VALUES IN THE FAMILY

WHAT IS A FAMILY?

A family is a group of people who are related either by blood, marriage adoption or
assimilation.

BLOOD - is when people share common parents, grandparents or great grandparents e

.g mother, father, sisters ,brothers cousins ,nieces, nephews, aunts ,uncles etc.

MARRIAGE – when a man and a woman unite legally to become a husband and wife
they unite and become relatives. The husband and wife’s relatives also become related
through this marriage, and call each other in-laws.

ADOPTION- This is when a court of law approves that a person can become part of a
family to which he/ she was not born in. Example a married couple can adopt a child
from an orphanage and this child will have equal rights as biological child of the couple.
A person can be adopted from relatives or non- relatives.

ASSIMILATION

This is when a family accepts and treats an individual as member of their family because
the person has lived with or worked for the family for a long time e.g. a herd man or a
maid.

DIFFERENT FAMILY STRUCTURES IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

There are different family structures in the modern society e.g.

1. Nuclear Family –it comprises mother, father and their children and only

2. Single Parent Family – is made up of one parent (mother or father) with his her
children only. There are different reasons for single parent, like:

i. Some parents choose to have children but remain single

ii. As a result of; divorce, death of the spouse, desertion of the other spouse

3. Child Headed Family-- This is when children live on their own and the older one
acting as a parent, taking care of his or her younger siblings. This often result from
orphans-hood or child abandonment

4. Childless family—it comprises a husband and wife only, without children. A married
couple may decide to go without children or may be due to infertility or the death of all
their children.
5. Blended Family--- It is where a woman and a man who both have children from
previous relationships get married and live together with children as one family.

6. Extended Family ---It is the family with the largest members and consists of mother,
father, their children and other relatives such as grandparents, nephews, cousins, aunts,
uncles and in- laws.

THE IDEAL FAMILY STRUCTURES ACCORDING TO SOME RELIGIONS

ATR IN BOTSWANA

The ideal family in this religion is the EXTENDED FAMILY because:

Responsibilities are shared among family members resulting in every member

contributing to the welfare and survival of the family.

Examples:

 Grandparents educate children about the norms, values and customs of the family
and society. They take care of children while their parents are at work.

 Uncles and aunts act as leaders during marriage arrangements and provide
counselling to nieces and nephews.

 Children learn the house hold chores and assist in carrying them out, they also
learn their responsibility of taking care of their parents and elderly family
members when in their old age.

CHRISTIANITY

They believe the nuclear family is the best structure to start a family and raise children in.

It is regarded as important for the following reasons:

 The Bible teaches that a family should be established through marriage between a
man and a woman. Genesis 2:24 “----- a man will leave his father and mother and
be united to his wife and they will become one flesh.”

 It enables the children to experience the love and care of both parents.

 The family is able to reach the principle of love, fairness and forgiveness which
brings the family together

 Parents are able to demonstrate unselfishness and self- sacrifice to their children,
and to provide love, food, clothing, shelter and security.
N.B. Although Christianity teaches that the nuclear family is ideal, they do not neglect
the extended family especially the old, those who have disabilities or the poor.

BAHA’I FAITH

They prefer the nuclear family as it is seen as providing a loving environment for raising
children. It loves and people live together in unity. All members are able to take part in
decision making and sharing of authority due to a small membership.

The following roles and responsibilities are shared between members:

 The father is responsible for financial matters and the children’s religious and
spiritual education

 The mother teaches children good morals and character as well as creates a happy
and loving atmosphere at home.

 Children must attend school and attain good education as well as help with the
house hold chores.

ISLAM

Their ideal family structure is the extended family, because it provides stability, unity,
material and emotional support especially in times of need.

The old, the needy and orphaned children are cared for.

Moslem children are taught to treat their parents with tolerance and understanding as they
are expected to care for their parents as they approach the end of their lives and to nurse
them safely in the next life.

FAMILY VALUES

VALUES

Values are ideas, beliefs and things that are considered important to an individual or a
group of people.

FAMILY VALUES

Family Values are beliefs and ideas which a family consider important. They guide the
upbringing and behaviour of family members. The family values differ from one family
to the other.
HOW FAMILY VALUES GUIDE FAMILY LIFE IN DIFFERENT RELIGIONS

BAHA’I FAITH

They value unity, Education and honesty.

UNITY

Family members are encouraged to be united. This is derived from Baha’u’llah’s son
saying, ‘’the injury of one is the injury of all; the comfort of each, the comfort for all; the
honour of one, the honour of all.’’

It is shown through:

 Caring about others in the family

 Tolerating other family members who are non \Baha’i’s.

 Sharing with other family members

 Forgiving and reconciling with others in the family.

 Welcoming other family members who are non-Baha’is to festival and

celebrations such as Naw Ruz

EDUCATION

Baha’u’llah placed great importance on education and said everyone should receive it.

It is important as it:

 Enables all to read the sacred writing and to search for the truth without
depending on other people.

 Provides skills that give the skills to earn a living.

 It provides spiritual education which teaches values and morals which guide
family members for the rest of lives.

HONESTY

This can be shown through:

 Being sincere in what they do. E.g. they should cheat people of their hard earned
money when they run a business.

 Telling the truth at all times and never giving false evidence
ISLAM

Family values that guide life in Islam include:

FAITHFULNESS

It is emphasised in marriage. Husbands and wives should not have extra marital affairs or
commit adultery. It leads to trust and love in a family.

Faithfulness may help in the following:

 Husband and wife may not have marital affairs.

 There might be less conflicts and divorce in faithful marriages.

 Parents set a morally example of how marriage and family should be.

CHARITY

Muslims learn to give willingly to the needy and the under privileged. This is taught
through the pillar of ZAKAT/ ALMSGIVING. It guides the family to:

 Give the basic to the needy

 Share what they have with the poor and those in need.

 Show compassion to the needy and the poor

RESPECT

Muslims are taught to respect themselves and others particularly respect for the elders in
the family.

It has guided family members in the following ways:

 Not to call their parents by their first names, this is an offense and children can be
punished for that.

 To dress modestly. This is a sign of self-respect.

CHRISTIANITY

The family values that guide them include:

DISCIPLINE

This means orderliness and self-control. It helps avoid conflicts and maintain good
relationships. Rules and regulations should be set in running the family. The Bible says
‘’He who loves his son is careful to discipline him’.’(Proverbs 22:15)

 It guides members to behave in a right way

HONESTY

This is the act of telling the truth and being sincere, trustworthy fair and genuine .It can
help the family in the following ways:

 It can help people relate well and live in peace and harmony.

 Honesty can help build trust amongst members of a family.

 Problems can be solved easily within the family when members of the family are
honest with each another.

FORGIVENESS

It is when someone who has been hurt let go of the hurt and resentment. The value of
forgiveness can help guide family life in the following ways:

 It can help people live with each other after hurting each other. Forgiveness can
bring about hope, gratitude and joy in one’s life.

 It promotes peace because forgiveness sets one free from keeping grudges
bitterness, anger, and resentment.

 It allows compassion and kindness to come in the family

 It breaks the cycle of pain and blame. It heals the mind and the soul.

KINDNESS

This is the act of being warm hearted, tender, considerate and helpful .A kind person
shows love and uses kind words to others.

It helps in the following ways:

 Help family members to show love and work well with each other
 Members of the family can share each other’s burdens and be passionate with one
another
  Encourages care ,gentleness and warmness towards others

PATIENCE

Patience is the ability to tolerate delay, provocation and deal with problems calmly
without complaining or becoming annoyed or angry.

It can be shown through:

 Not becoming angry easily.

 Tolerating other members of the family.

 Responding to situations calmly.

LOVE

Christians are taught to have unconditional love for all family members.

It is shown through:

 Visiting the sick relatives in hospitals and in prisons. Praying for them and
giving them food and other needs which help them recover.

 Taking care of the family members who are old and those who have
disabilities.

 Counselling people who are sick. Example, counselling people living with
HIV and AIDS to help them accept their status and live positively.

THE IMPACT OF RELIGION ON FAMILY COHERENCE

What is family coherence?

Family coherence is a state where members of the family are united. They work together
in harmony and respect each other’s rights. They love and care for each other. They have
strong and interpersonal relationships and strong bonds as a family.

Factors that help bring family coherence:

 Sharing of values in the family, which unite the family as it strives for common
goals
 Families help one another and come together during special occasions such
weddings and funerals, at times money are contributed.
  Families offer or provide emotional support, especially when a member is ill or
sick.
 Families rarely have conflicts, and if these occur they are resolved peacefully.

 The positive impact of religion on family on family coherence

 Religion teaches values such as respect and cooperation to their followers and
families adhere to these and thus unity is promoted. If there is unity then there is
less likely to be conflicts. Peace and harmony would be promoted.
 Religious teachings encourage forgiveness. If members forgive each other, then
reconciliation and peace are promoted, and the family remains in peace.
 Religion instils a sense of right or wrong in people through religious moral codes
of conduct and values. A family which belongs to the same religion and whose
values are influenced by the religion are likely to have shared values and they
remain together and united.
 Religious rituals and festivals bring families together. Family members often meet
during certain rituals such as pilgrimages, mantsho a ngwana, prayer and funerals.
Families can also come together during certain festivals such Christmas,
Dikgafela and Eid-Ul-Fitr, and also on special occasions such as weddings and
funerals.

