Why Study World Religions?

Deborah Minassian PHL-230 October 20, 2011

Why study world religions? We study religion because it has always been with us. Throughout history, it has expressed the deepest questions human beings can ask, and it has taken a central place in the lives of virtually all civilizations and cultures. Since ancient times, the evidence proves through cave drawings and carvings that religion has existed since the beginning of humankind.

Two main concepts in the study of world religion is monotheism, the belief in one God and polytheism, the belief in many gods. Most religions are concerned with a deep level of sacred reality. Monotheism religions include Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. God is represented as a virtual being that watches over you and is just and compassionate and infinite in virtues. (Molloy) Polytheism is the belief in many gods. Each god represents a separate entity (Molloy) as nature and the reality of the world around us. I am more familiar with

monotheism religions than polytheism. Growing up Catholic I was taught to believe in one God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. (Catholic)

We are able to learn many things by studying the religious traditions of others. Religion has played an important role in history. Whether you consider yourself a religious person or not, or whether you think religion has played a positive or negative role in history, it is an undeniable fact that since the beginning of time, humans have engaged in actions that we call religion. This includes activities
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such as worship, prayer, and rituals marking important rites of passage. Religions have always prompted fundamental questions, such as: What is the true meaning of life? What happens to us after death? How do we explain human suffering and inequalities? (Louis)

Studying religion allows us to explore different religious traditions and deepen our understanding of others and ourselves. (Louis) As a business major at

Southern New Hampshire University, studying world religions has allowed me to expand my thoughts on human culturepolitics, science, literature, art, and economics. All of these topics are instrumental in shaping our beliefs in reaching out to other cultures and gain an understanding of how to work together. Through religious study we are able to understand how different communities of believers use their religious traditions to shape, sustain and transform themselves. (Louis) Working in todays global market place; our business partners, customers and co-workers are multicultural. We no longer need to travel to faraway places to visit a Hindu temple or an Islamic mosque or to meet a Sikh or a Jain. The chances are very good that you can find a temple or mosque not far from where you live, and with great certainty that you will work with people from any and all of these religious traditions. This makes it even more essential that we cultivate our ability to understand and interpret other peoples religious traditions. (Louis)

I have personal experience working with people of different cultures and religion. As a manager of a software development test team, I have worked closely with Christians, Muslims and Hindus. I have had the privilege to learn first-hand about the differences in cultures and how differently you must interact with the various religious groups. I traveled to India to train a group of engineers at a company who we off-shored software development tasks. I was able to visit a Hindu temple and a Mosque during my travels. The Hindu temple was ornately

decorated with statues and carvings depicting the stories of the great gods of the Hindu religion. One statue in particular, Shiva was made of cloisonn and was very colorful. The Mosque I visited was at the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. I had to take my shoes off to enter the steps of the Mosque. I was not allowed inside the Mosque because I was a woman. The men were praying and they do not allow the women in the same space as men. At the time I was not aware of the segregation that existed between Muslim men and women and that they prayed separately. I also learned that some mosques have a separate praying area for women. I found this interesting as I grew up in a church where we all pray together as one group.

The take-away I have from all of this is that your best tool in working with people from all walks of life and religion is to be respectful with an understanding that people have different beliefs. As a manager you must be able to adjust your

approach and methodologies to maintain synergy and get the project completed. This class has allowed me the opportunity to delve deeper into the subject matter and interact with a thoughtful group of people to gain different perspectives. I know that it is subject matter that will stay with me.

My encounter with world religion has not transformed the way I view myself and the world. What it has given me is new perspective and understandings of the philosophical side of religion that I was not conscious of. Studying religion, in my opinion, will always enrich your life. Gaining a better understanding of people and their culture will create greater knowledge of the world around us.

So why study religion? Religion is a major force in human interaction. It has shaped world history and the way you think and make decisions. Religion shapes the way we view the world around us and the opinions we have about art, literature, politics, ethics, and economics. It is what fuels conflict in the world and has encouraged terrorism, ethnic cleansing and dislocating populations and destroying economies. Religion has proven to be one of the greatest threats to world peace and prosperity. Conversely, religion has also played a huge role for human rights, social justice, toleration and world peace. The study of world religions is so important in building a greater understanding of the world and people around us.

The religion that had the greatest impact on me and the one I selected as my site visit is Buddhism. In Buddhism, one's path to enlightenment relies on the effort and discipline of the individual. It is up to you to create your path and follow it. As a Catholic; Jesus taught us that our goal is not a state of non-conscious being, but an eternal relationship with God. I found Buddhism to be a path to the practice of spiritual development allowing you to achieve a sense of reality. Through meditation I discovered a sense of peacefulness. I was able to see how meditation can help you develop qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom. It helped me become more

mindful of my surroundings and the choices I make. I dont see myself leaving the Catholic faith as my religion is important to me, however my experience in the Buddhist temple has taught me that there are other alternatives to reduce stress and create peace in my life. I dont believe I am contradicting my Catholic religion; I am enhancing my life through Buddhist meditation. In conclusion, I enjoyed this class and feel that I have many take-away from my experience in class. Not only did I discover a practice of mediation and breathing, I have also gained additional insight into the various religions and cultures around the world today. In my next business venture this will be

instrumental in how I work in todays global market and afford me the opportunity to have a better understanding of world religions.

References
Catholic. n.d. 18 October 2011 <http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=220>. Louis, Washington University of St. Religious Studies. n.d. 21 October 2011 <http://religiousstudies.artsci.wustl.edu/why_study_religion>. Molloy, Michael. "The Sacred." Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the World's Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 7-8. The Buddhist Centre. n.d. 19 October 2011 <http://thebuddhistcentre.com/text/whatbuddhism>.