FORM 1 FRS

NOTES

t.s 2019

FORM 1 FAMILY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES

LESSON NOTES
THESE ARE JUST LESSON NOTES SO THEY ARE NOT EXHAUSTIVE. THEY SHOULD NOT BE USED AS THE
CHIEF RESOURCE OR AS A REFERENCE TEXT
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CONCEPTION OF RELIGION
By the end of the topic learners should be able to:
1. Define religion.
2. Identify the types of religion.
3. List the characteristics of religion.

What is religion?
 It is a belief and worship of a supernatural power who is considered to be the
controller of all things that exist.
 The supernatural power worshipped by a group of believers is called a
Supreme Being.
 A set of beliefs and practices agreed upon by a group of people and is usually
started by one special person.
 Every religion follows particular set of beliefs, practices, doctrines and rituals.
 Some religions have a formal documented doctrine referred to as the holy
book.

Types of religion
Major and dominant religions in Zimbabwe include:

 Indigenous Religion
 Christianity
 Islam
 Judaism
 Other religions are Baha’i Faith, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Classification of religion
Monotheistic religion

 These believe in one Supreme Being for example Christianity and Islam.

Polytheistic religion

 These believe in the worship of many gods and goddesses.

 This can be worship of a picture, shape which is believed to possess certain
supernatural powers.
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Animists/Traditional religions

 These religions often believe that different aspects of nature have divine
powers.
 Examples of such gods are god of the sun, god of the moon and god of the
rain.
 Followers in Indigenous Religion worship God through ancestors. An
ancestors is an elder and parent of a particular family who protects his/her
family in the form of a dead spirit.

Characteristics of religion

Religions have founders

 Most religious groups were founded by a leader who is generally a prophet.

Christianity was founded by Jesus Christ of Nazareth and Islam by Muhammad
Ali. Indigenous Religion has no specific founder but was founded by African
fore-fathers who lived and died long back.

Religion Founder
Christianity Jesus Christ
Judaism Abraham
Islam Muhammad
Religions have a Supreme Being.

 Most religions believe in the supernatural beings which are spirits, gods and
God.

Religion Supreme Being

Indigenous Religion Mwari (Shona)/Umlimu (Ndebele) Xikwembu (Xangani)
Christianity God
Judaism Yahweh
Islam Allah
Religions have doctrines

 These are beliefs held and taught by a group of believers.

 They are also principles, rules, expectations, rules, regulations and guidelines
with which every believer is supposed to adhere to.
 Doctrines guide people in terms of moral and social conduct, code of
dressing, manners, when, how and where to conduct services for worship of
their respective Supreme Being.
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Religions have sacred places

 These are places of meeting for believers to worship their Supreme Being.
 The place is usually very important such that they may not be used for other
purposes besides the agreed religious gatherings within a religious group.

Religion Place of worship

Islam Mosque
Judaism Synagogue and temple
Indigenous religion Under trees and on graveyards
Christianity Church
Religions have rituals

 These consist of the acts and ceremonies conducted to worship the Supreme
Being.
 There are individual rituals and group rituals.
 The common ritual in all religious systems is a prayer. Prayer includes
requests, expressions of thanksgiving, and confessions of sins as well as praise.

Religions have holy books and sources

 Most religious groups have a sacred text, books and sources where
information about doctrines, history and teachings of the religious group are
kept for later use.

Religion Holy Book or sources

Indigenous religion Family elders and ancestral spirits
Islam Qur’an
Judaism Tanak
Christianity Holy Bible
Religions have symbols

 They represent certain aspects of the religious group which signifies the main
beliefs and teachings to the followers.
 There may be one or more symbols.
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Fig 1.1

Religious symbols

Festivals

 All religious groups have various festivals and ceremonies held in honour,
remembrance and respect of their respective history and beliefs.
 Most religious groups have specific meeting days.
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CHRISTIANITY
By the end of this sub-topic, learners should be able to:
1. Define Christianity.
2. Narrate the historical background and development of Christianity.
3. List names of the Supreme Being.
4. Identify the attributes of the Supreme Being.

The historical background of Christianity

What is Christianity?

 Christianity is a religion for Christians.

 These are beliefs and practices centered on the life and teachings of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth who is the Messiah because of being a sacrifice for the sins
of people. (Luke 4:14-30).
 Jesus is believed to have suffered, died, resurrected after three days and then
ascended to heaven to dwell with God.
 It is a religion which believes in the worshiping of God through his son Jesus
Christ
 Those who believe Jesus was crucified died and rose are called Christians.
 Christians believe in Jesus Christ who is the son of God and Saviour.
 Jesus is believed to be the Messiah who was prophesied in the Old Testament.
(Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2)
 The Christian holy book is called a Bible.
 It originated in Palestine, a province of the Roman Empire.
 The religion was developed out of Judaism in the 1st century.
 It was founded by Jesus Christ.
 It began when Judea was under Roman rule.
 The emperor of Rome was the ruler of Judea and the Jewish people were
under oppression as they were forced to pay taxes such as hut tax, dog tax
and travelling tax.
 They looked forward to the coming of Christ who was foretold by prophets in
the Old Testament.(Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2) as their messiah who was going to
redeem them from Roman oppression.
 Jesus came as the religious Messiah but people did not immediately accept
him because they expected a political leader.
 He traveled with his disciples and taught from village to village in the
synagogues healing the sick as well as delivering the troubled and those
possessed by evil spirits.
 He prophesied and preached about the Kingdom of God calling people as
well as religious leaders to repent, the rich to share with the poor and to love
one another to attain the reward of the kingdom of God.
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 Jesus taught that he was the son of God (1 John 5:1-13) and this brought
great criticism and hatred from Jewish leaders such as priests, Levites,
Sadducees, Zealots and the Scribes who later on plotted to kill him.
 Jesus was arrested and brought before the authorities and sentenced to
death.
 He was buried and arose on the third day and ascended into the heaven.
 The apostles later continued with the teachings of Jesus sharing the life,
teaching, death and resurrection of Christ.
 The apostles founded churches although they later on suffered persecution
from the Jews.
 Christianity continued after the death of Christ and the apostles.
 Christianity came to Zimbabwe with the missionaries around 1880’s.
 The missionaries attempted to overthrow the African religion. They managed
to convert people in Zimbabwe and failed in some parts of the country.
 There are many Christian denominations in Zimbabwe today which include
mainline churches. Examples of churches are Roman Catholic, United Family
International Church (UFIC), Methodist, Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa
(ZAOGA), Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries (PhD), Reformed
Church and Salvation Army amongst others.
 There is also African Indigenous churches which were formed by African
leaders such as Africa Apostolic Church of Paul Mwazha and Johanne Masowe.
 There is also new movements which are called Pentecostal churches such as
Prophetic, Healing and Deliverance Ministries.

The Names of Supreme Being

 Father/Abba
 Elohim
 El Shaddai
 Yahweh
 God
 Adonai
 Jehovah Jireh

The attributes of God

God is sovereign

 God is the Father of all human beings.

 He is the ruler of heaven and earth.

God is omniscient
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 The Christians believe that God knows all things and nothing can be hidden
from him. (Acts 15:18, 1 John 3:20)

God is omnipotent.

 This means that he is all powerful. (Psalms 115:3)

 Revelations 19:6 - Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the
roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

God is omnipresent

 He is everywhere. (Jeremiah 23:23, 24 Psalms 139)

God is the creator.

 All things in existence were formed by him by saying a word. (Genesis 1:1,
Isaiah 44:24)
 Genesis 1:3 - And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

God is the provider.

 God gives life and all the needs and wants of his creation (people, animals and
vegetation).

God is wise

 He is wise. He is a God who makes no mistakes and knows what is good and
bad for everyone.

God is holy

 He is a morally pure Supreme Being which makes him better than everyone
and everything that exists.

God is faithful

 He is a Supreme Being who always fulfills his promises.

 He does not lie or mislead his people.
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INDIGENOUS RELIGION
By the end of this sub-topic, learners should be able to:
1. Define Indigenous Religion.
2. Trace the historical background of Indigenous Religion.
3. List the names of the Supreme Being.
4. Identify the attributes of the Supreme Being.

What is Indigenous Religion (IR)?

 Indigenous religion refers to beliefs which are of local origin. These are the
ones which are not adopted or copied from other countries.
 It refers to native patterns of beliefs in a particular geographical location
including the culture, language, plants or animals.
 It is a religion which was established and held by African fore-fathers who
lived and died long back and is still practiced today.
 Indigenous beliefs vary from society to society around Zimbabwe.

