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THE ROAR LEARNING GUIDE SERIES

Sto. Niño Academy of Bamban, Inc.
Rizal Ave., San Nicolas, Bamban, Tarlac

Learning Guide No. 2 Lesson Title: Religion: Blessing or Curse?

Subject: Introduction to World Religions and Belief Grade Level: 12
System_ Coverage: Week Two

Name: _________________________________________ Section: ____________________________

“Do not confuse the forest for the trees.”

I. Prayer

Almighty God, creator of all things visible and invisible,

source of all goodness and love.
Light the darkness of our understanding,
Give us a keen memory to grasp things correctly,
Guide us from start to finish and
Protect us from evil. Amen

II. Objectives
a. Content Standard: Demonstrates understanding of effects of Religions: positive and
negative.

b. Performance Standard: Gathers print or web-based articles, photos, editorial, etc.

showing the positive or negative effects of religion.

c. Formation Standard:
 Identify the positive and negative effects of religions
 Justify that religion can have positive or negative effects on society
 Justify the core teaching of Judaism is the covenant of one God with a chosen
people vs. other people with many gods.

III. Meaning-making / Method

Religion is such a powerful influence on human beings, both on individuals and on communities. It
can be compared to basic elements such as water and fire. Similarly, religion has inspired its
adherents to do great and admirable things, but it has also made people commit despicable acts of
death and destruction.

IV. Most Essential Learning Competencies

 Justify that religion can have positive or negative effects on society.

V. Activities / To-do list

(Refer to pages 16-19 for the discussion part)
Lesson 2: Religion: Blessing or Curse?

When Religion Becomes a Curse

The psychiatrist James L. Griffith identifies three related purposes that religion serves:
1. Religion helps ensure group security
2. Religion helps build and strengthen the individual sense of self as being worthy and competent.
3. Religion helps reduce personal suffering, for self or others.

Following this framework, one can begin to see how the practice of religion can become
either a blessing or a curse. How does religion become a curse instead of a blessing?
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Living in a world filled with threats to well-being, social beings will tend to seek safety
within a strong, intelligently-organized group. Throughout human history, religion has
served as a strong cohesive bond. Its importance is manifested in the readiness of people to
sacrifice their individual lives out of loyalty to religious groups. However, one can easily
find any examples of religious adherents becoming morally blind because of misguided
sense of loyalty to religious groups.

Although one’s personal sense of competence is individually felt, it more often reflects the
status of one’s group in society and one’s status within that group. In daily life, religion is
more likely to be a refuge during unusually stressful times and can substantially uplift one’s
morale. Nevertheless, religious practices that foster hatred toward outside one’s group
appear to be more efficient at bolstering morale compared to more compassionate religious
practices. This is because moral contempt for nonbelieving outsiders generates in-group
camaraderie through a sense of purpose and power. Making scapegoats of outsiders of the
group.

Each religion has recommended means for coping with life’s sufferings. Unfortunately,
many of these recommendations propel religious behaviors to untoward consequences.
When one chooses to withdraw from the material world in order to reduce suffering, efforts
solve practical problems within one’s society can cease. Overtime, this may increase
suffering for others. Too much help can be destructive.

When Religion is a Blessing.

How does religion become a blessing? The practice of authentic spirituality makes religion work wonders.
Common themes may be found in spiritualities associated with ancient religious traditions.

1. Encounters with the Sacred/ Transcendent as personal experiences that stimulate reflection,
creativity, and ethical behavior.
The Sacred is considered he realm of human encounters with supernatural beings, or transcendental
reality. In authentic spirituality, such experiences lead to life-giving introspection rather than to efforts to
use sacred power to dominate or even harm others. Does my encounter with the Sacred/ Transcendent
make me humble that I accept myself as I truly am, with my weaknesses and my strengths?

2. Commitment to an Ethic of compassion.

Even the most inward-focused varieties of spirituality are directed consistently toward an ethics of
compassion for other beings, human and non-human, as well as for oneself. Compassion means
transcending narcissistic indifference and responding to the suffering of another with understanding and
protective care. Compassionate self-care contains one’s personal woundedness, preventing vicious of
revenge and retaliation.

3. Emotional postures of resilience.

Authentic spirituality typically bears fruit in a sense of gratitude, joy, harmony, hope and purpose,
enabling one to be steadfast in the face of uncertainty, suffering, and threat. Does my encounter with the
Sacred/ Transcendent make me look toward the future with eagerness and trust in spite of risky and
challenging situations?

4. Emphasis on prioritizing the well-being of individuals, whether oneself or others, over the needs of
a religious group.
Does my encounter with the Sacred/ Transcendent make me less self-righteousness and more accepting,
open-minded, and inclusive?

How then does one judge whether the practice of religion is a blessing or a curse? The practice of a religious
faith should help make a person become someone who is secure, grateful, welcoming, caring (of others and of
oneself) and hopeful. Confusion, helplessness, despair, detachment, isolation, and resentment due to religious
practice should be warning signs of an unhealthy and dysfunctional spirituality.

We can use the words of the Christian apostle Paul as a guide for discerning the fruit of authentic spirituality:
“The fruit of Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”
(Letter to the Galatians 5:22-23, New Revised Standard Version)
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Student Activity 2.1

Present a print or web-based article, preferably with photographs, that provides evidence or proof that
religion brought about or inspired an event in history.

What religion was referred to in this material? _____________________

In what way/s did the religion bring about or inspire this event to take place?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Student Activity 2.2

Cite one element or characteristic of a religion (preferably your own) that can cause both positive and negative
effects on family or society.

Element or Characteristic of a Positive Effect Negative Effect

Religion

What about the event that you presented in Student Activity 2.1, did it cause joy and healing, or pain and
suffering?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

VI. Suggested Resources

 Manaloto, Christian B., Rapadas, Maria Teresita R., “Pilgrimage to Sacred Spaces: An Introduction to
World Religions”, 2016

VII. Parent’s/Guardian’s Comments and Suggestions

VIII. Teacher’s Feedback

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Prepared by: Noted by:

JEROME NEIL M. DAYRIT __________________________

Subject Teacher RONALD D. DAVID
OIC – Office of the Principal