Unit 1: Religious Impulse Mrs. Fanfara HRT 3M World Religion Unit 1: Religious Impulse Mrs. Fanfara

Gospel Values- what does each mean Gospel Values- what does each mean? Try giving me examples of how we can display each teaching. Integrity Faithfulness Pursuit of Excellence Justice Compassion Stewardship Accountability Fidelity

Gospel Values- how can we display these teachings? The Gospel Values are centered in the teachings of Jesus Christ and they are demonstrated by the following: INTEGRITY People who behave in a manner that is consistent with Gospel values. Behave appropriately. FAITHFULNESS People who are nourished by the Word, respect tradition and abide by the Spirit.

Gospel Values PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE People who respond to God’s call to fulfill their highest, human potential. JUSTICE People who are committed to the fair treatment of individuals and the celebration of diversity.

Gospel Values COMPASSION People who practice forgiveness, generosity, kindness and service in their interactions with others. STEWARDSHIP People who care and act respectfully and responsibly for all God’s creation.

Gospel Values ACCOUNTABILITY People who take ownership for the impact and consequences of actions and decisions. Be wise and responsible. FIDELITY People who consistently celebrate and trust in friendship; whose relationships are centered in Gospel values.

What are the 7 virtues?

The 7 Virtues  Prudence- having wisdom and common sense As an Catholic educator, this is what I want you to have: Prudence- having wisdom and common sense Justice- being fair Fortitude- having courage and strength Temperance- having self-control Faith- believing in God and others Hope- having perseverance and striving for best (positivity) Love- being kind and compassionate

What are the 7 vices?

The 7 Vices  This is what I don’t want you to be! Having too much pride - Being confident is good but excessive love of self is a sin. We are all equal!! Greed – always desiring more wealth, power, and status. Be happy with what you have!! Appreciate and see the good in your life. Be grateful Lust - excessive thoughts or desires Anger - hatred and vengeance- wish to harm Gluttony- over indulgence and over consumption. Moderation and balance is the key. Envy - desiring something you do not possess. Don’t resent others for having something you don’t have… You don’t need it to be your best. Sloth- don’t be lazy!

Catholic Graduate Expectations A discerning believer who: exemplifies faith, hope and love embraces Christ as the ultimate role model celebrates and integrates the Catholic faith acknowledges that one's life vocation is a gift from God applies an informed moral decision-making process protects and cherishes life (cherish everyday!!)

Catholic Graduate Expectations An effective communicator who: listens actively and critically to understand and learn in light of gospel values (learn from the messages in the bible) presents information and ideas clearly and honestly and with sensitivity to others

Catholic Graduate Expectations A reflective and creative thinker who: recognizes there is more grace in our world than sin and that hope is essential in facing all challenges creates, adapts, evaluates new ideas in light of the common good thinks reflectively and creatively to evaluate situations and solve problems (make wise decisions) makes decisions in light of gospel values with an informed moral conscience examines, evaluates and applies knowledge of interdependent systems (physical, political, ethical, socio-economic and ecological) for the development of a just and compassionate society.

Catholic Graduate Expectations A self-directed, responsible lifelong learner who: efficiently acquires, analyses, synthesizes and evaluates information and knowledge from a variety of sources ethically applies knowledge to solve problems or create products through authentic experience critically evaluates all information, actions and products embraces with hope new challenges and problems as opportunities for personal growth and development uses knowledge of the past, present and future trends to plan for a hope filled life identifies learning strengths and needs in order to establish goals for future learning

Catholic Graduate Expectations A collaborative contributor who: works effectively as an interdependent team member develops one’s God-given potential and makes a meaningful contribution to society finds meaning, dignity, fulfillment and vocation in work which contributes to the common good respects the rights, responsibilities and contributions of self and others achieves excellence, originality, and integrity in one’s own work and supports these qualities in the work of others applies skills for employability, self-employment and entrepreneurship relative to Christian vocation. HOW CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY??

