PROMPT 1: Compare and contrast the beliefs of one of the religions from the Far East (Hinduism, Shintoism, Buddhism) with one of the religions from the Middle East (Islam, Judaism, Christianity.
PROMPT 1: Compare and contrast the beliefs of one of the religions from the Far East (Hinduism, Shintoism, Buddhism) with one of the religions from the Middle East (Islam, Judaism, Christianity. You must have an introduction that provides a general description of the two religions. There must be two similarities and two differences that are thoroughly explained and supported with specific details from each religion. Finally, there must be a conclusion that summarizes the similarities and differences.
PROMPT 2: Create a dialogue/conversation between representatives of 3 religions. All may not be from either the Far East or the Near East. The dialogue should be about the key beliefs/rituals/celebrations and may not be simply a list of beliefs. This should begin with an introduction that provides a general overview of each of the religions. This conversation should be explanations of the beliefs/rituals/celebrations, reasons for the beliefs, goals of following the teachings, and how these impact their lives
Religions organize themselves—their institutions, practitioners, and structures—in a various ways. For instance, when the Roman Catholic Church emerged, it borrowed many of its organizational principles from the ancient Roman military and turned senators into cardinals, for example. Ecclesia, denomination, and sect are terms used to describe these classifications. Scholars are also aware that these definitions are not static. Most religions transition through different organizational phases. For example, Christianity began as a cult, transformed into a sect, and today exists as an ecclesia.
Cults, like sects, are new religious groups. In the United States today this term often carries pejorative connotations. However, almost all religions began as cults and gradually progressed to levels of greater size, stability, and organization. The term cult is sometimes used interchangeably with the term “new religious movement” (NRM). In its pejorative use, these groups are often disparaged as being secretive, highly controlling of members’ lives, and dominated by a single, charismatic leader.
Controversy exists over whether some religious groups are in fact cults, perhaps due in part to media sensationalism over groups like the polygamous Mormon FLDS or the Peoples Temple followers who died in a mass suicide at Jonestown, Guyana, in 1978. Some groups that are controversially labeled as cults today include the Church of Scientology and the Hare Krishna movement.
A sect is a small and relatively new group. Most of the well-known Christian denominations in the United States today began as sects. For example, the Methodists and Baptists protested against their parent Anglican Church in England, just as Henry VIII protested against the Catholic Church by forming the Anglican Church. From “protest” comes the term Protestant.
Occasionally, a sect is a breakaway group that may be in tension with the larger society. They sometimes claim to be returning to “the fundamentals” or to be contesting the truth of a particular doctrine. When membership in a sect increases over time, it may grow into a denomination. Often a sect begins as an offshoot of a denomination, when a group of members believes they should separate from the larger group.
Some sects dissolve without growing into denominations. Sociologists call these established sects. Established sects, such as the Amish or Jehovah’s Witnesses fall halfway between sect and denomination on the ecclesia–cult continuum because they have a mixture of sect-like and denomination-like characteristics.
A denomination is a large, mainstream religious organization, but it does not claim to be official or state sponsored. It is one religion among many. For example, Baptist, African Methodist Episcopal, Catholic, and Seventh-day Adventist are all Christian denominations.