RELIGION STUDIES
PAPER 1
GRADE 12 
AMENDED SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMS
PAST PAPERS AND MEMOS
MAY/JUNE 2018

MEMORANDUM 

SECTION A (COMPULSORY) 
QUESTION 1  
1.1
1.1.1 C√ (1)
1.1.2 A√ (1)
1.1.3 B√ (1)
1.1.4 D√ (1)
1.1.5 A√ (1)
1.1.6 D√ (1)
1.1.7 B√ (1)
1.1.8 B√ (1)
1.1.9 C√ (1)
1.1.10 A√ (1) (10 x 1) (10) 
1.2
1.2.1 baptism√ (1)
1.2.2 mantra√ (1)
1.2.3 moksha√ (1)
1.2.4 Ten Commandments√ (1)
1.2.5 Hajj√ (1)
1.2.6 rituals√ (1) (6 x 1) (6) 
1.3
1.3.1 D√ (1)
1.3.2 G√ (1)
1.3.3 A√ (1)
1.3.4 E√ (1)
1.3.5 F√ (1)
1.3.6 B√ (1) (6 x 1) (6) 
1.4
1.4.1 Sikhism√ 
The others are Abrahamic Religions. (2) 
1.4.2 Divinity√ 
The others refer to comparison between religions./ Concepts that  are often used in the context of religion.√ (2) 
1.4.3 Sanskrit√ 
The others belong to Islam. √ (2) 
1.4.4 Bab√ 
The others belong to Hinduism. √ (2) (4 x 2) (8)
1.5
1.5.1

• The interpretation of sacred texts/scriptures. √ 
• The word comes from the Greek word hermeneuein meaning  'interpret'. √ (2) 

1.5.2

• This is a fundamental belief in Taoism. √ 
• All the world's processes are made up of two opposing  forces, Yin and Yang. √ 
• The Yang is active, light, forceful, male and the Yin is  passive, dark, yielding, female. √ (2) 

1.5.3

• It is a solemn promise/agreement/vow/pledge. √ 
• It is generally assigned to Judaism. √ 
• The covenant was made by God as an agreement between  Him and the Jews. √ (2) 

1.5.4

• The word comes from Sanskrit, meaning 'enlightened one'. √
• It was given as a title to Siddhartha Gautama, founder of  Buddhism.√ 
• Because of the Buddhist belief in reincarnation there is a  succession of Buddhas, so there is more than one Buddha.√ (2) 

1.5.5

• This person is known as a sangoma. √ 
• She/He acts as an go-between/ intermediary between  humans and the ancestors. √ 
• She/He is a foreteller of the destiny of a person. √ (2) 

NOTE: Other relevant responses must be credited. (5 x 2) (10) 
1.6
1.6.1 FALSE. √ Theravada means the 'Way of the Elders' or 'Tradition  of the Elders'.√/ Mahayana Buddhism is known as the Greater Vehicle. √ (2) 
1.6.2 FALSE. √ Ubuntu dictates the moral order in African Traditional  Religion. √/ Syncretism is the formation of a new religion by combining  aspects of different religions. √ (2) 
1.6.3 FALSE. √ Shoghi Effendi (1897–1957) was a leader of the  Bahá'i Faith. √ (2) 
1.6.4 TRUE √√ (2)  
1.6.5 FALSE. √ They attain Enlightenment or Nirvana. √/ Karma is the belief that every action has a consequence, which  may show up in the present lifetime or only in a later  reincarnation.√ (2) 

TOTAL SECTION A: 50

SECTION B:  
QUESTION 2 
2.1.
2.1.1 

• Literally the word means 'the science/study of ideas'. It is a  system/set of ideas/beliefs, (values and opinions that determine  the way a person or group behaves, thinks and looks at the  world. 
• For people without a religion their ideology is the way they see  the world and therefore it may be a substitute for religion.  (world view) 
• Examples: communism, Marxism/ fascism/ nationalism/  democracy/ socialism. (4) 

2.1.2 

• It is a synonym for religious teachings or beliefs. 
• It refers to divine instruction. 
• Example: Moksha is liberation from the ongoing cycle of  reincarnation in Hinduism. / 
• Jesus Christ is the Son of God in Christianity./ 
• There is only one God (Allah) in Islam. (4) 

2.1.3 

• Religions are not in conflict but co-exist peacefully. 
• Religions co-operate/work together on a humanitarian crisis. 
• Example: Religions are united when they are in agreement, for  example on a teaching, e.g. a sense of unity/being one with the  divinity is an important part of religious experience. 
• A religion's identity creates unity within it by creating a sense of  belonging. (4) 

