If the Golden Rule seems to a core teaching in all religions, why do you think religious beliefs are so tied up with many of the most bitter, violent conflicts in our world?

Discussion Board

The Readings:

1. World Religions: The Great Faiths Explained and Explored (WR): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lvBvpHfPbL7jICXKP…
2. World Religions in America(WRAm): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XShPvmnN386TOC1aS…

Readings/Discussion Board Questions

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READINGS

• WR The Golden Rule
• What is Religion?
• Ancient Religions
• Native Religions
• WRAm Native Americans and their Religion
• Religion and Politics in America
• Religion and Society in America

Questions (your responses to these are to be posted to the Discussion Board)

1. If the Golden Rule seems to a core teaching in all religions, why do you think religious beliefs are so tied up with many of the most bitter, violent conflicts in our world?
2. Pick any one of the Ancient Religions from the chapter in WR and tell me three things you found interesting/confusing about that religion.
3. Define the following terms: shamanism, oral tradition, rite of passage, myth, ritual. Describe any one ritual from the Native American religious traditions and tell me its function within the community.
4. Does separation of church and state truly exist in this country? Tell me your reasons why or why not. Is the first amendment a religious statement, a political statement, or both?
5. Does religious affiliation say something about who you are? Or is it mostly an accident of birth/upbringing?