RELIGION and NON-RELIGION
1
RELIGION and NON-RELIGION
Students learn about:
•
•
•
•
The religious dimension of human history
New religious expression
Non-religious worldviews
The difference between religious and nonreligious worldviews
2
1. The Religious Dimension of Human History
1a Identify the following expressions of the religious
dimension in human history
● Animism
● Polytheism
● Monotheism
1b Evaluate the place of the religious dimension in human
history to provide
● meaning and purpose for the individual
● Social cohesion
● Social transformation
1c Investigate statistical data of the current global
distribution of the five major religious traditions
3
1a
Identify the following expressions of the religious
dimension in human history
ANIMISM
 There is clear archaeological evidence that prehistoric
communities had religious beliefs
 There are several theories about how prehistoric religion
began; i.e. the origin of religion
 Sir Edward Burnett Tylor
 Friedrich Max Muller
 Wilhelm Schmidt
 Definition (by Tylor 1871):- Prehistoric people believed that
all natural objects including living creatures had a soul or a
spirit which existed separately and independently from its
physical being.
 It was this force that controlled the activities of the natural
4
world
 Animism is the belief that natural events (such as
windstorms, cyclones and earthquakes) could be
attributed to the actions of these spirits – animae
 Tylor says that the prehistoric people revered and
worshipped these spirits because the natural
phenomena (which the spirits produced) were
completely beyond normal human capabilities. i.e.
nature was completely controlled solely by the
spirits.
 Thus prehistoric people worshipped the spirits
because they affected their daily lives – and they
had to keep the spirits happy!
5
 Tylor’s theories have been rejected by most scholars but
have led to the development of alternate theories about
the origins of religion
 Muller:
 Disagreed with Tylor’s notion that the spirits
inhabited the natural world
 Instead, he had the idea that the spirits possessed
human emotions such as anger which led to them
having good and bad temper and that it was this that
led them to be revered as deities
 Whilst Animism is associated with pre-historic cultures, it
still exists in some of today’s cultures; e.g. Australian
Aboriginal people, some African and Polynesian
communities.
6
POLYTHEISM
 …is the belief in – and worship of – multiple deities:
gods and goddesses, and is generally believed to
have developed from animism and then
monotheism is said to have then developed from
polytheism as a natural progression
ANIMISM
POLYTHEISM
MONOTHEISM
7
 The deities (gods) of polytheistic cultures have their
own…
 Stories and worshipping needs
 Individual personalities
 Specialities (like the god of harvest, the god of
fertility etc) and
 A position in a hierarchy of gods
 Thus the gods of polytheistic cultures have
personalities, disagreements with other gods, personal
likes and dislikes and wars
 The Greek, Egytpian and Roman ancient religions
were all polytheistic
8
 HARD & SOFT POLYTHEISM
 Hard polytheists conceive of their gods as being
distinct and separate entities; e.g. Ancient Greek
gods of Mt Olympus
 Soft polytheism does not conceive of the gods
being distinct or separate.
Rather they are understood to be acting as facets
of a single god; e.gHinduism – has various deities
which are understood to be different
manifestations of the one power known as
Brahman
9
MONOTHEISM- Belief in one God
 Deism is a form of monotheism that affirms the
belief in the oneness of god but rejects the notion
that god is an active agent in human history
 Pantheism acknowledges the intervention of god in
human history- god in not seen as separate from
nature – but as part of nature
 Semitic Monotheism- Christianity, Judaism and Islam
religions of “ the book” with common ancestors
and belief in one creator and loving God
10
1b
Evaluate the place of the religious
dimension in human history to provide
● meaning and purpose for the individual
● Social cohesion
● Social transformation
MEANING AND PURPOSE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL
1. Religion attempts to provide guidelines which answer
the key questions:
 Where did we come from? (the origin of creation)
 What are we supposed to de while we are here?
