic rituals are based on the five pillars, religious duties expected of every Muslim. These are daily prayers done five times a day (salat), confession of faith, giving of alms, fasting during Ramadan and pilgrimage to Mecca.

Celebrations & Festivals

Muslim celebrations include al-hijra which remembers the emigration of the prophet from mecca to medina, Ramadan which is a holy month in remembrance of when the Koran was sent down, id il-fitr which marks the end of Ramadan, id al-adha that marks the end of pilgrimage among others.

Week 8 - Sources

Armstrong, K., & Rogers D. Spotswood Collection. (2000). Islam: A short history. New York: Modern Library.

Berkey, J. P. (2003). The formation of Islam: Religion and society in the Near East, 600-1800. New York: Cambridge University Press.

WEEK 9

SIKHISM

Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe

A monotheistic religion, Sikhs believe that God created the universe. Before the creation of the universe, there was nothingness, an empty void where the glory of the creator reigned. From this nothingness the creator created all the earth and the heavenly bodies. Unlike the one time creation believed in other religions, Sikh believe God created the universe fromhimself and it quietly unfolded from within him.

Nature of God/Creator

The Sikh believe there is one God for all religions. While the universe is in a state of decay, God is transcended all this and cannot be influenced by space and/or time.

View of Human Nature

The Sikh treat both men and women as equal, sharing equal rights. Aiming to be one with God, a Sikh will attempt to live a life that is righteous and devoid of worldlytemptations. Among this temptations are lust, anger, pride, clinginess and greed.

View of Good & Evil

The Sikh believe all are born good. With the world full of evil, one is expected to be of strong will and overcome any temptation to commit the sins of the world. With everyone aiming for a chance to finally be with God, mistakes will only make the journey even longer. They also believe in karma, which is the summation of one’s good and bad deeds.

View of Salvation

Salvation in Sikhism entails merging with God. To do this, one must have a lived a honest life and avoided all worldly temptations and sins.

View of After Life

Sikhs believe in incarnation. This rebirth is a chance to live and correct the mistakes of a previous life. One eventually becomes one with God once they have lived a full and honest life.

Practices and Rituals

The Sikhs pray multiple times a day. However, rituals like fasting and vesting pilgrimage sets and idolatry are strictly discouraged. A ceremony to mark entry into Sikhism is called Amrit

Celebrations & Festivals

These include Guru Gobind Singh’s and Guru Nanak’s birthday, maghi for the remembrance of martyrs, vaisakhi marking the founding of khalsa and Diwali a festival of lights to remember the release of Guru Hargobind from jail.

Week 9 - Sources

Mandair, A. S. (2013). Sikhism. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Markham, I. S., & Ruparell, T. (2001). Encountering religion: An introduction to the religions of the world. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers.

Jakobsh, D. R. (2012). Sikhism.

WEEK 10

NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS

Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe

New Age rejects the notion of a dominant divine being. Instead, beliefs are that all things in nature are god.

Nature of God/Creator

The dominant position is therefore pantheism and this means those who practice new age religion believe themselves and everything else in nature as the god, the controller of all things.

View of Human Nature

With self-belief prevalent in these organizations, attention is placed on efforts of self-actualization and the pursuit of one’s own destiny.

View of Good & Evil

Good and evil in these religions are largely based on abstract ideas with no concrete footing. This means it is constantly changing.

View of Salvation

Salvation is attained by fulfilling a purpose in nature and society before death.

View of After Life

They accept reincarnation as a way of continuing life, and might have easier time addressing issues of death. There are others too who believe in reincarnating into other worlds.

Practices and Rituals

A common practice is the application of alternative medicine options in healing ailments.

Celebrations & Festivals

Celebrations are usually tailor-made to the specific organization.

Week 10 - Sources

In Sutcliffe, S., & In Gilhus, I. S. (2013). New Age spirituality: Rethinking religion.

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