LESSON 3

Religion and Religious Experiences in

Relation to Spiritual Care 1

By:

ARITCHETA, MAE LOUISE G.

DELA CRUZ, CASSANDRA GRACE M.

FERNANDEZ, LEONILA C.

PASAOA, RHEALYN I.

SERVANDA, GHIENELYNE M.

BAGORIO, PRINCESS JOYCE P.

(Group 3-2BSN-22)

MR. PAUL PARAGAS

(Gen 017 Instructor)
 ISLAM
Islamic mourning traditions provide ritual and structure for Muslims going through
the process of grieving the loss of a loved one. Islamic mourning rituals, which vary slightly
by sect and location, provide comfort and strength for the family. A firm belief in life after
death is a foundational truth in Islam. Grief should be processed with the understanding that
death is not the end of life, but a transition to an eternal one.

How Islam Responds to:

Dying
Muslims are always buried, never cremated. It is a religious requirement that the
body be ritually washed and draped before burial, which should be as soon as possible after
death. The dying person is encouraged to recite and declare his or her faith. When a Muslim
dies his or her face should be turned right facing towards Makkah (127 South-east from
United Kingdom). The arms and legs should be straightened and the mouth and eyes closed;
and the body covered with a sheet. A baby dying at or before birth has to have a name.

Grief
Islamic mourning rituals include prayer, readings from the Qur’an and moments of
private meditation and reflection upon the goodness of God and the brevity of life. While
sorrow and tears are an expected response to the loss of a loved one, Muslims will strive to
express grief in a reserved and dignified manner. Loud wailing or prolonged outbursts of
grief would be considered inappropriate because they demonstrate a weakness of faith.
While there is no Muslim funeral dress code specifically outlined in Islam’s sacred writings,
clothing should be conservative with subdued, darker colors. Women should wear ankle-
length skirts, high-necked tops and a headscarf. People attending the funeral will be asked to
remove their shoes before going into the time of prayer. Socks or stockings should be
conservative and presentable. Visiting some homes will require the same tradition. Widows
have additional mourning rituals and customs that govern their behavior.

JEWISH
In Judaism, life is valued above almost all else. The Talmud notes that, since all
mankind is descended from a single person, taking a life is like destroying an entire world
while saving a life is like saving an entire world.

How the Jewish Responds to:

Death, however, is not viewed as a tragedy, even when it occurs early in life or
through unfortunate circumstances. Death is seen as a natural process. Death, like life, has
meaning and is part of a divine plan. In addition, Jews have a firm belief in an  afterlife where
those who have lived a worthy life will be rewarded.
Where death is imminent and the patient is suffering, Jewish law does permit one to cease
artificially prolonging life. Thus, in certain circumstances, Jewish law permits “pulling the
plug” or refusing extraordinary means of prolonging life.

Mourning practices in Judaism are extensive, but they are not an expression of fear
or distaste for death. Jewish practices relating to death and mourning have two purposes: to
show respect for the dead (kavod ha-met), and to comfort the living (nihum avelim), who
will miss the deceased.
 BUDDHISM, TAOISM AND HINDUISM
BUDDHISM
In Buddhism, the Buddha is not seen as a divine being—at least not entirely. The
Buddha is typically seen by Buddhists as an awakened human being who saw through to the
reality of existence and taught others how to escape the suffering in this life just as he did.

Death for a Buddhist should be a smooth, peaceful process—death is natural and

inevitable. The person who is dying should be in a virtuous state of mind in the moments
before death, because a better rebirth may result.
Those final moments are the Buddhist’s springboard into the next life. Some will want to lie
on their right side, emulating the posture of the Reclining Buddha in order to better
contemplate the Buddha and his passing. Having an image of the Buddha close by can also
be comforting and conducive to good and peaceful thoughts. Family and friends should
reassure the person of the good deeds he has done and the good karma he has
accumulated. A person accumulates karmic forces during his or her lifetime; upon death,
those forces are activated, determining whether the next life will be auspicious.

Mourning. The Buddhist concept of death as a natural part of life, with an inevitable
rebirth, may lead those outside the faith to believe that grief is minimized in Buddhist
traditions. This is not the case. Grief is a universal emotion, and those left behind must learn
to adjust to a new life without their loved ones. Buddhists are, however, encouraged to
remain calm and peaceful in the presence of one who is dying.

TAOISM
Taoists believe that death is a transition, rather than an end. One transitions from the state
of being to the state of non-being, which are two equally-important states within the Tao.
When a person dies, they participate in the essential process of change and existence known
as the Tao.