(the purpose of human existence)
 What happens after we die? (what is our destiny)
11
2. RELIGION OFFERS A SENSE OF BELONGING WITHIN
A COMMUNITY
 Human beings – by their nature – need to belong
within a community or society
 Therefore, the rituals and communal worship helps us
by providing a sense of belonging to a community
3. THE ROLE OF RITUAL PRACTICE
 Religion plays a significant role in reinforcing the
cultural identity of a group
 It also renews and strengthens the bonds within a
community of believers – especially where those are
small, ethnic minorities or marginalized or alienated
 It does this by ritual practice
12
2,SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
 Religion can be used to uphold and preserve
traditional values and practices in a society, but also as
a tool for social change egsocial justice and equality
for marginalized groups by addressing issues like
poverty, environmental change, global conflict and
indigenous peoples’ rights
 Some examples are S V d P, Caritas and the Salvation
Army
13
3. SOCIAL COHESION
1b
 Religion can provide communities with a sense of
continuity and certainty in an uncertain and confusing
eg in times of war, but has often supported unjust
social prctices such as slavery
14
1c Investigate statistical data of the current
global distribution of the five major
religious traditions
1c
christianity
islam
hindu
buddhism
judaism
other
15
2a Recognize the reasons for the rise of new
religious expressions as people:
● Search for personal fulfilment
● Seek ethical guidelines
● Seek to clarify their relationship with
society
2a
16
THE RISE OF NEW RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION &
SPIRITUALITIES
2a
INCREASING POPULARITY OF NEW AGE RELIGIONS
 A wide range of Australians are attracted to new age
religions for a variety of reasons
 When viewed alongside traditional religious practices,
they tend to be worldviews which have a nonreligious approach.
17
3a Outline the essential features of Atheism and
Agnosticism
3b Outline the positions of:
● Rational Humanism
● Scientific Humanism
3c
p24
p26
discuss how Agnosticism, Atheism and Humanism
determine the aspiration and behaviour of the
individual
p28
4a Compare the response of ONE religious and ONE nonreligious belief system to:
● The concept of the transcendent
p30
● The human person
● Social responsibility
18
THE RISE OF NEW RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION &
SPIRITUALITIES
2a
NEW AGE RELIGION
 An term that covers a wide range of spiritual beliefs
and practices which aim to foster individual
fulfilment in the form of personal happiness, health
and meaning in life.
 The New Age Movement is in a class by itself.
Unlike most formal religions, it has no holy
text, central organization, membership, formal
clergy, geographic centre, dogma, creed, etc.
They often use mutually exclusive definitions
for some of their terms.
19
THE RISE OF NEW RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION &
SPIRITUALITIES
2a
EXAMPLES OF NEW AGE RELIGIONS
●
●
●
●
●
●
Astrology
Crystals
Feng shui
Magnetic field therapy
Numerology
Palmistry
●
●
●
●
●
Spiritual healing
Tia chi
Tarot cards
Transcendental meditation
Yoga
20
THE RISE OF NEW RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION &
SPIRITUALITIES
2a
DIVERSE NATURE OF NEW AGE RELIGIONS
 The New Age Religions are very diverse and are often
practised by small groups or individuals
 Some feature philosophies drawn from ancient
religions whilst others are based on a framework that
seeks to unlock human potential.
 Others are based on pseudo-scientific approaches to
health & wellbeing
21
2a Recognize the reasons for the rise of new religious
expressions as people:
p17
● Search for personal fulfilment
● Seek ethical guidelines
● Seek to clarify their relationship with society
2b Explain how the following have influenced the growth
of new religious expressions and spiritualties
● The rise of materialism
p19
● Scientific progress
● Growth of ecological awareness
● Disenchantment with “traditional” religious practice
and guidance
22
THE RISE OF NEW RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION &
SPIRITUALITIES
2a
CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW AGE RELIGIONS
 Often focussed on the needs of the individual
 Usually no structure or hierarchy
 No particular commitment required
 No doctrine of social renewal or service to others
 The attraction is often: A search for personal fulfilment
 A need for ethical guidance and
 A need to belong to a “society”
23
THE RISE OF NEW RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION &
SPIRITUALITIES
i.
