Section I Religion and Non-Religion Flashcards
Identify the following expressions of the religious dimension in human history:
– animism
– polytheism
– monotheism
Animism is the belief that all natural objects, whether it be plants, animals or landforms, possess a soul independent of their physical being.
They believed that spirits governed the day to day activities of the natural world (natural events may even be attributed to the actions of these spirits) and since all natural objects had souls, every part of creation had to treat every other part of creation with respect.
As such, prayer, sacrifice and ritual were natural responses to a world where everything was connected; where the survival of individuals and communities depended upon a harmony with all the forces and spirits in the world.
E.G Shinto and Celtic, also present in some indigenous communities like Australian Aboriginal, the Melanesian, Polynesian, the Micronesian and the Native American Indian cultures of today.
Polytheism is the belief in and worship of multiple gods and deities.
These deities are invested with their own stories, Individual personalities, Particular skills and a position in the hierarchy of gods – almost representing people in a sense. They believed the gods influenced humans lives and was thought to be developed essentially in response to the complexity of the world, and the question of how one god could possibly oversee everything.
Many ancient civilisation practiced this, it was developed from animism, e.g. ancient Egypt, ancient Greece.
Monotheism is the belief in and worship of only one God. This God is understood as all powerful (omnipotent) all knowing (omniscient) and ever present being who created the world as well as giving humanity its moral code.
It is expressed in the major Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Islam, Judaism
Evaluate the place of the religious dimension in human history to provide:
– meaning and purpose for the individual
– social cohesion
– social transformation
The significance of the religious dimension in human history
The religious dimension in human history is immensely significant in order to provide meaning and purpose for the individual. This is especially important as human experience is often characterised by a search for understanding in life’s big mysteries and questions, such as the origin, purpose and destiny of humankind. Religion, it its essence, attempts to set down guidelines and be a source of values and ideas in order to answer these questions and hence provide a sense of direction for the individual. Particularly, it answers questions concerning life, death, existence and the universe, and the concept of immorality is answered. For example, this can be seen in Christianity, where the concept heaven / hell serves to highlight the destiny of humankind, and that your actions on Earth will be rewarded of punished. In polytheistic religions such as Hinduism, the universe is explained in the terms that it is in a continual cycle of birth, death and rebirth. This provides individuals with a sense of meaning and purpose. As well as this, religion celebrates important rituals in one’s life (baptism in Christianity, bar mitzvot in Judaism), important rituals are celebrated and can be uplifting in times of crisis (war, famine) where human knowledge can no longer provide satisfactory answer to life’s questions. This significantly adds to the meaning and purpose for the individual as it provides a sense of identity, support and sense of belonging for the individual.
The religious dimension in human history is highly significant in providing social cohesion; how a society remains harmonious; the way in which a society maintains peace and provides structures to support its members. Religion plays a pivotal role in this through its maintenance and reinforcing of specific social structures, customs and values. These can include elements of a society such as laws, dietary requirements or codes of dress; and these ultimately promote cohesion by providing common goals, mutual obligations and collective focus. For example, the Sabbath practices in Judaism and the sharia laws in Islam, which promote a sense of bonding in the communities and strengthen the identity of that group.
In contrast, the inherently conservative nature of religion means it can also preserve rituals and practices that are unjust, such as institutions of slavery and oppression of women. This may negatively impact on social cohesion.
The religious dimension in human history is highly significant in providing social transformation; how a society changes and develops. It fulfils a paradoxical role, as while it is used to uphold and preserve traditional institutions, values and practices, religion is also used as a tool for social transformation which ultimately criticises the structure, customs and beliefs of its very own societies. Religion can provide an achievable vision of a better world, using the values and ideas from its sacred text writings, stories of founders and significant leaders of the tradition.
Many religious groups campaign for social justice, equality and advocating for marginalised groups in society. For example, this can be seen through Christian organisations such as St. Vincent De Paul or Caritas who advocate for groups like the homeless or try to achieve quality to groups in impoverished nations. Religion can furthermore aim to address issues like poverty, indigenous rights or global conflict. For instance, Christian and Islamic missionaries helped facilitate social transformation in Africa by educating them, equipping them with jobs and campaigning for the indigenous rights. World Gospel Mission (WGM) is a modern example where the establishment of schools, orphanages and hospitals propelled economic development, alleviating their poverty and thus providing social transformation.
