Studying or majoring in world religion, others call it religious studies, can help a person develop in ways that will be beneficial in the world. Religious Studies makes you think more deeply and profoundly. It also provides the opportunity to understand the many beliefs and rituals that religions has to offer, which makes a person appreciate the alternative world of the religious reality. An individual who studies religions would get a better understanding of others whose religious belief is different from theirs. As well as understanding how other religious practices operates. However, my top five reasons for majoring in religion or studying world religions are:
• Discovering many similarities among other religions. o Every religion
…show more content…
“Consider the United States, where many of you reside. According to the Pew Religion & Public Life Project, among the G8 countries, 58% of the U.S. residents responded affirmatively to the statement, ‘religion is very important’ in their lives.” (Lesson 1-14) How can people function without knowing something about world’s religion?
• Developing a greater stability in your faith. o In order words, upon the studying other religions, you become inspired by the different religions, which causes us to participate more in our religion. The majority of the time, one would enrich their practice based on their research. Incorporating other religious practices with their practices. For example, “Although uncommon, some Christians also observe the Jewish holidays, especially those that Jesus observed according to the New Testament.” (Lesson 12-21)
• Creating compassion and tolerance for others with different faith. o In other words, relating to another on a personal level based on a different religion as your own. Religious studies allow people to gain a better understanding of others’ beliefs, ethics and morals. Because as we know, religion is an essential component of
Because of these applications and implications in human lives and existence, religion should be understood deeply, particularly, on how it affects the world. Looking at the American perspective of the term "religion," it could be simply understood as images of church, worship, traditions and other sacred pilgrimages. However, religion is more than that. It bears and carries heavier implications and definitions that cannot be merely based on practical applications and references. This influenced the overall development of their cognitive skills and emotional capacities.
“Religion is one of the things that most people hope or fear is true”, quoting Davies. Divergent topics such as religion tend to fascinate, interest and attract them. There are plenty of reasons why different religions are practiced around the world. A common reason for participating in religious practices is family upbringing. People become religious despite undergoing numerous changes from childhood to adult life. Religion is important to the way humanity learns and receives information. Religions have spread across numerous cultures and societies, which may contribute to the cultural change and the people’s education. Religious concepts play a major role in shaping the beliefs around the world, though religious scriptures can be interpreted as myths. Myths are stories that people tell themselves to clarify the world around us and the world within us. Religious practices, beliefs and myths are different ways people use to relate to and approach religious
One is acquiring knowledge through reading books or documents. The other is person-to-person relationships. During this semester I will be fortunate to be involved in both. Cragg describes how the personal relationships give you the ability to surpass the level of knowledge you gain from academics. Forming relationships with Muslims allows you to humanize and more closely connect with those who differ in their religious beliefs. Cragg also claims that as Christians we need to be “committed to the infinite significance of the person.” Often times it is easier for me to just read and study instead of getting out and attempting to relate with people who are quite different from myself. Pushing myself to follow this approach is hard, but it is heart of the Christ-centered
In conclusion, it is important to study religion off campus as Smart (1994) has said one must “walk a mile in [the] moccasins [of religious people]” in order to gain a real understanding of how belief has an impact on people and how it motivates people to live their lives, this cannot be obtained through textbooks or media reports. It is how Harvey (2013) suggests that belief has to be learnt and is enacted by others through witnessing, speaking, reading, ritualising, congregation and acceptance. Studying off campus does not mean challenging the traditional understanding of religion. Historical and textual books should still be used to provide foundation knowledge but one must go beyond this and engage with living religions in order to obtain a rich first-hand experience.
...ifferent culture (other than Christianity) to practice their own beliefs, opens the mind of the younger generation to the understanding of other cultural practices. This acknowledgment, as well as the knowledge of having a diverse culture being introduced in schools, will benefit generations to come.
Religion is known to be a set of values, beliefs, and the understanding of life. Every religion has its own different set of beliefs and values. This essay will show how much religion has decreased, why people do not practice religion, and how secularism and the media have played a role in the decline of religion.
Religion, “part of the human experience that has to do with a god or gods, a higher power, or the ultimate values of life” (Cason & Tillman 6-7), is one of the most controversial and interesting subjects for humanity. It has been around for as long as anyone can recall and they have difference and similarities in their founders, beliefs, and history. Religion has served to give some sort of a meaning to life and everything around it. In modern society, some religions have grown and expanded significantly. These larger religions have been classified as world religions. In addition, these world religions have been split into two categories known as Eastern and Western religion.
Religion is intertwined with culture, economics, politics, and modern social relationships on every dimension. Whether you attend a cathedral, a synagogue, or a mosque, habitually, intermittently, or abstain entirely, you simply cannot escape religion.
Throughout history, religion has impacted the lives of millions whether at school, work, with friends, or by some tragedy. Religion can change the way people view their existence. Religion also plays a big role in the infiltration of values into the loves of many young people today. In a recent pole printed in the USA Weekend Paper, “34% of respondents [said] Religion plays a powerful role in their everyday lives.” These student respondents “cited religion as the second-strongest influence in their lives outranked only by parents.” Religion also surpassed the world-renounced media as an influence in their lives (Lerman. 1).
Religion is a group of cultural and belief systems, worship of a God or gods, and views that connect humanity to spirituality and to value of morals. Religion has taken distinctive forms in diverse cultures. Some religions affirm belief while others just practice. Religions relate to the inmost level of existence, and for most religions the cause of everything is sacred. Sacred reality can be in diverse ways. Traditional acts make it a cultural way of worshiping what they believe in and it's considered sacred (Molloy, 2013).
Religion is a phenomenon that has caused wars, death and love. With almost every culture worldwide having some form of religion, there are many different types of religion all around the world, some similar streams and others vastly different. Every religion has four main aspects: Belief and believers, sacred texts and writings, ethics and rituals, and ceremonies. These form the basis of each religion and set them apart from the rest: each branch of religion vastly different.
When we think of the word “baggage” it probably brings up an image of a bag or suitcase containing our personal items that we may bring on a trip. Another way to think to of “baggage” is not just in the physical sense, but also in a metaphysical way. People who fought in war carry both physical and metaphysical baggage during and after the war, especially the metaphysical baggage. The physical baggage would involve the items soldiers’ carry in their rucksacks, such as guns, maps, letters, and food, whatever they thought was found necessary. While the metaphysical baggage is the emotional load, such as the memories, fear, and guilt.
...he chance to learn from people with different religious backgrounds. I tend to ask people about their own religion because I find it interesting to know what they value and what their religion is based on. I think that everyone should take a couple of theology classes for them to better understand why some people choose each religion. We just need to stay open minded about the subject and not look down on people that are not the same as you.
In Introducing Philosophy of Religion, Chad Meister asserts “there are several components (that) seem to be central to the world religion: a system of beliefs, the breaking in of a transcendent reality, and human attitudes of ultimate concern, meaning and purpose” (Meister 6). Throughout my life, I feel that religion is one of the core social belief systems that people use to maintain what they feel is a good way to live. Giving them a sense of purpose or fulfillment during their earthly life, most hoping whatever beliefs that have will help them after death. Even though there are many different religions or religious value systems, everyone has most likely been exposed to one or more. There is only 15% of the world’s population that do not believe in one type of religion or another (Meister, 7).
Religion plays an enormous role in the history of mankind. Wars have been fought over it, lives have been surrounded by it, and it has directly or indirectly shaped the lives of many individuals. Culture and religion play a large role in developing each other. People’s religion is decided by their culture. The prominence or the lack of religion will develop someone’s religious identity have play a core role in determining what that person believes.