Historical background of Indigenous Religion

 The Indigenous Religion was founded in Africa by African fore-fathers who
lived and died long back.
 The religion has no specific founder and does not have a holy book like
Christianity and Islam.
 The elders of the society are the sources of information, customs and beliefs
are passed from one generation to the other through oral tradition.
 They believe in the Supreme Being known as Molimo (Sotho) Mwari(Shona)
Umlimu (Ndebele) or Xikwembu (Xangani)
 They do not communicate directly with God but through their ancestors by
performing rituals.
 They use beer and snuff as well as traditional music to appease their ancestors
so that they will carry their requests and praises to the Supreme Being.

Characteristics of Indigenous Religion:

 It has no specific founder.

 There is no regularly organized form of worship.
 The religion is not evangelical for example there is no formal preaching or
teachings.
 It is informal in nature as there is no school to learn and acquire knowledge
about it.
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Names of the Supreme Being

 Names of God in Indigenous Religion differ according to tribes.

 The various names are descriptive in nature and portray attributes and
character of God.
 Mwari/Umlimu/God/Molimo is believed to be the Supreme Being and creator
of all things that exist. The Supreme Being has different names according his
nature and duties.

Table 2.1 Names of God

Shona names Ndebele names Venda names Sotho names

Mwari Umlimu Mudzimu Modimo
Musiki Umdali Musiki Mopi
Ishe wemadzishe Nkosi yamakhosi Murena wamarena Morena oa-marena

 Followers believe in spirits, use indigenous medicine which is usually

administered by traditional healers known as n’angas.
 Indigenous medicine is a commodity which is still relevant and popular in
Indigenous Religion.
 The dead person’s spirit is brought to protect a family through a ceremony
known as bringing back ceremony; kurova guva (Shona)
 In Zimbabwe there is an association of traditional healers known as Zimbabwe
Traditional Healers Association (ZINATHA) which is responsible for researching
and promoting the use of traditional medicine and reincarnation ceremony.

Attributes of the Supreme Being.

Omnipresent

 God is everywhere around the world.

 There is nothing that happens under the sun that he does not know of.
 God’s supernatural feature allows him to see even what happens in the dark.

Omniscient

 God is all-knowing. There is no amount of knowledge that a human being has

that God does not have.
 God is the source of all knowledge.

Omnipotent

 This means that God is all powerful. There is no one else who is more powerful
than God.
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 God is able to destroy the earth or create it because he is the Creator.

 God has the power to heal diseases.

Eternal

 This means that God lives forever.

 Human life has a beginning and end but God lives eternally.
 All things come to pass but God existed before creation and will continue to
live forever.

Provider

 God provides life to human beings, wildlife and vegetation.

 God is in charge of everything in heaven and on earth.

Forgiver

 Human beings commit sin often and God is always ready to forgive those who
ask for his forgiveness.
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JUDAISM
By the end of this sub-topic, learners should be able to:
1. Define Judaism.
2. Narrate the historical background of Judaism.
3. List the names of Supreme Being.
4. Identify the attributes of the Supreme Being.

What is Judaism?
Fig 3.1

Judaism symbol

 Judaism is a religion for the Jewish people.

 Judaism is an ancient religion which originated three thousand five hundred
(3500) years ago in the Middles East.

Historical background of Judaism

 Judaism is an ancient monotheistic religion which was found by the Judean

patriarch Abraham.
 Abraham is credited as the founder of the religion as he was the first to be
called by God and made a covenant with him.
 It is monotheistic in nature, which means there is worship of one God.
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 The Torah/Pentateuch comprises of the first five books of the Old Testament
from the Holy Bible.
 Judaism came from the twelve sons of Jacob as a chosen nation of God.
 Genesis 12:3 - Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your
people and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will
make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so
that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and will curse
those who curse you, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed through
you.
 It started from the covenant that God established with the children of Israel.
 The religion was started 3500 years ago in the Middle East in Palestine.

Names of the Supreme Being

 Yahweh
 Adonai
 I am
 Elohim
 Elyon
 El Shaddai
 Shalom
 God

Attributes of the Supreme Being

 The Supreme Being is supernatural.

 He is the only God.
 He is the creator of heaven and earth as recorded in Genesis 1:1
 Omnipresent. God is in all places at all places at all times. He is always near for
his people to call upon when in need. There is nothing that happens on
heaven and earth which is invisible to him.
 Omnipotent. This means God has more power than anyone on earth and in
heaven.
 Omniscient. God knows all things, past, present and future. He even knows
everyone’s thought.
 God is eternal- God has no beginning and no end. He is always there to fulfill
his promises.
 God is peaceful and wants the best for everyone.
 God is most merciful as he has the power to forgive sins.
 He is a jealous God who does not tolerate the worship of other gods except
him.
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Religious groups in Judaism

 Pharisees
 Sadducees
 Essenes
 Scribes
 Zealots
 Samaritans

Beliefs
Ten commandments

Fig 3.2

Ten Commandments

 The commandments guide on morality.

 These were given to Jews by God.

Circumcision ritual.

 It is done eight days after the birth of a boy child as part of purification rituals
at birth.
 Circumcision in Judaism is done as a covenant demand by God and as a sign
that one is a Jew. Genesis17:714, Leviticus 12:3
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Place of worship.

 Services are conducted in synagogues which are found in every village.

 Services and ceremonies that involve everyone are conducted at the temple in
Jerusalem.

Festivals and holidays.

 Major Jewish holidays include the Passover feast, the feast of tabernacles and
Pentecost.
 These holidays or festivals are held every year at the Jerusalem temple.

Prayer

 Jews pray a lot especially in times of suffering and pain.

 Jesus was a Jew and he was known for praying every time.
 Prayer is a means of communicating with God, the Supreme Being.

Fasting

 This is when Jews go without food or drink for a specific time. It may be a day
or more.
 They fast to show their repentance and sorrow to God.
 The Pharisees were well known for fasting.
 Everyone also fasted on the Jewish special day known as the Day of
Atonement when they pleaded with God to forgive their sins with the help of
the high priest at the temple.

Almsgiving

 The Torahtaught and obliged Jews to practice charity by giving the poor and
the disadvantaged in the society.
 This was done mainly in the synagogues.

Tithing

 Jews exercise tithing as an obligation.

 Every Jew is expected to give a tenth of his earnings to God. It can be money,
livestock or farm produce.
 The money is used for the upkeep of the religious leaders, places of worship
and helping the poor.
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Sabbath

 This is a sacred day and dedicated for rest and worship of God.
 On Sabbath day people are not allowed to do any form of work or travel for a
distance of more than a kilometer for that is considered as working.
 Jews spend their Sabbath day at synagogues listening to the teachings from
the Torah and visiting their relatives after the service.
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ISLAM
By the end of this sub-topic, learners should be able to:
1. Define Islam.
2. Narrate the historical background of Islam.
3. List the names of the Supreme Being.
4. Identify the attributes of the Islam Supreme Being.

Historical background of Islam

Fig 5.1

Religious symbol of Islam

What is Islam?
 The word Islam means “to submit” or “to surrender” to one God who is known
as Allah.
 Believers in Islam are known as Muslims.
 The religion was founded by Prophet Muhammad whom they call their final
prophet and the messenger of Allah.
 The Islam holy book is known as the Qur’an.
 The Muslims worship one supernatural being therefore they are monotheists.
 They observe the five pillars which are the five duties that unite Muslims into a
community.
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Five pillars of Islam

 Faith (Shahada)
 Prayer (Salat)
 Charity (Zakat)
 Fasting (Sawm)
 Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)

 The Islamic religious tradition emerged from the story of Prophet Muhammad
in Mecca.
 He was born 571 CE in Arabia and was called to prophethood at the age of
forty.
 At the age of forty Muhammad commenced the work of preaching the
message of Allah to the people of Arabia.
 He suffered in the hands of the Arabs especially his own immediate family
members.
 The Meccans saw the call to Islam as a threat to their traditional religion
because they worshipped idols.
 He departed from Mecca and went to Medinah where he established an
Islamic state.
 Islam then spread to Europe, Africa, South and East of Asia.
 It is a monotheistic religion that developed in the Middle East during the 7th
century.
 Prophet Muhammad took the main belief and teachings in the meaning of the
name Islam which means “surrender” or “submission”.
 Muslims surrender or submit to the will of Allah, their creator and sustainer of
the world.
 The Qur’an is the main sacred text of Islam because it contains the teachings
of the prophet that were revealed to him from Allah.
 The Qur’an identified Islam as the main religion acceptable to Allah.
 Quran 3:19 - “Surely the way of life acceptable to Allah is Islam.”
 Their main belief is that Allah is the one and true God.
 There are two divisions within Islam which are Sunni and Shia.
 Islam has three sacred places which are Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.
 The Muslims gather in mosques to worship Allah, to pray and study scriptures.