Catholic Graduate Expectations A caring family member who: relates to family members in a loving, compassionate and respectful manner recognizes human intimacy and sexuality as God given gifts, to be used as the creator intended values and honours the important role of the family in society ministers to the family, school, parish, and wider community through service. HOW CAN YOU BE A CARING FAMILY MEMBER??

Catholic Graduate Expectations A responsible citizen who: acts morally and legally as a person formed in Catholic traditions accepts accountability for one’s own actions witnesses Catholic social teaching by promoting equality, democracy, and solidarity for a just, peaceful and compassionate society; respects and affirms the diversity and interdependence of the world’s peoples and cultures (we are ALL equal) respects and understands the history, cultural heritage and pluralism of today’s contemporary society exercises the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship respects the environment and uses resources wisely (How can we be stewards?) contributes to the common good How can you be a responsible citizen?

What is Religion?

What is Religion? Is it FAITH or BELIEF? (synonyms in this class) A trust that is deeply personal Faith in what? Ex. I have faith in the braking and steering mechanisms in my car, but that’s not religious faith Ex. I believe that when my memory works, it’s ordinarily reliable, but that’s not religious faith Is it a belief in GOD? But not every religion believes in a GOD

What is Religion? Some say… Religion is the worship of higher powers from the sense of need Religion is the unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things – things set apart and forbidden – beliefs and practices which unite into a single moral community called the Church, all those that adhere to them The belief in a superhuman controlling power, esp. in a personal God or gods entitled to obedience and worship What moves you most deeply, what awes you most intensely, what fulfills you most completely – that’s your religious and spiritual center

What is Religion? Since humans have a universal urge to believe in something beyond ourselves, an apt definition of religion may be: Religion is any specific system of beliefs that mostly centre around the existence of a deity, often involving rituals, a code of ethics, a philosophy of life, and a worldview. A worldview is a set of basic, foundational beliefs concerning deity, humanity and the rest of the universe.

Debate: is Atheism a religion? Atheists believe “there is no God” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g0gex0gnuc C:\Users\Paul\Desktop\Is Atheism a Religion -.mp4

Agnosticism Agnostics believe that we don’t or can’t know what is ultimate, #1 “Ultimately, reality is a mystery we cannot know” A belief that it is wrong to commit to religious beliefs for which there is insufficient evidence

What do people mean when they say, “I’m spiritual, but I’m not religious”? For example, sometimes a Christian will say, “I have a relationship with God – it’s not a religion” Sometimes a non-Christian will say, “I’m not religious, but I’m a spiritual person” How are “spirituality” and “religion” different? How are they related?

Spiritual vs Religious Exchanging vows and rings before witnesses vs. loving one’s spouse above all others Going to Church on Sunday vs. trusting God for one’s deepest needs

Spiritual Religious Individual/internal attempt to raise our consciousness Personal Striving for truth Unique/always different Social Observable Acceptance Framework for life Belief systems Rituals

Various Theisms Polytheism - many gods Atheism - no god E.g, ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Aboriginal Spirituality Atheism - no god E.g., Richard Dawkins – strong advocate of atheism Pantheism - everything is god, not a person (more like gravity) E.g., Hinduism, Buddhism Monotheism - one GOD, a PERSON, unlimited in goodness & power E.g., Judaism, Christianity, Islam

Religious Diversity in Canada The United Nations has declared Canada the most multicultural society on earth. The interaction of today’s major religions, with the positive attitude of Canadians, is called religious pluralism, and is an ongoing feature of Canadian society. Religious Pluralism (definition): a positive attitude toward the existence of many faiths in one society.

Religious diversity occurs and is made possible in Canada not only because of our country’s multiculturalism, but also due to the fact that in Canada, religion is personal not political, thus separate Canadian citizens and those non-citizens living in Canada are free to follow and celebrate any religious tradition they choose Freedom of Religion specifically stated in the Charter Of Rights And Freedoms

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La0katWinUE

The Religious Impulse Religion has probably been around even longer than humans! Neanderthals showed an understanding of a supernatural force. The common thread among countless human religions is the instinct or impulse to worship something. Religious Impulse is therefore the universal urge to believe in something beyond ourselves. It seems to be thriving, even in our modern age of scientific advancements and technological wonders.

