RELIGIOUS STUDIES
PAPER 2
GRADE 12
NSC PAST PAPERS AND MEMOS
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

MEMORANDUM

NOTE: If a candidate has answered more than THREE questions, only the first three must  be marked. The extra questions should be struck off, with EQ written across the answers. 
QUESTION 1 
1.1

• The Eastern Cape leaders believe that the Islamic Religion is contrary to  their culture./The marriage would bring about a clash of cultures. 
• They believe that the new wife to Inkosi would negatively influence their  chief against their cultural practices. 
• They regard the Inkosi as the custodian of their culture and tradition./ He  is a chief, and must uphold traditional values 
• They are also afraid that the marriage based on different religious  backgrounds would divide their tribe. 
• According to African culture, the wife of the Inkosi is regarded as the  mother of the nation. 
• She is therefore expected to play a leading role in the cultural functions of  their nation. (10) 

1.2

• The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa guarantees all individuals  their human rights. 
• Every individual is entitled to freedom of choice. and conscience 
• Even though I am a traditional leader, the same rights apply to me. 
• I have a right to choose whom to marry, irrespective of culture or religion.
• I have a right to enter into a marriage and have a family of my choice.
• I have freedom from state or personal interference in my right to make  choices. 
• I have the right to participate in the cultural life of my community with my wife, irrespective of religious affiliation and cultural background. 
• I have the right not to be discriminated against even after marrying a  woman from a different culture or religion. 
• I acknowledge that I am the custodian of my African culture and customs. ∙ According to the African culture, the Inkosi has to be considerate of his  subjects' interests and needs before his own.
• I do not see any difficulty in upholding these obligations, just because I  am married to a Muslim woman.
• This marriage will unite our people with another faith.
  NOTE: Other relevant responses must be accepted. (16) 

1.3 EXAMPLE 1: TAOISM 

• The Tao-te Ching has little to say about the community, but a lot about  how individuals should direct their lives. 
• Tao does not have a plan, and Tao is massively powerful.
• The earth and the people are just a tiny speck in the midst of the Tao.
• The Tao has given life no purpose or plan. 
• To the Taoist, it is common sense that you should live in harmony with  the Tao.
• If you live in harmony with the Tao, you will then discover that life is its  own reward.
• The Tao only crushes you when you try to stop the path it is following.
• The individual must be flexible in order to live in harmony with the Tao.
• In Taoism there is more emphasis on individual action than that of the  community.
• The Taoists believe that the community develops from the individuals.
• If the individual is in line with the Tao, the whole community will live  harmoniously. 

EXAMPLE 2: CHRISTIANITY 

• According to the Christian faith, God created humanity.
• God realised that Adam needed the company of another human being.  That person had to be of the opposite sex and the result was that God  created Eve. 
• In the Christian view, no person should dominate or exploit another  person.
• Jesus said to His disciples, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord  it over them and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not  be so among you.'
• Jesus also said, '… whoever would be great among you must be your  servant.'
• Individuals have to look after one another and also protect one other.
• Humans should be a community in the same way that the Three Persons  of the Holy Trinity are a community. 
• Humanity should have a relationship of mutual respect and love. 
• The Three Persons of the Holy Trinity communicate and consult among  each other, so should the community. 
• In Christianity individual rights are not above that of the community.  There is always consideration of other people's rights and needs. (20)

[50] 

QUESTION 2 
2.1

2.1.1 EXAMPLE 1: ISLAM 
Sunni Islam 

• Sunnis believe that the faithful, rather than the descendants of  the Prophet, should elect their leaders. 
• Sunni refers to the followers of the sunnah (example) of the  Prophet Muhammad. 
• All the companions of the Prophet are believed to be given  equal respect in Islamic jurisprudence. 
• Sunnis do not believe in the Mutta (temporary marriage). 

Shi'a Islam 

• They believe that the caliphate (successor to Prophet  Muhammad) should be from among his descendants.
• They believe that caliphs are divinely appointed imams.
• They also believe that caliphs have supernatural knowledge  and authority to lead the faithful. 
• They share a collective guilt for not coming to the aid of Husain  when he was martyred.
• They believe in Mutta (temporary marriage).

EXAMPLE 2: CHRISTIANITY  
The Catholic Church 

• It considers itself to be the original Christian church.
• The Catholic Church believes in the orders of priests, monks  and nuns who devote their lives completely to God. 
• They take the vows of celibacy as they believe that they are  married to the Church. 
• They believe that the supreme authority of the Church rests  with the Pope. 
• The Pope is considered to be the successor of St. Peter, who  is believed to be the leader of Jesus' twelve apostles. 
• The Church teaches that God is made of three separate, yet  equal, parts, namely the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  This is known as the Holy Trinity.  

