RELIGION
• a personal set or institutionalized system of
religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices.
• commitment or devotion to religious faith or
observance.
MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS
1. Judaism – believes in one God, follows the
Torah (main religious text), and adheres to the
covenant between Abraham and God.
2. Christianity – believes in the teachings of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God with the Bible as the
Holy Scripture, followers of the religion also
believe in the concept of salvation.
3. Islam – Muslims believe in one God known as
Allah, their holy text is the Qur’an wherein
contains the word of God as revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad.
4. Hinduism – followers of this religion believe in
many gods, they believe in the concept of
karma (actions have consequences) and dharma
(righteous way of living).
5. Buddhism – based on the teachings of
Siddharta Gautama (Buddha), followers of the
religion believe in the Four Noble Truths and
the Eightfold Path, they also believe in karma
and dharma.
UNUSUAL RELIGIONS
1. Rizalista – a religious movement in the
Philippines that follows the teachings of Jose
Rizal. Rizalistas revere Rizal as a symbol of
freedom and enlightenment.
2. Pastafarianism – a satirical religious movement
that originated as a parody of organized
religion, its central figure is the “Flying
Spaghetti Monster”.
3. Jediism – emerged as a movement inspired by
the philosophy found in the Star Wars movies,
followers of this group adopt principles
depicted in the fictional universe of Star Wars.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF RELIGIOUS ORGS.
CHURCHES
• an established religious organization that is
well integrated into the larger society
• well-established rules and expects their leaders
to be formally trained, educated, and ordained.
• they are highly organized, with a formal
bureaucratic structure.
DENOMINATION
• a subgroup or branch of a religion that has its
own tradition, interpretation of religious faith,
and identity.
• most mainstream Protestant Christian groups,
such as Baptists, Lutherans, and Methodists,
are denominations.
SECT
• a subgroup that breaks away from a larger
religious organization.
• Sect members may disagree with the way the
larger group interprets the religion's doctrine.
• sect is sometimes an offshoot of the larger
church or of a smaller denomination.
• over time, some sects dwindle away, while
others develop into denominations.
CULT
• is a religious group composed of individuals
who reject what they see as the values of the
outside society.
• unlike sects, they often form independently
rather than as an offshoot of a larger religious
group.
• cults tend to be secretive, insular, and organized
around a charismatic leader.
GLOBALIZATION AND RELIGION
Globalization has facilitated the spread of religious
ideas, beliefs, and practices across different cultures
and societies.
In turn, religion gave modern people meaning and
purpose in life, reinforced social unity and stability,
served as an agent of social control, promoted
psychological and physical well-being, and motivated
people to work for positive social change.