Section D Revision

World ViewsReligious & Non-

Religious

Theism is belief in God. Christians, Jews and Muslims are monotheists. They believe in one God who created the world and who guides and sustains the world out of love.

Christians believe God revealed himself through Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Jews believe God revealed himself through Abraham and Moses.

Muslims believe God revealed himself through the messages given to the prophet Muhammad.

Religious World Views

Polytheism is belief in many gods. Hindus believe in many gods, and in their gods’ benign influence on the earth.

Buddhists do not believe in God or gods, but they do believe in something that is ‘timeless and formless’.

Religious World Views

Christians believe in God and see the world from a religious point of view. Christians believe:

God is the creator of the world. Human beings are created in the image of God. God speaks through the Bible. Jesus the Son of God entered human history as saviour of

the world. Jesus taught his followers ‘to love and respect God and

their neighbour’ as the guiding principle in life. The Holy Spirit helps people to follow the teaching of Jesus. God is near and cares for each person.

The Christian World View

While some ways of understanding the world are based on religious belief, other ways of understanding the world are unrelated to religion. A growing number of people in our society make sense of the world from a non-religious viewpoint.

To the question ‘Does God exist?’ there are different responses.

Non-Religious World Views

Atheism is a view that denies the existence of God. Atheists do not believe that God or gods exist. From an atheist’s point of view there is no God. God is not real.

Atheism

Agnosticism is the view that human beings cannot know for certain whether or not God exists. There is simply not enough evidence to prove it one way or the other. Agnostics claim that no one can say for definite that there is a God or that there is no God.

Agnosticism

Materialism is the view that only material things are real. Something is real if it can be physically seen, touched, weighed and measured. The physical world is the only reality, nothing else exists. God does not exist.

Materialism also has another related meaning. A materialistic way of life is about having lots of money, lots of possessions and enjoying oneself as much as possible. Accumulating material things becomes important when it is accepted that only material things matter in life.

Materialism

Secularism is the view that organised religion should have no direct influence on society. Secularists are opposed to the influence of religion in public life. Secularism claims that God and religion are simply not relevant any more.

From a secularist point of view, if someone has religious beliefs then it should be a private matter. Religious activity should not enter the public domain. Religion should not in any way be supported by the State. In fact, Church and State should be completely separate. This means that religions or religious groups should not receive any kind of special treatment from the State.

Secularism

Find out more about secularism. In the secularist’s desire to separate the

sacred and the secular, what is their position on one of the following issues?

What is the position of some Church authorities on the same issue?

Religious schools Religious education Religion and Public Broadcasting

Research Assignment