Beliefs
• Does everybody believe in the same thing?
Why or why not?
• Are there some things everybody believes
in?
Beliefs
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Everyone believes in:
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People should treat others as they want to be
treated
People should not kill each other
People should not steal…etc.
Where do these beliefs come from?
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Parents, grandparents, teachers, the law
But --- these beliefs – or ideas & values – are
part of our “belief system”
Belief Systems
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A belief system is a way of organizing our beliefs.
Our belief systems are important because they
help us understand the world around us, guide us
on what is important, show us right from wrong,
and lead us to behave properly and reasonably.
Some of the beliefs that everyone accepts are in
the Ten Commandments, therefore, a part of a
person’s belief system may come from religion.
Religion
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Belief in and worshipping or praying to
a God or gods.
This involves a belief in the supernatural
Religion explains to people why and
how we are here and what happens to
us after we die.
Religion also shows us right from wrong
and how to live a good life.
Philosophy
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There are other elements that contribute to
people’s belief systems such as philosophy.
Comes from Greek:
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1. philos meaning “friend” or “love/lover”
2. sophia meaning “wisdom” or “knowledge”
Philosophy is the search for wisdom or knowledge.
A philosophy is a belief system accepted by a
culture or social group.
How does a new religion
or philosophy begin?
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Belief systems often try to provide answers to
problems that exist within a society.
They may appear when times are difficult and
people are looking for ways to deal with their
problems.
Often there is a founder who “begins” the
movement and for whom the belief system is later
named
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e.g., Christianity for Jesus Christ, Confucianism
for Confucius, and Buddhism for the Buddha
Thinking Questions
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What is the difference between
learning about religious beliefs
and being taught to believe in a
religion?
How does religion affect my
world today?
How does religion affect the
world around me?
Let’s look at some
more vocab
• Fables
• Fairy Tales
• Mythology
• What’s the difference?
• Can you think of any examples?
Fables
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Short Stories passed down
from generation to generation
that teach lessons and show
how people’s behaviours are
rewarded or punished.
Fables may involve animals
that talk and act like people,
plants, or forces of nature (eg.
wind, rain, thunder) that
control events
Fairy Tales
• Longer stories written
especially for children
that often include
magical characters (eg.
elves, fairies, goblins)
or animals that have
human characteristics.
Myths
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A traditional sacred story, typically revolving around the activities
of gods and heroes to explain a natural phenomenon, human
behaviours, and cultural customs.
Comes from the Greek work mythos meaning “word of mouth”
Let’s practice
• Identify which of the following works is a
fable, fairy tale or myth:
Why Study Mythology?
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They contain important values and morals which helps us
understand ancient cultures.
Myths have survived and endured for entertainment today in
comic books and motion pictures.
Our world is full of mythological allusions from products,
terminology to business.
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For Ex. Roman god of agriculture was Ceres – what do most
people eat in the morning?
It helps us recognize common archetypes (an original that has
been imitated).
Pre-Literate Religions
What is a Ritual?
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A repeated act, such as kneeling to pray, performed in a
manner dictated by a religion
They show reverence for a god or gods.
Characteristics of a ritual include:
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music
dance or movement
sacrifice
repetition
chanting
ceremonial clothing
a request for assistance or interventions
Ritual Today
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Ritual continues to hold
meaning in modern society
Rituals are important in daily life
Modern societies not only
maintain traditional rituals, but
they create and accept new
ones.
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Mace in Legislature
Olympic Torch
Sacrifice
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Refers to the purposeful
destruction of something
valuable as an offering to the
divine.
Animal sacrifice were central to
every pre-literate religions
Human sacrifice was also
practiced and was especially
important to the Aztecs.
Beliefs of Pre-Literate Peoples
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A Pre-Literate religion is a set of religious beliefs that is NOT set
down in writing in holy books such as the Bible.
They did NOT have holy books or complicated oral stories of
God’s lives, loves and battles like the ancient Greeks.
They did not explain the world with science instead they
developed myths to make sense of their world as they knew it,
and offered explanations for why humans behaved the way they
did.
They were Polytheistic, which means they worshipped many
gods.
Ancestor Worship
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Early cultures in China, Africa, Malaysia,
the South Pacific, and the Americas
believed that the dead continue to take
interest in the affairs of the living.
Reverence to the dead strongly practiced
in many Chinese families today.
It is believed that deceased family
members continue to influence the fortune
of the living.
Animism
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Animism is the belief in
supernatural power that
organizes the universe.
Spirits or gods might live in trees
or animals or inanimate objects
such as mountains.
Followers pray to these gods or
spirits for protection.
Knocking on wood for good luck
comes from the Druid’s.
Taboo
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Temple of Refuge,
Polynesia
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Taboo is based on
moral judgments and
religious beliefs that
strongly prohibit certain
social actions.
If broken a person is
shamed, ridiculed or
exiled and can be
cleansed through ritual.
Traditionally, practiced
by the people of the
South Pacific.
Fetishism
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Fetishism is the belief that
certain objects have
supernatural powers.
These objects - “fetishes” –
are usually idols or statues
and may be made from
bones, blood, fur, feathers,
gems, or special plants.
Common in West Africa
Mana
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Mana is the belief that a
person, place, or thing has
supernatural qualities.
To have mana is to have
influence and authority.
Traditionally, common belief
among the South Pacific
people – particularly the Maori
of New Zealand.
In Maori culture, facial/body
tattoos were a sign of great
mana and status
Totemism
• Totemism is a belief that
humans have a kinship
with a spirit, or totem, such
as an animal or plant.
• Traditionally, practiced
among hunter-gather and
mixed farming
communities, such as the
First Nations of Canada.
Turtle and lizard amulets
used by the Plains
people to protect their
babies.
- Turtle – long life &
endurance
- Lizard – fast and
elusive
Let’s Review
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What do pre-literate religions have in
common?
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beliefs are not set in writing
do not have complicated oral stories
about the gods and their lives
do not explain the world through
science
worship many gods
perform rituals
offer sacrifices