2a
SEARCH FOR PERSONAL FULFILMENT
 Importance of search for personal fulfilment
 The most significant attraction of new religious
expression
 Secularism has caused an absence of meaning in
life where the traditional religious beliefs are seen
as irrelevant
 This results in people looking elsewhere to find
answers to the meaning and purpose of life’s
journey
24
THE RISE OF NEW RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION &
SPIRITUALITIES
i.
2a
SEARCH FOR PERSONAL FULFILMENT
 Diverse nature of New Age Religions
 The personal fulfilment is offered in a considerable
variety of ways that will appeal to many…
 Having a successful career
 Being wealthy
 Being happy in relationships
 Being physically and emotionally well
25
THE RISE OF NEW RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION &
SPIRITUALITIES
2a
ii. SEEKING ETHICAL GUIDELINES
 Lack of moral certainty in a secular society
 Moral relativism is the notion that everything is a
matter of personal choice which begets the idea
that there is an absence of moral truth in a secular
society
 Traditional religious guidance is often seen as
irrelevant & meaningless
26
THE RISE OF NEW RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION &
SPIRITUALITIES
2a
iii. SEEK TO CLARIFY THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH
SOCIETY
27
2b Explain how the following have influenced
the growth of new religious expressions
and spiritualties
● The rise of materialism
● Scientific progress
● Growth of ecological awareness
● Disenchantment with “traditional”
religious practice and guidance
2b
28
3a Outline the essential features of Atheism
and Agnosticism
3a
29
3a Outline the essential features of Atheism
and Agnosticism
3a
ATHEISM
 Atheism is the absence of belief that any deities exist
 Therefore, an atheist does not believe that god exists
 It is therefore not an active belief system or a
philosophy with its own set of doctrines
 They believe that the universe, the earth and its life
evolved by a natural scientific process
 They believe that because there is no god, humanity
has no ultimate goal and that there is no life after life
30
3a Outline the essential features of Atheism
and Agnosticism
3a
ATHEISM
 Atheism developed via the 17th century Age of
Enlightenment that advocated the use of reason over
religion because religion was seen to be irrational and
grew from superstitions
 This era also saw significant scientific advancement
which was viewed as being incompatible with
traditional religion
 Thus, with the advent of Darwin’s 19th century theory
of evolution, there grew increasing tension between
secularism and religion
31
3a Outline the essential features of Atheism
and Agnosticism
3a
AGNOSTICISM
 A sceptical world view of a person who awaits more
conclusive evidence than currently exists before they
commit to a belief in a transcendent entity; i.e. the
existence of a god.
 Therefore, because they do not believe that there is
sufficient proof, they do not believe (yet) in a heaven, a
hell or judgement.
 They don’t discount the existence of a god – rather they
believe that there is not enough proof (evidence) to
support such a belief – a fence-sitter
32
3a Outline the essential features of Atheism
and Agnosticism
3a
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ATHEISTS & AGNOSTICS
 Agnostics believe that the existence of god is still a
possibility but at this time evidence for the existence of
god (or gods) is not conclusive
 Atheists regard the issue as firmly closed
33
34
3a Outline the essential features of Atheism
and Agnosticism
3a
Question from a past paper
2009 HSC EXAMINATION
Section I
Question 22 (5 marks)
“If god does not exist, then everything is permitted.”
With reference to the above quotation, explain how
atheism OR agnosticism influences the aspirations and
behaviour of individuals.
