Religious Traditions and History Essay

Polytheism, the belief in many a(prenominal) gods, is perhaps the oldest known religion. The best known caseful is the Greek/Roman mythology, which included Zeus, Apollo, and Aphrodite, among others. One trait that is true of roughly Polytheistic sects is that there is a god that is above all others. All African religions are monolithic in the sense that there is a single High God, who is said to be the creator of the world, and of mankind, and a central source of direct and of whoever sense is to be found. Another example would be Zeus. nearly ancient societies believed in gods that were in charge of specific areas, such as rain, fertility, and a god of nature. These types of societies cooperate with nature. This doesnt misbegot that all Polytheistic societies revered the natural world. The Romans exploited the natural resources of their surroundings. One common thread in most of these societies is that, compared to other religions, Polytheism is much more than tolerant wit h the individual.Hinduism and PolytheismHinduism is a religion founded in India around 1000 B.C. The religions practice a form of Polytheism. This religion doesnt believe in sensation form of a god. They believe in the authority of the Vedas and Brahmans. These fundamental beliefs differentiate Hinduism from monotheistic, believing in one god, and most of the worlds major(ip) religions. There are many different gods in the Hindu religion. The most common are Ganesha, Shiva, Hanuman, Durga, and Lakshmi. What developed was a caste or class ashes called varnas. The different castes were assigned a task that was fitting for their class. The expansion of towns brought closely an increase in the number of artisans who were organized in guilds (shreni). This system was good for mercenary activities. The main goals of Hinduism are life-affirming goals of Dharma (virtue), Artha (success) and Kama (pleasure), while the life-negating goal is that of moksha (release). All except moksha can be done in any part of a persons life.Confucianism and BuddhismPeople think that Confucianism and Buddhism are one and the same. Confucianism, which originated in China, teaches honesty, kindness, respect the earth, and good moral character. Confucius had a distain roughly gods and spirits and preferred to try to understand man. Confucius (the Master) is more correctly Kong Qiu or Kong Fuzi (551-479 B.C.). He was the founder of a appearance of life, philosophy, or religion named Confucianism after a Latinized form of the founders name.Buddhism, which started at about the same time as Confucianism, was started by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. Buddha, which direction the enlightened one, which was the name he received from his followers. Buddhism is different from Confucianism in that it didnt teach about the family or rituals of this world, rather it taught enlightenment which leads to nirvana. There are eight awarenesses of enlightenments. Freedom From Desire, Satisfaction, Ser enity, Meticulous Effort, Correct Remembrance, Samadhi, Wisdom, and avoiding idle talk. The Chinese during this time asked the Buddhist monks, why do you not marry? Their answer was Wives, children, and property are the luxuries of the world, but simple living and inaction are the wonders of the Way. The Buddhists wanted was to live a simple life and reach enlightenment and thus nirvana.ChristianityChristianity is a salvation religion. Christians and Buddhists turned to the idea of salvation around the same time. Salvation means head for the hills your earthly bonds. If you dont follow a righteous path, meaning free of sin, then you are destined to be cast into the pit of darkness, differently known as hell. The new testament of the bible is what guides these true believers. The Catholics assert, for instance, that if you sin and repent by going to confession your sins will be forgiven. This is the wholly way to ensure that the soul is clean.The idea of all Christian orthodoxy i s that they follow the teachings of Christ, which has many different interpretations. Thus it follows that when you die you will go to heaven. Some believe that the reason is 6000 years old and believe that the bible is literally gods word. They refuse to believe in science, saying that its flawed in more or less way. Others believe that the Earth is indeed older than 6000 years. These Christians believe that the bible is a parable, teaching them how to live everyday life as a Christian. Modern orthodoxy believes that Christians are observers of nature, rather than one with the Earth.Religion, Science and NatureReligion has a profound imprint on our natural surroundings. In general, the Eastern and most Polytheistic religions are more reverential toward nature. The Western religions tend to abuse nature. The invention of the plow is a prime example. The West thinks of it as a means to increase the food supply and disregards the environmental impact. The East and the Polytheist ref er to it as Mother Earth and treat her much more delicately. The contrast between the twain couldnt be more stark.The East will try to balance their needs with nature. The West uses nature and sometimes destroys parts of it. The idea that we are crash from nature is a Western ideal. The East, in general, believes that we are one with nature and must take care of it. Science in the West was not in tune with medieval orthodoxy. It was interested in facts. The Eastern philosophy used science with a spiritual twist. Fang Yizhi observed of western science, use a compartmentalisation of techniques for swift computations, but they are still out of touch with general principles. They used the mind and not the natural world.SummaryThere are many different religions that teach many different methods of how to live your life while on this world. Most worship one god, monotheistic, others worship many gods. Polytheists, which literally mean many gods, roots are seen in Greek/Roman mythology. Buddhism believes that there is no god, just a path to enlightenment. Once theyve reached enlightenment, theyve achieved nirvana. Confucianism and Buddhism are from China, but convey very different belief systems. Confucianism is perhaps best understood as an all-encompassing humanism that neither denies nor slights Heaven. They believe that they are one with nature. Christians recognize only one god. They are labeled as a salvation religion. They hope to be able to break the bonds of this Earth by living a comparatively good life with the reward being heaven.If you dont accept Jesus into your life, you are destined to eternity in hell. Its safe to say that the worlds religions have varied belief systems. Some believe in the after-life, while others believe that feel that we are Earth bound only. Most of the world believes in a single god. Polytheism and Hinduism say that there are many gods. They differ from Eastern religions in that they see themselves as observers rather than o ne with the Earth. The East and West see nature differently. While the West observe nature, the East embraces the idea of being part of nature. This is a very fundamental philosophy that cant be overstated. The bottom line is that there are almost as many belief systems as there are bulk on Earth. It includes, but not only, monetary considerations, faith, and devotion. The only ones that know whats going on, assuming there is an after-life, are the dead and buried.CitationsThe West and the adult male, A muniment of Civilization, From the Ancient worldly concern to 1700, Kevin Reilly, 952 The West and the World, A History of Civilization, From the Ancient World to 1700, Kevin Reilly, 3343 The West and the World, A History of Civilization, From the Ancient World to 1700, Kevin Reilly, 1464 http//ancienthistory.about.com/od/china/f/022808Confucius.htm5 http//buddhism.about.com/od/basicbuddhistteachings/tp/awarenesses.htm6 The West and the World, A History of Civilization, From the Ancient World to 1700, Kevin Reilly, 1037 Kevin Reilly, The West & World A History Of Civilization from the Ancient World to 1700, Page 3498 http//www.religionfacts.com/a-z-religion-index/confucianism.htm