The Islamic Religion in Course Curriculums of High School History Textbooks in the Republic of Macedonia

History textbooks can and primarily should contribute to the strengthening of students’awareness of universal human values.However,history textbooks can also deepen the divisions,prejudices,and uncritical attitudes,contrary to the goals of education.The youth population,which is still building and creating their point of view towards the world is the main group in the education process.The learning period,in the elementary,as well as in the secondary education is of utmost importance for the development of every human.To that end,history,through the contents of the past largely shapes our perceptions of every individual,ourselves,and the others.Since we are living in a multiethnic and multi-confessional society,I have decided to conduct an analysis of the teaching contents of high school textbooks related to religion.Another reason for the analysis is the role of religion in the formation of Balkan nations,which have made it one of the key elements of their national identities.It is often given the role of raising and strengthening the national awareness,patriotism,as well as the country homogeneity,which most often leads to forming prejudices,divisions,and discrimination towards people of minority religions.The large volume of content related to the religion,and also the mere fact that Muslims are the second largest religion group in the population,I have decided to analyze the contents which are related only to the Islamic religion.The goal is to look for both the positive and negative sides of those contents in history textbooks in secondary schools,which are backed by state institutions that are supposed to take care of the development of competitive,creative,progressive,and ethically formed human potential.The critical review will give an additional impulse to the efforts of eliminating those parts of the teaching contents that create divisions and prejudices,especially in history textbooks,so that its studying can become the key factor in the building of trust between people of different religions.

Religion and “Zero-Dose” Vaccination Status in Children Aged 12 to 23 Months in Benin and Togo: “Evidence of Demographic and Health Survey and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys”

Introduction: The relationship between religion and health has been a topic of interest in the past, and in recent years it has become increasingly visible in the social, behavioural, and health sciences. This work aims to study the influence of religion on the “zero-dose” vaccination status of children aged 12 - 23 months in Benin and Togo. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study which consisted in carrying out secondary analyzes using the databases of the most recent editions of the Demographic and Health Surveys in Benin and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) in Togo. We extracted data concerning the vaccination status (“1 = zero-dose”, “0 = vaccinated”) of the children, the religious affiliation of the head of the household or the mother and other variables related to the child, the mother, the household and the environment. By means of a logistic regression, the adjusted effect of the religious affiliation of the head of the household or of the mother on the vaccination status at “zero-dose” was determined. Results: A total of 2430 and 933 children were respectively included in the study on behalf of Benin and Togo. The prevalence of “zero-dose” vaccination status in children aged 12 - 23 months was 33.91% (95% CI = 31.67 - 36.23) in Benin and this prevalence was 26.88% (95% CI = 23.50 - 30.55) in Togo. In Benin, there is no evidence in favour of the influence of the religious affiliation of the mother on the “zero-dose” vaccination status of children. In Togo, children living in households whose head was Muslim (ORa = 3.44;95% CI = 1.29 - 9.13) were more likely to be “zero-dose” than those coming from households run by individuals with no religious beliefs. Conclusion: Further research is needed to understand the basis for the excess risk of “zero-dose” vaccination status in children that appears to be associated with the Muslim religion.

An Introduction to the Culture of Zhuang’s Mo Religion Scriptures

Like all the religions in the world,Mo religion is a classic one believed by all Zhuang people.It believes in and worships the gods,having truth in a thing that life and death are manipulated by the gods,that life and death can be reincarnated,and that human beings can be recreated.It has a set of systematic interpretations of the universe,celestial bodies,life and death,misfortune,fate,soul,salvation,etc.It has the omnipotent,omniscient and the infinitely wise.The first Patriarch Bulotuo appeared as the supreme god and master.His professionals are called“pumo”and religious scripture of Mo religion is called“sɯ³⁵mo³⁵”!Mo religion’s activities are known as“hok⁵⁵mo³⁵”.

