GRADE EIGHT (8) RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

TOPIC: MORALITY

1. Describe Morality
ANSWER:
• is a set of rules and beliefs that distinguish good behaviour from bad
behaviour
• Deals with the way people should behave towards each other, towards
animals and the environment
• Guides acceptable behaviour e.g in marriage, while raising and disciplining
children and in business transactions
2. Explain the purpose of spiritual and moral education.
• To make learners aware of moral choices
• To give the skills to make better choices
• Encourages respect for other people’s faith
• Helps to nurture tolerance
• To develop a positive self-image and mature as a person
3. Describe sources of moral codes
• Morals differ among cultures
• Moral code depends upon the situation and context in which it is upheld
• They may be written up formally or applied informally

SOURCES:

• Secular (non-religious)
• Religious sources
• Our families
• Friends
• School
• Community
• Constitution

RELIGIOUS SOURCES OF MORAL CODES

• CHRISTIANITY- THE BIBLE

i. Christians believe that morals come from God or Jesus his messenger on
Earth
ii. An example are the Ten Commandments in the old testament
iii. The Ten Commandments were revealed to Moses by God
• HINDUISM
i. Hindus understand morality through the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita and
the Upanishads
ii. The Bhagavad Gita is the song of the Bhagavan, often called the Gita.
iii. The Vedas means knowledge

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iv. The Vedas is a collection of many texts which came from ancient India
v. The Upanishads are a collection of writings that teach people how to live
a moral life
vi. Hindu morality focuses on the concepts of ‘Dharma’ and ‘Karma’.
• ISLAM
i. The Quran guides Muslims in all issues of Morality
ii. The five pillars of Islam guides Muslims’ behaviour

THE FIVE PILLARS

• There are given in the famous Hadith of Gabriel

A. Declare there is no god but God, and Muhammad is God’s messenger
B. Pray five times a day
C. Fast during the month of Ramadan
D. Give money to the poor (Charity)
E. Travel to Mecca at least once in a life time (pilgrimage)

MORAL DILEMAS

• A dilemma is a situation that requires a choice between two equal

alternatives
• For moral dilemma you need to choose between two conflicting morals or
behaviours
• You cannot choose both behaviours

WHAT ARE VALUES

• Values are ideas people believe to be important

Examples of Values include:

• Justice
• Hospitality (is a value taught to us by families and culture)
• Compassion
• Sharing

IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING POSITIVE PERSONAL VALUES:

• Your values determine your priorities

• Positive personal values will help you to respect yourself
• Others will respect you for your integrity
• Your personal relationship will thrive

POSITIVE VALUES INCLUDE:

• Cheerfulness
• Self-discipline

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 • Gratitude
• Freedom
• Honesty
• Creativity

PERSONAL VALUES IN RELATION TO SEXUALITY

• Virginity refers to the state of never having had sexual intercourse

• Keeping virginity until marriage is a value taught by bothy Christianity and
Islam
• Flee form sexual immorality
• He who sins sexually sins against his own body (1 st Corinthians 6:18)
• ‘come not near to unlawful sexual intercourse , it is a great sin and an evil
way’. (Surah Al-Israa Q17:32)

BENEFITS TO KEEPING YOUR VIRGINITY UNTILL MARRIAGE

• You do not have to worry about pregnancy outside of marriage

• You do not have to worry about contracting sexually transmitted diseases
such as HIV
• Because sex involves intense emotions, you will avoid emotional pain
when a relationship ends.
• If your parents ,culture and religion disapprove of sex before marriage, you
will have not to lie about what you are doing
• You will not form habits that could make your future marriage partner think
you are capable of being unfaithful

SUMMARY

• A moral code is a set of rules and beliefs that we live by.

• The Golden rule states that we should treat others as we would like to be
treated
• Morals differ from culture to culture
• Values are ideas that people believe to be important
• Our values determine our priorities
• Moral dilemas occur when we have to choose between conflicting sets of
behaviour
• Maintaining positive values is important
• We must decide on our own personal sexual values and stick to them

TOPIC: GROWING UP

• Growing up is not just about physical changes. It includes the following:

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Physical Growth

• Body will increase in size and height and various physical changes take
place that will lead to reproductive maturity

Intellectual Growth

• The brain will gather knowledge and develop the ability to understand and
reason

Emotional Growth

• Learning to control feelings such as anger, sadness, joy and to think about
the feelings of other people.

