World Religions Exam Questions and Answers, Exams of Religion

Download World Religions Exam Questions and Answers and more Exams Religion in PDF only on Docsity! 1 REL 1001 World Religions COMPLETED EXAM 2023 2 1. What are the three main branches of Buddhism and how do they differ in their views on the nature of reality, the role of ethics, and the path to enlightenment? Answer: The three main branches of Buddhism are Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Theravada Buddhism emphasizes the individual attainment of nirvana through self-discipline and meditation, and regards reality as impermanent, suffering, and non- self. Mahayana Buddhism emphasizes the universal compassion and wisdom of the bodhisattvas, who postpone their own enlightenment to help others, and regards reality as empty of inherent existence, but also as a manifestation of the Buddha-nature. Vajrayana Buddhism emphasizes the use of tantric practices and rituals to transform the body and mind into a pure expression of the Buddha-nature, and regards reality as a dynamic interplay of emptiness and appearance. 2. What are the five pillars of Islam and how do they relate to the concept of submission to God? Answer: The five pillars of Islam are shahada (the declaration of faith), salat (the daily prayers), zakat (the obligatory charity), sawm (the fasting during Ramadan), and hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca). They relate to the concept of submission to God by expressing the Muslim’s belief in God’s oneness and prophethood, by establishing a direct connection with God through worship, by purifying one’s wealth and soul by sharing with the needy, by cultivating self-restraint and devotion by abstaining from worldly pleasures, and by fulfilling one’s duty and solidarity with the global Muslim community by visiting the sacred sites. 3. What are the main differences between Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism in Christianity? Answer: The main differences between Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism in Christianity are related to their authority, doctrine, and practice. Catholicism recognizes the Pope as the supreme leader of the church and follows the teachings of the magisterium, which includes sacred scripture and sacred tradition. Orthodoxy recognizes the ecumenical councils as the highest authority of the church and follows the teachings of the holy fathers, which include sacred scripture and holy tradition. Protestantism recognizes only the Bible as the sole authority of the church and follows the teachings of various reformers, such as Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, etc. 5 9. ISKCON is a religion because like all religions, it has b. a belief in the supernatural. 10. The event that marks the start of the Muslim calendar is called the c. Hijra. 11. This event takes Mohammad and his followers from Mecca to c. Medina. 12. The founder of ISKCON was d. Swami Bhaktivedanta. 13. What Christian belief is not found in the Quran? b. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. 14. In the United States, the freedom of religion and the separation of church and state, are found in the part of the U.S. Constitution called the a. first amendment. 15. Separation of church and state and freedom of religion are important foundations of American society established by the Constitution. There is often argument, however, about the exact boundary between church and state. The ambiguity comes from the fact that there are two clauses about religion. The first clause is called the Establishment Clause, and the second is called the a. the Free Exercise Clause. 16. Pope Francis has issued messages that, among other things, asks all priests to be less judgmental of people who are b. divorced. 17. The Jewish holy book consists of the first five books of The Bible and is called d. The Torah. 18. The Branch Davidian sect is an off-shoot of the c. Seventh Day Adventist Church. 19. Buddhism emerged in India as a reaction against Brahmanism about 500 BCE. Another religion that started in India at about the same time as Buddhism was a. Jainism. 20. The religious conflict in Northern Ireland has been between Roman Catholics and c. Protestants. 6 21. There was an attempt by American Indians to rescue their native cultures from destruction caused by American expansion. It introduced new rituals to bring back their deceased kinsmen and clothing to make them impervious to American bullets. This was called the a. Ghost Dance. 22. The 1993 conflict that resulted in violence and death in Waco, Texas was between the Branch Davidians, led by David Koresh, and two agencies of the U.S. government, the FBI and the d. ATF. 23. For many followers, the appeal of David Koresh was his ability to interpret the meaning of a portion of the Book of Revelations in the Bible called c. The Seven Seals. 24. In the growth of Christianity, the first significant division was between the church established in Rome and the church established in c. Constantinople. 25. One civil society where Muslim women are prohibited from wearing hajib in public institutions is d. France. 26. Which country today has a theocratic form of government? b. Iran. 27. Tibetan Buddhists believe that the Dalai Lama has lived in thirteen previous lives. a. True 28. Tibetan Buddhists believe that the Dalai Lama is an incarnation of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Chenrezig (also called Avalokiteshvara). a. True 29. The Koran tells the story of Jesus miraculously being born of the Virgin Mary. b. False 30. The third largest categorized religious group in the world today is C. atheist/agnostic or unaffiliated. 31. The most crucial period for a new religion’s survival is C. when it tries to expand outside its original group. 