2.2
2.2.1 

• The name of the divinity in Islam is Allah. 
• Allah's attribute is that He does not beget nor is He Begotten. 
• The sacred scripture is the Qur'an. 
• It was dictated verbatim by the archangel Gabriel to the illiterate  Prophet Mohammed. 
• According to their dietary laws, only food described as 'halaal' may be eaten. (4) 

2.2.2 

• Christianity believes in the Trinity; that there is only one God  and in this one God there are three persons. 
• The three persons of the Trinity are God the Father, God the  Son and God the Holy Spirit. 
• Jesus is the Son of God. 
• Jesus is God incarnate. 
• Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the dead/  resurrection. (4)

2.2.3 

• Hinduism has many gods and goddesses who represent  aspects of Brahman. Krishna, Shiva, Vishnu are examples. 
• In Hinduism the soul is regarded as eternal and unchangeable. 
• Hindus have four aims in life: dharma (the way of Higher Truth),  artha (acquisition of wealth), kama (sensual enjoyment),  moksha (release from suffering). 
• There are four castes/classes in society: priestly  (Brahmanas/Brahmins), ruler (ksatriyas), workers or traders  (vaisya/vaishyas), servants (sudras). 
• There are four stages of life (ashramas): student, married,  retirement and the optional devout stage (sannyasins). 
• Hindus believe in reincarnation, where the soul goes through  a series of births and deaths. 
• The soul is driven from birth to death and from death to birth in  a continuous cycle called samsara. 
• A unique feature of Hinduism is the concept of reincarnation – rebirth in various life forms. (4) 

2.2.4 

• Their central idea is Tao, the closest to an idea of divinity. 
• Tao means 'the path of the universe'. 
• All the world's processes are made up of the two opposing  forces of Yin and Yang, e.g. hate and love. 

NOTE: Other relevant responses must be credited. (4) 
2.3
2.3.1 

• Ancestors communicate with living members of the family  through an intermediary. 
• Ancestors may communicate via animals. 
• This intermediary is called a sangoma/diviner who fulfils a  continued relationship with the ancestors. 
• A common way of communication is through dreams and  visions. (4) 

2.3.2 

• The belief that the ancestors guide and protect the family  strengthens the family, which in turn builds up the community. 
• There is a great sense of connection and continuity within the  family and community. 
• This makes members feel secure because it gives them a great  sense of identity and belonging. 
• One is encouraged to live a chaste life. One is rewarded for this  in the world by the ancestors, who are believed to be the  mouthpiece of the Creator. (6) 

2.3.3 

• African Traditional Religion does not have written scriptures. 
• Instead it has a strong oral tradition in which story-telling is  important. 
• Story-telling performs the same function as written texts in this  religion. 

NOTE: Other relevant responses must be credited. (2)
2.4 

• A myth is usually a 'large-scale' story told in an exaggerated way. 
• It conveys a spiritual truth. 
• It refers to a religious story in which the truth about life is revealed, e.g. about the creation of the world, life after death. 
• A parable is a story that teaches a moral or a lesson. 
• Unlike the large scale of a myth, a parable involves any kind of character,  even a simple and ordinary person. 
• It is usually short. 

NOTE: Two marks are awarded for “myth” and two marks for “parable” (4) 
2.5 

• The three Abrahamic Religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – are all  monotheistic. 
• They are sometimes called 'religions of the book' because they all believe  in divinely inspired Holy Scriptures. 
• The Holy Scripture is very important in these religions, and leads to their  placing strong emphasis on teaching. 
• They are known as Abrahamic Religions because they all recognise  Abraham as a great prophet. 
• They believe in angels. 
• They believe in life after death. 
• They share a common belief about creation. 
• They believe in the Final Judgement of all mankind. 
• In all three religions the discipline of fasting is encouraged to nurture  spirituality. 
• They believe in the prophets. 

NOTE: Other relevant responses must be credited. (6) [50]
QUESTION 3 
3.1
3.1.1 

• We live in a 'global village' of mass communication and social  networks. The increase may be a natural part of the general  increase in media coverage on all matters. 
• More people are interested in religion. 
• With easier access to information the lay person can challenge  and hold the 'religious expert' accountable. This leads to  controversy, which raises public interest. 
• The media is a powerful tool to spread information and  teachings and is being used by religions themselves for this  purpose. 
• People are drawn by curiosity and sensational stories. 
• The media uses this to sell their news and make a profit. 

