World Religion CPT Document UCLA PDF

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Religion assignment created to help bring an overview of different religions around the world....

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Sharma 1 Khushi Sharma Ms. Ameduri HRT 3M 20 December 2019 Religion in the Media: Islam

A. The image above shows a woman of Islamic faith wearing a hijab and being called out by a woman who is telling her to take it off whilst, right behind her is a picture of a nun wearing similar clothing as the Islamic woman. The woman that is yelling looks very upset and “offended” by what the Muslim woman is wearing, however, she does not question the picture behind her which is of Christian-Catholic faith and is a similar reflection of what the other woman is wearing. It is obvious that the woman is displaying a sense of discrimination against religion and biased towards one religion. B. The picture is attempting to depict that although we may follow different religions, each of our values are reflected in each other. The general public will need to gain more perspective and be open-minded when commenting on other religions. The main issue is how people still criticize other religions, specifically Islam for their controversial acts such as the 9/11, because of the perspective that others and media have put upon them. As we are all aware, the Islamic religion has already been in the limelight and negatively portrayed to the audience, which is evident in this medium as it shows how people are still afraid or “Islamophobic” towards this specific religion. C. The purpose of this image is to educate people on how, given today’s society, people are receiving negative comments and hate towards their religion, beliefs, and values. Not only the Islamic religion, but other cultures that are not mainstream go through similar situations. When we see people dress differently, eat different food, or perform rituals that may seem absurd to us, but sacred to them, we start to believe that they don’t follow the norm. Many of us have grown up seeing mostly, European and western culture through media outlets and we begin to think that is

Sharma 2 the default culture. Referring to the poster, we can assume that the nun in the picture derives from European descent, but when we associate a similar look in a different culture via different religions, we begin to feel that this portrayal does not belong to conventional standards. If you put them side to side, we should not judge them differently, because at the end that is their belief and religion that they are proud to follow. D. This new information does not conflict with my previous understanding of the subject because I have previously become aware of the discrimination and hatred people had towards the Muslims. Many people had different perspectives towards them because of how the media has displayed them to the viewers. The news plays a significant role in spreading the negative connotation of the word Muslim as portarying all of them as terrorists, which is why many people are afraid and uncomfortable around them. From my previous understanding, Islam is a monotheistic religion that believes prophet Muhammed revealed this faith as he was the Prophet of Allah. People who are Muslim practice this faith, they have a set of rules to live life accordingly to promote peace and well-being. Overall, I do know that all Muslims are not extremists, they are normal human beings just like us. This medium does not contradict with my previous understanding of Muslims, it is just an eyeopener to how Muslims are characterized in media. E. I do not agree with the contextual message that is being told across this media poster, however, I do agree with what the poster is trying to represent. Due to the many wars and attacks Muslims have been a part of, the rate of Islamophobia has increased ever since. Furthermore, a popular terrorist group called ISIS has shown many journalists getting beheaded on social media such as Facebook. This contributes to most of the people being afraid of anyone who follows Islam. Due to the fear that people have towards this group, most people worldwide including the media, assume all Muslims to be terrible, however, they are just innocent human beings trying to follow their faith in peace. I do agree that the message the image is trying to represent is that we should all treat each other equally and respect others when they practice their faith. F. This medium helps the public understand the truth behind how the media conveys people who follow Islam. Although our generation has become more understanding and educated on the topic of religion, there are many other older people who play a big part in portraying and interpreting religion to their children. The generation of the youth has become more understanding, however, their parents and past generations want them to follow what they learnt when they were children. This contradicts between what is right and what is wrong. However, an excessive amount of people are starting to accept others for who they are. This image helps others to comprehend how different sources of media can influence others’ minds into assuming all Muslims are violent and dangerous when they are truly just practicing their own values, similar to other religions. While analyzing the picture, we must learn as a community on how to respect and accept others for who they are.