Spiritual Growth

• Developing a spiritual relationship with God that becomes stronger and

deeper as one experience more of life

WAYS IN WHICH PEOPLE DEVELOP

• People develop through their interactions with people, the environment

and God
• We develop by being with people receiving and giving ( this is known as
social growth)
• People develop by using things properly e.g taking care of trees, taking
care of animals and the soil.
• Our relation with God deepens as we mature.

NAMES OF GOD

Language Name Meaning

Tumbuka Ciuta The great rainbow

Muthaski Protector

Mwene vyonse The owner of everything

Mphoski Saviour

Nyamalenga Creator

Bemba Kabuumba Creator

Kapekape Giver

Mulenga

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Kikaonde Kalama Wethu Protector

Mbuumbi Creator

Shakapanga

Silozi Nyambe He who does not speak

Nyanja Mulengi

Chitonga Leza

PROVERBS ABOUT GOD

• There are many proverbs in Zambian languages about God

Examples

• Bemba: Lesa ta lomba nama alomba umweo (From God you do not ask
for meat but life)
• Kikaonde: Waaja , wateeka teembwe ye mwina nyam (Even as you eat,
remember God is the giver)
• Silozi: Sakufa nyambe tambula (whatever God has given you,accept it)
• Bemba: Lesa nikapakape uupela nabashamwishiba (God gives to
everyone, even those who do not know him.
• Tonga: Leza nguna masandula mazuba aakwe( God changes situations
according to how he wants them to be, because he is the owner of the
world)
• Tumbuka: Pala ciuta wajula nthoua, kulyewyu wanga jala cala. ( when
God opens a door , nobody can close it. This means that when God
blesses you no one can rob you of the blessings)
• Proverbs are taught to children by their elders

TYPES OF GROWTH

• Physical
• Intellectual
• Emotional
• Spiritual

DIFFERENT KINDS OF LIFE

• God is the creator of both living and non-living things

Non-Living Things

• Mountains
• Rivers

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 • Deserts

Living Things

• Plants
• Animals
• Humans

GROWING UP IN THE FOUR MAIN RELIGIONS OF ZAMBIA

• Growing up in a religion means that you are taught the lessons and
beliefs of that religion from when you are a young child
• You grow in your faith as you grow up physically

CHRISTIANITY (Proverb 22:6)

• Parents should show by the way that they live how they value God’s
teachings as they appear in the Bible
• Parents should share their faith in God with their children.
• Children should be taught that when they give their life to Jesus Christ ,
they will have a place in heaven and that God’s love is all forgiving
• Children should learn that one of the responsibilities of being a Christian
means putting God first at all times.
• Children should be taught to put others needs before their own
• Children should be taught to treat people with kindness, respect and
love even when they do not seem to deserve to be treated that way

HINDUISM

Hindu parents have the following responsibilities towards their children:

• Children should believe in God as the creator of the world and the
protector of the family
• Children should believe in heaven where God and the other gods live
• Children should do good. Whatever good they do will return to them in
what is called karma.
• Children should believe that they have a soul that links them to God
• Children should pray to God
• Children should believe that they will be with God one day if they live a
good life
• Children should respect their parents and pray to God to protect their
family
• Children should not be cruel to other people or animals or have bad
thoughts about them
• Children should respect the beliefs of others who belong to a different
religion.

