Religion

Fourth Function of Myth

According to Joseph Campbell, this is the most important of the four functions. This is the psychological function of myth, which lies at the heart of the other three functions. It's about how to live a human lifetime under any circumstances. Such myths touch upon human themes that never change: love and revenge, mortality and immortality, knowledge and lack of knowledge, motherhood and fatherhood, and even mind-stretching stories of male motherhood like Zeus giving birth to Dionysus from his thigh and Yahweh giving birth to Adam and Adam birthing Eve from his rib, or even stories like virgin mothers and immaculate conceptions

Mythic and Narrative

All these "stories" concern the divine or the transcendent in one form or another -The realm of myth can also be said to extend to secular history where it is used in service of a worldview, such as nationalism

Argument 1 for God's existence

Anselm, a monk, believed if it is possible that God exists, then it follows logically that God does exist. Since God is maximally great, all powerful, all knowing, and morally perfect, it would be possible he could exist in a "possible universe" different from our actual universe. If it is possible God could exist in one possible alternate universe, then God must exist in all of them. After all, if God was maximally great, then God would exist in all. And all universes are an umbrella term that includes the actual universe we are living in; therefore, God must exist in ours.

Argument 2 for God's existence

Aquianas was an Italian monk who came up with five arguments for the existence of God, four of them morphing together to form the cosmological argument for religion. The argument for motion, causation, contingency, and degree. The fifth argument is the teleological argument.

Why the comparative study of religion is worth attention; related issues and benefits

Because religion, whether as an agent of stability or instability, of progress or retrogression, of peace or conflict, or simply of diverse kinds of change everywhere in the world, will long continue to be a critical factor in individual, social, and political life around the world, and we need to understand it. Religion is the key element in every culture and in every phase of history. Understanding religion will help you understand the people who practiced it. For example, if you wished to understand the ancient Greeks, you'd need to understand their morals. Morals are what we use daily to make choices. Laws are built around the religions regulations.

East Asia

China, Japan, Korea. Buddhism, Taoism and Confusiousism were in China until recently. Japan had Buddhism, Shinto and Christianity. Korea has a large christian population.

The modern west

Christianity, Judaism and pluralism. USA, Europe, Russia, Australia.

Six dimensions of religion

Doctrinal and Philosophical, mystic and narrative, ethical or legal, ritual or practical, Social or Institutional, Experiential or Emotional

Doctrinal and Philosophical

Doctrine helps reinforce our worship and meditation. Religions have web of doctrines that we should hold consciously

Greater Africa

Either traditional African religion, Christianity, or a blending of the two.

Ethical or Legal

Every religion has its ethical values, sometimes these are made into a fully fledged legal system. -enjoined to follow certain virtues and precepts Ex) 10 Commandments -a religious tradition bay form a body of law for the governance of society -though not everything in the details of a legal system has moral significance, most of it does.

Social or Institutional

Every religion penetrates to some degree into society and has its varied communal influences

Experiential or Emotional

Experiences and feelings - set the stage for origin of a tradition Emotional - acts of daily worship, sensation of grief at funerals and joy

The Story of Islam

In 570, Mohammad was born in Mecca. As a young boy, he was orphaned and was raised by his uncle. Managing caravans for merchants, Muhammad was exposed to Christians, Jews, and Pagans. In 610, while in isolation for contemplation, the Angel Gabriel came to Mohammad and told him to spread the word of Allah. Mohammad agreed and was persecuted for trying to spread Islam. He escaped to the city of Medina which means "the city of the prophet." Non - Muslims from Mecca and Muslims in Medina fought a series of wars; eventually, the Muslims won. The Muslims from Medina reclaimed Mecca and most non - Muslims there converted. The Ka'ba (in Mecca), the holiest shrine in Islam, where all Muslims face during prayer, was rededicated to Allah, and Islam spread throughout the Ar ab peninsula in a short period of time.

The Pacific

Islands who mainly are christian

Latin South

Mainly Catholic

South and southeast Asia

Mainly Hindu and Buddhist. India (Hindu) and Thailand (buddhist) are the main countries

The Islamic Crescent

Middle east, north africa, parts of India. Muslim.

Ritual or Practical

Most religions place heavy emphasis on ritual. Ex) Catholics - weakly mass; Muslims - pray 5 times daily; etc. Meditation - training the mind in various set patterns, and this practical aspect of behavior we include under the general head of ritual

The nature and function of doctrine in religion and whether the question of truth is relevant to doctrine

Smart defined doctrine as viewpoints/experiences of the world from the perspective of a religion or worldview. Doctrines serve various functions for all religions. The first is to bring order and explanation in story form. The second is to explain what lies beyond the cosmos and to explain the universal. Third function is to relate their beliefs to modern knowledge. Doctrine also stimulate fresh points of view of the world and give practical meaning to it. Lastly, doctrines make a sense of community among strangers.

Sorin's views on Christianity

Søren Kierkegaard lived a short life of suffering. The death of his family, his father's negative influences, and his refusal to marry Regine produced a man who sought an explanation for his suffering. Through his writing, he produced a version of faith that explained his suffering. His views on faith caused friction between himself and the rest of society. His life choices only increased the distance between himself and society, which in turn increased his religious faith and suffering.

Argument 3 for God's Existence

Teleological argument is also known as intelligent design. The argument is based on if something exists, something had to make it and it has purpose. I have a phone and when I see it, I can assume it just came into existence or someone made it for a purpose. The world had to be made by a world maker, and this is God. They stress purpose which only weakens their argument. When I bake a cake, I can burn it without having meant to, so does the burnt portion need purpose? Some things have no purpose, contradicting the fundamentals of this argument.

What Rudolf Otto meant by numinous and why it's central to religion

The numinous experience is well defined in the first few paragraphs written by Ninian Smart as she describes the writings of Rudolf Otto. Otto coined the term "numinous experience" to mean something that is "something that is a mysterium tremendum et fascinans - a mystery that is fearful, awe-inspiring (tremendum, literally meaning "to be trembled at"), and fascinating, and that, for all its fearfulness, draws you toward it"

Third Function of Myth

The third function is sociological, to maintain a set of morals on which the society depends on for existence (McGee, 2016). Today in western society, laws and government fulfil this function.

First function of Myth

This function is about experiencing the awe of the universe. It's telling stories that touch the cornerstone of what it means to be a human being engaged with the unexplainable. From ghost stories, to alien abductions, to confrontations with angels, to long talks with God or the gods, and even scientific stories like Schrodinger's cat

Second function of Myth

This function is about formulating and rendering an image of the universe. The universe we live in is unfathomably huge, inexplicably scary, and perplexingly mysterious. It is so awe-inspiringly enormous that we cannot even wrap our minds around its immense structure.

Thomas Merton's views on Christianity

Thomas Merton was a trappist monk in the 1940s. Unlike Sorin, Mertaon loved the church. He also communicated with other religions, such as Tao and Buddhism. Much of his work is about contemplation. He believed it was at the heart of Christianity. "Finding the point in you, where you are here and now being created by God." Continual creation. At one point, he stopped on a busy corner and realized he was connected to everyone through God.