Religious Text- Christianity

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“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18:12-14) A. The passage that I have chosen is from Christianity. The text is written in the New Testament in the gospel of Matthew 18 verses 12-14. St. Matthew, the Evangelist was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus. This text is one of the parables that Jesus used to give hope to outcasts of society and people feeling neglected by others and God. B. The main message of the parable that we can learn from is that each and every one of us is precious to God. In the Lost Sheep parable, the moral is shown with the concept that the shepherd went to look for one sheep instead of staying with the ninety-nine other sheep. He had so many sheep, so why did the shepherd search for just one of them, instead of thinking “I’ll just let it go, I still have ninety-nine others.”? The answer to that question teaches us about God’s personality; he cares for every single one of us regardless of our differences. Additionally, we can also learn from the metaphors and symbols used in the parable. For example in the Lost Sheep parable, God was symbolized as a shepherd, and we are known as the sheep. This makes sense because a shepherd cares for his sheep as if they were his very own children. Therefore, we are the children of God. When a sheep is away from its shepherd, it is considered lost and in danger. However, the shepherd will search for it, even if he still has so many other sheep left. When thought metaphorically, we can learn that when we sin and are farther from God, we are defenceless and lost. Even when we sin, God will always care for us and try to bring us back to him. There may be consequences, but God will forgive us. C. This message can be applied to everyone in the world today. Many of us tend to fall for things and decide to accompany people who are doing wrong in order to fit in or be liked by others such as being pressured to do drugs that are harmful to our body. The society has created a trend that you should follow the crowd instead of following the right path. As we start to realize the wrongdoings that we have done in life, we start to back away from God’s presence as we feel ashamed or abandoned by Him. This parable’s message tells us that God is similar to a parent. When a child does something wrong, the parent will yell or punish the kid, but they will continually look out and want the best for you. God sees everyone struggling and He is always running after you until you come back to your real self. D. I chose this passage because in our generation today when the slightest bit of inconvenience occurs, we all feel like it is the end of the world and lost faith in ourselves. I believe it is important to realize that that if we feel lost, we can try to get back on the right path if we have the right guidance. When we start to lose faith, we may feel that we are in danger and that is when God, known as the Shepherd in the parable, is always looking out for us. It also illustrates that everyone brings meaning and significance to society and God would not want to lose a person among a crowd. E. All religions have similar messages, as they tell people to keep faith in God and He is always looking after you. "For each and every person, our Lord and Master provides sustenance. Why are you so afraid, O mind? The flamingos fly hundreds of miles, leaving their young ones behind. Who feeds them, and who teaches them to feed themselves? Have you ever thought of this in

Sharma 4 your mind?”- Guru Nanak, Sri Guru Granth Sahib. This scripture is from the holy book of Sikhism. This passage says not to be afraid of anything, and to strive for as much as you can. God is always there to save you and pick you up if you ever fall. This passage gives strength to those who want to do many things in life, such as pursue their dream career or to enjoy their hobbies, but they can’t do so as they are afraid of what society and their parents might view them as. This gives them courage that God is always looking after them, just like in the Lost Sheep parable, and if they ever feel neglected, He will support and bring them back up when everyone is against them. A Comparison- Hinduism and Judaism A. Hinduism and Judaism are two of the oldest religions in the world. I will be talking about the similarities and differences of moral laws in Hinduism and Judaism. B. Hinduism believes that their morality and ethic values are based on dharma and karma. They believe that everyone has their place in the world and they cannot overstep their roles. On the other hand, Jews follow a set of rules, known as the 613 commandments, in order to follow what God has told them to do. Hindus consider that their achievement to reach moksha (liberation from the reincarnation cycle) is based entirely on their dharma (duty) and karma (actions). Following the way of life can help them reach the eternal point of being close to the cosmic force. Jews believe that following the commandments, which is everything they do in their daily lives (kosher, mitzvahs, circumcision etc..) and their sacred writing from the Torah plays a significance to the rules of ethics they follow. Though humans believe in the afterlife, their interpretations are different from one another. In Judaism, they can only reach God and liberation by following the commandments. Their view on hell and heaven is that a hell is a temporary place where you repent for your sins and at the end join God in Heaven. In Hinduism, however, if you fail to do your dharma, you will not only go to hell but the concept of the afterlife will be that you will either turn into a human or animal in order to repent and fix your mistakes from the past. The only way you can reach heaven in Hinduism is if you perform your dharma and karma perfectly. C. Some similarities these religions share is that they both have scriptures that also include stories to teach and guide people on a way to live life. Moreover, they believe in an afterlife, although they have different interpretations of it. Finally, Jews and Hindus both have physical access to worship where they perform most of their rituals and celebrate religious holidays. Both religions are also strict in following their duties in order for them to give full concentration to God. D. These beliefs are important for a person of the particular faith as it defines their individuality, their traditions, and their beliefs. Hindus have beliefs of deities that are all part of one force, the Brahman because they believe that is the truth and this knowledge has been passed down from older generations as a part of their identity. Similarly, for Jews, it helps them be one with God and they feel comfortable and happy in serving the Lord, after all He has done for them (promised land and the Covenant). These beliefs and values help us stay in order and define us individually. These laws are the only way we can connect with God and feel his presence. Although both of these religions differ drastically, they do stand out to be unique and special to someone’s perspective. It is what they believe which is fundamentally true and special to them through a personal connection.

