Religion and non-Religion Flashcards
Expression of religious dimension in human history
- Animism
- Polytheism
- Monotheism
Animism is the belief in
innumerable spiritual beings concerned with human affairs and capable of helping or harming human interests. From its earliest beginnings it was a belief that a soul or spirit existed in every object, even if it was inanimate. In a future state this soul or spirit would exist as part of an immaterial soul. The spirit, therefore, was thought to be universal.
Examples of Animism
- Shinto- Mt Fuji as a god
* Ancient religions- Aboriginal Spiritualties
Polytheism
Belief in or worship of multiple gods or deities.
- The Greeks believed that the gods and goddesses lived at a place called Mt Olympus
- Their gods looked like humans but had magical powers that allowed them to change into animals and take on other forms
•These gods were immortal examples of these gods include –
- Zeus – King of the Gods
- Hades – god of the lower world and wealth
- Hera - queen of the gods and Zeus’s wife
- Athena – goddess of wisdom, war, arts, crafts and the city of Athens
Polytheism is the expression of the response to the complexity of the world.
One God only cannot possibly be do everything
• Monotheism is
the belief in the existence of one god, or in the oneness of God. It characterises the traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
context/origin of animism
Inherited from the Palaeolithic age
context/origin of polytheism
Polytheism was facilitated by the development of a new economic and social organization, the use of human energy, the formation of ruling classes, hierarchical organization, and the administrative division of labour.
context/origin of monotheism
abraham
The significance of the religious dimension in human history
- Meaning and purpose for the individual
- Social cohesion
- Social transformation
Meaning and purpose for the individual
personal search of meaning; provides answers to the fundamental questions of human existence (through sacred texts, teachings, stories, ethical teachings), ethical guidance; provides stability in a changing world (on big issues like sexuality, marriage, abortion, euthanasia, environment), sense of belonging; role of community (hajj, baptism), ritual meaning (stages of life, birth, marriage, coming of age, death) and fundamental need of protection; god as a fatherly figureh
Social Cohesion
- Religion is a source of social cohesion
- Social cohesion involves a sense of unity and belonging that goes beyond the family circle. It shows the desire to live together and to share the same sense of value and culture.
- Religious traditions achieve social cohesion through
doctrine, stories, ethics, experiences, rituals, social organisations, special periods of time such as sacred events and holidays, holy places, symbols and sacred scriptures.
Social Transformation
- Social transformation means how a society changes and develops. The religious dimension has often acted as a means of change, but also sometimes as a system that has prevented change.
- Christianity : The world’s largest religious tradition, approx.
2 billion adherents,
- Islam : Second largest
,1.5 billion adherents,
The majority of the world’s Muslims live in
Africa
- Hinduism: Third largest, approx.
950 million
- Buddhism: There are approximately
360 million Buddhists around the world.
Worlds fourth largest religion. Largely found in
Asia, Particularly in South East Asian countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Hindus worldwide, mostly in
India, Nepal, Mauritius.
Christian found largely in
Europe, North and South America, central and southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand, largest tradition in Australia.
Muslims can be found in
Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Somalia, Sudan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indonesia.
Judaism how many :
14 million worldwide,
Jews can be found in
USA, Israel, Europe, Palestine and Britain
dominant religious traditions on the African continent are
Islam and Christianity
Fathers of sociology in religion
Karl Marx
Max Weber
Social transformation contribution
brought about and prevented change;
- education and instruction. changes in thinking (for example, Maimonides)
- Religions have been great patrons of the arts and have often supported artists and new styles (Renaissance)
- Religions have supported national expansion through wars and colonisation (for example, the European conquest of South American cultures and the spread of the Ottoman Empire).
- They have also been the protectors of the innocent and the defenders of the environment.
- Religions have also admitted past errors and injustices. They have striven to bring about common understandings and acceptance of differences (for example, ecumenism in Christianity and interfaith dialogue).
- Religions have developed ideas to change society’s attitudes towards minority groups
- attempt to bring about correct understanding when new ethical issues arise (for example, cloning, IVF and HIV/AIDS).
- Religious ideas and concepts have been used to aid people in responding to natural and human-made disasters.
The reasons for the rise of new religious expression as people
Search for personal fulfilment
Seek ethical guidance
Seek to clarify their relationship with society
Search for personal fulfilment
- Individualism is a significant feature of our society-needs to find a personal answer to our quest for meaning and purpose that cannot be fulfil by old religions followed by millions of adherents
- New Age religions offers a less traditional world view more open to new societal trends (role of women, homosexuality, ecology…)
- Astrology, Crystal Healing, Tarot Cards or Palmistry, Dream Interpretation, ,
Seek ethical guidance
- People are concerned with an increase of immorality. Violence seems to increase and the traditional religions have not proven to solve moral dilemma.
- Some traditional faith have tarnished their aura, being involved in immoral scandal (child abuse, justification of terrorism, support given to racism and intolerance)
- People still want moral guidance but outside the traditional scheme.
