1.
THE ROLE OF THE APOLOGIST TO
THE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD
TH363 Apologetics
CCBC-Montebelluna, Italy
Instructor: Rick Harrell, M.Div., M.A.

2.
SEVEN KEY QUESTIONS:
1) Creation - Where did we come from? How did it all start?
2) Nature of God - Who is God? What is God like?
3) Nature of Humanity - Why are we here? And why are we broken?
4) Good & Evil - Why can’t we all just get along? Why do bad things
happen illogically?
5) Salvation - Is God knowable or reachable? How does man connect
with God?
6) Eternity - What happens when we die? Is there an eternity, a
heaven and/or a hell?
7) Discipleship – What are the key doctrines or beliefs? What are key
rituals? What are key celebrations of holidays?

3.
INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS:
• Indigenous religions are local or regional faith systems that often rely on or influence local
traditions, rites of passage, and cultural interactions. They serve as answers to life
questions, but often leave a few in power (shamans, folk doctors) and the rest powerless. Of
the 7.5 billion people in 17,000 different people groups listed by JoshuaProject.net, there
are close to 30 million indigenous religious adherents.
1) Creation - Where did we come from? How did it all start?
There is usually a Great Spirit or primary god who created. Stories range from heroes and gods
bringing people to the land, giving them crops, to the gods giving birth to daughter earth.
1) Nature of God - Who is God? What is God like?
They can be polytheistic, pantheistic, or monotheistic. There is typically one main god, or the works
of god shared among two or three. The world of man and the spirit world are indistinguishable. Fear
of evil gods is present.

4.
INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS:
1) Nature of Humanity - Why are we here? And why are we broken?
Man is a part of nature and nature is revered. Man is supposed to pursue honor and good according
to the local traditions.
1) Good & Evil - Why can’t we all just get along? Why do bad things happen illogically?
Good is expected to be evidence of pleasing god(s); evil and bad things happen when disfavor is
evidenced. Evil is often the influence of spirits. Sicknesses, etc.
1) Salvation - Is God knowable or reachable? How does man connect with God?
Salvation is reserved for those who honor the code or accomplish great feats. Salvation happens at
death. Indigenous religions often syncretize with Christianity or other major religions. Adherence to
the expectations of the system is essential to the salvation.

5.
INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS:
1) Eternity - What happens when we die? Is there an eternity, a heaven and/or a hell?
Most indigenous religions promise a life beyond. Burials often demonstrate this as men and women
are buried with what they might need to succeed in the afterlife.
1) Discipleship - What happens when we die? Is there an eternity, a heaven and/or a hell?
Rites of passage from boyhood to manhood, and from young girl to partner and mother are
significant doctrines and celebrations. Most indigenous religion doctrines are really stories passed
down orally. Limited written history and beliefs. Most are traditional and “understood” within the
system.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=258&v=s0-EgjUhRqA
(Ancientorigins.net, pitt.edu, jstor.org,, biblicalstudies.org, )

6.
INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS:
• Most countries have only a few dozen “people groups” – a distinct
segment of society that has language and ethnic differences and
cultural habits different from the larger portion of the nation.
Mountainous Papua New Guinea has nearly 900, with almost all
having a distinct language. Indigenous faith practices varied from
tribe to tribe.
• The missionary movement of the Nineteenth Century introduced the
tenets of Christianity to the island nation and most estimates place
over 90% of the population as Christian.
• Many villages still maintain a central totem, usually a carved emblem
of a person, animal, demon, or mythical creature that serves as a
central spiritual unifier for the clan.

7.
HINDUISM:
• Hinduism is considered by most World Religion scholars to be the oldest religion; however,
recorded history leaves this issue unresolved for many.
• Hindu beliefs and traditions are found in over 2300 different people groups, with almost
1.2 billion adherents, most of whom live in India.
• This makes Hinduism the second largest people group unreached by the Christian Good
News, and the largest polytheistic religion in the world.
• The Hindu religious system can be found on every continent. Concentrations are in Africa,
Indonesia, Micronesia, Europe and the Caribbean.
• Hindu tradition is to be tolerant of everyone – interestingly, they also developed a strong
class system called castes. Many Hindus have begun to question the caste system but it
remains in place. At least half of India’s Christians are from the lowest Dalit caste.
• India’s president is from the Dalit but he and the government have declared Christianity
does not belong in India.

