Religion is the basic belief in a set of rules on how to live, generally accompanied by a belief and worship of a superhuman being with supernatural powers. There are many religions that have been picked up throughout the world. Most of these religions rise from some basic religions that have relationships with the belief. Some of the most known religions are Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism among many others. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion and is India's main religion. Unlike many religions Confucianism does not have a higher power they worship, instead, it is an ethical system of philosophical teachings founded by Confucius, a Chinese philosopher and then developed by Mencius (Doniger, 2009).
Hinduism is one of the world’s major religions that evolved from the Vedic religion of ancient India. Hinduism has branches that contain several sects. The major branches are Vaishnavism and Shaivism. These sects rely on their own set of scriptures but their focal point is the ancient Vedas. The philosophical Vedic texts, from the Aryans, involved the Upanishads in searching for knowledge on how the human beings would escape reincarnation. Hinduism has a cosmic principle Brahman, whereby they believe in rebirth after death. Hinduism emerged around the beginning of Common Era then coexisted within Buddhism for several centuries (Clearly, 2013). It spread to Southern India and parts of Southeast Asia from the Northern India. The basic teaching of Vedanta is the belief that the human being is neither confined in the body nor mind but the spark of God within the soul. Most Hindu’s practice bhakti as a way to worship and follow their deity. Rather than live of fear of their deity, bhakti focuses on being connected with the...
... middle of paper ...
....)
In conclusion, currently Confucianism has been greatly reduced and its revival in the scholarly community upheld. On the other hand, Hinduism is practiced throughout the world whereby worship is done at home and temple. Religious festivals are also observed according to an ancient solar-lunar calendar. The religion instills unique and strong sense of identity in each Hindu.
References
Doniger, W. (2009). The Hindus: An alternative history. New York, NY: Penguin Press.
OMF. (n.d.). Hinduism. Retrieved May 2, 2014, from http://www.omf.org/omf/uk/asia/religions/hinduism
Richey, J. (n.d.). Confucianism. Retrieved May 2, 2014, from http://www.patheos.com/Library/Confucianism/Ritual-Worship-Devotion-Symbolism/Worship-and-Devotion-in-Daily-Life?offset=1&max=1
Zi, K., & Cleary, T. F. (1998). The essential Confucius. Edison, NY: Castle books.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that religion is the basic belief in a set of rules on how to live, accompanied by the belief and worship of superhuman beings with supernatural powers.
- Explains that hinduism evolved from the vedic religion of ancient india and has branches that contain several sects.
- Explains that confucianism originated during the spring and autumn period and developed aspects on the model of buddhism and taoism.
- Concludes that confucianism has been greatly reduced and its revival in the scholarly community upheld. hinduism is practiced throughout the world whereby worship is done at home and temple.
- Cites doniger, w., and richey, j. (n.d.). hinduism.
Related
- analytical
- explanatory
- opinion
- Religionanalytical essayIn the movie, John Q, the main character, John and his wife Denise are faced with many different problems dealing with their suddenly sick child, Mikey. One day during Mikey's baseball game, Mikey falls sick and is diagnosed with a malfunctioning heart. John then begins to search for a way to get Mikey's name on the list for a heart transplant. The actions leading up to Mikey's transplant, however, may or may not be considered moral actions in the Church's eyes. In order to determine whether an action is immoral or moral, one most consider the intent, object, and circumstances of the action. The two actions that will be discussed in this paper are John taking hostages from the emergency room and Rebecca lying about the transplant list.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how john q, the main character, and his wife denise are faced with many different problems dealing with their suddenly sick child, mikey.
- Explains that john's intention was to save his son' s life, which is a moral action since both the object and circumstance were immoral.
- Analyzes how rebecca lied about placing mikey's name on the transplant list, which is a sin, and her intention for lying was to save the lives of the hostages.
- Explains that neither of these sins would be considered mortal. the catholic catechism of the catholic church states, "mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent."
