What is religion?
- A religion is a set of beliefs and practices, usually about God or gods, the meaning of life and how to live. Religions share features such as beliefs, sacred texts, places of worship, festivals, symbols and communities.
- A worldview is the way a person understands the world and what matters. Everyone has one, religious or not.
Belief and non-belief
- Theism: belief in God or gods. Monotheism means belief in one God (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism).
- Atheism: the belief that there is no God. Agnosticism: the view that we can't know whether God exists.
- Humanism is a non-religious worldview. Humanists use reason, evidence and kindness to decide how to live, and believe this is the only life we have.
Religion in the UK and Guernsey
- In the 2021 census for England and Wales, about 46% of people said they were Christian and about 37% said they had no religion. Other large groups were Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jews.
- Guernsey has many churches, from the medieval parish churches to modern ones, and people of many faiths and none.
Big questions
- Ultimate questions have no simple answer: Why are we here? Does God exist? What happens when we die? Why is there suffering?
- Different religions and worldviews give different answers. In RE, you explain these views and give your own, with reasons.
Key terms
- Religion
- A set of beliefs and practices, often about God and how to live.
- Worldview
- The way a person understands the world and what matters.
- Monotheism
- Belief in one God.
- Atheism
- The belief that there is no God.
- Agnosticism
- The view that we can't know whether God exists.
- Humanism
- A non-religious worldview based on reason and kindness.
- Ultimate question
- A big question about life that has no simple answer.