Seek to clarify their relationship with society
- Explaining the world is also a challenge for people in search for meaning. With the development of the technology of information, we know more about the rest of the world and confusion grow (war, global economics, social injustice…)
- The new spiritualties constitute alternative views to explain the world.
influence on the growth of new religious experiences
– the rise of materialism
– scientific progress
– growth of ecological awareness
– disenchantment with ‘traditional’ religious practice and guidance
The rise of materialism
- preoccupied by profit. Money has become the new religion, dollar the new God.
- The rise of materialism has been changing people’s focus away from spirituality and human relationships and towards selfish, immoral obsession with consumerism
Scientific progress
- Scientific discoveries have replaced the myths and the stories that had been explaining the creation of the universe and the beginning of things.
- Although traditional religions argue that Science and Religions are not antinomic, people turn away from traditional religious interpretations and explanations of the world.
Growth of ecological awareness
- Traditional religions are seen to have done little towards the Environment
- New religions often have an interest in the environment and offer ways of sustaining a healthy environment
Disenchantment with ‘traditional’ religious practice and guidance
- Traditional religions offer sometimes a too rigid structure : hierarchy, male dominance…
- Practices are relegated to ageing population- lack of modernity, unsuitable for young people
- Traditional rituals are out fashioned and lack relevance in modern society
- Traditional religions sometimes give out-dated guidance, as elaborated before the science and technology era.
Atheism
• Atheism is the doctrine, which posits the notion that no god or divine being exists, and hence nothing divine exists outside of humanity.
Earth evolved by a natural scientific process without intervention by a supernatural entity. humanity has no ultimate goal
When is Atheism come about
largely the product of the seventeenth century European Enlightenment movement. The Age of Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that advocated the use of reason over religion because the latter was associated with irrationality and primitive superstitions.
Agnositicism
Absence of knowledge
Agnosticism is the belief that the evidence which is supposed to prove the existence of God is insufficient at the present time. Agnostics do not believe there is sufficient evidence to warrant the belief in the existence of a divine being. However, such matters could conceivably change in the future because if at a later date there is sufficient evidence to prove the existence of God then their views will change.
When and why agnosticism came about
• Already present in the Ancient Greece, agnosticism developed rapidly in the 18th and 19th centuries because of scientific discoveries that contradicted many religious dogmas, the Bible and other Holy Scriptures.
Agnosticism quote
“There ain’t no answer. There ain’t going to be any answer. There never has been an answer. That’s the answer.” Gertrude Stein, attempting to describe Agnosticism
Rational humanism
the focus of human existence is the human. It uses logic, science and humanities to bring a deeper understanding of the meaning and the purpose of live.
• Rational humanism is the product of an 18th century intellectual movement, known as the Age of Enlightenment
Scientific humanism
the emphasis is placed on the study of science to explain the mystery of life. What science cannot prove should not be accepted as truth.
• Philosophy which places a significant emphasis upon science and technology to address global problems such as poverty, environmental degradation, and social inequalities- sustainability, social justice
mainly came about in 20th century
Discuss how Agnosticism, Atheism and Humanism determine the aspirations and behaviour of individuals
Agnosticism
• All human aspirations can be achieved through the use of Reason
• Self-determination is important. People are responsible for their own life
• Individuals are also responsible for solving modern problems, no reliance on God
• Ethics are the basis of the society telling people how to behave towards each other
Atheism •Self determination •Human freedom •Ethical behaviour •Science, History, anthropology, sociology, Philosophy…constitute the basis for Ethics • Education is essential • Access to basic human rights • Democracy
Humanism
• Reason and science through experiment , investigation, study…lead towards happiness in life
• The principle of moral equality must be furthered through elimination of all discrimination based upon race, religion, sex, age, or national origin. This means equality of opportunity and recognition of talent and merit.
the response of ONE religious and ONE non-religious belief system to:
– the concept of the transcendent
christian one god who is creator of universe, belief in afterlife, belief in soul, personal experience with god
atheist
no need for concept of transcendent
the response of ONE religious and ONE non-religious belief system to:
– the human person
christian; consists of body/intellect/soul/emotion
spirit destiny
need guidance of divine
ethical living in accordance with teachings
atheist- no soul, no spiritual destiny, uses reason, ethical living determined by social codes and personal values
the response of ONE religious and ONE non-religious belief system to:
– social responsibility
- Christians believe that humans behave towards other humans according to the precept that God created man in his image
- People have the responsibility to build a just society where everyone is provided with equal chances and opportunities and where everybody is entitled to dignity and respect
- The family is the basic unit of society
- Marriage is a fundamental feature as it brings new children to the world
- Poor people must be looked after
- Social welfare and charity are an obligation
- The environment must be looked after-stewardship
Non-religion
• For non-religious people, the right way we live in society can be attainable through study and reason
• Humans need each other, there are social animals
• political and economic science study how do people relate to each other
• Anthropology, history sociology show the organisation of societies
• Scientific studies show the impact of humans on the environment and show also how to solve some of the problems
• Science show the interconnection between humans and their living environment