The negative impact of religion on family coherence

*Religious intolerance: If members of the same family belong to different religions, there
may be intolerance, as each family member might see his or her religion as the true faith
and may not accept other family members’ values and beliefs. This can bring conflicts
and divisions.

*Religious teachings: Religions have different teachings which may bring division
among family members who belong to different religions. For example some religions
like Christianity teach that salvation can only be attained through following the teachings
of Jesus Christ. Some members who do not belong to Christianity may feel otherwise.
RELIGION AND SEXUALITY

Sexuality means how people experience and express themselves as sexual beings.
Sexuality includes sexual activities, gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, a
person’s sexual behaviours, tendencies and relations.

One’s sexuality is shaped by the values and teachings that he or she learns as a child and
as a young person, as well as other influences such as media, society and religion.

TEACHINGS ON POSITIVE SEXUAL RELATIOSHIPS IN SOME RELIGIONS

A sexual relationship involves people who regularly engage in sexual acts with each
other such as sexual intercourse, kissing and fondling in order to satisfy their sexual
needs.

Some religions have teachings on positive sexual relationships.

African Traditional Religion

People are taught to have positive sexual relationships in marriage. Sometimes this is
done during the ritual where the husband or wife is taught how to take care of his or her
husband, wife and family during marriage ritual (a ritual of go laya).Both husbands and
wives are taught how they can sustain their relationships.
Some of their teachings include;

RELIGION TEACHINGS
African Traditional Caring Duties: A wife should work hard and take care of
Religion her husband, children and in –laws. She should take care of
house hold chores such as cooking, cleaning and washing.
*A husband is taught that he is the provider for all the
basic needs of his family such as food, shelter and clothing.
*Being loving and protective: A husband is expected to
love and protect his family.
*Being loyal: A woman taught to be loyal to her husband
at all times and to give conjugal rights any time he wishes.
CHRISTIANITY: Sexual *Faithfulness-Married people should be faithful to each
relations should only take other.
place within the marriage *Monogamy-Christians should marry only one partner.
and it should be *Being loving and caring-Husbands are taught to love and
monogamous take care of their wives.
*Conjugal rights-Married people are taught to give each
other conjugal rights. However there should be consent
from both parties
 ISLAM: According to *Faithfulness: Husbands and wives should be faithful to
Islam, sex as a natural gift each other. In Islam a man may marry up to four wives, but
from Allah and should only he is expected to be faithful to his wives. He cannot have
take place within any other sexual relationships except with his wives. Wives
marriage .It should be done have to remain faithful to their husbands. Unfaithfulness is
for physical satisfaction and usually a punishable offense.
for procreation. *Being loving and caring: Husbands are taught and
expected to love and care for their wives.
*Showing respect and obedience-Married people should
respect and obey each other.
*Conjugal rights: Married people are taught to give each
conjugal rights but with each other‘s consent.
*Modest dress: Husbands and wives are expected to dress
modestly. Men are to wear loose clothing, which covers
their whole abdomen. Women are to keep the rest of their
bodies covered except the hands and face when walking in
public Ares. Doing so is believed to help avoid temptation
in both sexes.

UNACCEPTABLE SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR ACCORDING TO SOME

RELIGIONS

There are certain sexual behaviours which are considered unacceptable in different
religions.

AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION

Unacceptable sexual behaviour Why it is unacceptable

Pre-marital sex This is having sex before
marriage .Having a sexual relationship is
viewed as sacred: therefore it is believed
that sex should only take place within
marriage .Having sex before marriage is
viewed as violating its sacredness.
Promiscuity Having multiple partners is a behaviour
which is not accepted, particularly from
women. A promiscuous woman brings
shame to her parents and it is highly likely
she would not be married. A woman
should be a virgin until she gets marriage.
Homosexuality Having sexual relationships with someone
of the same sex is seen as an abomination
to the ancestors and to modimo and the
ancestors. Sex is intended for having
children and this cannot happen in a
homosexual relationship.
Rape Rape is the use of force to have sex with
another person without his or her consent.
This is wrong as it violates one’s
right .Sex should be done though consent.
Incest Incest is sex between people who are
closely related by blood, for example
between a brother and sister or a father
and a daughter. This behaviour is
considered a taboo. At times babies born
out of such relationships are born with
deformities.
Bestiality This is when a person engages in sex with
an animal, usually animals like goats,
dogs, cows and donkeys. It is unnatural as
animals cannot give consent.

CHRISTIANITY

Unacceptable sexual behaviour Why it is unacceptable

Pre-marital sex This is the act of having sex before
marriage. It is unacceptable because it is
against the teachings of the Bible
Adultery The Bible is against adultery .The books
of Exodus 20:14 and Matthew 5:27-31
teach that adultery is unacceptable
because it goes against faithfulness which
should prevail between a married man and
a married woman.
Prostitution This is the act of having sex in exchange
of payment. Prostitution is unacceptable
because Christians believe that their
bodies are the temples of God and should
not be defied through immoral acts.
Homosexuality This is when a person is attracted to
another person of the same sex. The Bible
is against homosexuality and views it as
sinful.

ISLAM

Unacceptable sexual behaviour Why it is unacceptable

Pre-marital sex Muslims are not allowed to have sex
before marriage because the Qur’an states
that sex should only take place within
marriage.
 Adultery This behaviour is not accepted in Islam
because it violates the sacredness of sex
which should only take place within
marriage. People caught violating this are
punished according to the Sharia Law.
Celibacy This is when one chooses not to marry or
not to have sex for rest of his or her life.
In Islam it is discouraged because
Muslims regard sex as pleasurable and a
gift from Allah. The Hadith sates that
people should get married and enjoy sex.
Masturbation This is when a person rubs his or her
genitals so as to get sexual pleasure. This
act is unacceptable in Islam. Muslims are
discouraged from masturbating and
encouraged to fast in order to avoid such
behaviour.
Homosexuality Muslims are taught that relationships that
involve people of same sex is haram or
forbidden. It is a practice that is severely
punished.
Having sex with a woman during her It is unacceptable for sex to take place
menses when a woman is having her monthly
period (menstruation) because in Islam,
such kind of woman is considered unclean
for that period.

HOW RELIGIONS HELP REDUCE UNACCEPTABLE SEXUAL BEHAVIOURS

Religions play a very important role in reducing unacceptable sexual behaviour in the
community .Religious rules on sexual conduct or behaviour when followed can help
reduce unacceptable behaviour.

African Traditional Religion: certain sexual behaviours are formally taught to individuals
to help reduce unacceptable sexual behaviours. Customs and traditions are used to dictate
acceptable and unacceptable sexual behaviour:

 Socializing of boys and girls where they display affection for each other in public
is unacceptable
 Boys and girls are not expected to have sex before marriage .Girls are discouraged
to have children outside wedlock. Having a child out of wedlock reduces one’s
chances of marital bliss.
 Sexual relations should be between people of opposite sex. Sexual relations
between people of the same sex are discouraged.
  Sexual relations with a close relative are seen as taboo, and children born from
these relations may be born with deformities.
 Daughters are trained for marriage to be good wives, nurturing mothers and
daughter in law.
 Proverbs and idioms are used in conversations to help demonstrate desired sexual
behaviours, qualities and characteristics.

CHRISTIANITY
Most Christian denominations teach children from a very young age, the importance of
keeping themselves pure.

Teachings: There are certain teachings from Bible which teach people to practice
acceptable sexual behaviours and discourage them from unacceptable behaviours. For
example, Hebrew 13:4 says: Honour your marriage and remain faithful to another in
marriage. This teaching discourages adultery and encourages faithfulness in marriage.
Other teachings in Christianity involve:
 Staying away from pornography. Christians are taught not to watch, read or listen
to anything that can arouse their feelings
 Avoid lustful thoughts and saying words that could arouse sexual emotions
 Dressing modestly and avoiding dressing in such a way that could arouse sexual
feelings

Christian Values
These are used to discourage unacceptable behaviours but encourage acceptable sexual
behaviours:

 Abstinence-This is when one does not get involved in sexual relationships before
marriage. Abstinence as a value can help reduce unacceptable sexual behaviour.
 Faithfulness-It is when one adheres firmly and devotedly to something or
someone. As a value it can help reduce unacceptable sexual behaviour by
encouraging sexual relationships with only one spouse.
 Purity- It is a state of being free from harmful, evil and immoral thoughts and
actions. In Christianity sexual purity is a value. It involves abstaining from all
sexual activities, practices, thought and desires considered immoral, improper or
unlawful. If people stay sexually pure then there will be no unacceptable sexual
behaviour.

ISLAM
These are ways that can be used to help reduce unacceptable sexual behaviours in Islam.

Teachings: There are certain teachings in Islam that can help reduce sexual behaviours :
 Muslims are taught not to be alone with an unrelated member of the opposite sex,
whether at home, school, work or school or outside in a secluded area. Prophet
Muhammad said, when a man and a woman sit together, Satan is the third party.
 Islam teaches its followers that sexual relationship between males and females
should only take place within marriage. Sex outside marriage is totally forbidden.
  Muslim women and girls are taught about the dangers of traveling alone in public.
The dangers include getting involved in unacceptable sexual behaviour or in a
worst case scenario, being raped.

PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN PRACTICES

Muslims believe some practices can lead to unacceptable sexual behaviours and are not
allowed.

 Mixing freely with members of the opposite sex is not allowed as it could lead to
unacceptable temptation. This includes sexual behaviour such as rape, adultery
and fornication.
 Adultery is not allowed .Islam views adultery as a very serious crime because it
undermines the very foundation of the family system upon which the whole
structure of the society is built.
 Physical contact between unrelated members of the opposite sex is not allowed in
Islam .Conditions that may lead to sex out of marriage such as shaking hands,
hugging, kissing and admiring the opposite sex is forbidden.

Effectiveness of Religious Influence on Curbing Unacceptable Sexual Behaviour in

Society.

Most world religions discourage unacceptable sexual behaviours, for example; pre-
marital sex, homosexuality, adultery and prostitution. Different religions do have
different ways (teachings and practices) they use in their religions to help reduce
unacceptable sexual behaviours in the society. In this way, it can therefore be said that
the positive influence that religion impact on followers can effectively help to stop the
unacceptable sexual behaviours in society.

On the other hand, some religions do not say anything about how their followers should
sexually conduct themselves and this can contribute to the increase of unacceptable
sexual behaviours in the society. Some religious leaders are not good role models. They
do not practice what they preach and followers would not consider their teachings serious
e.g. a married pastor may have sexual relationships with other women.

Effects of Unacceptable Sexual Behaviour in Society.

Different unacceptable sexual behaviours in society have different effects. Below are
examples of some unacceptable behaviour and their effects in society.

UNACCEPTABLE SEXUAL EFFECTS IN SOCIETY

BEHAVIOUR
Adultery Conflicts in the family, loss of trust
between couples, divorce, spread of STIs
and may even affect children emotionally.
Fornication and Promiscuity Unplanned pregnancies, abortion,
 increase of single parent families and
spread of STIs.
Pornography Distorts people’s views on sex, people
can become addicted to sex, sexual
offences e.g. rape and it can reduce
productivity at the work place.
Rape Creates fear, lack of trust, spread of STIs,
unwanted pregnancies and abortion.
Those found guilty will be sent to jail.
Homosexuality Lowers birth rate. Homosexuals face
rejection in most societies.

The Benefits of Acceptable Sexual Behaviour.

Acceptable sexual behaviours can benefit both the individual and the society.
1. Individual Benefits include the following:
 Health: chances of spreading STIs are reduced. One will be free from sexually
active worries such as unplanned pregnancies.
 Respect: when one focuses on his/her priorities and not engages in sexual
relationships, the person gains self-respect.
 Stable relationships: the quality of one’s relationship is improved. Sexual
infections can be prevented and people can enjoy sex in a stable relationship.
2. Social Benefits include the following:
 Health: chances of spreading STIs are reduced.
 Reduced Crime: crimes caused by unacceptable sexual behaviours can be reduced
e.g. passion killings. Abortion and child abandonment will also be reduced.
 Lower Divorce Rate: there would be stable marriages and families in the society.
 Finances: more money is spent if one has more than one partner. Medication and
treatment of illnesses caused by unacceptable sexual behaviours are costly.
GLOBAL ISSUES

BUSINESS ETHICS
 Ethics: involve knowing what is morally right or wrong and then doing the right
thing.
 Are moral principles that control or influence a person’s behaviour?
Business Ethics: are written or unwritten principles or codes of conduct that guide the
decisions and actions of a business and are based on moral values. This helps the business
to do what is morally right when they conduct their business activities using such values
as honesty, trust, confidentiality, fairness and equality.
ATTITUDES OF DIFFERENT RELIGIONS TOWARDS MATERIAL
PROSPERITY
Material prosperity: is the wealth that one has accumulated or acquired. It is the state of
being successful in finance, business and belongings.
CHRISTIANITY
 Christians do not condemn wealth therefore they do not see having material
prosperity as bad. It can only be bad when people become greedy, selfish and
arrogant as the bible says in Jeremiah 9:23- ‘let not the rich man boast of his
riches, but let him who boast, boast about this: that he understands and knows
me that I am the lord….’
 Christians also see material prosperity as God’s blessing because God himself
approves of it as stated in the Bible: 3 John 2: ‘Behold, I pray that you prosper
in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers’. For example the Bible
gives an example of the man who got his prosperity from God. It says: ‘after Job
prayed for his friends, the lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice
as much as he had before. Job 42:10.
 Christianity emphasises that people should not be attached to their wealth so
much that they forget about God. (2Timothy 6:17). The Bible also teaches about
the parable of the rich fool whereby: there was a rich farmer who had good
harvest and decided to build bigger barns to store his grains. After this, the farmer
thought that he could now relax, eat and be merry but that night the rich farmer
died: Luke 12:13-21.
 Material prosperity should be gained in just, lawful, honest and fair ways. Their
wealth should not be a result of cheating or exploiting other people and should not
be gained through bad acts such as gambling and prostitution.
 ISLAM
 According to Islam, material prosperity should be shared because it is given
by Allah. Muslims believe that all blessings come from Allah and they can
only show gratitude by enjoying what they are given and sharing it with
others. By so doing they are purifying themselves from greed and selfishness.
 Muslims believe that as they prosper materially, they should use their wealth
to help others as the Qur’an says: ‘spend your wealth for the cause of Allah
and be not cast by your own hands to ruin and do good. Lo! Allah loveth
the beneficent’. Qur’an 2:195.
 Muslims are to earn their wealth in an honest, lawful, fair and morally good
way. They should not cheat, gamble or steal to gain wealth e.g. they should
not charge interest (riba) when they give out loans. This is forbidden as it is
believed to be a way of making the poor, poorer and the rich, richer.

THE TEACHINGS OF DIFFERENT RELIGIONS ON THE RESPONSIBILITY

OF THE RICH TOWARDS THE POOR
CHRISTIANITY
Jesus Christ was generous and kind to all people including the poor and the needy;
therefore Christians as his followers are expected to reflect his qualities by caring for
others especially the poor and the needy. There are some teachings in the Bible to
emphasise this: for example:
 Christians are taught that those who are rich are expected to give to the poor. The
Bible says in doing so, ‘then will your barns be filled with new wine and your
vats overflow’. Proverbs 3:19. If they do not give, they are guilty of sinning
against God.
 Christians are taught to give to the poor as it is through giving that they shall
receive. They are taught not to give expecting to be given back. As they give, God
will bless them as the Bible says, ‘blessed is the hand that gives than receives’.

ISLAM
Giving to the poor is very important to Islam and emphasised by the Qur’an: ‘have you
considered him who belies religion: such is the one who treats the orphans with harshness
and does not urge others to feed the needy. (Qur’an 07:3). Muslims however, have
teachings about responsibilities the rich have towards the poor and they include:
 According to Islam 2.5% of the rich wealth is collected and given to the poor and
the needy (Zakat). This is a religious obligation for the rich to help the poor and
 emphasised by the Qur’an as it says: ‘Zakat are only for the poor and the needy
and those who collect them…’ (9:60).
 The rich are also expected to help the poor and make sure that they have good
standards of living.
 The wealthy can also help the poor through charitable deeds such as giving food,
clothing and shelter. For example, they can build schools and Mosques for them
to acquire education and have a place to worship.
 The rich should also treat the poor with honour and respect.

ETHICAL AND UNETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES USED BY SOME

PEOPLE TO MAKE MATERIAL GAINS
Business practices to make profits or material gains can be ethical or unethical for
example:
Ethical business practices:
Fairness
Businesses can be fair in everything they do e.g. treating their employees fairly and
humanely and providing good working conditions. A good working environment
motivates employees to work hard, provide good service and to be loyal to the business.
This in turn makes the business more profitable.
Obeying and upholding the law
This is when businesses obey the laws of the country within which they operate e.g.
respecting laws dealing with workers and consumer rights, corruption, pollution, health
and safety of their products and services. This ensures that the lives of both their
employees and customers are not at risk and the business may also avoid paying fines or
being shut down for breaking the law. This can help the business save money and allow it
to continue making money.
Avoiding causing unnecessary harm
Businesses must ensure that goods and services they offer for sale and the methods used
to produce them are safe and will not harm the animals or people’s health, lives or
damage the environment.
Respecting human rights
Companies must respect the rights of employees, customers, children and other people in
society. They should not use child labour to produce their goods and men and women are
to be paid equally for equal work. They should not discriminate their customers looking
at their race, religion, gender or political views.
Being honest and truthful
Businesses should be honest in their dealings e.g. informing customers about faulty goods
they may have unknowingly sold to them and accepting to replace them at no cost. When
they advertise, they should only tell the truth and not mislead customers about their goods
and services.
Being socially responsible
This is when businesses get involved in the community by supporting various worthy
activities e.g. donating to charitable organizations, vulnerable groups or individuals.
These activities can attract the goodwill and support of many people who may become
new customers. This may lead to an increase in profit for the business.
Unethical business practices
Giving and receiving bribes
People may give bribes to win tenders to supply goods and services for their material
gain which is very much illegal.
Overcharging customers
Some businesses may overcharge customers which may result in the business making
excessive profits at the expense of customers e.g. a customer may buy a pair of shoes for
P400 and may find the same pair of shoes being sold for P80 in another shop.
Dishonest advertising
Misleading advertising may be used to attract customers and increase their profits e.g.
advertising products to make people believe that they can lose weight in a short time.
Usually people will buy these products hoping they will work for them and only to
discover afterwards that it is not the case.
Damaging the environment
Some businesses may use natural resources as raw materials and produce waste that may
pollute the environment. Some may over harvest natural resources such as trees, sand and
water in order to make higher profits even if this damages the environment. Some may
try to save money through improper disposal of waste such as used oil.
Using unfair tactics and methods to damage competitors
People may use unscrupulous tactics (without moral principles) to get rid of competitors
e.g. spreading false rumours about competitors, their products and services, e.g. accusing
one of corruption.
WAR AND PEACE
 War: is a state of organised, armed and open ended violent conflict between two
or more groups.
 It’s a situation in which two or more groups of people fight against each other
over a period of time.
 A state of conflict between countries or between hostile elements inside a country.
TYPES OF WAR
 Civil war: is the one that occurs between people who belong to the same group
such as a country.
 Secular war: is the one that is declared or approved by a leader of the state or
country e.g. the president.
 Religious war: is the one fought for religious reasons e.g. war between Christians
and Muslims (the crusades). These wars involve one religion against another or
different groups within the same religion
 Regional war: this is an armed conflict that involves more than two states within
the same region. It may start as a civil war and can overflow into adjoining
countries because they support one or other of the warring parties. E.g. the war in
DRC.
 International war: this involves armed conflict among many nations i.e. nations
from other continents e.g. second world war.

