...civilizations, religion has weaved itself into human culture by connecting societies and races across the world. Despite their clear differences at the heart of every religion is the belief in a higher being and finding solace and courage in its text, values, and community. Faith becomes a way of seeing the world, however, it can also be misinterpreted by people trying to justify their actions. In using the words of God, people throughout history are able to rationalize dominance over others, through claiming superiority in race or religion. In Alan Paton’s Cry the Beloved Country, the Bible and God unify people, showing how despite their differences, black and white men are still able to form a relationship regardless of various obstacles. Illustrating that grief and God can offer comfort and courage, to become either South Africa’s salvation or downfall....
Words: 897 - Pages: 4
...African Christianity: A case study on Theology in Africa Today Christianity is a term that is used very broadly. Over the past few decades Christianity has mainly been predominate in the West and looked upon as a Western religion. For example, one would not expect high number of Christians in places overseas like Indonesia where it is a Muslim majority country. But as times have gone on the number of Christians throughout the entire world have drastically increased since then. According to the Phew Form, the top countries with the largest number of Christians are the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Germany, Philippines, China, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ethiopia. In fact Indonesia actually contains more Christians than the combined 20 countries within Middle East-North Africa region (Phew, 2011, 13). According to Barrett, within multiple graphs and statistics shows rapid growth of Christianity in the developing countries of the Global South, in places like Asia, Africa, and Latin America (1970). About 90% of Christians live in countries where Christians are in the majority leaving approximately 10% of Christians worldwide living as minorities (Phew, 2011). Christianity is a religion that is found everywhere throughout the world. The religion today can definitely be said to be nothing at all alike as to what it was like a century ago. Christianity has truly become a global faith accepted by people, communities, and homes across the entire world....
Words: 1495 - Pages: 6
...Each of the various texts referring to the five main religions throughout the world have their own view of God. All of the religions are monotheistic, meaning they only believe in one God. However, one of the religions is not monotheistic and describes “the one” in terms of ‘suchness’ or ‘ultimate truth’. Three of these religions are anthropological. The anthropological aspect is the human shape and how the people picture God. The three anthropological religions include Judaism, Islam and Christianity. In Judaism, it is said that the Lord is their God and the Lord is one. The people of Islam, known as Muslims, believe that no one is to be compared to their God, Allah, inferring that Allah is their ruler and the humans are his slaves. Christians believe that God...
Words: 617 - Pages: 3
...very different religions. Specifically Christianity and Buddhism. Coming from opposite sides of the globe these two religions could not be any farther apart in any aspect. I will discuss who Christ is for Christians and who Buddha is for Buddhists. I will also get into the aspects of charity, love, and compassion in both religions and I will be looking at the individual self and how christians see resurrection where the buddhists feel about the afterlife. One thing to keep in mind is that the two religions are very different but they seem to have a very similar underlying pattern. Both believe that there was a savior of their people, Buddha and Christ, and both believe that there is something good that happens to us when our time is done here on earth. This is a very generalized summarization but in order to go in to depth I need to explain the two religions more to fully convey this theory. The Christian religion, like all other religions has its strengths and weaknesses in our modern society. Perhaps the strengths out weight the weaknesses as this is one of the largest religions in the world. Hundreds of people follow the Catholic/Christian religion yet still a greater number follow yet other religions. Perhaps this is because they see the weaknesses or perhaps it is simply because their parents have taught them that it is a sin to follow this religion. The Christian religions do however present much more of an appealing atmosphere than such other religions which are as...
