Vocabulary. Read the article again, find the following words and word combinations in the text and learn their meaning. Use these words in the further discussion of the problem.

A revelation, to go on a pilgrimage, to sever ties, the crucifix, to take pains to do smth, to suit one’s own needs, to disestablish smth, a prayer, clergy, (to see smb as) tarnished.

Discussion

Comment on the following quotations.

1. “At times, the church has been its own worst enemy.”

2. The church “was an oppressive force … It was judgmental and placed too much emphasis on a God who was very much to be feared.”

3. “In a pluralist society that takes pains not to exclude any religion or culture – and now includes more than 37 million Muslims – the days of Christianity as the “official” religion will soon be over.”

4. “… popes and cardinals once usurped the authority of kings and kings established churches to suit their own needs.”

5. “The more independent people become, the less they need someone to lead them by the hand.”

Vocabulary 1

13. Study the use of the following synonyms or near synonyms. Make up sentences or short situations to illustrate how you understand the difference in their meaning.

1. faith, belief

belief – вера, убеждение, мнение

E.g. He is a man of strong beliefs.

faith – вера, вероисповедание; честность, лояльность

E.g. the Christian faith – христианство

to do smth in good faith – сделать что-либо добросовестно

Note: ‘Faith’ is a strong belief which is not based on reason or proof.

2. percentage, per cent

percentage – процент, процентное соотношение

E.g. a high percentage of students

per cent – процент

E.g. 20 per cent

3. force, strength

force – сила, воздействие; принуждение

E.g. the force of the law

the force of pubic opinion

strength – сила, сильная сторона, достоинство

E.g. strength of mind

His strength is patience.

on the strength of something – в силу чего-то

4. a draft, a project

a draft – проект, черновик

E.g. a draft of a contract

a draft constitution

a project – проект, программа (строительства); строительный объект

5. to loosen, to weaken

to weaken – ослаблять, снижать эффективность

E.g. He has been weakened by his illness.

to weaken a blow

to loosen – ослаблять, делать свободнее

E.g. to loosen discipline

to loosen the brakes

6. conventional, ordinary

conventional – обычный, общепринятый, традиционный

E.g. conventional views

ordinary – обычный, ничем не выделяющийся, повседневный

E.g. ordinary life

7. stance, attitude, position

a stance – позиция (установка для действия)

E.g. They took an antiwar stance.

an attitude – позиция, отношение

E.g. What’s your attitude to the problem?

position – позиция, точка зрения; положение, состояние

E.g. a high position in society

from a position of strength

Reading for Information

14. Read Article 1 given below quickly and find answers to the following questions.

1. What facts prove that Thai Buddhists are suffering from a crisis of faith?

2. Why can’t Buddhist monks be involved in business, wear jewelry and expensive clothes?

3. Why can it be said that religion in Thailand has gone astray?

4. Why did the monkhood’s leadership ask the government to create a special Ministry of Buddhism?

5. What is the difference in the rules of monkhood in Thailand and Sri Lanka and Taiwan?