RELT 368 WORLD RELIGIONS FOR THE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONS

RELT 368 WORLD RELIGIONS FOR THE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONS

Class # 1

 

Sorajjakool pp. vii-13: Preface and Introduction; Realin INTRODUCTION pp. 8-17. See also if desired: Hopfe and Woodward, Religions of the World: Introduction Overview and Chapter One, Basic Religions and World Religions, pp. 2-27

 

Scripture (Genesis 1:1-5) and prayer

 

Attendance taken; get acquainted time; syllabus review

 

A WARM WELCOME to this class; I am glad you are here.  We can look

forward together to many profitable and pleasant hours of learning as we go through this course.  At the outset let me state clearly to you that though I am a Christian, I respect and appreciate and will gladly learn with you about the various faiths that we will study together.  I would like to quote below a couple of passages from authors whom I respect that will help you to know where I am coming from and what you can expect from me as we share this experience.

 

“Set Apart

 

The Spirit produces the fruit of

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23

 

In the third century, St. Cyprian wrote to a friend named Donatus:

 

            This seems a cheerful world, Donatus, when I view it from this fair garden

. . . But if I climbed some great mountain and looked out . . . you know very

well what I would see; brigands on the high road, pirates on the seas, in the

ampitheatres men murdered to please the applauding crowds . . .

           

Yet in the midst of it I have found a quiet and holy people . . . They are

despised and persecuted, but they care not. They have overcome the world.

These people, Donatus, are Christians . . .

 

What a compliment!  A quiet and holy people . . .

Quiet.  Not obnoxious.  Not boastful.  Not demanding.  Just quiet . . .

Holy . . . Set apart.  Pure.  Decent.  Honest.  Wholesome . . .

           

                                                                                       The Inspirational Study Bible”

 

From Max Lucado, Grace for the Moment Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of

the Year (Nashville, Tennessee: J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson,

Inc., 2000), p. 261.

 

“How then should we relate to those of other religions?  First of all, we

must treat them as fellow human beings – with respect and honor . . . We need

to approach them with openness, ready to listen and learn.  In our finiteness we

do not have all that we need at any point in our experience.  Different points of

emphasis may help to strengthen our own experience.  Nor should we apologize

for what we believe or our conviction that we have truth in having Jesus Christ.

Never should we hesitate to witness to another.  But our efforts must always

reflect humility and avoid a spirit of triumphalism or a subtle attitude of

imperialism.”  S. Kubo, The God of Relationships (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and

Herald Pub. Assn., 1993), p. 138.

 

You have in your hands or on your computers the syllabus, which includes an inventory of information and a contract that I would like to have from you; kindly fill out that “inventory sheet” and initial and sign that contract and be sure I have them at the close of this class (or sooner).  Thank you!

 

For today I am going to proceed into an introductory lecture for which I

am not providing you with notes beyond these few printed pages; kindly take

your own as you feel you need to.

 

Please know that all provisions of the academic bulletin apply in this class

in addition to the details given in the syllabus.  Where there are any conflicts the

bulletin will prevail.  We are in this together so we have to be on the same page!

 

Hopefully each of you has obtained a copy of the textbooks.  We will make careful and thorough use of these excellent textbooks.  All of that said, let’s begin.

 

For much of what I am about to share with you I am indebted to my colleague Dr. Ernie Bursey, to whom I express here my sincere appreciation.

 

We are about to enter together upon a journey of discovery into areas of

knowledge both mental and spiritual.  You may have some questions:

 

• Why should I take this journey? Is there a need in my life for it?  Can I

benefit from it, or is it just to meet an academic requirement?

 

• If I study other religions, can I from that study really understand them?

 

• Am I betraying my own religion if I try to study another religion?

 

Aside from the answers you may have come up with to those questions,

permit me to suggest some other reasons for the study of religions today.

 

• We cannot manage conversations with others whose faith differs from

ours without some knowledge of their faith.

 

• To understand culture we have to understand religions.

 

• To be effective health care workers we have to have some understanding both of religions and the cultures in which they are found. Those whom we serve deserve no less.  Hence this course.