The Implantation and Transmission of Plague Culture by the Five Plague Gods in Shuilu Murals

The Five Plague Gods(五瘟神) in the Shuilu(水陆) murals from the Ming and Qing dynasties exemplify a distinctive manifestation of plague gods image developed under the pedigree of Taoist gods.As a significant system for expelling disasters in Shuilu,the depiction of the Five Plague Gods prominently merges human beings and livestock.This shape form to a large extent,draws on the image of Nuo(傩),a figure reflecting an imagination of the host of plague pathogens.In terms of the numbers of gods,it aligns with the conceptual framework of Wu Xing(五行 the five elements),a foundational principle in traditional Chinese medicine.The internal cultural connection highlights the means of plague prevention and control in China,as well as the external reflection of plague culture.Through multi-dimensional interpretations with the double proof method,this article dissects the formation,core elements,and cultural characteristics of the beliefs in the Five Plague Gods reflected in the Shuilu murals,and transcends mere visual semantics,offering a deeper understanding of these complex cultural symbols.

From Ancient Rituals to Modern Spirituality:The Evolution and Personalization of Religious Experience

This paper explores the evolution of religious experience from ancient nature worship and ancestor reverence to modern individualized spirituality.It examines how early spiritual practices were deeply intertwined with daily life,later becoming institutionalized through formalized religions with complex rituals and doctrines.The rise of mysticism,emphasizing personal connections with the divine,persisted alongside institutional religions.In contemporary society,the shift towards"spiritual but not religious"reflects a return to personalized spiritual paths,driven by individualism and the desire for direct,meaningful spiritual experiences.This trend's implications for both individuals and society are also discussed.

Historiography and Scientific Research of Religious Buildings of the Cucuteni-Trypillian Culture

The purpose of this article is to reveal the historiography and current state of research related to the cult buildings of the Eneolithic period of the Cucuteni-Trypillian cultural community.The article describes the historical path of archaeological discoveries,from the first Trypillian sanctuaries to the discovery of the largest Nebelivka temple complex in Ukraine in 2012.At the same time,the work partially raises the issue of religious beliefs of the ancient farmers of Central Europe in connection with the discovery of their sacred buildings.Since special scientific works have not comprehensively addressed this issue and are still fragmentary in nature,it is important at the present stage of research to make some coverage and systematization of existing materials on this issue.

New Perspective for the Philosophy of Religion: New Era Theory, Religion and Science

In this article,author expressed the meaning of“belief”,possible effective factors in human life,and how these factors can be effective on person and/or communities.With this respect,the meaning of religion,the possible interaction and relation between religion and science evaluated.42 past/present theories of religion and evaluation of the past/present works of the 87 philosophers of religion are explained.Author considered new synthesis(R-Synthesis),and also new era philosophy,new and re-constructed branches of philosophy,and some systems/constructions to express the new perspective for philosophy of religion.Author applied 27(+)possible definitive/certain result cases of the synthesis for R-Religion discipline specifically,and did the followings under new perspective:(i)eliminated some religious subjects,(ii)unified some religious subjects,(iii)modified some religious subjects,(iv)united some religious subjects in upper phase,(v)separated some religious subject,(vi)defined all religious subjects under one framework,(vii)integrated all religious subjects,(viii)defined new religious subjects,(ix)re-defined some religious subjects,(x)removed some religious subjects and put new religious subjects instead,(xi)added some religious subjects,(xii)kept/protected some religious subjects,(xiii)proposed progression for religious subjects,(xiv)changed the priority of some religious subjects,(xv)increased the importance of some religious subjects,(xvi)strengthened the ethics,(xvii)integrated philosophy branches under one framework,(xviii)others.Some of the purposes of this article are:(i)to define new synthesis method,(ii)to define good and/or correct new perspective and structure for philosophy of religion,science of religion,theories of religion,and related subjects,(iii)to extend the definition/limits of philosophy of religion with new perspective,(iv)others.As result of the synthesis,new perspective for philosophy of religion explained by considering the following concepts/sections:(a)theories of religion,(b)17 upper constructional philosophies and philosophy of religion,(c)eight complementary branches of philosophy of religion,(d)14 lower constructional philosophies and philosophy of religion,(e)science of religion,(f)new theory of religion and its relations with other disciplines.Author defined New Era Theory,New Era Religion,New Era Belief,Progressive Religion and their relations with other religions,beliefs,religious/non-religious movements,and the relation with other theories of religion.Also,power authorities and functional position levels in the New Era Belief,and Religion of God,Knowledge of God/gods,Nature of God/gods concepts are explained generally/specifically.

