A Multi-Religious Society: Traditions and Laws (Grade 10 NSC Matric Life Orientation): Revision Notes
A Multi-Religious Society: Traditions and Laws
Introduction to South Africa's multi-religious society
South Africa is proud to have one of the world's most progressive constitutions, which protects the right to practise your chosen religion. Our country is wonderfully diverse, with people following many different religions and belief systems. This diversity means we live in a multi-religious society where understanding different religions helps us build tolerance, respect and acceptance of one another.
Every religion has its own ethical traditions - these are the moral guidelines that show followers the right way to behave and live their lives. These traditions often come in the form of religious laws that guide daily decisions and practices.
Key Terms to Remember:
- Religion: An organised system of beliefs, ceremonies and rules used to worship a god or group of gods
- Ethical: Following accepted rules of behaviour that are morally right and good
- Traditions: Ways of thinking, behaving or doing something that have been passed down through generations
- Monotheistic: Believing in only one God
- Indigenous: Produced or existing naturally in a particular place
Major world religions practised in South Africa
Judaism
Judaism serves as the religion, philosophy and way of life for Jewish people around the world. As a monotheistic religion, Jews believe in only one God and see their faith as expressing the special relationship that God developed with the Children of Israel.
The foundation of Jewish belief rests on the Hebrew Bible, and Jewish laws come from several important sources:
- The Torah (meaning 'teaching') - consists of the first five books of the Bible, also known as the Five Books of Moses
- The Talmud - a collection of interpretations of the Torah
- Laws established by rabbis (Jewish religious teachers)
- Religious customs that have been practised for so long they have become religious requirements
These laws provide comprehensive guidance for Jewish people on many aspects of daily life, creating a complete framework for ethical living that has been refined over thousands of years.
These laws provide guidance for Jewish people on many aspects of daily life, including:
- Daily routines and morning practices
- Kosher food laws - Jews may only eat certain foods and cannot mix meat with dairy products
- Clothing requirements, such as men wearing yarmulkes or kippahs on their heads
- Personal hygiene and cleanliness
- Business practices and ethical treatment of others
- Marriage customs (marrying outside the religion is discouraged)
- Observance of Shabbat (the Jewish day of rest on Saturday) and religious holidays
Christianity
Christianity is also a monotheistic religion with roots in the Old Testament, the law of Moses, and the New Testament. Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the Saviour of humanity. They believe God sent Jesus Christ to earth to save people from their sins and offer them eternal life after death.
Like Jews, Christians look to the Ten Commandments as the foundation of right and wrong behaviour. Jesus summarised these commandments by teaching people to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" and "Love your neighbour as yourself."
Christianity has three main branches worldwide: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and various Protestant churches. There are also Charismatic, Apostolic and Reformed churches.
African Christianity
South Africa has a unique form of Christianity that blends traditional Christian beliefs with African religious practices. The Zion Christian Church (ZCC) is the largest of the African independent churches, with about 7 million members out of South Africa's 28 million African Christians.
The ZCC demonstrates how religious traditions can adapt and incorporate local cultural practices while maintaining core spiritual beliefs. This blending of traditions is a key feature of South Africa's religious landscape.
The ZCC follows many traditional Christian rules while also incorporating some distinctive practices:
- Religious faith is believed to have healing power
- Traditional African religious beliefs about ancestors are respected
- Members must not drink alcohol, smoke, or eat pork
- The church condemns sexual promiscuity
- Non-violence, peace, respect and love of God are emphasised
- Members wear uniforms and pay tithes (donations)
- Healing practices involve following instructions from ancestors through church prophets
- Members must confess their sins to be healed
Islam
The word Islam means 'submission to God', 'peace' and 'way to peace'. Followers of Islam are called Muslims, and they believe in only one God called Allah. Muslims see Muhammad as the last prophet and messenger of God.