556 wordsRead More - What Is Religion?analytical essayWhat is religion? Each person’s definition of religion is different. Each person’s faith is different. This is a question that has been asked for centuries, and regardless of the answer given there is no right or wrong answer. Religion can be defined as a group of people who have shared beliefs who feel their life has purpose or meaning. This feeling or belief that their life has meaning can come from outside of themselves, as well as within. Taking this one step further, these shared beliefs put into action in the form of worship, can be easily identified because they happen regularly. It can be said the Primal religions were in fact not religions. Some may argue Confucianism is not a religion. Others may say Taoism is not a religion. However, one argument can be made. All three of these “religions” share “features.” Huston Smith, author of World’s Religions, says “six features of religion appear so regularly as to suggest that their seeds are in the human makeup.” These six features discussed in World’s Religions are as follows: authority, ritual, explanation, tradition, grace, and mystery (World’s, Page 67). First is authority, Smith argues religion is so complex that people will need assistance or guidance from those held in a higher light, or of a higher authority. Next is ritual, which can be happy (a wedding) or sad (a funeral), rituals are shared between people of the same religion in many forms as a sign of common beliefs. Following rituals, some explanation is required. Many of a religion’s followers ask for explanations, some ask, “What is my purpose in life?” Others may ask, “Who is God?” Depending on one’s religion, the questions or
In this essay, the author
- Explains that religion is a group of people with shared beliefs who feel their life has purpose or meaning.
- Explains that primal religions focus on nature, while modern man worships cars, houses, and money. they believe in a higher being, but it is not defined.
- Explains that tradition, grace, and mystery are the five features of religion that are present in most all religions.
- Argues that primal religions encompassed the definition of religion. confucianism exhibits the same features of authority, tradition, ritual, and mystery.
- Explains the three features of confucianism: filial piety, philosophical mediation, and taoism.
- Explains that the tao te ching is the scripture which demonstrates the traditions of lao tzu.
1612 wordsRead More - The Birth of Religions and Philosophies in the Ancient Worldexplanatory essayHinduism by all means was a religion, and was characterized as being polytheistic, meaning that the believers worshiped many higher beings or deities, who were later considered to be aspects of one single god. Origins of this ancient religion were found in the Indus civilization, as well in some parts of the sacrificial cults of the Indo-Aryans who immigrated into the Indian subcontinent in 1500 BC. Sacred writings of the Hindu religion, called Vedas, gave significance and importance legends, myths, and hymns (O’Brien). T...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that siddhartha gautama was the leader and teacher of this reformative philosophy. he found truth in nirvana through the four noble truths and eightfold-path.
- Explains that hindus and buddhists believed in reincarnation of those who accepted and embraced the teachings. the role of karma, which kept people in the constant cycle of death, was a key factor that kept followers destined for eternities.
- Explains that hinduism originated around 3,000 bc, while buddhism followed the teachings of their spiritual guide, buddha.
- Explains that the creation and formation of religion and philosophy was crucial to the progress of ancient worlds, as it set in stone how each country would advance or prosper.
- Opines that o'brien, patrick, "the birth of world religions." atlas of world history.
- Explains that hinduism was the oldest religion in the ancient world, with the philosophical teachings of siddhartha gautama following close behind.
1174 wordsRead More - Religionanalytical essayThe debate over the economic advantages of slavery in the South has raged ever since the first slaves began working in the cotton fields of the Southern States. Initially, the wealth of the New World was in the form of raw materials and agricultural goods such as cotton, sugar, and tobacco. Slavery, without a doubt, had its profitable aspects prior to the Civil War. However, this postulation began to change as abolitionists claimed the land of the Southern Plantations was overworked and the potential income of slaves was lower than that of white people who had a vested interest in the productivity and success of the South.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the debate over the economic advantages of slavery in the south has raged ever since the first slaves began working in cotton fields of the southern states.
- Explains that slavery was brought over to america by the ideals of british mercantilism. the inhumane practice of slavery began in the american colonies in 1619.
- Explains that southern slaves were viewed in economic terms of labor to capital. the interdependence of slave on master and master to slave created a vicious cycle of rashness that caused slave owners to become irrational.
- Explains that slavery in the southern united states was self-sustaining, with an equal ratio of males to females that facilitated strong families. slaves adopted the religion of their masters, but adapted it to their own needs.
- Illustrates the shift in control of prosperity in mississippi's proposal of succession from the union. southern politicians and plantation owners knew their prosperity was in the hands of slaves.
- Opines that our position is deeply identified with the institution of slavery. a blow at slavery is a blow to commerce and civilization.
- Explains cassius marcellus clay's theory that the south was suffering economically from slavery. he asserted that slavery was an inefficient form of economic organization.
- Analyzes how hinton rowan helper and frederick law olmstead proved clay's theory by comparing the growth of three pairs of states between 1790 and 1850.
- Explains that helper's statistics were flawed in several areas. the north excelled in natural resources and minerals while the south struggled to economically stay in line with the north.
- Analyzes how fredrick olmsted took the microeconomic answer to the problem of slavery. he asserted that the quantity produced by slaves was drastically inferior.