Mark Twain's Inner Collision between Science and Religion——A reading of Twain's “The Diary of Adam and Eve”

In"The Diary of Adam and Eve",Mark Twain shows the life of the first human couple partly according to the Biblical story.But his writing is not exactly the same with the original record of the Bible.This paper attempts to analyze the reasons that account for Twain’s treatment of the Bible story from the aspects of science and religion.

Evolutionary Origin of Religions and Religious Evolution: Religious Neurosociology

The paper proposes that the evolutionary origin of religions is based on theory of mind as the product of interdependent division of labor between the forest specialist group (women and small children) and the woodland specialist group (men) in early hominins who lived in the mixed forest-woodland habitat. To complement each other’s work without interfering each other’s work, one specialist group had to recognize (imagine) that the other specialist group existed to think for themselves and to do different works. The result was theory of mind which is to recognize (imagine) that the others exist to think for themselves. (The forest-woodland groups became the hunter-gatherer groups for the Homo species in the savanna habitat.) Under existential pressure, hominins invented imaginary specialists as imaginary agents who existed to think for themselves and to do different works in imaginary division of labor to enhance survival chance. The result was religion with imaginary behaviors. Therefore, religion is defined as a set of beliefs and behaviors based on theory of mind that produces a shared imagination to enhance survival chance under existential pressure. This paper proposes that the religious evolution consists of the premodern imaginative religion for local society habitat starting from bipedalism, the modern rational imaginative religion for regional society habitat starting from the Axial Age, and the postmodern diverse rational imaginative religion for global society habitat starting from the Information Revolution. In conclusion, the religious brain is the imaginative brain, and the religious social behaviors are imaginary social behaviors. The religious evolution is the evolution of human imagination to enhance survival chance under existential pressure, such as the religious reinforcement of social bonds to enhance the survival chance of social group and the religious relief of stress and anxiety to enhance the survival chance of individuals.

A General Framework For Determining the Temporal and Evolutionary Dynamics of Religion-Based Website Popularity on the Internet

Religion-based websites are fast becoming a major pipeline for disseminating religious information to broad populations of individuals in the United States.Both mainstream religions and fringe religions are easily accessible to a large population of internet users. The purpose of this review is to develop and examine a general framework that uses simple mathematical and statistical models to interpret and measure temporal ‘snap shots’ in the popularity of religious websites. We extend this framework to include an evolutionary model that has the potential to predict long-term shifts or changes in the popularity of religious websites over time. Ultimately, the goal of this review is to introduce a new modeling framework for research into how the internet is changing the accessibility and views of populations of individuals who follow various religions on the internet and how this may in-turn affect the distribution of religion in the ‘real world’.

Philosophy of GodForm:Power Authorities, Functional Position Levels, Religion and Science

In this work,author expressed new R-Synthesis specifically.Good and/or correct perspective that must be behind the definitions and administration generally expressed.New perspective of the philosophy explained generally.Philosophy of GodForm is defined and expressed as connected/related with the following concepts:(a)basic principles,(b)17 upper constructional philosophies,(c)14 lower constructional philosophies,(d)eight basic philosophies.As special cases,Philosophy of Engineering and Technology,Philosophy of Wireless Administration and others defined as hybrid philosophies.17 specific components/units which can be considered to define the basic principles of the related formation,are proposed to be designed by GodForm and defined by the author.Philosophy of GodForm and its relation with Values and Positions specifically defined.New Era Theory and New Era Belief explained generally.Some specific religions/beliefs are defined as variants/forms of the Progressive Religion.Good and/or correct power authorities(R-Power Authority)are defined due to 29 categories.Functional position levels defined for the R-Power Authorities with a unique table.As result of the R-Synthesis,functional position levels of some philosophers,some scientists,and of Prophet Jesus,Prophet Mohamed,Prophets Mouses,Buddha,and of Confucius generally/specifically defined.Integration and past/present effects of some R-Power Authorities in 5 x 5 Ideal Political Construction specifically explained.New Era Belief,Concepts of GodX and Science relation explained with the following concepts:(1)Religion of GodForm,(2)Knowledge of GodX,(3)Nature of GodX.With this respect,some other characteristics of 7 GodX power authorities expressed with details as complementary information.Following concepts/systems defined to arrange and solve some/most/all religious problems,which are determined with R-Synthesis:(a)Religious Responsibilities and Positions,(b)Ideal Religious Administration,(c)Sustainable/Continuable Political Administration System,(d)Community Values Council/Authority for each world country,(e)Progressive Councils.15 general religious position categories defined to express their good and/or correct meanings/values/responsibilities in the religious system.21 general/specific cases/programs defined due to New Era Belief to solve possible past/present/future community values problems,to have continuous,judicious,and progressive administration about the 36 kinds of community values.Progressive Councils,which are related with the CUS-WW-HO,are defined.Progressive Religion Council and some of the related religious responsibilities expressed for the kind progressive religion studies due to the Philosophy of Progressive Religions.