Words: 2080 - Pages: 9
...Name: Delano Hinds ID#: A00327318 Love in Religion from East to West Love is expressed in many languages and is in the many different religions that exist upon the planet. From Hinduism to Christianity, it seems that each religion has the same priority, which is to teach and show how God loves us, his children, and how we in turn must show that same intense love to others that we coincide with on a daily basis. It is seen as the way to achieve world peace, unity and progress; “Love thy neighbor as you love yourself.” With the help of Thomas Jay Oord, I will go into depth of how love and its teachings through religion have affected people and discuss the differences between Christianity and Islam, or love in the east and west. In the eastern world, there is much discipline and faith that the people of Islam, Muslims, acknowledge through the Qur’an. “As such, the Qur’an for Muslims is the primary means of encountering God” (Abdin, “Love in Islam”, p.188). It is this deep desire of wanting to be on the path with Allah, that Muslims believe that the path to true love is through Allah and that true human love is part of Allah. “Muslims believe that true human love is part of Allah’s love and that it is the duty of Muslims to love one another truly” (Abdin, “Love in Islam”, p.188). The sense of placing one’s true “overseer” ahead of those whom you are supposed to love is highly regarded in the Islam world. There are different schools of thought in the Muslim world, they are...
Words: 1564 - Pages: 7
...very different religions. Specifically Christianity and Buddhism. Coming from opposite sides of the globe these two religions could not be any farther apart in any aspect. I will discuss who Christ is for Christians and who Buddha is for Buddhists. I will also get into the aspects of charity, love, and compassion in both religions and I will be looking at the individual self and how Christians see resurrection where the buddhists feel about the afterlife. One thing to keep in mind is that the two religions are very different but they seem to have a very similar underlying pattern. Both believe that there was a savior of their people, Buddha and Christ, and both believe that there is something good that happens to us when our time is done here on earth. This is a very generalized summarization but in order to go in to depth I need to explain the two religions more to fully convey this theory. The Christian religion, like all other religions has its strengths and weaknesses in our modern society. Perhaps the strengths out weight the weaknesses as this is one of the largest religions in the world. Hundreds of people follow the Catholic/Christian religion yet still a greater number follow yet other religions. Perhaps this is because they see the weaknesses or perhaps it is simply because their parents have taught them that it is a sin to follow this religion. The Christian religions do however present much more of an appealing atmosphere than such other religions which are as...
Words: 2077 - Pages: 9
...World Religion Report Carolyn Maynard HUM 130 December 7,2010 Byrl E. Shaver II Abstract Christianity is the largest, and one of the oldest world religions. Although it began as one, it currently has various denominations. All of these Christian groups and churches, however, adhere to the central tenets of Christianity. Christians have a distinct understanding of the nature of God, the identity of Jesus Christ, and the role of salvation. While most of the Christian holy sites are in Rome and Jerusalem, two of the earliest centers of the religion, Christian sites can be found in all countries where the religion is present. The early Christian missions, located primarily in Florida and California, are an example of important sites for the religion in the United States. This paper provides an overview of the religion, information regarding St. Augustine Mission in Florida, an interview with a Christian, and a comparison between Christianity and Islam in order to provide a deeper understanding of the Christian faith. Christianity is currently one of the world’s largest religions. Approximately 33% of the world’s population or around 2.1 billion people profess the Christian faith (Major Religions…, 2007). Who are these people? What do they believe in? Where do they come from? Where are they going? These are some of the basic questions many people, unfamiliar with Christianity, could have about the religion. Many Christian symbols, such as the cross, are well known...
Words: 3059 - Pages: 13
...Culture and Religion: An in Depth Analysis Culture and Religion: An in Depth Analysis “Religion is one element of a culture, a transcendent element of it." Francis Arinze The Influence of Religion One of the most pervasive influences in how people in various cultures and sub-cultures develop identity and purpose is through their faith and religion. One’s religious traditions - like family, tribe, or nation - anchors them to the world. Religious traditions provide structure, discipline, and social participation in a community (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel & Roy, 2013). Religion, also sanctions a wide range of human conduct by providing notions of right and wrong, setting precedents for accepting behavior, and transforming the burden of decision making from individuals to the supernatural power (Samovar et al., 2013). As such, religion responds to the basic human need to understand the purpose of life. This paper will examine five major religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism along with each of their core values and assumptions. It will examine the impact religion plays in cultures as well as the overall impact religion has on globalization in the 21st century. Through a personal reflection on religious diversity in the workplace along with an overview of the Society of Human Resources best practices to handle such diversity, it will provide recommendations on how to develop a cohesive culture that values diversity and aligns the tenets...
