Overview of Religious Traditions

Religions across the globe have their own distinctive rites and rituals, idols, traditions, and values. Each have in common a desire to explain something unexplainable by common wisdom, or attributing some aspect of life to some higher power. Many religions have at their heart etiological stories, which explain some sort of natural phenomenon through the physical manifestation of their deity or deities. From high winds and thunderstorms to love, fertility, and the sun, such religions focus on the physical world in this life. Other religions try to explain the "next" life or the afterlife. These religions usually give a moral code to live by, with stricter adherence to this code offering a better afterlife.

There are many religions throughout the world today. Although there are several different religions, many individuals are not educated about the other beliefs besides there own. Religions today do have differences but are also very much the same. This is demonstrated between the religion of Yoruba, and Christianity. The Gods that the people in these religions worship are different but have the same purpose throughout the lives of each individual. Each individual’s purpose and goal in these religions also display similarities. Furthermore the rituals that are done throughout these religions are done for directions and to improve the relationship between the individual and their god. There are various differences and similarities between

For thousands of years, the concept of God and religion has been on the frontlines of thought and conversation. There are many variations of religion, each with their own beliefs and practices. Many people struggle with their concept of religion. Judaism and Islam have their own similarities and differences, many of which are illustrated in the evolving beliefs and values of Antonio in Rudolfo A. Anaya's Bless Me,

“Religion deals with daily living as well as the ultimate source, meaning and goal of life.”

Religion manifests itself everywhere around the world. Although all beings are different we come together as one transcendence being the host. Sacred rituals are performed, honoring beliefs in accordance to ones religion. Rituals are performed for a wide array of reasons, some being a sort of rite of passage, healing the sick and even birth or death rituals. Judaism, Santeria, and Christianity all have ceremonies and rituals, some carried out as different as night and day, and some for the same purposes. These religions in depth have more in common than the eye can see, devotion, transcendence and worship to a higher absolute power. All participating in Sacred Ritual.

There are may religions in the world, but through out the different religions there are many crossovers and similarities. Mattie Stepanek said “It doesn't matter how you pray. Just pray. All religions are beautiful and they all have one common belief. There's something bigger and greater than us that can give us and take from us life. It is better than the here and now”. Religion itself means “a belief in and worship of a greater power” (dictionary.com). By people believing in any kind of religion, it means that similarities can start there. With so many religions having similarities, it might be hard to distinguish from certain religions from another. Religions like of African and Native Americans might not at first seem alike, but as you look deeper into their religions and see they have similarities. These similarities are attributed as beliefs, rituals, and history. Their growths and struggles might not have happened at the same time, but both religions are still celebrated today.

Scholars prefer to focus on religious traditions rather than just “religion” because religious traditions are “a tradition is an historical context or network of linguistic, personal, and cultural relationships” (Portier 19). Traditions can be limiting like the legal tradition in America where we carry it around because it shapes our ideas of what is right and what is wrong. Traditions can also be freeing like the civil rights movement which ended slavery and ended a limiting tradition. Traditions are used as a resource to answer the deeper questions about life. Also, scholars prefer to focus on religious traditions due to a problem associated with “religion”. The problem with “religion” is what does the term “religion” actually refer to?

Though each religion is unique, some religions have several traits in common. For example, many religions are polytheistic, meaning that there are many gods. But, some religions only believe in one god, meaning that the religion is monotheistic. The religions also have many things that differ with each other, like the sacred text, symbol, and traditions. These qualities are what make each religion different and special.

According to the book, World Religions Today, by John L. Esposito, Darrell J. Fasching, and Todd Lewis, under the section entitled The Sacred, it states that religion “expresses our sense of being “tied and bound” by relations of obligation to whatever powers we believe govern our destiny-whether these powers be natural or supernatural, personal or impersonal, one or many” (9). Furthermore, the book World Religions Today, by John L. Esposito, Darrell J. Fasching, and Todd Lewis, states that the religions of various people over the years or centuries have proven to be essentially as diverse as the types or forms of power that people essentially believe govern human destiny. In which these types or forms of power “ have ranged from gods as

The course Religion 220- Survey of World Religions introduced me to different beliefs, and practices of religions. Of the many religions examined, the three that resonate within my being are: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. I can relate to these religions as all three share several similarities and is in sync with many of my core beliefs. To begin, they all believe in God. These religions have a designated house of worship: for Christians- church or chapel, Islam- mosque, and Judaism- synagogue or temple. They all share the Old Testament and believe in an afterlife. They all believe in non-violence also practice some form of meditation. All three religions draw on a Holy Book: Christians use the Holy Bible; Judaism utilizes The Torah,

The original people of the Americas and Oceania lived in societies that were considerably smaller than those of the eastern hemisphere. Long before they entered into sustained interaction with European and other peoples, they built complex societies and developed sophisticated cultural and religious traditions. In Mesoamerica and Andean South America, they built imperial states that organized public affairs on a large scale. The cultural and religious traditions of these imperial societies reflected concern for agricultural production. There were states and empires in Mesoamerica and North America, states and empires in South America, and societies of Oceania.

Many historical events around the globe have put a wedge between Christians and Muslims. The Christian perspective is that Muslims are set to be dangerous and violent people. The Islamic community has a perspective of hatred from the Christian community. While Islam and Christianity are distinctively separate religions; they both stem from the same beginnings and are more alike than they may admit. Should they be considered separate Religions?

There are many different religions with many different beliefs, traditions, practices, and rituals. These differences are a very important part of understanding and appreciating the culture and history behind the specific religion. However, the practices that certain religions have in common can aid even more in furthering the understanding of specific beliefs of other religions. Since most religions cultivate from the practices and beliefs of other religions, they use those core values and beliefs and transform them into what they believe is a better way practicing. Religions use similarities within each other and twist them into their own. There are certain beliefs within every religion that shape their practices such as their morals or their most essential or absolute value, their position on human beings’ problems and solutions, and their view on life and death within their religion. Pure Land Buddhism (a form of Mahayana Buddhism) and Vaishnavites (a group within Hinduism) are great examples of this very concept.

This chapter was exactly like Vavova’s chapter as it was defending morals from debunkers. The author merely formed a defense for keeping his religious beliefs.

I grew up in a very traditional Catholic household. I was baptized as an infant, made my first holy communion, attended Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) classes and church every Sunday, and made my confirmation in high school. I always envisioned raising my children the exact way I was raised, but all that changed when I fell in love with someone who was raised with different religious beliefs and traditions. I faithfully attended Catholic church services until I turned 20 years old. There were certain practices that I didn’t agree with the Catholic church and it was at that age that I decided to attend non-denominational Christian church services, but still practice some Catholic traditions such as Ash Wednesday and lent. My husband was raised in a Baptist household and attended a Baptist church. Although both our religions are denominations of Christianity, our church experiences and religious traditions are diverse. My husband and I met while in high school so we always practiced our own religious beliefs individually with our families. Since moving in with one another many years ago, we stopped attending church on a regular basis, and in fact before this project had never attended a church service together. We’ve had discussions in the past about the differences between our religious beliefs and traditions but had never attended one another’s church services.