Lesson Worldview, Belief

Systems and Religion

1
World View and Belief Systems

Since childbirth there are rules or traditions that are imposed to you by your
parents and society where you belong. “Do this because this is right.” “Be good to
others!” “Huwag kang gumawa ng masama kung ayaw mong ma-karma.”. These
are simple reminders of our parents. When you are brought to the school for your
education, same values or beliefs are being strengthened. In some period in your
life you became a member of a religious organization or perhaps by tradition. The
beliefs and values that you learned from your parents and school are reinforced by
the teachings of that specific religion. All that you have learned from your parents,,
school, religious affiliation and other influences became your belief system and
your worldview. Carol Hill describes worldview, as
“By worldview (or belief system) I mean the basic way of interpreting things and
events that pervades a culture so thoroughly that it becomes a culture’s concept of
reality-what is good, what is important, what is sacred, what is real. It is more than
culture, even though the distinction between the two can sometimes be subtle. It
extends to perceptions of time and space, of happiness and well-being. The beliefs,
values, and behaviors of culture stem directly from its worldview.” (Hill, 2007)
 Often times you are not conscious of your own worldview unless it is
challenged or dared by other belief system. A very simple definition of a “worldview”
is given by Matt Slick. According to him a worldview is a set of beliefs used to
understand the world. Everyone has a set of principles by which to judge right
and wrong and which guides them in everyday living. You stop at a red light and go
at a green. ( Cornejo, et al, 2019).
Google has a simple definition, it says, ”Belief systems are the stories we tell ourselves to define
our personal sense of ‘reality’ (the way things actually exist). Every human being has a belief
system that he/she utilizes and it is through this mechanism that we individually “make sense” of
the world around us.” It could be a set of beliefs or a philosophy of life. Belief system
shapes your worldview about the world, your existence, and relationships with your
fellowmen. In other words, “ a worldview whether religious or nonreligious, is a
personal insight about reality and meaning, often termed a “life understanding”
which I may call a product of belief systems. Most often worldviews are shaped by
religions. Inside the box are worldviews about man’s perspective of God.
 Naturalism (e.g. Atheism, Agnosticism, Existentialism). It denies the existence of God. The material universe is a
Pantheism ( e.g. Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism; much New Age Consciousness. They believe that only the spiritua
Theism (e.g. Judaism, Christianity, Islam). They believe that an infinite, personal God exists. God created the real w
Spiritism. The world is inhabited by spirit beings who govern earthly activities. Man is created by gods like the rest
Polytheism: This is the belief in many gods or deities. The culture of
Ancient Greeks and Romans depict this kind of beliefs.

Worldviews are not all about God, but these are also about our views about
reality, man, truth and values. There are also economic, political and social
worldviews.

Worldviews and belief systems are necessary for religions in order to protect
and spread their own particular belief as a way of “keeping the faith” through
generations. Catholic Christians keep in their hearts the “Apostles’ Creed”, the
Muslims practice “the five pillars of Islam”, the Shinto reveres the dead ancestors
or “Kami”, the Confucians hold dearly the necessity of past traditions, and the
Taoists embrace the importance of being close to nature.(Cornejo et al, 2019).
Your beliefs shape your worldviews but your beliefs and worldviews are oftentimes
shaped by religion. There is a complex interplay between religion, belief and
worldview. Religions have different elements and characteristics which are non-
negotiable. Members should follow or undergo the process to become a genuine
believers. The elements of religions written by Maria Perpetua Arcilla-Serapio lay-
down these basic characteristics at least for the major religions. They are;
1. Belief in supernatural powers: the power which is beyond human powers.
The human sufferings enable human being to seek God’s help for their problems.
2. Belief in the holy or sacred: This is the heart of every religion. Every religion
has sacred books or texts. For example, Scriptures and the Bible are sacred for
the Jews and so with the Christians, Qur’an for Muslims, and Tripitaka for
Buddhists and Vedas for Hindus. But something sacred is not just books but
also places, symbols, animals, rocks and many more. Hindus for example
believes that cows are sacred because of their beliefs in reincarnation.
3. Systems of rituals: these are the different ways each religions expresses their
faith. Catholic Christians have the seven sacraments which include ceremonies
and rituals. For example, Baptism. A child must be baptized at an early age in
the church with the presence of parents, God parents, priest as celebrator and
the community that supports the child. The most important symbol of baptism is
 –water. It symbolizes cleansing from sin. The child also has to wear white dress
to symbolize purity.
4. Sinful acts : usually a violation of the laws established by God which each
members has to follow. For example the Ten Commandments for Judaism and
Christians and the Five Pillars of Islam which when violated the believer
commits a grievous sin.
5. The Method of salvation: the belief in the afterlife or the idea of heaven
and hell. If you are a good believer you will go to heaven but if not, you will go to
hell. Islam went further by believing that if one’s life is sacrificed against the
enemies of Islam, their soul go straight to heaven.
6. Mode of worship: each religions has different expressions of worship which
include praying, kneeling, dancing, singing to name a few.
7. Liturgy and Ideology: Liturgy is described as public worship. It is a gathering
of believers with ceremonies such as wedding ceremonies, worship services or
bible studies.
8. Place of worship: Each religion has holy places which they believe God
is present such as churches, temples, mosques and other sacred places.