32. Religion is one of the causes of violence in the world. a. True 7 33. What techniques may Shamans use to enter a state of trance? d. all of the above. 34. We conclude that the Neanderthals had a belief in an afterlife because of a. their systematic burials. 35. The type of magic that imitates the desired result is called C. contagious magic. 36. The type of magic which tries to cause an effect on the whole of an object by operating on a part of it is called C. contagious magic. 37. Archaeologists believe that small female statues from prehistoric times represent the “Mother Goddess” and demonstrate the importance of prehistoric fertility cults. These statues are called a. Venuses 38. According to Bogoras, the Chuckchee shaman creates the illusion of spirit voices by the use of C. hallucinogenic plants. 39. Edward B. Tylor, a 19th Century scholar of religion, theorized that the origin of religion lies in the belief that all objects possess a spirit. He called this belief b. animism. 40. One of the most important sacred texts of India, which is contained in the long epic poem, Mahabharata, depicts the god Krishna giving instructions about dharma to the great warrior Arjuna. This sacred text is called the d. Bhagavad Gita. 41. Shamans provide supernatural help to C. individuals. 42. Priests provide religious services to a. congregations. 43. Most archeologists interpret prehistoric Venuses as religious objects; however, some believe Venuses could be early examples of either portraiture or d. pornography. 44. Emile Durkheim proposed that a god was a symbolic representation of a society’s collective consciousness, and that in every society the sacred sphere was clearly separated from the b. profane. 10 2. What does the Constitution say about religion and government in the United States? The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says that everyone in the United States has the right to practice his or her own religion, or no religion at all. Our country's founders -- who were of different religious backgrounds themselves -- knew the best way to protect religious liberty was to keep the government out of religion. So, they created the First Amendment -- to guarantee the separation of church and state. This fundamental freedom is a major reason why the U.S. has managed to avoid a lot of the religious conflicts that have torn so many other nations apart. 3. What characteristics of most religions ultimately lead to conflict and violence? Religion comes with faith and a sense of community but also may bring violence that many of its followers try to justify. Transcendent moralism, violence committed with ritual intensity, concept of good vs. evil, perception that religious community is under attack, and conflict of believers and non-believers are all characteristics that contribute and ultimately lead to conflict and violence. V. Answer one of the following questions (10 points): 1. In the Indian sacred epic, Mahabharata, before the great battle of Kurukshetra begins, Krishna takes a long time to explain to the warrior, Arjuna, why he should fight. Why did Arjuna not want to engage in the battle, and what was Krishna’s response? The Mahabharata, also called, The Kurukshetra War is a war described in the Hindu-epic, Mahabharata. The conflict arose between the two groups of cousins, the Kauravas, and Pandavas, due to the struggle for dynastic succession to the throne of Hastinapura, in an Indian kingdom called Kuru. Realizing that the war could not be won as long as Bhishma was standing Arjuna not want to engage in the battle. 2. What is the first Pillar of Islam? The first Pillar of Islam is shahada. It is a short prayer proclaiming the faith in Islam and the one true god, Allah. The shahada states “There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is the messenger of God.” VI. Answer one of the following questions (10 points): 1. In Buddhism, what is considered to be the cause of human suffering, and how can this suffering be eliminated? The first noble truth of Buddhism is that all life is suffering, pain, and misery. The second noble truth reveals the cause which is that suffering and pain is caused by selfish craving and personal desire. The third noble truth reveals that the selfish craving can be overcome. The fourth noble truth reveals how the suffering can be 11 eliminated. The fourth noble truth states that the way to overcome this misery is through the Eightfold path. The eightfold path are eight attitudes that one must follow to find the freedom from such suffering including: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. 2. What are the main components of the Jewish religion? The main components of the Jewish religion are the Torah ("teachings"), the Nevi'im ("prophets"), and the Kethuvim ("writings"). 3. What are the connections between Judaism, Islam, and Christianity? Islam is a conscious part of the Near Eastern monotheistic religious tradition, which includes Judaism and Christianity. Muslims worship the same God as Christians and Jews; Allah is simply the Arabic name for god. Muslims accept the authenticity of most biblical prophet. While Jesus is accepted as the Messiah and a great prophet, he is not seen as the divine Son of God. Accepting the divine origins of Judaism and Christianity, Muslims see Muhammad as the last and greatest of the prophets and believe that the Quran supersedes the bible as scripture. VII. Extra Credit (5 Points) Describe one act of religious violence that occurred during this semester. Recently a gunman went into a church and starting shooting individuals in that church. A gunman opened fire at a church in Texas on Sunday morning, killing two people with a shotgun before a member of the church’s volunteer security team fatally shot him. About 250 people were inside the auditorium of the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement