Reflection:

Christian
One of the core theological promises and premises of the Christian Gospel message is
freedom. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” says Jesus Christ in
the Gospel and “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”. Yet do these paeans to
spiritual liberty point necessarily to religious liberty? Both passages are eloquent in their
promise of spiritual freedom, yet neither seems to be describing religious freedom as a political
right.
Yet as a theological principle, Christianity’s emphasis on the interior and eternal dimensions of
freedom establishes a foundation for some of the exterior and temporal dimensions of freedom,
including freedom of conscience and freedom from religious coercion. Thus Christ’s famous
command to “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are
God’s” was not just a directive that his followers obey the civic authorities, but also a declaration
distinguishing between the areas of life that Caesar was competent to rule in, and those he was
not. The interior freedom promised by Christianity had at least an exterior implication.
Any inquiry into the relationship between Christianity and religious freedom soon encounters a
paradox of history. Christianity has been associated with some of the most notorious episodes
of religious intolerance in history, yet Christianity is also associated with some of the greatest
advances of religious freedom in history. Indeed, it is these former instances that are often cited
as examples of the alleged hypocrisy of Christianity: the Spanish Inquisition, the burning of
Servetus in Geneva, the social constraints of Puritanism, and so on. But the accompanying
historical record of the Christian tradition’s role in the realization and advance of religious liberty
bears another witness. Indeed, perhaps it is this implicit and sometimes explicit, expectation that
the Christian faith support religious freedom that accounts for the severe judgments incurred
when it has not. One way to view the unfolding of church history is as an ongoing interaction
between the biblical principles described at the outset and the human experience. This historical
drama in turn has produced some consequential figures who, in drawing on the theological
resources of the Christian tradition during times of great tumult, laid key foundation stones in the
development of religious liberty as a political right.
Islamic
Islam is practiced not only from west to east in a line stretching from Morocco to Indonesia and
across every country in between, but also in much of Africa and more recently in Europe and
America. There are communities of Lebanese Muslims living in Brazil and Gaelic-speaking
Pakistanis in north-west Scotland. And Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world. One in
five people on this planet are Muslims, so it seems reasonable to try to learn much more about
them.
Islamic studies, as taught in the west, is a discipline that seeks to explain what the Islamic world
has achieved in the past and what the future holds for it. Its past is indeed rich. In 732, a
hundred years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, the Arab conquests had created the
greatest empire that the world had yet seen, stretching from central France to the borders of
China. It was held together by the Islamic faith and by Arabic, the language of the Qur’an. The
gilded world of the ninth-century Abbasid court – whose capital, Baghdad, rivalled Rome – is
evoked in the stories of the Thousand and One Nights. Here the caliphs established an
academy, the House of Wisdom, which served as a translation center where Arabic versions
made of the masterpieces of Graeco-Roman, Persian and Indian culture in philosophy,
literature, mathematics, astronomy, medicine and other fields of scientific learning. These
works, saved from oblivion by the Arabs, reached the west, were translated into Latin and
ultimately made the Renaissance possible. Muslim Spain, for example, was centuries ahead of
the rest of Europe in its lifestyle; its capital, Cordoba, had street lighting, underground sewage,
hot and cold running water, public baths and other amenities while other European cities were
sunk in squalor. Moorish expertise in irrigation and agriculture made the gardens of Spain a
byword for the arts of leisure.
Jewish
Jew, Hebrew, any person whose religion is Judaism. In the broader sense of the term, a Jew is
any person belonging to the worldwide group that constitutes, through descent or conversion, a
continuation of the ancient Jewish people, who were themselves descendants of the Hebrews of
the Bible in Old Testament. In ancient times, a Hebrew was originally a member of Judah either
of the tribe of Judah or of the subsequent Kingdom of Judah which is in contrast to the rival
Kingdom of Israel to the north. The Jewish people as a whole, initially called Hebrews, were
known as Israelites from the time of their entrance into the Holy Land to the end of the
Babylonian Exile. Thereafter, the term Yĕhūdhī (Latin: Judaeus and English: Jew) was used to
signify all adherents of Judaism, because the survivors of the Exile of former inhabitants of the
Kingdom of Judah were the only Israelites who had retained their distinctive identity. The term
Jew is thus derived through the Latin Judaeus and the Greek Ioudaios from the Hebrew
Yĕhūdhī. The latter term is an adjective occurring only in the later parts of the Hebrew Bible and
signifying a descendant of Yehudhah (Judah), the fourth son of Jacob, whose tribe, together
with that of his half-brother Benjamin, constituted the Kingdom of Judah.