NOTE: Other relevant responses must be credited. (4) 
3.1.2

• Sensationalism sells, thus increasing profits. 
• They want to make profit. 
• They lack genuine information about religion. 
• They tend to be biased. 
• They use negative stereotypes in reporting. 

NOTE: No credit is given for examples. 
Other relevant responses must be credited. (4) 
3.1.3

• They should have strong policies and procedures in place to  guide them about how they conduct themselves and how they  interact with the media. 
• Religions must ensure that their members follow protocol. 
• They must have a spokesperson who will deal with media  issues. 
• Members need to display a high level of discipline and be  accountable. 
• Their conduct and positive use of the media will serve to  counteract any negative reporting. 
• If there is negative reporting, they can use the media to set  the record straight. 

NOTE: Other relevant responses must be credited. (6) 
3.1.4

• The media usually reports from a certain 'angle' to gain the  effect they desire. 
• They carefully select the visual material they use. 
• Their headlines draw our attention. 
• Their use of language is deliberate to support their angle – tone, vocabulary, etc. 
• They interview popular people and celebrities. 
• They select where they place an article in print media. 
• The repetition of the same message in different ways leads to  the recipient eventually accepting the message, even if it is  untrue. 

NOTE: Other relevant responses must be credited. (8)
3.1.5 EXAMPLE 1: CONFLICTS 

• Conflict in the Middle East and Africa is seen as religious,  e.g. Israel/Palestine, Syria, Iran, Libya and Nigeria. 
• Israel/Palestine: The struggle between the Jews and  Palestinians is long-standing and there hardly seems to be a  solution.  
• Syria, Iraq: The intra-religious Muslim conflict in these parts with  the involvement of ISIS is a 'hot topic'. It has led to the  humanitarian crisis of refugees fleeing their war-torn country,  many of them heading to North Africa and from there on risky  boats across the Mediterranean to Europe. 
• Nigeria: Boko Haram, a Muslim group, has carried out a number of attacks on civilians and the government.

WHY? 

• People want to be kept informed about the conflict situations  mentioned. 
• They want to know the level of religious involvement. 
• The issues above have caused humanitarian crises, for  example the refugee problem. 
• As a journalist I would want to expose the suffering of the  people and encourage a resolution of the problem. 

EXAMPLE 2: OTHER TOPICAL RELIGIOUS ISSUES 

• Issues of topical interest: prosperity religion, bling pastors, fake  pastors. 

WHY? 

• As a journalist I would want to expose the abuse of religious  power. 
• Vulnerable people are being preyed upon in the name of  God/religion. (8) 

NOTE:TWO marks are awarded for each issue, and TWO  marks are awarded for each reason. 
Other relevant responses must be credited. 
3.2
3.2.1

• This is an open mind and an open attitude./ A person should  not be prejudicial. 
• A person finds out about a religion simply to be able to  understand and appreciate it.  
• There is no other motive/reason, such as to judge or compare. (4) 

3.2.2

• The unique things of a religion make it different from others.
• The unique things of a religion are the things it comes to  treasure most. 
• Its followers can become protective and defensive of these. 
• Consequently they become easily offended and upset if others  do not give them due respect. 
• People fear differences. (6)

NOTE: If the learner has merely repeated verbatim from the  dialogue, a maximum of TWO marks must be awarded. 
3.2.3

• Ben admires the diversity among religions/ He is tolerant of  other religions. 
• He thinks that the unique things about a religion are beautiful. 
• He thinks these make the religion great. (2) 

3.2.4

• Shireen thinks that understanding and tolerance can be risky.
• There is no certainty that one will receive understanding and  tolerance in return. 
• The other religion might still try to convert her. 
• It might adopt a superior attitude. 
• It might discriminate against her. (6) 

3.2.5 BEN:  

• Visit places of worship of different religions. 
• Meet people of different faiths. 
• Join an interfaith group. 
• Support an interreligious charity organisation.
  OR 

SHIREEN:  

• Take action to increase your knowledge, understanding and/or  experience of your own religion. 
• Tolerate and respect other religious beliefs, even if one does not agree with them. 

NOTE: Other relevant responses must be credited. (2) [50]

QUESTION 4 
4.1
4.1.1 

• It is a basic right given to every human being without  discrimination. 
• It is given to a person simply because he/she is a person,  deserving human dignity. (4) 

4.1.2 

• The judgement upheld freedom of religion as a human right for  all (constitution) when it declared it illegal to favour any one  religion above another. 
• The judgement allowed religious observances to be held in  public schools on three conditions. These three conditions  correspond exactly with the constitution. 

