Religion has always been a fundamental aspect of identity, community and worldview. It has formed nations and destroyed them. It has driven people to explore new lands and also to close their borders. Religious beliefs, or even lack thereof, ultimately shapes our understanding of those around us, our interaction with others and ultimately the entire world. So what is this mysterious force that seems to influence us with or without our knowledge? Where did it come from, what does it mean and most importantly what do we do about it?
Welcome to World Religions, this new series seeks to explore the different world religions as they pertain to youth as well as all of us individually. As a Canadian youth, understanding the roots of our multiculturalism is key to becoming more understanding to those around us and building a more inclusive and accommodating nation (yes Canada isn’t 100% perfect) and how to become a better global citizen. Ignorance is not an excuse anymore and it is up to us to become informed of the issues pertaining many oppressed groups world-wide, minorities and majorities alike.
This article is essentially the introduction to the formatting to be used as well an explanation and a hope to find people of different religions willing to discuss with me how they’ve been impacted by their religion. There are over 4,000 different religions worldwide so we will be covering some of the main global religions.
The general structure will be as follows:
- Introduction
This will include general information regarding the religion or worldview. - Historical Origins
This will include the founding groups, leader(s) as well as country of origin and geographical significance. - Expansion and Development
This will include the growth of the religion in terms of numbers, how it expanded and why. - Historical and Modern Influence
This will include impact on historical and pop culture trends, political influence and oppression. - Interview
This will include an interview of a youth in this religion to speak about their beliefs and the role it has played in their life. - Stereotypes and Misconceptions
This will include World Religions’ very own “Myth-Busting” section to dispel harmful stereotypes and bring truth to the prevalent misconceptions in non religious and other religious communities.
Together, we will explore a journey into faith and into the discovery of the foundational elements that make up our multicultural society.
Note: please comment below if you would like to be involved in the interview section whether to speak about your religion (or lack of – whether you left a religion or you’re contemplating one).
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