This assignment uses the information you have gathered for your weekly World View Chart Assignments.Choose ONE (1) category (origin of all things, nature of god, view of human nature, view of good and
| Religion | Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe | Nature of God | View of Human Nature | View of Good and Evil | View of “Salvation” | View of After Life | Practices and Rituals | Celebrations and Festivals | |
| Week 2 Hinduism and Jainism | The history of Hinduism is unique among the world religions in that it has no founder or date of origin. According to historians, the origin of Hinduism dates back to 5,000 or more years. Jainism dates to the 6th century B.C.E. in India. | The nature of God according to Jainism is state of perfect being. Jainism believes in God not as a creator but as a perfect being. They believe that when the jiva or the soul becomes liberated it lives in a blissful state. God is considered to be Omnipotent and Omnipresent by Hindus. There are more than 200,000 gods and goddesses in the Hindu religion. Some are major deities with major duties such as Shiva, others are of lesser import and are more directly connected with specific duties such as the house or ancestors | In Hinduism, the soul, or atman, is an eternally existing spiritual substance or being and the abiding self that moves from one body to the next at rebirth. In Jainism, the soul is uncreated, eternal and has infinite power and knowledge. It therefore has the inherent potential of divinity (that is, perfectly omnipotent, omniscient and free; not a god). By ridding oneself of the karma that obstructs the soul, one can achieve this liberation (moksa). | Karma is the basic principle within an overarching psycho-cosmology in Jainism. Human moral actions form the basis of the transmigration of the soul (jīva). The soul is constrained to a cycle of rebirth, trapped within the temporal world (saṃsāra), until it finally achieves liberation (mokṣa). Liberation is achieved by following a path of purification.[1] The key to understanding the existence of suffering and evil in Hinduism is the central concept of karma. Karma is at once the simplest of concepts and the most complex. The word itself simply means "action," and originally referred to the sacrificial action that was at the center of the Vedic world. Karma gradually took on the meaning of both action and the effect of action. | Hinduism: This release, called moksha, is ultimate salvation. The individual is absorbed in the ultimate, Brahman, in the same manner that a stream or a river (a metaphor for the individual atman) is absorbed into the ocean (Brahman). When one attains this state, rebirth stops. One is released, forever. The individual is one with Brahman. For the salvation to occur there has to be the presence of atmans (souls) and a cosmos. Let us think of a period when the total cosmos is about to collapse (this stage of disintegration of the cosmos is known as pralaya in Hinduism). At this stage in whatever stage of manifestation every atman soul is all Atmans reach stage of Enlightenment. There is no other alternative for them for all attain salvation (moksha in Hinduism). | Hinduism: Made up of the five elements—Earth, Fire, Air, Water and Void—the human body is believed to be the perishable casket of the Soul. Atman, a person’s spiritual essence, is released from this fleshy coffin to take what place their karma has earned them. If the person is comparably righteous and good during their lifetime they are accorded rebirth in a life befitting the pure deeds they had previously committed. On the other hand, the punishment for bad karma is retribution in one of the narkas, or hells, which are designed to mete out justice to match the grievous nature of the wrongdoing. Jainism: believes that all people are caught in an endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Jainism stresses detachment from the world and austerity. | Jainism: Rituals are important to the Jain faith because it is through them that beliefs and values are expressed. While this religion emphasizes non-violence, which could, in part, be understood as inaction, it also stresses asceticism, which is often marked by certain religious behaviors. Hinduism: The religious life of many Hindus is focused on devotion to God (perceived as Brahman, Shiva, Vishnu, or Shakti) or several gods. This devotion usually takes the form of rituals and practices associated with sculptures and images of gods in home shrines. | Hinduism: As in most ancient religions, many of the Hindu holidays are based on the cycle of nature. They mark the change of seasons, celebrate the harvest, and encourage fertility of the land. Others are dedicated to a particular deity, such as Shiva or Ganesh. Jainism: Jains rituals can be divided broadly in two parts: Karya (Obligations which are followed) and Kriya (Worships which are performed). | |