The difference between Religious War and Secular War

Secular war is a war that is not fought for religious reasons, while religious war is fought
for religious reasons

CAUSES OF RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS BETWEEN DIFFERENT RELIGIONS

 Religious intolerance: this is when people do not accept that others have the
right to follow their own religion which is different from theirs. This may lead to
prejudice and discrimination which may result in conflicts between religions e.g.
conflict between Muslims and Hindus.
 Protection of holy places: followers have always fought to secure places which
they believe are sacred e.g. conflict between Christians and Muslims whereby
Christians wanted to recapture the holy land of Jerusalem from Muslims.
THE CONCEPT AND RULES OF JUST WARS ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS
AQUINAS
Just war is the theory that war is only acceptable if certain moral conditions are met. He
says a just war is fought in the interest of justice and fought according to just rules.
Rules of just wars according to St. Thomas Aquinas
There are three rules of just war namely: it should have a just cause, proper authority and
right intention.
 The war must be for a just cause and not include greed, revenge or pride.
A country should go to war only if there is a valid reason for doing so. This
includes:
Self defence against an act of aggression.
Protection of innocent people.
Prevention of a greater evil.
 War must be controlled by the proper authority of a state:
This means that the war should be declared by the Head of state or
government. Individuals or groups of people cannot exercise this authority
therefore civil war would not be classified as just by Aquinas.
 The war must be fought with the right intention:
This means that war must be waged to restore peace, law and order. All
fighting may be stopped immediately once the reasons for going to war have
been achieved. People should not fight to further their own interest or to inflict
suffering upon a hated enemy.
 The Roman Catholic Church states the rules of a just war as:
 The war must be declared as the last resort: that is before declaring war; all
the other possibilities of solving the conflict peacefully should be tried and
failed.
 The war must be proportional: this can be done in two ways:
i) The benefits of going to war must be greater than the negative effects.
ii) The minimum force required to achieve the objectives of a just war
should be used.
 The probability of success must be high: there must be some likelihood
of success meaning that the chances of it achieving its aims must be
significant. E.g. it cannot be just for a government to fight an opponent
with superior military power, knowing that it cannot win the war.
HOW SOME UNITED NATIONS CHARTER AGREE WITH ST. THOMAS
AQUINAS RULES OF A JUST WAR
The United Nations Charter on Human Rights
The UN Charter was signed on 26th June 1945 with 50 countries involved. They adopted
the UN Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The UDHR listed all rights that all humans
are entitled to. These rights were meant to ensure that human beings are treated equally.
Some of the articles of the UDHR which agree with the St. Thomas Aquinas rues of
a just war are:
Article 51 (1) of the UN Charter, condemns going to war of countries. However going to
war because of self-defence is seen as legitimate reason for the nation to resort to military
force. It agrees with St. Thomas Aquinas condition of a just war which states that for the
war to be fought, it must be for a just cause, e.g. for self defence against any act of
aggression.
Article 2 (3): states that people should solve their disputes peacefully i.e. the war must be
declared as the last resort. Therefore before declaring war, all other possibilities of
solving the conflict peacefully should be tried.
Article 33 (1): states that a nation may resort to war only if it has exhausted all plausible,
peaceful alternatives to resolving the conflict in question. St. Thomas Aquinas agrees that
before declaring war, all other possibilities of solving the conflict should be tried. This
includes peaceful negotiations.
PEACE
 Peace: can mean an absence of noise, disturbance or fear.
 Is when there is no hostility, violence or conflict.
RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS THAT PROMOTE PEACE IN DIFFERENT
RELIGIONS
CHRISTIANITY
Christianity teachings on peace are based on the bible, for example:
 Psalm 34:14 says, ‘strive for peace with all your heart’. It teaches that peace does
not happen on its own. It requires people to make the effort and work hard to
achieve it.
 Jesus taught people not to be violent but peaceful. Matthew 5:9 says, ‘blessed are
the peace makers, for they shall be called the children of God’. This teaching
discouraged people to avoid conflicts and live in peace.
 Matthew 5:38-39 says, ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’. But I tell you,
do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek turn to him
the other cheek. This teaching is against taking revenge and responding to
violence with violence because it will only lead to more violence.
 Jesus forbade violence. One of his disciples cut of one ear of the soldiers who
arrested him but Jesus put the ear back and said, ‘put your sword back in its
place……for all who draw swords will die by the sword’(Matthew 26: 51-52)
thus promoting peace.
 Jesus left his disciples with a gift of peace when he ascended to heaven as he
wanted them to live peacefully and promote peace among people just the way he
taught them. (John 14:27)
BUDDHISM

Buddhists’ teachings and beliefs are based on peace and non-violence. The following
teachings promote peace:

 Buddha taught that hatred is never appeased by hatred but hatred is appeased by
love. He taught that Brahmin is one who is friendly among the hostile, he who is
peaceful among the violent, he who is unattached among the attached. This
encourages people to forgive one another and reconcile to promote peace.

 They are taught to be compassionate to people and all living creatures- even to an
extent of killing an insect. With compassion, peace can be possible.
  All violence, hate, harm and injury came from love of self. Self-love is at the root
of all quarrels, contentions and strives. If people could avoid being hateful and
stop violence at all living things, peace can be promoted.

 Buddha taught that one’s mind finds no peace, nor enjoys pleasure or delight, nor
goes to sleep, nor feels secure while dart of hatred is struck in the heart.

 Buddhists are taught that all violence comes from human lack of understanding,
mutual trust and lack of mutual respect based on kindness and love for all beings.
This means, if people have mutual respect, love and kindness towards all beings
peace will prevail.

Baha’i Faith

The following teaches promote peace in Baha’i Faith:

 Peace is only possible if people are united. People are equal before the eyes of
God regardless of their religion, class, nationality, or race. People can only
experience peace when the principle of unity and oneness is practiced. There
should be equality between men and women.

 War is discouraged as it does not solve problems. People should not fight but
consult one another and engage in peaceful negotiations.

 People should demand and strive for peace. To have peace, people should
overcome all kinds of prejudices such as religious intolerance and racial
discrimination.

Hinduism

 Hindus are taught to that the virtue of AHIMSA. Which means avoiding violence
and abstaining from causing pain or harm to any living thing. Hindus should
avoid causing physical injury, but evil thoughts, hatred, unkind behaviour,
dishonesty and lying too.

 Hindus believe in reincarnation. They are taught that after death, the soul does not
die, but it is born into another living body. Hindus believe that whatever harm
they do to other living things may be done in their other life. This teaching makes
Hindus to try by all means to be at peace with other people.

 The Yajur Veda 36/37, states that, ‘let there be peace in heaven, let there be peace
in the atmosphere, may peace fill four quarters, may the waters and medical herbs
bring peace, may planets give peace to all beings, may enlightened persons
disseminate peace to all beings, may the Vedas spread peace everywhere, may all
the objects give us peace everywhere and may that peace come to us and remain
 with us forever’. This teaching promotes peace to all in the society and the whole
universe.

 The Rig Veda teaches that for peace to prevail, people should have a common
understanding about certain issues and this understanding can only be possible
when they value the truth. It says, ‘come together, talk together, let our minds be
in harmony. Common be our prayer, common be our end, common be our
purpose, common be our deliberations, common be our intentions, perfect be our
union among us’ (Reg Veda 10:191-192)

 The Vedas emphasizes on the global brotherhood in that personal attachment,

selfish interest and ambitions cause sorrow and conflicts. When one is for all
people and all for one, there can be nothing but peace. ‘when you abandon every
desire that arises within you and when you become content with things as they
are, then you experience inner peace’ (Veda 23/24)

 The Sutras teach that people should cultivate attitudes of friendliness towards
others and have compassion towards the unhappy. People should delight towards
the wicked and show them love and peace.

