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The partnership between religion and ethics
The relationship between religion & ethics
The Ritual Dimension of religion
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1.
Beliefs and believers –
Beliefs and believers are the most important characteristics of religion. Beliefs are defined as true thoughts that help express self-understanding of the tradition of the religion. For example, the Buddhist religion believes in Buddha (the teacher), Dharma (Buddha’s laws) and Sangha (the community of monks and nuns). Believers are people that are adherent of a particular religion or divine being. For example, Christians believe in one God, creator of the universe and everything in it.
Sacred texts and writings –
Sacred texts and writings are to help people understand the important beliefs in a religion. A sacred text or writing may be written or shown as an image. For example, Muslims believe in the holy book ‘Qur’an’. It contains the key messages of how Muslims should live and treat one another and it is revered.
Ethics –
Ethics are ideas that guide us through life, helping show us how we should live life. For example, Hindus believe that all life is holy. They try to not hurt humans or animals either mentally, physically or emotionally.
Rituals and ceremonies –
Rituals and ceremonies are ways to celebrate the tradition and connect with the religion. For example, Jewish people believe that when a person passes away their body should never be left alone until they are buried. Next to the body a candle is lit as a sign of reverence.
2. Explore the ways in which these characteristics interact to create a dynamic, living religion in Christianity.
In Christianity the characteristics used to create a dynamic, living religion include beliefs and believers, sacred texts and writings, ethics and rituals and ceremonies.
Christianity is the world’s largest religion beginning about 20...
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...lly correct way. For example in regards to sexual morality Christianity has prominent views about homosexuality and extra marital affairs. Social concerns about wealth and resources and the impact of pollution on the environment are also significant issues. Catholic Earthcare Australia is one such organisation.
One of the strongest desires of human experience is the “sense of belonging”. Religion allows for this community feeling because it brings people together who have similar ideals and values in a caring environment. Christians meet regularly at mass as a community to remember Jesus died for our sins.
Rituals are a significant part of religious life. Stages in humans lives are marked by traditional events. Christians are baptised, confirmed and married in their ‘church’. Great importance is placed on these and other events and the rituals associated with them.
It is clearly evident that the five principal beliefs in Christianity, the divinity and humanity of Jesus, the death and resurrection of Jesus, the nature of God and the trinity, the revelation and salvation all deeply impact on and influence the lives of its adherents.
Jesus’ teachings created the religion of Christianity. Though Christians were persecuted during the beginning of time in which they began to spread, many factors helped to shape Christianity into the popular religion it is today. Christianity was able rise from just a Jesus ministry to a popular religion with the help of martyrdom, missionaries, governmental support and Jesus himself.
Ordinary religion shows people how to live well within boundaries, and concern themselves with living well in this current world, not in another. Ordinary religion promotes cultures, traditions, values, and common social acts. In contrast, extraordinary religion helps people to transcend beyond their ordinary culture and concerns, crosses the borders of life as we used to know it and seeks to new better place. It is also believed that people have chance to contact God through spiritual ceremonies and get helped by supernatural power. For instance, ceremonies and rituals of baptism and circumcision for infants, and conformations for adolescents, marriage, and funerals for the dead. Through these spiritual ceremonies, people are crossing the physical boundaries and reaching something supernatural that they believe will give them power to encounter challenges and difficulties during stages of life. There are three elements in religious belief developing most religions in America, which are fundamental, ritual, and tradition. The first element is the fundamental structures which are defined with a myth, philosophy, or theology and limited by the boundaries that create the basic ways in which people, cultures and communities imagine, define, and accept how things are and what they mean. A second essential element of religion is ritual. Rituals are a representative set of
Religion has 7 core attributes that allow someone to call it a religion, these include Narrative, Doctrine, Emotional, Material, Ethical, Ritual and Social. These seven attributes help individuals identify what can be classified as a “religion”, however spirituality has no “easy way” to identifying it. Spirituality can be found within the individual looking for their “meaning” but not physically expressed.
Ethics is a doing and learning experience which causes us as humans to keep an open mind to change. Generally, ethics ask us to live mindfully, to think how we act and even how we feel or do things, which can change the outcome. Sometimes we go down certain roads, which may be harder or make things more complicated or complex instead of making an easier option we just take the easier way out, usually the way that calls for
Christianity has grounded our lives in the living God as revealed through Jesus. This belief must be a choice people make as well as a gift we all receive within the Christian community. Christians must trust in and rely upon God as the source of everything in their lives. Faith is about believing in the trinity; God, Jesus the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit as three in one. Christians follow Jesus’ teachings and answer the call to be his disciples in the world. Christian faith is looking forward to joining God in the future and entering into the coming kingdom that God has promised His followers through Jesus. Christians join together in reflecting with each other in the Christian community about the good news of God’s love through Jesus Christ. Christians believe in the “new life in Christ,” which is the gift of God’s grace; such rebirth and personal assurance gives all new eyes to see the living truth in Scripture. The Christian worldview may differ in different denominations of Christianity but only exist because of their belief of God and Jesus.