The three conditions are: 

1. Observances must follow rules made by the appropriate  public authorities (in the case of a school, this would be the  school governing body).
2. They are conducted on an equitable basis.
3. Attendance at them is free and voluntary. (10) 

4.2
4.2.1

• Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa  (PROCMURA) 
• Interfaith Action for Peace in Africa (IFAPA) 
• The African Council of Religious Leaders (Religions for Peace)  

(ACRL/R/P) 
(Any ONE of the above) 
NOTE: Accept a South African interreligious organisation. Do not  credit a solely humanitarian organisation. (2) 
4.2.2

• Parliament of World Religions/Parliament of the World's  Religions/World Parliament of Religions 
• World Conference of Religions for Peace 

 NOTE: Even humanitarian global interreligious organisation can  be accepted. 
(Any ONE of the above) (2) 
4.2.3 EXAMPLE 1: PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS  (PWR) 

• Meeting for the first time in 1893, it brought people of different  religions together to engage in dialogue. 
• This is often regarded as the start of modern time awareness of  positive inter-religious relationships. 
• At the second meeting a 100 years later it was decided to meet  regularly every approximately five years. 
• The document/declaration of who they are and what they stand  for, called 'Towards a Global Ethic', was an outcome of this  second meeting. 
• The initial idea of PWR was to provide a space for religious  dialogue. That was seen as the need of those times.
• There has been a progression from that beginning towards joint  action to tackle social problems across the world. 
• Successive PWRs have tackled issues such as HIV/Aids,  religious violence, safe water, refugees, and eliminating  external debt in developing countries. 
• They supported and gave input for the Millennium Development  Goals for the eradication of poverty. 
• Included in the Millennium Development Goals are  reconciliation, global climate change and sustainability. 

EXAMPLE 2: WORLD CONFERENCE OF RELIGIONS FOR  PEACE (WCRP) 

• WCRP was involved in training communities about the human  rights of the child (Convention on the Rights of the Child, the  most widely ratified human rights agreement in history). 
• It helped build reconciliation in Bosnia and Kosovo in Europe. 
• It mediated among warring groups in Sierra Leone. 
• It set up an international network of religious women's  organisations. 
• In partnership with other organisations it formed Hope for  African Children which tackled the problem of vulnerable  children as a result of HIV/AIDS in Africa. This included  malnutrition, abuse and exploitation; orphans, absence from  school because of having to look after sick family members,  poverty. (10)  

4.2.4 EXAMPLE 1: PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS  (PWR) 

• There is an attitude of mutual respect, inclusivity and dialogue. 
• Barriers between religions have been broken down. 
• It moved from dialogue to action. 
• It responds to the needs expressed in dialogue. 

NOTE: If 4.2.2. is incorrect, then 4.2.3 and 4.2.4 can be credited  only if there is clear reference to ONE global interreligious  organisation. 
EXAMPLE 2: WORLD CONFERENCE OF RELIGIONS FOR  PEACE (WCRP) 

• There is an attitude of mutual respect, inclusivity and dialogue. 
• Religions are working co-operatively towards world peace. 
• It is the largest international inter-religious body and it is active  on every continent. 
• From its reconciliation and mediation work in conflict areas it  can be seen that it is a trusted negotiator. (6)

4.2.5 

• At state functions, such as the opening of parliament, the  inauguration of the state president, etc. religious leaders from  a variety of religions are invited to participate in the ceremony. 
• At public holiday celebrations, such as Human Rights Day and  Heritage Day, religious leaders from different religions take part. 
• Interfaith services are held. 
• There are many religious NGOs (Non-Governmental  Organisations) serving the needs of the vulnerable of all faiths  and none. 

NOTE: Other relevant responses must be credited. (6) 
4.2.6 

• Religion can influence people's behaviour in both positive and  negative ways. 
• It is a very individual matter, as people have their own ways of  seeing and doing things. 
• Most religions teach good manners. 
• They instil values like care and respect for one's neighbour. 
• This can have a very positive effect on a person's upbringing  and formation. 
• However, a person can be intolerant of other religions because  of pride, ignorance, even fear. 

NOTE: Other relevant responses must be credited. (10) [50] 

 TOTAL SECTION B 100 
GRAND TOTAL 150