8.
SHINTOISM:
• Shinto are primarily found in Japan with some migration to other larger cities. This religion
could easily be listed under the category of Indigenous Religions since the is regional,
integral to the culture of Japan, and inseparable from the norms and traditions of this
nation.
• Shinto is considered a major religion because of its influence on a major people group.
There may only be 100 million practitioners of the main tenets of this faith.
• While the beliefs of Shinto are unique, many of the beliefs of Buddhism have been
syncretized to this faith system.
• Many who practice Shinto in Japan also practice the lifestyle of Buddhism.
•

9.
TAOISM:
• Taoism would normally not be considered a major world religion, since technically there are
only 20 million adherents, except for it’s extraordinary influence. The philosophical ideas of
Taoism show up in several modern religions such Zen and Modern New Age Religions.
• The “go with the flow” nature of this religion fits the Hollywood and American “anything
goes philosophy. So the spiritualism, the “balance of life,” and the Star Wars force have
been influenced by Tao.
• If you’ve “feng shui’d” your living room or office, you’ve been influenced by Taoism.
• Taoism philosophy flows from the writings of Lao-Tzu and, because of the theology, it
tends to mesh well with Confucius’s teachings which are philosophical.
• Teas, herbal cures, holistic Eastern medicines and practices, meditation religions, and
physical arts like Tai-chi all are influenced by Taoism.

10.
BUDDHISM:
• Buddhism is comprised of about ½ billion people across the globe. It is the largest of
philosophical religions and has adherents on every continent. Buddhism, like Taoism, has wide
influence in Western thought, even though the greatest concentration of this religion is found in
the East.
• China and the Eastern Asia peninsula are home to most Buddhists. While Gautama Buddha
challenged some practices of Hinduism, he adopted what worked for his system. His influence on
Taoism and Shintoism (along with Sikhism) means that Hindu and Buddhist thought directly
influences the religious practices of over 2 billion people
• Life issues, for the Buddhist, are explained by the scales of karma, the risk of reincarnation, and
the promise of another chance for eternity to achieve nirvana.
• Buddhism, like most philosophical religions, seeks to answer questions about life, destiny, good
and evil, eternity, and spiritual need, with systems of spiritual meditation and personal inward
ablution.
• I beg leave! I beg leave! I beg leave! May I be freed at all times from the four states of Woe, the Three
Scourges, the Eight Wrong Circumstances, the Five Enemies, the Four Deficiencies, the Five Misfortunes,
and quickly attain the Path, the Fruition, and the Noble Law of Nirvana, Lord

11.
CONFUCIANISM:
• Though not as numerous as Buddhists, adherents of the philosophies of Confucius in most
official demographics number less than 10 million. Most are located in East Asia and China.
• While this number may seem small, Confucianism is foundational to most Chinese and East
Asian folk and indigenous belief practices. This would place Confucianism closer to 300
million or more.
• As a contemporary of Gautama Buddha, Confucius traveled China dispensing wisdom and
gaining devotees. However, unlike Buddhism, Confucianism didn’t gain a clear following for
close to two centuries.
• Confucius would not deny the spiritual realm or even the existence of gods; he would
instead deny our ability to attain knowledge of this since it was beyond us to know God.
• Confucianism is all about life here on earth, how to get along, and better ourselves. As
such, this makes it a humanist’s favorite for ideas.