| Week 3 Buddhism | Buddhism, founded in the late 6th century B.C.E. by Siddhartha Gautama (the "Buddha"), is an important religion in most of the countries of Asia. Buddhism, a religion that more than 300 million people currently practice, was founded in northeastern India by Prince Siddhartha in the sixth century B.C. Having achieved enlightenment, he became known as Shakyamuni and preached a path of salvation to his followers. | Buddhists either don't believe in God or believe that the existence or non-existence of God is irrelevant. The Buddha said: "I do not care to know your various theories about God. What is the use of discussing all the subtle doctrines of the soul? Do good and be good. And this will take you to freedom and whatever truth there is." | In Buddhism, humanity has no inherent nature, and so the question makes no sense. However, Buddhism does teach that humans arise due to certain causes and conditions. The most important among those is the karma (moral actions) of one’s previous lifetime | Depends on the perspective from which the question is asked. If the question refers to the potential which resides in every human being as a “living” (animal), “rational” (human) and “accountable” (personal) being, then we must regard human nature as originally good, because these characteristics naturally “enjoin the observance of the [moral] law” | For a Buddhist salvation is reaching Nirvana. Nirvana is a transcendental, blissful, spiritual state of nothingness--you become a Buddha. To reach Nirvana you must follow the Noble Eightfold Path. | Buddha accepted the basic Hindu doctrines of reincarnation and karma, as well as the notion that the ultimate goal of the religious life is to escape the cycle of death and rebirth. Buddha asserted that what keeps us bound to the death/rebirth process is desire, desire in the sense of wanting or craving anything in the world. | Buddhism incorporates a variety of rituals and practices, which are intended to aid in the journey to enlightenment and bring blessings on oneself and others. While some activities are unique to certain expressions of Buddhism, there are others that are found in most of the popular forms of the belief system, like Meditation and Zen |
Example: Buddhist New Year, Vesak, Magha Puja Day etc. | |
| Week 4 Daoism and Confucianism | DAOISM: Formed c. 550 B.C.E. Origin China Followers 20,000,000 Deity Pantheistic Sacred Texts Zhuangzi, Daode Jing, Yi Jing Headquarters White Cloud Temple, Beijing, China CONFUCIANISM: Confucianism, also known as Ruism,is an ethical and philosophical system, on occasion described as a religion developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551–479 BCE). Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han Dynasty. | Daoist does not strive for anything except to let nature run its course. Confucianism: There is no God, per se, in Confucianism. Confucius has never been considered a god by his adherents. Confucianism is a socio-philosophical movement aimed at bettering society. | Confucianism: Most agree, however, that the purpose of existence is to reach one's highest potential as a human being. Through a rigorous process of self-cultivation that lasts a lifetime, one may eventually become a "perfected person." Daoism: The Daoist view of nature has as a corollary a view of human beings as relatively unimportant, as simply a part of nature. We should therefore aspire to being simple and unadorned, with no illusions about our own significance in the cosmos. | Daoism: The Dao: The ultimate truth is the Dao or The Way. The Dao has several meanings. It is the basis of all living things, it governs nature, and it is a method to live by. Daoists do not believe in extremes, instead focusing on the interdependence of things. There is no total good or evil or negative and positive Confucianism: According to some interpretations of Confucianism, suffering and evil are inevitable in human life, and can promote learning and growth. A mistake is not a "sin," but an opportunity to learn and do better next time. | Honor your parents, bring good name to your family, do your job in society and when you die all that's left behind is your name and memory. Confucianism | Daoism: The process of death itself is described as shijie or "release from the corpse", but what happens after is described variously as transformation, immortality or ascension to heaven. Confucianism: Kongzi stated that the afterlife was beyond human comprehension. Humans should live and behave in such a way as to promote ideal social relations, rather than to act based on the expectations of rewards or punishments after death. | Daoism: Rituals of Taoism attempt to bring harmony to the universe, the world, society, and individuals. Worship includes praying to deities, purification, meditation on talismans, and making offerings to deities. Due to their complicated nature, Taoist rituals are performed by priests and their assistants, who chant, dance, and play percussion and wind instruments. Confucianism: Despite his disinterest in ultimate questions, Confucius was a strong advocate for ritual. He believed that participation in ritual served to unite people and strengthen the human community. | Confucianism: Each year festivals are held throughout China to celebrate Confucius birthday. The most spectacular is in his birthplace, Qufu, Shandong Province, which runs from 26 Sep to 10 Oct. Daoism: The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month which is when the day is longest and people ride dragon boats because dragons symbolize feminine and masculine energy | |