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ISLAM

Muslim parents are told in the Quran that they will be accountable for they
way their children grow up in Islam. Their children have the right to grow up
into good Muslim adults
• Children should be given a good name that reflects Islamic traditions
• Children in the family should be treated fairly
• Children should be taught about Islamic morals and values
• Children should be taught to recite the Quran and to understand how
the teachings of the Quran can help them solve everyday problems
• Children should be taught skills that will enable them to live according
to Islamic law
• Children should be encouraged to have good Islamic role models
• Children should be taught to respect the rights of other people around
them and to do good to others
• Children should be taught to have faith in Allah as the creator an
controller of everything in the world and that Allah is the only one
worthy of being worshiped
• Children have the right to be educated
• Children should be treated with love , understanding and forgiveness
• Parents should spend money on their children to provide them with
good upbringing

ZAMBIAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION

• Children learn how to behave from their elders

• Elders teach the children their cultural traditions through stories, myths
and folk stories
• Followers of Z T R must respect their elders and people in authority.
• Honour their ancestors
• Look after the well-being of the community
• Provide for their families

SUMMARY

• People grow physically , intellectually , emotionally and spiritually

• People develop through their relationships with other people, with the
world around them through being with God.
• Human life is different from plant and animal because humans have
belief systems and spiritual life
• The four main religious of Zambia are Christianity , Islam, Hinduism
and African Traditional Religion
• All religious have their own ideas about God

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 • People grow by developing relationships with others , having life
experiences and being with God
• As people grow their self-concept and self-image are formed by their
relationships with others and experiences in life
• Self- esteem grows when you are respected, given attention and
affection
• Self-esteem grows when both your successes and failures are
recognised and accepted
• Low self- esteem can cause depression
• You can develop your self-esteem by looking after children or by
helping adults

TOPIC: LEARNING ABOUT RELIGION

Major Religions In Zambia

A. CHRIATIANITY
• A religion of the followers of Jesus Christ , the Son of God
• Christians believe in the trinity of God the Father, God the son and
God the Holy Spirit
• Christians believe that God is the creator of all things in the universe
• God is all powerful and all loving
• They believe that God sent Jesus Christ to Earth to serve mankind
B. HINDUISM
• A collection of many different beliefs and ideas
• Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world

BELIEFS

• There is the one absolute God ,Brahman , who takes many forms
• The souls of people are reincarnated in many different forms until the
soul is pure enough to be united with Brahman
• The soul lives and dies and is reborn over and over
• What happens to a person in life is a direct result of the way that a
person has lived and behaved towards others
• Hindu values include truth, honesty and non- violence
C. ISLAM
• Children should be given a good name that reflects Islamic traditions
• Children in the family should be treated fairly
• Parents should spend money in their children to provide them with
good upbringing
• Children should be treated with love, understanding and forgiveness
• Children have the right to be educated

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 • Children have to be taught to have faith in Allah as the creator and
controller of everything in the world
• They should believe in all 99 names of Allah
• They should be taught to respect the rights of other people around
them and to do good to others
• Children should be encouraged to have good Islamic role models
• Children should be taught to recite a Quran and understand how the
teachings of the Quran can help them solve problems

GROWING UP IN ZAMBIA TRADITION RELIGION

• Children grow up in families where they learn how to behave from

elders
• Elders teach them their cultural traditions through stories, myths and
folk stories
• They respect their elders and people in authority e.g the village
headmen and chiefs
• They look after the well-being of their communities
• They honour their ancestors
• They provide for their families

WAYS OF LEARNING ABOUT RELIGION

• Seeing and imitating (seeing people at prayer)

• Hearing and repeating (hearing pastors preaching)
• Reading holy scriptures (books)
• They learn also through stories , songs and proverbs

TOPIC: RELIGIOUS SCRIPTURES

HOLY SCRIPTURES

• The holy scripture of a religion are a guide to followers

• They contain the history, traditions of the religion and moral rules
A. THE BIBLE
• Is the Christian scripture
• It is a collection of texts that are called books
• Written by different people who were guided by God
• It is the word of God
• It has two sections namely the old testament and the New testament
• The old testament is about life on earth before Jesus Christ
• The new testament was written 400 years after the old testament
• The new testament covers the life of Jesus Christ and the letters that
the apostles wrote to the early churches

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PURPOSE

• The purpose of the bible is to show Christians how they can come to
know God through Jesus Christ
B. THE QURAN AND THE HADITH

THE QURAN

• The Quran is the Muslim holy scripture

• Muhammad was born 570 years after the birth of Jesus
• Muhammad received revelations from God through angel Gabriel
• The revelations were collected and written down in the Quran
• The Quran reveals the lives of the prophets and the creation of heaven
and earth
• In the Quran, Muslims are taught what is permissible (Ha laal) and not
permissible (Ha ram)
• How they should live as good Muslims
• There are rewards and punishments that await them in heaven
• Muslims believe that the Quran comes from God (Allah)