Nature of Religion
Religion is a pervasive and large cultural phenomenon, so people who observe subculture and
human nature have sought to give an explanation for the character of faith, the character of non-
secular beliefs, and the motives why religions exist in the first place. There were as many
theories as theorists, it seems, and even as none completely captures what faith is, all provide
important insights on the character of faith and viable motives why faith has endured thru
human history.

Many say the etymology of faith lies with the Latin phrase religare, which means "to tie, to bind."
This appears to be preferred on the idea that it facilitates give an explanation for the strength
faith has to bind someone to a community, culture, direction of action, ideology, etc. The Oxford
English Dictionary factors out, though, that the etymology of the phrase is doubtful. Earlier
writers like Cicero related the time period with relegere, which means "to examine over again"

Some argue that religion doesn't even exist in the first place that there is only culture, and
religion is simply a significant aspect of human culture.

It is true that many societies do not draw a clear line between their culture and what scholars
would call "religion," so Smith certainly has a valid point. This does not necessarily mean that
religion doesn't exist, but it is worth keeping in mind that even when we think we have a handle
on what religion is, we might be fooling ourselves because we aren't able to distinguish what
belongs just to a culture's "religion" and what is part of the wider culture itself.

Origin of Religion
The origin of religion is uncertain. There are variety of theories regarding the following origins of
spiritual practices. Many of the good world religions appear to possess begun as revitalization
movements of some sort, because the vision of a charismatic prophet fires the imaginations of
individuals seeking a more comprehensive answer to their problems than they feel is provided
by everyday beliefs. Charismatic individuals have emerged at persistently and places within the
world. It seems that the key to long-term success and lots of movements come and go together
with little long-term effect has relatively little to try to with the prophets, who appear with
surprising regularity, but more to try and do with the event of a bunch of supporters who are
able to institutionalize the movement.

Competitive analysis, Judaism, Christianism, and Islam

Influence to the World:
Christianity claims 33% of the world's population, Islam comes second with 21%, and Judaism
has 0.2%.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam trace their roots back to Abraham and his message of
monotheism. The similarities among these faiths range in practices and beliefs. They all have
the same geographical roots in the Arab World. A holy book can be found in all three religions
and is considered to be the word of God or the inspired word of God. Within the Torah, Bible
and Qur’an are creation stories in which God created the universe. Central to these three faiths
are the various prophets that came to spread messages of monotheism.
“All of the biblical prophets shared by Judaism and Christianity can also be found in the Qur’an
and Islamic writings. A level of accountability for one’s actions and the belief in charity and good
deeds are another similarity that these faiths share. In addition, the belief in life after death is a
shared belief among the three religions.
Lastly, all three faiths regard Jerusalem as a holy city. For Jews, it is home to the Wailing Wall
and the Temple Mount. In Christianity, the Church of the Holy Sepulchers is the spot where
Jesus was believed to be crucified. For Muslims it is home to the Dome of the Rock, where the
Prophet Muhammad is believed to have ascended to heaven and where Al Aqsa Mosque is
located.