 

The major faiths of our world all find meaning in this special time in the

history of our world.  In some very real ways they are creating and driving that

history.  If we are to begin to understand and relate effectively to history and

our place in it we must understand the part played in it by religions, including our

own.

 

Learning about religions is very similar to learning a language: we will

understand our own language better if we study other languages.

 

For those of us from Western societies and nations Christianity is

something of a benchmark to which to compare other religious faiths.  That does

not presuppose prejudice against those other faiths; it just provides a background from which we come so as to have a basis for understanding.  Other faith backgrounds will be equally valid in comparing other faiths than their own to their own.  In that context we can then see some major elements of various faiths:

 

• Indian religions emphasize reincarnation and karma

 

• Chinese religions emphasize how to live

 

• Middle Eastern religions have a monotheistic emphasis

 

If we enumerate how many ways there are to truth and God we find the

following concepts or options prevailing:

 

• Exclusivism: God has revealed His will clearly; one way to heaven

 

• Inclusivism: Several ways work but one is best

 

• Pluralism: There are many ways to heaven or God

 

Some of us come from national backgrounds which include national

religions: for example, if Japanese, then Shinto, if Polish, largely Catholic, etc..

 

There is the test of prayer; what does God hear?  There is the question of

grace; is it to be found in other religions besides Christianity?

 

In thinking about religion we are led to think about what our needs are:

 

• Inner peace

 

• Outer harmony

 

• Purpose for being

 

• Being loved on the cosmic level

 

• Personal power

 

• The structure of rhythms and ritual

 

• Moral guidance

 

• Adventure and risk (think of a sailboat)

 

• Comfort in loss

 

• Hope for the future

 

Foster and Smith in their Spiritual Formation Workbook list several “streams”:

 

• Contemplative

 

• Charismatic

 

• Concerned with social justice

 

• Evangelical

 

• Characterized by a concern for holiness and moral transformation

 

• Sacramental (devotional) in life and in work (which is seen as a

sacrament)

 

Why New Religious Movements Appear:

 

If other streams than those already expressed in religious movements are

allowed to flourish, then a movement becomes a religion as it meets real needs.

 

Religion has also been the focus of much criticism.  Gandhi and Nehru, for

example, created in India a secular state in opposition to the would be influences

of the nation’s religions.  India is today the world’s largest democracy.

 

There have of course been many detractors of religion.

 

Some have seen religion as exploitative, obscurantist, non-negotiable in

attitude, and as having blocked social and scientific progress.

 

Yet religion continues to be an important part of the human experience.

One text states that ” . . . no other phenomenon is so pervasive, so consistent from society to society, as is religion.”  There is in each of us a God-shaped blank that will not be satisfied until it is filled; something that reaches out to the beyond and the above, whoever we are.

 

Again let us observe that there are the following types of religions: basic

religions, religions originating in India, religions originating in China and Japan,

and religions originating in the Middle East.  To their study we will direct our

efforts in the weeks ahead.

 

As we take a first look at our textbooks (both online; one in print in the bookstore) we find that the Preface in Sorajjakool gives several important points.  The first is the implication that there is much more to each of the religions that we will study than can be encompassed within the confines of one chapter.  That is certainly true.  Secondly, the aim of the textbook is to “focus in on the specific elements of each of these religions that has special relevance for healthcare.” (p. vii).  A valiant effort has been made, not always successful; we’ll be more than a little bit frustrated about this at times.  But hang in there; there’s lots of good information!  Third, the textbook will try to distinguish between faith and cultural practice – not always easy.  In fact, in some circumstances, it is nearly impossible.  So be patient when the authors have a hard time with this task.

 

The authors are numerous, and very qualified in their fields.  Our own Dr. Ernest Bursey is the “lead-off hitter” in this “game”.  He gives us a good introduction.  Among the points he makes are that religion and health are very closely related.  The benefits for health of a religious affiliation are experienced “across the board” of the variety of religions with which we’ll become acquainted.

