INTRODUCTION TO WORLD

RELIGIONS AND BELIEFS

SYSTEMS

Quarter 2
Self-Learning Module 3
Abrahamic Religions Comparative
Analysis : Destiny and Views on Women
 EXPECTATION

In this module, the students are expected to:

a. Describe the destiny and views on women by the three monotheistic
religions
b. Recognize the uniqueness of their views
c. Evaluate the impact of their view in the destiny and views on women
worldwide

PRE–TEST

Directions: Read the following questions and choose the letter of the correct
answer. Write your answer before each number.
1. What does it mean by predestination among the Jews?
a. God decides a person’s basic life span, wealth, and opportunities but
still humanity’s free will is the deciding factors.
b. God decides everything in the person’s life.
c. Humanity decides everything and get the approval of God
d. None of the above
2. What does it mean by predestination among the Christians?
a. salvation lies in person hands because of free will.
b. doing good deeds will merit salvation
c. belief that all events are determined in advance by divine will or fate
d. belief that all is well in God’s hand
3. What does it mean by ummah in Islam?
a. citizens of the world
b. community of women
c. organization on Islam pilgrimage
d. community of Islam believers that promote equality among races
4. Among the three monotheistic religions, which of them allowed men to have
up to four wives as long as they can support financially and treated wives
equally?
a. Judaism c. Christianity
b. Islam d. Hinduism
5. What do you call the practice in Islam where women should strictly wear
veil as a symbol of their subordination and inhibits their social mobility?
a. Purdah c. Harem
b. Veil d. fasting
 RECAP

Directions: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if not. Write
your answer on the space provided.

______ 1. The Christian Bible is divided into the Old and New Testaments.
______ 2. Judaism as a religion is still waiting for the Savior that is to
come, the Messiah.
______ 3. The Muslims place of worship is called temple.
______ 4. Muhammad is the last disciple of God.
______ 5. Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion.

LESSON

ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS: DESTINY AND

VIEWS ON WOMEN

DESTINY
Judaism believes in predetermination, which means that it is God who
decides on a person’s basic lifespan, wealth, and opportunities, but it is still
humanity’s free will that is the deciding factor. A person’s duty is to overcome
evil by choosing goodness in everything he or she does. God places each and
everyone in different situations to challenge us to do our best in serving Him
no matter what our circumstances are.
Christianity has a similar concept of destiny. God wanted all humanity
to be saved, for God created hell not for humans but for Satan and his demons
(2 Peter 2:4) Therefore, it is humanity’s predestiny to saved. (Predestination
refers to the belief that all events are determined in advance by divine will or
fate.) But since God also gave us free will, it is up to us to claim that salvation.
For Catholics, doing good deeds will merit salvation. For Protestants, faith is
Jesus Christ and accepting Him as Savior and Lord will earn eternal life.
Therefore, in Christianity, God have the best plan for us, but our actions and
decisions determine whether God’s plan will materialize or not. But He is
always willing to forgive us and give us another chance to start anew if we
repent our sins and discover the right path of righteousness and salvation.
In Islam, predestination is more emphasized than in Judaism and
Christianity. For Muslims, Islam is considered not only as religion but as a
way of life, and the life of Muslim revolves around the worship of Allah. They
also believe they are given free will by God which allows them to live their lives
as they wish.
 Unlike Judaism and Christianity wherein free will might lead people to
disobey God’s plan, in Islam even the decision they make out of free will is
governed by God’s will. If something is willed by God to happen, it will happen
no matter how hard they try to prevent it from happening. Belief in predestiny
also encourages humility, which is one of the traits valued in Islam. The
notion that everything is attributed to God hinders one from bragging about
one’s achievements in life by attributing it to God’s divine plan for him/her.

VIEWS ON WOMEN
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all came from places where
patriarchy or the rule of the father is the norm. Judaism, originating from a
patriarchal society, propagates an unequal view of men and women. Because
of the belief that men are superior to women, women were excluded from the
priesthood and from numerous religious duties. In the Hebrew Bible, there
are passages which show low regard for women, such as the passage wherein
women were viewed as unclean or impure for 40 days after giving birth to a
baby boy, and 80 days for the birth of a baby girl. Aside from the impure state
attributed to women when giving birth especially to a girl, women are
considered impure for about half of each month because of menstruation.
Divorce is also allowed in Judaism, with men easily divorcing their wives.
Christianity, although it traces its roots to the patriarch Abraham,
tends to have a higher regard for women, as shown by Jesus’ use of women
as positive examples in most parables. In the new Testament, Jesus spoke
frequently to women and allowed them to be included in his followers. He also
preached that men and women have the equal capacity of eternal salvation of
the soul, and advised that everybody, regardless of sex, should not let
domestic chores hinder them from serving God.