The Eastern Orthodox Church 

• The Trinity and the Holy Spirit are understood in a different way than the views of the Catholic Church.
• The Eastern Orthodox Church believes that the Holy Spirit  comes from God the Father only.
• The Eastern Orthodox Church disagrees with adding the Son  because they believe that this makes the Father and the Son  superior to the Holy Spirit. 

Protestantism 

• Protestant churches do not believe that salvation is something  that has to be earned through rituals and practices.
• Protestants believe that salvation is attained through faith in  Jesus.
• Protestant churches believe that the teachings of the Bible  have more authority than any church leader. (18) 

2.1.2 EXAMPLE 1: ISLAM 
Sunni Islam 

• There are no clergy in Sunni Islam. 
• Any Muslim can serve on the community boards. 
• Governance is localised and community based.
• Scholars of Islam and community members serve on the  governing boards of mosques, madrassas and schools.
• In governance the sunnah (practices) of the Prophet is  observed.
• A shura (consultative) council is appointed, and this in turn  appoints a chairman (ameer). 

Shi'a Islam 

• They believe that only the descendants of the Prophet have  a divine right to lead the Muslims.
• They reserve the title 'imam' for certain past leaders who are believed to have been chosen by God.
• Governance is in the hands of mullahs. 
• The mullahs also have considerable political influence.

EXAMPLE 2: CHRISTIANITY  
The Catholic Church 

• Political control is traditionally seen to be the Vatican in Rome.
• The head of the Catholic Church is the Pope. 
• The first Pope is said to be St. Peter. 
• All Catholic churches are governed by the Vatican. 
• The parish is an area or district with a particular church and  priest. 

The Eastern Orthodox Church 

• Political control was traditionally in Constantinople (Istanbul).
• The church structure comprises priests and bishops. 
• There is no single leader.
• Authority within the church is in the hands of the group of  bishops. 
• A diocese is a group of parishes under the leadership of a  bishop. 

Protestantism 

• The churches are ruled by ordained ministers and bishops or  elected leaders. 
• The overall rule is by higher authority, such as a synod or  general assembly, chaired by the presiding bishop. 
• In Protestant churches, each church is independent.
• The churches are not responsible to any higher authority than  the congregation. (18) 

2.2 NOTE: The role of humans as 'custodians' in Abrahamic faiths  should be awarded a max of six marks for suitable examples .e.g. 
They must care for the animals and plants.√√ 
They must care for the environment√√, etc 
EXAMPLE 1: HINDUISM  

• A young person in the world has a responsibility to ensure that  his/her time and energy are used effectively to attain secular  and spiritual knowledge.
• In doing that a good teacher is indispensable and this is the  first stage of personal development.
• In the second stage of human life it is expected of a grown-up  person to get married.
• He must look after his family and ensure that he works  productively and is economically stable for the welfare of the  society. 
• The next stage is semi-retirement. Its purpose is to encourage  the person to motivate other people to remain detached from  worldly matters/things. 
•  The semi-retired should focus on studying scriptures, meditating and other spiritual endeavours. 
• The final stage for Hindus is to renounce the world and  concentrate on the spiritual quest.

EXAMPLE 2: BUDDHISM 

• Buddhism sees being born as human as rare and very  precious, since one can be born as so many other types of  beings. 
• The primary responsibility of every human is to become  enlightened and to share the way to this enlightenment with  others. 
• Everything else is secondary to enlightenment and, in any  case, impermanent. 
• Historically Buddhism has not been good at practical efforts to  fight poverty, discrimination, etc. 
• Buddhism is not enough to eliminate sufferings in some distant  future; we should reduce it here and now. 
• Engaged Buddhists have been very active in the field of  nuclear disarmament, anti-war efforts and ecologically actions. 
• To be truly effective a Buddhist needs to develop not only the  wisdom to see the true nature of reality, but also the  compassion to share this wisdom with others. (14) 