 The Upanishads teaches that when you cause pain to others, the pain will come
back to you, but when you give peace within yourself. ‘All suffering recoils on
the wrongdoer himself. Therefore, those who desire not to suffer refrain from
causing others pain’ (Upanishads).

MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE VIRTUE OF AHIMSA

Who is Mahatma Gandhi?

 He was born in 2-10-1869 in India to a Hindu family. H was named Mohandas

Karamchand Gandhi. His father was Karamchand Gandhi, his mother was
Putlibai Gandhi. When he was 14yrs old, he married 13yr old Kasturbai and they
had four sons.

 In 1888, Gandhi went to study law in England and after graduating he returned to
India in 1891. In 1893, he went to live and work in South Africa. Gandhi believed
that the racial discrimination in South Africa was unjust. He pushed for the rights
of Indians in South Africa. He took part in assemblies, made speeches and wrote
articles. As a result, he was imprisoned several times.

 Gandhi returned to India in 1915 and became involved in resisting unjust colonial
laws and the struggle for independence from British rule. He was given the title
‘mahatma’ which means great soul because of his non-violent struggle for peace
and justice.
  Gandhi was shot and killed on January 30, 1948 while on his way to pray for
peace by Nathrum Godse, a young Hindu fanatic who was against Gandhi’s
message of tolerance of all religions.

MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE VIRTUE OF AHIMSA

 According to Gandhi, ahimsa did not simply mean non-killing. It also meant
refraining from causing pain or injury to or killing any life, out of anger or selfish
reasons. He believed people should not respond to violence with violence as it
leads to more violence. To him, non-violence was bravery because it is harder to
respond to violence with non-violence.

 The virtue of ahimsa influenced Gandhi to use non-violent resistance methods he

called Satyagraha which means ‘devotion to truth’ to achieve political and social
change. He believed that Satyagraha holds onto the truth. Using satyagraha meant
that people did not have to use violence on others to achieve their goals, but
persuade them through sympathy and patience.

HOW MAHATMA GANDHI USED THE VIRTUE OF AHIMSA TO ACHIEVE

PEACE

By choosing to use non-violent methods to politics when he protested against racial

discrimination in South Africa and resist India and later demand independence from
Britain.

In South Africa
 In 1970, the Transvaal government in South Africa, which was under the control
of the British at that time, published two laws.

 The first law was that Indians and black people living in South Africa had to
register with the police and be issued registration cards which they had to carry
wherever they went.
 The second law declared that only marriages of the Christian faith legal.
Marriages of other religions were not recognized. The government also passed a
law which denied Indians and black people the right to vote.

In response Gandhi convinced Indian people to resist the laws through non-violent
campaigns or satyagraha. His followers organized peaceful demonstrations and also
refused to register. Gandhi and many of his followers were imprisoned, but they
continued with peaceful demonstrations and non-cooperation to resist the new laws.

In 1909, the registration law was abolished. They continued with their peaceful
demonstrations and protest marches against discriminatory poll tax and marriage laws.
The protests and harsh response of the police led to criticism of the government. This
forced the government to negotiate agreement with Gandhi in June 1914. The agreement
led to the South African government passing a new law which abolished the poll tax,
recognized Indian traditional marriages and made it easier for wives to join their
husbands who were living in South Africa. Gandhi and his followers ended their marches
and non-cooperation.

 In July 1914, Gandhi left South Africa and went to England before returning to
India in 1915.

India’s struggle for independence

Gandhi used non-violent methods such as peaceful protests, non-cooperation and fasting
to protest against injustices of British colonial rule in India and to push Britain to grant
India independence. He also used non-violent methods such as negotiations and fasting to
persuade Muslims to stop fighting each other and to resolve their differences peacefully.

Major Non-Violent and Cooperation or Civil Disobedience Protests that Gandhi

organized and led.

1917 Gandhi led the first satygraha in Champaran, Bihar. Poor landless labourers and
farmers were forced to grow cash crops such as Indigo (a shrub that produces dye)
instead of crops and to sell the crops to them at a very low price by wealthy British
landlords. Gandhi organized and led a satyagraha against the extreme poverty and
oppression of the poor in this area.

1919 Gandhi helped to organize nationwide protests against the Rowlatt Acts, a
legislation aimed at suppressing Indian nationalism by banning the right to public
organization and protest. They held a hartal, or a day of fasting and prayer, in protest.

British troops killed more than 350 unarmed Indians who had gathered outside the city of
Amritsar for a Sikh religious celebration. He protested against the killings by fasting for
three days.

1920 He organized a national boycott of goods manufactured in Britain and payment of

taxes to the colonial government. This was to protect the way Britain was exploiting
India for raw materials and as a market for British goods. Instead Gandhi encouraged
people to buy goods produced in India.

1922 Gandhi was arrested for inciting people to rebel against the government (sedition)
and imprisoned. He was released in 1924.

1928 Gandhi organized a tax strike in the city of Bardoli.

1930 He organized and led a protest march against the Salt Act (1982), which forbade
Indians from making their own salt. He led a group of his followers on 320km march
from Ahmedabad to the coastal town of Dandi and made salt. Many Indians followed his
example and went to the coast to make salt. Gandhi and many protesters were arrested for
breaking the law. To end the protest, the British were forced to release Gandhi and other
prisoners.

1932 Gandhi was arrested and imprisoned for sedition again. He began ‘fasting until
death’ to protest the British proposal to discriminate against untouchable caste by treating
them as a separate electorate. He ended his fast when he and the British agreed that all
Indians would be treated as a single electorate regardless of the caste they belonged to.
Many people became sympathetic to the untouchables due to his example.

1940 During the Second World War, the British government strictly censored any
criticism of the war by Indians. In response to censorship, Gandhi launched another
satyagraha campaign, which resulted in the arrest of thousands of protesters.

1942 British proposed to give Indian autonomy but not independence. Indians
rejected the proposal. The Indian National Congress demanded independence.
To support demands for independence, Gandhi launched a national satyagraha
campaign which came to be known as the ‘Quit India’ movement. As a result,
Gandhi and other Indian leaders were arrested and imprisoned.

1943 Gandhi fasted while imprisoned, to protest British rule.

1944 Gandhi was released from prison. The Muslim league led by Muhammed Ali
Jinnah persuade him to let India remain as a single country.

1946 Tensions between Hindu and Muslims increased and violent conflict
erupted across India between two groups of people.

1947 India gained independence and the country was partitioned into two
separate states: India, with a largely Hindu population and |Pakistan, with largely
Muslim population.

1948 Gandhi was assassinated by Nathrum Vinayk Godse, a Hindu nationalist

on January 30, 1948.

FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILIATION IN THE PROMOTION OF PEACE

What is forgiveness?
It is when someone who has been wronged lets go of the hurt and resentment and is able
to move on with their life.

Note that forgiving someone does not mean that:

 you excuse or approve of what they did to you
 you forget what they have done to you
 the offence did not harm you
 the harm caused to you does not matter
An example of forgiveness: The story of Joseph and his Brothers

The story of Joseph and his brothers in the Bible talks about how Joseph’s brothers
jealous of him because their father loved him very much. They decided to kill him but
ended up selling him as a slave to the Ishmaelite. The brothers then dipped joseph’s
clothes in blood and took them to their father. They told him that they had found Joseph’s
clothes and assumed that animals may have killed him. (Genesis: 37:12)

When Joseph met his brothers many years later, he forgave them for what they did to
him. He said to his brothers, “don’t be afraid, I will provide for you and your children.”

What is Reconciliation?

The word reconciliation can be said to mean- ‘to bring together’ or ‘to make a
relationship work again.’

Reconciliation is a way process:

 The person who has been wronged (the victim) should be willing to accept an
apology and forgive the person who has wronged him/her.
 The person who has committed the offence should accept his or her mistake or
wrong doing and apologise for what they have said or done.

Examples of reconciliation

The story of the prodigal son in the Bible

The story is found in (Luke 15:11-32). It is about a son who asked his father to give him
his inheritance. The son took what belonged to him and left. The Bible tells of how the
son misused all he had and ended up with nothing. He eventually decided to go back
home. The Bible says, ‘The father saw his son while he was a long way off. He ran to
him and embraced him.’ He never demanded an apology. He forgave and accepted him
back and ordered a feast in honour of his son for he said, ‘his son was dead but now he
was alive.’

Truth and reconciliation Commission in South Africa

The truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in South Africa was set up in terms of
the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act, No. 34 of 1995, and was based
in Cape Town. Its aim was to help people deal with the violence and human rights abuses
perpetrated by the white minority government against people of their racial groups,
especially blacks.
The Commission encourages perpetrators of political crimes to tell the truth about what
they did and ask for forgiveness from their victims. Victims were also given a chance to
speak about their pain and suffering. The country believed that this process would help
bring about reconciliation between victims and perpetrators of political crimes and enable
the nation to thrive as a democracy.

THE BENEFITS OF FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILIATION IN

PROMOTING PEACE

Forgiveness and reconciliation:

-Promote peace because you set yourself free from keeping grudges, bitterness, anger,
resentment, hostility and even vengeance. It breaks the circle of pain and blame, bringing
peace among people. In addition, when you are free from these feelings and emotions,
your life can be stress free and you will be able to live in peace, even with the person who
wronged you.

