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Essay on universal religion
Essay on universal religion
Polytheistic religions
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Religions of the World
Religions of the world must be studied subjectively, or with the attitude of pluralism, the view that they are all equal. A number of methods are used to study religions. The most common is the historical comparative method in which a certain faith's history and traditions are deliberated. This method focuses on orthodoxy, meaning "correct thought." Another method is the phenomenological method. This method, unlike the historical comparative method, is centered on orthopraxy, or "correct practice."
Other less common methods involve subjective modes of study such as the confessional method of study, which interprets a religion based on a particular point of view, and the empathetic approach, which is based on putting oneself in the place of the participant of a particular religion.
All of the worlds religions can be labeled as being either exclusive or non-exclusive based on how false a certain religion regards other religions. Most often exclusive religions are monotheistic and occidental, while non-exclusive religions are polytheistic and oriental. Religions are also either ethnic or universalizing. Ethnic religions can either be simple (based on place or kinship groups), compound (tied to nationality, ethnicity or state), or complex (ethnicity and religion are inseparable). Universalizing religions are classified by how open the religion is to accepting outsiders.
The study between geography and religion is to determine the effects that the two have on one another. The physical environment has a history of religious events dating back to biblical times. For instance, mountains have been associated with the talking to God. Mount Sanai was the place where God spoke to Moses and the...
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...t only grow through migration's natural expansion, or conquest and exile, but also through contact conversion. This happens when two separate groups are in close contact with one another and their traits and ideas begin to merge. Another means is through missionary work or co-existence between religions.
The world has hundreds of thousands of religions that cannot all be explained in a single sitting. Many of these religions have gross similarities and many are unlike any others. However almost all religions evolved from one of very few that have existed the longest, and have been altered and renamed throughout history. The importance of religion on geography is an important one that is often overlooked as other geographical factors often are. Religions will continue to change and develop over time, and with them, geography will also continue to be altered.
It is not possible that these religions cannot share some commonalities, since all religions are formed by members of the same species. Although he claims all religions to be different, Prothero still easily forms a four-part study to them all, identifying in all religions a problem, a religious goal, a technique to reach this goal, and exemplars who chart the path to this goal (14). Though Prothero created this method in order to show that all religions have different motivations behind them, he also shows that all religions have a similar structure in which they approach the problems that they identify. Later, Prothero creates a sports analogy in order to highlight the different aims of each religion. In this analogy, he asks which sport is the best at scoring runs, and says the answer “is baseball, because runs is a term foreign to basketball, tennis and golf alike (22).” Although the specific term runs is particular only to baseball, the idea of scoring points is the same in all of the sports he listed. Similarly, in religions, though the specific names and the attributes of the problems and religious goals that different religions propose may be different, the base ideas behind these things are similar, since humans asked these
Religion reinforces the beliefs of individuals within a society. Additionally, religion has played a vital role in society since it influenced the way they lived and the rituals they may or may not have practiced. Different regions of the world during ancient time held a distinct set of beliefs, each based on different or similar principals. Deriving from the polytheistic set of beliefs, monotheism came in place of many Gods, holding just one god accountable for the creation and the existence of mankind. Christianity and Buddhism share similarities and differences, but most importantly the impact that each had on the culture is what is mostly referred to.
For example, to some nations, certain geographical or topographical features have deep religious and ceremonial meaning. This concept is known as “sacred geography.” For example, in the Cherokee religion, it is believed that the evidence of past religious events (i.e. the creation of the Cherokee people) can still be seen on the physical landscape of what is now known as the Southeastern United States.
The constituted method is when one discovers themselves through others. There is a false way and an effective, true way to discover oneself in a constituted manner. The false way of self-discovery is copying other people’s sense of self. (Their beliefs, opinions, actions… etc.) The other more effective method would be to learn from the experiences of others, and to learn from who they are. It is taking the self-understanding from others and deciding what to accept as one’s own self-understanding. Ultimately, the decision of the ideas to believe or reject must be made by the individual.
Religion is an institution that can provide stability for societies through various religious concepts, and is substantial for the support of social cohesion and order. Many functionalist theories of religion, for example, claim that religion functions in such a way as to integrate societies (McCauley, 1984). There are many types of religion that people practice world-wide such as Christianity, Catholi...