Islamic law, called Sharia law, comes from several sources:
- The Qur'an (also called the Koran) - the religious book that encourages Muslims to live morally virtuous lives
- The Sunnah - traditions and practices of the prophet Muhammad that explain Qur'an instructions
- Opinions of Muslim religious scholars
In Islamic law, there is no separation between ordinary law and religious law. The law covers all aspects of life, including family relationships, inheritance, taxation, purification, prayer, banking, welfare, warfare, environment and food regulations.
Muslims use the terms halaal (meaning 'lawful' or 'permitted') and haraam (forbidden) to describe what is and isn't allowed. These terms apply especially to food - Muslims cannot eat pork, improperly slaughtered animals, alcoholic drinks, or meat from carnivorous animals and birds of prey.
Islam emphasises living by the Five Pillars of Islam:
- Stating your faith - declaring belief in only one God, Allah, with Muhammad as his prophet
- Prayer - Muslims pray five times daily
- Giving to the poor - All Muslim adults are encouraged to give 2.5% of their wealth annually to help provide education, build mosques, or help those in need
- Hajj pilgrimage - Every Muslim is encouraged to make a religious journey to Mecca at least once
- Fasting during Ramadan - For thirty days during the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast during daylight hours
Hinduism
The term 'Hinduism' refers to a wide variety of religious traditions and philosophies that developed in India over thousands of years. Hinduism includes both monotheists (people who believe in one God) and polytheists (people who believe in multiple gods).
Hinduism grants complete freedom of belief and worship, but some forms of Hinduism include ten commitments that Hindus are expected to follow:
- Do no harm
- Do not lie
- Do not steal
- Do not eat or drink too much
- Do not be greedy
- Be clean
- Be content
- Be self-disciplined
- Study
- Surrender to God
Many Hindus focus their devotion on gods such as Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu or Shakti, depending on their particular sect. Hindu practices often involve performing specific duties related to your stage of life:
- School years - acquire knowledge and develop character
- Middle years - focus on marriage, family and career while supporting parents, children and holy people
- Older years - focus on spiritual matters, spend more time on religious practices, possibly go on pilgrimages
- Final years - give up worldly thoughts and desires, concentrate entirely on spiritual matters
Most Hindus practise non-violence and have great respect for all life because they believe God exists in all living things, including plants and animals. This is why many Hindus are vegetarians, and even those who eat meat usually avoid beef because cows are traditionally seen as caretaker and mother figures in Hindu society.
Buddhism
Buddhism developed from the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (known as the Buddha) around 520 BC in India. Importantly, Buddha never claimed to be God or a prophet of God. Instead, Buddhism is a philosophy that exists in many forms across different cultures. Buddhism is very tolerant and agrees with the moral teachings of other religions.
Buddhism doesn't include worshipping a creator god. Instead, it's a path of practice and spiritual development designed to help you gain insight into the true nature of life. Buddhists practise meditation as a way to develop awareness, kindness and wisdom.
Practical Buddhist Teachings:
Buddha's teaching offers practical advice for daily living:
- Don't believe anything without thinking about it first
- All actions have consequences - this is called karma
- The results of your actions in this life and previous lives will affect your next life through reincarnation
- Books and teachings are important, so listen to great teachers to overcome ignorance
- Meditation is vital for calming your mind and thinking about your beliefs
- Keep your body healthy as it is precious
- Don't complain about change, because change is necessary for progress
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is an independent monotheistic religion established in Iran in 1844. Living peacefully in a multi-religious society is actively promoted by Bahá'í ethical traditions and religious laws. The faith focuses on practical ways to deal with moral and spiritual challenges in the modern world.
Bahá'í followers aim to reduce discrimination and prejudice between people. Members of the Bahá'í Faith live in many countries worldwide, representing almost every nation, ethnic group, culture, and social and economic background.
The Bahá'í Faith is guided by this principle from their founder: "The earth is but one country and humankind its citizens." They believe now is the time for all humanity to live in unity as a global community, since we are all one people with a common destiny.
