unit 3: religion history of religion mr. young sociology
TRANSCRIPT
Unit 3: Religion
History of Religion
Mr. Young
Sociology
I CAN:
1. Define the word religion
2. Explain how religion is used for good purposes in the world
3. Analyze why people twist religion and use it in bad ways
Where to Begin?
Religion can encompass a vast and broad spectrum that is hard to define
Comes from Latin word religare (re:back and ligare: to bind), or being bound
This can be by choice, or sometimes by being forced
Why Study Religion
Religion has always been with us It answers some of life’s most important
questions It helps a person to define those things that
are sacred in their lives It helps people explain those things in life that
are unexplainable
Religion and the Social
Religion is the tie that binds a community together through various forms of beliefs and practice. It is an institution that contributes important ideas to society at large; it also connects with specific aspects of non-religious social life, like economics and politics
http://www.studyreligion.org/what/index.html
Misconceptions of Religion
1. You have to be religious to study religion
2. Studying religion is impractical Religion is a good way to study the culture
of a past society It also helps to gain great insight and
knowledge into that culture Religion can teach good values and morals,
even if you are not religious
In the Name of Religion
Abortion Clinic Bombings Holy Wars (Crusades) Terrorism and Suicide Mass Suicides Adulteries and Affairs Power, Money, Fame
Abortion Clinic Bombings
Some of these are done in the name of religion
Army of God- anti-abortion group that promotes the use of violence against abortion clinics
Key members- Eric Rudolph Pled guilty to bombing at least 4 places,
killing of at least two people On FBI’s Top Ten Most wanted list
Army of God Manual "Beginning officially with the passage of the Freedom of Choice
Act - we, the remnant of God-fearing men and women of the United States of Amerika (sic), do officially declare war on the entire child killing industry. After praying, fasting, and making continual supplication to God for your pagan, heathen, infidel souls, we then peacefully, passively presented our bodies in front of your death camps, begging you to stop the mass murdering of infants. Yet you hardened your already blackened, jaded hearts. We quietly accepted the resulting imprisonment and suffering of our passive resistance. Yet you mocked God and continued the Holocaust. No longer! All of the options have expired. Our Most Dread Sovereign Lord God requires that whosoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed. Not out of hatred of you, but out of love for the persons you exterminate, we are forced to take arms against you. Our life for yours - a simple equation. Dreadful. Sad. Reality, nonetheless. You shall not be tortured at our hands. Vengeance belongs to God only. However, execution is rarely gentile."
Army of God
Army of God Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcFjrSelcKY
Crusade Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8n0qAH7nzI&feature=related
Holy Wars (Crusades)
Started around 1090 and lasted till around 1300
Crusade literally means, “Going to the Cross” Idea was to free Jerusalem and the other holy
places from the Muslims Only two successful crusades and also had
two children’s crusades (useless) 3rd crusade between Saladin and Richard the
Lion-heart
Crusades
Terrorism and Suicide
This can be found in today’s society with the Radical/Extreme religious groups
Feel that killing themselves and other infidels are the only certain way of getting to heaven
Usually brainwashed since a very early age Will be in the name of a religion, but most
religions do not teach about killing one another
Terrorism
Religious Terrorists
1. The individual believes that they are under attack
Evil is going to destroy their world and they must act
Cont.
2. Convinced that God wants the evil destroyed
Cont.
3. Violence is the only way to resolve the situation, and it is good in this case
Cont.
4. Become convinced that God has chosen them for this task
Don’t necessarily want to kill or die, but it is better to die doing what is right than live as a coward
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsU1yyGZENs&feature=fvst
Monty Python Part 3 (5:23)
Cont.
5. These perspectives are nurtured by a community
The community supports them and people are more willing to do things in a community than by themselves
Omar Hammami Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHVuvD4RsC0
Documentary (45 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG5f2eZXy64&feature=related
Commentary on Doc above (5 min)
Omar Hammami
Mass Suicides
Will sometimes occur in radical religious groups or in cult settings
Feel that by doing this they can escape the present world and enter into a realm/afterlife that is better
Usually has a charismatic group leader with charismatic beliefs
Jim Jones and Jonestown
Jim Jones and Jonestown- 918 members were killed by drinking red cool-aid or cyanide, largest mass suicide in history
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuJpTO9YU4M
Heaven’s Gate/Hale-Bopp
Heaven’s Gate mass suicide- believed an alien space ship behind Comet Hale-Bopp and if they died they would be on it, 39 in all
In 1996 bought $10,000 worth of alien abduction insurance
http://www.5min.com/Video/The-Heavens-Gate-Mass-suicide-in-Rancho-Santa-Fe-California-120001572
Heaven’s Gate Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh35j2S68DQ
http://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/march-26-1997-heavens-gate-cult-suicide-9702192
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzWpfq103q4
CNN Remembers: (5 min)