The elements or characteristics of religions mentioned above are necessary for a

particular religion to perpetuate their worldviews and belief systems.

REMEMBER

 Worldview – worldview is a set of beliefs used to understand the world. The

basic way of interpreting things and events that pervades a culture so
thoroughly that it becomes a culture’s concept of reality-what is good, what
is important, what is sacred, what is real.
 Belief system - are the stories we tell ourselves to define our personal sense of
‘reality’ (the way things actually exist)
 Religion- Etymologically, the word came from ‘Religare’ - a Latin word which
means to bind fast or hold together, to secure, to bind,to fasten together, to
create a system of attitudes and beliefs.
 Naturalism- denies the existence of God. All that exist is the material
universe.
 Deism- believes that God or gods created the universe but God or gods no
longer actively involved in the continuous process of creation.
 Theism- It means that God or gods created the Universe and continued
to actively participate of the world’s activities and in human history.
 Panentheism- means that God or gods are the inner spiritual essence
of everything in the Universe.
 Monotheism- a belief in one God.
 Polytheism - a belief in many gods
 Sacred – something that possesses holiness.
 Religious Rituals – religious rites," which are the sacred, customary ways of
celebrating a religion or culture

POST TEST
Directions: Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer and write it on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. A worldview is similar to_ _ _.

A. understanding about life C. belief system
B. opinion D. A & B
2. Which statement is not a belief system?
A. I believe I can fly.
B. “An unexamined life is not worth living for.” (Socrates)
C. “Si Malakas at si Maganda” the Filipino version of Creation story.
D. The West Philippine sea belongs to Filipinos as affirmed by an as
arbitrary tribunal in Hague, Netherland.
3. Identify the statement that does NOT describe a spiritual person.
A. A person who sees God always in all things.
B. A person who always goes to church on Sundays.
C. A person who experiences “Bodhi ” or “Enlightenment.”
D. A person who feels the force of nature and become one with it.
4. Since time immemorial, belief to a divine being is practiced by people in
different cultural milieu and tradition. There are even those who worship
animals like the golden calf in in the Old Testament as their God. Other
culture even considers millions of small gods like the Hindus. How do you
call the people who believe in one God?
A. Polytheists C. Pantheists
B. Monotheists D. Atheists
5. As individuals we use different lenses in seeing things and realities around
us. Conflicts sometimes arise in defense of their point of view. Our
pluralistic society has also varied belief systems. What statement best
describes what a belief system is?
A. A particular way of ordering the realities of the world.
B. The religious preferences of a person or group
C. Anything that we do and think about all the time.
D. A speculative thinking and ritualistic habit of different people.
6. Etymologically it comes from a Latin word, “Religare” which means “ to
bind or to tie.”
A. Spirituality C. Culture
B. Religion D. Theology
7. According to Deepak Chopra, “Religion is a belief to someone else’s
experience. Spirituality is having your own experience.” It means?
A. Spirituality answers the question, “Where do I find meaning?” while for
religion the question is “Where do I belong?’
B. Spirituality focus is what is right or wrong, while religion talks about
sacraments and rituals.
C. Spirituality it is about the question of true or false while religion is about
obedience to the laws.
D. Spirituality asks what rites, sacraments, or rituals should we follow while
Religion ask what are our values?
8. From the given statements below, consider the most appropriate behavior
 or attitude if one is a member of a religious group?
A. Argue that his/her God is the real one.
B. Criticize other Religious beliefs.
C. Respect the freedom of Religion.
D. Proselytize and convert other people to join your religion
9. identiy which statement does not distinguish between Religion and
Spirituality?

A. Religion makes us vow, Spirituality set us free.

B. Religion shows us fear, Spirituality shows us courage
C. Religion tells the truth, Spirituality allows us to discover the truth.
D. Religion is real Spirituality is metaphysical.
10. It is defined as broader than religion. It goes beyond religious affiliation that strives
for inspiration, reverence, awe, meaning and purpose even to those who do not believe in
God.
A. Animism C. Spirituality
B. Theology D. Philosophy

Critical Thinking Questions:

1. How did you feel after accomplishing the task?
2. What important realization/s did you encounter while doing the task?
3. Why is it important to distinguish the characteristics of these two concepts?

RELIGIOUS UKAY-UKAY
How are you now? Are you ready to continue?. At this point let us focus on
your own religion. Regardless of what religion you belong, there are symbols,
rituals which convey meanings. Hence you will discover what are these symbols,
rituals and their meanings found in your religion.

