Question #1: Religion and Spirituality

(A)  What does the term religion mean to you? Provide your own definition. Please describe a religious activity or two.

(B) What does the term spirituality mean to you? Please describe at least one spiritual activity, that is not also a religious activity. (For example: taking off one's shoes before entering one's home because it signifies leaving the outside world out of one's private life).

(C) Does one need to be religious to be spiritual; and does one need to be spiritual to be religious?

(D) Please read the following article entitled "True or False: The Major Religions Are Essentially Alike" by Stephen Prothero. You may find this article at http://www.newsweek.com/id/33534 or by opening the Word document located below. After reading this article, in your opinion, are all of the religions we are going to study in this class climbing the same mountain? Does Prothero think the major religions are essentially alike? Explain. 

Question #2:

1. Find two examples of showing a positive side of religion (had to occur within the last year or two). Explain each of your examples and why they demonstrate a positive side of religion.

2. Find two examples of showing a negative side of religion (had to occur within the last year or two). Explain each of your examples and why they demonstrate a negative side of religion.