| Week 5 Shinto | Shinto ("the way of the Kami") is the name of the formal state religion of Japan that was first used in the 6th century C.E., although the roots of the religion go back to at least the 6th century B.C.E. Shinto has no founder, no official sacred texts, and no formalized system of doctrine. Shinto has been formative in developing uniquely Japanese attitudes and sensitivities, creating a distinct Japanese consciousness. Belief in kami—sacred or divine beings, although also understood to be spiritual essences—is one of the foundations of Shinto. Shinto understands that the kami not only exist as spiritual beings, but also in nature; they are within mountains, trees, rivers, and even geographical regions. In this sense, the kami are not like the all-powerful divine beings found in Western religion, but the abstract creative forces in nature. Related to the kami is the understanding that the Shinto followers are supposed to live in harmony and peaceful coexistence with both nature and other human beings. This has enabled Shinto to exist in harmony with other religious traditions. As the foundation for Japanese culture, Shinto has also played a significant role in the political realm. For centuries, Shinto religious festivals and ceremonies have become indistinguishable from the affairs of the government. | Shinto is the "way of the gods" - and Shinto gods and goddesses are called kami. The term kami refers to anything that is above, high, special, unusual or auspicious in any way. It refers to the essence, or internal quality, of many phenomena that Shinto believers consider an aura of divinity. These phenomena include rocks, trees, rivers, animals, places and people. All of these can contain the nature of the kami. Also in the category of kami are things that inspire a sense of wonder or awe in the beholder in a way that testifies to its special nature or the divinity of its origin. In other words, many things in the world possess an "ultimate" sense about them - as if they are connected to or reflective of "the ultimate" or the divine. This sense is what is called the kami | Humans are part of the natural realm, which is sacred. Pollution does occur through normal acts such as contact with things that threaten life, for example: death, blood, or disease. This is unavoidable and constitutes no "sin." Pollution is washed away regularly through acts of purification. Thus one's purpose is to maintain the pure and natural state of existence | Shinto does not accept that human beings are born bad or impure; in fact Shinto states that humans are born pure, and sharing in the divine soul. Badness, impurity or sin are things that come later in life, and that can usually be got rid of by simple cleansing or purifying rituals. The causes of impurity Pollution - tsumi - can be physical, moral or spiritual. 'Tsumi' means much the same as the English word 'sin', but it differs from sin in that it includes things which are beyond the control of individual human beings and are thought of as being caused by evil spirits. In ancient Shinto, tsumi also included disease, disaster and error. Anything connected with death or the dead is considered particularly polluting | In Shinto, a religion indigenous to Japan, the concept of salvation is based on the belief that all living things have an essence, soul or spirit known as "kami." Rather than living in a glorified Heaven, kami live among us. Some kami are more powerful than others. Some are even deified. But all kami must be honored. People who die violently, lead unhappy lives, or have no family to care for their kami become hungry ghosts, causing trouble for the living. | There is an old saying in Japan: "born Shinto, die Buddhist." Before Buddhism, it was believed that all who died went to a vast hellish underworld from which there is no escape. Buddhism introduced the idea of rewards and punishments in the afterlife, and death and salvation in the afterlife came to be regarded as Buddhist matters. | Ritual is central to the practice of Shinto. Every step of a ritual within a shrine follows a carefully prescribed pattern, with segments including purification, prayer, offering, and entertainment for the kami. Matsuri, or festivals, are yearly celebrations that encompass an entire community and may last for several days. | The main Shintō rites and festivals are for celebrating the New Year, child birth, coming of age, planting and havest, weddings, and groundbreaking ceremonies for new buildings. Death, funerals, and graveyards involve Buddhist rituals, not Shintō. Shintō shrines hold regular festivals (matsuri 祭り) to commemorate important dates related to the shrine and its deity(s) and to pray for a wide range of blessings such as abundant rice harvests, fertility, health, and business success. The essential meaning of the term matsuri is “welcoming the descending gods” or “inviting down the gods,” for it is believed that Shintō’s heavenly deities periodically descend to earth to visit shrines, villages, and families, and to make their wills known among the people | |
