MEMORANDUM

SECTION A
QUESTION 1
1.1
1.1.1 C – Promoting unity among churches (1)
1.1.2 D – The act of showing deep respect, for example to ancestors, in the African Traditional Religion (1)
1.1.3 B – Someone who helps others attain Nirvana (1)
1.1.4 C – A deep and solemn agreement (1)
1.1.5 D – Trance (1)
1.1.6 C – Non-theism (1)
1.1.7 C – Greek (1)
1.1.8 A – Reincarnation (1)
1.1.9 B – Accepts opinions different from one’s own (1)
1.1.10 A – Tao-te-Ching (1)
1.2
1.2.1 F – Pluralism (1)
1.2.2 G – Haifa (1)
1.2.3 D – Syncretism (1)
1.2.4 B – Taoism (1)
1.2.5 E – Ritual (1)
1.3
1.3.1 The Bahá’i faith (1)
1.3.2 Sufism (1)
1.3.3 Kitáb-i-Aqdas (1)
1.3.4 Mitzvot (1)
1.3.5 Judaism (1)
1.4
1.4.1 Divinity – This concept also refers to a divine being or Supreme Being. It also means ‘god-like’. (2)
1.4.2 Comparability – Means to be able to compare two things, e.g. to be able to compare two religions. Comparisons can either be explicit or implicit. (2)
1.4.3 Uniqueness – Uniqueness is the quality of being unique or unusual. In Religion Studies it means that each religion is unique or remarkable. (2)
1.4.4 Allegory – Much more like parables. A story that is told to illustrate a principle. It is limited to making one single point. (2)
1.4.5 Fundamentalism – Fundamentalism is a selective interpretation of religious teachings. It is also conservative / literal blending of selected elements of modern society, with a view to promoting the interests of a particular religious group within a religion. Fundamentalists are against change. (2)
1.5
1.5.1 FALSE – The Buddha was an enlightened human being. (2)
1.5.2 FALSE – Conservative Jews believe that the Torah was given by God. (2)
1.5.3 FALSE – The Crusades were a series of Christian wars against mainly Muslim territories. (2)
1.5.4 TRUE (2)
1.5.5 FALSE – Icamagu is the South African national religious structure of African Traditional Religion / ilima is the practice of assisting the poor. (2)
1.6
1.6.1 All these religions believe in only ONE God. (1)
1.6.2

• It strengthens the believer’s faith.
• It identifies the religion among other religions.
• It helps the believer on his or her life journey.
• It helps believers explain why they chose that particular religion. (4)

1.6.3

• The ancestors play an intermediary role between God and the living.
• They are in spirit form and are found everywhere.
• The ancestors are the messengers of the Creator, supervisors of the physical world.
• The ancestors see to the welfare of the living, mainly through the elderly.
• They teach the youth verbally and by means of rituals.
• Assist with the transfer of tradition (religion) from one generation to the next.
• They make themselves known to the living by means of dreams and visions
  NOTE: Any relevant answer must be credited. (Any 4 x 1) (4)

1.6.4

• The Vedas
• The Bhagavad Gita (1)
  TOTAL SECTION A: 50

SECTION B
QUESTION 2
2.1 2.1.1 EASTERN RELIGION (Example 1)
Hinduism

• The role of Hindu religious teachings is to ensure that its followers understand that Hinduism is an eternal faith.
• Its role is also to ensure that the followers realise there are fundamental aspects of spiritual life.
• This includes knowledge of the nature of God, the soul, the relationship between God and the souls.
• Most importantly, methods by which the souls may attain God.
• How the souls may attain eternal peace.

MIDDLE EASTERN RELIGION (Example 2)
Christianity

• In Christianity there are doctrines of salvation.
• They believe in the Trinity
• They believe in the end of time.
• In Reformed Christianity, groups are formalised and systematic teachings are extremely important.
• In Charismatic groups there is less emphasis on teachings. (10)

2.1.2 SIMILARITIES
HINDUISM and BUDDHISM

• Both believe in reincarnation.
• Both have sacred texts.
• They both perform rituals.
• Both observe special holy days.
• They both originated in India. (10)

2.2 2.2.1

• Christians believe that you should love your neighbour as you love yourself.
• This teaching encourages treating people equally.
• Thou shalt not kill.
• This refers to the sanctity of human life. (6)

2.2.2

• Respect is one of the basic teachings of Bahá’i faith.
• It is of paramount importance.
• The Bahá’i faith teaches that women should be treated with respect.
• Women’s dignity should be protected.
• Children should be taught to obey the elderly. (6)

2.2.3

• The concepts of LOVE in the African Traditional Religion is embodied in the concept of Ubuntu.
• Ubuntu is an African philosophy of respect and empathy for human beings.
• Ubuntu means a person is a person through other people.
• The principle of Ubuntu encourages helping one’s community.
• The principle of ilima is one in which the community provides help to those members who are less fortunate. (6)

2.3 2.3.1 Love is the Golden Rule in Christianity.