Words: 2712 - Pages: 11
...denominations in England and Wales between 1979 and 2005 women were consistently more likely to attend. There are various reasons why females are more religious than men ranging from socialization, exploitation to patriarchy in traditional religions. Women’s sexuality has always been a dangerous factor in religion; this is because women menstruate and give birth they are considered to have a great capacity to pollute religious rituals. This can be seen in the Adam and Eve story in Christianity as Eve has ‘seduced’ Adam in order to eat the apple which God had forbidden to do so. This shows that the presence of a female can distract men from performing religious rituals and worshipping God. Bird argues that sexuality is an important factor in many religions. In Roman Catholic churches priests are expected to be celibate meaning they have to deliberately refrain from sexual activity while in other religions such as Islam are opposed to homosexuality. This means that in order for priests to carry out their duty appropriately there needs to be a degree of policing of the body; and the presence of women makes it more difficult. Due to patriarchal ideologies women have refrained from serving as priests in many of the traditional and great religions – until recently. Religious organisations such as Islamic groups, Orthodox Jews and the Roman Catholic Church maintain to exclude females from religious hierarchy. Even though, women ministers have been accepted in some sects and denominations...
Words: 2244 - Pages: 9
...conveys a plethora of themes pertaining to Christianity. On one hand, if a person were to read "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" simply as a tale at sea, the poem stands to be remarkable because of its rhyme of simplicity and easy flow. On the other hand, if one reads much deeper into the intricate details, symbolism, themes, and literary aspects, Coleridge will have produced a masterpiece in their eyes. Furthermore, a multitude of critics agree that there are several connotations that signify religion in this ballad; however, very few agree upon it being an allegory that mainly reflects the specific ideology of Christianity. Christianity preaches that life is basically a test by which we either pass and go to heaven, or fail and go to hell. Also, the human body is a victim of the human thought and action, which is represented by the soul. Therefore, in relation to the ballad, we can refer to the ship as the human body and the Mariner who steers the ship and leads it to destruction as the human soul. This ship led by the Mariner goes through a trial of storm and winds, but fails because of the Mariner. In Christianity, when a person is over with the trial (dies), his body rots away, " for dust you are and to dust you will return," (Genesis 3:16 19), and the soul remains alive, either tortured, or pleased. The ship sinks. However, the Mariner becomes a captive of Life-in-Death (purgatory) and remains perpetually cursed for the mistake he has done. Another symbolism...
Words: 1365 - Pages: 6
...and religion 33marks Although there is only one God in most contemporary religions, Hinduism being an exception, men and women tend to view that God differently. Davie showed that women see God more as a God love, comfort and forgiveness whereas men tend to see more as a God of power and control. It could be argued that these traits that men and women tend to associate with God are similar to typical masculine and feminine values e.g. Power and control is stereotypically a male trait. In the majority of religions, males are given the more significant roles. An example of this is Christianity which is seen as inherently patriarchal with men made in ‘the image and glory of God’ and women made ‘for the glory of man. This is supported by the Old Testament which states ‘...for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church.’ There are many female characters in the biblical texts and some are portrayed as acting charitably or bravely, however the primary roles are reserved for males. All the most significant Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah and Moses are male, while in the New Testament all the apostles are men. The most prominent females in the Bible, Eve and Mary mother of Jesus can be interpreted as reinforcing patriarchal idea regarding, on one hand, the dangers of female sexuality and on the other, the virtues of motherhood. Similarly in the Quran, the sacred text of Islam contends that ‘men are in charge of women’. Even Christianity and Buddhism...
Words: 1198 - Pages: 5
...Jacques Maritain Christianity and Democracy December 1949 http://www2.nd.edu/Departments/Maritain/jm604a.htm [From a typewritten manuscript by Jacques Maritain, who gave this address at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association in New York on the 29th of December 1949 and again at Gettysburg College under the auspices of the Adams County Round Table of the National Conference of Christians and Jews on the 19th of February 1950.] The French writer Léon Bloy, who called himself the Pilgrim of the Absolute, and who was a dear friend of mine, took pleasure in telling the following story: Once, in his youth, he was sitting at the table of a café with another poet, Villiers de l'Isle-Adam. A passer-by, who was a practical man, accosted the poet: "Hello, my dear fellow," he said to him with a patronizing smile, "always a poet, a beauty lover, always climbing in the clouds?" "And you." answered Villiers with a malicious smile, "you, my dear fellow, always going your way downwards?" Léon Bloy liked also to comment on the sententious sayings used in the common language. Many people who are good heathens but want to be assisted by religion on their deathbed, are apt to say: "Je ne veux pas mourir comme un chien; I don't want to die like a dog." Léon Bloy commented: "I have never understood why a man who lives like a pig does not want to die like a dog." These stories have no connection with the purpose of our meeting except as concerns the fact...