-Allow compassion and kindness to be shown. Where there is compassion and kindness
between people, then peace is promoted.

-Turns hatred into love and friendship. Where there is love and friendship, peace prevails.

-Brings about peace amongst people from different religions, race and different nations.
For example, in South Africa through forgiveness and reconciliation people of different
racial groups are at peace with each other.

-Reconciliation restores relationship to where it was before the hurt occurred. When
people reconcile, they make peace with one another. An offender is accepted back into
one’s life.

-Reconciliation helps re-integrate offenders into a family or community. This may help
people not to re-offend and instead live in peace with other members of the group.
HIV/AIDS

HIV: Human Immuno-deficiency Virus

AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

PRACTICES IN A.T.R. IN BOTSWANA THAT EXPOSE MEN AND WOMEN

TO HIV AND AIDS

PRACTICES

SEANTLO/WIFE INHERITANCE/LEVIRATE
Whereby a man is allowed to marry his wife’s sister after the death of his wife or
whereby a woman is allowed to be married by her husband’s brother after the death of the
husband
This encourages the spread HIV in cases where the partner might have died because of
AIDS and the one left is also infected. The may pass on the disease to the next person
they get married to.

TRADITIONAL HEALING PRACTICES

Practices such as go dupa, whereby a traditional healer cuts a client with a sharp object
and uses his mouth to extract a foreign object that is believed to have been put in that
person through witchcraft.
This is a dangerous practice because it puts the life of the client at risk of infection if the
healer is infected or the life of the healer at risk if the client is infected.

BOTSETSE/ CONFINEMENT
A practice whereby both the mother and the child are confined in a house for a longer
period of time, even up to a year.
This may cause impatience in some men who may end up getting involved in adulterous
behaviours in order to seek sexual satisfaction. This may increase the spread of diseases
such as HIV

GO TLHATSWA DIROPE/ SURROGACY

This is a practice whereby if the couple is not able to bear children, the man can have
children with his wife’s sister and the wife will take care of those children as her own. It
can also happen if the husband is unable to bear children, then his brother can bear
children for him with his wife. This is done to cover the family’s shame.
 This encourages the spread of HIV/AIDS in a way that if one person is infected,
the rest will be

SAYINGS THAT EXPOSE MEN & WOMEN TO HIV/AIDS

 Monna ga nke a botswa kwa a tswang teng: These sayings give men the
freedom do as they please including being faithful. This may put their
partners at risk of HIV infection
 Monna phafana oa fapaanelwa/Monna selepe oa adigwana: This saying
says a man can be shared, thus encouraging men to be promiscuity which
puts people at risk.
 Monna poo ga a agelwe lesaka: This saying describes a ma as a bull
which can mate different cows in different kraals. It encourages men to be
promiscuous
 Monna thotse oa nama: This means that a man is compared to a seed that
after being planted multiplies. It suggests that it is acceptable for a man to
have as many sexual partners as possible thus increasing the risk of HIV
infection

HOW RELIGIONS IN BOTSWANA USE THEIR RESOURCES IN RESPONSE

TO THE HIV AND AIDS SCOURGE/PANDEMIC

All religions believe that behavioural change is necessary to fight the HIV and AIDS
pandemic

MATERIAL RESOURCES

 They provide food, clothing, medical supplies and books to the infected
and their families
 Most religions have organisations which use their resources to help in
controlling the scourge. Some have home based care facilities where the
sick are taken care of. Some accommodate the sick for a certain period of
time until they recover
 Some religions have books which help to inform people about HIV and
AIDS. These promote a change of mind and behaviour
FINANCIAL RESOURCES

 The offer donations in terms of money to help take of the infected and
affected
 They take care of those who have been disadvantaged because of HIV and
AIDS

EMOTIONAL/ PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP

 They offer spiritual support to the infected and affected, giving them hope
through prayer
 They offer professional counselling which helps people to feel accepted ad
gives them the strength and hope to face life

RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS THAT CAN HELP YOUTH TO ACQUIRE SAFE

SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR AGAINST HIV/AIDS

SAFE SEXUAL BEHAVOIUR: Engaging I sexual conduct that reduces the risk of
passing transmission of venereal and sexually transmitted diseases

CHRISTIANITY
Abstinence: Young should not have sex before marriage; if they do this, they will not be
at the risk of becoming pregnant or being infected with HIV
 Monogamous relationship: This should be within a marriage and the couple has to
be faithful to one another
 Pure thoughts and words: They should avoid lustful thoughts and using sexually
arousing speech. This may keep them from temptations to get involved in
activities that may lead to HIV and AIDS
 Modest dressing: It will help them not to appear seductive or sexually appealing
which may put them under pressure to be sexually active ad thus contract HIV

ISLAM
 No sex before marriage: they are encouraged to keep themselves pure until
marriage
 No touching and fondling one another: unmarried people are not allowed to touch
and fondle one another or be intimate in a way that my put them in temptation to
engage in sexual activities
 Being faithful: Married couples should always be faithful to one another and
cultivate trust in their relationships
 Fasting and prayer: it may be used to fight against sexual desires and temptations
 Should not take intoxicants: They reduce one’s ability to think clearly and end up
behaving immorally such as getting involved in unacceptable practices like sex
before marriage
BAHA’I FAITH
 No sex before marriage: only married people are allowed to engage in sex before
marriage
 They emphasize to the youth that sex is the biggest way through which people get
infected so they teach them to avoid it
 Baha’u’llah’s teaching which says “You are forbidden to commit adultery,
sodomy and lechery” encourages the young people to live moral lives
 They are taught to avoid intoxicants such as alcohol and drugs which may lead to
immoral behaviour.

HOW GENDER ISSUES IN A.T.R. IN BOTSWANA AND ISLAM INFLUENCE

THE SPREAD OF HIV AND AIDS

GENDER ISSUES: they include the differences in the status of men and women, and the
power that men and women have according to different religions. Gender issues can both
be social and biological.

A.T.R. IN BOTSWANA

 Leadership is strictly for men: all decision making in the home is for men, in this
case, they decide when and how to have sex. If they have extra relationships, then
they can put women at risk of contracting HIV
 Equality between men and women: patriarchy is dominant; men are seen as
superior to women. They are not treated the same and they are expected to behave
differently. When a man has more partners is see as manly ad good whereas with
a woman it is seen as shameful. This puts the lives of women at risk of sexually
transmitted diseases if men have more sexual partners.
 Paying of the bride price: this may give men the power over women and make
them think they own them, thereby do as they please. For instance, if they decide
not to use condoms and they are infected, then they will spread the disease to their
wives and even extra relationships if they have them
  Women are care takers: this makes women vulnerable to HIV and AIDS since
they are the ones who take care of the sick
 Polygamy: Having multiple sexual partners always puts people at risk of
contracting HIV if one of them is already infected

ISLAM

 Polygamy: a Muslim man can marry up to four wives. This can easily influence
the spread of HIV in cases where one partner is already infected
 Leadership is restricted to men: they are the decision makers, they decide how and
when to have sex and women do not have a say. This puts women at risk of HIV
infection especially if the marriage is polygamous

HOW BUDDHIST TEACHINGS CA BE USED TO PROMOTE SEXUAL

BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE

THE FIVE PRECEPTS

Three of these precepts can be useful in behavioural change

 Do not get involved in sexual misconduct [3rd precept]

These misconducts include rape, adultery, promiscuity and sexual perversion. It
covers all improper behaviour with regard to sex. It aims to promote proper sexual
behaviour and a sense of social decency
 Do not tell lies [4th precept]
It encourages people to be truthful and honest to themselves and others. This can urge
people to change their sexual behaviours. Those who tell lies breed an untrustworthy
environment
 Do not take intoxicants[5th precept]
They are taught about the dangers of taking intoxicants which may distort their
sensibility and cause them to lack self-control and judgement power. This may put
them at high risk. If people may refrain from taking intoxicants, they may have
behavioural change
THE EIGHTFOLD PATH

 Right view: suffering is caused by desire, sexual desire included. People

should understand that illicit sexual behaviour causes unhappiness,
therefore they should avoid it
 Right intention/thought: everyone should have good intentions in
everything they do. This teaching encourages people to refrain from
sexual desires which may bring bad results.
 Right speech: honesty is encouraged at all times. It helps in behavioural
change because dishonest ways and lies cause people to engage in extra
marital relationships.
 Right action: unacceptable sexual behaviour is not a right action, therefore
people should refrain from it
 Right livelihood: this teaching encourages people to earn a living in
upright manners. It therefore discredits having multiple partners and doing
prostitution for provision.
 Right effort: it discourages people from evil impulses, but encourages
them to have self-control. Self-control assists people to have a change of
behaviour.
 Right mindfulness: it encourages people not to give in to dictates of
desires in thoughts, speech ad action. Their actions should always be in
line with their thoughts. This could help people to avoid evil thoughts and
sexual desires.
 Right concentration: it encourages people to concentrate and train their
minds to think positively. It could help people in issues of behavioural
change as it will assist people to avoid immoral thoughts which in turn
lead to immoral sexual acts.
THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

The natural environment is the surroundings in which all living things such as animals,
plants and all people live and depend on for survival.

