Rel 134 week 1 final assignment info
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School
University of Phoenix *
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Course
134
Subject
Religion
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
4
Uploaded by AutumnBurton
Question:
What is essential in the practices and beliefs for a tradition to be called a religion?
Answer:
Religion can be defined as "the relationship of human beings to what they view as holy, sacred, spiritual, or divine" in its most basic sense. Usually, it is accompanied by a set of organized rituals that help build a community of believers.
Question:
Illustrate your points by referring to the commonalities of at least 2 religions.
The commonalities of two religions ( Christianity and Islam) are:
They practice of a religion may also include sermons,
commemoration of the activities of a God
festivals
funerary services
matrimonial services
meditation
Question:
What is the history and origin/catalyst of each of the 2 religions you chose?
Answer:
Christianity
During the first century C.E., Judaism gave way to Christianity.
Christianity encompasses many diverse branches and forms with associated variety in beliefs and
practices. It is based on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and people who adhere to him are known as "Christians."
Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism are the three main branches of Christianity. Within each of these branches, there are various subgroups.
Christianity was primarily practiced in the West until the middle decades of the 20th century, but
it has since spread to every continent and is currently the most popular religion in the world.
Traditional Christian beliefs include the conviction that Jesus is the divine and human Messiah sent to save the world, and that there is only one genuine God, eternally existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Christianity is renowned for emphasizing that the central element of religion is one's faith in Christ.
The Bible, which includes both the Old Testament (sometimes referred to as the Hebrew Scriptures) and the New Testament, is the holy book of Christianity.
Christian practice revolves around attending church services for worship, fellowship, learning, and engagement with the outside world through evangelism and service to others.
The catalyst
: Jesus Christ
Islam
The monotheistic religion of Islam emerged in the Middle East during the seventh century C.E. Islam, which means "surrender" or "submission" in Arabic, was established on the Prophet Muhammad's teachings as a manifestation of surrender to Allah, the world's creator and sustainer.
The Prophet's teachings, which Allah revealed to him, are found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam.
The conviction that Allah is the one God and that He has neither a partner nor an equal is fundamental to Islam. Islam has many different branches, each of which has a wide range of sub-
branches.
The Sunni and Shi'a sects are the two divisions within the tradition, and each one asserts a different strategy for upholding religious authority.
The Five Pillars, which represent Islam's core principles, are one of its uniting features. A formal profession of faith, ritual prayer, zakat (charity), fasting, and the hajj are among these five activities (a pilgrimage to Mecca).
The dedication to offering five times a day of prayer to Allah is a defining trait of many Muslims.
The supremacy of holy locations like Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem is one of what makes Islam unique.
Muslims congregate in mosques to worship Allah, to pray, and to read the Bible. In Islam, there is
no clear division between the religious and worldly facets of life; rather, every aspect of a Muslim's life should be focused on serving Allah.
The catalyst
: Allah
Question:
How do religions evolve and spread?
Answer:
Religion is an embodied phenomenon because the human religious way of being has evolved for millions
of years as the bodies of our ancestors interacted with the other bodies around them. Whether or not one takes communion or even feels religious, we are at all times navigating our social worlds with our evolved capacities to play, to empathize, and to celebrate rituals with each other.
Example:
Christianity
Christianity is the most popular religion in the world with over 2 billion adherents. 42 million Britons see themselves as nominally Christian, and there are 6 million who are actively practicing.
the promise of salvation and eternal life for everyone was an attractive alternative to Roman religions;
stories of miracles and healings purportedly showed that the one Christian God was more powerful than the many Roman gods;
Christianity began as a grassroots movement providing hope of a better future in the next life for
the lower classes;
Christianity took worshipers away from other religions since converts were expected to give up the worship of other gods, unusual in antiquity where worship of many gods was common;
in the Roman world, converting one person often meant converting the whole household—if the
head of the household was converted, he decided the religion of his wife, children and slaves.
Islam
The word Islam means 'submission to the will of God'.
Islam is the second largest religion in the world with over 1 billion followers. The 2001 census recorded 1,591,000 Muslims in the UK, around 2.7% of the population.
Mecca's connection to global trade routes that helped to spread the religion the most. It's central location allowed the city to be a hub for the religion to spread to far away regions.
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The military conquered more territory and brought more trade routes under their control. As the Muslim's territory and trade routes grew, many people began to favor Muslim rule because of their fair and equal legal system.
When new territory was added the trade routes were protected and kept secure. This security then encouraged new people to convert creating a large and diverse Islamic Empire. Without trade Islam would have remained a local religion and never left the Arabian Peninsula.
Question:
What does practicing religion provide to its followers? Provide at least 2 examples.
Answer:
Religion serves several functions for society.
giving meaning and purpose to life
serving as an agent of social control of behavior
Question:
What are some contemporary challenges and issues facing various religions? Provide at least 2 examples.
Answer:
Some people of different religions may have challenges navigating issues. This includes:
Existential Crisis:
Challenging life events may lead some people to question their faith. For some,
this is experienced as an existential crisis.
Sexuality:
Some people may encounter difficulties if their religious beliefs conflict with their sexuality or gender identity.
Key references:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/
https://www.patheos.com/