| Week 6 Judaism | The ancient origins of Judaism lie in the Bronze Age polytheistic Ancient Semitic religions, specifically Canaanite religion, a concretization with elements of Babylonian religion and of the worship of Yahweh reflected in the early prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible. | These are some of the attributes of the God of Christianity and Judaism. God is eternal, meaning He had no beginning and that His existence will never end. He is immortal, infinite | Clearly, we are not created in the physical image of God, because Judaism steadfastly maintains that God is incorporeal and has no physical appearance. Rambam points out that the Hebrew words translated as "image" and "likeness" in Gen. 1:27 do not refer to the physical form of a thing. | In Judaism we do not see it as there being a conflict between good and evil. Some ancient religions believed that there are two forces in the universe, one good and one evil, and that they are constantly warring with each other. | Christianity maintains that all men are doomed to sin, and everyone will go to everlasting hell unless they accept Jesus as their savior. Judaism has always held that we do not need that sort of salvation, for we are not doomed or damned at birth. We are not doomed or fated to sin. Quite the contrary. The Torah says: "If you do good, won't there be special privilege? And if you do not do good, sin waits at the door. | Traditional Judaism firmly believes that death is not the end of human existence. However, because Judaism is primarily focused on life here and now rather than on the afterlife, Judaism does not have much dogma about the afterlife, and leaves a great deal of room for personal opinion. It is possible for an Orthodox Jew to believe that the souls of the righteous dead go to a place similar to the Christian heaven, or that they are reincarnated through many lifetimes, or that they simply wait until the coming of the messiah, when they will be resurrected. | In Judaism, rituals and religious observances are grounded in Jewish law (halakhah, lit. "The path one walks." An elaborate framework of divine mitzvot, or commandments, combined with rabbinic laws and traditions, this law is central to Judaism. | March 14 Purim (The Festival of Lots) This celebrates the time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from death by the courage of Queen Esther April 13-20 Pesach (Passover) This marks the freedom of the Children of Israel from Egypt. These people were slaves who were set free by Moses. Because they left so quickly their bread did not have time to rise, so it is traditional to eat matzah (unleavened bread).Etc. | |
| Week 7 Christianity Faith built on life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus. | God created the heavens and the earth and all things living. God created man in his own image. Jesus is the divine Son of God who became flesh. Pg. 305. | Similar to Judaism, there is one supreme being. | Love your neighbor as you do yourself. Practice of the ten commandments. We were created in the image of God. We were created to be good but were given the choice of free will, you can choose God or choose not. Adam and Eve were seduced by the serpent and went against god resulting in sin. http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/beliefs/human.htm | The creator is a kind and loving God. Good and evil are like night and day. Faith becomes hard when there is suffering to those that are good. One wonders why God lets the good people suffer. Why are there cancers, hurricanes, tornadoes? It is hard to distinguish between world suffering and moral suffering. | Repent your sins and live a god like life. Accept the lord as your savior and you shall be allowed into the kingdom of heaven. Deny God and you will not be allowed into heaven. Christians believe that by their trust and belief in the Holy Bible and Jesus Christ, the son of the Supreme Being they will reach salvation. According to Christian belief, salvation is made possible by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, which in the context of salvation is referred to as the "atonement." http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/beliefs/salvation.htm | Upon ones death they go to heaven or hell. Some believe that in heaven you get a new body but it will be similar to what we have in this life. In heaven you are freed from sin, pain, and suffering. Hell is a place for punishment and judgment. The Bible teaches that heaven is an actual place (e.g. John 14:1-6). Life there will have some continuity with life in the present world (e.g. people will have bodies like they do now); yet in other ways, heaven will be different than this present life (e.g. people will have "new" bodies, cf. 1 Cor. 15:35-49). Many Christians also believe that the Bible teaches the existence of hell as a place of judgment and punishment (2 Peter. 2:4). In the New Testament hell fire (Mark 9:43, James 3:6). | Pg. 348. Worship, offering of sacraments, celebrations of the liturgical year, private contemplation, prayer, devotions to the saints. Public worship, or liturgy. Eucharist or mass, lords supper, communion. Catholics confess their sins to a priest before taking communion. Christ | Christmas as the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Pg. 351. Advent, the month prior to Christmas meant for joyous anticipation. Easter, Commemoration of Jesus death on good Friday and the resurrection on Easter Sunday. Ascension, honors the bodily ascension of Jesus to heaven. Pentecost, fifty days after the Jewish Passover. Transfiguration and Assumption, revealing his supernatural radiance, celebrating the assumption of Mary, known as the falling asleep of the mother of god. Roman Catholics and Orthodox and Anglican Christians honor spiritual heroes as saints. | |
