UNIT 2

RELIGION AS A MYSTERY
Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this module you are expected to:

 Reiterate the meaning for factual knowledge (terminology, classifications, methods, trends)
 Argue about the existence or non-existence of God.
 Determine ways of showing respect and appreciation to people with different religion.

TOPIC 1
RELIGION AS A UNIVERSAL PHENOMENON
Introduction

"There are many different ways to Holiness yet all points to the same Divine", says a wise man named
Vivekananda. The factor by which man seeks spirituality and build religions is for the reason that we are not
just pure material. That in all these, we have inside us a natural drive to transcend. Transcendence means
meaning and Religion is our surest way.
Lectures:

Guide Questions:
a. What is your religion? (Please be specific)
b. Who decided what will be your religion when you were young?
c. Do you think you have the right to choose your own religion?
d. Do you think you can be converted to other religion of your choice?
e. If you will change your religion, what will it be?

Read and understand the following:

Religion is a belief in and worship of a supernatural controlling power, especially a personal god or gods. A
particular system of faith and worship. The way of life committed to by monks and nuns.

According to the latest survey of Pew Research Center in 2015, only 7% of the world’s population does not
believe in God’s existence and they are called atheist.

—This shows that most of the people believe that there is someone greater than them who is God. Only
a number of people don’t recognize God’s existence. As a matter of fact even before Christianity or
Islam arrived in the Philippines, the native Filipinos worshiped spiritual beings like Diwata or Bathala.
This was because man naturally believes that there is someone up there more powerful than him.—

According to the Book of Isaiah 44:6 “God is the first and the last, the beginning and the end; there is no God
except him.”

—This means that God is eternal. He is the beginning and the end. No one created God because He is
the creator and He is the beginning. God is the greatest being. He is the most powerful, the most

GEC RE 001 – God’s Saving Actions in History, Our Story: From Abraham to Jesus
 intelligent, the most loving and the most just. He is the greatest in all the good qualities that you may
ever think of.—

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, “Religion is the belief in a personal God or gods. It is a

particular system of faith.”

—There are religions which patronize one supreme God and there are those which patronize several
gods—

Religion is divided into two types. The belief in a single supreme God is called monotheism, while the belief
in several gods/ goddesses is called polytheism. There are so many religions around the world but the five
major religions are: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Religion Beliefs/ Views of God Year Founding Founder Followers
Founded Country
Followers believe in multitudes of
 Hinduism gods and goddesses 1500 BC India Unknown Hindus
Followers believe that all can become Gautama
 Buddhism a Buddha and reach eternal happiness. 400 BC India Buddha Buddhist
Followers believe that Yahweh as the
 Judaism one and only God. 500 BC Israel Moses Jews
Followers believe in a Triune God
 Christianity who created us to know Him 30 AD Israel Jesus Christ Christians
Followers believe in Allah, a powerful
 Islam but unknowable God. 600 AD Arabia Muhammad Muslim

What is a Religious Phenomenon?

During a religious experience, a human being can be accompanied by various religious phenomena, which
some researchers describe as “incidental” religious phenomena. They are characterized by varied intensity,
complexity and changeable frequency. They can be visions, ecstasies, mystical raptures, and stigmata.

Why is religion universal in human society?

Religion is a social institution because it includes beliefs and practices that serve the needs
of society. Religion is also an example of a cultural universal because it is found in all societies in one form or
another.

THE UNIVERSAL CALL TO PRAYER

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2566

Man is in search of God. In the act of creation, God calls every being from nothingness into existence.
"Crowned with glory and honor," man is, after the angels, capable of acknowledging "how majestic is the
name of the Lord in all the earth." 1 Even after losing through his sin his likeness to God, man remains an
image of his Creator, and retains the desire for the one who calls him into existence. All religions bear witness
to men's essential search for God.2
SEVEN DIMENSIONS OF RELIGION
1. The Ritual Dimension

GEC RE 001 – God’s Saving Actions in History, Our Story: From Abraham to Jesus
 This is the way in which the community re-enacts its myths and confirms and expresses its beliefs
through action. Worship, Praying, Regular Gatherings, Rites of Passage.

2. The Experiential Dimension

This is one of the most attractive dimensions of religion - the capacity of ritual, prayer, worship to evoke
feelings of security and comfort or on the other hand feelings of awe, inexplicable presence, mystery,
ecstasy. People react when they have encountered something which they believe is very profound

3. The Mythical Dimension

Myths are the sacred stories that pass from generation to generation - they are sacred because they reveal
and explain what that tradition believes to be the ultimate nature of gods, humans and the universe – One
such story is the Hopi tradition of how peaches became sweet and the bees got wings. – The stories in the
3 case studies of the Australian Aboriginals, the Tingling, and the Polynesians we studied

4. The Doctrinal Dimension ( philosophical )

Many religions have a system of doctrines - beliefs about the nature of Divinity or ultimate reality and the
relationship of humans to that ultimate, real, divinity. Provides rational for many of the practices and
ideas of the religion.
o Trinity
o Bodhisattva