Meaning of the five pillars

Shahadah

 It is a pillar of declaration.
 This is one of their basic creed which says there is no God but Allah and
Muhammad is his prophet and messenger.
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 This belief is the foundation of all beliefs in Islam.

 Muslims are obliged to repeat this creed as well as the new Islamic converts.

Salat

 It is a pillar of prayer.
 This is the Islamic ritual prayer which must be performed 5 times a day.
 They perform each prayer facing Mecca which is their holy city.
 It is recited in Arabic language and consist of verses from the Quran.

Zakat

 It is a pillar of welfare contribution.

 This is also known as almsgiving
 It is the practice of giving which is obligatory to those who are able to give the
wealth they have acquired, be it money, farm produce and animals.
 The money is used to help the poor as well as for the spread of Islam.

Sawm

 This is a practice of fasting during the month of Ramadan.

 They should not eat, drink, have sexual intercourse or sin from morning till
sunset.
 They fast to be nearer to God.
 They should express their gratitude to Allah for looking after them by atoning
their past sins and giving the poor.

Hajj

 It is a pillar of holiness.
 This is the pilgrimage during the Islamic month of Dhual-hijjah in the city of
Mecca.
 They call this the crossing of Mecca.
 The men of the Hajj dress in white cloths and walk seven times around Kaaba.

Names of the Supreme Being

 All merciful (Ar Rahman)

 Most merciful (Ar Rahim)
 The king/sovereign (Al Malik)
 The most holy (Al Quddus)
 The Almighty, self-sufficient (Al Aziz)
 The guardian/preserver (Al Muhaymin)
 Peace and blessing (As Salam)
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The attributes of the Supreme Being

 The attributes of Allah are found in the Hadith (sayings of the prophet) of
Prophet Muhammad.
 They describe different aspects of the God of Islam.
 The attributes refer to one God (Allah) but he has many traits.
 He is the one and only God
 He is the most merciful
 The creator of the universe
 Bestower of forms
 He is wise
 He is the most gracious
 He is the moral law-giver

Basic beliefs in Islam

 Belief in God- Tah

 Belief in Angels- Mabukaih
 Belief in the books of Allah- Kutabah
 Belief in the messenger of Allah- Rusullah
 Belief in the Judgement day- Yawn
 Belief in life after death- Al-Akkirah
 Belief in predestination- Al-Qudo
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RELIGION, FAMILY AND IDENTITY

By the end of this sub-topic, learners should be able to:
1. Define a family, family structure and identity.
2. Describe the structure of a family.
3. Explain the role of Indigenous Religion in shaping family identity.

Concept of the family

Introduction
 The people in the world belong to different families.
 Each family has a structure.
 Each one of us belongs to a certain family whether big or small.

Family

 A group of people living together and consists of parents and children.

 It can also be explained as a social unit consisting of one or more adults
together with the children they care for.
 A group of people who are related to each other through a mother and a
father and their children.
 A family usually has a common residence, economic co-operation, historical
background, ancestry, lineage and reproduction.

Family Structure

 Family structure refers to the combination of relatives that make a family.

 The way in which a family is organized
according to roles, rules, power, and hierarchies.
 The composition and membership of the family and the organization and
patterning of relationships among individual family members.
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Fig 6.1

A family hierarchy

Types of family structures

 There are various family structures around the world. Some are structured by
birth whilst others are designed by natural causes like death.
 Family structures may be influenced by circumstances for example children
who have lost all their parents may find themselves alone. This influences
some of the children to become guardians to others.

Nuclear Family

 This is an indigenous type of family which is common to many people.

 Generally this structure consists of mother, father and their children.
 Many of us belong to this type of family structure.
 Children who belong to a nuclear family are biological children of the parents.

Single parent family

 Such a family consists of one parent raising up one or more children.

 This type of family maybe a result of death, divorce or by choice of the
parent/s.
 The single parent can either be a mother or a father raising up the children.
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Blended family

 The children from this family can be through remarriage or adoption.

 The other parent from this family might not be part of the family from the
onset of the family.

Extended Family

 The families in which not only parents but grandparents, uncles and aunts are
part of the family.
 These people all help in the upbringing of the children.
 In African communities this is the most common type of family structure.

Adoption

 This family structure is not quite common.

 This is where husband and wife have no children and they usually adopt a
child from another family.
 The result of not having children maybe because of natural causes like
barrenness.
 Indigenous religion may regard not having children a curse.

Child headed family

 This is where all parents have died and the children are left alone to look after
each other.
 One of the minors (older child or capable) becomes the parent and guardian
of the household.

Indigenous Religion and family identity

 The fact of whom and what a person is.
 The fact of belonging to a particular group of people by birth or social
relationship.
 That which is used to trace one’s background, place of origin and ethnicity.
 Families can be identified through their values, goals, surname, beliefs, and
customs.
 People who belong to a certain family usually abide by the rules and
regulations of that particular family.
 Wherever a family member goes they carry and represent the religion,
ethnicity and their societal values and beliefs with them.
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The role of Indigenous Religion in shaping family identity

 The family is very important in Indigenous religion as it is the basis of the

African society.
 Those who believe in Indigenous religion share the same beliefs and are
always identified as one family of God.
 Families are identified by a name which is derived from the side of the man.
The name becomes the totem.
 The totem carries the background of family members. If one totem is Moyo, it
simply means that the person comes from the Moyo family. Those who share
the same totem but from different families are deemed of the same clan.

Values used for family identity in Indigenous religion.

 Respect for elders.

 Respect for peers.
 Peacefulness.
 Universal responsibility.
 Honesty
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RELIGION AND EDUCATION

By the end of this sub-topic, learners should be able to:
1. Define education.
2. List types of education.
3. Outline characteristics of formal education.
4. State characteristics of informal education.

EDUCATION
Introduction

 It is the teaching and learning of knowledge and skills.

 It can be explained as a process where people are taught how to do
something. Educational methods include storytelling, discussion, teaching and
training.
 It is the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits.

Types of Education
Formal education

 Formal learning is education normally delivered by trained personnel in a

systematic way within a learning institution for example a school, college or
university.
 Formal education in Zimbabwe is classified into levels as follows:
 Infant level - Covers Early Childhood Development A to Grade 2
 Junior level - Covers Grade 3 to 7
 Secondary level - Covers Form 1 to Form 6
 Tertiary level - Covers Polytechnics, teachers’ colleges and universities
 Formal education ranges from primary education to secondary education and
higher education, and that follows a system.
 Learning follows a countrywide recognized official curriculum which enables
the crafting of a syllabus.

Characteristics of formal education

Observes strict discipline and order

 Learners and the teachers are both aware that they have to engage
themselves in the process of education.
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 It is a process of teaching which involves supervision, instruction, set plans,

definite aims and principles.

It is organized under an institution

 It occurs in schools, colleges and similar institutions which are established with
the purpose of teaching and learning.
 In this way it is direct schooling, instruction and tuition.

Well-defined and systematic curriculum

 Formal education has a well-defined and systematic curriculum.

 This curriculum is based on certain aims and objectives.
 These aims are in conformity with the needs of the society and the state.

Assessment

 To determine whether the learning objectives have been achieved testing is

done.
 In other cases, the process of assessment could be much less formal, perhaps
a practical exercise or a quiz.
 Learners get results at the end of a certain learning period. Results may be
distributed through school reports, certificates, and awards, displayed or
published through an advertising medium like a newspaper.

Record keeping

 There is need for keeping of records for proof of what has been covered.
 Learners may have to be writing during lessons.
 There are other records kept and maintained by the authorities in the learning
institution for example register of attendance and progress record book.

