IRRELIGION

The Enlightenment A movement that took place in Europe in the 1600-1700s AD.

Intellectuals started to believe that science and reason revealed more truth than religious texts. They began to question and challenge religion for the first time.

For example, Galileo was a Christian who believed that if you can see something with your own eyes, but the Bible contradicts what you see, the Bible must be false.

Deism A new religion that developed during the Enlightenment.

Deists believe that God created the universe, but then left it alone. God does not interact with humans, and does not cause good or bad things to happen to us.

If God is a perfect being, he would not make an imperfect world that required constant intervention.

God is like a clockmaker.

Famous DeistsBenjamin Franklin

Adam Smith

John Locke

George Washington

Leonardo Da Vinci

Napoleon Bonaparte

The non-religious population in the worldContinues to grow each year, with the current statistics showing that around 15-23% of the world is irreligious.

% of non-religious citizens

Most irreligious countries in the

world

% of non-religious citizens

Most religious countries in the

world

AgnosticsAn Agnostic is a person who claims neither faith or disbelief in god. They believe it is impossible to know if god exists, or doesn’t exist.

AtheistsAtheists reject the idea that a god exists.

Religion should not be part of politics (in other words, we should not force everyone in a country do something based on the religious beliefs of the people making the laws).

No god, but does not think that religion is a bad thing.

No god, and finds the worship of gods to be

damaging to the world.

Is Atheism a belief system?

Atheists do not rely on a specific set of books like religions do.

Atheism is not tax-exempt

The word “Atheism” means lack of belief.

An Atheist must believe that there is no God, because it is impossible to prove that one does not exist.

YESNO

Secular HumanismA type of Atheism

Secular Humanists believe that humans are capable of being ethical and moral without religion or a God.

Religion does not make us moral - we naturally understand what behaviors are good and bad.

4-5 million worldwide.

Final Thoughts On the Religion Unit

POSITIVES of RELIGION:

-Creates a community with a common goal.

-Religion can provide answers to questions without concrete answers such as “What is the meaning of life?” and “What happens after death?”

-Religion can provide a guideline or a set of rules for a society to abide by (Such as Sharia law).

Positives and Negatives

NEGATIVES of RELIGION:

-Different religions can create conflict within or among different societies.

-Religion can create prejudice towards certain groups.

-Religion can spread misinformation.

-Religion promotes “tribalism” (this is where people follow blindly without questioning authority)

Positives and Negatives

Religion in South KoreaOriginal religion was Muism: a shamanistic religion introduced to Korea in the 300s

Following Muism, Buddhism, would go on to become the primary religion under the Silla Kingdom

Buddhist DestructionBetween 1392-1910, the Joseon Kingdom ruled. They were strictly Confucian, and suppressed Buddhists, even destroying various Buddhist monasteries.

Rise in ChristianityThe late 1800s saw a rise in Christianity as the bible was translated into Hangul.

The religion would continue to see a rise during Japanese occupation, for the Japanese occupation forced Koreans to praise the Japanese emperor and Christianity provided an alternative.

TODAY

Orange: BuddhismBlue: Christian