• God is love.
• God loves all people especially the vulnerable.
• This is a universal ethical rule.
• This is a rule that is found in nearly all religions and other ethical systems. (4)

2.3.2 The clan is the basic structure in the African Traditional Religion.

• It is expected of every individual to know his or her family tree, as it is their frame of reference and the basis of their identity.
• The clan consists of both the fatherly and the motherly lineage.
• The clan lays the foundations for the way of worship and how people should relate to one another. (4)

2.3.3 Jihad is an Arabic word meaning ‘to strive, to apply oneself, to struggle to persevere’.

• It literally means ‘effort to achieve a certain goal/objective’.
• It is also the religious duty of Muslims to maintain their religion.
• It includes defensive military action to protect the religion and Muslim life.
• It is regarded as a Holy War. (4) [50]

QUESTION 3
3.1 HUMAN RIGHTS

• Human rights, in a religious context, refer to the inherent dignity of a human being.
• It also means that the existence of a human being gives him or her high value on earth.
• This concept is centred upon the belief that all human beings are created in the image of God. (4)

3.2 VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

• One might be tried and sentenced to jail time.
• One might even get a fine.
• One may lose one’s job as a result of one’s actions.
• One’s life and the lives of one’s family might be in danger as people might retaliate. (4)

3.3 HUMAN RIGHTS IN RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS
CHRISTIANITY (Example 1)

• Christianity relies very strongly on the Ten Commandments when it comes to guiding its adherents’ lifestyle.
• ‘Thou shalt not kill’ is one of those commandments with a strong human rights inclination.
• This commandment basically promulgates that everyone is entitled to life.

JUDAISM (Example 2)

• In this Jewish religion everyone is entitled to the same rights without distinction / discrimination.
• Jews believe that ‘people are born good’.
• Each person has a holy spark, a divine soul with unlimited potential for good.
• They are, thus, deserving to be treated with dignity and respect.

BAHÁ’I FAITH (Example 3)

• The Baha’i faith discourages all forms of religious, political, economic and patriotic prejudices.
• According to the Bahá’i faith humanity will not be able to achieve the success and prosperity of which it is capable until women are treated as equal to men.
• Human beings are viewed as equal in this faith.

ISLAM (Example 4)

• The Islamic religion encourages peoples’ right to privacy.
• A person may not enter a stranger’s household without permission.
• If there is no response after asking thrice, the visitor must leave (hadith).
  NOTE: Examples of teachings other than those in the marking guideline must be accepted, provided they emphasise the human rights in question. Religious teachings must be linked to human rights. (12)

3.4 3.4.1 MYTH

• The word ‘myth’ comes from the word ‘mythos’ which means ‘word’ or ‘fable’.
• It refers to those religious stories in which deep truths about creation, life and death are revealed.
• In everyday usage, the term refers to something that is not true.
• A myth does not necessarily try to make a moral point.
• It forms, however, the basis of teachings and even dogma in some religions.
• Myths are sacred stories that explain why the world is as it is and the nature of human experience.
• There are myths of creation in many religions, e.g. in Zulu belief, a young man is lowered by the Creator from heaven to earth, tied by his umbilical cord.
  NOTE: Other relevant examples must be credited. FOUR marks are awarded for the explanation, while TWO marks are awarded for the relevant example. (6)

3.4.2 DOCTRINE

• Refers mostly to the role of intellectuals in religious communities in finding and organising religious beliefs into coherent philosophical patterns.
• A set of religious teachings/principles or belief.
• There is a sense of argument and negotiation as doctrines are constructed in relation to philosophical worldviews.
• Doctrines are often contested.
• For example, early Christian doctrines developed in relation to the Greek philosophies of the time.
• The doctrine of Christ as both human and God developed in relation to the Greek understanding of nature and essence.
  NOTE: Other relevant examples must be credited. FOUR marks are to be awarded for explanations and TWO marks for a relevant example. (6)

3.5 3.5.1 DOGMA

• It has two shades of meaning that are relevant in the context of religion.
• This concept refers to the principle, tenet or system of these particularly as laid down by a collective religious authority,
• Dogma also has an added commutation which is of collective religious authority.
• Dogma has an element of collective authority.
• Dogma is presented by the collective religious authority as founded in divine revelation.
• There is no cut-off point between a teaching and a dogma. (4)

3.5.2 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHING AND BELIEF TEACHING

• To give systematic information about a subject.
• It is highly significant in some religions, less important in others and of hardly any importance to yet others.
• Religions that consider teaching seriously emphasise clear, rational and systematic thinking.