Some religions help influence people to preserve the environment in many ways.

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS – Religious beliefs help influence people to preserve the

environment. For example,

 Christians believe that the Supreme Being created the environment and everything
in it. Muslims also believe Allah is the creator of the environment. This belief
influences people to take care and preserve the environment.

 Religions such as Christianity and Islam believe that the creator has given people
the power to rule over the environment. Therefore they have made it their
responsibility to look after the environment. Muslims believe that Allah has
instructed them not to destroy the environment but to look after it.

 Muslims and Christians believe e that everything in the world was created for
man and man has control of all that is in the world. Therefore it is upon religions
to take care of and preserve the environment and use it in a way that can benefit
people.

 Hindus believe that everything in the universe is a manifestation of Brahman.

They see divinity in everything, lining and non-living. They believe nature is
sacred and therefore should be cared for and protected. This belief has influenced
Hindus not to destroy or damage the environment and thus it is preserved.

RELIGIOUS PRACTICES

 Hindus practice ahimsa which is non-violence to all living or non-living things.

This practice prevents followers of Hinduism from destroying the environment.
Most Hindus are purely vegetarians and have put schemes in place that try and
help them preserve the environment.

 In African Traditional Religion in Botswana, certain plants, trees and animals in

the environment are respected as totems for different ethnic groups. Such plants
and trees cannot be cut or eaten. Animals also cannot be killed unnecessarily and
are not being eaten.
TEACHINGS THAT PROMOTE THE CONSERVATION OF NATURAL
RESOURCES IN SOME RELIGIONS

Natural resources are substances or materials or places that human beings use in their
everyday life for their needs. Natural resources include the following:
 Forests
 Land
 Wild animals
 Water
 Mineral resources such as diamonds, gold, coal, oil, copper and nickel.

To conserve the environment or natural resources means the act of not wasting,
destroying or harming them, but rather to protect them and use them safely. It is very
important to preserve the environment or natural resources because they help sustain both
wildlife and humans.

The following are some of the teachings of different religions promoting the conservation
of the environment or natural resources.

AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION IN BOTSWANA

African Traditional Religion teaches that:

 Modimo is the creator of everything on earth. Modimo created animals, water, air,
plants and forest. These therefore are God’s creation and should be respected.
 Human beings have been given power over all other things on earth. It is therefore
their responsibility to look after what they have been given. They should protect
and take care of the natural resources that they have.
 They are also taboos that are taught to help conserve the environment. Most of
them are on animals and plants. The following are examples of those taboos;
 A python should not be killed during the ploughing seasons because it can cause
drought.
 Fruit trees should not be cut.
 One’s totem should not be eaten.
 A crocodile should not be killed during summer.
 Trees such as moretlwa, morula and mokgalo should not be cut.

CHRISTIANITY
Christianity teaches that:
 God created the universe and everything in it. It is therefore their duty to respect
and take care of the natural resources available and they should preserve it.
 Christians are God’s stewards on earth. They have a duty to make sure that
natural resources are shared equally and are preserved. They have certain
responsibilities towards all living things because God placed them in the position
 of stewards of his creation. According the Bible the God took man and put him in
the Garden of Eden to work in it and take care of it. (Genesis 2:15)
 Christians should always leave the earth a better place than they found it because
if they do not fulfil their responsibilities, they will be judged by God.
 Christians have been given the authority to rule over the environment, the earth
was made by God and still belongs to God not Humans.
 The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.
Christians have no right to pollute, exploit, destroy, kill or in any way disrespect
God’s creation, including natural resources.

BUDDHISM
Buddhists are taught the following:

 Not to kill, but rather cherish all life. This is the Precept in Buddhism that
emphasize on the protection of natural resources. To protect human life is to
protect the environment or natural resources in which those humans live in and
depend upon. These teachings help Buddhists to actively try to preserve the
natural resources and to ensure that acts of neglect or destruction do not occur.

 Love and compassion help people to care for the environment. Buddhists are
encouraged to enjoy living in a pure land which is beautiful and harmonious,
where there is no harm to any other living thing, from the largest mammal to the
smallest insect and natural resources.

 They are taught and encouraged not to destroy any plant or tree. In this way
natural resources are preserved.

 Caring for the environment begins with caring for oneself. Therefore the way
Buddhists take care of themselves should be reflected on the way they take care of
natural resources.

BAHAI FAITH
Baha’i followers are taught:
 To respect and protect the environment they live in. In doing so they protect and
conserve the natural resources.
 That all of God’s creation is inter-related. Other forms of life cannot think or
reason, it is upon man to protect them.
 That kindness to the environment is good for spiritual development. By pursuing
spiritual development in a way conserve and protect natural resources.
  To en courage children at a young age to protect the environment hence continual
conservation of natural resources.

ISLAM
Muslims are taught:
 That the universe and everything in it was created by Allah. Muslims are therefore
expected to respect and take care of the environment because it is a gift from
Allah to people.
 That the environment should be used in a good way and should not be wasted.
The Qur’an states that, ‘People should enjoy the fruit of the earth and not waste it,
for Allah does not love wasters’. If Muslims follow this teaching then natural
resources will be conserved.
 That the Qur’an and the Sharia Law have set principles on how people should
take care of the environment. They should take care of water, they should only
hunt animals for food not for pleasure and whenever a tree is cut another should
be planted.
 That they are inheritors of the earth. Their responsibility therefore I s to look after
everything created by Allah because everything has been placed in their care and
trust.
 That life is a test from Allah. The test is that they should look after the
environment in a way of Islam. Those who fail will eventually be punished.
Muslims therefore try to reduce pollution and conserve the environment by all
means. They also try to share the earth’s resources equally and always try to use
them to improve their living conditions.

RELIGIOUS VIEWS ON THE CONSERVATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT.

Different religions have different views or regards on the conservation of the

environment.
AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION IN BOTSWANA
 In African Traditional Religion in Botswana land is sacred and belongs to
Modimo. There is a certain land that is not to be used by man. When land is
conserved in African Tradition al Religion, the following cannot be done on
it:
i. it cannot be tilled
ii. trees and other vegetation cannot be cut
iii. animals cannot graze on it
iv. Followers of African Traditional religion in Botswana view themselves as
caretakers of the environment and as such, it is their task to ensure that the
environment is taken care of and preserved.
CHRISTIANITY
 The whole world is a product of God’s creation and creativity. God created
the environment as a gift for human beings and therefore they have a duty to
take care of it. They should take part in the conservation of the environment.
They also have to allow the land to rest after some continuous years of usage.

 God gave human beings authority over animals and plants – they should care
for it.

 All human beings should respect and take care of the environment because
God created it as something good. Human beings should make sure that the
environment remains as what God intended it to be.

ISLAM
 The environment is God’s creation and must be respected. The fourth Caliph,
Ali-Abi-Talib once said concerning the environment, ‘partakes of it gladly, so
long as you are a benefactor, not a despoiler, a cultivator, not a destroyer’.

 Muslims view taking care of the environment and its natural resources as a
duty that every Muslim has. They should not use or overuse the environment.
Using the environment extravagantly and luxuriously is forbidden in Islam.

 All people should live in harmony with the environment. Land and the natural
resources should be protected from misuse and abuse.

THE IMPACT OF RELIGIOUS ACTIVITES ON THE ENVIRONMENT

All living things depend on the environment for survival. It is therefore very important to
take good care of the environment. Religious followers take part in various religious
activities, some of which have an impact on the environment. Below are some of these
activities and how they affect the environment:

RITUALS - Some religious activities have an impact on the environment.

 Some Christian churches baptize their followers in rivers. This may lead to water
pollution.

 In Hinduism, bathing in sacred rivers such as the Ganges is very important. The
ashes of the dead who have been cremated are also thrown in to the river. These
rituals contribute to pollution of the Ganges River.
During Ganev Ustav and Navratris festival, the idols of Lord Ganesh and goddess
Durga are immersed in lakes in Bophal, India. These idols are made of plaster of
paris or clay and clothes supported by small iron rods. These are painted in bright
 colours and varnished. Some of the paints contain toxic metals such as lead and
mercury. Research has shown that this religious activity has resulted in
deterioration of water quality, accumulation of toxic chemicals and sediments and
shrinkage of the lake area.

In Botswana, dispose waste and perform rituals such as colon cleansing along Kolobeng
River. They are not supposed to do this so as to preserve its pristine nature and tourist
attractions. This ritual of colon cleansing can contribute to water pollution.

The use of plant medicines

In African Traditional religion, traditional healers often use medicine from plants to heal
various illnesses and conditions. This means certain plants are cut or uprooted.
Overharvesting of medicinal plants can result in plants becoming extinct and loss of
biodiversity.

VIRTUES THAT COULD BE PUT IN TO PRACTICE TO PROTECT THE

ENVIRONMENT
Values can be used to help protect the environment. We all have a responsibility to
protect the environment so that future generations can also benefit from resources in it.
The following virtues of Respect, Compassion, Caring and Kindness can be put into
practice to help protect the environment.
RESPECT
Respect is honouring and valuing someone or something. If we respect the environment
as a source of everything we need to exist and have a comfortable life, we will protect it.
We can show respect to our environment by managing and using natural resources in a
sustainable way.
COMPASSION
Compassion is the ability to feel sympathy or distress for someone or something else. It
involves having the desire to help and taking action to show one cares. People can show
compassion to the environment by taking care of trees, plants and animals.
CARING
Caring is a feeling of concern or interest and empathy for others or things. A caring
person avoids harming that which he or she cares for. If we care about the environment,
we will take good care of it and protect it by trying to keep it clean, conserving wild
animals and plants, avoid polluting our surroundings and reduce our consumption of
natural resources.