5. The Ethical Dimension ( legal )

In every tradition you will find sets of rules, behavioral precepts or guidelines for conduct according to
which the community judges a person good or evil depending on the level of conformity to those precepts.
Ideas and laws that shape behavior.
o Beatitudes
o 5 Precepts
o Ten Commandments

6. The Social Dimension ( institutional )

A religious tradition implies some sort of social organization through which it perpetuates itself. There can
be individuals who exemplify the religious tradition, and who live outside of society, but the teachings and
the tradition itself is preserved and passed on through the social organization of churches, temples,
mosques or monasteries.
o Masjid
o Church
o Synagogue
o Sangha

7. The Material Dimension

The physical buildings, implements, paintings, statues, books, etc. associated with a tradition, as well as
geographical places and features that are mythically associated with the tradition.
An outgrowth of religious experience/encounter.
o Music
o Art
o Symbol
o Architecture
Read and understand the following article:

GEC RE 001 – God’s Saving Actions in History, Our Story: From Abraham to Jesus
 PANANAM-PALA-TAYA
FAITH is translated in Filipino as Pananampalataya. According to some Filipino thinkers, the Filipino word
may come from two Filipino root words, namely, pananam (taste) and taya (to wage). From this two root
words we can have a new understanding of Faith.
The book of Psalms 119:103 says “Lord, how sweet are your words unto my taste! Sweeter than honey to my
mouth.” Faith or Pananampalataya is a matter of taste or pananam. We have our own favorite food. We have
our own taste. When we were a child, our parents would choose what we should eat but as we grow older we
learn to eat what we want according to our personal taste. Likewise, when we were born,
we assumed the same religion as our parents’ but as we grow older we must be the ones to choose our own
religion, our own faith, our own pananampalataya based on our taste. It is said in the Catechism that “Nobody
is to be forced to embrace the faith against his will.” (CCC 160)
The Letter to the Hebrews 11:1 says “Faith is the assurance of what is hoped for and convictions of things not
seen.” Faith or Pananampalataya is a matter of waging or pagtaya. Faith is about trusting and hoping to
things unseen. When we wage for something we make it sure that we will win the reward. So Faith requires
wisdom and prudence. When we believe in God, we are offering him all our heart,
Read and understand the following:
Nobody is to be forced to embrace the faith against his will.” (CCC 160)**
—Faith is both a gift from God and a personal response/ choice. Therefore, we cannot force anyone
to believe the faith we believe. Rather than discriminating other people with different faith or
religion, we must respect them. —
God reveals himself to humanity and man’s response is Faith.
—God reveals himself since the foundation of the world. He makes his power and greatness manifest
His identity. He wants us to know Him. Through the Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition He
exposes Himself. And though we may have many doubts or confusions He wants us to believe Him.—
“The invisible God, from the fullness of his love, addresses men as his friends, and moves among them, in
order to invite and receive them into his company. The adequate response to this invitation is faith.” (CCC
142)
**CCC stands for The Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Holy Trinity is one God in three Divine Persons. (CCC 233) This definition gives us three basic
truths, namely:
a. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are distinct persons.
—It means that the three persons can communicate with each other because they are different
persons.—
b. Each Person is fully God.
—It means that there is no person that is more powerful,
more loving or more knowledgeable than the other. Each
person existed from the beginning until the end. God the
Father is God, God the Son is God and God the Holy Spirit is
God.—
c. There is only one God.
—It means that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are
not three Gods but only one God united in love.—
MODULE 1 – ACTIVITY 2

GEC RE 001 – God’s Saving Actions in History, Our Story: From Abraham to Jesus
 RELIGION AS A UNIVERSAL PHENOMENON

Answer the following questions comprehensively, clearly and logically. Express your answers in FOUR-
EIGHT sentences only for the essay. Answers below four sentences will be disregarded. Any answer copied
from the internet will not be checked and must be considered zero. (10 pts each)

Format:
Font Style: Times New Romans
Font Size: 12
Size: Short bond paper
Spacing: 1.00

Rubric for Checking:

Features 4 3 2 1
Expert Accomplished Capable Beginner
Quality of Piece is written in an Piece is written in Piece had a little Piece had no style.
writing extraordinary style and an extraordinary style or voice. Give Give no new
voice. Very organize style and voice. some new information but
and informative information but poorly organized
poorly organized.
Grammar Virtually no spelling, Few spelling, A number of So many spelling,
usage and punctuation and punctuation and spelling, punctuation and
mechanics grammatical error. grammatical error. punctuation and grammatical error
grammatical error. that interferes with
the meaning.
Points 10 8 6 3
20 18 15 12

Answer the following questions in five to seven sentences:

1. Do you personally believe that God exists? If yes, please enumerate five proofs the God is real. If no,
please enumerate five proofs that God is not real. Explain your answer.
2. Determine five to seven ways of how will show your respect and appreciation to people with different
beliefs or religions? Explain your answer.
3. Crate a graphic organizer as a form of summary to what you have learned in the topic: Religion as a
Universal Phenomenon.

GEC RE 001 – God’s Saving Actions in History, Our Story: From Abraham to Jesus