CASIMSIMAN_ conception act#2
CASIMSIMAN_ conception act#2
4. Do you believe in God? (personally why, create your best argument if yes or no)
ANSWER:
Personally, I believe in God, my argument for this is the quote of the Russian novelist
Dostoevsky, "If God does not exist, then everything is permissible", but not everything is
permitted. Therefore, God exists. In line with this, for me there is a moral restraint among
individuals and there is a moral restraint among people in society, because there is a voice
telling them to behave and this voice is commonly known as conscience or "the little voice of
God". Hence, God exists.
5. What is the soul according to the ethnic groups in the Philippines? & What are type of
rituals?
ANSWER:
The concept of the soul among ethnic groups in the Philippines is diverse and deeply rooted in
their cultural and spiritual beliefs, thus they have different names but have the same thought.
For instance, the Tagalog people believe in the "kaluluwa," which is the soul that departs the
body upon death and journeys to the afterlife. Similarly, the Ilocano’s have a belief in the
"aniwaas," a soul that continues to exist and can interact with the living. The Tausug of
Mindanao believe in multiple souls within a person, each responsible for different aspects of
life and health. These are some of the examples of the concept of soul according to the ethnic
groups in the Philippines. Various rituals are performed to honor and communicate with these
souls. There are 4 major types of rituals namely, imitative, positive & negative, sacrificial and
life crisis. For example, the Tagalog practice the "pag-aanito," a ritual involving offerings and
prayers to ancestral spirits which is classified as sacrificial ritual. The Ifugao perform the
"bogwa," an exhumation and reburial ceremony to ensure the soul's peaceful journey, in which
it is classified as life crisis ritual. The Tausug also conducts life crisis ritual known as the
"pagdudus," a ritual to heal ailments believed to be caused by restless or troubled souls. These
rituals reflect the rich spiritual tapestry of the Philippines, where the soul is revered and
interconnected with the living and the divine.