| Week 8 Islam Sources: Fisher, M. P. (2014). Living Religions. Saddle River: Pearson | The revelation of the Qur’an begin with the founder Muhammad in 610 CE. Pg 378 (Fisher, 2014) Muslims share the beliefs of Christianity and Judaism which means they also share in the belief that God created the heavens and the earth. | Islam is a monotheistic religion, Muslims believe in the one God or Allah (The God). Muhammad brought the religion to the people, but there is only one creator. “Muslims express their belief in the oneness of the divine by saying shahadah (“there is not God, but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God”).” Pg. 387 (Fisher, 2014) | Muslims believe that God has created laws to govern how one navigates this life. “Humans will find peace only if they know these laws and live by them. They have been revealed by the prophets, but the people often have not believed.” Pg 388 (Fisher, 2014) | Muslims believes that God has given us free will and that we have the choice to choose the path of Good and evil. They believe that you will be rewarded for doing good but that you will also be punished for doing evil in this life and the afterlife. “Two major sins involved one’s relationship to God. One is shirks (associating anything else with divinity except the one God), Kufr (ungratefulness to God, unbelief, atheism).” Pg 389 (Fisher, 2014) “those who fall prey to Satan’s devices will ultimately go to hell.”pg389 (Fisher, 2014) | Muslims believe that we are the ones who separate ourselves from God and to obtain salvation we must acknowledge him. “Muslims feel that it is ours to remove veils by seeking God and acknowledging the omnipresence, omniscience and omnipotence of the divine.” pg 389 (Fisher, 2014) | “All humans will be bodily resurrected and assembled for a final accounting of their deeds. Hell is the grievous destiny of unrepentant nonbelievers-those who have rejected faith in and obedience to God and his Messenger; Hell also awaits the hypocrites who even after making the covenant with God have turned away from their promise.” Pg 390 they do not believe that hell will be eternal for believers, but they will be there until their sins have been repaid. “For the just and merciful, the state after death is a garden of Bliss; for them there will be castles, couches, fruits, sweetmeats, honey, and immortal youths serving from goblets and golden platters. | Muslims practice the five pillars of Islam. The first pillar- “is believing and professing unity of God and messenger ship of Muhammad.” The second pillar- “is the performance of a continual round of prayers (salaat) five times a day.” The third pillar- “charity and almsgiving; Muslims must donate at least two and a half percent of their accumulated wealth to needy Muslims.” The fourth Pillar- “fasting. Frequent fast are recommended, but the only one that is obligatory is the fast during Ramadan; it is to be conducted from dawn to sunset, and you are to abstain from food, drink, sexual intercourse and smoking for the whole month of Ramadan.” The fifth pillar is Hajj – “the pilgrimage to Mecca. All Muslims who are physically and financially able to do so are expected to make the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.” Pg 391-395 (Fisher, 2014) | Hajj is the biggest celebration in Islam the fifth of the five pillars of Islam which is the pilgrimage to Mecca. “it involves a series of symbolic rituals designed to brin the faithful close to God. Pilgrims walk around the ancient Ka’bah seven times; their hearts should be filled only with the remembrance of God.” Pg 395 (Fisher, 2014) Hajj is an international coming together of Muslims from all over the world coming together for the same purpose. Another is Arafat- “here pilgrims pray from noon to sunset to be forgiven for anything that has separated them from the beloved. Also, pilgrims care out other symbolic gestures, such as sacrificing an animal and throwing stones at the devil, represented by pillars.” pg 396 (Fisher, 2014) | |
| Week 9 Sikhism Sources: http://www.thesikhencyclopedia.com/metaphysics/sikh-cosmology http://www.patheos.com/Library/Sikhism/Beliefs/Human-Nature-and-the-Purpose-of-Existence http://www.realsikhism.com http://www.patheos.com/Library/Sikhism | The world for the Gurus is a creation, and owes its existence to the will of the Divine. It is the Creator`s sporting gesture, lila. He Himself is its material as well as efficient cause. Says Guru Nanak, "tun karta purakhu agammu hai ape sristi upati You are the creator, unknowable ; you have yourself created the world" (GG, 138). There was a time when the world had not yet appeared and there will be a time when the world will again disappear. The Gurus have called the precreation state sun/a, meaning `empty void`, `negative abyss,` `nothingness.` | In Sikhism God is conceived in two forms i.e. in Nirguna form and in sarguna form..