The Introduction of Study Guide Question

The Introduction of Study Guide Question

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Finding similarities in religions can be as important as finding its differences.

Religious groups distinguish between what is sacred and what is ordinary.

According to Mircea Eliade, the sacred is set apart for reverence.

The sacred is set apart, also, by establishing a center in profane.

The center of sacred space may be represented by: sacred hill, sacred tree or a special building.

People tell sacred stories to explain difference between holy and sacred.

Unlike other stories, sacred stories belong to the whole world of religions.

Many cultures have stories about the beginning of heaven and earth.

Knowledge comes to them through revelations, visions or voices.

Scholars label stories that represent conversations between humans and natural beings as myths.

Long narrative poems about feats of legendary heroes are called epic.

Characters in epics represent values of their creators.

Values reflect a people's fears, hatred and joys.

Each religion believe its sacred writings have this kind of origin: divine or spirit inspired.

They were spoken by teachers of deep spiritual insight.

Adherents of a religion regard scriptures as the basis of law, ritual and ethics.

Scriptures are the only writings needed for these aspects of religion faith and practice.

Rituals are the actions that are repetitive, prescribed and ceremonial.

To be beneficial, sacred actions must be performed exactly according to a prescribed pattern.

Rituals are performed as social obligations.

Ceremonials marking the transition from one stage of life to another are common in all religions.

These are usually accompanied by rituals: birth, adolescence, marriage and death.

During a ritual, its history is usually traced to a sacred person, event or time.

Dancing is used in some religions to express spirituality.

Among the Sioux, dancers may clothe themselves to represent gods, birds, animals or fish.

Besides creatures of the natural world, transforms themselves into demons and deities.

The absolute of a religion may be essential object or concept for the believers.

Each religion has a particular view of the world.

How you think about humans influences how you treat them.

In all religions, something is wrong with forcing people.

Different ways of defining human problems are important to analyze.

In some religions, the solution to human problems is deity and purity.

In other religions, the solution may be harmony with the values.

In earlier forms of religions, the solution focused on gathering people in harmony.

Later forms of religions have shifted to other views of secularism or individualism.

Most religions advocate that individuals participate in like minded groups of society.

The standards of conduct taught in the religion are reinforced by the society.

Part of the solution for humans is prescribed in revelations.

Part of the solution for humans includes: justice and peace.

In religious context, leaders are people who have set interpretations of the religion.

The story of history helps explain who the people are in the search of education or knowledge.

In many world religions, these served to provide a fixed point of reference: scriptures. Despite their rational aspects, sometimes beliefs and actions are based on worldly ...