Download Chaplaincy overview of different aspects of religion and belief

Chaplaincy Team and Equal Opportunities Team
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Religion and Belief at Newcastle University
Some religions and beliefs represented on campus
Below is a quick guide to some of the main religions represented on campus.
It is impossible to provide comprehensive information about all of the different
religions, however you can find out further information about different religions
is the BBC website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/.
Buddhism
Buddhists follow the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, and
Buddhism has many different traditions. Buddhists seek to live happily and
harmoniously with the cosmos. This means that many are vegetarian, and
some avoid alcohol. Buddhists do not worship the Buddha as a god, and
many branches of Buddhism are atheistic. Buddhists practice meditation, but
need not do so at set times of day.
Christianity
Christians believe in God, understood to be a trinity of three persons in one:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They follow the example of Jesus and the
teachings of the Bible. There are many different traditions of Christianity, the
most significant broad groupings being Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox.
The Christian holy day is Sunday, and most Christians will worship in church
on this day. There are no set dietary requirements for Christians, but some
practice fasting, and some abstain from alcohol and tobacco. The most
significant days of the year are Christmas and Easter, though the Orthodox
church celebrate them on different dates to the Catholic and Protestant
churches. In England, the Church of England (a Protestant church) is the
established faith.
Hinduism
Hinduism is an ancient and hugely diverse religion, in which many gods are
worshipped, though they are seen to be manifestations of one supreme God.
Hindus believe in karma (that right living in previous lives leads to
reincarnation in a higher form or salvation) and dharma (that one should do
one’s duty in the present life). Most Hindus do not eat beef or are completely
vegetarian, and many abstain from tobacco or alcohol. Hindu women often
wear a red spot, known as a tika, on their forehead. Daily worship is offered at
home, but there is also congregational worship in the temple. One of the most
significant celebrations is Diwali, the New Year festival, celebrated around
October or November.
Islam
Muslims believe that there is one God, who has sent a succession of
prophets, the most important of whom is Muhammad (Jesus is revered as a
prophet but not worshipped as divine, as in Christianity). Muslims believe that
the Qur’an is God’s revelation of himself and his purposes to humanity, given
to Muhammad. Muslims are required to pray five times a day, and to fast
during the month of Ramadan from dawn until sunset (the time of this varies,
it is currently September/October). The Muslim holy day is Friday, and
Muslims will generally attend communal prayers at a Mosque at midday.
Devout Muslims do not eat pork or ham and many will eat only Halal meat
Author: Revd. Mark Vasey-Saunders
Newcastle University Chaplain
Chaplaincy Team and Equal Opportunities Team
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(slaughtered in a ritually appropriate way). Alcohol is forbidden. Most Muslim
women dress modestly, and some keep their head covered. If entering a
Mosque shoes should be removed and women should cover their heads.
Judaism
Jews believe that there is one God, who chose the Jews to be his people.
There are two main traditions of Judaism – Orthodox (more conservative) and
Reform (more liberal). The Jewish holy day is Saturday, the Shabbat, which
begins at Sunset on Friday. It is a day of rest and prayer, and Orthodox Jews
live by strict rules that guide what activity is appropriate on the Shabbat. Jews
will worship at a Synagogue on the Shabbat. The main Jewish festivals are
New Year (in September or October), Yom Kippur (a day of fasting and prayer
that happens ten days later), Sukkot (five days after Yom Kippur), Hannakah
(a week-long festival of light in November or December) and Passover (in the
Spring). Some devout Jewish men wear a skull cap at all times. Male Hassidic
Jews wear dark clothing with tassels and wide-brimmed hats and curl their
side burns, which they grow long. Many Jews do not eat pork, shellfish, or
dairy and meat products in the same meal. Food that has been prepared in a
ritually appropriate way is known as ‘kosher’.
Paganism
Pagans believe in following a rediscovered nature-based spirituality. There
are many different paths of paganism, including Wiccans, Druids, Shamans,
followers of specific pantheons of pagan gods, and individuals with a broadly
pantheistic nature-oriented spirituality. There is considerable diversity
between pagan beliefs and practices, but a broad continuity of ethos and
lifestyle. Major Pagan festivals are Samhain, Imbolc, Beltaine, and
Lughasasadh. The solstices and equinoxes of the year are also celebrated.
The lunar month is significant to some strands of paganism. Some Pagans
are vegetarian.
Religious non-belief
Atheism is the lack of belief in God (and in colloquial use lack of belief in the
divine and supernatural altogether). Other systems of religious non-belief are
Agnosticism (a lack of belief in the divine and a lack of unbelief in the divine –
if held as philosophical position it entails the understanding that the existence
and non-existence of God are both unknowable), Secularism (the belief that
religion should have no place in public life), and Humanism (the belief that
human reason and ethics should be the grounds of any life-stance, and that
religious belief should be rejected). When individuals self-identify as holding to
such positions as life stances, they should be treated with exactly the same
respect as is extended to do those who self-identify as holding to a religious
belief as a life stance. Those holding to life stances based on religious nonbelief are unlikely to have particular needs related to diet, dress, or special
days.
Author: Revd. Mark Vasey-Saunders
Newcastle University Chaplain