‘Ik’ (meaning one) in Ikoankar defines Nirguna state of God. It is that state of God when He had not created the universe as yet. He was one and the only one at that time. He was in himself. | Sikhs perceive human life as an opportunity to merge with the divine will. However, the core problem is that human judgment is occluded by a false sense of self The Sikh ideal for human life is to live within the divine will. Humans should enjoy life amidst remembrance of Kartar and be disciplined by prayer, self-restraint, and moral purity. Sikhs ought to stand for justice against tyranny and live lives of truth. When living in accordance with the Guru's teachings, Sikhs believe they will inevitably be living on the path toward realizing Kartar and attaining liberation at the divine court hereafter. | Sikhism teaches that the sense of "self" is the primary cause of suffering. When the individual puts the self at the center of everything, he or she loses reality; the Sikh truth is that each person is part of a much larger whole, a universe in which Kartar is the Master. However, Guru Angad (1504-1552) (the second Guru) taught that self-agency is also where the cure to suffering lies, by directing the self to selfless acts | The Sikh tradition emphasizes a life free of worry about the afterlife, but focused on one's ethical actions and piety in this life. " | Sikhs do not believe in an afterlife in either Heaven or Hell. Sikhism teaches that the soul reincarnates when the body dies. Sikhs believe that good, or bad actions, in this life, determine the life form into which a soul takes rebirth. | In addition to worship, there are other important rites and rituals within Sikhism. The Sikh Rehat Maryada is the Sikh Code of Conduct, giving instructions for all ceremonies. •Baptism – Amrit is when Sikhs undertake the Amrit ceremony when they are ready to do so and understand the commitment that they are making to the religion. •Marriage - Anand Karaj is The Sikh marriage is called Anand Karaj meaning 'blissful union'. Sikh weddings take place in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib. •Naming of Children- After a child is born, the baby is often taken to a Gurdwara for a naming ceremony. Prayers (ardas) are recited for the newborn child. After reciting ardas, the Guru Granth Sahib is opened at random. The hymn on the opened page is recited. The first letter of the first word of the hymn is selected as the first letter of the child's name | Sikh holidays are commemorative occasions celebrated with worship and festivities such as parades. The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism’s scripture, is carried through the streets on a palanquin or float in a musical procession known as nagar kirtan, which involves devotional singing. The panj pyara, or five beloved ones, march ahead of the worshipers. There may be floats representing scenes from history or carrying devotees. Many times there will be martial arts demonstrations known as gatka. Traditionally, langar, free food and drink, langar, is available along the parade, route or served at its conclusion. | |
| Week 10 New Religious Movements References: Nature Religions - Characteristics, Beliefs & Practices. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://atheism.about.com/od/religiontypes/a/naturereligion.htm HUMAN NATURE - Philosophy and Religion. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.philosophy-religion.org/thought/humannature-biblical-religion.htm Salvation: an overview of Christian beliefs - Religious tolerance. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.religioustolerance.org/sal_over.htm Good and evil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_and_evil | primarily pantheistic worldview based on mystical beliefs that God and everything in the universe are one impersonal spiritual being or energy | Nature religions are generally focused upon the idea that gods and other supernatural powers can be found through the direct experience of natural events and natural objects. | We may determine that the biblical view of human nature is a repudiation of any ontological dualism between body and soul along with the frequent cynical response to malevolent behavior. | Good is a broad concept but it typically deals with an association with life, charity, continuity, happiness, love and justice. Evil is typically associated with conscious and deliberate wrongdoing, discrimination designed to harm others, humiliation of people designed to diminish their psychological needs and dignity, destructiveness, and acts of unnecessary and/or indiscriminate violence | The Bible appears to teach clearly that most people -- the unsaved -- will go to Hell for eternal punishment after death. A minority will be saved and go to Heaven. Whether one is saved or unsaved is obviously of paramount important to all those who accept the existence of heaven and hell. | Secular people often behave the best on earth, with no real hope for later reward, helping out the most just because they can. The scientific and medical fields are bursting with hard-working, dedicated professionals trying to prevent and alleviate disease and suffering. Many do not believe there is any afterlife at all. | Alter call, baptism, confession, bible study, charismatic movement, canonization of saints, eucharist, fasting, and holy orders. | Advent, all saints day, ash Wednesday, assumption day, boxing day, Christmas, easter, epiphany, good Friday, lent, mardi gras, palm Sunday, reformation day, and st. patricks day. |
