Human Spirituality Flashcards
5 aspects of defining religion
- Self
- Sacred
- Mythology
- Ritual
- Ethics
Proposed definition of religion:
- Explains the nature of the self
- Defines the Divine/Ultimate/Sacred or at least takes cognizance of superior forces
- presents mythology, often including a description of a state of personal freedom
- Employs ritual in order to bring forth a positive effect
- recommends a code of ethics and behavior
What questions does religion address?
Who am I? (Nature of the self)
How did I get here? (Origin story/creation)
Who are you? (Nature of the other)
What is all this? (The meaning)
Where will I go? (Explanation of death and beyond)
Explain the Golden Bough
Humans are concerned with extending their mastery over their world and their destinies
Motivation for Golden Bough
Magic–> Religion–> Science
We want to be the ones in control of our destinies. We want to be able to understand it and dictate it. Sees this as a progression. We start out with magic and start to realize that magic is not a good enough explanation for our world, it is not helping us master like we would like to.
Define faith
Faith is a notion that can either be right or wrong, but cannot be proven.
“Putting your trust into something”.
What is the difference between faith and belief?
Faith has to either be right or wrong, and belief is more of an opinion.
*Faith and belief can be intertwined
The divine refers to a God or Deity
Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism
The Ultimate refers to a non-personal ultimate truth
Buddhism, Taoism
Define Sacred
The sacred refers to an entity that is set apart from worldly existence, considered great, sometimes forbidden
Define Myth
A narrative that explains the supramundane (what is beyond our ordinary understanding)
*accurate from within groups, seems weird from the outside
Why is science not a religion?
- It is not faith based
- It does not practice ritual
Define Ritual
Religious behaviors that have a symbolic element and are performed within a sacred context.
