Belief Systems

Belief Systems: Social Studies Dictionary - Belief Systems

Definition and meaning of Belief Systems

Belief Systems

Beliefs relate to religion, customs, values, attitudes, ideals, and world views. Belief systems include the beliefs and values shared by members of a racial, ethnic, or social group as well as those held by individuals. Belief systems develop over time and reflect the ideology, religion, politics, social structure, and economic activities of a particular group. Beliefs influence all decisions including economic ones.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages: Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

For more dictionary entries, see » Belief Systems Dictionary

Belief Systems: Social Studies Dictionary - Belief Systems

Definition and meaning of Belief Systems

Belief Systems

Beliefs relate to religion, customs, values, attitudes, ideals, and world views. Belief systems include the beliefs and values shared by members of a racial, ethnic, or social group as well as those held by individuals. Belief systems develop over time and reflect the ideology, religion, politics, social structure, and economic activities of a particular group. Beliefs influence all decisions including economic ones.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages: Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

For more dictionary entries, see » Belief Systems Dictionary

Belief Systems: Alternate Health Therapy Dictionary on Belief -Systems

Belief -Systems - The belief or faith that the patient holds as his innermost cultural, spiritual, and psychological resources for healing. For modern man the healer may be a physician or priest. For American Indians and Mexicans it is the curandero or shaman. For Alaskan Eskimos it is an angakok and so forth. Each concept has its own specific practices that help the person with faith to be healed. The key to faith healing is belief. All healers must understand the patient-belief system in order to achieve success in treating most disorders.

For more dictionary entries, see » Belief Systems Dictionary

Belief Systems: Fasting is Food for the Soul

Spiritual Fasting: Fasting is Food for the Soul

The followers of the Baha'i faith are on a 19-day fast from March 2 to March 20. In this context, it would be instructive to look at the significance of fasting in all faiths. Fasting may assume different forms across different belief systems but is an integral feature of humanity's common spiritual heritage.

We must ask ourselves why God wants us to abstain from food and drink. Obviously, as the all-loving creator, He would derive no pleasure from the mere act of making his creatures endure hunger and thirst for a specified period. We may as well go a little further and ask ourselves why we have spiritual laws at all.

Belief Systems: Fasting is Food for the Soul

Spiritual Fasting: Fasting is Food for the Soul

The followers of the Baha'i faith are on a 19-day fast from March 2 to March 20. In this context, it would be instructive to look at the significance of fasting in all faiths. Fasting may assume different forms across different belief systems but is an integral feature of humanity's common spiritual heritage.

We must ask ourselves why God wants us to abstain from food and drink. Obviously, as the all-loving creator, He would derive no pleasure from the mere act of making his creatures endure hunger and thirst for a specified period. We may as well go a little further and ask ourselves why we have spiritual laws at all.

Belief Systems: Personal Responsibility, Religious Tolerance and Reverence for all Life

While quantum physics may be a modern development, pantheism is in fact an ancient spiritual path that holds everything in the Universe to be sacred. Eastern philosophies, Native American, pagan and Hawaiian beliefs that view all of nature as divine and interconnected can be said to be pantheistic. "God" here is not a bearded white man in the clouds, but more like "the Force" in Star Wars; the sum of all that is, and every aspect of existence at the same time. To pantheists, God is holographically everywhere at once.

Belief Systems: Drop All Conclusions About God Almighty

Drop All Conclusions About God Almighty

It takes enormous courage for a person to look beyond the conditioning of his belief systems and admit that he knows nothing about even the most basic aspects of his life.

Belief Systems: Meditation Is Cool, Enjoy Yourself

Meditation is the natural process of withdrawing attention from environmental, physical, and mental processes and consciously directing it inward to a chosen focus of attention. But not many people know how to practice meditation for personal benefit and spiritual growth.

The beneficial side-effects of regular meditation practice include stress reduction, strengthening of the body's immune system, more orderly thinking, improvement in powers of concentration, and a slowing of the biological ageing process. For these reasons, meditation practice is recommended by an increasing number of doctors as a harmless way for patient-clients to be more responsible for their own total well-being.

Read more here: » Effects of Meditation: Meditation Is Cool, Enjoy Yourself

Belief Systems: Nature Of God

Dictionaries usually describe God as the Supreme Being. Since we cannot put God on a table for a thorough investigation, God and his nature is still seen by some as belonging to a belief system.

Scholars, who believe in the theory of evolution, naturally think that this system of belief must also have undergone its own evolution. They say that ' animism ' (a belief in souls) slowly developed into ' polytheism ' (the belief in many Gods) and from there developed into a belief of one God.

Read more here: » Definition of Metaphysics: Nature Of God

Belief Systems: Symbiotic Mysticism In Devotional Poems

Islam and Hinduism: Symbiotic Mysticism In Devotional Poems

Few have heard of the mystic poems Brahma Prakash or Dasa Avatar by the mediaeval Muslim saint Pir Shams. Both are famous ginans of South Asia's Ismaili community, sometimes also known as Khojas or Aga Khanis in popular parlance.

Ginans are hymn-like poems of spiritual import. They are revered by the faithful in deep veneration as repositories of wisdom and spiritual knowledge, and as transmitting the essential teachings of the Holy Qur'an in the vernacular. Composed in Sindhi, Gujarati, Hindustani and Punjabi among other subcontinental languages, the oldest are ascribed to the pirs or saints who first preached Ismaili Islam in India nearly 1,000 years ago.

Belief Systems: Encyclopedia - Origin belief

An origin belief is any story or explanation that describes the beginnings of humanity, earth, life, and the universe (cosmogony). Such beliefs can be derived from many different venues including scientific investigation, metaphysical speculation, or religious belief. As with any set of beliefs, opinions regarding the validity of particular origins beliefs differ —points of view on these subjects vary widely. Origin belief - Creation myths. Origins beliefs commonly refer to creation myths — mytho ...

