RELIGION STUDIES PAPER 1
GRADE 12
NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS
MEMORANDUM
MAY/JUNE2021

SECTION A (COMPULSORY)
QUESTION 1
NOTE: Credit the candidates if the correct word is provided instead of the letter.
1.1
1.1.1 B √ (1)
1.1.2 D √ (1)
1.1.3 C √ (1)
1.1.4 D √ (1)
1.1.5 A √ (1)
1.1.6 D √ (1)
1.1.7 C √ (1)
1.1.8 B √ (1)
1.1.9 C √ (1)
1.1.10 D √ (1)
1.2
1.2.1 Theravada√ (1)
1.2.2 Stages of life √ (1)
1.2.3 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights√ (1)
1.2.4 Resurrection√ (1)
1.2.5 Karma √ (1)
1.3
1.3.1

• Quaker √
• The others are all African Initiated Churches. √ (2)

1.3.2

• Atheism √
• The others all believe in the divine. √ (2)

1.3.3

• Brahman √
• The others all belong to Buddhism. √ (2)

1.3.4

• Psalms. √
• The others are kinds of stories/teachings.√ (2)

1.3.5

• Sudras √
• The others all belong to Islam/the Five Pillars of Islam. √ (2)
  NOTE: Credit the candidates if the correct word is provided instead of the letter.

1.4
1.4.1 C √ (1)
1.4.2 D √ (1)
1.4.3 A √ (1)
1.4.4 G √ (1)
1.4.5 F √ (1)
1.5
1.5.1 False √
He proposed a heliocentric view of the world. √ (2)
1.5.2 True √√ (2)
1.5.3 False √
The interpretation of the sacred texts of a religion is called hermeneutics. √
Pluralism a system which acknowledges more than one ultimate principle or acceptance of more than one religion. (2)
1.5.4 False √
The souls go to Heaven/Paradise. √ (2)
1.5.5 False √
Friedrich Engels. √ (2)
1.6
1.6.1

• Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. √
• It occurs in different religions, e.g. Christianity, Confucianism. √
• However, it is a generally accepted principle not necessarily from religion. √
  NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (2)

1.6.2

• It involves a journey by the pilgrim for a spiritual purpose. √
• It can be undertaken alone or with others. √
• Often it includes a visit to a holy site. √
  NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (2)

1.6.3

• This is the name for God in Judaism. It also used by Christians. √
• Jews believe that Yahweh made a sacred covenant with them. √
• Yahweh is God of all creation (universalism) and God of Israel (particularism). √
  NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (2)

1.6.4

• The ancestors are intermediaries between the physical and spiritual realm. √
• They are the living dead in ATR .They look after the welfare of the living in African Traditional Religion. √
• They are the Creator's messengers and caretakers of the physical world.
  NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (2)

1.6.5

• These are basic rights to which every person is entitled simply because he/she is a human being. √
• It is based on the dignity of the human person. √
• Key documents are the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the Bill of Rights in the South African Constitution (1996). √
  NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (2)

TOTAL SECTION A: 50

SECTION B
Answer any TWO questions in this section.
QUESTION 2
2.1
2.1.1

• There are many denominations in Christianity, such as the Baptists, Methodists and Anglicans.
• A denomination is a group or church, usually within the Christian religion, but today applied to other religions as well. (2)

2.1.2

• Deity refers to a god or goddess.
• A deity is a being worshipped by humans because s/he is considered to be above the human level. (2)

2.1.3

• Dharma is the way of Higher Truth in Buddhism./Hinduism.
• It is the teachings and doctrines of the Buddhist/Hindu religion. (2)

2.1.4

• Eucharist is the bread that is eaten at Christian rituals of worship in remembrance of the death of Jesus Christ.
• It is a ceremony based on Jesus' last meal with his disciples. (2)

2.1.5

• A teaching with absolute authority in a religion is known as a dogma.
• A dogma is a teaching that may not be contested.

2.1.6 Comparability refers to the study of similarities and differences, between religions. (2)
NOTE: In 2.1.1–2.1.6, other relevant answers must be credited
2.2 JUDAISM

• Jews entered into a covenant with God.
• The Ten Commandments were revealed directly by God to Moses.
• Jews were the first religious group to observe a special day of worship.

CHRISTIANITY

• At the heart of Christianity is belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (Incarnation).
• Belief in the Trinity is a core/unique teaching about divinity in Christianity.
• There are three persons in one God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

ISLAM

• Its fundamental belief is the Shahada -that there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is His Prophet.
• Allah revealed the final truth to Prophet Mohammed.
• Islam recognises all the messengers of God, from Adam to Prophet Muhammad.
  NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (12)

2.3
2.3.1

• Unity means 'one with' or 'in agreement'
• Christianity and Hinduism are 'together' in that they both have a belief in the afterlife.
• Unique means 'one of a kind', something that belongs to the one religion exclusively. These religions have their 'unique beliefs' about the afterlife. (4)

2.3.2

NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited.
Credit correct responses even if they are not tabulated.
A maximum of EIGHT marks may be awarded if relevant points are from only one religion only. (12)
2.3.3