Discussion on Agricultural Religion in the Pre-Qin Period of China

Since ancient times,agricultural religion has been infiltrated into all aspects of economic,political and social life in China. Using rich historical data such as archeology,anthropology and ethnology,this paper discussed the historical process of agricultural religion in the pre-Qin period from animal worship to agricultural worship. It also discussed the agricultural objects,land,celestial nature,and labor ghosts.Finally,it revealed the inevitable trend of combination of social sacrificing activities.

Humanistic Orientation of Religion and the Problem of Religious Violence:Biblical and African Perspectives

The contemporary society,despite its great achievements in the area of human development,remains increasingly menaced by the syndrome of religious intolerance and religious violence.Many theories may continue to be propounded for this syndrome,but all of them gravitate around the fact of human abuse of religion expressed in the perversion of the real purpose of religion.This essay argues that one of the fundamental causes of religious violence is the misguided religious consciousness that makes it difficult for people to reason properly on the common challenges of our common humanity.Incidentally,both the biblical and African approaches to religion can each be interpreted as having a basic humanistic orientation.This becomes a challenge to African theology as it faces the prevailing religious consciousness on the continent in search of genuine humanism and authentic African development.

The Place of Religion in Education： A Contemporary Nigerian Perspective

The Nigerian society has been plagued by persistent religious conflicts alongside the problem of insecurity for some time now. This is not a new development, but it has worsened since the last five years with the emergence of the Boko Haram Islamic group. This group claims to be responsible for most violent activities in the northern part of the country for the past few years. Judging from the nature of their activities, Boko Haram, an Arabic phrase which literally means that ＂western education is forbidden＂, is among other factors, largely rooted in religious intolerance. The challenges posed by this group since 2010 have defied all logic and rationality, leaving Nigerians with deep concerns for the unity of their country in the present era. Why has religion, albeit a formidable unifying element, become an instrument of various kinds of menace, destruction of lives and properties？ it appears to have even caused many to wonder about the quality of education and expertise of the Nigerian polity and governance. It must also be noted that most of these problems with Boko Haram have their roots in the northern part of the country which is predominantly Islamic in religion. Religion has been awfully misrepresented and used as an excuse for all kinds of evil. This paper examines the place of religion in education from the perspective of the contemporary Nigerian society. It also explores how religion can still be used as a paradigm for restoring the sanctity and dignity of education, promote its morality and actualize its objectives in the society. The paper furthermore summons religious leaders to devise significant ways, such as interfaith dialogues and activities to enhance a sustained education in the country.

Yin Yang： A New Perspective in Understanding the Development of Religion in Contemporary China

The Taoism on Yin Yang has influenced the Orientalists＇ perception concerning the types of relation among all existence in the universe for cenalries. It maintains that a society is comprised of countless antagonistic components or conflicting social players, including religious institutions and the Chinese government. All existence is charged with two great forces, simply known as Yin and Yang. These two great forces are opposite-but-complementary to each other. They determine how social players interact to avoid chaos and destructions, so balance and harmony are established and maintained in society. In other words, Yin Yang helps the social players to form a harmonious relationship with one and another by weakening or strengthening their inner inherited Yin-or-Yang elements according to timing and conditions. Drawing on recent research on Yin Yang as a novel approach in understanding business-related issues in contemporary China, such concept is also relevant to understand the development of religion in China.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place： The Study of Ethics in World Religions

