Title: Religious Attitudes
Course: REL 201 RTZ > Section: Week 1 - Introductions, Introductions to the Course and Introductions to Religion

It is easy to study religion and see similarities and try to make connections to the religions and determine if there was a beginning religion that has morphed into the other religions.  This is a hard process of thinking to change. It is obvious to see that some religions do flow from other religions.  Buddhism came as an offshoot from Hinduism. Buddha never intended to create a new religion, however, his followers segregated his teachings and a new religion was formed.  Likewise, Jesus was a devout practicing Jew and would be shocked to discover that his followers rifted from Judaism and morphed into a new form of an Abrahamic Religions.

We will see religions that have originated from other belief systems or are a combination of several religions. We will study religions that are so unique that it is difficult to find similarities to any other religion. It is easy to start creating comparisons to our own beliefs and making judgments on thoughts that are better or worse than our own belief systems.  I challenge you as a scholar of religion to refrain from making such fast judgements.  As we review concepts and attitudes of the religions this semester we will look at these ideas independently and see how they fit within the tradition, within the geographic region, within the scope of humanity and within the realm of the world.

Tensions that arise between religions are compounded by the different thoughts on the nature of humans, ideas, practices, rituals and nature.  We will discuss the pros and cons of each of these attitudes and try to decipher how they impact the tradition and the surrounding cultures.

Listed below are some important differences between and within Eastern and Western religions.

Sacred Reality

What is the sacred reality?  Is there a God or Goddess? Is there one or more of the God(ess)?  Typically we see that Western religions are monotheistic, belief in one God, while Eastern religions are atheist, there is no god, nontheistic, there might be a god and there might not be a god, agnosticism, cannot know the existence of god, or polytheistic, belief in more than one god.

Is God transcendent, sacred is beyond this world, or immanent, the sacred is within this world?   What traditions would categorize as transcendent and immanent?

Universe

There is constant strife on the creation of the universe.  Did God create the universe or is it eternal?  Is it important if the world was created or has always existed?  Why is this important?  This concept is pivotal in the core belief system for most but not all religions that we will discuss in this course.  How the universe came into existence established the relationship between God(s) and humans, humans and the animals, humans and the environment and what the end times will be like.

Nature

Nature can be either perfect or imperfect.  If nature is perfect then humans should let it be without controlling nature.  Nature is also considered beautiful, pure and part of the universe. Nature is part of the religious experience and therefore treated with respect.  If humans consider nature to be imperfect there is a fear of nature.  Humans are considered to be higher and more important than nature.  Humans are in charge of nature and must control nature – the environment and animals.  Humans will force nature at bay and keep it from encroaching on human ‘rights’.  Nature is thought of as dirty and impure.

Time

The two most common views on time is that it is cyclical or linear.  If time is cyclical than the universe has always existed and will continue to exist.  There is no beginning and no ending.  If time is linear than there is a creation and end date.  In between there are pivotal key points of experience and relationships.  There are also two other types of time that we will discuss this semester.  The first is dreamtime, which is an Australian Aborigine belief. Dreamtime is the experience that what we are living now is the dream and that what we dream is the real time – put simply for now.  The second is found in Africa.  Some Africans have the time concept of now, the near past and the far past. There is no future time.

Human Beings

Humans can either be central or part of nature and society.  In this relationship humans can be given power of the universe, nature or other cultures.  In some religions humans are part of nature and humanity.  No one is considered supreme and should not exert themselves about anyone or thing.

Women

Views on women have been constant, varied, positive and negative throughout each religion. Some religions see women as integral to the universe while other religions see women as mere property and have no value.  Some religions place high value and respect for women while other religions relegate them below animals on value and show no respect for women. These ideas have remained constant for some religions and have changed many times depending on the time period and local cultures.  Religions have influenced cultural views of women and cultures have influenced religious views of women.

Animals

Like women animals are seen as positive and important to religions or negative and dirty beasts to other religions. Animals have and do play a fundamental role in the relationship of humans and religion.  These ideas are as varied as they are for women.

Words and scriptures

“If men learn [writing], it will implant forgetfulness in their souls.” – Plato

I have often found this to a true statement. If I write something down I know that I do not have to recall that information because I can look it up at any time.  Many humans have these same thoughts as well.  Why recall information that can be written down and stored for later retrieval.  Spoken and the written word still create strife amongst religions to do this very day!

All cultures fundamentally meant to have their religious teachings heard, not read

- Hindus believe that when verbalized the Vedas release spiritual forces that altar the cosmos
- Judaism and Christianity teach that the creation was the result of the spoken word
- Buddha and Jesus were both literate but never left any of their own writings
- The sound of music, not the written score, is what moves our emotions and paints images within our mind and soul

The differences between oral and written communication is vast:

Oral Communication

1. Oral communication demands personal and intimate contact between two or more people that is lost in written forms
2. Spoken words are transmitted by the breath – in many Native American languages the word breath is the same word for life, soul and poetry
3. As sounds are released through breath they are free to be received by the total environment – humans, animals, rocks, etc. are all surrounded by the sound
4. Speaking is a sacred act – Many Native American groups consider names and words are not just metaphors of concepts but are conveyors of spiritual realities
5. So summarize spoken words are spontaneous, temporary, concrete, personal and sacred

Written Communication

1. In written cultures sights becomes the dominant sense
2. Written cultures follow the concept – to see is to believe; failure to see is to disbelieve
3. Communication is through an alphabetic script that promotes bias in favor of a linear and progressive thinking process
4. Written words are less fragile than the spoken word and becomes permanent
5. Writing allows for greater distribution and permits criticism of the words and concepts
6. The author loses control over the words once they are written
7. Writing reduces the value of time and place because the written scripts can be readily stored and retrieved any time or place
8. Reading and writing is a private, silent act and performed in solitude
9. Written communication can be summed up as convenient, precise, abstract, permanent and impersonal

Language is just a symbol system consisting of elements and conventions for the expression of concepts.  Language can either be direct, unambiguous in meaning, or indirect, ambiguous and figurative.  Language can be used to express emotions, can be wild and extravagant, and expresses feelings or describe events.  Language can be directive and express commands, guidelines or instructions.  Language can provide religious ways of speaking and knowing.

Religious language:

- Speaks of intimacy with God or others
- Speaks of what ultimately matters
- Can be double intentional
  - Mundane and sacred
  - Directs to finite and sensible while speaking beyond the mundane to the infinite and absolute
- Metaphorical – creates a paradox that the sacred can be simultaneously knowable and unknowable

How the spoken word becomes scripture:

1. Words are first spoken
2. These words are committed to memory
3. These words are shared with the community
4. The words are then codified into script
5. Scripted words are canonized by an authoritative body
6. Canonized words are shared with the community
7. Once a large number of community acknowledges the canonized writing has authority over their lives it is accepted as sacred text

Exclusiveness vs Inclusiveness

Religions are exclusive in their acceptance of other religious beliefs and practices.  These religions believe that their religion is the only religion and should not be changed after being exposed to other ideas and concepts.  Inclusive religions accept truths that they find in any religion that they are exposed to. They are open to other religions and beliefs that makes sense and then they integrate those beliefs into their belief systems and adopt new practices, teachings and rituals with these new truths.