Informal education
 This is learning that happens outside the classroom without a curriculum or
syllabus.
 It does not follow any system.
 Learning happens through observation, dialogue, storytelling, myths, proverbs
and experience.
 Learning may happen at home, outside in the fields, during an event or
anywhere where a set of knowledge can be passed.
 Informal learning starts the day one is born and continues until death.
P a g e | 26

 Informal education is that which teaches habits, values, experiences and skills,
outside any learning institution.
 This is the passing of knowledge and skills from one person to another in a
scenario not designed for teaching and learning.
 Examples may include a father teaching his son how to be a carpenter or a
mother teaching her daughter how to cook.
 Informal learning places may be at home through the family, the press, radio,
cinema, church, playground or library.

Characteristics of informal education

Informal learners are often highly motivated to learn.

 Unlike the formal learning environment at school, informal learners are often
eager and attentive.
 The way in which children are taught makes them to be attentive.
 This makes it possible for religion to be taught in homes and churches.

No formal learning environment.

 Learning takes places anywhere.

 The home, neighbourhood, community, church and scared places are the
classrooms for learning.

No Assessment.

 No exams or tests are written.

 Knowledge is imparted to make the people understand.
 This suits the teaching in Indigenous Religion as there are no tests.

It is never organized

 Informal education is not planned.

 There are no organized classes for learners to attend.
 There is no set time for any learning but learners may gather around the
teacher and listen.

There is no keeping of records.

 Learners and teachers do not have to keep records of what has been covered
and neither do the learners need to be writing down what is being delivered.
P a g e | 27

Methods of gaining knowledge or skill

 Observation
 Experience
 Training
 Modelling
 Testimony
 May be explained by an authority
 Through various institutions
 Revelation from religious texts
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RELIGION AND GENDER ROLES

By the end of this sub-topic, learners should be able to:
1. Define gender.
2. Outline characteristics associated with a particular gender.

Gender
Background
 Gender is the state of being male or female.
 It is the reference which is made to differentiate between men and women
(sexes).
 It is the range of characteristics that distinguish between maleness and
femaleness.
 The characteristics may be biological (acquired from birth).

Gender Roles
 These are socially constructed beliefs which define appropriateness of roles
between men and women in a particular society.
 The roles are agreed upon as a society and the patterns passed from one
generation to the other.
 Zimbabwean societies today agree that cooking is a role for females while on
the other hand they believe that herding cattle is a male role.
 Gender roles are assigned according to capabilities of males and females.
Since males are naturally stronger in muscle (muscular), they are given roles
which require use of energy and power while women, who are less muscular
are given roles which do not require the use of muscles.
 It must be noted that some women are muscular and are capable of executing
the duties of men and men are capable of doing household chores like
cooking, hence gender roles are for purposes of responsibility, division of
labour and accountability.
 They determine how males and females should think, speak, dress and interact
within the context of the particular society.
P a g e | 29

Female gender roles

Cooking

 Generally this is one of the traditional gender roles.

 Most cultural groups regard this as a female role.
 Men do take cooking as a profession today in restaurants, hotels and food
outlets.

Laundry work

 Most of the laundry work is done by the females.

 Washing and ironing of clothes is agreed to be a female role.
 Males should also wash and iron clothes.

Child rearing

 From birth the children are taken care of by the females.

 Women were given the role of bearing babies from creation. They carry a
baby for nine months in their womb and also take the task of breastfeeding
the baby until it grows and matures.
 Males must assist females in some ways, for instance nursing a baby when the
mother is occupied with something else.

Male gender roles

Decision making

 Men are traditional given the role of being the head of the family.
 Disputes, disagreements, family issues and decisions are usually referred to
the father of the family for solutions.
 The male as the head of the family makes decisions with the help of his wife
or any elderly female present.
 Under the Indigenous Religion, women could not be consulted for solutions,
opinions and decisions but the elder male figure would make the final
decision.
 Nowadays, through the co-existence of Christianity and Indigenous religion,
societies have changed and now involve women in decision making.
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Providing for the family

 It is the duty and role of males to work and provide for the family.
 Women can now provide for their own families nowadays as societies are now
advocating for empowerment of women through education, equal
opportunities in positions and equal rights.

Family protection

 It is the responsibility of the family man to keep the family safe from harm.

Characteristics associated with femininity

and masculinity
Femininity (women)
Women are associated with being:

 Kitchen workers
 Good listeners
 Attractive
 Weak
 Submissive
 Emotional
 Quiet
 Attached to people around them
 Kind

Masculinity (men)
Men are associated with being:

 Breadwinners
 Unemotional
 Active
 Stronger than women
 Dominant
 Leaders
 Independent
P a g e | 31

Religion and gender roles

Christianity

 Teaches husbands to respect their wives.

 Wives are to be submissive to their husbands. (Ephesians 5:22-33)
 Females are portrayed as responsible for a close upbringing of children.

Judaism

 Males are to pray daily and do hard work.

 Women are supposed to focus on the issues at home.

Islam

 Women and men were created equally by the Supreme Being.

 Men should provide for the women.

Indigenous Religion

 Women are for cooking, bringing up children and doing household chores.
 Men are supposed to hunt for animals in the bush and dig up in the fields.
 Women are expected to submit before their husbands.
P a g e | 32

RELIGION, ETHICS, HEALTH AND

SEXUALITY
By the end of the topic, learners should be able to:
1. Define ethics, values, health, chronic conditions and sexuality.
2. Give examples of values.
3. Give the meaning of health and sexuality.
4. State examples of chronic conditions.

ETHICS AND VALUES

 Ethics and values are part of human life.
 These are shaped up or are communicated to people through various ways.

Ethics
 These are moral principles that govern a person's behavior.
 Ethics have to do about how activities should be carried out.
 They are acceptable ways of doing things.
 Ethics also means the effort of studying our own moral beliefs and our moral
conduct.
 Ethics help to ensure that we, and the institutions we help to shape, live up to
standards that are reasonable and guided.

Ethical principles
Truthfulness

 This is the issue of being truthful.

 A moral character of a human being, related to telling the truth every time.

Honesty

 This is fairness and straightforwardness in character.

 It defines a character of someone fair in their conduct and being trustworthy.

Loyalty

 This is the strong feeling of supporting or allegiance to one’s country, group,

individual, cultural values and norms.
 It is also faithfulness adherence to a government, leader, religion or any other
thing important to a person, group or community.
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Respect

 This is expressing a warm approval to an individual or group.

 It can also be the due regard for the feelings, wishes or rights of others.

Ways in which people may show respect:

 Lend other an ear when they speak.

 Congratulate those who do well.
 Be thankful for everything people do for you.
 Greet people when you meet them.
 Use proper language that is not vulgar.
 Tell the truth every time

Fairness

 It is the character of being free from bias.

 It entails doing things justly without favour.
 It is being impartial and just treatment or behavior without favoritism or
discrimination.

Integrity

 The ability of doing the right thing even when no one is watching.
 This can also be the quality of being honest and having strong moral
principles.

Values
 It is the importance of something.
 It is what is considered by someone to be important or beneficial.
 Values are beliefs held by person or society about good behavior and what
things are important.
 A collection of guiding principles of what one deems to be correct and
desirable in life, especially regarding personal conduct.

Types of values
P a g e | 34

Personal values

 The important principles on which an individual builds life upon and guides a
person on how to relate with the next person.
 Such values may be taken form the community in which that individual stays
or their own family and friends.

Family values

 These are a set of instructions with which children are taught to follow by their
parents.
 Values may be taught, modeled, observed and copied by children from
parents.
 A typical example is prayer in a Christian family. Once the parents pray and go
to church with their children, they grow up with those values.

Social-cultural

 These are the acceptable standards of behaviours agreed upon by a group of

people in a certain area.
 A typical example in Indigenous religion where some societies agree that no
one must be working on the fields on a Sunday. Anyone who defies this and
decides to go into the fields is viewed as an outcast and is usually reported to
the village authorities.
 Societies place value on dress codes and agree on certain standards of
dressing which members have to respect.
 Indigenous religion places value on the dead, hence the graves are always
treated with respect for they believe that the dead protect the living.

Spiritual values

 The importance given to non-material things in our lives.

 They are responsible for developing meaning and foundation to our religious
life.
 These are values of doing right by everyone. Examples are love, peace and
truth which enables people to live in harmony.

Moral values

 The attitudes and behaviors that a society considers essential for co-existence,
order, and general well-being.