Encounter of Martha and Mary with Jesus (Photo source:

https://indiancatholicmatters.org/encounter-martha-mary-jesus/)

But after the death and resurrection of Jesus, however, change the
course Christianity‘s positive view of women, for after the conversion of the
Roman Emperor Constantine, Roman empire became responsible for the
formation of Christian Church. They used Roman political structures as its
model which is very hierarchical and patriarchal. Thus the role of women in
the Catholic church was downplayed to the extent of excluding women from
priesthood.
Islam, with its belief in Ummah or the community of believers that is
supposed to promote equality among all races, ethnicities, and genders, is
supposed to have a high regard for women. It was stated in the Quran that
men and women are equal in the eyes of God and are expected to fulfill the
same duties, such as prayer, worship, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage to
Mecca. However, certain Islamic practices contradict the claim that Islam has
a high regard for women. Some of these practices are limited access to
education, seclusion, strict veiling, polygyny (refers to a partnership wherein
a man has many wives.) In Islam, men are allowed to have up to four wives
as long as they can support them financially and guarantee that they be
treated equally. Women are allowed to have one husband and if caught with
another man, in some societies the punishment is public execution by stoning
to death. In some societies also, when a woman is raped, she must produce
four witnesses to prove that she was indeed raped. Failure to do so, will
invalidate her case and penalize her by lashing in public. Strictly veiling is an
issue raised by feminists against Islam---some societies require only the hijab
or head covering worn in public by Muslim women, some require the burka,
or a long loose garment covering the whole body from head to feet. The
practice of purdah or strict veiling of women in Islam is symbolic of their
subordination and literally inhibits their social mobility.

Muslim women wearing hijab (Photo source:

https://womennewsnetwork.net/2012/06/25/morocco-wearing-the-hijab-may-not-be-an-
islamic-duty-says-university/)

In general, women are treated as subordinate to men in the three

Abrahamic religions; they only differ in the levels of women subordination. It
is ironic that religions have claimed to liberate people from oppression but fail
to do so with their women. Feminists have been critical of his low status
accorded to women in religions and there are clamors for the status of women
in religions to be reformed.
 ACTIVITIES

Activity 1, Directions. Identification: Identify what is being described in the

following. Choose your answer from the box below. Write your answer on the
space provided.
Polygamy Ummah
Predestiny Purdah Patriarchy

______________1. It refers to a partnership wherein a man has many wives.

_____________ 2. Community of believers that promote equality among races,
ethnicities and genders and have high regard on women.
______________ 3. Belief that all events are determined in advance by divine
will or fate.
______________ 4. Islamic practice of strict veiling
______________ 5. A system of society wherein the father or eldest male is
considered the head of family and lineage is traced through
the male line.

Activity 2, Directions: Compare the three monotheistic religions in terms of

their views on destiny and in women by filling out the graphic organizer below.
JUDAISM CHRISTIANITY ISLAM
Destiny
Views in Women

WRAP–UP

In this lesson, I learned that the three monotheistic religions have

similarities in views on destiny of man. They all believe in
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
More of it, they also have similarities in views on women in terms of
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________.
 VALUING
These monotheistic religions proved that there still discrimination of
women in society. At present, as a student what step can you make to show
that you are not bias in treating your female classmates, friends and relatives?
Please explain and give example.

POST TEST

Directions: Read the following questions and write the letter of the answer
before each number.
1. The exclusion of women in priesthood is a proof off patriarchal nature of
__________
a. Roman Catholicism c. Moses Lineage
b. Protestantism d. Islamic views
2. It refers to the belief that all events are determined in advance by divine
will or fate. Which of the following is being described?
a. Procrastination c. Predestination
b. Destination d. none of the above
3. What do you call a long loose garment covering the whole body from head
to foot of a female muslim?
a. Hadith c. ummah
b. Burka d. purdah
4. It refers to a partnership wherein a man has many wives. Which of the
following is being described?
a. Polygyny c. Polygamy
b. Monogamy d. co-habitat
5. What monotheistic religion allows divorce wherein a married man can easily
divorce their wives?
a. Islam c. Christianity
b. Hinduism d. Judaism
PRE-TEST
1.A 2. C 3. D 4. B 5. A
RECAP
1. TRUE
2. TRUE
3. FALSE
4. FALSE
5.TRUE
ACITIVITIES
Activity 1
1. Polygamy 2. Ummah 3.Predestiny 4. Purdah 5. Patriarchy
Activity 2
JUDAISM CHRISTIANITY ISLAM
Destiny it is God who decides God wanted all Even the decision
on a person’s basic humans to be saved, they make out of free
lifespan, wealth, and and He also gave us will is governed by
opportunities, but it free will, which God’s will. If
is still humanity’s means it is up to us something is willed
free will that is the to claim that by God to happen, it
deciding factor. salvation. will happen no
matter how hard
they try to prevent it
from happening.
Views in Women It propagates an The role of women in The practice of
unequal view of men the Catholic church purdah or strict
and women. was downplayed to veiling of women in
Because of the belief the extent of Islam is symbolic of
that men are excluding women their subordination
superior to women, from priesthood. and literally inhibits
women were their social mobility.
excluded from the
priesthood and from
numerous religious
duties.
KEY TO CORRECTION
 R E F E R E N CE S
Book

Ong, Jerome & Mary Dorothy. 2016. Introduction to World Religion and Belief
Systems. Quezon City: VIBAL Group, Inc.

Picture

“Mary and Martha”, Accessed August 1, 2020, retrieved from

https://indiancatholicmatters.org/encounter-martha-mary-jesus

“Women Wearing Hijab”, Accessed August 1, 2020, retrieved from

https://womennewsnetwork.net/2012/06/25/morocco-wearing-the-hijab-
may-not-be-an-islamic-duty-says-university