• Swami Vivekananda attended the first Parliament of the World's Religions (PWR), held in Chicago in 1893.
• He made an impression because his talks helped people of the west to understand Hinduism better, changing their attitude towards it.
• He is credited with bringing Vedantic thought (understanding of the Vedas and Hinduism) to the United States.
• He founded the Ramakrishna Mission, which works internationally in educational, medical and welfare matters. (6)

2.3.4

• When outsiders come to a country and rule over the indigenous people, this is known as colonisation.
• The colonisers also bring their religion with them and propagate it among the locals.
• The locals internalise the values of the colonisers, including the religion. This is religious colonisation. (4)

[50]

QUESTION 3
3.1
3.1.1

• It does not mean education, which is positive.
• It actually means 'brainwashing', indoctrination, carrying a negative connotation. (2)

3.1.2

• Preschools are described as 'prison camps'.
• They are cast in a negative light.
• Books and literature about Uyghur culture, prayer rugs, turbans and growing a beard have all been forbidden.
• This shows the Chinese government’s anti-Uyghur/ anti- Muslim stance. (4)

3.1.3 It means vocational training/ indoctrination(2)
3.1.4 Encouraging/convincing others to do what is wrong. (2)
3.1.5

Related Items

• The display of religious identity (turbans, beards, etc.) is not allowed.
• The Uyghur people are closely monitored by security forces.
• Children are separated from their families and put into 're-education' camps. (4)

3.1.6.

• The translations will promote the position of the CCP in foreign countries.
• These countries will then lift their trade restrictions against China.
• However, the policy paper is for China.
• The translations are meant to counter negative media coverage of the Uyghur camps. (4)

3.1.7

• It exploits the stereotype that Muslims are terrorists.
• It generalises that all Uyghur people are militant.
• Once people are labelled as terrorists, they lose their basic human rights.
• The government can then justify punishing them. (4)

3.1.8

• The camps are established to combat terrorism /extremism.
• They will be modernised.
• The Uyghur people will develop vocational skills.
• It is to avoid separatist movements. Hence the clampdown on Uyghur culture.
• They should learn the Chinese language. (6)

3.1.9

• Source A is an independent source, while Source B is pro-government.
• Therefore A is more reliable. It is providing news.
• Source B is on the policy paper, which is government propaganda.
• Source B uses inflammatory language, such as 'terrorist,' and 'extremist'.
• Source A is supported by Source B, because the government admits to indoctrination.
• Source B blames the Uyghurs for their predicament. This is like blaming the victim for the crime. (8)

3.2

• The media selects what news to include and what to leave out.
• It also selects the prominence and emphasis to give to a particular item – where to place it in the report, how much time/ space to give to it, how to present it.
• Another important influence is the selection of the visuals to accompany the news items.
• The commentary accompanying the news is put together by the media house.
• The advertisements placed in the media also shape public opinion.
• Media has a huge influence in the selection of the people to be interviewed or quoted. It must be noted whose voice or opinion is being heard.
  NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (6)

3.3 YES

• Many religions have their own publications, radio and television stations. These are used for propagation.
• The SABC broadcasts informative religious programmes, giving various religions fair and equitable exposure time.
• There is a thought-provoking and entertaining religious aspect in many films, music concerts and gospel music.
• For an interested person there is no lack of media avenues from which to find out about religion(s).
• For the sick and house-bound, or those who for any reason cannot attend, there are regular religious services over the media, so that they can feel included.

NO

• With regard to daily news, there is little coverage of religious matters.
• When there is religious coverage in the daily news, it tends to be sensationalist and negative.
• The average journalist/reporter is not usually well-trained in religious matters, and reporting is therefore likely to be rather superficial.
• For the person interested in religion, one cannot rely on the average media coverage to get an accurate picture. One needs to go beyond this to seek out reliable information.
• NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited.
  A mix of YES and NO responses may be accepted, provided they answer the question. (8)

[50]

QUESTION 4
4.1
4.1.1

• Religious tolerance means accepting and respecting other religions that are different from one's own.
• On a political level it means treating all religions equally.
• It means permitting people to choose a belief system, and to worship according to any religion(s) they choose. (4)

4.1.2

• The Western idea of religious tolerance is based on Western beliefs and cultures which promote the individual's rights above those of the community.
• Western religious tolerance gives the individual freedom to choose one religion of his/her choice.
• It is also permissible for a person to change his/her religion.
• Eastern religious tolerance means that one can practise more than one religion at the same time.
• One can integrate the beliefs and practices of a variety of religions. E.g. a person may have Buddhist beliefs, but may practise Taoist rituals.
  NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (6)

4.2
4.2.1

• The law court was established 'to keep Catholic beliefs and practices pure'.
• This was in the early days of the Protestant movement (Reformation) when Catholicism viewed alternative interpretations as heresy.
• At the time there were a number of 'converts' to Catholicism from Judaism and Islam.
• The Catholic Church was concerned whether the conversion was genuine or not ('… were converted completely').
• The Jews and Muslims might 'still be practising their former religions in secret'.
• If so, they would be tried by the Spanish Inquisition. (6)