In this essay, I make the claim that the study of religion suffers from an identity crisis that is made all the worse by an inability to effectively navigate not only the many divisions within the field, but also the many ways in which influences external to the realm of scholarship, including media, university administration, and public opinion, represent significant areas of discourse that need to be better integrated into our scholarly work. In conclusion, I argue that a greater attention to the ethical or social value of social theory can go a long way in helping to clarify what is at stake, and perhaps even bridge some of these divides without loosing academic integrity.

The Logic of Incarnation： Hegel＇s Use of Plato＇s Philebus in the Shorter Logic and in the Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion

Hegel uses Plato＇s classical text, Philebus, in two of his most important texts, the so called Shorter Logics, the first part of the famous Encyclopedia of Philosophical Sciences and in The Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion. The aim of this article is to analyze how can this two references be read together as to form a relationship between logic and religion in the very heart of Hegelian philosophy. In the first case, Hegel analyzes Plato＇s text within the context of his Doctrine of Being, specially from §§ 89 to 95, which deal with the question of determinate being. In The Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion, on the other hand, the reference appears in the 1824 Lectures in a particularly complex chapter called ＂The Transition to the Speculative Standpoint of Religion,＂ in which Hegel affirms not only that such a speculative standpoint is the only one in which religion can be truly grasped, but also that the Christian concept of ＂incarnation of God＂ is the ＂speculative midpoint＂ of religion. It will be argued, therefore, that the ontological question of determination and actuality, as exposed in the Shorter Logics, is fundamental to the metaphysics of Christian Religion as Hegel understands it not only in his Philosophy of Religion, but arguably in his whole philosophy.

Religion and Feminism in the Short Story of Alifa Rifaat-- The Voice of the ＂Voiceless＂

This paper is an attempt to bring to the foreground a better understanding and appreciation of the work and impact of an Arab Muslim woman writer whose work, characters, thoughts, settings, and words sink very sensitively into the depth of being of her oriental women characters. They are very local and they reflect a typical oriental and distinct religious sentiment, along with an underlying predicament or suffering because of some lack in their love life, both emotional and sexual. This paper will attempt to analyze how the short story written by Alifa Rifaat （1987） deal with the thorny issues Of religiosity and sexuality that might appear as two opposing poles, yet they mix and blend within same characters exposing different aspects of the human being living within dilemmas of personal needs and social dictates of tradition, taboo, and culture. For a non Arab reader, this should be an interesting and informative cross-cultural issue.

On Mechanisms of Human Behavior： The ＂Mind Blindness Phenomenon＂ in Philosophy, Religion, Science, and Medicine

The phenomenon described here has no scientific title, but occurs frequently in daily living, from science to philosophy, religion, and medicine. In every field of human endeavor, when a view is expressed, sharp and profound differences of opinion ensue. Initially, we coin this phenomenon as ＂understanding blindness＂ or ＂mind＇s awareness.＂ Thereafter, we decide to refer to it as ＂mind blindness,＂ a concept introduced to science by Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, who coins it for a cognitive disorder associated with autism, Asperger＇s syndrome, and schizophrenia. Baron-Cohen＇s usage has subsequently been extended to dementia, bi-polar disorders, antisocial personality disorders, and even normal aging. In our view, definition and identification of ＂mind blindness＂ in philosophy, religion, science, medicine, and at end-of-life care can help mankind to better understand mechanisms of human behavior, and the causes of conflicts, controversies, contradictions, and sharp differences of opinion in human life, and even to solve some of them.

Analysis on the Architectural Characteristics of Three-religion-hall in Southeast Shanxi

The thought of "three religions in one" was an important spiritual belief in ancient China,and it has become a common practice in the society in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.At present,there are a large number of three-religion-hall in southeast Shanxi.Based on the field investigation and literature review,this paper focuses on analyzing the characteristics of three-religion-hall in southeast Shanxi in site selection,architectural space and decorative art,and expounds the architectural art and cultural value of three-religion-hall in southeast Shanxi.