THE HADITH

• Is a record of the sayings of the prophet Muhammad

• It is the second most important book in Islam
• Religious laws are learnt from the Hadith
• It gives Muslims guidance on moral issues

C.HINDU SCRIPTURES

• They are grouped into ‘Shruti’ and ‘Smriti’

• Shruti scriptures are made up of sacred writings called the Vedas and
Upanishads
• Vedas means knowledge
• There are 108 Upanishads
• Smitri Scriptures are made up of stories and epic poems
• Smitri are the holy teachings and practices of the wise men of long ago
• The Bhagavad Gita is the best known Hindu scripture. It is the song of
the lord
• The Bhagavad Gita is made up of the original story, religious laws,
tales and traditions

D.ZAMBIAN TRADITION RELIGION

• It has no founder
• It has no written holy scriptures

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 • Teachings are passed on orally by priests and elders

TOPIC: THE BIBLE

• The word ‘Bible’ comes from the Greek word ‘Biblia’ which means
books.
• The Bible is divided into chapters and verses
• The books of the bible are divided into the old and new testament
• Bishop Steven Langston divided the bible into chapters
• The Old testament is about the agreement between God and the
Israelites (Jews)
• The new Testament is about the agreement between God and all
people
• It is a guide to Christians about their beliefs

PARTS OF THE BIBLE

• The old testament contains 39 books

• The new testament contains 27 books
• The word ‘ Testament’ means agreement or covenant between God
and his people

ORIGIN OF THE JEWISH SCRIPTURE

• The books of the Old Testament form the ‘Written Torah’, which is
part of the Jewish Holy scriptures.
• The written Torah is also known as the Tanakh.
• Jews divide the written Torah into:
➢ The law (Torah)
➢ The prophets (Nevin)
➢ The Writings ( Ketuvim)
• The oral Torah explains the meaning of the scriptures of the written
Torah and the how the laws should be followed
• The other name for the oral Torah is the Talmud

THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS

1. BOOKS OF LAW: There are five books of law. They are called
Pentateuch or Torah, these are Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus
and Deuteronomy.
2. HISTORY BOOKS: These are Joshua, Judges, Ruth , Samuel, Kings,
Chronicals, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Obit and Macceateus
3. WISDOM BOOKS: These are proverbs and Eccelesiastes
4. BOOKS OF POETRY AND HYMNS: These are job and Psalms.

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THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The books of the New testament are the earliest writings by

Christians, the followers of Jesus Christ
• They were written between 50AD and 150 AD

There are two kinds of books in the new Testament:

• The Gospels are the books that contain the stories about Jesus’ life
and the beginning of the Christian church
• The remaining books are the book of Acts, which describes the work
of the apostles; a number of letters in which the apostles Paul, John,
Peter, Jude and James give advice, teaching and encouragement to
the early Christian churches; and the book of revelation which is the
prophecy about the future
• The new testament begins with the birth of Jesus Christ
• The new testament is about the agreement between God and his
people
• The writings of the new testament were not just for the Israelites but
were aimed at people of all nations and races, Jews and non-Jews
• the new testament is a guide to all Christians about their belief in
Jesus Christ

GOSPELS

• The Gospel means good news about Jesus Christ

• There are Four gospel books written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John
• The purpose of the Gospels is to teach people about the new laws of
God that replaced the laws of the old testament

GOSPEL OF MARK

• Was written to inform the Romans who were the leaders and valued
action, power and not religion

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

• Was written to inform the Jews about Jesus

GOSPEL OF LUKE

• Was written to inform the Greeks who valued the pursuit of truth

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DISAGREEMENTS OVER THE SCRIPTURES

• There are disagreements over the scriptures because:

➢ Different people wrote accounts of Jesus’s life
➢ The new testament was written over a period of 150 years
➢ The books of the new testament were written for different
audiences

TOPIC: CHOICES AND TALENTS

There are three steps involved when making choices. These are see,
judge and Act
• SEE: We need to use our five senses to identify our options
• JUDGE: We need to evaluate the options and make a choice
• ACT: We need to make a choice and take action