Sharma 5 E. Understanding the religious practices of others help us to better understand their individuality and what they do in their life. This helps us to better our understanding as we start to make connections between the similarities and differences of other religions and ours. This starts to create a more welcoming and friendly environment for everyone else, and they can all connect with one another because of the connections they can make with each other and feel internally connected. Learning about other religions help us form a better understanding of creating a more diverse culture and creating a sense of welcoming if we ever encounter them in our life. It also allows us to better understand their meaning of life. Religions can be ingrained for various reasons such as being closer to God, doing good for humanity or fulfilling a specific destiny. Understanding the religious practices of others can help us to better understand our own religion as well because we come to realization that most religions have similar views on how to behave in this world with our own rituals and religious doings. Reflection- A Religion has been a big part of our society, from ancient civilizations to modern day. There is something instinctive inside us that needs a belief system so we could behave in a civil and respectful manner. The concept of atheism is growing, however, religion holds large importance to many people around the world. There has been examples in the past where religion has played a deadly role in society. For example, during the Holocaust, the Jews were exterminated because of their religion. Today, we are learning and accepting for who people are and what they follow and being able to practice our religious beliefs is part of our human right. Canada has adapted to many changes and throughout the years, our country has become more diverse and inclusive of all religions and cultures. In addition, different forms of religion come together almost annually to discuss and interact with the topic of faith worldwide. We now have different clubs and spirit days in order to celebrate our culture in unison and learn about the cultures of others. As mentioned previously, religion helps us shape our mentalities in order to accept and become more humane in society. An example of guidance is through Buddhism. Buddhism teaches how to be self-determined, mindful, loving, kind, and compassionate towards others through the EightFold Path. All religions combined, help us become better people in order to make the world a better place. In Hinduism, the concept of dharma plays a big part in loving what you do for yourself and not materialistic possessions. The act of Meditation (Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga..) and the following come from Hinduism. Some people follow Kosher laws in their diet which derives from Judaism. I believe that with the absence of religion, people may begin to lose their humanity and behave recklessly as they would not have belief in greater achievement or good morals. To illustrate, if religion did not exist in the world, there will be no peace or harmony between people and humans may not prosper as they would like. Almost all religions have books and readings that promote good morals and peace. Religion was never created in order to discriminate against people who don’t believe in the Gods you believe in or the ones that don’t believe in God at all. It was created keeping in mind that humans need some sort of fear in their minds that could stop them from doing the wrong thing as well as providing a sense of belonging.

Sharma 6 Works Cited

Lynn, Amanda. “Habit vs Hijab - a Double Standard | Muslim Hijab, Islam Women, Muslim.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.ca/pin/63613413456458315. Accessed 19 Dec. 2019. Daman, Sunil. “Similarities Between Judaism and the Hindu Way of Life.” Hindu 2.0, 5 Apr. 2019, www.patheos.com/blogs/hindu2/2019/04/similarities-between-judaism-and-the-hindu-wa y-of-life. Assessed 19 Dec. 2019 “How Religion Positively Affects Our Society.” Silencing Christians, www.silencingchristians.com/how-religion-positively-affects-our-society. Accessed 19 Dec. 2019....