BELIEF

• May be used as a synonym for faith
• It may mean acceptance of a thing, a fact, a statement, etc.
• It may mean a firm opinion.
• It may also mean trust and confidence. (3 + 3) (6)

3.5.3 THE ROLE OF PARABLES IN RELIGIOUS TEACHING

• The word refers to a story that is told to illustrate a religious principle or answers a religious question.
• It is usually very short and contains a definite moral story.
• They contain religious beliefs, ideas, morals and warnings.
• They are set within a culture and social environment of the people that produce them. (8) [50]

QUESTION 4
4.1 4.1.1 EFFECTIVENESS OF THE WORLD PARLIAMENT OF RELIGIONS
YES

• The World Parliament of Religions has been effective to a certain extent, since there are more conferences that deal with issues that lead to understanding and cooperation in various issues.
• In a Parliament held in Cape Town (1999), crucial issues were discussed including HIV and Aids.
• The conference resulted in many educational activities within various religions as efforts to combat the spread of this pandemic.
• The meeting of the parliament in Barcelona, Spain, focused on violence, safety issues and the elimination of external debt in developing countries.
• Violence decreased in most of the countries and the bigger powers became more lenient and religious. Conflict was consequently reduced.
• In 2007 the focus was to eliminate poverty.
• A variety of faith organisations established a variety of activities to assist the poor, such as soup kitchens.
• In 2009 the parliament met in Melbourne in Australia to deal with issues such as sustainability and global climate change.
• This led to environmental consciousness being inculcated in the minds of many people of various religions.

NO

• The World Parliament of Religions has not shown any success in ensuring cooperation and understanding since the religions still find it difficult to work together.
• Decisions are taken but not implemented.
• Decisions taken by the World Parliament of Religions are not binding on governments.
• Although the parliament was held in Cape Town in 1999, where decisions were taken by various religions, the HIV and Aids pandemic is escalating.
• There is a high rate of teenage pregnancy which means that different religions are not effectively reaching out to the youth in terms of life skills that will ensure that the youth are empowered both spiritually and socially, including sexual behaviour.
• There is still violence in many parts of the countries and in the whole of Africa. Religions are definitely not succeeding in this aspect.
• There is a high rate of poverty in our country and in many African countries. While religious groups are endeavouring to fight against poverty, more and more people are becoming poor due to a lack of employment.
• Religions need to work cooperatively with other organisations, e.g. government, non-government at organisations and other agencies.
  NOTE: Any relevant answer must be credited. (12)

4.1.2

• The World Conference on Religions for Peace convened in Kyoto, Japan in October 1970.
• It was established in 1961 when a handful of senior leaders from the world’s major faith traditions explored organising a religious summit towards achieving peace.
• The vision of the World Conference on Religions for Peace started in the 19th century when a World Parliament of Religions was held in Chicago in 1893.
• Religious leaders arranged two conferences in the USA.
• The resolution was taken in Kyoto to form an inter-religious body.
• The last conference in Cape Town 1999 attracted 7 000 people.
• Mediation between groups at war with each other in countries such as Sierra Leone was conducted.
• Help with reconstruction was also offered.
• A programme to help children in Africa who are affected by HIV and Aids has been developed.
• Has a programme to address poverty and illness. (12)

4.1.3 YES

• They can set aside their differences and work together to cooperate with the government.
• They can also work together to participate in the building of a just and free society in South Africa and the world.
• The nation needs religious groups to assist in the creation of a society that is moral and compassionate.
• Many political leaders believe and trust that religions have an important role to play in solving social challenges, such as poverty, violence and xenophobia.
• South Africa is unique because religious organisations worked together to oppose the apartheid government.
• It can only be in this way that the religious groups can meaningfully contribute to the healing of a society.
• They can also contribute to the promotion of religion in education and therefore ensure religious tolerance.