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Related Items

QUESTION 3  
3.1

3.1.1 Inspiration: 

• Inspiration is an important normative source in many religions. 
• It is the true origin of all religions. 
• Inspiration refers to the power or force of an extraordinary  being taking over a chosen being. 
• The founding figures of many religions were inspired by a  higher power or wisdom. 
• Such people felt that they received 'revelation' from an  extraordinary being. 
• In the African Traditional Religion the mediums or diviners  receive inspiration while they are in a trance. 
• Inspiration is a powerful motivation for the followers of a  religion. 
• There are several types of inspiration, namely:
  • Divine inspiration, which is direct and immediate and inspired the founders of religions 
  • Contemporary inspiration, which is on-going and serves to  unite worshippers with their Creator 
• Mediums and diviners in the ATR communicate with the  spiritual realm through inspiration. (10)

3.1.2 Oral tradition: 

• In all religions oral tradition serves as an effective way of  passing the original message from one generation to another. 
• Some religions place more emphasis on oral tradition than on  their sacred texts. 
• Oral tradition still plays an important role in some religions, e.g.  the African Traditional Religion. 
•  Oral tradition still runs parallel to written texts. 
• Oral tradition provides more clarity than written texts, owing to  the narrative style. 
• The chain of narrators is also important, as it leads to the  original source. 
• Oral tradition reflects local dialect and culture. It is therefore  more easily understood in each culture. 
• Rituals in many religions include oral traditions. (10) 

3.2 Similarities: 

• A religious teaching is a set of broad beliefs regarding the fundamental  questions of human existence. 
• Both Abrahamic and Eastern religions use teachings to guide the  followers towards right living. 
• All religious teachings tend to emphasise clear, rational, systematic  thinking. 
• In both Abrahamic and Eastern religions, teachings are a vehicle to  convey religious dogma. 

Differences:  

• Teachings in the Abrahamic faiths come from the scriptures which are  believed to be the word of God. 
• Therefore, there is more emphasis on correct teachings. 
• In the Abrahamic religions people who deviate from the correct teachings  may have to suffer certain social consequences, e.g. excommunication. 
• In the Abrahamic faiths there is little room for variation as far as the  teachings of the religions are concerned. 
• In Abrahamic religions, sacred text is treated as 'canonical' –prescriptive. ∙ In Eastern religions, the interpretation is more flexible. 
• Teachings in the Eastern religions come from scriptures written by rishis,  sages etc. Some are claimed to be divinely inspired. 
• In the Eastern religions it is more important to do the correct thing and to  behave in the correct way than to follow the teachings.
• In the Eastern religions acceptance of a certain teaching may even be  seen as a hindrance on the way to salvation. 
• In the Eastern religions attachment to the teachings is just as bad as the  attachment to money, because it leads to suffering and interpersonal  strife. (14)

3.3 Grammar and historical context:  

• Meaning one must use rules of grammar and historical facts to interpret  the sacred texts. 

Clearest meaning: 

• One should take the literal meaning of the text. 

Plan, purpose and context: 

• Meaning a piece of writing should be viewed as a whole. What is the  writing plan or structure? What was the author's purpose in writing the  text? What is the context of the passage being studied? 

Meaning of words: 

• The meaning of words change over time and in different places. Find out  the original meaning of the words as used in the normative source. 

Figurative meaning: 

• Figurative and non-literal meaning must be taken into account. 

Other sacred texts: 

• Sacred texts themselves may be used to interpret other sacred texts. (16)

[50] 

QUESTION 4  
4.1

• According to the Big Bang theory, it is not known what existed before the  Big Bang. 
• The theory states that there was an enormous explosion in space and,  within a second, the universe appeared and expanded to an enormous  size. 
• The Big Bang happened about 13,7 billion years ago. 
•  The Big Bang theory states that the process of creation took a split  second. 
• Small temperature differences in the initial explosion resulted in the  formation of matter and energy. 
• The matter condensed and formed the stars and galaxies. 
• Scientists believe that the universe is still expanding. 
• It is not known whether or how the universe will end. (14) 

4.2

• It is mainly the Abrahamic religions that are against the theory of  evolution because it is against their fundamental teachings about the  creation of humans and their status in the universe. 
• Evolution does not recognise the existence of a Creator. 
• Nor does it put human beings at the centre of creation. 
• According to evolution, a human being is simply another organism.
• This is contrary to the teachings of the Abrahamic religions, as well as the  African Traditional Religion. 
• The Abrahamic religions teach that human beings are created in the  image of God, which places human beings above all creation. 
• According to evolution, humans are part of the process of life, coming into  being and passing away. 
• This is against religious teachings which teach that human beings are  immortal, and that they possess a spiritual part (soul).
• Religions teach that everything was created by God and each creation  was perfect. 
• This implies that human beings were created perfectly and they did not  evolve from primates. 
• They further argue that the evolution of a new species had never been  recorded.
• The fact that species adapt to changing environments is part of the grand  design of God.
• This lesser scale of evolution, therefore, does not deny the existence  of God. (20) 