- Explains that the low productivity of slaves could be explained by the conditions in which they were forced to live and work in.
1132 wordsRead More - religionanalytical essayThe Religion Of Huckleberry Finn Religion is a simple concept to learn. Webster's dictionary defines religion as: "belief in a divine or superhuman power or powers to be obeyed and worshipped as the creator(s) and ruler(s) of the universe. " Although it is understood what religion is, not everyone has the same views. There are numerous varieties and sub-vrieties of religions. In fact, religion can be so diverse that one might say that he or she is of the same religion as another person but the way he or she demonstrates their beliefs may be dramatically different.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that one might say that he or she is of the same religion as another.
- Describes the factors that contributed to this. pap came to visit him one night.
- Analyzes how the preacher preaches about heaven, hell, and the things that one should do to get to heaven.
- Analyzes how jim's religion is tested when he first decides to help jim run away, and his religion tested by lying to most people.
417 wordsRead More - Religionopinion essayThe First Amendment is very clear about the separation of church and state; which means public schools exist to educate, and not to evangelize the impressionable audience of schoolchildren. Yet, there are many states that have passed a “moment of silence” law which allows, and depending on the state, mandates, moments of silence at the beginning of every school day as a matter of neutral school policy. While silence itself contains no statements or assumptions concerning beliefs, it is widely understood and accepted as a religious exercise and a gesture of respect. “Moment of silence” laws have a hidden agenda to circumvent established safeguards in the system that separate church from state and introduce the concept of prayer within schools as well as tacitly encourage students to contemplate religion.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the first amendment is clear about the separation of church and state, which means public schools exist to educate, and not to evangelize the impressionable audience of schoolchildren.
- Opines that courts must distinguish between a sham secular purpose and sincere one. the moment of silence was practiced by the quakers for more than 300 years.
- Explains that when educators set aside a time for reflection, meditation, contemplation, or whatever other term used to dance around the word "prayer", they are providing an opportunity; and by doing so, they endorse prayer.
- Explains that a moment of silence lacks any specific religious formulation and is presented as purely neutral way of creating reflection and respect without endorsing any particular sect. its supporters claim that it will strengthen positive morals, ethics, and values in students’ lives.
- Argues that piety is not synonymous with virtue, arguing that it is irrational to charge that the complicated sociological problems facing our changing population stem from a lack of prayer or time for contemplation in schools.
- Opines that a moment of silence instituted at the start of the school day does not compromise the state's neutrality because it is not labeled as prayer, but as silence. backers of these laws would be better served to reschedule it to the end.
- Explains that moment of silence laws state that schoolchildren may utilize that brief time however they wish, including prayer, so long as it is done silently to themselves.
- Opines that no non-religious purpose is served by designating an official moment of silence. many schools already have entire class periods dedicated to silent study, which can equally be used for silent prayer or meditation.
686 wordsRead More - Religionanalytical essayJehovah’s Witnesses, a sect of basic Christianity, is anything but parallel in its views when compared to the Christians. From their millenarian to nontrinitarian beliefs, they hold values distinct from the other Christian religions. The unorthodox practices and beliefs held by Jehovah’s Witnesses come from a long history of evolving, from its creation in Pittsburgh, PA, to the worldwide following it has today.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that jehovah's witnesses, a sect of basic christianity, is nothing but parallel in its views when compared to the christians. they hold values distinct from the other christian religions.
- Describes how charles taze russell realized many of the beliefs held in the bible were different than his own. he wrote a book called three worlds with nelson h. barbour.
- Analyzes how rutherford's book, the finished ministries, caused many problems for the watch tower society, including the jailing of many directors and mob attacks.
- Narrates how knorr released a complete overhaul of the previous bible and expanded offices. jehovah's witnesses saw an influx of instruction that would give them guidance throughout their lives.
- Explains that jehovah's witnesses operate under a hierarchical structure, with 8 male members making decisions and admitting new members.
- Explains that jehovah's witnesses believe the governing body holds as much credibility as the bible. they do not believe that satan is part of the trinity.
- Explains that jehovah's witnesses proclaim that they will reach heaven, while others must be resurrected by god after armageddon.
- Explains that eschatology claims that in 1914, this era entered the "last days" and god's return was imminent, yet the jehovah’s witnesses consider all other religions false.