Recognise the reasons for the rise of new religious expressions as people:
– search for personal fulfilment
– seek ethical guidelines
– seek to clarify their relationship with society
New religious expressions are steady on the rise – includes things like tarot cards, yoga, tai chi, acupuncture, crystals, astrology, Palmistry, meditation, numerology.
A major reason for the rise of new religious expressions is that people are searching for personal fulfilment. Particularly, the rise of secularism has seen individuals become increasingly dissatisfied with traditional religious traditions that may no longer seem to provide answers or guidance, and instead may appear outdated or irrelevant. In order to maintain a level of personal satisfaction, they may then adopt new age religions which directly fulfil this need, and provide them with a way to heal distress or promote healing. For example, practicing yoga and tai chi to relieve the anxieties of everyday life, or use crystals to deal with stress and heal. In addition, NAR may help individuals fulfil their needs in careers, personal wealth, relationships and providing a holistic approach to be spiritual, physical and emotional wellness and health. For example, participating in activities at the ‘Mind Body Spirit’ Festival such as meditation, psychic readings and seminars on healing through various ways. They can pick and choose the values they believe in, rather than the loyalty demanded by traditional religions This all promotes personal fulfilment for individuals by allowing them to achieve inner peace and satisfaction throughout daily lives.
In addition, individuals seeking ethical guidance is also a reason for the rise of new religious expressions. People in modern society face new ethical issues such as cloning and abortion, and traditional religious responses to these issues may not appear to be relevant. People may feel that traditional religions do not allow individuals sufficient independence and initiative, as simply being obedient to authorities does not permit self-determination and legitimate freedom. Instead, they may turn to a myriad of new age religions which promote the values of tolerance, universalism, environmentalism, and moral relativism and offer fluidity and flexibility that devotees may find attractive. ( as opposed to the restrictive nature of traditional religions). For example, exercise ethical guidance for followers regarding the environment, Australian Earth, Spirit, Action movement — provides guidance from rituals and understanding of nature as faith. As well is this, new Age adherence may also utilize techniques such a astrology, palmistry or channelling to seek answers from the Cosmo and the spirit world on pertinent ethical questions. The ethical guidance gained from these new age religions may therefore be more flexible and accommodate for a changing society.
Furthermore, individuals are seeking to clarify their role with society at large; thus contributing to the rise in NAR. Individuals may no longer feel that traditional religions give them a supportive, meaningful community that is relevant in modern times. For example they may feel that traditional religions cause oppression in communities; like the oppression of women in Islam. In turn, they may feel that new religions offer closer relationships, more meaningful celebrations and consequently more freedom to express their individualism. For example, some may promote a strong sense of unity, like Hillsong or Gaianism who collectively worship the earth. All in all, new religions offer more appropriate rituals, empowerment within a religious community based on equality and distribution of talents, simplicity of life and teachings and an added emphasis on emotions rather than on intellect.
Explain how the following have influenced the growth of new religious expressions and spiritualities:
– the rise of materialism
– scientific progress
– growth of ecological awareness
– disenchantment with ‘traditional’ religious practice and guidance
The rise of materialism has positively impacted on the growth of new religious expressions and spiritualties. Today’s society is marked by consumerism and commonly advertises abundant wealth and prosperity; which ultimately leads some people to be attracted to philosophies which claim to facilitate a quick and certain accumulation of wealth, for those who follow it. Particularly, a number of new religious expressions advocate ways of achieving individual wealth and thus appeal to individuals of a materialistic society; as well as encouraging people to seek their own fulfilment and satisfaction without regard for others. For example, New Age ‘prosperity doctrine’ which promises wealth to all followers through faith and the consumerist attitude of choosing from a ‘supermarket’ of beliefs like meditation, channelling or tarot reading. Other religious expressions may emerge as direct backlash to materialism; supporting spiritual development as opposed to the material advancement of humankind. For example eco-friendly nature religions such as paganism Wicca and druidism which ultimately perceive materialism as a symbol of exploitation by humans of the earth and its natural resources.
