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Instructional-Guide Religion
Instructional-Guide Religion
INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE
Subject: Religion, Religious Experiences and Spirituality
Course Code: GE 9
PART I: PRELIM
I. Introduction
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only
because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
― C.S. Lewis
II. Definitions
1. Religion is a set of organized beliefs, practices, and systems that most often
relate to belief and worship of a controlling force such as a personal God or
another supernatural being. 1
3. Religion is belief in a god or gods and the activities that are connected with
this belief, such as praying or worshipping in a building such as a church
or temple.
Major Functions
2) Make virtue out of social necessity (encouraging and requiring the individual
to sacrifice for others, ego surrender where the functioning of society conflicts
with the functioning of the individual).
4) Enhance social stability through projecting sacredness upon social norms, and
through the creation of authoritative sources of opinion regarding moral
matters--the "priestly function" of religion.
5) Promote social change when religion conflicts with the prevailing order of
society, through social criticism and prophecy--the "prophetic function" of
religion.
1. AD- Meaning “anno domini”, the year of the Lord. Used to describe
chronology since the birth of Jesus Christ.
2. Allah- Arabic word meaning “the One True God”. In the West, “Allah”
and “God” are often used interchangeably.
7. Bar Mitzvah- A ceremony for Jewish boys who, at the age of 13, are
considered religiously responsible.
8. Bat Mitzvah- A ceremony for Jewish girls who, at the age of 12, are
considered religiously responsible.
10. Bible- The holy text used by Christians. Made up of the Old Testament
and the New Testament.
11. Blasphemy- Concept of acting against God, such as by taking his name
in vain or denying his existence.
16. Communion- A Christian rite which involves sharing bread and wine
as a commemoration of Jesus’ last meal and/or the body and blood
of Christ.
25. Islam- A religion which considers the Koran the literal word of
Allah/God, and Muhammad the last Prophet.
26. Koran- The holy test of Islam, considered to be the literal word of
Allah/God, also spelled Qur’an or Quran. Transmitted to
Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel.
31. Priest- Term for a religious leader in Christianity, Hinduism and more.
Usually male.
40. Torah- Jewish holy text, the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures
(Old Testament) believed to have been written by Moses.
41. Trinity- Christian belief that God is composed of three beings at once:
Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
There are countless religions in the world, with most religions having sub-sects
within them. Generally speaking, all religions attempt to help people make sense
of their purpose and existence in this world, explain what occurs in the afterlife,
and declare whether or not there is a deity, and if so, how we relate to this deity.
2. Islam
The word Islam literally means “submission,” and, as such, a Muslim is “one
who submits to God.” Islam is based primarily on the writings of Mohammad, as
recorded in the Qur'an. There are about 1.3 billion Muslims in the world today.
Islam is represented all over the world. Though mostly associated with the
Middle East, the largest Muslim populations are in Asia. Indonesia, Malaysia,
Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India have sizable Muslim populations.
3. Hinduism
Hinduism is a word created by the Western world to encompass the dominant
religious and social system of India. Traditionally, those we call Hindus refer to
their religion as the dharma, which means “the way” or “the religion.” There are
approximately 900 million Hindus in the world. Obviously, the greatest number
of Hindus is located in India. Since Indians have emigrated all over the world,
however, there are many Hindu communities in other countries. The total
number of Hindus in India is subject to some controversy because it includes up
to 300 million “untouchables” (dalits), who are officially counted as a part of the
Hindu social structure but who are prevented from fully participating in
Hinduism.
4. Buddhism
Buddhism is based on the teachings of the person called the Buddha, which
means “enlightened one.” This religion has many different branches, but
Buddhism is the only appropriate all-encompassing term, and its adherents, no
matter how divergent in their beliefs, are happy to be known as Buddhists.
Buddhism has about 360 million followers, placing it fourth, behind Christianity,
Islam, and Hinduism. Buddhism originated in India. It is dominant in its more
traditional forms in Sri Lanka and much of Southeast Asia (Thailand, Myanmar,
Laos, and Cambodia). Additionally, it has taken on various forms in many other
Asian countries, most notably Tibet, Korea, China, and Japan. Today Buddhism
is frequently adapted and adopted by Westerners, though often at the expense of
faithfulness to the traditional forms of this religion.
