Assignment on 2-23

Faith and Religion as Ways of Knowing

What is religion? Wikipedia A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence. Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that aim to explain the meaning of life and/or to explain the origin of life or the Universe. From their beliefs about the cosmos and human nature, people may derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle. According to some estimates, there are roughly 4,200 religions in the world

What is religion? Dictionary Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

What is religion? Karen Armstrong

What is Religion? Religions are systems of values, beliefs, ideas, feelings, and practices that provide ways of thinking about, framing, and answering some fundamental human questions. Religions are systems of meaning, systems of knowledge Religion is a relationship with the spiritual that inspires compassion and love in our lives

God-isms Theism: Belief in some kind of god Atheism: god does not exist Deism: god exists as creator/designer, but that’s about it Monotheism: one god Polytheism: multiple gods Animism: souls or spirits exists in all things Pantheism: the universe or nature and god are identical Agnosticism: don’t know if god does or doesn’t exist Secularism: of this world, god not involved

Foundational Human Questions Where do I/we come from? What is my purpose for living? How should I act in the world? What happens when I die? Where can I find a community that thinks and feels like I do?

What’s Your Religion Type? Quiz What’s Your Religion Type?

HCOM 301 Spring 2015

Exploring Our Own Religious Beliefs What name would you give to your own religion orientation? How would you explain your views on god? How do you explain the origins of human life? How would you explain the purpose or meaning of your life? Does your religion provide you any rules or guidelines for living?

Examples of World Religions Bahai Brahmanism Buddhism Christianity Confucianism Daoism Hinduism Islam Jainism Judaism Secular Humanism Shintoism Scientology Sikhism Rastafarianism Zoroastrianism

Religion and Culture are sometimes indistinguishable Polynesian (e.g., Maori) African (e.g., Bantu, Bush People) Latin America (e.g., Inca, Maya, Aztec) Caribbean (e.g., Voodoo, Yoruba, Shango) Hasidic Jews? Amish People?

Largest World Religions

Religions Across the Globe

Pew Forum's U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, 2007

Harris Poll of American Opinions, 2006 Does God Exist? No, Absolutely Certain No, Somewhat Certain Unsure Yes, Somewhat Certain Yes, Absolutely Certain

Belief in an Afterlife Most Americans (74%) believe in life after death, with an equal number saying they believe in the existence of heaven as a place where people who have led good lives are eternally rewarded. Belief in the afterlife tends to be particularly common among the Christian traditions. But the survey also finds that roughly six-in-ten Buddhists (62%) believe in nirvana, the ultimate state transcending pain and desire in which individual consciousness ends, and about the same number of Hindus (61%) believe in reincarnation, that people will be reborn in this world again and again. By contrast, fewer than half of the unaffiliated (48%) and only about four-in-ten Jews (39%) say they believe in an afterlife.

Receiving Answers to Prayers A significant minority of Americans say their prayers result in definite and specific answers from God at least once a month (31%), with nearly one-in-five adults (19%) saying they receive direct answers to specific prayer requests at least once a week.

How do We Acquire Religious Knowledge?

How do We Gain Access? Religious Knowledge

Faith Is Faith the “key” to religious knowledge?

What is Faith?

Sam Harris Criticism of Religious Faith Part I Part II