Words: 3857 - Pages: 16
...World Religions Report Denise Flythe HUM/130 March 3, 2013 Andrew Stein Islam Islam is one of the most misunderstood religions of the world today. One attributing factor for this misunderstanding has much to do with the fact that in recent years, Islam has been in the spotlight because of heightened tensions in parts of the Middle East. This tension serves to put its culture under the microscope of world attention; and although it is a major part of the Middle Eastern culture, it happens to be so much more. Like Christianity, Islam is one of the fastest growing religions today and it is rapidly spreading for several reasons. Islam has a strong political and cultural base because it happens to be the state religion of Moslem countries. Its simple creed and tenets gives it a universal appeal, and the fact that it has no racial barriers and it embraces universal unity also helps it to spread rapidly in both African and American communities. Furthermore, easy communication and practicality of its Five Pillars also helps it to spread even more swiftly in the Western Hemisphere. Many sources are available that provide information for extensive research on the topic of Islam; however, personal communication as a source, provides a more unique perspective on this topic. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to highlight as well as to summarize a recent interview with an Islamic adherent as he gives his opinion on this topic. This summary will provide an in-depth report...
Words: 2407 - Pages: 10
...to Catholicism. A “converso” is a person who converted to Catholicism, under either duress or out of social convenience, and was suspected of secretly practicing the Jewish faith. These individuals converted for a variety of reasons. Some of them were forced while some of them went willingly into Catholicism. The term converso was applied not only to the generation that converted but also to their children and their grandchildren and on down through the generations. People often question whether or not the intensions of coversos was correct because of the danger they put themselves and their families in. This proposes the issue of why society creates such violent circumstances in which individuals must lie about private matters, like religion, in order to save their lives. In 1391 there were terrible riots sweeping across southern Spain. People were offered the choice of converting or being killed. Some 20,000 Jews converted under those circumstances. They had no intention of becoming Catholic. They were not educated in Catholicism and they went on living their Jewish lives as they had previously done. Twenty years later there were a series of preaching campaigns run by the Dominicans, which converted many tens of thousands of Jews, largely by persuasion. These people were interested in becoming Catholic, of joining the mainstream Catholic society, and they were given open access to jobs and to possibilities that they’d never had before. By the time the Inquisition was founded...
Words: 1878 - Pages: 8
...Each diverse religion in existence, meant to enlighten its followers, brings a new perspective on how to live life, what to believe, and what morals to follow. Many pre-colonialist African societies, specifically Igbo and Bambara societies, could be defined by the impact of their traditional (meaning any religious belief indigenous to Africa before European arrival) religion on everyday life. Traditional beliefs in these societies were defined by polygyny and male dominance, in addition to sacrificing to divinities, fetish priests, and medicine men. Although Islam had roots in Africa before the beginning of colonialism, the introduction of the transatlantic slave trade and the start of Islam social movements began a new campaign toward religious reform in Africa. The novel Segu by Maryse Conde, shows how these Islamic movements brought both hope and fear into the lives of the men and women in the Bambara society. In particular, this new emphasis on Islam brought fear into the lives of many women; fear of leaving the traditions they had followed their whole lives. Whereas Segu focused on changes, The Concubine, by Elechi Amadi, took a more timeless approach, focusing solely on the traditional religion of the Igbo society and its effects. Although these novels are very different, each author effectively shows the significant social, emotional, and physical effects of religion particularly on the lives of women in both the Igbo and Bambara societies. The Concubine, provides...
Words: 1584 - Pages: 7
