• World Religions and Religious Pluralism • Read pages 2-11 together from textbook

Approaches to learning about

World Religions

Hostility• fear of differences• stereotypes, prejudice (prejudging

before you know the facts)• e.g. “all Jews are rich” – often based on

lack of exposure• Name 3 “positive” stereotypes and 3

“negative” stereotypes

Conflict• Belief that all people must

follow the one true path• use force to convert• if we’re right, you have to be

wrong

Relativism• there is no right or wrong• Sometimes expressed in moral relativism

(belief there is no moral absolute) e.g. lying is fine if it gets me out of trouble, stealing is allowed if I am poor.• e.g. “if it makes you happy, it can’t be that

bad”

Tolerance

• putting up with differences• e.g. “You leave me alone, I

leave you alone”

Understanding

• wanting to know about other faiths• not changing one’s own beliefs, views• focuses on quaint trivia, fairly shallow• List 5 things that a person could learn

about someone else’s culture/religion that would be trivia.

Interfaith Dialogue

• celebrate diversity• desire to learn from another faith• e.g. “We’re taking different paths, but we’re

travelling to the same place”• What type of knowledge/experience of

someone else’s religion might help enhance a person’s faith in their own religion?

Interfaith Dialogue:

An Imam, a Rabbi and a Priest…

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPnZArtsG_c

Review:What are the 6 approaches to learning about World Religions?

HostilityConflict

RelativismTolerance

UnderstandingInterfaith Dialogue

Interreligious Dialogue

•Read pages 20-27 together

Journal #1• Write a journal reflecting on which approach

sounds the most like yours at this point. Explain what experiences have shaped your approach to learning about other faiths. (2 paragraphs)

OR• Create a t-shirt – You are going to an interfaith

fair. What would your shirt have on it? What would it mean? Write a paragraph to explain your shirt.