709 wordsRead More - Christianityexplanatory essayChristianity What do people look for in religion? Do they look for guidance, beliefs, reason, or do they look for help? African-Americans have looked for all of these for many years. They found all of these in Christianity. Christians believe in one God who they worship, trust, and look up to.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that african-americans have searched for guidance, beliefs, reason, or help in religion for many years. they found all of these in christianity.
- Explains that african-americans were captured through the slave trade and brought to the colonies. they possessed many different religious beliefs.
- Explains that african-american slaves used songs, dances, and stories to show their feelings about god. as they became involved in the christian faith, it gave them something to live and fight for.
- Explains that slaves were treated as animals and forced to work in fields, houses, or farms for free. they were beaten, deprived of food and clothing, and even raped.
- Explains that african-americans were beginning to speak english, preach, and spread their beliefs. as christianity spread through the country, slaves began to worship the lord out loud.
- Explains that the white man degraded the slaves so much that many had an extremely how self-esteem. however, christianity showed them that they were equal to everyone and this raised their self
- Opines that christianity had a lot to do with the ending of slavery.
- Explains that even though african-americans were no longer slaves, they still did not have the freedom that everyone in america deserved.
- Explains that martin luther king, jr. was an influential black civil leader and an ordained minister. he taught people to believe in god and stick with god becuase he can do anything.
- Explains that christianity has done many things for many different people. it grabbed blacks and gave them something to live and die for.
775 wordsRead More - Christianityanalytical essayThe period from the eighth to the fourteenth century was one of vast reforms, some for the better and some for the worse. During this period in Europe, commonly known as The Middle Ages, economic reforms took place as well as social, political, and religious changes. One common theme throughout The Middle Ages consisted of the relationship between the Church and the State. The Catholic church during this era held a prominent role in society, and it had an abundant amount of power and authority during this time.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the period from the eighth to the fourteenth century was one of vast reforms, some for the better or for worse. the relationship between the church and the state was a common theme throughout the middle ages.
- Explains that the catholic church exercised its authority in many different stages, in which a response from the people occurred because of the way the church showed its power.
- Analyzes how charlemagne sought to reestablish central authority and revive the culture of the early middle ages. he made many reforms, mostly church and educational ones.
- Analyzes how charlemagne's system of archbishops and bishops is great for the church, but he uses them as royal agents, which is part of royal policy.
- Analyzes how the catholic church's authority changed during the high middle ages in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. pope gregory vii is a great example of the increased confidence and authority during these times.
- Explains that the pope is claiming higher authority over the state. the church had the power to excommunicate members of the catholic church, which held a sever punishment especially during the middle ages.
- Analyzes how pope innocent iii continued to claim powers for the church and even had some of his claims hold up. central governments in the european nations began to evolve and try to change the ways of the papacy.
- Analyzes how the attack on pope boniface viii revealed the extreme splits in the christian community, due to the aftermath of the great schism.
- Explains that charlemagne spread christianity through conquering new lands and forcing the new peoples to abide by the rules of the catholic church.
- Analyzes how pope urban ii justified his call for a crusade because the persians have destroyed the churches of god or appropriated them for the rites of their own religion.
- Explains that in the late middle ages, the church's authority was being questioned by powerful european monarchs. the conciliar movement was brought up in discussion and placed ultimate power to a church council.
- Explains that heresy was a major problem facing the church. waldensians were excommunicated because they did not abide by the church.
- Opines that the crusades impacted christianity throughout the middle ages, from the eighth century until the fourteenth century.
- Explains that although the christian world learned a great deal from the muslims, the crusades were not part of this occurrence. heresy occurred from such groups as the hussites and the waldensians.
1613 wordsRead More - Christianityanalytical essayThe broadest definition of Christianity is also perhaps the simplest. Across the history and branches of the religion, “it is faith in Christ, not the scrupulous and religious keeping of the law...which is the basis of salvation” (McGrath 15). The religion that is now a major global force has grown out of a small group tucked away in one corner of the world, breaking and changing over time, yet united by a faith in this revolutionary man who claimed to be the son of God, Jesus Christ.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the broadest definition of christianity is also perhaps the simplest. faith in christ, not scrupulous and religious keeping of the law, is the basis of salvation.
- Explains that the early church had to answer questions about the identity of their savior — was he human or divine, or some odd combination? the debate and subsequent resolution of jesus as a being are evidenced in emerging creeds of the church.
- Analyzes how different sects of christianity differ in their interpretation of what jesus stood for and how to emulate his life and teachings.
- Explains that the central christian belief is that christ's death has somehow put us right with god and given us a fresh start.
559 wordsRead More