Strayer University - RELIGION REL 212: Approaches to Studying Religions Unit 3 Challenge 1.

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Six year-old Louisa had a hard time understanding her grandfather’s death. A few weeks after his passing, Louisa asked her mother, “Mommy, when does Grandpa get back from his trip to Heaven?” �... �Oh, honey. Grandpa isn’t coming back from Heaven. He’s going to stay there forever,” replied Louisa’s mother, Marta. “I wish he never went there in the first place,” sniffled Louisa. “Me, too,” Marta said. “Me, too.” Most Christians believe in heaven and (A) hell as potential outcomes for the afterlife. In the (B) Buddhist tradition, nirvana is discussed in terms of an ultimate goal for the afterlife. On the way to school the following day, Louisa asked her mother, “My friend, Candace, asked me what religion I am. Do you know, Mommy?” “We’re Methodist, honey,” answered Marta. “Oh, okay. But, how do we know that since we don’t go to church?” asked Louisa. “Well, my mommy was a Methodist, and I was raised a Methodist, so you’re a Methodist, too,” said Marta. The family tends to guide its younger members toward religious beliefs and practices that resemble its older members and wields this influence in such a subtle way that its influence, like religion itself, can be considered a kind of (A) white noise that is so pervasive that it goes unnoticed. Religion influences (B) social convention , or customs derived from or determined by society. While sitting in the school cafeteria, Louisa observed Candace closing her eyes and sitting quietly for a moment before beginning to eat her lunch. “What were you doing?” Louisa asked Candace. “I was praying to God so I could thank him for my food,” answered Candace. “Why do you talk to him inside your head?” wondered Louisa. “Can’t he hear you better if you say it out loud?” “My mommy says that I’m not allowed to pray out loud when I’m at school. It might hurt somebody’s feelings, I guess,” said Candace. In a(n) (A) theocracy , the influence of religion on laws is fairly obvious and society is ruled by religious doctrine. While getting tucked in that night, Louisa asked her father, “Daddy, will you always be married to Mommy?” “Yes, honey,” answered her father, Blake. “You know how Mommy’s going to have another baby, just like she had me?” asked Louisa. “Yes, I know,” replied her father. “Will she ever get another husband, just like she got you?” Louisa inquired. “I certainly hope not,” laughed Blake. “Mommy’s only allowed to have one husband at a time, and I plan on hanging around, so I guess she’s stuck with me." Different religions have varying views and influences on the family structure. (A) Homosexual relationships, a relationship between persons of the same gender, are an example of an alternative relationship that many religious traditions have either endorsed or condemned. On the way to the bakery on Saturday, Louisa spotted a toy that she really liked. “Can I have that teddy bear in the window, Mommy?” asked Louisa. “Sorry, honey. I only brought enough cash to pay for your Aunt Katie’s wedding cake,” replied Marta. “I wish we could just take the teddy bear without paying ,” whined Louisa. “That would be wrong,” said Marta. “We could get arrested for stealing, and God would be very disappointed in us.” This study resource was shared via CourseHero.comWhich two of the following are means through which moral and ethical guidelines are interpreted, as discussed in this pathway?  Secular writings  Political leaders  Mass media  Peer groups  Scriptures  Tradition HINT Think about what you have learned regarding the transmission of religious teachings in this course. How do people decide what ethical and religious guidelines are? Who or what decides what they mean? At her aunt’s wedding, Louisa asked her mother, “Mommy, who is that man up there with Aunt Katie and Uncle Thomas?” “That’s a priest,” answered Marta. “Aunt Katie and Uncle Thomas are Catholic.” “Does the priest make the wedding more special?” wondered Louisa. “Not exactly,” whispered Marta, “but he has to say special words to Katie and Thomas so they know that their marriage is blessed by the Lord.” The Hindu religion views marriage as a sacred duty, or (A) dharma , while the Confucian tradition views marriage as one of the (B) five relationships that stabilizes society. At breakfast on Sunday, Louisa noticed that her father did not put whipped cream on his waffles like he usually does. “Where’s your whipped cream, Daddy?” asked Louisa. “Well, honey, I’ve gained ten pounds this winter, so my little whipped cream ritual is going to have to go on hold for awhile,” answered Blake. “I think it’s time for a new ritual, sweetie. Like bran flakes every Sunday,” said Marta, as Blake made a sour face. Often members of the (A) Hindu religion will gaze upon a statue of a deity, also known as a (B) murti , to gain blessing. After school on Monday, Marta and Louisa went to the mall to exchange some Christmas gifts. While there, they stopped into a store that had all of their holiday items on clearance. “What’s this?” asked Louisa, as she gestured toward a menorah. “That’s a menorah,” answered Marta. “Jewish people light it when they celebrate Hanukkah.” “Hanukkah? Is that like Jewish Christmas?” Louisa asked. “Sort of,” laughed Marta. “It’s a time for Jewish people to share their religious beliefs with one another.” (A) Diwali is a five day Hindu festival, also known as the ʺfestival of (B) lights .ʺ At dinner that night, Louisa asked, “Daddy, do we still have pictures of Grandpa?” https://www.coursehero.com/file/60037445/Approaches-to-Studying-Religions-Unit-3-Challenge-1docx/ This study resource was shared via CourseHero.comSurprised, Blake answered, “Yes, honey, of course we do. Why?” “I thought maybe the Grandpas in the pictures died when the real Grandpa did,” mused Louisa. “Oh. Although some cultures may disagree with me on this, I don’t think that a being can be captured in an object. Grandpa was represented by those pictures, Louisa. He wasn’t really in them,” said Blake. Murtis are objects of religious worship found in the (A) Hindu tradition, in which the (B) deity is present in the image. Just before she went to sleep, Louisa asked, “Mommy, is God like the president of the whole world?” “I guess you could say that,” answered Marta. “Some people believe that God is their president, just like Clinton was ours.” “Wow,” said Louisa. “Interesting, huh?” asked Marta. “Yeah. Goodnight, Mommy.” “Goodnight, Louisa.” A (A) state religion is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the government. A country with an official religion is not necessarily a theocracy [Show More]

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