Sabina Bacino 1-27-14 History 2 Why is having a Belief System important?

The Key to Moral Values It is important to have a belief system because in order for a civilization to thrive, people need a belief system; it teaches citizens moral values, promotes good, and sets boundaries. A belief system helps children as well as adults learn how to love, be kind, be happy, and live in a safe environment. A belief system teaches people to be respectful, follow the rules, and how to behave. Without a belief system, citizens will harm each other and do wrong, and things could get chaotic. In history, a civilization has never thrived without a belief system. It promotes good; for example, it encourages people to follow the laws of Bacino Waters civilization. With a belief system, there will be no violence, and peace will reign all over. Stealing will not occur, and the citizens will be safe. Citizens will enjoy where they live, and the people they live with. Belief systems are the key factor to a successful, thriving civilization. In order to better understand the importance of belief systems within a civilization and how they can influence the actions and decisions of a people, please consider the following moral dilemma: In 1842, a ship struck an iceberg and more than 30 survivors were crowded into a lifeboat intended to hold 7. As a storm threatened, it became obvious that the lifeboat would have to be lightened if anyone were to survive. The captain reasoned that the morally right thing to do in this situation was to force some individuals to go over the side and drown. Since the only possibility for rescue required great efforts of rowing, the captain decided that the weakest would have to be sacrificed. They, after all, would be the one most likely to die anyways. In Hinduism the people in the boat would not support the captains decision because Hinduism is about respect, non-violence, and no bullying/harm. This proves that making people jump out of the lifeboat and drown is against Hinduisms beliefs. As Frey states, Hindus believe that all life forms have a soul, so Hindus respect all forms of life and avoid doing them harm, Making someone jump out of the lifeboat is not following Hindu beliefs. This is the ways of dharma. As Frey states, To follow ones dharma means to perform ones duties and so to live as one should. This means to respect all forms of life and respect others life. Forcing someone to jump out of a boat and sacrifice their own life for your own good is not following dharma. If you do not follow the law of dharma, you will get karma, which explains the

importance of living according to dharma. According to Frey, Karma governs what happens to peoples soul in the after death. Hindus believed his or her soul was reborn into a new body after death, and this is dependent on the souls karma. If people do bad, they get reborn into a lower caste, and if you do good you get reborn into a higher caste, which sets you up to have a better life. People are living things, not bait. Therefore, with the Hindu teachings of respecting all forms of life, the passengers would not agree with the captains idea. In Buddhism, Buddhists would not support the captains idea because Buddhism is a very peaceful practice. In the Eightfold Path, Right Action clearly states, Do not kill, steal, or lie. Be honest (Frey 159). The first part in this passage states to not kill. In Buddhism, they believe in enlightenment and selflessness. Making another human jump out of a lifeboat for the sake of your own needs is a selfish act and that causes suffering. That is not following the path to enlightenment. So, because of this the passengers on the boat would not agree with the captain. Throwing living human beings overboard is wrong and selfish for a Buddhist. On the other hand, Confucius would agree with the captain because Frey makes the claim that, According to Confucianism, there are five basic relationships: ruler and subject, husband and wife, father and son, older sibling and younger sibling, and friend and friend All people must respect and obey those above them. In this case, the captain is the ruler and the passengers are the subjects. They must obey the ruler. If the weakest person is lower in the basic relationships, then he or she must obey the captain. If that means jumping off the boat and sacrificing, it is part of Confucian belief to do that. If following the teachings of Confucianism, it is the passengers moral obligation to do as the captain orders. As you can see, it is very important to have a belief system if you want a successful civilization. Having a belief system shows moral values and supports the type of civilization that will develop. The civilization of Bacino Waters would want to be known for loyalty, humor, freedom, respect, and love. These 5 things will tell citizens how to behave and live in their civilization. A belief system knows what is right and wrong; it shows the proper behavior and sets the rules straight. It describes a civilization and shows what it is all about. In order for a civilization to thrive, having a belief system is key.