4.2.2 NO

• Muslims and Jews were given the option to convert, or leave Spain. They could not exercise 'free will' in choosing their religion.
• Nobody would voluntarily convert to a new religion and secretly practise their old religion.
• This would only be done if there was fear of victimisation.
• If only converts were subjected to 'trial by fire', it would be safer to remain as Jews or Muslims. (6)

4.2.3

• Apartheid was justified by a corrupt interpretation of the Bible by the NGK, which seemed to justify separate development of each race group.
• The caste system in Hinduism is used to group human beings into castes, which are not treated as equal.
• In some Muslim communities, girls are not allowed to be educated, while there is nothing in scripture to support this.
• The Crusades against the Muslims, were justified as holy wars.
• NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (8)

4.3

• Freedom of religion is a human right.
• It is enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the SA Constitution.
• Because of this, all religions are equally respected.
• No religion is favoured above another – all are treated equally.
• The State has the right to intervene if one religion infringes on the rights of another.
• People are free to choose or change their religion, and to worship and practise it.
• Along with this right comes the responsibility to respect the religions rights of others.
  NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (8)

4.4
4.4.1

• 'Blessed are the peacemakers' (Christianity)
• 'Peace I give you' (Christianity)
• The Eightfold Path of Buddhism encourages 'Right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration – meditation
• These teachings promote the value of peace, both within oneself (mindfulness, meditation), and outwardly, passing it on and spreading it amongst others. Christians are encouraged to be peacemakers.
• NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (4)

4.4.2

• Every person is made in the image of God (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
• Every person is unique (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
• The Abrahamic religions teach that every person has dignity and is of infinite worth based on these teachings.
  NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (4)

4.4.3

• All are created equal by Allah. We are therefore all part of the same family, no matter what we believe. (Islam)
• Love your neighbour as you love yourself. (Christianity)
• Ubuntu (ATR)
• Islam teaches the brotherhood of mankind, thus equality.
• Christianity and Ubuntu in ATR emphasise the building up of the community through respect and equality.
  NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (4)

[50]

QUESTION 5
5.1

• All schools are open and welcome learners of all races, creeds and religion.
• No child may be discriminated against on the basis of religious belief.
• This is guaranteed by 'access to education' in our Constitution.
• Schools include Religion Studies in the curriculum. It teaches respect and tolerance of different religions.
• Both teachers and learners are allowed to observe religious holidays.
• Schools may not promote any religion during school hours.
• Creative Arts is included in the curriculum, from which we learn about different religions and cultures.
  NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (8)

5.2 YES

• Since there is no state religion, all religions enjoy equal support from government.
• This promotes mutual respect and positive relations between religions.
• Freedom of religion is enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa.
• All religions are respected and treated equally in terms of the Constitution.
• At state events, such as the inauguration of the state president or celebration of public holidays, Heritage Day, for example, leaders from various different religions are invited to participate.
• Various churches and religions gather to pray together and work together to tackle common problems.
• In South Africa, there are organisations that promote interfaith dialogue such as the Religious Leader's Forum.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, various churches and religions worked together to help the poor, and to prevent the spread of the disease.

NO

• Interreligious relationships, while not bad, need to be actively promoted.
• Despite initiatives here and there, on the whole religions still largely keep to themselves.
• There is still too much exclusivism and scepticism.
• If interreligious relationships are to be described as good, then there should be a closer, warmer and more welcoming atmosphere between them.
• There is still much to learn about each other's religions.
• We need to pray and interact together and share resources more.
  NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited.

A mix of YES and NO responses may be accepted, provided they answer the question. (8)
5.3

• In a secular country religion and the government are separated.
• Religion does not influence how the country is run.
• There is no state religion.
• Membership of a religion is a personal, private, individual matter.
• However, we can say that SA is 'very religious' because statistically most of its citizens claim to belong to a religion.
• South Africa has communities belonging to all the mainstream religious groups, as well as others.
• Thus, although the country is secular, there are numerous places of worship for all religions.
• All religious observances are respected by civil society and government.
  NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (10)

5.4
5.4.1

• Witness to the gospel within an interfaith environment.
• Constructive engagement with Muslims for peace.
• Runs programmes directed at women, youth, education, for peace and reconciliation. (6)

5.4.2

• It brings together religious communities, civil society, private sector and governments.
• Commissioning meeting of religious leaders who take the IFAPA decisions.
• Establishing and registering national chapters. (6)

5.4.3

• Uphold the principles of representative, subsidiarity and solidarity.
• Supporting locally led multi-religious structures within RfP networks on the continent.
• Honouring the different ways religious communities are organised in Africa.
  NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (6)

5.5

• To treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves.
• To refrain from inflicting pain in both public and private life.
• Calling upon all women and men to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion.
• To make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world.
  NOTE: Other relevant answers must be credited. (6)

[50]
TOTAL SECTION B: 100
GRAND TOTAL: 150