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Question
Reply to Question 1, then to anyone 2,3 or 4 ‘and’ 5. Three in all.
1. Christianity takes ‘many’ forms. Of them, which one seems to have the greater appeal (if at all)? What of it do you appreciate?
Very often, the New Testament is read as history, plain and simple, and it is often thought that if you believe in the Lord Jesus you will get to go to Heaven. In what way(s) might this differ from the message of Jesus himself (as best we can determine it)?
‘Christianity” came to be doctrine-oriented ‘religion’ of the Hellenistic world. Is it important to hold to doctrines (in Christianity or any other faith) or is it O.K. to fuzz over doctrines and be a mystic-thus to both experience and extend Divine love to others, regardless of race, creed or color? If ‘churches’ and ‘doctrines’ are O.K. to have, for what purpose(s)? Why do we say that in any case there is no such thing as Orthodoxy, in actual fact?
Discuss.
2. what is meant by the old testament as Dialogue. illustrated. why did we say that not reading Hebrew makes it hard for us to read Old testament correctly? Of the various parts and thrusts of the Old Testament, what of it seems to ring true, and what of it (if anything) might be problematic- as you see the history of the Hebrews/Jews.
3. Like all other religions on the plant, Islam has conservatives and liberals and mystics. Some Muslims believe that the men who ran airplanes into the twin towers went to Islamic Heaven; while other Muslims believe the went straight to Hell. What seems to you to be the better features of Islam, and what may be somewhat problematic- from your personal perspective? We seem to be saddled with terrorism (sometimes thought to be justified, among some Muslims). Can this problem be resolved peacefully, or not? If so, how?
Discuss.
Or…
4. What are some of the positive features of the native American approach to living well and/or religious life? What might be learned from them? What should the remaining Indians do in the current age: continue to live on reservations or assimilate into what might be called mainstream American? If you were of Indian origins, what would you do? If you would elect to assimilate, would you make any effort all to retain Indian customs? If so, what of it would you seek to retain? Discuss.
4. What was the best lesson of the semester and/ or one that may stay with you for a while? What of it could you just as soon leave alone, if anything? what is the value, if anything, of taking a course in World Religions?
Answer
Name of student:
Course name:
Class name:
Date assignment due:
Contents
Question 1
Many different forms of Christians exist today. The two main forms include Catholics and Protestants. Methodists and Presbyterians are forms of Christians that broke off from Protestants. Roman Catholics broke off from Catholics. In other words, there are so many forms of Christianity that it cannot be considered a single, ancient religion. Rather, it is a series of religions, all of which are given the same name. During the first three centuries, the beliefs and practices that existed among people who referred to themselves as Christians also varied.
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Modern Christianity is also subdivided into many different forms, which are thought to because of the religion’s success. There are wide differences in belief systems across different Christian denominations. There are numerous churches, whose followers regard themselves as Christians. Some followers are even intolerant of each others’ belief systems.
By the time Christianity appeared, many Jewish scholars had begun to make use of the term ‘Pantocrator’ in reference to God. This term was exceedingly commonly used in the Hellenistic world. The word simply meant ‘rule overall’. This intensified the Christians’ tendency to continue celebrating God primarily in terms of His power over the world.
In the Hellenistic world, two main conclusions can be drawn with respect to the understanding of God across denominations. One of the logical deductions made is that if God possesses all the power and is the determinant of everything that occurs, then, every mortal being is powerless. The second conclusion is that believers always want to embody a trait of a Supreme Being who they consider supremely admirable. They always strive to be like the God who they are worshipping.
Very often, Christians read the New Testament from a historical point of view. Most of them believe that a belief in Jesus is all one needs in order to go to Heaven. However, according to Jesus’ own teachings, there is more to believing in him for one to become a true believer of the Christian doctrine. Jesus taught that it is only through God the Father that one would obtain the everlasting life in heaven.
It is not necessary to hold to doctrines, whether in Christianity or in any other faith. Additionally, it is not necessary at all to be mystical and to fuss over doctrines. What is more critical is the ability and dedication to experience as well as extend Divine love to other people, regardless of their color, creed or race. If churches and doctrines must exist, their roles should simply be that of aiding followers to get as many different approaches to the interpretation of Christian teachings as possible. Historically, no such thing as orthodoxy existed. This is because no distinction is made within any doctrine between ‘being ‘more observant’ and ‘less observant’.
Question 3
Liberal Islamic practices are much better compared to their conservative counterparts. Conservative Islamists tend to hold extremist views on many issues. Most of the Muslims who believe that terrorists will go to heaven are fundamentalists. Throughout the 20th Century, many Muslim societies have found themselves torn between the forces of secularism and the attraction of universal Islamic renewal. Both of these systems are widely regarded as critical in solving the social, economic and political problems that are associated with the Muslim world, notably terrorism.
Liberalism is yet to get acceptance among all Muslims while Islamic revival has yet to live up to all the heady promises it highlights. From my personal perspective, Islamic revival does not breed liberalism; it merely reawakens the underlying forces of extremism. My biggest worry is that contemporary Islamic thinkers seize the opportunity of Islamic revival in order to reinterpret the concept of Jihad. This motivates Islamic extremists to carry out terrorist activities such as the ones that were directed against Americans on September 11, 2001.
To many Muslims who are conservatives, such acts of terrorism are acceptable. In many Islamic learning institutions, such thoughts are motivated primarily through individual intellectual efforts. The people who make these efforts end up being the motivator of Islamic extremists who are enlisted in terrorist groups. I am worried that the members of these terrorist groups, mostly young people, tend to be exploited under the guise of Islam in order to fight ideological, economic and political wars on behalf of their masters. Most of these young people are faced with much modern life’s challenges. Therefore, they readily accept extremist-inspired Islamic teachings, especially those that promise entry into heaven upon carrying out suicide terrorist attacks.
The solution to this problem lies in the reformation or renaissance of Islam. Renaissance would even be better than reformation since it would totally break all the religious shackles that keep many people in the Muslim world ignorant and backward. Liberalists argue that if Muslims are to achieve development, concepts of rational humanism Islam need to be allowed to guide the society in both private and public spheres of a Muslim’s life.
Question 4
The best lesson that I learned this semester is that all religions have the potential to develop both liberal and conservative forms. The extent to which the people practicing each religion preoccupy themselves with either notion determines whether a clash of civilizations exists or not. I also learned that a clash between members of different denominations within one religion is just as significant as the one existing between different religions. Everyone should learn to be tolerant of each others’ religious views in order for peace to prevail.
The differences between liberalism and fundamentalism are chiefly as a result of differences in interpretations of religious writings as well as areas of emphasis. Therefore, the split between these two divergent views affects every religious community today. Additionally, I learned that each of these two approaches to religion is also understood differently depending on the cultural and social context in which it is being applied.
This course enabled me to single out the similarity that exists in terms of the challenges faced by believers of different religions. I also appreciate the different ways in which Christians interpret the bible. It is the differences in interpretations that result in different forms of Christianity. I am concerned that as people continue to interpret the bible in different ways, they will continue to break away from the mainstream doctrines (Catholicism and Protestantism)
The main value of taking a course in world religions is that it enables the learner to understand the contemporary as well as traditional forces and their influence on society and government. Without any doubt, belief systems have a profound influence on today’s ideologies. The only thing that seemed extremely complicated for me in this course is the idea of how Christianity emerged as a doctrine-oriented religion of the Hellenistic world. This is because, in its traditional form, Christianity seems to have existed as merely different religions that were closely related.