(you are only permitted to write 11 lines)
35
3b Outline the positions of:
● Rational Humanism
● Scientific Humanism
3b
HUMANISM
 Humanism is a belief that – since there is no evidence
that supports the existence of a supernatural being – this
life and this world are all that matters
 Therefore we should live full, happy lives and make it
easier for others to do the same
 This is based on the belief that – since supernatural
intervention has been proven impossible – human
beings can and do have control over their own destinies
 Thus human endeavour, experience, intelligence and
compassion are the foundations of all moral values
36
3c Discuss how Agnosticism, Atheism and
Humanism determine the aspiration and
behaviour of the individual
3c
37
HUMANISM
3c
 is a philosophy that believes that this world, the
morals, ethics and the experiences gained from this life
are all that we have
 Human beings are therefore able to control their own
destiny – and by implication – those of other people
 And since we can do this, we should try to improve
the lives of others
 Accordingly, humanists have strong ethical and moral
doctrines regarding social responsibility, ecological
sustainability and the notion that all human beings are
born free and equal
 Many of the beliefs of humanism can also be applied
to atheism and Christianity
38
HUMANISM
3c
Amsterdam Declaration 2002
Humanism is the outcome of a long tradition of free thought
that has inspired many of the world's great thinkers and
creative artists and gave rise to science itself.
The fundamentals of modern Humanism are as follows:
1. Humanism is ethical. It affirms the worth, dignity and
autonomy of the individual and the right of every human
being to the greatest possible freedom compatible with the
rights of others. Humanists have a duty of care to all of
humanity including future generations. Humanists believe
that morality is an intrinsic part of human nature based on
understanding and a concern for others, needing no
external sanction.
39
HUMANISM
3c
Amsterdam Declaration 2002
2. Humanism is rational. It seeks to use science creatively, not
destructively. Humanists believe that the solutions to the
world's problems lie in human thought and action rather
than divine intervention. Humanism advocates the
application of the methods of science and free inquiry to
the problems of human welfare. But Humanists also
believe that the application of science and technology must
be tempered by human values. Science gives us the means
but human values must propose the ends.
40
HUMANISM
3c
Amsterdam Declaration 2002
3. Humanism supports democracy and human rights.
Humanism aims at the fullest possible development of
every human being. It holds that democracy and human
development are matters of right. The principles of
democracy and human rights can be applied to many
human relationships and are not restricted to methods of
government.
41
HUMANISM
3c
Amsterdam Declaration 2002
4. Humanism insists that personal liberty must be combined
with social responsibility. Humanism ventures to build a
world on the idea of the free person responsible to society,
and recognises our dependence on and responsibility for
the natural world. Humanism is undogmatic, imposing no
creed upon its adherents. It is thus committed to education
free from indoctrination.
42
HUMANISM
3c
Amsterdam Declaration 2002
5. Humanism is a response to the widespread demand for an
alternative to dogmatic religion. The world's major
religions claim to be based on revelations fixed for all time,
and many seek to impose their world-views on all of
humanity. Humanism recognises that reliable knowledge of
the world and ourselves arises through a continuing
process. Of observation, evaluation and revision.
6. Humanism values artistic creativity and imagination and
recognises the transforming power of art. Humanism
affirms the importance of literature, music, and the visual
and performing arts for personal development and
fulfilment.
43
HUMANISM
3c
Amsterdam Declaration 2002
7. Humanism is a life stance aiming at the maximum possible
fulfilment through the cultivation of ethical and creative
living and offers an ethical and rational means of addressing
the challenges of our times. Humanism can be a way of life
for everyone everywhere.
Our primary task is to make human beings aware in the
simplest terms of what Humanism can mean to them and
what it commits them to. By utilising free inquiry, the power
of science and creative imagination for the furtherance of
peace and in the service of compassion, we have confidence
that we have the means to solve the problems that confront
us all. We call upon all who share this conviction to associate
themselves with us in this endeavour.