The core teaching emphasises unity - the oneness of God, the human family, and religion. Bahá'í followers believe our most urgent need is to find a unifying vision for the nature and purpose of life and the future of society and the world.
Religious laws from their holy book include:
- Prayer, meditation and fasting to encourage spiritual growth
- Marriage requires permission from both the couple and their parents
- Kindness to animals is essential
- Followers should work and have careers
- Slavery, begging, drug and alcohol use, gambling, and carrying weapons are forbidden
Indigenous belief systems in South Africa
South Africa's indigenous belief systems have existed for approximately 1,500 years, since people first arrived here from other parts of Africa. These belief systems are based on oral traditions, meaning values and ways of living are passed down from elders to younger generations through stories, myths and tales.
Key characteristics of indigenous belief systems
Community and elders: The community is the most important part of life because it consists of people who remember and share your traditions and beliefs. Elders are highly respected and trusted for their wisdom.
Ancestral guidance: Followers believe that their ancestors' spirits continue to guide them. There are spiritual leaders such as sangomas or traditional healers who are called by the ancestors and learn to use herbs for healing and to predict future events.
Special occasions: Ancestors play important roles in special events like weddings, births and deaths. During these times, offerings such as sheep, cows or chickens are made to please and thank the ancestors while asking for their blessings.
The Role of Ancestors in Daily Life:
Ancestors are not just remembered - they are believed to be actively involved in the lives of their descendants. This creates a continuous connection between past, present, and future generations, emphasising the importance of family bonds and cultural continuity.
Behaviour and harmony: Ancestors help people behave properly and promote peace and harmony. Bad behaviour, such as killing, causes anger among the ancestors, who may employ painful consequences for those who misbehave.
Communication with the Supreme God: Traditional African religion recognises a Supreme God, but followers don't communicate directly with God. Instead, they ask their ancestors to communicate on their behalf. When ancestors are unhappy with their descendants' attitudes, they make this known and may use painful methods to correct bad behaviour.
Peace-making: Peace is considered normal and is linked to order, harmony and balance. Family heads and political leaders in most traditional African societies have responsibilities for peace-making, including settling arguments and offering prayers for peace.
Protection: Many followers wear charms or bracelets, usually made from sheepskin or beads, to protect themselves from evil or bring good luck.
Indigenous beliefs and other religions
When Christianity and Islam were introduced to South Africa, many indigenous people converted to these religions. However, this didn't mean they completely stopped practising their traditional beliefs. Instead, indigenous belief systems continue to be practised alongside other religions, creating a unique blend of spiritual practices.
This blending of religious traditions demonstrates the adaptability and resilience of indigenous belief systems. Rather than disappearing, these traditions have found ways to coexist with other religions, contributing to South Africa's rich spiritual diversity.
Understanding religious diversity in South Africa
Based on census data, South Africa's religious landscape shows Christianity as the dominant religion, followed by much smaller percentages of other world religions and indigenous beliefs. However, what's most important to understand is that all these different belief systems contribute to our country's rich cultural diversity.
Each religion offers its followers guidance on ethical living, community relationships, and spiritual development. While the specific practices and beliefs may differ, most religions share common values such as:
- Treating others with respect and kindness
- Living honestly and ethically
- Caring for family and community
- Showing respect for the divine or spiritual realm
- Promoting peace and harmony
Key Points to Remember:
- South Africa is a multi-religious society where the Constitution protects everyone's right to practise their chosen religion
- Ethical traditions and religious laws guide followers of different religions on how to live morally and spiritually fulfilling lives
- The major world religions practised in South Africa include Judaism, Christianity (including African Christianity), Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Bahá'í Faith
- Indigenous belief systems based on oral traditions, ancestor worship, and community harmony have been practised in South Africa for about 1,500 years
- Understanding different religions helps build tolerance, respect and acceptance in our diverse society, promoting unity while celebrating our differences