Unhu /Ubuntu.
P a g e | 35

 In the African communities when we talk of ethics and values we refer to these
as Unhu/Ubuntu.
 Unhu or Ubuntu entails the bond between the people in the family or
community.
 A person with Ubuntu/Unhu has the following characteristics:

Unhu/ Ubuntu values

 Welcoming
 Generosity
 Sharing and giving
 Does not revenge
 Forgiving and advocates for reconciliation.
 Placing value to the life of a human being

HEALTH AND SEXUALITY

Health
 Health is the state of being free from illness or injury.
 This is the condition of complete physical, mental and social well-being and
not merely the absence of disease or weakness.

Sexuality
 This is a person’s sexual orientation.
 The total of our physical, emotional and spiritual responses, thoughts and
feelings.
 At birth boys and girls look very similar but parents use sexual organs to
identify whether the baby is male or female.
 Sexuality is seen through the stages that take place in the body of a human
being.
 Reproductive organs develop and mature thereby giving feeling of identity to
the person.
 There are clear changes which happen to the body which are known to be
natural in human development.
 Sexuality involves all those feelings that come to mind when someone says
she is female or when he says I am male.
 It refers to more than sexual organs and sexual intercourse.
 Sexuality is expressed in the way you speak, smile, stand, sit, dress, dance,
laugh, cry, and do things.
P a g e | 36

 Sexuality is shaped by the following aspects:

a. Values and beliefs
b. Attitudes
c. Experiences
d. Physical attributes
e. Sexual characteristics
f. Societal expectations

Indigenous religion and sexuality.

 It teaches that sexual intercourse is for a subject for adults only.

 Only married people are allowed to have sexual intercourse.
 Having sex outside marriage, having sex with a minor (someone under the age
of 16 in Zimbabwe), having sex without agreement is considered an offence in
many religions.
 One cannot marry a minor but may wait for the child to grow.

Chronic conditions
 It is a human health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-
lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time.

The following are examples of Chronic Conditions:

Arthritis

 Arthritis is a condition affecting the joints and the surrounding tissues and
other connective tissues such as ligaments.

Asthma

 The inhaler helps an asthmatic person deliver medication into the body
through the lungs.
 It is a long term lung disease.
 Asthma is characterized by wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and
coughing

Causes

 Respiratory infections such as common cold.

 Physical activity (exercise induced asthma).
 Cold air
 Air pollutants like smoking
 Strong emotions and stress
P a g e | 37

Control of asthma

i. Medication
ii. Controlled physical activity
iii. Having normal activity and normal levels of sleep
iv. Quitting smoking
v. Oxygen therapy
vi. Use of an inhaler

Cancer

o It is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with a chance

to spread to other parts of the body.
o Symptoms include development of a lump and abnormal bleeding.
o There are over 100 different types of cancers, examples being bone
cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, blood cancer and skin cancer.

Causes of cancer

 Smoking tobacco
 Poor diet
 Lack of physical activity
 Too much exposition to the sun

Treatment of cancer

 Chemotherapy
 Radiation

Diabetes

 This is a disease in which blood sugar levels are above normal.

 It starts when a person has high blood sugar in their system.

Symptoms of diabetes

 Increased thirst and urination

 Increased hunger
 Fatigue
 Blurred vision
 Numbness of feet and hands
 Sores that do not heal
 Unexplained weight loss
P a g e | 38

Control and treatment

 Medicine for example niacin and anti-seizure drugs.

 Controlling blood sugar through diet.
 Insulin
 Regular screening for complications.

Heart diseases

 Heart disease is the general name for a wide variety of diseases, disorders and
conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels.
 A heart attack occurs when there is a complete cut off of the blood supply
resulting in the death of heart cells.
 Heart failure occurs when the heart loses its ability to pump blood efficiently.
 Stroke occurs when a blood vessel in or leading to the brain bursts or is
clogged by a blood clot.

HIV/AIDS

 HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

 The virus destroys the white blood cells which fight infection thereby
weakening one’s body.
 AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
 This is one of the most rampant chronic disease in the world.

Causes of HIV

 Contact with infected blood, semen or fluids.

 Unprotected sex.
 Sharing sharp objects like razor blades and needles with someone infected.

Control and treatment

 It has no cure but the virus can be limited through taking medicines that slow
the progress of the virus in one’s body.
 The control measure for HIV is taking Anti Retro Virus (ARVs) drugs.
P a g e | 39

RELIGION AND DISABILITY.

By the end of the topic, learners should be able to:
1. Define disability.
2. Identify the causes of disability.
3. Explain the forms of disability
4. State perceptions to the forms of disability

Definition of disability.
 This is a physical or mental state that restricts a person’s movements, sense or
activities.
 It can also be defined as a disadvantage or handicap recognized by the law.
 It is any continuing condition that limits one’s everyday activities.
 Disability can be mental or physical.

Causes of disability

Illnesses

 Illnesses like cancer, heart attack causes the majority of long term-disabilities.
 These may causes long term disabilities.

Genetic Influence

 Such disabilities run in the family and are there from birth.
 This happens when close blood relatives such as brothers and sisters have
children together, the siblings are more likely to have disabilities.
 Examples are obesity, hypertension and anemia.

Birth defects

 Can be due to premature birth and brain trauma.

 Might result in physical and mental disability for example cleft clip, heart
defects, club foot, brain problems.

Environmental factors

 Disability may be caused by poverty and malnutrition.

 Many poor people are most vulnerable to disability due to the reason that
they are forced to stay and work in unsafe environments with crowded living
conditions.
 Lack of nutritional diets in poor families cause children to grow slowly and the
bones may not develop properly.
P a g e | 40

 A baby maybe disabled when the pregnant mother is exposed to radiation

and use of drugs.

War

 In a war situation soldiers are usually killed or become disabled due to

rigorous activities or shooting.
 Bomb explosions causes people to become deaf, blind or lose their limbs due
to injuries.

Poor access to health care

 When people seek medical care early disabilities are prevented.

 Complications when giving birth especially in the rural areas where women go
into labour and give birth under untrained personnel like grandmothers can
result in a baby being born with disabilities.
 Immunization can also prevent many disabilities, but many times vaccines are
not available or people are poor or live far from cities and cannot afford them.

Accidents

 Many people also get disabled through injuries sustained during accidents.
 People may get injured at home by burns from cooking fires and falling or in
road accidents.
 Work place accidents also lead to disability especially in construction sites,
agricultural activities in the farms and mining.

Forms of disability.
Autism/spectrum disorders

 It refers to a group of developmental disorders.

 People with this disability develop social problems that include difficulties
communicating and interacting with others.
 Children are not born with this disability.
 The signs tend to appear between two and three years of age.

Visual impairment

 It is the loss or decreased ability to see to a degree that causes problems not
fixable by usual means such as glasses.
 It can also include those who have a decreased ability to see because they do
not have access to spectacles.
 This term includes both partial sight and blindness.
P a g e | 41

Hearing loss/deafness

o Hearing loss varies from slight loss to complete deafness.

o This can result in the use of hearing aids for some people. The aid is
usually planted on one or both ears as illustrated below

 Some people use sign language to communicate, others read lips and are able
to speak while some use the combination of both methods.

Intellectual disability.

 It refers to significant limitations in learning, thinking and solving problems.

 Most people with this disability are capable of learning but some require
specialized material and support to enhance their learning.

Physical Disability

 The major conditions can impair mobility and movement.

 This is generally the inability to use legs, arms or any other body part due to
paralysis, stiffness or other impairments.
 It can also be due to birth defects, diseases, age or accidents.

Speech and language disorders.

 These disorders vary and can affect one at any age.

 The person’s ability to interact and communicate with others will usually be
affected.
 The person’s ability to interact and communicate with others will usually be
affected.

Islam's perceptions on disability.

Islam perceptions on disability

 It is the duty of the able to take care of the disabled.

 The Supreme Being Allah may give disability as test to a group of people to
see their level of faithfulness.
 Believers hold that disability can also be given by Allah as a form of
punishment.

Indegeneous religion's perceptions on disability

 Causes of disability are disobedience to the ancestors and Supreme Being,

taboos, broken oaths, immorality, curse from God and genetics.
P a g e | 42

 Disabled people are treated with stigma, labeled, isolated, protected, treated
as patients and also feared.
 Hurting or ill-treating disabled people is considered as an offence and
punishable by God
 Disabled people in Zimbabwe are respected and treated like patients. People
see them as humans who have rights.

Christian perceptions on disablity

 Disability is seen as punishment for sin in some Christian societies.

 God shows his power by healing the disabled. (John 5)
 Christian believers however agree that God shows no partiality, he created
everyone in his own image and loves every human being.