44
SUMARY OF HUMANISM
 Humanists think that this world and this life are all we
have, hence we should try to live full and happy lives
ourselves and, as part of this, make it easier for other
people to do the same
 All situations and people deserve to be judged on their
merits by standards of reason and humanity
 Human experience is the foundation for all moral values
 Humanists believe in the intrinsic goodness of humanity,
but realise that human potential is far greater than current
achievement
 Individuality and social cooperation are equally important
 Humanists believe that human beings are successful,
because of our ability to manipulate and adapt to the
natural world by working cooperatively with other human
beings
45
SUMARY OF HUMANISM
 There are many types of humanists e.g. Christian
humanists, scientific humanists etc.
RATIONAL HUMANISM (ALSO KNOWN AS SECULAR
HUMANISM)
 Philosophy which proclaims that the use compassion,
equality, morality, ethics and most importantly reason can
be used to build a better world for human kind
SCIENTIFIC HUMANISM (ALSO KNOWN AS MODERN
HUMANISM)
 Philosophy which places a significant emphasis upon
science and technology to address global problems such as
poverty, environmental degradation, and social
inequalities
 Began in the 20th century, with an emphasis on achieving
46
equality and peace on a global scale
SUMARY OF HUMANISM
SCIENTIFIC HUMANISM (ALSO KNOWN AS MODERN
HUMANISM)
 Philosophy which places a significant emphasis upon
science and technology to address global problems such as
poverty, environmental degradation, and social
inequalities
 Began in the 20th century, with an emphasis on achieving
equality and peace on a global scale
 Humanists are atheists and therefore atheism and
humanism are not mutually exclusive
 Many beliefs and aspirations of humanism can also be
applied to atheism
47
How does agnosticism determine aspirations and
behaviour of individuals?
• In-decision would result in ‘a dilemma, a
complexity
• This would require behaviours to be of
such a nature that either alternatives
(god/no-god) could result in the happiness
of the agnostic.
• Their aspirations would be to be the best
person they are, for I cannot be secured if I
am evil
• Further their aspirations may be to achieve
the best society so that both possibilities
may be realised.
• They would need to be open to further
analysis and discussion in order to see
whether their position as agnostics is still
tenable
How does Atheism determine the aspirations and
behaviour of individuals?
• Atheist, as a position, is difficult for there is no
compelling need to aspire to anything or to
behave in any one manner.
• Though most atheists would see some purpose
for their lives, there is again no compelling
evidence for this, unless founded in the sciences
or intellect.
• They would argue that humanity would dictate
appropriate aspirations and behaviour
How does Humanism determine the aspirations
and behaviours of individuals?
• What befits the human is good; what is
disclosed as the nature and purpose of the
human is good.
• ‘Man fully alive’ meaning that in all her
characteristics (emotional, aesthetic,
spiritual, intellectual, social) the human
person strives to achieve fullness of
personhood
Use the following description to answer Questions 8 & 9
Carly reads the Qur’an, the Bible, Buddha’s sermons, and Confucius’ Analects,
attends a Wiccan coven, has regular tarot card readings and leads a yoga class. She
is skeptical about science and is disillusioned with the effects of technology on
climate change.
8.
What is Carly’s religious outlook or spirituality likely to be?
(A) Tibetan Buddhist
(B) Rational Humanist
(C) Pentecostal Christian
(D) New religious expression
9.
Carly’s best friend is Scott who describes himself as a Scientific Humanist.
Which of the following issues are Carly and Scott most likely to disagree
about?
