Автор: Пользователь скрыл имя, 04 Мая 2014 в 21:20, доклад
To know the language means to know everything about the social life of the people who speak it. It wouldn't be much exaggeration to say that religion is a very important sphere of social life. Thus, being eager to know as much as possible about Great Britain, on the one hand, and searching the answer to some burning questions, on the other hand, I turned my attention to religions of Great Britain. It is a well-known fact that Great Britain represents a multireligion society and if we look at this variety more attentively, we are sure to discover a paradox.
Introduction………………………………………………………3
Chapter 1. Christian Churches……………………………………...5
1.1.The Church of England……………………………………………………5
1.2.The Scottish Free Church (Kirk)…………………………………………..7
1.3.Roman Catholic Church…………………………………………………...8
1.4.Free Churches……………………………………………………………...9
Chapter 2. Non-Christian Churches…………………………………13
2.1.Judaism……………………………………………………………………13
2.2.Islam……………………………………………………………………….14
2.3.Hinduism…………………………………………………………………..15
2.4.Sikhism…………………………………………………………………….15
2.5.Buddhism…………………………………………………………………..15
2.6.Small communities…………………………………………………………16
Conclusion………………………………………………………..17
Bibliography………………………………………………………18
There is also a large Hindu community in Britain. This religious group comprises members, most of who come from India. The Hindu community is made up predominantly of Gujaratis and Punjabis, the remainder including Bengalis and Tamils.
The largest groups of Hindus are to be found in different areas of London, Leicester, Birmingham, Bradford and Leeds.
The first Hindu temple, or mandir, was opened in London in 1962 and there are now over 150 mandirs scattered around the country.
2.4. Sikhism.
The large Sikh community in Britain comprises over 400,000 to 500,000 members and also originates from India, particularly from Punjab. The largest groups of Sikhs are in Greater London, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Wolverhampton. Sikh temples, or gurdwaras, cater for the religious, educational, social welfare and cultural needs of the community. The oldest gurdwara in London was established in 1908 and the largest is in Hounslow, Middlesex (to the west of London). There are over 200 gurdwaras in Britain.
Buddhism is also represented in the UK and consists largely of
adherents of British or Western origin with some numbers of South
Asian and Asian background. There are well over 500 Buddhist groups
and centres, with at least 50 monasteries and temples in the country.
All
the main schools of Buddhism are represented. The Buddhist Society
promotes the principles of Buddhism; it does not belong to any
particular school of Buddhism.
Small communities of other faiths include about 30, 000 Jains, whose religion is of ancient Indian origin. A deresar, or Jain temple, opened in Leicester in 1988. The Zoroastrian religion, or Mazdaism originated in ancient Iran. It is mainly represented in Britain by Pars community, whose ancestors left Iran in the 10th century and settled in northwest India (estimates range from 5,000 to 10,000 members). The Baha'i movement, which originated in 19th-century Iran, regards all the major religions as divine in origin; there are an estimated 6,000 Baha'is; in Britain.
Rastafarianism emerged out of the back-to-Africa movement in tin West Indies early this century, and arrived in the UK through Jamaicai immigration in the 1950s. It has no single creed, but draws heavily on the Old Testament.
These non-Christian religions have notably changed the religious face of the British society and have influenced employment condition; since allowances have to be made for non-Christians to follow their own religious observances and customs.
Religious tolerance is declared as one of the most important spheres of home policy and may be very helpful for making the modern British society steady and prosperous.
Let's consider this statement together. Look at the map, and you will certainly see, that those countries, both Christian and Muslim, as well as Hindu, Jewish, Sikh and so on, which had passed through the ordeal of religious wars and finally came to understanding of the necessity of tolerance became wealthy and highly developed. There is no wonder about it if any citizen is able to believe in what he wants, if he fells comfortable and safe, he is sure to be absolutely free in his desire to work hard for his individual prosperity and, subsequently, for the glory of his country. Obviously, such states as Sweden, modern Germany, Switzerland, and maybe, more spectacular, Great Britain, prove this fact.
Outsiders sometimes see possible tensions between one religion and another. But regardless of viewpoint, most people in Britain whether religious or not, consider the matter of faith to be a private and personal matter.