Rel 133 Elements Of Religion Research Paper
Elements of Religion
James Morales
REL-133
April 17, 2013
Joseph Becker
Elements of Religion
Religion is a way of life for much of mankind, and though all religions are not the same, do all religions do the same thing? Can religion be considered as a way to unite mankind, or viewed as a way to segregate them. Lines are drawn by religions even though many look to religion as a way of life. To join again is the linguistic meaning of the word religion. To search or find the divine or sacred is what drives mankind to follow religion in all its shapes and forms. From Christianity to Buddhism, to indigenous religions such as the Native Americans, or Igbo tribes of Africa, while studying religion what components will be deemed critical …show more content…
There are eight all together, the belief system, community, central myths, ritual, ethics, characteristic emotional experiences, material expressions, and sacredness. When humans are raised in a particular setting it is easy to become narrow minded, but if one was to step back and examine the eight previously mentioned concepts, it would seem many religions have more in common than what is on the surface. Examining how a religion gets is message out would be a start, from different teachings through texts, doctrines, stories, and myths. Next would be what do different religions do, from worship to prayer pilgrimage, and rituals. Then how do religions organize themselves, most have some kind construct, or hierarchy. Religions look to leaders and have social relationships, and most religions promote some kind of outreach to the community. (Malloy, …show more content…
The rite of passage takes on many forms, the Native Americans believe that childbirth can be a very powerful and spiritual time. A young woman may go to a sacred spot to give birth. An African tribe might celebrate the birth through a community setting; in fact sometimes the baby is not considered a member of the community until the baby is named in a public celebration. Birth is not the only rite of passage, across Africa circumcision for young males ushers them into adulthood. The Apache girls have a ritual associated with their first menstrual cycle moving them from girl to woman. Native Americans seek out a vision quest or dream quest, usually including the cleansing of one’s self, and going to a place deemed sacred, and then fasting until one has a vision or dream come to them. Direction in one’s personal journey is usually found through this. Another example could be a young Jewish boys bar mitzvah; everywhere in society is some type of religious influence and example of dedication to honoring the divine. (Malloy,
James Morales
REL-133
April 17, 2013
Joseph Becker
Elements of Religion
Religion is a way of life for much of mankind, and though all religions are not the same, do all religions do the same thing? Can religion be considered as a way to unite mankind, or viewed as a way to segregate them. Lines are drawn by religions even though many look to religion as a way of life. To join again is the linguistic meaning of the word religion. To search or find the divine or sacred is what drives mankind to follow religion in all its shapes and forms. From Christianity to Buddhism, to indigenous religions such as the Native Americans, or Igbo tribes of Africa, while studying religion what components will be deemed critical …show more content…
There are eight all together, the belief system, community, central myths, ritual, ethics, characteristic emotional experiences, material expressions, and sacredness. When humans are raised in a particular setting it is easy to become narrow minded, but if one was to step back and examine the eight previously mentioned concepts, it would seem many religions have more in common than what is on the surface. Examining how a religion gets is message out would be a start, from different teachings through texts, doctrines, stories, and myths. Next would be what do different religions do, from worship to prayer pilgrimage, and rituals. Then how do religions organize themselves, most have some kind construct, or hierarchy. Religions look to leaders and have social relationships, and most religions promote some kind of outreach to the community. (Malloy, …show more content…
The rite of passage takes on many forms, the Native Americans believe that childbirth can be a very powerful and spiritual time. A young woman may go to a sacred spot to give birth. An African tribe might celebrate the birth through a community setting; in fact sometimes the baby is not considered a member of the community until the baby is named in a public celebration. Birth is not the only rite of passage, across Africa circumcision for young males ushers them into adulthood. The Apache girls have a ritual associated with their first menstrual cycle moving them from girl to woman. Native Americans seek out a vision quest or dream quest, usually including the cleansing of one’s self, and going to a place deemed sacred, and then fasting until one has a vision or dream come to them. Direction in one’s personal journey is usually found through this. Another example could be a young Jewish boys bar mitzvah; everywhere in society is some type of religious influence and example of dedication to honoring the divine. (Malloy,