Dying
Taoist notions of life beyond death are thus most easily discerned by looking at the
time prior to the establishment of Buddhism in China.  Generally speaking, early Taoist
concepts of salvation focused on this life rather than an afterlife.  Early Taoist groups were
founded on utopian ideas of a new and perfect society, echoing sentiments found in
the Taode jing.  The focus for some individual practitioners, both fangshi, Taoshi, and some
members of the nobility, was immortality of the physical body.  They were not interested in
what happens after death because they hoped never to die.  Instead, they hoped to live
forever in human form, with the supernatural powers of an immortal. 

Grief
The central teaching of Taoism is the philosophy of acceptance. Everything that
happens in a person’s life is seen as equally important. There’s no such thing as “good” or
“bad” in Taoism. The “positive” and “negative” aspects of life work together in equal parts to
maintain harmony, so they’re both equally “good” according to Taoism. When it comes to
death, Taoism sees it as part of that eternal force. It’s something that we should learn to
accept and live with peacefully. Life and death are seen as complementary aspects of the
Tao. 

HINDUISM
 Hindu mourning rituals will vary according to the sect, caste, circumstances of the
family and a variety of other elements. The rituals will reflect a time of service and
mourning, showing the family’s dedication to Hindu teachings, beliefs about death, and
honoring the memory of the deceased. The Hinduism faith is centered on reincarnation. This
can take many lifetimes, and with each death they strive to move closer to  Brahma, the
Hindu God. Additionally, they believe their soul’s next incarnation will depend on the actions
throughout their previous life, this is also known as Karma.

Dying and Cremation

It is traditional for those of the Hindu faith to die in their homes. Hindus will often
bring the terminally ill home to die peacefully among their family and loved ones. Family and
friends will keep a vigil until the moment of passing by singing, praying and reading
scriptures.

If the family cannot bring the deceased’s body home, the family will make
arrangements to prepare it themselves at the mortuary. They do not want to leave these
sacred rites in the hands of strangers. Only men attend at the site of cremation, and they are
led by the chief mourner. The body will be carried counterclockwise around the pyre and
then be placed on the pyre. At gas crematoriums, the body is carried around the chamber.

CATHOLICS AND ORTHODOX

CATHOLICS

The Catholic Church teaches that death is not the end. When someone dies, it is only
their physical body that stops living. The eternal part of a person, the soul, may go to Heaven
or Purgatory. Purgatory is where the souls with unforgiving sins will go, so that they can be
purified and reach Heaven. Many Catholics believe that all Christians will eventually go to
Heaven and that the good followers of any religion are able to go to Heaven.

How Catholics respond to:

Dying
As Christians, Catholics believe in the afterlife. As such, their funerals center upon
prayers for the deceased’s soul. And they typically include a mass during the Catholic funeral
service. The first part is the Vigil service, which takes place at the wake. Next is the Funeral
Mass, which is the traditional funeral ceremony. Finally, there is the Rite of Committal.
Reciting the Rosary, or a set of prayers, is a tradition that’s performed at the wake.
Therefore, to encourage such forgiveness, the Catholic funeral is a time to appeal to God to
be merciful on the deceased person’s soul. With this in mind, you should expect there to be
a lot of prayers said at the Catholic funeral you will be attending. There will likely be much
talk of the deceased now being with God in Heaven, as a way to comfort those who are
grieving. A belief in purgatory is not the only factor that differentiates a Catholic funeral
from other Christian funerals. In fact, there are many unique Catholic funeral traditions

Grief
As Catholics, we have a duty to follow our beliefs, to comfort those who mourn, to
feed the poor, and so forth. We can only manage our intense grief by reviving our faith and
hope, by maintaining the bonds beyond the grave, and by continuing to prepare our own
soul for our heavenly journey.
Family and friends will express condolences and comfort by attending the Vigil Service and
the Funeral Mass if possible. It is also appropriate to visit the home of the family to offer
comfort and support.

ORTHODOX
Greek Orthodox Christian believe that death leads to the separation of the body
from the soul. They believe that when Christ comes again to the world, final judgment will
be delivered to each soul which would result in it spending an eternity in either Heaven or
Hell.

How Orthodox respond to:

Dying & Cremation
The Greek Orthodox believe that when an individual dies, the soul and body are
separated. The body is returned to the earth and decomposes but is not lost to the soul. The
soul does not “return” to heaven, it meets God for the first time and awaits the body’s
resurrection.
The Greek Church does not tolerate cremation as it is part of the Orthodox Christian Faith.
Orthodox Christians, specifically Greek Orthodox as it is the oldest Christian denomination,
do not cremate their dead since it is considered destructive to the body

Grief
The bereaved usually does not go to work for a week. In many cases, widows avoid
social events for a whole year. It is typical for mourners to avoid gatherings for the first forty
days after the death occurs and also only wear black clothing during that time. Greek
Orthodox widows usually wear black for two years. Memorial services are held on the
Sunday closest to the fortieth day after the death. Different memorial services are also held
annually on the anniversary of the death.