NO

• The increasing preoccupation with the selfish pursuit of individual wealth cannot be the basis for any interfaith cooperation.
• Different religions have their teachings that guide their followers on moral issues to avoid conflicts.
• Most of the conflicts are political.
• If religions are not registered with the government, they will not be recognised.
• Political parties are doing more work than religious groups because they are the majority in parliament.
• Religious groups consider their differences first before they attend to national issues.
• Religions like to distance themselves from political issues, through for example not voting. (10)

4.2 ORGANISATION (PROCMURA)

• The Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa (PROCMURA)
• It is the oldest and the pioneer interfaith organisation in Africa.
• The focus is on Christian relations with Muslims.
• To witness the gospel within an interfaith environment.
• To promote constructive engagement with Muslims for peace.
• To hold interfaith consultations. (12)

4.3 INTERDENOMINATIONAL and INTERRELIGIOUS

• Interdenominational – fellowship within different denominations of the same religion.
• Interreligious – fellowship between the different religions irrespective of their belief. (4) [50]

QUESTION 5
5.1 INCREASED COVERAGE

• The media thrives on sensationalism.
• Negativity, scandals as well as crime, are thought to sell well.
• Thus, there is an incentive for media professionals to organise or ‘frame’ reports around these themes.
• The competitiveness between media houses is huge.
• The exposure of more and more fake pastors by people who were victims of their unscrupulous tactics, has led to a huge increase in the coverage of religious issues. (8)

5.2 THE ABUSE OF PEOPLES’ BELIEF SYSTEMS

• Spiritual abuse – A person in a dominant position using scripture or religious rules to control people. For example, a priest or pastor using Scripture to harass or intimidate a woman who wants to leave her abusive husband.
• Financial abuse – Using Scripture for the promise of a blessing to coerce people to make sizeable donations.
• Women abuse – Using Scripture to dominate women.
• The use of religious beliefs and forums by politicians during election campaigns.
• Promises that congregants or followers will go to heaven by enriching the religious leader or organisation.
• Some preachers even pretend that they are talking to God on cell phones while they preach.
• Old people who live of social grants are preyed on.
• The exploitation and abuse of the poorest of the poor and children is common place. (10)

5.3

• Religious leaders should monitor one another.
• A forum can be formed where they can regulate themselves to determine whether people of a particular religious group religion are doing what is acceptable or not.
• This can also be used to determine whether what is being done by people in the religious sector is according to doctrine or not.
• This organisation should protect and promote the constitutional right of freedom of association.
• Freedom of religion should not be used as an excuse for abusing or harming people.
• Many organisations exist to help in this regard, including the South African Council for the Protection and Promotion of Religious Rights and Freedom.
  NOTE: Any relevant response must be credited. (10)

5.4 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEDIA AND RELIGIONS

• Religions must have knowledge of how to use the media and its restrictions.
• Religions should be proactive and explain their point of view to the media.
• Religions must also understand the responsibilities that they have towards communities.
• Religious organisations must teach their members how to handle media.
• Religious organisations must invite media experts for advice.
• The media needs to have knowledge and understanding of different religions before reporting on religious issues.
• The media has a responsibility to present the information in an unbiased manner.
• Because articles are written by individuals with personal opinions, these opinions may influence the reader on significant issues.
• Media must exercise caution in making comments and statements that seem judgemental about religious issues.
  NOTE: Any relevant response must be credited. (10)

5.5 REGULATION OF RELIGION
YES

• According to the Constitution the government has an obligation to protect its citizens.
• This include members of religious organisations.
• With all the bad press that certain Christian leaders have generated, it has become important for religions to be regulated.
• People were coerced into using faith products supplied by fake pastors instead of real medicines.
• This led to people defaulting on necessary chronic medication, including ARV’s.
• The death of worshippers using faith products and being exposed to harmful situations is on the rise.
• Government should only intervene if the law has been broken.
• E.g. any form of discrimination, restricting freedom of association, etc.
• People should not be allowed to commit criminal acts and hide behind freedom of religion.

NO

• The constitution guarantees religious freedom.
• People should be free to believe without interference by the State.
• Religions should be free to preach or teach without punishment. 
• Doctrine is protected by the Constitution.
• Religious organisations believe that they have been inspired by God.
• Therefore, they do not need to be regulated by people.
• Over-regulation can lead to resistance against the State.
  NOTE: Any relevant response must be credited. (12)

TOTAL SECTION B: 100
GRAND TOTAL: 150