Jewish perceptions on disability

 People with disabilities have the right to participate in religious and public life.
They are not supposed to be discriminated in the community.
 They should be provided with access to buildings, Sabbath services and prayer
books.
 Disabled people are God’s creation and they must be treated with respect.
 Jews believe that some disabilities are a curse from God.

Role of the community towards the disabled

 To offer them protection.
 Treat them justly.
 To respect them as normal human beings
 To show them love and care
 To tolerate them
 To accept the disabled as they are.
P a g e | 43

RELIGION AND THE NATURAL

ENVIRONMENT
By the end of the topic, learners should be able to:
1. Define the natural environment
2. Identify some components of the natural environment.
3. Show how different religions use some components of the natural environment.
4. List causes of environmental damage.

 This refers to the living and non-living things that are found on earth.
 These include weather, climate and natural resources.
 Examples of natural resources include :
a. Trees
b. Rivers
c. Animals
d. The air
e. Mountains
f. Water
 The natural environment ensures the survival of human beings and economic
activities.
 Human beings have power and authorities over all living and non-living things
on earth.
 All religious groups around the worked are closely linked to the natural
environment in their daily living.

Components of the natural environment

Water

 It is a very important component of the natural environment.

 Human beings, animals and other parts of the natural environment depend of
water for survival.

Uses of water:

Drinking

Watering plants

 Washing of clothes can be done by both males and females. Husbands are
supposed to help their wives in washing.
P a g e | 44

Vegetation

o These are all the plants found in a particular area and the ground
covered by the plants.
o It is important for the survival of both animals and human beings.
o A forest is a good example of vegetation.

Wildlife

o It refers to all the undomesticated animals that live in the bush and
forests.
o It also includes all living organisms that grow and live in a certain area
and are not kept and introduced to human beings.
o Examples are lions, elephants and crocodiles.
o The wild life can be used to earn money.
o Wild plant products like food, medicine and timber are of economic
value.
o The wild animal products such as meat, medicines, hide, ivory and silk
are useful to every day life.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Christianity

 Water is used for purposes of cleansing in the Christian family.

 Baptism is a sign of one being freed from sin.
 Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist and everyone who becomes a
member of the Christian religion has to be baptized.
 Although there are many ways in which people are baptized today, it must be
noted that all the forms involve the use of water.
 Water is believed to be a symbol of spiritual cleansing.
 The person may be immersed in water, poured with water over the upper part
of the head, sprinkled with drops of water on the forehead.
 Water is important for survival in the Christian religion for example in drinking,
watering plants, washing clothes and plates.
 Some of the water is also prayed for by Christian leaders and is believed to be
holy. Such water may be used to sprinkle masses during a service and time of
worship.
 In the New Testament water is connected with the gift of eternal life. Some
examples are:

John 4:14 Revelation 21:6

But whosoever drinks the water that I shall ...I am Alpha and Omega, the
give him shall never be thirsty; but the beginning and the end. I will give
P a g e | 45

water that I shall give him shall be a well of unto him that is thirsty of the
water in him springing up into eternal life. fountain of the water of life freely.
Healing at the pool at Bethesda (John 5:1-6)

The pool of Bethesda was used to heal people. The angel of the Lord would come
after a while and stir the water at the pool. The first person to step into the water was
healed right away. Water here was used for spiritual cleansing of diseases as many
people who came to this people were healed.

Healing of the blind man. (John 9:7)

Jesus said to the blind man, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means "Sent").
So he went away, washed, and came back seeing.

 After Jesus had touched the eyes of the blind man, he asked him to go wash
his eyes in the pool of Siloam. This symbolizes the significance of water in the
Christian religion. It is usually the source of spiritual and physical cleansing.
 People are usually healed used water as many of Jesus’ miracles he performed
had to do with water.

The story of creation in the Holy bible teaches that all things were created by God
(Supreme Being) in heaven and on earth. (Genesis 1:1)

Genesis 1:20
And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let
birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens."

o The undomesticated animals are very important in the Christian

religion.
o Most Christians eat game meat although and the Holy bible has
guidelines on which of the animals should be consumed by the
Christian believers.
o Some of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen who made a living through
catching and selling fish.

Matthew 4:19
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

o Wildlife is used as a resource.

o Vegetation was created by the Christian Supreme Being, God. (Genesis
1:11-12)
P a g e | 46

Genesis 1:11-12
And God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and
fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon
the earth." And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding
seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed,
each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Vegetation is important for:

o Food through fruits.

o Medicine which is made from some of the components of the natural
environment.
o Decoration in the places of worship. This is done through flowers which
are displayed around the places of worship so that they look good.
o Healing of diseases through herbs and leaves.

Ezekiel 47:12
And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees
for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh
fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their
fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”
Judaism and the natural environment

Water

o Water is believed to be a symbol of purity.

o It is used to wash hands and feet or even total immersion of believers.
o Water is used also by priests to wash their hands and feet before doing
their Temple services.
o Women also have to be purified after their menstrual period.
o The ritual of washing hands is done before and after meals.
o In the Torah (first five books of the Holy bible), water was used as God’s
instrument of punishment, for the Egyptians and a blessing to the
Israelites. (Genesis 7)
o Those who were in the ark that God had asked Noah to prepare
survived the floods but those who were outside perished including all
the animals that were outside.

Wildlife

 Animals were important in the Jewish religion as they are at the center of
sacrificial offerings as ways of cleansing sin.
 Nowadays Jews no longer offer sacrificial lambs.
 Jewish law prohibits causing unnecessary suffering to animals
 Animals can be used to satisfy legitimate needs, like food and clothing
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 Pets are permitted, but cannot be physically altered, and may cause
complications
 Jewish law is compatible with a vegetarian diet, but involves some use of
leather.
 The Torah (the Jewish law) itself is written on animal skins.

Vegetation

 The vegetarian diet was considered the ideal for humanity.

 In Genesis 1:29, God gives humanity all fruits and vegetables for food, but no
meat.
 Meat was not permitted until after the Flood (Gen. 9:3).
 Even offerings before that time did not involve the death of animals.
 Abel and Cain's offerings (Gen. 4) were wool and flax.

Indigenous Religion(IR)

Water

o Water is a component of the natural environment that plays a pivotal

role in the traditional religion especially in the preparation of
concoctions and medicines by traditional healers.
o Bad luck is also washed away using water which is mixed with some
herbs.

Indigenous Religion and Vegetation

o The vegetation is the main source of most of the traditional herbs used
in the indigenous religion.
o The herbs are taken from the bushes and forests by the traditional
healers and prepared for healing of the people.
o Selection and prescription of herbs is done by traditionalists who are
knowledgeable about the trees and herbs.
o People who have the knowledge about the herbs are believed to have a
spiritual connection with the ancestors or the world of the Supernatural
and that is where they get the guidance on the herbs to heal people.
o This is done to ensure that the correct medicines are administered to
patients.
o Healing in the African Traditional Religion is vastly based on herbs.

Indigenous Religion and wildlife

o Wildlife is used as a source of food in the traditional religion.

o There is evidence of the use of some animal skins and parts.
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o Animal skin is used to prepare African traditional regalia especially for

traditional healers and for making mats.
o Most animal skins are displayed in the huts where traditional healers
operate. Skins of fierce animals are usually preferred.
o Some of the items include a head gear, beads and rugs.

o There is also evidence of use of animals in traditional medicine. Animal

parts are used to prepare different concoctions and remedies for
specific diseases.

NB: It is the duty of the chiefs and village headsman to ensure that the natural
environment is well taken care of all the time.

Islam

Water

o It sees water as a life giving, sustaining and purifying resource.

o The Qur’an (Islamic holy book) teaches that water is the origin of all life
on earth. (Qur’an 25:24)

Qur’an 21:30
"We made from water every living thing"

 Water of rain and fountains appear a lot in the Islamic holy book to signify
God’s kindness to the people.
 Believers agree that water and the rains come from their Supreme Being.
 Ablution is one of the rites kept and maintained by the Muslims. Believers are
supposed to cleanse themselves using water before they engage in prayers.
 Prophet Muhammad emphasizes the use of water in maintaining cleanliness
and purity amongst Muslim believers.
 The Qur’anic writings in which water is used to symbolize paradise,
righteousness, and God’s mercy.
 From the numerous Qur’anic references to cooling rivers, fresh rain, and
fountains of flavored drinking water in Paradise, we can conclude that water is
the main component of the gardens of Paradise.