There are three different perspectives towards all religions: Excluivism, Pluralism, and Inclusivism (lecture notes, 1/12). These views towards religions vary greatly and determine the parallels or disconnects between all of them. In brief, excluivism determines that whatever faith is outside their belief system is false. Pluralism is on the other side of the spectrum. Pluralism express the fact that though there are many different religions and practices they are all equal in truth. Catholicism takes the perspective of Inclusivism. This point of view stresses the fact that all religions have some grasps of objective truths but, to do not have the universal truth.
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.
All over the world, there are many people who believe in something or someone of a higher power. There are about five billion people who believe in a higher power (Tiemann 526). There are six world religions that have followers all around the world. The six world religions are Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Many of these religions are monotheistic, which is the belief of only one god or one higher power. There are also polytheistic believers, which is the belief in many or more than one god. These six world religions have a lot in common and they also have their differences that make their certain religion or belief special to them.
Religion is an ever-growing idea that has no set date of origin. Throughout history religion has served as an answer to the questions that man could not resolve. The word religion is derived from the Latin word “religio” meaning restraint in collaboration with the Greek word “relegere” which means to repeat or to read again. Religion is currently defined as an organized system of beliefs and practices revolving around, or leading to, a transcendent spiritual experience. Throughout time, there has yet to be a culture that lacks a religion of some form, whether it is a branch of paganism, a mythological based religion or mono/polytheistic religion. Many religions have been forgotten due to the fact that they were ethnic religions and globalizing religions were fighting to be recognized, annihilating these ancient and ethnic religions. Some of these faiths include: Finnish Paganism, Atenism, Minoan Religion, Mithraism, Manichaeism, Vedism, Zoroastrianism, Asatru, and the Olmec Religion. Religion is an imperative part of our contemporary world but mod...
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.
Religions of the ancient world were in a state of constant flux. Karl Jaspers states that between the eighth and fourth centuries B.C.E, “great changes took place in all the civilized world” (qtd. in Basham 36), and the great thinkers of these times began thinking independently and individually. Moreover, “after these great thinkers the world was never the same again” (qtd. in Basham 36-37). These times were dubbed the “axial period” (qtd. in Basham 37). The axial religions that emerged during this period were profound and lasting. In fact, the religions discussed in this paper—Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity—are considered the most practiced religions to do this day. Although these religions have changed over time, their underlying structure remains intact.
Religion has stricken much debate over its origins. Some finds propose that some sort of religion was present since the beginning of mankind. Evidence of sacrificial ceremonies can relate the relationship between man and animal, and between man and his natural environment. Another theory of the birth of religion came from the “Near East” from the polytheistic views of the Hindu. They believed there were gods and goddesses of fire, wind, rain, and earth which lead to them making ceremonial prayers for rain, sunshine, or health. The pantheistic views, from African and American Indian cultures, briefly meant all is God. And the monotheistic views which is believed to have come from 2000BC. One can only question, what purpose does religion serve in today’s society? And what does society, as a whole, feel it needs to know?
There are many different characteristics that bring territories together and make them stronger. One of these is religion. Religion is the organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods. In these religions, there is usually a leader to guide the people in their belief and show them the right path to take to serve their god. Throughout history there have been many different types of religion. The three main ones that are still recognized today are Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. Each had different people that were seen as a leader. In order for others to know about these leaders and the works they did, there were many stories that were written about them. These stories were created to spread knowledge of their religion and how one was to act when following it. Three documents of the 300 B.C.E-800 B.C.E time period that were about religious leaders are Asokavadana, Life of Constantine, and The Life of Muhammad, Apostle of Allah and were written with persuasive purposes to show which behaviors were approved and disapproved of by looking into inspired men’s lives.
Discoveries have been made by individuals using the successes and failures of other individuals to shape their own knowledge and improve treatment methods. The differences among individuals with different religious backgrounds can also shape personal knowledge. Conflicts which lean toward a certain faith can tarnish that faith if people are not willing to fully comprehend the situation as well as the actual belief system. In order for shared knowledge to have any impact on personal knowledge, there must first be shared knowledge. People must be willing to share the personal knowledge which they have gained only from their personal experience. Once that knowledge is shared, people must then be willing to accept it, so consequently it can then shape their personal knowledge, which then will help the world continue to progress and
It has been an outstanding five weeks. This was the course that I've been waiting to take since I started Capella back in April of 2004. Finally after weeks of reading World Religions by Huston Smith, I have developed an understanding of some of the world's religions. I can never be an expert in this field, and I don't want to, but at least I have an idea where these religions originated and have a general concept of the beliefs behind each religion. Each of the religions we covered have one thing in common that stick out, and that is promoting peace and harmony.