CENTRAL TEACHING ON CHOICES

CHRISTIANITY

• Love God and love your neighbour

ISLAM

• Complete obedience to God and live as brothers

HINDUISM

• To be free from all selfishness and evil desires

ZAMBIAN TRADITION

• Respect for everybody and to be at peace with people

WHY JESUS CHOSE TO BE BAPTISED

• He wanted to show people publicly that he accepted the work which

his father had given him to do on earth.
• He wanted his life to be an example for people to follow
• Jesus’ baptism was important because God confirmed to the whole
world that Jesus was the Son of God (Read Luke 3:21-22)

THE TWO FORMS OF BAPTISM

• By dipping the person in water. Mostly practiced by protestants

churches
• By sprinkling water on the person. Mostly practiced by Catholics

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 THREE FUNCTIONS OF BAPTISM

A. Baptism cleanses a person’s original sin

B. Baptism makes a person a child of God
C. Baptism makes a person a member of the church
• The baptism of Jesus meant that he did accept his accept mission
to teach people about God (Matthew 3:13-17)
• The most important choice for Jesus was to do the will of God.

TALENTS

• A talent is a special ability to do something well

• A gift from God
• Developed by trying to do many things
• Lost by not practicing often
PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP US VS DEVELO AND DISCOVED OUR
TALENTS
• Our family members
• Our teachers at school
• Our friends whom we play with
• Other people who are talented

SUMMARY

• We have a choice about some circumstances in our lives, such as our

friends, marriage partner and career
• We do not have a choice about other circumstances in our lives, such
as who our parents are and what Gender and race we are
• Religious leaders guide their followers on how to make choices that
conform to the teachings of their religion.

TOPIC: COMPETITION

Competition: is an event or situation in which people are competing to do

better than others.

ADVANTAGES

• Competition helps us fulfil our ambitions

• Competition can make you work harder
• Competition helps us to use our talents fully and share them with others
• Competition helps us to strive for better performance

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DISADVANTAGES

• Winners become proud

• It leads to individualism
• Losers become discouraged and feel hopeless
• Losers become jealous of the winners
• It promotes greediness e.g some people want to have everything to
themselves
• It promotes classes in society
• It promotes hatred and enemity between groups of people

COMPETITION IN ZAMBIAN TRADITION

• People compete in composing songs, having more cattle, in hunting,

farming and disciplining children
• Cooperation was encouraged while competition was discouraged.

WHAT IS COOPERATION?

• Cooperation means working together toward a common good in

competition

LEVELS OF COOPERATION

• Economically- When you have a common goal of saving money

• Nationally- when their common goal is to achieve something for their
money
• Ecumenically – when they work together as a group to spread religious
teachings
• Internationally – when they work together as humans to conserve and
protect Earth and its natural resources.

ADVANTAGES OF COOPERATION

1) Cooperation fosters unity and harmony

2) Working together gets things done in good time
3) Working together produces good results
4) Cooperation stimulates development

DISADVATANGES OF COOPERATION

1) People in the group tend to be lazy when working together

2) Bamukolwe ngabafula ubushiku tabuca bwangu

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 RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS ON COOPEARATION

ZAMBIAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION

• Cooperation is encouraged than competition

• Cooperation was seen in dances, songs and proverbs
• Cooperation is encouraged because of wanting to live in harmony

EXAMPLES OF COOPERATION IN ZAMBIAN SOCIETIES

• Building houses
• Herding cattle
• Growing food crops
• Fishing and hunting
• Decorating houses
• Dancing and singing

CHRISTIANITY

• Christian teaching place importance on love for one another#

• Christians believe people should be of service to others such as by:
➢ Feeding the hungry
➢ Clothing and sheltering the homeless
➢ Welcoming strangers
➢ Visiting people in hospitals and prisons

COOPERATION IN ISLAM

• Muslims help the lives of needy people through almsgiving

• Muslims observe ‘Muwasaat’ which means they should feel sympathy ,
kindness and concerns of others
• God does not love the proud , boastful and selfish people