12.
JAINISM:
• Jains are mostly found in India and surrounding nations and number between 4 and 7
million adherents. Jains are often confused with Hindus since this philosophical religion was
a response to the caste system and frequent violence that arose in some Hindu circles.
• Jains do not deny the existence of god or gods, and even have mention of specific gods
that their founders worshiped. However, their focus is more on adapting to life and finding
a path to live innocuous and harmless lives. Theirs is a life of extreme devotion to religious
code and vows.
• Because Jains hold to similar answers to life and spiritual questions that Hinduism holds,
this is often considered a sect (as is often Buddhism.)
• Due to the high respect Jainism holds for all living things, it is often influential with ecology
and conservation movement. Strict vegetarians for life, they will go out of their way to save
the life of the bug they almost stepped on.

13.
SIKHISM:
• Sikhs are often confused with Muslims due to the commitment to traditional garb,
including even when in suits and ties for men and dresses for women, a turban.
• While most of the 20 million or so Sikhs live in the Indus peninsula, there are quite a
number in London and San Francisco, and other parts of the UK and US.
• Sikhism is monotheistic foundationally, but because god is considered to permeate all of
creation, flirts with pantheism. Nevertheless, the god Nam, is for the Sikh, the one true god.
• Sikhism is a relatively “new” religion, founded by gurus in the 15th century in the Punjab
region of India and Pakistan. Their philosophy and belief system rose as a response, and
somewhat of a fusion of, Hinduism and Islam. Hence the one true god and reincarnation
and the karma scales for good and evil coexist in their holy writings.
• Even though Sikhism is monotheistic, the focus on their teachings is survival and life in the
real world. There is a determined code of conduct and lifestyle that a successful Sikh
adheres to – an upgrade may come through reincarnation. More importantly, he or she has
lives life in accordance with the code of the religious system.

14.
JUDAISM:
• Judaism is the oldest of the monotheistic and Abrahamic religions and developed in the
region of the Middle East and Egypt. Due to the diaspora, Judaism’s 14 million adherents
are found on every continent of the globe.
• Unlike Hinduism, Jainism, and most Eastern religious systems who claim their religion has
always existed, Judaism began with a specific call from a personal God to a specific person.
• Abram is considered the father of Judaism because he had faith to follow God.
• Judaism is often thought as monolithic, but adherents can be Conservative, Modern,
Orthodox, Reformed, or simply Humanistic and Secular.
• Nearly half of the adherents to Judaism live in the nation of Israel.
• Judaism’s holy writing include the Old Testament as well as other history records and
teachings about life. As such, the Jewish faith has impacted both Christianity and Islam
since both adopt the Old Testament into their record of holy writings.

15.
ISLAM:
• The religious system of Islam developed first in the Arabian peninsula in 7th century
through the writings and claims of the prophet Muhammad and as a way to unite the tribal
communities in the region. However, in the prophet’s later life, a more militaristic approach
developed that spurred Islam to bring to submission a great part of North Africa, the
Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Western Asia.
• Islam is prevalent on every continent and it’s adherents comprise a significant percentage
of many nations. The word Islam means to submit.
• Islam is the second largest monotheistic religion in the world with 1.8 billion adherents.
• While the writings of their prophet in the Qur’an serve as the foundational holy scripture, in
the process of unifying the tribal groups, many of which were either Jewish or Christian,
both the Old Testament and the New Testament were adopted as holy writings.
• Additionally, a thread of writings by prominent imams has contributed to interpretations
that include more militaristic approaches to bringing submission to Islam.

16.
MODERN RELIGIONS:
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – group formerly known as Mormons. 12 million
members. Founder Joseph Smith redrafted Scripture and formed his own religion to
exclude the divinity of Jesus, and include means to earn way to eternity.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses – This group is a derivative of last-days millennialism Christianity
founded in the 1800’s by Charles Taze Russell. A sect-translated translation by “anointed”
scholars from the group helped undergird their unorthodox doctrines about Jesus and the
Holy Spirit.They are known for their aggressive recruitment activities.
• Rastafarianism – This fairly new religion formed in Africa in the 1930 by declaring Ethiopian
kind Haile Selassie God. They also liberally believe in the use of marijuana and expect
Selassie to return for them one day.
• Prince William Movement – Yes, in the island nation of Vanuatu, a fairly distinct group of
faithful have determined that Prince William of the UK is the son of god.