KINDNESS
Kindness means being warm-hearted, tender, considerate and showing concern for others.
Kindness to the environment can be shown through caring for our domestic animals
properly. We should give them food, and medical care.
FRANCIS OF ASSISI AS A MODEL FOR SUSTAINING ECOLOGICAL
BALANCE
St. Francis of Assisi was born in a place called Assisi in Italy in about 1181. He was born
Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone. His father was Pietro Bernardone, a wealthy Assisian
cloth merchant, and his mother was PicaBourlemont. His father gave him the nickname
‘Francis’ because of his love for France where he was involved in a great deal of trade.

BY SHOWING RESPECT FOR ALL LIVING THINGS

Francis of Assisi was well known for his love of nature. He taught people to respect all
creatures, no matter how insignificant they might be or look because they were all created
by God. He called animals his brothers and sisters and regarded them as members of one
family. He would preach to the birds about the greatness of God asking them to glorify
him. It is said that when he was preaching to the birds they would stop and listen to him
as if they understood. He would walk amongst the birds, touch them and show them all
love.

BY CARING FOR PLANTS OR ANIMALS

He always tried not to harm any plants or animals. He cared for even the smallest
creatures. He would pick worms up from the road and put them in a safe place so that
they would not be crushed by the feet of people using the road.

In winter he had honey, or the best wine put out for bees so that they would not die from
lack of food and the cold. In his vegetable garden, he always left space to plant flowers so
that every season they could produce seeds for more flowers to be grown. Francis loved
flowers because they brought beauty to his mind and he loved their sweet scent. He never
cut even a blade of grass or a branch off a tree.

BY PROTECTING WILD ANIMALS

When people failed to kill or chase away the wolf, they invited St Francis to help them.
Instead of killing the animal, he approached the animal unarmed and talked to it. He
asked the wolf to repent for the harm that he had caused and promise not to attack the
people or their livestock again.
ANIMAL LIFE
Animals play an important role in the lives of people. Some animals are used for food,
work and companionship. Some religions have stories where certain animals are sued to
teach moral lessons. Animals are often taken care of and protected in different religions.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SOME ANIMALS IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL

RELIGION IN BOTSWANA
In African Traditional Religion, animals are important in the following ways:
 They are used as totems (direto) – this is a belief that there is a relationship
between plants and human beings. It is known as totemism. For example, the
totem for Bahurutshe is Baboon (Tshwene), Balete Buffalo (Nare) etc. These
animals are important in African Traditional Religion because they give followers
a sense of social identity and belonging.
 Some animals are used as characters in stories to teach moral lessons – Animals
such as rabbits, hares, baboons, tortoises and others are often used in traditional
stories to try and instill morality in people. Lessons taught are usually good, they
encourage good behaviour, hard work and moral values such as kindness, respect,
cooperation and love.
 Some are a sign of wealth – Animals such as cattle are believed to show wealth
and prestige. A family with many cattle is respected and honoured. Some cattle
can be used to pay bride price while some can be slaughtered for such ceremonies
as marriages and funerals.
 Some are sacrificed to the Ancestors – This is done to appease the ancestors. The
appeasing can be done to thank ancestors for doing good things in lives of people
or as a way of asking them for blessings.

HINDUISM
 They are used in Hindu myths and legends. In these myths and legends, they are
usually used to explain how things should be done and they also teach moral
values.
 They are a mode of transport for many gods and goddesses – They can be used by
different gods and goddesses as vehicles.
 Some are worshipped as deities – Some Hinduism gods and goddesses are
believed to have animal characteristics. Animals associated with these deities are
therefore respected and revered.
 Some are a source of food and medicine. Animal products such as milk, ghee,
curds from animals can be eaten for survival. Others can be used for purification
ceremonies, for example, the urine and dung. Dried and powdered cow dung is
placed on children possessed by evil spirits.
 Some are considered sacred – They are divine and holy, for example, the cow.
They are allowed to wander in streets unharmed and killing of a cow is a taboo.
 They believe Lord Krishna loved cows and spent most of his life as a cowherd.
Old cows are often put in retirement homes called goshalas.

MORAL STORIES RELATED TO ANIMALS

AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION IN BOTSWANA

Some animals are used as characters in stories to teach moral lessons – Animals such as
rabbits, hares, baboons, tortoises and others are often used in traditional stories to try and
instill morality in people. Lessons taught are usually good, they encourage good
behaviour, hard work and moral values such as kindness, respect, cooperation and love.
Some of the moral lessons from stories involving animals include the following:
 Intelligence or wit can defeat physical power or strength
 A selfish act usually or often goes wrong.
 Those who lie and boast end up in trouble
 Do not count your chickens before they are hatched
 One good turn deserves another

In the story of intelligence or wit can defeat physical strength, we learn that when you are
small and helpless, you can use your brains to defeat powerful people or things.

HINDUISM

There are also some stories in Hinduism which are related to animals. In such stories,
animals such as rabbits, elephants, birds, frogs, crocodiles, monkeys and many others are
used to teach moral lessons. Stories are called Panchatantra and they always have a moral
lesson at the end. Some of the moral lessons from stories related to animals include the
following:
 Greed can be harmful
 Stay away from a thing that does not involve you.
 Do not be deceived by appearances
 Do not find faults with others.
 Do not return kindness with evil.

In the story of stay away from a thing that does not involve you; we learn how the
monkey got killed because he was involving himself where he was not needed.

WAYS IN WHICH ANIMAL LIFE CAN BE PROTECTED

AFRICAN TRADITONAL RELIGION IN BOTSWANA

 Animals which are regarded as totems are not killed or harmed in anyway.
This helps protect animal life.
  There are certain taboos which are used to protect certain animals. Such
animals are not killed as people fear what might happen to them if they do so.
For example, in Botswana there is a taboo which says that animals such as the
python (tlhware) should not be killed during ploughing season as this can
bring storms and strong winds.
 Certain beliefs in African Traditional Religion in Botswana are used to protect
animals. For example, there are animals which are associated with royalty.
Such animals are eland(phofu), leopard (nkwe) and gemsbok (kukama)

HINDUISM
The practice of ahimsa. This is the practice of kindness and non-violence to all living
things including animals.
 The practice of ahimsa. This is the practice of kindness and non-violence to all
living things including animals. It provides a code of conduct on hunting,
butchery, meat eating and the use of animal products provided by violent
means. The practice is very useful in the protection of animal life in
Hinduism. It prevents Hindus from causing harm to any living creature.
 The practice of daya. This means Hindus should show compassion towards all
beings. They should be kind to animals. There are certain animals which are
regarded as sacred in Hinduism. Animals such as eagles, swans, cows, mice,
peacocks, elephants and tigers are regarded as holy. Therefore they are not
killed and their meat is not eaten.
 Certain beliefs and teachings help protect animal life in Hinduism. These
believes include the following:

i. The belief in the cycle of re-birth help Hindus to protect animals as

they believe in the cycle of re-birth is determined by their actions.
ii. The belief that the Supreme Spirit, Brahman manifests itself in living
things influences Hindus to protect animals as they belief they possess
the spirit of Brahman.
iii. Hindus believe animals can be used by deities as vehicles. This means
god and goddesses can sometimes appear at certain animals
iv. Hindu religion teaches its followers to respect other living beings such
as animals and to live together with them peacefully.
 RELIGIOUS PLURALISM

Religious pluralism is the view that all religions have an element of truth or the
co-existence of more than one religion in a society.

The difference between religious tolerance and intolerance.

 Religious tolerance is the willingness to accept and permit religious

beliefs and practices which disagree with one's own.
 Religious tolerance refers to respecting or acknowledging other religions,
though not agreeing with their beliefs. This simply means that one
respect and is able to live side by side with someone from a different
religion without hostility.

While religious intolerance is showing no respect to other religions

The effects of religious intolerance on societies.

Take some time to think about how religious intolerance,which may also be
termed lack of religious tolerance, may affect the society. It generally leads to
human suffering and violation of human’s rights.

 Killings and Massacres.

The word massacre refers to the intentional killing of a large number of
people. In our situation this will be influenced by religious differences.
The main point is that religious intolerance can bring about loss of lives
as to wipe out that particular religion, denying them the natural right to
life.
 Refugee crisis
In the course of the killings people run for their lives, and most people
are misplaced, especially women and children. Those who live in refugee
camps live under compromising situations. These people end up being a
burden to governments of those states.

 Civil wars
Civil war refers to a war between organised groups with the same nation.
 Conflicts and hatred.
Where there is lack of religious tolerance, people see one another as
enemies

 Poverty
As the above stated incidents intensify, economy is paralysed as there
will be no activity taking place to promote economic growth. Also during
the course of wars the active population may run away from their
countries to save their lives. Bread winners may be killed too, living those
who were depending on them living below poverty datum line.