OTHER DENOMINATIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES:

BORN AGAIN
The phrase “Born Again Christian” applies to people who have accepted Jesus as
their Savior or Redeemer. To be born again in this sense is not an actual physical rebirth, but
it indicates a spiritual rebirth.

How Born Again respond to:

Grief
Losing a loved one is hard. Christians are not exempt from grief and will be impacted
by the death of those they love. The process of grief is not something to be ashamed of or
avoided since mourning is a biblical response.

Dying & Cremation

Christian understanding of the relationship between the soul and body has changed
over the last century, now emphasizing the importance of the soul over the body. As these
views have changed, so has our understanding that the act of resurrection is not
incompatible with cremation. Death is not a natural part of life as God intended it. It is the
unnatural result of evil. And yet through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God has removed the
ultimate sting of death, which explains the appropriate sense of peace and triumph that
accompanies grief at a Christian’s memorial service.

IGLESIA NI CRISTO
 Iglesia Ni Cristo believes that the dead will be resurrected. Christ would not have
been resurrected if there were no resurrected of the dead, Church of Christ members who
passed away will be resurrected of the day of Christ return and the faithful who are alive
shall, without dying meet Christ in the air to be with him in the dwelling place that he has
prepared for them.

Dying
INC believes that a person is composed of a body ("vehicle"), Soul ("individual") and
spirit ("life" or fuel). Members believe that when a person dies, his/her body and soul both
die and go into the grave where both will remain until the  Second coming of Christ, whereas
the spirit will go back to God. Upon Christ's return, all dead servants of God, from the time
of the patriarchs up to the last days, would be resurrected to join living faithful and loyal INC
members. They will be rewarded by living in the Holy City or New Jerusalem, together
with God the father, and Jesus Christ. At the right time chosen by God, a second resurrection
would occur, and non-INC members will experience Second death which is the Lake of
fire (Dagát-dagatang Apóy)

Grief
When a respected and influential man dies, a eulogy is often given at the person's wake. To
utter a eulogy is to pay tribute to what that person has done in life, words that laud, praise
and commend are expected in eulogies.

A eulogy too is about the love of many to the one who passed away. A eulogy could contain
anecdotes and personal experiences shared with the one who died. A eulogy could make
people cry more and dwell in deeper grief brought about by the death of a loved one, a
eulogy too can make people laugh or sigh or think or in some instances, a eulogy could move
people to act, to decide on something that affects their lives and the future.

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that death is not just the death of the physical body but
also the death of the soul. “When a person dies, he ceases to exist. Death is the opposite of
life. The dead do not see or hear or think. Not even one part of us survives the death of the
body. We do not possess an immortal soul or spirit.”

Dying and Cremation

As Witnesses believe in spiritual rather than physical resurrection, the faith does not
have any prohibitions against cremation. Generally speaking, a funeral or memorial for a
Jehovah’s Witness should be a simple affair, as similar as possible to the simple burial that
was held for Christ. No wakes or celebrations are to be held. Flowers are permissible but
must not give the impression of a pagan ritual.
Witnesses believe that Hell (as traditionally portrayed) does not exist. There is no
place where sinners are tormented after death - since their existence is over, nothing can be
done to them or for them. Witnesses also argue that it would be completely against God's
nature to torture humans for eternity. However, death is not the end of everything: each
person can be remembered by God and eventually be resurrected.

CHURCH OF CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), death played a
prominent role in the lives of members due to various diseases, forced removal from
settlements, the harsh nature of life on the American frontier, and the lack of medical
knowledge at the time. The early Latter-day Saints' respect for the dead is evidenced by
burial and funeral traditions. Corpses were washed, dressed, and laid in graves, most often
in cemeteries. A member of the church then blessed the grave site to be protected until the
resurrection.

A gradual death in the presence of friends and family was of utmost importance; an
abrupt, unplanned death without witnesses was seen as undesirable and, some believed,
"could threaten salvation." Those confronting death sought to remain calm during their final
hours and thereby display confidence in their ultimate fate. If they failed to do so, they
risked losing a good position in the afterlife. As a whole, the process of a "beautiful death"
was viewed by the early Latter Day Saints as a rite of passage necessary for salvation.
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