History Lower Secondary

1. Chapter 1 – Religion, what’s it worth?
1. As we are growing up we find various obstacles
which hinder our belief
• The fact that we start reasoning and ask more
questions
• Things in our faith which we cannot
understand
• Lack of good examples from people we expect good
examples from
• Problems with our leaders
• Peer pressure
• Influence from the media and society
2. In life, man asks two main questions:
• one about the world and its surroundings
• and the other about himself.
3. The only real, sensible answer to these life
building questions can be found in Religion.
Religion Short Notes 1

2. 4. Religion is the Foundation for decisions we take about
life,
Map or Compass which gives a good
direction to our lives
Fuel which gives us energy and hope
along the way
5. Every Religion should be respected as each one
tries to reach the truth and answer man’s main
questions.
6. Primitive Religions, which weren’t yet developed,
believed that every living thing had a soul.
7. Developed Religions
Hinduism
• Allows a large variety in its belief and practice
• They believe in one god called Brahman, however
the people worship many other
gods such as Brahma, Vishnu and
Shiva among others
Religion Short Notes 2

3. • They also believe in social levels which one could
pass on from one level to another through re-
incarnation
• Reincarnation – a belief that after death they are
born again into another body
• Moksha – achieved only after the cycle of
reincarnation, peace and harmony
Buddhism
• The founder was Prince Siddhartha Gautama
• He felt an emptiness in his heart even though
he lived in complete luxury
• He didn’t find an answer to life’s suffering
• He lived in poverty for a time but still did not find
peace
• He then started to meditate and found a solution
• He became the enlightened one –
Buddha. He found out that the
suffering in life comes from man’s
egoistic desires
• These desires keep us stuck to the cycle of
reincarnation
Religion Short Notes 3

4. • when one leads a good life: says the truth,
searches for peace… he is released from the cycle
of reincarnation and reaches Nirvana, a state of
perfection where no suffering and desires are
found.
Islam
• Mohammed was the founder of
Islam, who presented himself as the
last and greatest prophet.
• They believe in all the prophets
found in the Old Testament and believe that
Jesus is just another prophet
• Their holy book is called the Qur’an (Koran)
• For them heaven is the ideal continuation of this
materialistic world
• Islam means obeying and total submission to
God
• Islam is based on 5 pillars: proclamation of faith,
Prayer, Charity, Fasting and a Pilgrimage to Mecca
• Mecca is the first place where Mohammed
preached.
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5. 8. Same as in every other thing in life, Reasoning and
Faith have to walk hand in hand.
9. Reason needs Faith as in life not everything has an
answer, so one needs faith to believe:
• We need to have faith in people in our everyday
life (such as the bus driver)
• Faith to build friendships
• Faith to understand spiritual things which cannot
be proven by science
10.Faith needs reason because if not, one would believe
whatever one is told
• Superstition – faith without reason – if one had to
reason it out you would realize that they do not
make sense, such as lucky charms
• Fanatism – giving too much importance to someone
or something without reasoning out, such as being a
religious terrorist
11. Charles de Foucauld – as he was growing up he was
very religious. He then lost his faith and spent 16
years believing in nothing because he couldn’t
accept the things which couldn’t be reasoned
out. He then got into a life of sin and was expelled from
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6. the army but later met a priest who could answer his
questions.
He then gave his life to Jesus.
Religion Short Notes 6

7. the army but later met a priest who could answer his
questions.
He then gave his life to Jesus.
Religion Short Notes 6