UCSP
UCSP
UCSP
CHAPTER 7
Religion and belief systems
Since time immemorial mankind has been in constant search for an
explanation about the truth and meaning of life. Questions regarding
the meaning, purpose, and the mystery behind everything that happens
in this world continue to plague our very existence. People have been
asking about things that are beyond the capacity of ordinary reason. In
addition, humans have always had a sense of yearning for something
that is beyond the physical needs of life. There is always this longing to
be able to understand the nature of life and what lies thereafter. These
inquiries have further led mankind to actually believe in something that
is greater than the limits of human reasoning. However, it would be
hard to pinpoint the exact moment in history when this happened.
RELIGION
The set of beliefs, feelings, dogmas and practices that
define relations between human being and sacred or
divinity. A given religion is defined by specific elements of a
community of believers: dogmas, sacred books, rites,
worship, sacrament, moral prescription, interdicts and
organization.
Religion may be defined with its
three great characteristics:
Jainism
An Indian religion founded by a wealthy prince named Mahavira
Shinto
The oldest surviving religion of Japan. It literally means the way of
the gods.
Sikhism
A religion which originated in Northern India and is founded by Nanak,
Taoism
A Chinese philosophy of the way of life as preached by a man named
Lao Zi or the old master
Greek Mythology
With a polytheistic belief system in multiple gods that rule the world
and beyond.
There are also thousands of tribal
religions existing in the world
particularly in Africa. These belief
systems usually regard nature and all its
elements as sacred.
Ecumenism and
Interfaith Dialogue
Ecumenism
Refers to the movement or tendency which emphasizes
worldwide Christian unity and universality. The term
ecumenism is derived from the Greek words oikoumene
which means “the inhabited world” and oikos “house”. The
origins of the Ecumenical movement can be traced back to
the teachings, commands, promises and prayers of Jesus
Christ.
Ecumenism refers to a literal idea of a single church which
could be achieved either by organizational unity (through
the Roman Catholic Church) or spiritual unity (through
universal and standard teachings and doctrines concerning
matters of the Christian faith)
Interfaith Dialogue or Interfaith
Pluralism
Promotes the idea that despite the diversity of religious
belief systems existing in the world today, a peaceful co-
existence can be achieved.
Promotes a general understanding among different belief
system based on mutual respect and an attitude of
cooperation. The idea is that every religion should be
respected for what it is. In fact, trying to change the way
people think about religions would not lead to a better
dialogue and commitment of peace.
100 word essay
Write a reflection/reaction from the movie PK