Buddhism: Dialogue Between Religious and Non-Religious Beliefs

What Buddhism: Dialogue Between Religious and Non-Religious Beliefs covers

Buddhism: Dialogue Between Religious and Non-Religious Beliefs is examined in Component Group 2, religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a Buddhist perspective (J625/09), if this is the perspective studied. That perspective must be one of the student's two Group 1 religions. It covers Buddhists in British society and public life, Buddhist responses to secularisation and secular education, Buddhist responses to clashes with secular law on marriage and equality, Buddhist responses to medical ethics and the value of life, Buddhist views on other religions and inter-faith dialogue and Buddhist dialogue with atheism, agnosticism, Humanism and secularism.

The 6 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• Buddhists in British society and public lifeBuddhist numbers in England and Wales, the established church in a diverse country, the Supreme Governor, bishops in the Lords, national services and holidays, church schools, freedom of practice, and Buddhist chaplains.Open →
• Buddhist responses to secularisation and secular educationBuddhism in the West, Humanism, the Kalama Sutta's appeal to secular Buddhists, criticism of religion, the 1988 Act and collective worship, secular ethics, faith schools, and mindfulness in British schools.Open →
• Buddhist responses to clashes with secular law on marriage and equalityForced, arranged and child marriage, Buddhist equality and the Equality Act 2010, where practice may clash with the law, obeying the law and the Dhamma, the precepts as a guide, and tolerance.Open →
• Buddhist responses to medical ethics and the value of lifeEuthanasia and compassion, the Vinaya rule on causing death, the Vakkali and Channa Suttas, self-determination, when some accept abortion, mizuko kuyo, choosing a baby's traits, IVF and cloning.Open →
• Buddhist views on other religions and inter-faith dialogueBuddhist exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism, skilful means, intra-faith communication, diversity and consensus, King Asoka on respecting other religions, the Dalai Lama in dialogue, national identity, and proselytisation.Open →
• Buddhist dialogue with atheism, agnosticism, Humanism and secularismWhat Buddhism shares with each non-religious worldview, where Buddhists and atheists, Humanists and secularists disagree, Secular Buddhism, the Insight Meditation Society, and whether secular values should come first.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Buddhism: Dialogue Between Religious and Non-Religious Beliefs further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Vakkali Sutta vs Channa Sutta

  Vakkali Sutta: the account of a sick monk told that whoever sees the Dhamma sees his teacher. Channa Sutta: the account of a gravely ill monk declared blameless after ending his own life.

• Secular Buddhism vs Engaged Buddhism

  Secular Buddhism: meditation and ethics practised without belief in rebirth or other realms. Engaged Buddhism: the application of the Dhamma to social and political problems.

• World Fellowship of Buddhists vs Network of Buddhist Organisations

  World Fellowship of Buddhists: an international body founded in Sri Lanka in 1950 to unite followers of the Dhamma. Network of Buddhist Organisations: a body linking Dhamma groups across the United Kingdom.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   How might a Buddhist describe the importance of Christianity in British society?

   Model answer

   Christianity has shaped British law, culture, holidays and the calendar for over a thousand years. Buddhists in Britain live within this Christian heritage as a small minority.

2. 2

   How many Buddhists live in England and Wales?

   Model answer

   The 2021 census recorded about 273,000 Buddhists in England and Wales, around 0.5 per cent of the population. The same census found that 46 per cent identified as Christian.

3. 3

   What does it mean for Buddhists that the Church of England is the established church?

   Model answer

   The Church of England is the official state church in England, with links to the monarch and Parliament. Buddhists, like other minorities, have no such official status.

4. 4

   How might Buddhists view an established church in a country of diverse religions?

   Model answer

   Some Buddhists accept it as part of Britain's history that does no harm to their freedom. Others argue that a diverse society should treat all beliefs equally.

5. 5

   How might a Buddhist view the monarch's role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England?

   Model answer

   The monarch is the Church's formal head and promises to maintain it. King Charles III, monarch since 2022, has spoken of protecting the practice of all faiths.

6. 6

   How might Buddhists view bishops sitting in the House of Lords?

   Model answer

   Twenty-six Church of England bishops sit in the House of Lords as Lords Spiritual. Some Buddhists see this as unfair privilege, while others value a religious voice in law-making.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Buddhism: Dialogue Between Religious and Non-Religious Beliefs revision questions

What does Buddhism: Dialogue Between Religious and Non-Religious Beliefs cover in OCR GCSE Religious Studies?

6 subtopics: buddhists in british society and public life, buddhist responses to secularisation and secular education, buddhist responses to clashes with secular law on marriage and equality, buddhist responses to medical ethics and the value of life, buddhist views on other religions and inter-faith dialogue and buddhist dialogue with atheism, agnosticism, humanism and secularism. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Buddhism: Dialogue Between Religious and Non-Religious Beliefs organised?

By the OCR J625 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.