The growth of scientific progress in the modern day era can also account for the increase of nee age religions. Specifically, the increasing influence of science has undermined the faith in religious institutions; as if often reaches developments which question the validity of religious worldviews and understanding. For example, Developments in the field of genetics has called into question the role of a divine creator in light of the capability of cloning different species. Discoveries drawn from Darwin’s theory of evolution have largely invalidated the Christian-Genesis Biblical story of creation as the origin of mankind. As a result, it is inevitable that people will begin to turn to new religious expressions, such as New Age, in order to better meet their needs and understanding of the world; for example Astrology or meditation. The rise of scientific progress may also propel the development of religion expressions with a pseudo-scientific basis, claiming to provide healing, fulfillment of wellbeing through the harnessing pf power drawn from some aspect of scientific progress. The association with science provides them with a degree of authenticity which many people find reassuring.
The growing ecological awareness in modern society has manifested into the increase in New Age religions. With this growing awareness there is an opportunity for people to become attracted to types of new religious expression which have close connections to ecological concerns. Many new religious expressions practice beliefs that are compatible with the environmental / ecological movement; and as a result have shown considerable increase in recent census numbers. For example, neo-paganism, Wicca and Gaianism. These new age expressions make use of the connection between the human person and their natural environment as a source of healing and personal enrichment. These may include nature retreats, rituals involving elements of nature and prayers invoking a power or spirit from within creation.
In many cases the disenchantment with traditional religious practice and guidance is the primary reason for an individual seeking fulfilment in other religious practices such as New Age. Many people feel that traditional religious practices do not provide a relevant and meaningful support system for them in the challenges they face in the modern world. Particularly, there is a growing lack of confidence In traditional ethics, practices and leaders. For example, the credibility of church leaders such as Catholic priests has been significantly undermined due to recent charges in sexual abuse that have come to light in recent years; as well as a general opposition to patriarchal rule in a modern society. In addition, many people may also feel that social movements of the 20th century have largely
Outline the essential features of Atheism and Agnosticism
Atheism is the belief that no god or divine being exists and hence nothing divine exists outside of humanity. In regards to this, they believe the universe, the earth and it’s life evolved by a natural scientific progress without intervention by a supernatural entity. They believe therefore that humanity has no ultimate goal and since there is no God, there is no afterlife.
Agnosticism is when they believe there is not enough sufficient evidence to warrant the belief in the existence of a divine being. Essentially, the question of whether a higher power existed was unsolved and insolvable. As such, they do not entertain ideas of heaven, hell and judgement day.
Outline the essential features of Atheism and Agnosticism
outline the positions of:
– Rational Humanism
– Scientific Humanism
Humanism as a whole is the living philosophy which rejects the notion of the transcendent and as a result asserts that this life and this world is all we have. As such, humans can and do have control over their destinies. As a result, they have strong ethical the moral doctrine regarding social responsibility equality and ecological sustainability.
They also believe that Solutions to the world’s problems live in human thought rather than divine intervention. They recognise the reliable knowledge of the world and ourselves arises through a continuing process of Evaluation as opposed to traditional religions which have their revelations fixed for all of time and seek to impose them on humanity.
Rational humanism is the name given to a philosophy which focuses on the values and achievements of human beings; elevating human reason as the highest form of authority in existence. It aims to address global inequities through the use of compassion, morality, equality, ethics (human values) to build a better world for humankind.
Scientific humanism is similar however it is the philosophy which asserts that science and technology is the ultimate authority; and global inequities would be able to be addressed through scientific and technological emphasis which ultimately build a better world for humankind. Uses this to address the big problems of poverty, environmental degradation, social inequalities and other global issues in contemporary societies. argues that any idea that is unable to be tested by the sciences cannot be accepted as truth.
Discuss how Agnosticism, Atheism and Humanism determine the aspirations and behaviour of individuals
Atheism is the belief that no god or divine being exists, hence this could influence behaviours and aspirations either to adopt strong moral values or alternatively, no values at all. Atheists reject the notion of the transcendent, that morality is determined to individuals through divine revelation, and instead hold in high regard that God is not needed to be moral; where humans have control over their own destinies. This may encourage them to make ethical, rational choices, instead of blindly abiding to Gods and religious ideologies; and as such may be involved in the pursuit of worthwhile secular activities and endeavours, including humanitarian projects. For example, they may affiliate themselves with a scientific humanist type group, furthermore influencing their aspirations in a positive way, as they may turn their attention to issues such as poverty or environmental degradation as they recognise the inherent value of humanity, as this world and this life is all we have. Instead of aligning themselves with God’s ethics, they sanction the principle of moral relativism, the idea that what may be right for one person in any given situation may not necessarily be right for another. This provide atheists with an important foundation for ethical issues such as euthanasia abortion sexuality. In contrast, Atheists may feel since there is no afterlife, humanity has no ultimate goal. This may influence their behaviour in a negative way, as they may think it is acceptable to lie, steal or cheat since there is no deity stipulating what is right or wrong. They may be motivated by greed or selfishness to act however they wish with no consideration for others; as ultimately they may believe since it is only this life that matters, they will not be punished in an afterlife.