 

As you become trained for the healthcare professions and enter into the one of your choice, you’ll find a “growing number of healthcare professionals who actively embrace a faith tradition.”  (pp. 1, 2).  How will you relate to them?  From a position of ignorance, or one of some basic knowledge and due respect?  Far better that you choose the latter position.  You’ll be a happier camper!

 

From a study of world religions you’ll also be better able to understand the various religious groups in your community – including the “minority” groups that until now you may not have understood very well.  Their size and influence are increasing, so it behooves each one of us to make an effort to relate to them kindly and caringly.  Dr. Bursey cites the Hindu community here in central Florida as an example of well-educated people from what is largely an immigrant group.  We miss this reality at our peril, so to speak; we cannot ignore them!

 

Current events are largely driven by the influence of various religious groups – including those who err from the teachings of their group and so commit acts of terrorism.  There is no legitimate religion wanting the demise of any other.  We all need to, and can, learn to live together in peace and harmony.

 

A few years ago a missionary doctor in a far away land lost his infant son to a bad case of malaria.  I will spare you the details, but – suffice to say that the family is being sustained by their faith in God in the face of this truly awful event.  Yes, we know death occurs every day and that we are all subject to it and will in fact experience it if Christ does not come soon to rescue His children from this sinful and suffering world.  How do we relate to our own and others’ very human reaction to the reality of death?  How do we handle death – our own prospective death or the death of someone dear to us – without the aid of religious faith?  It would seem to me to be very difficult, if not impossible, to be rational without a rational faith in the face of humanity’s greatest enemy, death itself.  Religions assist in providing that faith.  There are many other questions we could ask about life – but the question of how to deal with death is surely the biggest question out there today.  Is there a life beyond this one?  If so, what is it to be?

 

Dr. Bursey makes some very relevant points about the personal benefits and challenges of a study of the world’s major religions.  Peruse them with care (see pp. 2-4).  He also details a few ways in which we can recognize what a “world religion” is.  One of those ways is the use of “scriptures or religious texts” – an example of which is the Holy Bible that I read from at the start of class today.  Each faith has its own religious text or texts from which it derives its beliefs.  We will at least become aware of what the names of these texts are, and be able to more greatly appreciate our own beliefs as we compare them with the beliefs of others.  We will see the value and nature of rituals within the various faiths also. Closely related to that is the distinction to be made between religion and culture as seen in the lifestyles and practices of various individuals  – including ourselves!

 

Dr. Bursey rapidly (as we must) yet thoroughly moves through a discussion of religion, ethics, and transformation (are we “every day, in every way, getting better and better” – or do we leave “summat to be desired” in our character formation?).  He ponders the relationship between religion and healthcare, touching on some “hot button” ethical issues along the way.  He gives us some recommendations to enhance our learning, and closes with some fascinating case studies, which we can profitably discuss for a few moments (discussion to follow).

 

Now if there are any questions, please share them.

 

As we look at A Desk Reference to Personalizing Patient Care, we find a bit of background as to how it was produced, and why.  Then it moves on to discuss the importance of a knowledge of “the special needs or expectations of . . . patients or clients, in order to provide the highest quality personalized care possible.”  (p. 11).  Put yourself in your patient’s place for a moment.  Would it not be important to you, as the patient, to be able to rest assured that your caregiver knows enough about your faith to be sensitive to items or practices it may require while you are receiving care?  How can that be accomplished without some knowledge of what those items or practices are?  If your culture and beliefs are not respected and adequately understood, would you feel confidence in the care given, or in the caregiver?  Likely not.  So we can see, I trust, that it IS important to gain the knowledge this class gives.  You’ll be amazed at how many things you may already know, how much misinformation you may have, and how much you need to know as our time together unfolds.

 

One VERY important principle that this text presents is that of ASKING our patients what we can do to enhance their comfort level either spiritually or culturally while they are undergoing treatment.  A simple approach to this is the example given:  “I understand that some (name religion or culture) may like to (name activity, e.g., pray in a quiet space).  Would this be helpful for you?”   It is not difficult to do this, usually, and it will make a world of positive difference for your patient – and yourself!