Common Features of Religion A belief in the supernatural and in a spiritual world beyond our physical material world A belief in the existence of a soul A collection of sacred writings or scriptures Organized institutions A strong sense of family and festivals that represent and celebrate shared beliefs and practices A set of answers about the most pressing human questions, for example, the meaning of suffering

Rules of conduct designed to help followers lead an honourable life and to provide order and purpose to individuals and community life A system of ethics that offers a guide to moral behaviour Significant founders or inspired leaders who introduced or spurred the development of the faith A search for perfection or salvation A life of faith and worship Techniques for focusing or concentrating one’s awareness An enriching impact on the lives of its followers and worshippers

Why is Religion practiced? Since the beginning of human existence, people have turned to Religion in one form or another One aspect of religious impulse is a recoiling from something, such as fear…….while another is a search or quest for something better, yet somewhat unattainable There are a number of factors that lead us to religion, such as:………

Why Is Religion Practiced? 1. FEAR Fears and insecurities about death, loneliness and being or doing wrong Personal challenges and problems can seen overwhelming Physical or emotional pain from sickness, loss or disease At times life can seem unbearably sad or hopeless, thus turning to religion for hope

2. WONDER The miracle of creation; starts, sky, storms, nature How and why does this all come about? Is there an overall design to the universe?

3. QUESTIONING Refusing to accept that we are simply framed by birth, life and death Is there more to these three phases Religion offers an opportunity to celebrate the beauty of lives allows people to enjoy a sense of belonging in their faith community Life plan

4. IDENTITY Are humans simply a unique physical presence with a name and a set of experiences? Or are we more? Can we be summed up by our physical description as tall, short, slim, fat, strong, and weak? Should one’s reality be described by his/her soul?

5. INTUITION Seek refuge from the so-called reality of the world and tune into a deeper mystical truth Many people feel unfulfilled by the commercialism and materialism of modern life

Religion and Ethics Both religion and ethics are concerned about doing the right thing. One does not, however, have to be religious to be ethical. Humanists adhere to a system of thought whereby humankind is the source of all value and meaning and believe that leading a good and useful life is the central goal of our existence. Being good is a significant concern for most people, religious or not. Ethics (definition) - the search for good judgment about how to behave or act. Are a person’s religious beliefs relevant to moral arguments – to justifying moral judgments to others?

Religion and Ethnicity Commonly confused Religion is concerned with beliefs, rituals and practices Ethnicity refers to a person’s origins or race For example - There are South Asians who are Christians and there are North Americans that come from many different cultural backgrounds who are Buddhists

Religion and Science Appear to be competitors in the race to understand and explain the true nature of the world, and its origins, purpose, and future direction However there is a growing acceptance of the value of the other and an understanding that both disciplines play a role in understanding the universe

Religion and Technology Technology has made the world into a global village New inventions and discoveries challenge the limits of the human lifespan, lengthening human time on earth Still does not answer eternal questions that have challenged and continue to puzzle humankind, such as: Who am I? Why am I here? How should I live my life? What is my relationship to others? Is there life or existence after death? How and why was the universe created?

Religion and Popular Culture In North American society, there are many books, television programs and series, movies and music that have religious content Stereotypical images, often negative in tone These messages are communicated either implicitly (indirectly) or explicitly (directly) Consider the effect pop culture has upon our understanding of world religions and people from different religious backgrounds. For example, acts of terrorism associated with Islam, the commercialism and secularism associated with the Christian holiday of Christmas

Sacred vs Secular Pertains to God Pertains to human beings Eternal (Heaven, Spiritual) Temporal (Earth, Physical) Does not change Changes Used within Church Used outside the Church

As we proceed forward in this course, we need to be willing to shed our preconceptions regarding world religions, and explore these faiths and spiritual systems on their, and our own, terms.