Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Religions Introduction Why study religions? Better understanding of: History Art People There is a blending of peoples and societies. Peace among nations and peoples requires understanding and tolerance. What is religion? Latin “religio”– fear or awe one feels in the presence of a spirit or a god. A set of beliefs having to do with a god or gods. Origins of humanity? The world? Universe? Some religions teach a moral system. A person’s concern that is “more important than anything else.” But– family? Nation? It’s not always spirituality. Belief in an “unseen order.” Our supreme good lies in harmoniously adjusting ourselves to it. Religion provides explanations: For puzzling natural phenomena For puzzling experiences Dreams, prescience, deja vu. For the origins of things For why there is evil and suffering Religion provides comfort: Makes mortality less unbearable Allays anxiety Religion provides social order: Holds societies together Perpetuates a particular social order Supports morality Religion as a cognitive illusion: People are superstitious Religious concepts are irrefutable Refutation is more difficult than belief Types of religions 1: Basic religions Ideas are not preserved in written form. Prehistoric or remote. Many different beliefs. Animistic view of nature. Belief that nature is alive with spirits. Taboo Certain actions must be avoided. Totems A tribe’s kinship toward a particular animal or object. Sacrifice Gift or appeasement for the god(s). Myth Stories/poetic ways of telling a great truth. Basic religions Rituals Rites or ceremonies that often re-enact mythologies Rites of passage Rituals at key transitional points in one’s life— often birth, puberty, marriage, and death Ancestor veneration Honoring deceased members of the family, out of respect or fear Magic Attempt to control nature Divination Predicting the future By contrast: Religions originating in India: Concerned with freeing self from the cycle of reincarnation. Religions originating in Middle East: Focus on one supreme creator god.