(A) The problems caused for society by economic exploitation of natural
resources
(B) The ability of mainstream religious authorities to provide guidance to
society
(C) The value of alternative medicine
(D) The dangers of global warming
52
4a Compare the response of ONE religious
and ONE non-religious belief system to:
● The concept of the transcendent
● The human person
● Social responsibility
4a
THE RESPONSE OF ONE RELIGIOUS AND
ONE NON-RELIGIOUS BELIEF SYSTEM TO…
Fundamentalist: a member of a religious movement that is
characterised by a literal, rigid interpretation of
the sacred text
Transcendent: belief that divine power(s) or being(s) exists
beyond the human
Utilitarianism: consequentialist form of ethical theory which
asserts the notion that what is good is what
brings the greatest happiness for the greatest
53
number
THE RESPONSE OF ONE RELIGIOUS AND
ONE NON-RELIGIOUS BELIEF SYSTEM TO…
4a
i. THE CONCEPT OF THE TRANSCENDENT
 God created the world and gave meaning to life
 All Christians believe in the concept of the transcendent
 All Christians believe that god is the source of creation
and that God gives meaning and purpose to life
 Humanists reject the notion of the transcendent
 Humanists do not accept the idea that there is anything
that exists beyond the ordinary human experience
 Life after physical death
 Humanists believe that this life and this world is all we
have and reject any ideas about a life after death
 Christians – on the other hand – believe in heaven, hell
and judgement leading to eternal life
54
THE RESPONSE OF ONE RELIGIOUS AND
ONE NON-RELIGIOUS BELIEF SYSTEM TO…
4a
i. THE CONCEPT OF THE TRANSCENDENT
 Source and mechanisms of creation
 Because humanists do not believe in life after death, they
only accept the scientific view of creation
 Christians have no problem accepting the view that
evolution is a mechanism of creation as well as that god
is the source of creation
 The difference is what is behind the process: Secular humanists align themselves with the scientists
who claim that creation was a spontaneous event
lacking in cause or motivation
 Christians believe that God is the author of creation
55
THE RESPONSE OF ONE RELIGIOUS AND
ONE NON-RELIGIOUS BELIEF SYSTEM TO…
4a
ii. THE HUMAN PERSON
 The human person is of paramount importance
 This view is held by both Christians and Humanists – that
the human person is of supreme value
 Humanists believe that human beings have thrived
through their intelligent adaptation to the environment
and their problem-solving ability
 The needs of the individual are paramount
 Humanists believe that the needs of the individual should
never be compromised except when the greater good of
society is involved
56
THE RESPONSE OF ONE RELIGIOUS AND
ONE NON-RELIGIOUS BELIEF SYSTEM TO…
4a
ii. THE HUMAN PERSON
 The source of this view: Christians believe that we are made in the image and
likeness of God and
 That social responsibilities are derived from the revelation
of God
 Humanists – on the other hand – believe that the social
responsibilities are derived purely from human
experiences
iii. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
 The issues addressed are poverty, ecological concerns, world
peace, justice and economic equality
57
THE RESPONSE OF ONE RELIGIOUS AND
ONE NON-RELIGIOUS BELIEF SYSTEM TO…
4a
iii. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
 Belief that people have social responsibilities towards each
other
 Both Christian and Humanists believe that because the
human person is of extreme value, people have certain
social responsibilities toward each other
 Both belief systems aim to make the world a better place
for all to live in
 The source of this view
 The Christians and the Humanists differ in their views of
social responsibility
 Christians have specific doctrines on social responsibility
– based on biblical teachings & tradition
 Humanists have similar doctrines but they are not as
58
clearly defined
THE RESPONSE OF ONE RELIGIOUS AND
ONE NON-RELIGIOUS BELIEF SYSTEM TO…
4a
iii. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
 Life after physical death
 Because Humanists have no belief in an afterlife, they
tend to place more emphasis on the contributions people
make in this life
 Christians – because they place too much emphasis on the
idea of life after death – have been criticized for placing
too much emphasis here and not enough on the needs of
people during their earthly lives
59
THE RESPONSE OF ONE RELIGIOUS AND
ONE NON-RELIGIOUS BELIEF SYSTEM TO…
4a
iii. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
 Material accumulation of goods
 Both groups believe that its harmful to acquire
possessions to excess because this can take place at the
expense of those who are deprived of life’s necessities
thus fostering inequality
 Ecological sustainability
 Both groups share a similar philosophy for the protection
of the environment – but for different reasons: Christians – because of the relationship between god
and its creator
 Humanists – because they believe we are dependant
on the environment for survival
60