Religion and Non-religion practice responses for HSC Exams - SOR II PDF

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I prepared these responses for my HSC and trial exams, got full marks in the 5 marker and the multiple choice section....

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How has the desire for personal fulfilment AND/OR ethical guidance affected the rise of new religious expressions and spiritualities? An individual’s need for ethical guidance and personal fulfillment has catalysed the rise of new religious expressions and spiritualities as society’s attitudes towards dogmatic religions have changed. Some individuals are discontent with the rate of advances in technology and science and therefore look to older traditional practices to fulfill their desire for ethical guidance. For example, the new religious movement Falun Gong, based on Buddhist beliefs and ancient Taoist traditions, emerged in the 1990s in response to China’s spiritual vacuum and “qigong boom” which had an emphasis on health, scientific perspective, revival of traditional philosophy and traditional medicine. Falun Gong practitioners retain the donor faith’s belief in Karma and the cycle of rebirth, which feeds into the opposition to taking medicine as illness is a direct effect of bad karma and can instead be relieved through the practice of xinxing. This provides individuals with a meaning and purpose as they seek to fulfill their health needs and are providing perspectives to science and philosophy that aren't clouded by contemporary worldviews. The search for ethical guidance in the secular society of China therefore has resulted in the rise of this new age religious expression allowing individuals to answer ethical questions and fulfill their personal needs without the influence of the new sciences of the modern world. How has increased ecological awareness AND/OR disenchantment with traditional religious practice and guidance influenced the growth of new religious expressions and spiritualities? Increased ecological awareness and disenchantment with traditional religious practice and guidance are both influences which have significantly contributed to the growth of new religious expressions and spiritualities. Many individuals recognise the relationship between human responsibility and our environment and find the traditional structures of religions do not address this concern. Many people wish to live a more humble and simple life away from the commitments of religion and believe that developing positive relationships with ecology can give life meaning and purpose. Coincided with the growing disenchantment with the conservative practices and guidance of traditional religious worldviews, individuals view the strict and fixed observance of life through the lense of ethics is conducive to inaction which is the opposite of what these individuals want in response to contemporary issues of gender equality, marriage and climate change. Thus these individuals who have grown aware of the lack of ecological awareness and growth in traditional religions have sought out more progressive spiritualities for guidance towards purpose and meaning. Questions to answer: Evaluate the place of the religious dimension in human history to provide meaning and purpose for the individual OR social transformation Paradoxically, whilst religion is a force of social cohesion it can also serve as a force of social transformation and can be used as a tool for criticising the structures, customs and beliefs of its own societies. Religious dimensions have provided a pathway for adherents to discover the extent to which they can change the nature of their society, either for the better or the worse. The values of equality, peace and justice are derived from sacred writings, for example, “whoever works righteousness - male or female while believing, these will enter Paradise” (Quran 40:40). This informs adherents that it is their responsibility to transform the issues of society to allow for a more just, peaceful and equitable society. Charities and programs such as Caritas have given the lives of individuals in society a change for the better as this Catholic worldwide works to solve the social problem of poverty. The Catholic Church has made a large impact on the education system over time, giving the opportunity for society to transform from a low education system to a higher one. Although these initiatives have been advantageous in human history, some adherents and non-believers perceive these social transformations as conducive to stasis in other areas of social transformations as it is perceived that religion can be unsupportive of scientific research by maintaining traditional views.

How might a theist (a person who believes in a god or gods) and an atheist differ in the viewpoint that life has an inherent purpose? Theists believe in the existence of a higher transcendent power who both gives them meaning and was the catalyst for creation. Atheists do not believe that there is a higher power who gives meaning to life and started the universe, and therefore find meaning in other concepts. Therefore, the belief that life has an inherent purpose differs greatly from atheists to theists, as theists often believe that life has a predetermined purpose, chosen by a god or many gods. Atheists believe that life cannot have an inherent purpose but rather, this purpose can be found in the course of one's life. Purpose is found in sacred texts or writings, informed by higher powers, which theists, especially theists who are adherents to traditional religious guides and practices, look for when discovering their purpose on earth. Religious expressions can also inform adherents the ways in which they can live their life in accordance with their inherent purpose, determined by a god or many gods. An example of this is found in Christianity in which adherents find their life purpose within sacraments, which put them on a path to discover whether they are destined to be married, single or within the holy order. Atheists instead find the purpose of life to be more humble and simple as they focus on progressing society and addressing contemporary concerns such as marriage, gender equality and climate change. Compare the response of ONE religious and ONE non-religious belief system to: – The concept of the transcendent – The human person – Social responsibility Human beings have long sought answers from religious worldviews to the questions that define who we are and the purpose of humanity. Although in recent centuries, the search for meaning has also been found in non-religious worldviews such as rational humanism. Christianity differs in views from rational humanism but both belief systems give meaning to what it means to be human and what our responsibilities are. Both provide the knowledge that human beings are to be valued supremely, whether it is derived purely from human experience or by the message that humans are made in the “image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26), and have social responsibilities. They both hold strong views about environmental responsibility as they have made contributions to ecological activism, humanists do so because of the belief that human beings are connected to and dependent upon the environment and Chrisitians because of the teaching of stewardship; they are part of creation, creation was made by God and therefore they must protect it. When finding purpose in scientific views, these belief systems can differ greatly, for example Chrisitan fundamentalists do not accept scientific views of the origins of the universe whereas rational humanists believe that creation was a spontaneous event without any motivation or cause. Explain how the search for personal fulfillment AND/OR search to clarify a relationship with society has influenced the growth of new religious expressions The search for personal fulfillment and clarifying a relationship with society has catalysed the growth of new religious expression. Many individuals look to the modern world and recognise the growth that has come about in individual’s rights and religious traditions based on strong rule by a group of clergy or monks can seem out of touch with modern life. Religious traditions can be seen as hierarchically structured which fails to provide an individual with sufficient say in important matters for example with bioethical debates and issues about euthanaisa and IVF. This hierarchy further diminishes the rights of women, as they are given inferior roles in a religious community, which proves why individuals feel that religious traditions are not keeping up with the contemporary world. These communities in religoius traditions also tend to isolate and alienate individuals because they are such large groups who tend to hold a bias against anyone who is different from the majority. Therefore individuals seek out new religious expressions which give them the freedom to express their modern concerns of gender, sexuality, race etc. to further provide guidance and meaning in their lives. Smaller religious expressions without years of oppressive history towards women are very attractive to people who have been negatively affected by popular religious traditions.

Discuss how Humanism/Atheism/Agnosticism determines the aspirations and behaviour of individuals. The non-religious worldviews Humanism, Atheism and Agnosticism can be effective in determining the aspirations and behaviour of individuals. Happiness is achieved through these belief systems as agnostics and humanists agree that social harmony and individual happiness are of utmost importance. Atheists however believe that morals such as this can only be relative to the individual and that they are trusted to be intuitive, therefore acting in a positive way. Humanists and Atheists agree that education and science are key to a functioning society, allowing individuals to reach their full potential, giving meaning to life. Freedom is at the crux of all three non-religious worldviews as individuals work towards determining their own destiny and living a full life on earth because they believe that there is nothing after physical death. Therefore individuals who follow these worldviews act in a way that is personally fulfilling throughout their lives because they believe that it is the only life they will get. Individuals who believe in a non-religious worldview aspire to find the meaning behind life but cannot find it within a divine power, instead it can found in philosophical structures, science and creativity....