 

As well, HIPAA issues are addressed and some good counsel given regarding them.  Be very careful about this!  The HIPAA regulations may run a bit counter to cultural customs – but HIPAA is the law here, and must be observed.  The patient’s interests will be better served if this is remembered.

 

So now we come to the matter of “Basic Religions” – those earliest forms

of religion that do not fit into all modern religions exactly but from which the

modern religions have taken much.  There is first of all the need to recognize

that the so-called “primitive” religions are accordingly not so primitive after all.

 

There is no justification for regarding those primitive religions as “low on

the totem pole” or at the base of an evolutionary process.  We have no reason to

regard them as of any less value to their adherents and their time as our modern

religions are to their adherents and our time.  There are two points to note about

so called “primitive” or basic religions.  First, “elements of the basic religions are

found to some degree in all religions.  It is therefore important to study these

religions to understand these elements and how they operate.”  Second, “It is also important to study basic religions because they represent the majority of the

total religious experience of humankind.” (Hopfe and Woodward, p. 15).

 

Sources of information regarding basic religion are very limited; in fact,

there are but two primary sources of such information: 1) the study of

contemporary basic religions (those existing in our time) and 2) archaeology.

 

The study of contemporary basic religions is inadequate as a means of

understanding their ancestral forebears because there may have been differences occurring in those religions since their earlier days.  Anthropologists themselves bring an influence to bear on the adherents of basic religions by their very act of being with these adherents that may color the information they then receive.  We all have a desire to please, and at times it runs away with our truthfulness and/or common sense.  We like to have people hear what we think they want to hear.  And so we speak accordingly.  We can actually know very little about the origins of primitive religions and the developmental ”turns” they have taken over the centuries when there are no written records.  Much of what has come down to us is oral tradition and history, some of which may not be entirely accurate.

 

As archaeology is brought to bear on this problem it often does help provide some solutions.  Sometimes there are written items discovered that give insights into what happened in the long ago.  They may be in scrolls or on clay tablets, or inscribed on stone monuments – there is a variety.  Burial sites, tools, and weapons can tell us a bit about ancient cultures – though interpretations vary.  The September 5, 2005 issue of Newsweek has articles that might be of interest to you in this regard on the subjects of “The Race to Unearth the Bible” and “Looters Versus Archaeologists: Digging for Sacred Artifacts From Iraq to Jerusalem”.  The magazine should still be available in our library.

 

            Prehistoric Beginnings of Basic Religions is that section in this text (Hopfe and Woodward) which deals with what have come to be termed Neanderthal, Cro-Magnon, and Neolithic religion.  I don’t personally agree with the long time frames the authors (and many others) postulate for these developments, but that the groups did in some form exist there is no question.  The evidence is very substantial.  So-called Neanderthal sites include evidences of how they lived and also what their burial practices were.  The burial sites found so far include tools, food, and weapons – perhaps for the afterlife, or as offerings to the gods.  Bear skulls are an interesting feature of Neanderthal burial sites; bear skulls have been found carefully arranged as if they were worthy of worship – or at least that the bear was.  I wonder what a Neanderthal would think of our modern affection for the teddy bear!

 

Study of the Cro-Magnon period of development has brought to light all of these practices of the Neanderthals as well as some new ones: burial sites, including bones painted red and ornaments, indicating a possible concern for life beyond the grave.  Individuals were sometimes found in a fetal position, possibly showing a belief in rebirth in the next life.  As well, ceiling paintings in southern Spain and France indicate a belief that the success of the hunt would be enhanced by creating these paintings.  There were fertility goddess figurines found, carved from stone, ivory, or bone.

 

The Neolithic period brought agriculture into prominence.  Religion changed accordingly.  Now there was a development of gods of fertility, soil, humans, and animals, and mythology including deities personifying the sun, moon, stars, and seasons.  Burials became more elaborate, including, apparently, the wives, servants, and favorite animals of chieftains.  Megaliths – large stone monuments – were erected in surprisingly numerous places including Stonehenge in England and over 2000 in the fields of Brittany in France.  And I have always wondered about the stone faces on Easter Island in the Pacific.  Are they too a part of this time and this emphasis?  Perhaps.  All such monuments may have had a connection with religion, including ancestor worship.