Agnosticism – same idea just define differently
Humanism as a whole is the living philosophy which rejects the notion of the transcendent and as a result asserts that this life and this world is all we have. As such, humans can and do have control over their destinies. As a result, they have strong ethical and moral doctrine regarding social responsibility, equality and ecological sustainability; which can have a profoundly positive impact on their behaviour and aspirations. For example, they may affiliate themselves with a scientific humanist type group, to turn their attention to issues such as poverty or environmental degradation as they believe it is humans who have control over their destines and should rely on human thought to solve the world’s issues rather than divine intervention. In addition, they may adopt this rational humanist perspective and believe as a part of the humanist manifesto that since this is the only life we have, aim to build a better world for humankind through addressing global inequities through compassion, equality and ethics. For example, Fred Hollows was a humanist who through his foundation and strong humanist values, managed to restore the sense of sight to many in the developing world. In this regard, being a humanist means the freedom of to make one’s own choices to benefit humankind; instead of the passive submission to religious ideologies.
Compare the response of ONE religious and ONE non-religious belief system to:
– the concept of the transcendent
– the human person
– social responsibility
Christianity and Humanist: Concept of the transcendent
In regards to the concept of the transcendent, all Christians adhere strongly to this, that there is something outside of and beyond the human, and that it is this divine being which gives meaning and purpose to life. As such, they believe this God is the ultimate source of creation; as well as concepts such as heaven, hell, and judgement day as a part of their belief in eternal life after death. This God is important to worship, obey his commandments, and He gives meaning and purpose to individual’s lives.
In significant contrast, humanists do not adhere to any transcendent dimension, denying the existence of a God. As such, humanists only accept the scientific view of evolution, undermining the validity of the biblical creation story. They do not entertain the idea of heaven, hell, the day of judgement or an eternal life after death – and thus believe that this life and this world is all we have. It is important for humanity to give meaning and purpose instead of an omnipotent, omniscient deity.
Christianity and Humanist: The human person
In regards to the human person, Christians and humanists alike recognise and acknowledge common elements; however due to differing beliefs, they are thus interpreted differently. Both Christians and Humanists regard the human person as being of supreme value and have certain communal and social responsibilities to one another. For Christians, they regard the human person as made in the image of God and therefore must be shown dignity, given respect and authentic freedom. They believe humans have the responsibility to live an ethical life, and behave according to revealed truths given by God; so they can receive eternal life. For Christians, they believe that these social and communal responsibilities are derived from the revelation of God. In contrast, Humanists believe that communal and social responsibilities are derived purely from human experience. It is stipulated that humans are just like all other forms of life, and do not receive eternal life, paradise, heaven. Ethical living is determined by socially acceptable codes in society, and the individual’s own capacity to make rational, informed choices.
Christianity and Humanist: Social Responsibility
Both Christians and humanists hold strong views on social responsibility and community involvement. This is because ultimately both belief systems aim to make the world a better place for all people to live in, and hence the improvement of the overall living of all people occupies a central position in both Christian and humanist thinking. Most Christian groups have specific doctrines on social responsibility, where it is clearly defined in the Bible as a commitment for humans to build a just and equal society in accordance w/ the Gospel. For example, they may exercise social welfare and personal acts of charity in order to overcome severe inequality in marginalized societal groups. These include St Vincent De Paul and Caritas. Furthermore, there is an emphasis on helping people in need in order to follow Jesus’ examples and ensure eternal life for good deeds done on the Earth. Conversely, Humanists doctrines are not clearly defined. Since they have no belief in an afterlife, tend to place a greater emphasis on the contributions made by people in this life. Exercising social responsibility is in relation to the concept of the common good, volunteering to work out of their own will, rather than because a religious god demands it. After all, they hold the principle that since there is no god to make the world a better place, It is humanity’s responsibility and humanity’s actions that will determine the good of the world. So similar to Christians