5. Judaism
The word Judaism comes from the name of the tribe of Judah, one of the twelve
ancient tribes of Israel. So, literally, it is the religion of those who come from the
tribe of Judah, who are (in English) called the Jews. However, being Jewish refers
to an ethnic identity as well as a faith, and nowadays there are many Jews who
do not practice the Jewish faith, even though they are happy to be known as Jews
ethnically and culturally. It is estimated that there are about 15 million religious
Jews in the world today, but many others do not practice any religion.
6. Baha’i
The term Baha'i literally means a “follower of Baha,” referring to Baha'ullah, the
founder of the religion. Baha'i has more than seven million members. Originating
in Iran, Baha’i is represented in over 200 countries in the world, behind only
Christianity and Islam.
I. Spirituality
A. Major Characteristics
`1. The spiritual man places greater importance on his inward state than on
his physical conditions.
2. The spiritual man understands that adverse circumstances are part of
the training of an inward man.
3. The spiritual man places his time and energy in those things which are
not seen
4. The spiritual man recognizes that spirituality is not attained by the
efforts of a natural man
1. The spiritual man manifests a spirit of hunger for the word of God
2. The spiritual man manifests a spirit of dependency and prayer
3. The spiritual man manifests a spirit of humility and obedience
4. The spiritual man manifests a spirit compassion for the lost.
5. The spiritual man manifests a spirit of forgiveness and longsuffering
toward those who have treated wrongfully
6. The spiritual man manifests a spirit of love toward the unlovely
7. The spiritual man manifests a spirit of endurance and faithfulness
1. Benevolence
2. Charity
3. Dignity
4. Forbearance
5. Hope
6. humility
7. Kindness
8. Loving
9. modesty
10. Peace
11. perseverance
12. Piety
13. repentance
14. Righteous
15. Sacredness
16. Sincerity
17. Steadfastness
18. Striving
19. Trusting
20. Truthfulness
21. Unity
22. Wisdom
Since all our sins are ultimately against an eternal God, only an eternal
punishment is sufficient. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
However, Jesus Christ, the sinless (1 Peter 2:22), eternal Son of God became a
man (John 1:1,14) and died to pay our penalty. "God demonstrates His love for
us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Jesus
Christ died on the cross (John 19:31-42), taking the punishment that we deserve
(2 Corinthians 5:21). Three days later He rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-
4), proving His victory over sin and death. "In His great mercy He has given us
new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead" (1 Peter 1:3).
By faith, we must change our mindset regarding Christ - who He is, what He
did, and why - for salvation (Acts 3:19). If we place our faith in Him, trusting His
death on the cross to pay for our sins, we will be forgiven and receive the
promise of eternal life in heaven. "For God so loved the world that He gave His
one and only Son so that anyone who believes in Him will not perish but have
eternal life" (John 3:16). "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and
believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved"
(Romans 10:9). Faith alone in the finished work of Christ on the cross is the only
true path to eternal life! "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -
and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can
boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, here is a sample prayer.
Remember, saying this prayer or any other prayer will not save you. It is only
trusting in Christ that can save you from sin. This prayer is simply a way to
express to God your faith in Him and thank Him for providing for your
salvation.
"God, I know that I have sinned against you and deserve punishment. But Jesus Christ
took the punishment that I deserve so that through faith in Him I could be forgiven. I
place my trust in You for salvation. Thank You for Your wonderful grace and
forgiveness - the gift of eternal life! Amen!"
Have you made a decision for Christ because of what you have read here?
Prepared by:
References:
https://www.verywellmind.com/religion-improves-health-2224007
https://www.google.com/search?
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https://www.learnreligions.com/defining-the-characteristics-of-religion-250679
http://www.aboutequalopportunities.co.uk/common-religious-terms.html
http://faculty.smcm.edu/ccraney/restricted/PDF/
Basic_Characteristics_Relig.pdf
http://www.scielo.org.za/pdf/at/v28s11/08.pdf
https://www.verywellmind.com/how-spirituality-can-benefit-mental-and-
physical-health-3144807
https://www.gotquestions.org/eternal-life.html
https://deepspirituality.com/trusting-god-in-difficult-times/