Directions:
1. Depending on what is your religious affiliation, interview a priest, minister,
imam, rabbi, or guru about what is the most important symbols, rituals in their
respective religions or if they are not available any believer of the mentioned
religions.
2. Collate the religious ukay-ukay gathered.
3. Arrange the symbols and their meanings in a portfolio for submission.

Critical Thinking Questions:

REMEMBER
1. Based from the activity, what is/are your realizations?

 Religion- etymologically came from the Latin word ‘religare’ which means
“to bind” or “to tie” or some authors use the word ‘relegere’ meaning to read
again.
  Spirituality – tends to be more personal compared to religion which is more
organized and institutional.
 Theology- Is defined as the systematic study of the nature of the Divine and,
more broadly, of religious belief.
 Philosophical Theology – is the study of knowing God through the use
of logical reasoning.
 Sacred – something that possesses holiness. It could refer to things, places,
symbols or divine entity,
Religious Rituals – religious rites," which are the sacred, customary ways of
celebrating a religion or culture.
 Animism - is defined as the belief in numerous spiritual beings
concerned with human affairs and capable of helping or harming human
interests

POST TEST
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer and write it in the space provided.

__ _1. Science claims that God cannot be observed because it has no physical
attributes. However, religion is also claiming that God can be studied
through His manifestations and revelations. In fact St. Thomas Aquinas
suggested Five Ways in knowing God in his Summa Theologiae. What
specific discipline that studies the nature of God and its manifestations?
A. Spirituality C. Theology
B. Philosophy of Religion D. Theocracy
__ _2. English words came from different origins like Latin, Spanish, French and
old English terms. The choices below are no exceptions. Etymologically it
came from a Latin word, “Religare” which means “to bind or tie.” Which of
the words below refers to “religare”?

A. Religion C. Culture
B. Spirituality D. Theology
3. It is define as broader than religion. It goes beyond religious affiliation that
strives for inspiration, reverence, awe, meaning and purpose even to those
who do not believe in God. We can even attain this status even if we don’t
belong to a specific religion. What is this term called?

A. Spirituality C. Animism
B. Theology D. Philosophy
4. While there are many people who believe in God, there are others who also
do not believe in God. This belief was highlighted during the scientific age
when the dictum, “To see is to believe” was foremost in the minds of
people. If nothing can be seen or observed or experimented then it does
not exist. God cannot be observed therefore God does not exist. How do
you call the persons that do not believe in God.

A. Buddhists C. Atheists
B. Pantheists D. Monotheists
__ 5. One of the statements reflects the beliefs of the Filipinos before
Christianity was introduced?
A. Filipinos are polytheistic.
B. Filipinos are monotheistic?
C. Filipinos are animistic?
D. Filipinos are polytheistic, monotheistic and animistic?
6. Jesus Christ and Buddha are spiritual persons. If they are considered
spiritual persons, then each one of us could also attain the same status in
some stages of our journey towards life. Identify what statement does NOT
describe a spiritual person below.
A. A person who sees God always in all things.
B. A person who always goes to church on Sundays
C. A person who experiences “Bodhi ” or “Enlightenment.”
D. A person who feels the force of nature and become one with it.
7. Our relationship of the divine is always described as religious and
spiritual. However, being religious is not always spiritual and being
spiritual is not always religious. There are people who are religious but not
spiritual and vice versa. What phrase below best describes the
relationship between religion and spirituality?

I. Religion makes us vow, Spirituality set us free.

II. Religion shows us fear, Spirituality shows us courage
III. Religion tells the truth, spirituality allows us to discover
the truth.
IV. Religion is complex, Spirituality is paradoxical.

A. I C. I, II & III
B. I & II D. I, II, III & IV

8. This is a Filipino pre-Spanish belief that was considered pagan by the

Spaniards. Normally when we pass by a big tree in the forest we must say ,
“tabi-tabi po,” as a sign of respect to other beings around. This is part of
our culture and it is defined as the belief in numerous spiritual beings
concerned with human affairs and capable of helping or harming human
interests. What is this belief?

A. Monism C. Theism
B. Animism D. Henotheism
9. A common behavior of a member of any religious group is religious
protectionism which means that one’s religion is better than others.
Religious founders who even have no intention of founding a religion could
be puzzled by this attitude. What appropriate behavior should be
displayed if you are a member of a religious group?
A. Prove that your God is the real one.
B. Criticize other Religious beliefs and traditions.
 C. Respect the freedom of Religious preferences.
D. Proselytize and convert other people to join your religion.
__ _10. This term is often misunderstood as the same as believing in God. It is
defined as the systematic study of the nature of the Divine and, more
broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically
in universities.
A. Philosophy C. Theology
B. Teleology D. Archaeology