Sikhism
Since the arrival of man on earth, they have been surrounded by fear and suspicion that there was something invisible, a super natural force that determined the destiny of their lives. This fear and suspicion soon led man to seek ways to obtain peace with these superior powers. Many new religions formed from these expressions of sacrifice, prayer and rituals. In the 15th century, the birth of a child named Guru Nanak Dev Ji marked the birth of a new religion (Dr. Singh 32). This new religion was known as Sikhism. The term Sikh derived from the Sanskrit word for "disciple" and the term Guru stands for "teacher" or provider of knowledge and wisdom (Dr. Singh 32). Therefore, all Sikhs are considered to be disciples to the Gurus, the Sikh's spiritual leader. Sikhism originated in Punjab, and its founder was Guru Nanak Dev Ji, was born on the 19th of November 1469 in the town of Talwandi. Upon his death in 1539, his teachings had already been spread to a large number of disciples across northern India (Dr. Singh 32). This unique religion now plays a vital and important role in the development of families and societies worldwide.In many communities around the world, the family is considered to be the basic institution of the
In Sikhism, each step of life is marked by a special occasion. Whether it is the child naming ceremony (Nam Karan), Baptism (Amrit Sanskar) or funeral ceremony, these ceremonies are conducted strictly based on the teachings of Sikhism. The child naming ceremony is held when a Sikh family is blessed with a child. The newly born child is taken to a Gurduwara (Sikh Temple). Here the priest randomly opens the Guru Granth Sahib and reads the first hymn of that page. Then the first letter of the first word of that hymn is chosen and now the parents are allowed to name their child beginning with that first letter. Baptism in Sikhism is a sacred ceremony for it is the initiation into the Khalsa brotherhood. This ceremony is usually held in Gurduwara's and family members, relatives and friends of the initiate are encouraged to attend the ceremony. After baptism, the initiate is forbidden from the consumption of any intoxicants and committing adultery. Another important ceremony for Sikhs is the funeral ceremony. During the ceremony, all family members, relatives and friends of the deceased, are encouraged to pay their last respects (Brar Festival's). Every year, statistics have shown that divorce rates in societies around the world have been increasing. Most of this, which are usually caused by infidelity, stress related problems or misunderstanding within the family. This rise in divorces has caused a lot of social problems, especially among teenagers and young children. Such problems have led to a decline in morality among the youth, especially teenagers. Although by law divorcing is legal, Sikhism totally forbids it (Sikhism Suffolk). In Sikhism, marriage is considered to be sacred unification of two souls in heaven. Besides divorce, infidelity is also forbidden and one cannot commit adultery with anyone else other then one's spouse (Sikhism Suffolk). These taboos are important in maintaining strong sexual and emotional bonds within a family. By committing one's self to the marriage, there will be less internal conflict, which will result in fewer divorces and furthermore reduce other social problems such as depression, alcoholism and many others. Based on these facts and arguments, its clear that Sikhism does play a vital and important role in the development of the family. These points also clearly show that adopting religion is important in society and the family. Not only does the Sikh religion emphasize the importance of morality, family relations and the betterment of society, but all other religions also do. In support of that, societies around the world should encourage religious teachings within families so that bonds within societies will be strengthened, hoping to end religious struggles around the world and making earth a much more peaceful and harmonious place to live in. Besides such ceremonies and prayers, important festivals such as Vasakhi, Dewali and Hola Mohalla are also important in strengt
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Approximate Word count = 1993
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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