COOPERATION IN HINDUISM

• ‘There is more joy in doing one’s duty but doing someone else’s duty
brings fear.’ ( Bhagavad Gita)
• Develop talents that you were born for, and that work is a way to serve
God and other people
• Work is worship and that always do something for the benefit of others
without selfish motives

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TRUST

• Trust is a belief that someone does not want to harm you and that they will
keep their promises
• Trust is needed for healthy competition and cooperation
• Trust is earned and not automatically given
• Trust is an important part of all relationships

RELATIONSHIPS OF TRUST OCCUR BETWEEN:

• Medical professionals and their patients

• Teachers and their learners
• Drivers and passengers
• Traders and Buyers
• Husbands and wives

TRUST IN THE BIBLE

Read (Mark 6:1-6) JESUS IS NOT TRUSTED

• Jesus was not trusted by his own people
• They doubted him
• The result of their mistrust was that Jesus could not perform miracles

Read (Acts 9:26-29) PAUL IS NOT TRUSTED

• His former name was Saul

• He used to make tents for his survival
• He persecuted and killed all those who believed in Jesus Christ
• On his way to Damascus , he met Jesus
• His name was changed to Paul
• Paul was not trusted because he used to kill Christians
• In Jerusalem , the apostles failed to believe that Paul had changed his
behaviour
• Even after Barnabas’ explanation, people did not accept him

TOPIC: DIVISON, SIN AND FORGIVENESS

Causes of Division Between People

• Selfishness
• Jealousy
• Pride
• Exploitation
• Poor leadership
• Tribalism

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 • Greed
• Theft
• Deceit
• Favouritism
• Corruption
• Discrimination

Countries Fight Over:

• Resources such as land, oil and minerals

• Suspicion and mistrust
• Religious beliefs , ideology and economic systems

DIVISION IN THE EARLY CHRISTAIN CHURCH

Letters to churches in the New Testament teach that division between

Christians resulted because:
• Others did not believe in God and Christ (2 Corinthians 6:14-17)
• Some Christians did not behave appropriately (1 Corinthians 5:1-2, 9-11)
• They followed different leaders (1 Corinthians 1:11-13)
• They had different teachings about God and Jesus ( John 2:7-11)

EXAMPLES OF DIVISIONS AT THE TIME OF JESUS

JEWS AND GENTILES

• Anyone who was not a Jew was a Gentile

• Jews believed that they were chosen from God, so they distanced
themselves from non-Jews

JEWS AND SAMARITANS

• Pure blood Jews hated Samaritans because they did not accept some of
the Jewish customs and beliefs
• Samaritans were disobedient and unfaithful to God
• They followed a different religion
• They had their own temple and married non-Jews.

ROMANS AND JEWS

• Jews hated Romans because they forced the Jews to obey and practice
the Roman religion and to pay tax

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JEWS AND TAX COLLECTORS

• Tax collectors were hated because they collected taxes on behalf of the
Romans
• They enriched themselves by overcharging tax payers

JEWS AND LEPERS

• Leprosy (A skin disease) was thought to be a sign of punishment for one’s

sins
• Lepers were regarded as unclean by the Jews
• Lepers were excluded from the community by the Jews

JEWS AND SINNERS

• Sinners such as prostitutes were looked down upon by Jews who obeyed
God’s laws strictly
• Sinners were considered to be unclean and so they were avoided

SITUATIONS WHERE JESUS OVER CAME DIVISION

• Jesus overcame division by being open and by being brave

• Jesus was expected to stay away from sinners , tax collectors , Romans
,Gentiles and Lepers and to treat Samaritans as enemies

EXAMPLES

• Jesus helped a Roman officer by healing his servant (Mat 8:5-13)

• Jesus talked with a Samaritan Woman (John 4:6-9)
• Jesus healed a leper (Luke 5:12-13)
• Jesus socialised (ate and drank ) with a Tax Collector (Luke 5:27-50)

OVERCOMING DIVISION AND HATRED IN THE FOUR RELIGIONS

CHRISTIANITY

• Christians teach that we should love our enemies and pray for those who
persecute us (Matthew 5:39-47)

ISLAM

• Islam teaches the repayment of evil deeds with a good deed

• The Quran say, ‘ Repay evil deeds with good deeds and the person who
is your enemy will become your dearest friend’.

