Religion, Belief Systems, and Intercultural Communication

1. Religion, Belief Systems, and Intercultural Communication Consider how an element of a persons religion might affect their communication

2. Ultimate Values • Cosmology – Creation stories • Salvation: Transcendence to a better life

3. What is Religion? Beliefs, symbols and rituals used to describe religious experience • Rules of life • Explanations for the meaning of life • Creation of ultimate values • Ultimate values validate life – give meaning to all else – Answers question “Why am I here?”

4. Religion and Cosmology • The Binary View – Good vs. Evil • The Abstractive View – Evil as the Corruption of Good • The Holistic View – The Unitary Universe

5. Cosmology and Conflict • Creation stories create different experiences of reality • Differences are fundamentally based on which cognitive operator dominates in the creation story • Understanding these factors makes many conflicts understandable

6. Religious Conflicts • Current conflicts parallel scriptural struggles • Scriptural quotes describe current conflict • Resentment of other faiths creates feelings of persecution • Singular focus of monotheistic faiths makes co-existence difficult • Aggression against religious “others” is justified by initial phase of religion that included contention with other beliefs

7. Religious Conflicts - Similarities • Exile – Holocaust • Persecution – Cross Bearing • Lesser Jihad – Greater Jihad • Each faith experiences conflict as repetition of previous historical and mythical struggle

8. Law, Peacemaking and Religion • Separation of church and state • What is a religion? • Is the religion legitimate enough to be protected? • No attention to underlying conflicts of faith

9. God is one and unique • God is the creator • God is above all things • God is all-powerful and eternal • God is lawgiver • God is personal • We have the obligation to worship • God is judge of humanity • God’s message can be found in the Holy Book

11. Major Religious Groups • Christianity • Islam • Hinduism • Judaism • Indigenous • Buddhism

12. What Might Be Religious Influences on Intercultural Communication? • Christianity • Islam - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTjYLukK_D4 • Hinduism - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nn5uqE3C9w • Judaism • Indigenous • Buddhism • Sikhism - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMTpAYHmRrk

13. Christianity • Christianity started about 2000 years ago about the same time of Jesus • The central point of Christian belief is that God, the Father, entered into human history as the Son, Jesus of Nazareth, and arose as the Holy Spirit • Sacred text is the Bible, which consists of the New Testament and the Old Testament (Torah)

14. Christian Philosophy • God is the creator of the universe. There is one God, who is three persons – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit • Jesus is both fully man and fully God. He was born of the Virgin Mary, crucified, resurrected from the dead, and ascended to the Father

15. Christian Philosophy • Sin and Evil are realities in our existence • The Bible is the Holy Book that records God’s revelation • All believers are promised life everlasting • The leader of Christianity was Jesus, and the followers were his 12 disciples

16. Judaism • Heritage is Moses • Exile and persecution • Israel as homeland • Sacred text is the Torah • Sabbath begins on Friday at sunset

17. Judaism • JUDAISM is a religion of just one people: the Jews • JUDAISM was the first to teach belief in only one God (mono-theism) • Two other important religions developed from Judaism: Christianity and Islam

18. Judaism • Jews think that God will send a Messiah (a deliverer) to unite them and lead them in His way • Judaism teaches that death is not the end and that there is a world to come • The ‘Torah,’ the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, is the most important Jewish scripture • It contains the basic laws of Judaism • Another important book is the ‘Talmud,’ serving primarily as a guide to the civil and religious laws of Judaism

19. Judaism • The Jewish house of worship is called a synagogue • Rabbis (spiritual leaders) conduct services, act as interpreters of Jewish laws, and deliver sermons • Today there are over 18 million followers of Judaism scattered throughout the world. A large number of those people live in the Jewish nation of Israel. Over six million live in the United States.

20. Buddhism • Right understanding: embracing an attitude of selflessness, compassion and goodwill • Right speech: always telling the truth • Right action: not hurting or killing other living beings • Avoiding occupations that hurt other people • Wholesome emotional states • Being aware of what goes on in one’s body and mind • Using meditation to achieve greater mental awareness

21. The Major Philosophy of Buddhism • Love: without conditions • Compassion: or feeling at one with the person who is suffering • Sympathetic Joy: Celebrate the happiness of others, and do not resent their good fortune • Impartiality: Treat everyone equally, and do not use others for personal gain or to win approval

22. The Major Philosophy of Buddhism • Buddhism states that existence is a continuing cycle of death and rebirth called reincarnation • Each person’s position in life is determined by his or her behaviour in the previous life. This is known as their “karma” (also a Hindu belief) • Buddhism is the world’s oldest universal religion and it is the second fastest growing religion

23. Sikhism • Disciples of Guru Nanak (1469-1539) and his nine successors who lived after him in the area currently defined as North-West India and Pakistan

24. Sikhism • There is one creator God, whom Sikhs called Satnam (“true name”) • The idea of the Guru is central: God as guru; religious leaders as gurus; scripture as guru; community as guru • Sikhs share with Hinduism a belief in karma, reincarnation and ultimate unreality of the world • Dedicated (khalsa) Sikhs are distinguished by their uncut hair, comb, metal bangle, knee-length pants and small dagger

25. Sikhism • They are opposed to parts of the caste system and their temples have communal kitchens where people are encouraged to eat together • They encourage tolerance of other religious traditions, which Sikh temples symbolize by having four doors facing each point of the compass inviting anyone to enter • They abstain from alcohol and tobacco • Sikhism is not a missionary religion, but people can convert

26. Hinduism • Originated in India • Oldest philosophical-theological system • No single set of beliefs • God is important • Importance of family, guru, cow, reincarnation

27. Hinduism Philosophy • Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions • Over 2/3rds of the world’s Hindus live in India; large numbers reside in Africa also • Hindus believe in many gods, numbering into the thousands. They recognize one supreme spirit called Brahman (“The Absolute”) • The goal of Hindus is to some day join with Brahman • Until that union takes place, believers are in a continuous process of rebirth called “reincarnation”

28. Hinduism Philosophy • At death, the Hindu’s deed determine what the next life will be • Followers work to break this cycle: birth, death, re-birth (referred to by writers as the Wheel of Life) and gain release • The Hindu’s soul then merges with Brahman in a condition of spiritual perfection (moksha) • Hinduism has many sacred books, the oldest being a series called the “Vedas”

29. Islam • Basis: Koran and One God Allah • Prophet Mohammed (May Peace and Blessings Be With You) • 85 Commandments (pray, fast, give alms, pilgrimage to Mecca) • Various interpretations

30. Islam • Islam is the name given to the religion preached by the prophet Muhammad in the 600s AD • The Islamic religion started in the area known as Palestine in the year 600 AD • It has about 850 million followers, most of them in the region north and east of the Mediterranean Sea

31. Islam • The holy book of Islam is the “Koran” • Muslims believe its words to be those of Allah himself, spoken to Muhammad by an angel • Allah, is the Islamic God • People who believe these ideas are called Muslims

32. Islamic Philosophy • Muslims learn that life on earth is a period of testing and preparation for life to come • Angels record good and bad deeds • People should behave themselves and hlpe others, trusting in Allah’s justice and mercy for their reward

33. Islam • Muslims pray five times daily in their mosques (churches) • While praying, they face the holy city of Mecca (in Saudi-Arabia) and sometimes kneel with faces to the ground • All Muslims are required to make a pilgrimage (trip to a sacred place) to Mecca at least once in their lifetime • Islam has 5 major tenets

34. How does a person’s system of beliefs affect communication? • How can you improve communication by having a basic understanding of different religions or philosophical systems?