Vegetation

 It is important and necessary for Muslims to plant and take care of trees as
Prophet Muhammad encouraged believers to do so.
 Prophet Muhammad urged that planting and taking care of trees is a blessing
to those who plant and those who benefit from the plant.
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 The Prophet is believed to have a spiritual connection with vegetation

specifically trees.
 Muslims remedies are mostly non-natural which means they are not based on
vegetation for healing but they rather use physical, mental and psychological
measures for healing and health.

Wildlife

o The Qur’an clearly spells out that animals may be used for human
benefit.
o All living creatures were created by Allah (Supreme Being)
o Ill-treating wildlife and animals is not allowed.
o Hunting for food is permitted if the animal is killed humanely

Qur'an 40:79-80
It is God who provided for you all manner of livestock, that you may ride on some of
them and from some you may derive your food. And other uses in them for you to
satisfy your heart's desires. It is on them, as on ships, that you make your journeys.

 Muslims have rules on ritual slaughtering of wildlife.

 The slaughterer must be a sane adult Muslim
 The slaughterer must say the name of God before making the cut.
 The name of God is said in order to emphasize the cleanliness of life and that
the animal is being killed for food with obedience to God the creator.

Causes of environmental damage

 Land disturbance – there are weeds and human activities that damage and
disturb the success of the environment.
 Pollution – There is air, water, land, noise pollution which are all done by
humans to the environment.
 Overpopulation – Continuous population increase puts pressure on the
natural environment especially the natural resources as they become not
enough to sustain the growing population.
 Deforestation – This is the cutting down of trees to make way for buildings
and other structures. Some people chop down trees for firewood and fencing
especially in the rural areas.
 Natural causes – These are natural incidents that destroy the environment.
These are earthquakes, storms, volcanoes, wild fires and waves.
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RELIGION, RIGHTS AND

RESPONSIBILITY
By the end of the topic, learners should be able to:
1. Define rights
2. Identify types of rights.
3. Define social responsibility.
4. Identify different social responsibilities displayed at various levels.

RIGHTS
 Rights are a privilege or permission to do certain things.
 For example “all children have the right to education and health”
 They are claims of the individuals for development in the society.
 They are agreed upon by society and hence they differ from society to society.
This means what is a right in one society may not be seen as a right in another
society.
 Rights may change from time to time.
 They guide individuals and maintain health, security, order and morality.

Types of rights

Natural rights

 Every human being has the right to live, right to liberty (social and political
freedom) and right to property.
 It is from these natural rights that rules and laws are made. For example those
who kill would have denied someone the right to live therefore the killers are
arrested.
 Those who steal are arrested because they would have denied someone the
right to property.
 The state has the duty to enforce and protect these rights.

Moral rights

 These are based on moral consciousness.

 They cannot be enforced by the court of law but people are answerable to
their religious groups.
 They are to do with proper conduct and behavior.
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Civil rights

 These are privileges to live a well-mannered social life.

 Right to life and equality are civil rights.
 They are part of basic human needs in the society.
 They are to do with respecting one another and the rights of others.
 Examples include being polite to others and respecting the elders.
 Most of them are protected by the state.

Political rights

 This is the permission for every citizen to associate themselves with a political
party and political opinion of their choice.
 It entails the freedom to participate in a country’s political process.
 It includes the right to vote, right to be elected, right to hold office, the right
to criticize and oppose the government.

Economic rights

 These are rights which provide economic security to the people.

 Humans have the right to food, shelter, clothing and medical treatment.
 These ensure that citizens enjoy their civil and political rights.
 These ensure that people have the right to work, adequate wages, leisure and
rest and the right to social security in case of illness, physical disability and old
age.

Religion and rights

 Generally many religious groups protect the rights of human beings even if
they do this in a different manner.
 Holy books teach moral values that guide citizens to be civil with each other
as they live.
 Citizens have the freedom and right to be associated with a religion of their
choice. They are allowed to change as and when they want.

Some religious rights

 To change religion or belief.

 To exercise their religion in public or privately, alone and with others.
 To have no religion.
 The role of the state is to encourage tolerance of religions.
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Rights of the adults

In Zimbabwe, people who are over the age of seventy have the following rights.

i. To receive reasonable care and assistance from their families and the state.
ii. To receive health care and medical assistance from the state.
iii. To receive financial support by the way of social security and welfare.
iv. To form movements of associations of the elderly.
v. To exercise their right to freedom of choice regarding shelter, food, clothing
within the limitation of their resources.

The Zimbabwean constitution embraces freedom of worship for all citizens.

The following are the benefits of freedom of worship:

a. Promotes respect.
b. Reduces corruption.
c. Promotes peace.
d. Increasing in number of religious institutions like schools and universities.
e. Encourages unity.
f. Helps people to live and co-exists with their differences.
g. Promotes stability.
h. Promotes democracy.
i. Employment opportunities, where people are employed in mission
institutions.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
What is social responsibility?
 These are roles of the community which include cooperation, respect and
participation.
 It is the duty that every individual member of a society has to perform so as to
develop and benefit their society.
 It can be a social, economic, political, religious responsibility that advance
social goals.
 If everyone performs their responsibility, the society develops and benefits
everyone.
 Social responsibility is concerned about having sympathy for others especially
the poor, orphans and the disadvantaged in the society.
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Examples of social responsibility in the community.

 Championing justice and peace
 Monitoring the wrong behaviours and eliminating them.
 Knowing the problems facing the community and cooperating with others to
find solutions.
 Respecting the rights of others.

Types of social responsibilities.

Economic responsibility

 Every member of the society must contribute to the development of the

economy.
 The economy entails the area of production, trade and consumption of goods
and services by society members.
 Workers fulfilling their duties at work. For example, a teacher fulfils his
economic responsibility by educating the members of the society, police man
provide security, nurses take care of the health of members, business people
provide the needs and wants of the people whilst builders build structures for
people to have shelter and for purposes of business.
 Citizens generally fulfil their social responsibility by ensuring that they
contribute to the growth and development of their own society.
 This is the reason why every citizen must be working or running a business so
that they have an income.
 Economic responsibilities are interdependent, hence the need for everyone to
continue performing their duties so that no part of the society suffers.

Legal responsibility

 Every member of the society is expected to obey the law, rules and regulations
set apart.
 People who steal would have failed to perform their social responsibility.
 The law enforcers like the police, soldiers and the courts of law have the
responsibility to deal with those who fail to perform their legal responsibility.
 Members of the society have the responsibility to do everything legally, which
is to follow what the law requires of them.

Ethical responsibility

 It is the duty of every person to follow a morally correct path.

 The greatest sense of ethical responsibility to an individual is to their family
and close friends.
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 Besides observing the law, citizens of any country should meet the demands
and expectations of the society in which they live.
 This entails following family rules and regulations.
 It is about making informed decisions, being honest with one another, respect
for each other and playing individual roles as expected.
 Parents can do this through providing food, shelter, clothing, guidance and
paying school fees for their children.
 Children show ethical responsibility by respecting elders, listening and doing
what they are taught by their parents.
 As a way of showing care and support to the members of the society, citizens
have to help those who are disadvantaged, poor and the widows.

Cultural responsibility

 Each society has a culture that they must protect.

 Culture can be preserved in songs, dances, beliefs, dressing, conduct, rituals,
ceremonies and the language.
 Each member of the society has to observe and respect the cultural activities
of the society.
 Cultural responsibility guides human relationships, unity and economic
behavior of individuals.
 Culture may change from time to time and the society has to agree when to
change it so that there is order and peace prevailing.
 Culture should not be forced on people but out of love and respect people
should be taught to believe it’s their responsibility to uphold their culture.

Religion and social responsibility

 Holy books of all religions generally teach believers to be socially responsible.
 Religion plays an important part in teaching social responsibility.

How does religion cultivate social responsibility?

 Informing the citizens about the benefits of being socially responsible.

Religion teaches that God loves people who are socially responsible, hence
citizens perform their duties with the knowledge that it pleases their Supreme
Being.
 Empowering the citizens. Religions teaches people on the ways in which they
can be socially responsible thereby empowering them.
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Inspiring citizens.

 Members of the society especially the young ones need adults to mentor
them and show them what they are supposed to do.
 People are also inspired from watching others do good and hence become
passionate to behave the same way.
 Social responsibilities may be copied by citizens from other socially
responsible elderly citizens.
 Religious leaders and associates usually teach fellow believers to behave like
their leaders.