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HINDUISM

• Give blessings in return for blows and insults

• The Vedas states that do not repay a blow or an insult by insult, do not
cheat a person who has cheated you
• MAHATMA GANDHI said, ‘ Religion is defended only by the holiness and
good deeds of its followers and not by quarrels.

SIN

• The wrong things done by people

• A result of people’s inability to love one another completely

CHRISTIANITY

• Sin is the disobedience of God’s commandments.

• Sin is caring more about oneself than about God and others

ISLAM

• Sin is disobeying Allah and the Quran

• Sin is turning away from Allah and no longer being a Muslim

ZAMBIAN TRADITION

• Sin is neglecting spirits, offending spirits and engaging in witchcraft

HINDUISM

• Sin is greed, selfishness and caring more about material things and other
people than God
• Sin is a result of people’s failure to understand because they are temporary
• ‘Evil is always found where there is no knowledge of God’, (Vedas)

FORGIVENESS

• To forgive is to have or to show mercy and compassion

• To let go anger and hatred or to cancel the debt
• Everyone needs to forgive and be forgiven so that there can be conciliation
with God

STEPS NEEDED FOR FORGIVENESS

• CONFESSION: admitting wrong things done

• REPENTANCE: being sorry for the wrong things done

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 • PENANCE: accepting a punishment , paying back, replacing what has
been taken or destroyed
• FORGIVENESS: receiving forgiveness from offended person

CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS ON FORGIVENESS

BIBLE TEXTS (Read)

• Luke 17:1-4 – this passage teaches Christians that they need God’s
guidance to rebuke another for sinning and to help them to come to
repentance
• Matthew 18:21- 35 – this is the parable of the unmerciful servant. This
passage encourages Christians to forgive whole heartedly and bear no
grudges
• Matthew 6:9-11 – the lord’s prayer teaches us that we must forgive others
in the same way that God forgives us our sins
• Luke 12:57-59 - Christians must show love and forgiveness to an offender
without demanding their rights each time they are offended

FORGIVENESS IN ISLAM

• A kind word with forgiveness is better than kindness followed by insults

• God is forgiving
• One who is forgiven by the person he has offended must still be
prosecuted according to the law and must pay the offended person.

FORGIVENESS IN HINDUISM

• ‘When sin is confessed , it becomes less because it becomes the truth’

(Vedas)
• ‘A clean confession, combined with a promise never to sin again is true
repentance’. (Mahatma Gandhi)

TOPIC: LEARNING AND TRUTH

• There are two ways of learning i.e guided learning and unguided learning
• Guided learning is learning by observation, watching and imitating what
others are doing

LEARNING IN THE DIFFERENT RELIGIONS

CHRISTIANITY

• Jesus gave the disciples guided learning through direct teaching

• He also taught them through unguided learning when they watched ,
welcome sinners and rebuke bad leaders

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HINDUISM

• Hindus favours unguided learning which is done by observing the Guru

• The Guru teaches through riddles and parables

ISLAM

• Favours guided learning

• This is learning and doing what the Quran says is important
• Learning from people is not important because Allah has given direct
guided learning in the Quran.

WAYS IN WHICH A STATEMENT CAN BE TRUE

• Truths can be proved by evidence

• Emotionally true, which means the statement expresses true feelings and
emotions
• Opinions or belief which refers to a statement that a person considers to
be true, but that may or may not be factually true
• To find out the truth, we must differentiate between facts, opinions and
beliefs

TRUTH IN THE DIFFERENT BELIEF SYSTEMS

CHRISTIANITY

• The Holy Bible is the true word of God

• The presence of the Holy Spirit is in daily life
• The testimony of created things is in nature

HINDUISM

• Brahman is the only reality and the only truth

ISLAM

• The Holy Quran is the standard of truth and it encourages scientific

research

ZAMBIAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION

• Truth is known by elders who have wisdom from their life experience

MODERN SCIENCE

• Truth is determined through observation and through experience

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PREJUDICE

• Prejudice means judging a person or thing in advance

• We are prejudiced if we judge before we know all the facts
• Prejudice is not acceptable and must be overcome

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