Hinduism
Hinduism, major world religion originating on the Indian subcontinent and comprising several
and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. Although the name Hinduism is relatively
new, having been coined by British writers in the first decades of the 19th century, it refers to a
rich cumulative tradition of texts and practices, some of which date to the 2nd millennium BCE
or possibly earlier. If the Indus valley civilization was the earliest source of these traditions, as
some scholars hold, then Hinduism is the oldest living religion on Earth. In the early 21st
century, Hinduism had nearly one billion adherents worldwide and was the religion of about 80
percent of India’s population. Despite its global presence, however, it is best understood
through its many distinctive regional manifestations.
Since the late 19th century, Hindus have reacted to the term Hinduism in several ways. Some
have rejected it in favor of indigenous formulations. Still others have chosen to call the religion
sanatana dharma or eternal law, a formulation made popular in the 19th century and
emphasizing the timeless elements of the tradition that are perceived to transcend local
interpretations and practice. Finally, others, perhaps the majority, have simply accepted the
term Hinduism or its analogues, especially Hindu moral and religious law, in various Indic
languages.
Since the early 20th century, textbooks on Hinduism have been written by Hindus themselves,
often under the rubric of sanatana dharma. These efforts at self-explanation add a new layer to
an elaborate tradition of explaining practice and doctrine that dates to the 1st millennium BCE.

Positive and Negative effect of Religion

During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, religion gave people a sense of belonging. In the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, religion was exceptionally important, because it had a great
influence on everything from government to social order and family relationships.
This is also true for the negative effects such as the conflicts that result in war and bloodshed,
the separation of social classes, and the corruption throughout the church, especially the recent
sex scandal in the Catholic church. Hundreds of years may separate these two time periods and
the modern world, but the same positive effects of religion such as unity, security, and a social
order are still basic ideals in today’s world.
In order to appreciate the impacts of religion during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the
positive and negative effects of this era must be understood. Thus, religion had tremendous
positive effects. Even the current sex scandal in the Catholic Church and different types of
religious conflicts can be traced to this period, giving people the background of such problems.
It is also now possible to see how religion has had a great influence on everything from
government to social order and family relationships. So, religion played an extremely important
role in giving people a “guiding light” to pray for support, health, and help.
One of such people was Martin Luther who was determined to reform the Catholic Church. The
enormous power and control of the church created corruption in all aspects of religion and
politics.
Finally, with an understanding of the positive and negative effects of religion during the fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries, it is easier to realize why religion stands out throughout all history as an
undeniable power and force. Belonging to a church was important during this time because it
gave people a sense of security and support.
On the other hand, this new feeling of expansion, security, hope, and unity were the constant
conflicts of opposing beliefs and struggles. With a sense of protection, they lived a life with less
fear of death and more of a sense of hope. In spite of the negative effects of the war, during this
era, religion also brought about an economic and social order to the community. Another
negative effect was the exploitation of the natives of the new world. This left a sense of
abandonment and separation from the church on the people.
Weekly donations and indulgences were made to the church and people were extremely
dedicated to the church, thus allowing the church to gain power and control over them. There
were also many different civilizations during this time period with distinctly different religious
beliefs that the explorers wanted to convert to Christianity.
Theravada Buddhism
Buddhism was the largest religion in the world before the First World War; however, especially
following the shift in the political system of China and its neighboring countries, it became the
fourth largest religion after Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. It counts around 520 million
followers worldwide.
The word “Buddhism” comes from the word “Buddha”, which in turn comes from the words
“buddhi” and “bodhi”.
In the ancient Indian language Pāli and Sanskrit, this word literally means “intellect”,
“intelligence”, “wisdom” or “supreme knowledge”. However, it mostly refers to the intelligence
and supreme knowledge that a Buddha possesses due to the understanding of the Four Noble
Truths (insert link to the noble truths in another section).
However, it is usually metaphorically translated as “enlightenment” or “awakening”, and the
word Buddha as “enlightened” or “awakened”. The founder of Buddhism was Siddhattha
Gotama, known as the Buddha, who was awakened enlightened about 2,500 years ago at the
age of 35. He taught for forty-five years and died at the age of eighty.
Many people are wondering what Buddhism is. Buddhism is treated as a religion by those who
perceive it as a religion and as a philosophy by those who perceive it as a philosophy. In fact,
Buddhism is more akin to philosophy, but it is much more complete. Philosophy primarily deals
with theoretical knowledge rather than practice; whereas Buddhism places particular emphasis
on the direct realization of knowledge through practice.
Thus, according to the teachings of the Buddha, Buddhism is a contemplative and practically
attainable way of life that leads man to realize true knowledge and the supreme Truth, thus
leading him to liberation from all forms of existential misery. Man achieves this only through his
own effort, without relying on supernatural or metaphysical forces outside of him. Man is the
master of himself and only he, by his actions in the present, can determine and rule his future.