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Belief Systems: Encyclopedia - Religion

Religion (see etymology below) —sometimes used interchangeably with faith or belief system—is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine; and the moral codes, practices, values, institutions and rituals associated with such belief. In its broadest sense some have defined it as the sum total of answers given to explain humankind's relationship with the universe. In the course of the development of religion, it has taken ...

Including:

Religion - Etymology

Religion - Approaches to the study of individual religions

Religion - Development of religion

Religion - Religion today

Religion - Approaches to relating to the beliefs of others

Religion - Religion and other approaches to forming beliefs about the nature of the universe

Religion - Related philosophical stances

Religion - Compare with

Read more here: » Religion: Encyclopedia - Religion

Belief Systems: Encyclopedia - Baka Cameroon and Gabon

The Baka, also known as Bebayaka, Bebayaga, Bibaya, or Babinga, are a Pygmy ethnic group inhabiting the southeastern rain forests of Cameroon, northern Congo (Brazzaville), northern Gabon, and southwestern Central African Republic. They are sometimes mistakenly called a subgroup of the Twa pygmies, but the two peoples are not closely related. Likewise, the name Baka is sometimes mistakenly applied to any of Cameroon's two to nine recognized pygmy populations. With an average height of 1.5 metres, the Baka a ...

Including:

Baka Cameroon and Gabon - Culture

Baka Cameroon and Gabon - Relations

Belief Systems: Encyclopedia - Son of God

"Son of God" is a biblical phrase from the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), and the New Testament. According to Christian tradition, it refers to Jesus, whom they believe to be the only begotten son of God. The term was widespread during the life of Jesus, as Roman emperor Augustus was known as the "son" of the deified Julius Caesar including on coins minted in his reign. Son of God - Son of God in Judeo-Christian terms. Son of God - In the Tanakh. In the Tanakh, the phrase "sons of god" ...

Including:

Son of God - Son of God in Judeo-Christian terms

Son of God - Son of God in other belief systems

Belief Systems: Encyclopedia - A Course In Miracles

A Course In Miracles (ACIM) is a self-study book of "spiritual psychotherapy" that was "scribed" by Dr. Helen Schucman. The book, often referred to by its students and followers as simply The Course, is written in first person in the voice of Jesus Christ. It was first published in 1976 as a three volume set and has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide in 14 different languages. The Course is written in Christian terminology and its subject aims to teach how to attain the direct personal experience of God ...

Including:

A Course In Miracles - Comparisons of ACIM to other spiritual belief systems

A Course In Miracles - Critical reviews

A Course In Miracles - Related movements

A Course In Miracles - Footnote references

Belief Systems: Encyclopedia - Volcano

A volcano is a geological landform (usually a mountain) where a substance, usually magma (rock of the Earth's interior made molten or liquid by extremely high temperatures along with a reduction in pressure and/or the introduction of water or other volatiles) erupts through the surface of a planet. Although there are numerous volcanoes (some very active) on the solar system's rocky planets and moons, on Earth at least, this phenomenon tends to occur near the boundaries of the continental plates. However, im ...

Including:

Volcano - Volcano classification

Volcano - Notable Volcanoes

Volcano - Volcanology

Read more here: » Volcano: Encyclopedia - Volcano

Belief Systems: Encyclopedia - Extraterrestrial life

Extraterrestrial life is life that may exist and originate outside the planet Earth. Its existence is currently hypothetical: there is as yet no evidence of extraterrestrial life that has been widely accepted by scientists. Most scientists hold that if extraterrestial life exists, its evolution would have occurred independently in different places in the universe. An alternative hypothesis, held by a minority, is panspermia, which suggests that life in the universe could have stemmed from a single initial distribution of spores ...

Including:

Extraterrestrial life - Possible basis of extraterrestrial life

Extraterrestrial life - Beliefs in extraterrestrial life

Extraterrestrial life - Scientific search for extraterrestrial life

Belief Systems: Encyclopedia - Hinduism

Hinduism (हिन्दू धर्म; also known as Sanātana Dharma - सनातन धर्म, and Vaidika-Dharma - वैदिक धर्म) is a worldwide religious tradition that is based on the Vedas and is the direct descendant of the Vedic religion. It encompasses many religious traditions that widely vary in practice, as well as many diverse sects and philosophies. An array of deities, all manifestations of the one supreme monistic Ishvara, are venerated. Beliefs, codes and principles vary fr ...

Including:

Hinduism - Core Concepts

Hinduism - Origins and society

Hinduism - Hindu philosophy: the six Vedic schools of thought

Hinduism - Alternative cultures of worship

Hinduism - Important symbolism and themes in Hinduism

Hinduism - Criticism

Read more here: » Hinduism: Encyclopedia - Hinduism

Belief Systems: Encyclopedia - Animatism

Animatism is a term coined by R. R. Marett to refer to the belief of certain cultures in supernatural forces and powers. These forces are inanimate and impersonal, which is not the case with the beliefs classed as animism. For example. the Melanesians, believe in mana as a force inherent in all objects. It is not physical per se, but may manifest itself physically. So, in their system of belief, a warrior who performs bravely in battle does so because of a mana-containing ...

Belief Systems: Encyclopedia - Major world religions

Major world religions have been distinguished from minor religions using a variety of methods, though any such division naturally reflects a particular bias, since many adherents of a religion are likely to consider their own faith "major". Two methods are mentioned in this article, number of adherents and the definitions used by classical scholars of religions. For a list of all religions, please see the article list of religions. For a discussion of the relationships between religions, see Religious pluralism Including:

Major world religions - Defined by population

Major world religions - Historic classic view

Dream Sharing Forum

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