4.3 

• Many Buddhists argue that the theory of evolution and Buddhism are in  agreement. 
• Since Buddhists believe in the impermanence of everything, even gods  are impermanent. Even Buddhas do not live forever. 
• Buddhism does not have an account for creation. 
• Buddhists do not mind what scientists say about how the universe and  people came into being.
• They do, however, attach special significance to human existence. 
• Buddhists believe that all life involves constant transformation and  evolution. 
• Buddhists believed in evolution long before Western scientists did. 
• Buddhists believe in the continuity of all living beings. 
• Therefore, they have no problem with the idea that human beings may  have evolved from more primitive primate forms. (14)

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QUESTION 5 
5.1

• 'Secular' refers to 'non-religious'. 
• Humanism developed from a group of philosophers that believe human  beings can develop ethics and morality independently of supernatural being. 
• Secular humanism is a branch of humanism that rejects religious beliefs. ∙ It also rejects the existence of a supernatural being. 
• It is often associated with scientists and academics. 
• Secular humanism generally leads to atheism. 
• Secular humanism originated as a liberal view of human rights. 
• It was not anti-religion, but emphasised that people's emotional and  spiritual needs can be filled without religion. (10) 

5.2

• In the 15th century Martin Luther set in motion certain changes that led to  the splintering of Christianity. 
• This led to decades of religious wars in Europe. 
• Various Christian groups fought for dominance. 
• At the time the church was very influential, both politically and socially. ∙ Most countries were not democratic, as they were ruled by emperors,  kings, queens or nobility.
• These rulers used the church to establish their power.
• In return religious leaders also influenced rulers to promote their  interpretation of beliefs. 
• All the warring parties eventually fought themselves to a standstill. 
• People started to seek for a state where there would be religious  tolerance. 
• The intellectuals came to the conclusion that religion was divisive, rather  than uniting. 
• A government which was based purely on reasoning and on an  understanding of human nature was then the solution.
• Thus government and morality were divorced from religion and secular  humanism came into being.
• At the same time freedom from the shackles of religion (free inquiry) gave  rise to a number of scientific discoveries. 
• These further eroded the influence of religion and gave people an  alternative world view – secularism. (20) 

5.3 EXAMPLE: ATHEISM  
Agree: 

• I am convinced that atheism is truthful. 
• Atheism rejects the belief that divine or supernatural power exists.
• There is no way one can prove the existence of a supernatural being or  power. 
• Atheists state that if there had been a loving God or gods, there would  not be so much suffering in the world.
• There are different degrees of atheism.
• The soft or neutral atheists do not actively reject the existence of a  supernatural being. 
• It is better to keep quiet and neither rejects nor accepts the existence of  the supernatural being, because those who follow religion have the right  to do so.
• The strong (positive) atheists believe that there is evidence to support  their atheistic views and such evidence is convincing enough to accept  this world view. 
• Belief in the supernatural realm is unscientific. 
• Explanations for the world and creation are to be found in science. 
• Evil and suffering in the world refute a God who is all powerful, all loving  and all knowing. 
• Atheists often turn to science to explain the nature of the universe rather  than relying on faith.  

Disagree: 

• I am not convinced that atheism is truthful. 
• God or a supernatural being exists. 
• The proof that God or a supernatural being exists is the order in which  the creation is organised. 
• The order shows that there is a master plan.
• If there had not been a loving God or gods, who would have intervened to  protect us from the suffering that we are facing every day. 
• There are different degrees of atheism, which means that there is no  certainty about the beliefs in atheism. 
• The soft or neutral atheists do not actively reject the existence of a  supernatural being.
• The strong (positive) atheists believe that there is evidence to support  their atheistic views and such evidence is convincing enough to accept  this world view. 
• Atheists often turn to science to explain the nature of the universe rather  than relying on faith. 
• There is no evidence in human history of the development of new  species. 
• There is no evidence of one species having developed from another  species. 
• In African religion the diviners are good examples of the existence of  supernatural power. 
• Healing by the power of God is a good demonstration of the existence of  God or divine powers. 
• The fact that the level of oxygen in the atmosphere is 21% places the  earth in a better position to sustain life which is evidence of the existence  of a master designer. 
  NOTE: Any other relevant facts must be credited.

(20)
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TOTAL: 150