Motivation plays a key role in encouraging citizens to perform their social

responsibilities.

 People may get tired of performing their duties thus they need motivation
from fellow members of the society.
 Religious leaders usually provide guidance and counselling to fellow converts.
 An example is a couple who is having marital issues.
 They may be counselled by a religious leader to continue performing their
cultural responsibility.
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RELIGION, TECHNOLOGY AND

ENTERPRISE
By the end of the topic, learners should be able to:
1. Define enterprise.
2. Name the types of enterprise.
3. Describe technology.

Enterprise
 This is a business and the skill of running the business.
 It can be described as an organization responsible for production and
distribution of goods to meet the needs and wants of the people.
 Businesses are organized to make a profit and survive through it.

Types of enterprises

Private limited companies

 It is a type of business that limits its member owner’s liability to their shares.
 It limits the number of shareholders to fifty.

Public Limited company

 It is owned by shareholders who are led by a board of directors.

 The board of directors range from two to twelve people depending on the
size of the company.
 The board of directors work as representatives of the shareholders in the
management of the company.
 Board members are elected by shareholders on a yearly basis.
 Profits are shared amongst shareholders.

Partnerships

 This is where a few people own a business.

 Members contribute to the business by sharing property, responsibility,
knowledge or activities.
 They share profits and losses.
 Such businesses are created through a partnership agreement and must be
designated by a single name of all the partners.
 The owners may do businesses like poultry farming, farming of vegetables and
other products.
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Individual companies or sole trader businesses

 It is owned by one individual.

 Individuals may operate small to medium enterprises which can be for the
benefit of the organization.
 Such businesses are directly managed by the owner and the person may
decide to employ other people.
 The owner has complete control over assets and profits.
 Common amongst religious institutions are interior décor businesses, catering
services and equipment hiring services in order to sustain the institution.

Co-operatives

 This is where a group of people come together for purposes of producing and
distributing certain products.
 Religious institutions usually come together and do enterprises along the line
of sewing blankets and baking pastries like buns and cakes.
 The members decide on what to do with the profit. They may give it back to
the community or share all of it.

Public corporation

 A company whose shares are publicly traded and are usually held by a large
number of people. (Hundred and thousands).
 There are sometimes government owned for example National Railways of
Zimbabwe, Air Zimbabwe.
 An entity created by state to carry out public missions and services, also
known as Parastatal.

Impact of religion on enterprise

 Encourages unity among workers through establishment of businesses among
believers.
 It is a means of survival it discourages theft and fraudulent behavior.
 It promotes respect for one another.
 It teaches believers to be faithful to the Supreme Being and other fellow
believers in terms of performing duties.
 It encourages humility, trust, justice, peace and teaches people to be careful
and persistent.
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Technology
 It is the knowledge of techniques, processes of machines which can be
operated without detailed knowledge of their workings.
 It is the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical
means and their relationship with life, society, and the environment.

Forms of technology

Educational technology

o These include computers, cellphones, and overhead projectors, audio

and video tape recorders.

Fig. 13.1pic A computer

Fig. 13.2pic Overhead projector

Instructional technology

o These range from computer software that are used in giving

instructions to telecommunication systems like amplifiers and other
audio devices like the microphone that aid the passing of instruction.

Fig. 13.3pic Microphone

 Religious institutions nowadays rely on technology for amplifying sound

especially when there are large gatherings like services, crusades and
conferences.
 Voices can now be amplified for everyone to hear the sermon and the singing
during religious gatherings.

Technology productivity tools

 These are computer software, hardware and related systems that enable
people to work more effectively.
 Examples include database programs that allow storing and retrieving of
religious information for religious institutions, word processing, fax machines
which allow for transmission of documents over long distances and video
conferencing.
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 Video conferencing helps religious institutions to keep in touch and to hold

meetings with other fellow members who may be in separate places or
countries.
 People may also use the internet to search for information about their religion
in the absence of their religious leader

Advantages of technology in religion.

 Storing information for retrieval later

 Displaying hymns and important points in the case of the projector
 Searching for information on the internet for example on the issues of science
which cannot be explained by religious institutions.
 Communication
 Recording audio and video for later viewing.
 Easy sharing of information over longer distances.

Disadvantages of technology on religion

 People may abuse it.

 Sacred places and objects mays be vandalized for purposes of technological
advancements.
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RELIGION AND CONFLICT

MANAGEMENT
By the end of the topic, learners should be able to:
1. Define conflict.
2. Identify the causes of conflict.

Conflict
 Conflict is a situation where there is disagreement in ideas and a choice has to
be made between the opposing groups.
 It can be between two people, countries, group/s, or even within one person
(an internal conflict).
 Conflicts are problematic and must be addressed in order to have order,
peace, productivity, and harmony.
 There are many types of conflict. The most common conflicts are emotional,
interpersonal, group, organizational, military, and the workplace.
 Conflict affects relationships between family members, colleagues and friends.

Causes of conflict

Poor communication

 Members of a group need to communicate so that everyone knows what is

expected of them.
 In a family, parents need to communicate what they expect from their children
and so do the children to their parents. For example if children are expected
to be home by sunset they should be told so.
 At work places employers must be clear on what they expect from their
employees to avoid conflict.
 Good communication enables order and peace to prevail among group
members and between groups.

Difference in personalities

 People have different backgrounds from which they come and when they
work or learn together it becomes difficult to understand each other’s
behaviors.
 Some people in a group may have a straight forward personality and which
may offend other members of the group who may take such a straight
forward personality as being rude and impolite.
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 Disagreements may arise amongst group members due to the way others
behave. Some people are free to say whatever they want which may offend
others in the process. Nonetheless, members of a group need to learn and
understand one another’s personalities and learn to tolerate each other.

Difference in values

 Many groups are made of both adults and young people. Due to the
generational gap, adults and youths do not share the same values.
 What is important to elderly people is not usually important to youths hence
disagreements may result from either section feeling that the other is not
observing community values.

Competition

 As people strive to win a competition, conflict usually arise.

 This may be due to frustrations and defeat.
 Schools usually award students who do well at the end of the year. Some
students may feel others are being favored by the school or the teacher and
become opposed to the awarded students and the school authorities.
 In some workplaces, salaries are based on performances and as such some
people would end up getting low salaries due to their poor performances. This
usually creates tension between the poor and good performers and to the
company leaders as well.
 Poor performers may resent the authorities and hence decide to oppose every
proposition and idea coming from the good performers and the company
leadership.

Misunderstandings

 Includes differing expectations about how things should be done.

Lack of planning

 It involves disorganization and lack of direction.

Incompetent leaders and poor staff selection.

 If community duties arise then inappropriate selection of staff can result in

conflict.

Frustrations and stress

Harassment
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Signs of conflict

 Lack of morale.
 Production standards usually drop.
 Increased sick leave and absence of staff.
 Quarrels and grievances between people or groups.

Types of conflict

 Emotional conflict - It is where an individual has opposing feelings towards a

current situation or one that is about to happen.
 Interpersonal conflict - Occurs when an individual or a group of people
hinders one’s efforts towards achieving a goal.
 Group conflict - This is a clash between two opposing groups for example two
soccer teams.
 Workplace conflict -
 Organizational conflict - Occurs when people who work in the same company
have differences in values, interests or needs.
 Military conflict - Occurs between states, societies or informal groups. It can
be due to political differences.

Religious causes of communal conflicts

Religious labels

 Labeling is often used to manipulate, organize and control others.

 Victims tend to feel inferior to the ones labeling them.
 This happens when religious people look at other people as wicked, sinners,
witches and evil.

Differences in sacred days, objects and places.

 In a multi-religious community, some may not observe the holiness of others’

places of worship and places.
 When people start to graze cattle, bath in sacred places of others, it result in
misunderstandings and conflict.

Witch hunting

 Conflict starts when people start to point fingers at innocent people in a bid
to find fault.
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Deceit

 Conflict arises when people are deceived into believing a lie so that religious
people gain people’s belongings.
 In most parts of Zimbabwe, spirit mediums known as “Tsikamutanda” are
known for looting people’s cattle and goats under the impression that they
are able to chase away evil spirits.

Ways of avoiding conflict

 Empathy- Considering the feelings of others and imagining how they feel.
 Counselling
 Respecting other people’s opinion
 Planning
 Learn and understand how people behave and develop strategies to handle
them.
 Do not criticize, complain or blame others.
 Encourage cooperation and unity
 Tolerance