Belief Systems

Belief Systems Karthik, Mirana and Swapnil

Some of the issues for Investigation.

1. How are religions belief systems?2. How do religious diversities lead to conflict? 3. How does religion effect ones identity and life?

1. How are religions belief systems?

Belief system is an organised way of trying to affect the world around us with a set of beliefs that guide us and help us make decisions. There are three types of beliefs, which include religious, ideological and philosophical. An example of religious beliefs could be a religion like Islam, and example of ideological beliefs could be Nazism and an example of philosophical beliefs could be Humanism.

2. How do religious diversities lead to conflict?FRANCE

Religious diversities have always been a source in conflict. Since the late 16th century, religious conflict have been going on in France because of the war between Protestants and Roman Catholics ( also called the "Holy war" ). The French ruler Catherine de Medicis showed more tolerance to the Huguenots, due to the spread of the Calvinism, which angered a powerful Roman Catholic family. Their partisans therefore killed one of the Huguenots. Skirmish and compromises then alternate until a peace compromise signed in 1576 allowed the Huguenots freedom of worship. Henry of Navarre even became heir to the Throne. This conflict even lead to war in Spain, but it was resolved but the Edit of Nantes in 1598. (1)

Nowadays, religious conflict in France are more related to sects, such as the Jehovah's witnesses or the Church of Scientology. In the French law, it is however said that any individual has the right to trust in any belief systems. Thus, those sects cannot be legally arrested for taking money to their members, even if a lots of people already complained about that. (2)

There are also religious conflicts with Islam. The French minister of education proclaimed that wearing the hijab ( mandatory veil for teenage and Muslim adult women) should be banished in every public places, such as schools. However, they didn't banished students wearing crucifix ( Christians) , turban (Sikh ) or yarmulke ( Jews ). The Muslim families rebelled and their children were able to go to school again. Even the French president Chirac said "Wearing a veil, whether we want it or not, is a sort of aggression that is difficult for us to accept." President Jacques Chirac of France. (3)

In France, religious expression is considered as source of public and civic perturbations. French secularism now involves the protection of religion from government interference, but initially meant the protection of the state from religious interference. State school system make clear the distinction between church and state. Today, it is difficult for French teachers to even talk about religion in state schools. The strong and tumultuous colonial history with a violent Islam ( especially in Algeria) stayed in the French collective memory. The veil represents for the majority if the country a subjugation for female. This gives a persistent but wrong image of Muslims in France. (4)

3. How does religion effect ones identity and life?

INDIA80% of people in India are Hindu, this is why we will majorly deal with that religion for India. 14% are Muslims, so we

will talk a bit about that. In this belief and traditions, boy are much more recognised than girls. In India, there is a huge practice of female feticide as well as infanticide, that means that people kill the fetus or the newborn when it's a girl. Girl children en are neglected and women are victim of violence and murder. "The sex ratio in the country is still one of the world's lowest, with an average of 933 females recorded for every 1,000 males in the 2001 census." If they have a girl, the parents will have to give money when she will marry, if they have a boy, they will earn money. Girl children are therefore treated differently form boys when raised, according to their nutrition and health care.

Education is also different, parents often prefer to keep the money for their daughter when she will marry, to give it to the husband's family rather than paying school for her. They are also afraid that their daughter can be raped and insult girl's family's honour.

40% of the world's child marriages occur in India. "If the match is made at an early age, the dowry is usually much lower, as the dowry is calculated on the future husband's societal status and education, which – obviously – would be much lower at an early age.

Common Hindu phrase: “The younger the groom, the cheaper the Dowry”" To protect their women from abuse, family members began marrying their daughters at young ages. Their husband is chosen for them, and the groom has to be Hindu. Those girls will never be able to marry someone of their choice, with different cultures or belief. If women become widows, they are left in their own, as the originally family are not able to take her back, and they are not allowed to remarry.

This shows that girls and women are very dependent of their family and cannot act in their own, they have to follow old traditions and therefore cannot be free and express their opinions. They represent source of money in the Hindu society. However, it is important to precise that this occurs mainly in rural areas, not in the new modern and rich Indian society. Muslims represent only 14% in India, therefore we will deal with situation of people in the Middle East. (5) (6)

3. How does religion effect ones identity and life?

MIDDLE EAST

Islamic women wear a hijab to cover their body and their hair, showing respect to their God. In the Quran, God requires men AND women to dress modestly, especially women in public and in the presence of unknown men. Women who wear a hijab are completely devoted to their religion and show how respectable they are. However, a woman who wears a hijab and uses offensive language is not obeying God, so Islamic women are not only obeying God by just wearing a hijab but also doing good deeds.

This is the religious point of view of wearing a hijab. This is when a woman chooses to wear one and is not forced to, but women in many parts of the world are forced to wear a hijab. Because of this, these women are separated from the society, as they are different from other people because they wear a hijab while the others don't. This applies to women who wear a hijab forcefully and by choice. When these women step out of their community, they automatically stand out of the crowd because of their clothing style. It is hard for them to fit in with the others and people start judging them immediately. As soon as a woman is seen wearing a hijab, we know they belong to a Muslim community. We know they are either devoted to their religion or are forcefully wearing a hijab. Therefore, religion can immensely effect ones identity. (7)

3. How does religion effect ones identity and life?

U.S.

In the U.S. you are not required to follow any religion. the major religion in America is Christianity. Some people have encouraged me to become a Christian but I was never forced to. There is also a separation of Church and State, meaning that religion does not influence the government. (8)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/497152/Wars-of-Religion

2. http://www.religioustolerance.org/rt_franc1.htm#other3. http://www.religioustolerance.org/rt_franc2.htm4. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/young-muslim-and-

french/islam-and-frenchsecularism-the-roots-of-the-conflict/2524/5. http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism.ghtmh6. http://www.saarthakindia.org/womens_situation_India.html7. http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/2770/ 8. Our Own Knowledge