 

And so we come from this preview into a realization that basic religions

have some common features.  Sacrifice is one such, back to earliest times.  Animism, that the world is “alive with souls or spirits” (op. cit., p. 19) is another. The spirits are seen as being able to communicate.  You don’t have to go very far to see this being promoted even today: Disney’s Animal Kingdom, if I remember correctly, presents the story of Pocahontas in a manner that gives personality to a tree and to rivers, etc..  At one time or another almost every item in nature has been worshiped by animists.  A modern parallel is pantheism: the idea that God is everywhere, in the grass, the trees, the animals, etc..  The last paragraph of the section on animism in the text (op. cit., p. 20) gives multiple examples of the way in which animism is not so subtly present in our societies today.  To some, Mr. Presley is still “in the house”!

 

Another element of basic religion is the belief in and practice of magic: an attempt to control nature for the benefit of some and the detriment of others.  Spells can be cast, it is believed; Dr. Bursey tells the story of one elderly Navajo who came to his father’s clinic in Phoenix saying he was going to die, as he had had a spell cast upon him.  He was otherwise in apparent good health, but sure enough, after a relatively short time, he died – from no discernible cause.  Sympathetic or imitative magic is used today by practitioners of voodoo; the intended victim is symbolized by a doll into which needles are pushed at

whatever point it is desired they be injured or killed.  Much fear is engendered by these practices in societies where there is belief in them.  Do you have a so-called lucky coin, or a religious medal, or a rabbit’s foot?  Then you have a fetish.

 

New Age religions marching into modern Western society carry with them some of this baggage and indulge in what can only be seen accurately as animism.  A particular place can be seen as a “vortex” at “which a variety of types of spiritual power may be acquired.” (op. cit., p. 21).  Of all such distractions, beware; they will lead you farther away, not closer to, spiritual truth and peace, I believe.

 

Divination (some would call it prophecy) attempts to predict the future by such means as are described in the text (ibid.).  The person performing it is known as a shaman, a term originating in Siberia.  Spirit possessed, these people shared messages purporting to be of divine origin with their group.  The Hebrew Bible – the Old Testament – a part of the modern Christian Bible, which also includes the New Testament – presents several prophets (as does the New Testament) whose predictions come, it is believed, from God and in some cases remain to be completely fulfilled.  The study of prophecy (given by prophets who prophesy) is a fascinating one worthy of our attention (in other classes than this one, however).

 

We proceed to the idea of tabu or tapu, the modern taboo.  Polynesia is the original source of this word, which indicates that certain subjects or objects are to be avoided as potentially harmful if the taboo is violated.  Upper classes of society, including priests and chieftains, were to be left untouched, and seen as untouchable, except on special occasions.  Some Biblical examples are given that are instructive.  In some societies twins are welcomed; in others, they are taboo and seen as a curse, not a blessing.  Those of you who will be working in labor and delivery need to be aware of that cultural difference among some African peoples.  Handling of the dead is a taboo in some societies; menstruating women are seen as taboo in others.  Certain foods are a taboo in yet others.  Ritually unclean foods are among these: modern Muslims, Jews, and others consider certain foods unclean, and thus, not to be used.  Most Hindus, for example, will not eat beef, because the cow is considered to be a sacred animal.

 

Some years ago, the story is told, a Friday evening meal was hosted by someone who was ignorant of certain beliefs.  He invited a Roman Catholic, a Muslim, and a Jew and then served pork as the main dish.  The meal was left uneaten, and the guests quickly left, as their faiths forbade partaking of what had been provided.  And so we see how easy it is to offend if we act from ignorance.