Through the close study of two of the aspects shown in the diagram, their contributions allow Christianity to be considered a living religious tradition. The significant contributions of Pope John XXIII, during both his papal and Pre-papal life have had everlasting effects on not only Catholicism, but Christianity as a whole and lead to the sense of Christianity being a living religious tradition. His works include two Papal encyclicals, Mater et Magistra and Pacem in Terris, along with his work being Apostolic Delegate of Greece and Turkey. Moreover, The significant practice of Baptism has further contributed to Christian being considered a living religious tradition as it accounts for the premise of most Christian beliefs to be initiated, especially in terms of salvation and affirming the beliefs in the trinity and following the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Religions play a crucial role in impacting how adherents live their lives and their understanding of humanities enduring questions of life. Religion is an active system of faith. Christianity is a religion centred on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the bible. A living tradition is one that is active amongst followers in present society. Whereas a dynamic tradition is capable of adapting and amending in order to meet the needs of society. Christianity is formed as a living and dynamic tradition, which is defined by its distinct characteristics. Characteristics include, sacred texts and writings, rituals and ceremonies, beliefs and believers and ethics. Ultimately, Christianity is shaped as a living and dynamic tradition through the characteristics of religion’s impacts on adherents.
Have you ever thought about how Christianity took hold in the ancient world? What caused people to alter their religion to Christianity? You might’ve heard the name “Jesus” somewhere. Jesus was not necessarily the founder of this religion, Peter was. To be exact, Jesus’ actions resulted in the founding of Christianity, but he didn’t find the religion. God’s words were transferred through Jesus, and Jesus convinced many people to believe in God. Jesus was born as the “son” of God and played a significant part in spreading the religion. This essay is part of a series that will each go in depth of 5 main religions; Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism. Most or all of
Benchmark Assignment: Gospel Essentials There are several aspects to consider when exploring the Christian worldview. There are many facets and denominations and they each have their own distinct beliefs and practices, but they all share the same fundamental beliefs. In this paper we will explore the character of God, His creation, humanity and its nature, Jesus’ significance to the world, and the restoration of humanity, as well as my beliefs and the way that I interact with Christianity and my personal worldview. God In the Christian worldview, God is the one and only God. He is the sovereign creator of everything.
Rituals can be described in multiple different ways such as church services or graduation ceremonies. They can even be illustrated by “the symbolic use of bodily movements and gestures in a social situation to express and articulate meanings”. Rituals can be distinguished from daily routines that has connections to the symbols, beliefs, and values of the social groups. Rituals provide meaning through shared experiences to social assemblies. Ritual provides a mechanism to rejoin the mind and body in an activity of
According to Ninian Smart, the seven dimensions of religion include practical and ritual, emotional and experiential, narrative and mythical, ethical and legal, doctrinal and philosophical, social and institutional, and material. The practical and ritual dimension involves rituals and practices that provide spiritual awareness of adherents. The emotional and experiential dimension includes the life changing experiences that either the leaders or followers of a religion go through. Narrative and mythical dimension are the stories and past records that preserve tradition and culture in the religion. Ethical and legal dimension of the religion are basically the codes of behavior that are followed and expected within the religion. The doctrinal and philosophical dimension is the belief system created by leaders for believers. Social and Institutional dimension is the organizational structure of the religion. Last but not least the material dimension includes works of people and preservation of sacred places creating symbolic representation of traditional beliefs. Using these seven dimensions, we will explore how they can be interpreted in the religion of Christianity.
Religion is the one element of life that has connected the races and societies of the world for hundreds of years. It has given meaning to lives that may seem otherwise hopeless. Religion has provided for a universal language and culture among those who believe in a higher power. The spirit or being receiving the worship and praise may not be the same, but the practices are usually similar and serve the same purpose--to give direction, insight, courage, and a divine connection.
Rites form and essential part of social life. Rites invoke ancestors and the dead. The whole person, body, and soul are totally involved in worship. There are many rites of purification of individuals and communities. Religious sacredness is preserved in ritual, in dress and the arrangements of the places of worship. The sick are healed in rites, which involve their families and the community. Some of the traditional blessings are rich and very meaningful. In worship and sacrifice there is co-responsibility each person contributes his share in a spirit of participation. Symbols bridge the spheres of the sacred and secular and so make possible a balanced and unified view of reality.
Ethics is a system of moral principles and a branch of philosophy which defines what is acceptable for both individuals and society. It is a philosophy that covers a whole range of things that have an importance in everyday situations. Ethics are vital in everyones lives, it includes human values, and how to have a good life, our rights and responsibilities, moral decisions what is right and wrong, good and bad. Moral principles affect how people make decisions and lead their lives (BBC, 2013). There are many different beliefs about were ethics come from. These consist of; God and Religion, human conscience, the example of good human beings and a huge desire for the best for people in each unique situation, and political power (BBC, 2013).