1. Importance to understand the beliefs of other religious groups
The modern day society is increasingly multicultural and diverse based on the different cultural values and religions that people have. It is important to be familiar with other people’s religion for this helps in fostering a positive interaction among all humans in the workplace and in the society. Being familiar with the different religions simply means that it is possible for one to offer a fairly better cross cultural perspective on a given religion and this leads to the establishment of a good foundation in conducting a comparative study on religions.
2. Not understanding other religions
It is important for religious leaders around the world to inform the people on the need to respect and understand the different religious traditions of the people and to condemn religious xenophobia and bigotry. Religious bigotry is the fear, intolerance, and hate among the people from different religion and this leads to persecution and discrimination of people with different religious beliefs in the United Sates today is mainly thought of in terms of ethnicity and the most common bigotry is against those from the non European origin. However, bigotry has taken other forms such as the people’s ethnicity, sex, culture and religion. Religious bigotry that can be seen today is the case of Bosnia that has made people to be willing to kill each other due to their religious differences.
- Outsider to a religion one is actually unfamiliar with
a.) The various conventional Christians do consider Mormons as being a cult due to their scriptures and beliefs being way past the accepted practices by them. Cult is a system of worship or a group that is bound together by worship or veneration of the same thing, ideal or person. This definition therefore can mean that every religion is a cult but the term is mainly used in referring to a failed extremist group of people. Many view the Mormons religion as being based on false ideas and that apart from the bible they use additional scriptures such as the covenants and Doctrine of the Mormons which Christians do not. Others may vie that Mormonism as a cult due to their belief in the modern prophets. And that they view it as a cult because Christians are not allowed to practice the traditions, doctrines and rituals conducted by the Mormons as sacred aspects (Coogan, 2005).
b.) Describe any conclusions
Many world religions have at least one or two practices that are considered unusual by other religion and are sometimes seen to be very weird. It is however, important to consider these differences by respecting what they believe in. open condemnation of such practices will definitely lead to violence or conflict.
4. Advantages or disadvantages that oral traditions
Oral traditions are advantageous for they allow the ability to provide new interpretations concerning issues within the larger population. The oral traditions further present information is a more authorities and commanding way. The man disadvantages or oral traditions is that is stands at high chances of meaning distortion due to adding new and new meanings in order to fit into one’s needs and thus the original meaning is lost. Oral traditions are imperishable and can be passed from one generation to another unlike the written word.
- aspect of indigenous religions present today
The idea in many indigenous and old religions, that calls for the need of human to make sacrifice as a necessary means to become closer to god or gods. The modern Judeo-Christianity, the resurrection and cruxification of Jesus as shown in the Bible as the blood sacrifice so as to cease human sin. These two beliefs clearly show the old and savage act on the need to sacrifice a human being to the gods so that he can live well after death.
Reference
Coogan M (2005) Eastern Religions, Origins, Beliefs, Practices, Holy Texts, Sacred Places, Publisher Oxford University Press, p 69