Mahayana Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism (or the Mahayanas) can be defined as a major movement in the history of
Buddhism which has its origins in northern India. It is made up of many schools and
reinterpretations of fundamental human beliefs, values and ideals not only those of the Buddhist
teachings.
The recorded starting point for Mahayana, also known as the 'Great Vehicle' because it
embraces so much, is the 2nd century CE, but it is assumed that this tidal wave of shifts began
to grow before that date, building on existing schools and systems, and it continues today.
Its exact origins are still not completely understood, but in contrast to previous Buddhist
aspirations, great emphasis was placed equally on the doctrines of compassion (Skt: karunã)
and insight (Skt: prajñã). In addition, the Bodhisattva, the human being who devotes him or
herself to the service of others, became the new model for religious practice as opposed to the
Arhat (Hīnayãna-Hearer or Seeker) who is concerned only with the self-interested pursuit of
liberation.
This age also represents a massive social change in the way Buddhists practiced because
householders, lay practitioners, those who have not renounced life to become monks or nuns,
became equally as important as the clergy, monastic practitioners devoting their whole lives to
Buddha. Also, a new body of literature is associated with this movement known as the
Perfection of Insight texts (Prajñã-pãramitã Sutras) in which Buddha Sakyamuni (the historical
Buddha) is seen in a new light as a supernatural being (later formalized as the trikaya - three
bodies) and the concept and doctrine of emptiness (Skt: sunyata) became of major importance.
Today, Mahayana Buddhism is predominant in north Aisa and has been strongly influenced
culturally and by existing religions there such as Taoism and Confucianism.

Competitive analysis of Hinduism, Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism and

Confucianism.
Like Hinduism, Buddhism allows religious divergence. Hinduism, a polytheistic religion and
perhaps the oldest of the great world religions, dates back about 6,000 years. Similarly,
Hinduism teaches the caste system, in which a person's previous incarnations determine that
person's hierarchical position in this life.
Three other religions of the Far East include Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Hinduism
comprises so many different beliefs and rituals that some sociologists have suggested thinking
of it as a grouping of interrelated religions. While a global religion, Buddhism today most
commonly lies in such areas of the Far East as China, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and
Burma. These ethical religions have no gods like Yahweh or Allah, but espouse ethical and
moral principles designed to improve the believer's relationship with the universe.

Hinduism teaches the concept of reincarnation of the belief that all living organisms continue
eternally in cycles of birth, death, and rebirth. Unlike it, though, Buddhism rejects ritual and the
caste system. Each caste comes with its own set of responsibilities and duties, and how well a
person executes these tasks in the current life determines that person's position in the next
incarnation.
A recognized “denomination” of Buddhism is Zen Buddhism, which attempts to transmit the
ideas of Buddhism without requiring acceptance of all of the teachings of Buddha. Hindus
acknowledge the existence of both male and female gods, but they believe that the ultimate
divine energy exists beyond these descriptions and categories. Taoism shares similar principles
with Confucianism. While some Chinese still practice Confucianism and Taoism, these religions
have lost much of their impetus due to resistance from today's Communist government.
However, some concepts of Taoism, like reincarnation, have found an expression in modern
“New Age” religions. The teachings of Lao‐tzu stress the importance of meditation and
nonviolence as means of reaching higher levels of existence. The divine soul is present and
active in all living things.
Humans, according to the Buddha, can escape the cycles of reincarnation by renouncing their
earthly desires and seeking a life of meditation and self‐discipline.