 

            Totemism is a practice of some but not all basic religions.  Native Americans were those among whom it was first discovered by white settlers, but it has been since seen in other basic societies.  The Ojibwa word ototeman is the basis of the word totem used to describe the practice of erecting as deity some animal, such as the crow or the eagle or the bear or the deer, which then becomes un-killable and inedible by that tribe or clan – a clear extension of animism – and which may lead to the actual erection of a totem pole in the community.  Some outstanding examples of this may be found in the far American northwest and in western Canada.  Totemism extends into national symbols today: for example, the eagle for the USA, the bear for the former USSR, the lion for the United Kingdom, etc..  OR: sports team mascots all over!

 

            Sacrifice, as has been mentioned previously, has extended even to the sacrifice of human beings, though usually the sacrifices are of animals.  Few if any societies exist today where sacrifice is practiced, but there are some.  The deity was to be appeased by sacrifice, though originally it was seen as a “means of feeding the residents of the spirit world” (op. cit., p. 23).  Sometimes sacrifice consists of pouring liquids onto the ground; at other times, foods may be left in a sacred place – or a food may be burned, and the gods seen as inhaling the smoke.  Or it may be that a sacrifice is seen as a gift to the spirit world, including tools, weapons, ornaments, money, incense, or even tobacco.  Shared sacrifices establish a bond between the worshiper and the worshiped deity, it is felt. So a

food portion is eaten or a drink is shared in a ritual fashion, affirming the relationship and the idea of worship.  Think for example of Christian communion!

 

            Myth exists as an expression of belief, though the very word means “lie”! One of the most horrible myths ever perpetrated was that of Aryan supremacy, by Hitler, which led to the slaughter of over 6 million Jews, as well as Gypsies and homosexuals, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals, and physically and mentally handicapped individuals in Europe during World War II.  But in religion myth has the connotation, not of a lie, but of being the best or most poetic way of telling great truths, of thinking in pictures rather than in abstract concepts (op. cit., p. 24).  Prometheus is cited as an example of the deity being sacrificed on behalf of humanity and as an explanation of the creation of the world and of the origin of fire and civilization (ibid.).  Some holy days or holidays are kept in connection with the transmission of a myth to future generations.

 

            Rituals are an important part of all basic (and many modern) religions.  They can be simple or complex; they can be in connection with a meal or be a part of a worship service, or be a combination of the two.  In basic religions they have the effect of reenacting mythologies so as to keep them familiar to their devotees.  Some examples are cited in the text, such as Mithraism in Rome and ancestor worship today.

 

            Rites of passage are to be found in every society, usually in connection with such events as birth, puberty, marriage, and death.  Some groups practice baptism at or near birth, for example; others, circumcision.  Puberty rites may include isolation, instruction, circumcision, and ornamentation or painting.  The marriage rites may include fertility ceremonies of some kind, while death brings its own entire sets of rituals, including at the point of time when death occurs and in connection with the burial.  Thus “key transitional points in the life of the individual” (op. cit., p. 25) are recognized and affirmed as having importance.

 

            Ancestor veneration is seen by Spencer as “the first step in the development of religion” (op. cit., p. 26).  Perhaps he’s right in some ways, at least as applied to “basic religions”.  There is seen to be the possibility that the dead are capricious and will return to harm the living unless placated in some way.  So rites and practices are developed to help prevent this “return” from occurring.  Tied down, trussed up, held down by stones, staked to the ground, the dead were by many societies feared, and confined, as they saw it, so as to do no harm to the living.  In some societies “the names of the dead are dropped from common usage for a time, and the houses in which they died are burned to discourage their return” (ibid.).  Yet there is also among some a belief that the dead can benefit the living, so they must be pleased – possessions are sent to the grave with them, and sacrifices are offered (including, historically, wives and servants).  The Chinese are seen as outstanding participants in offerings to the dead, and in keeping their memories alive through oral biographies being shared, and names being memorized and recalled with respect.  In western society as well we speak of “respect for the dead” and are horrified when graves are desecrated (and I believe rightly so, though not because I believe the dead are able to be placated or pleased.  Desecration of graves shows disrespect for not only the dead, but also for the surviving families.