BECE Past Questions & Answers – 2009(RME)

April2009
RELIGIOUSANDMORALEDUCATION2
SOLUTIONS

ESSAY

1. (a) Introduction: A covenant is a solemnagreement bindingtwo parties. A covenant usually has obligations and /orconditions that must be done/ satisfied byboth parties

The covenant Godmadewith Abraham
– God commanded Abramt to leavehis countryandextended familyand moveto a placeGod will show him
– God promised to makehim great and havemanydescendants whowillbecome a great nation
– God also promised to bless thosewho are good tohim(Abram) andcursethosewho do himwrong
– Abram was seventyfiveyears old at this time.
– At anothertime (Gen.15), God appeared to Abramagain in avision and asked him not to be afraid becausehewillkeep himsafeand reward him greatly
– Abraham howeverwas worried that hisservant Eliezer will inherit his property, since hehad no child as at thattime.
– God then promised to givehimhis own child and also descendants as numerous as the stars
– Abraham believed whatGod said and it was accounted to his as righteousness
– God then askedAbrahamto perform ananimal offeringusing a cow,a femalegoat, a sheep (each 3years old)and ayoungpigeon, which heobeyed
– Abram fellasleep afterwards and dreamtthat his descendants would bestrangers and later, slaves in aforeign land (Egypt) for 400years and afterwards,come out of that countrywith great substance
– God then promised Abram longlifeandapeaceful death
– God onceagain revealedhimself as the AlmightyGod (El Shaddai) to Abram when hewas 99years old
– God commanded Abramto live an upright and blameless life
– God repeated his promiseto makeAbram fruitfuland greatand afatherofagreat nation.
– God added another promise that his descendantswillpossess the land, Canaan, in
which he‟sstranger.
– God askedAbraham to circumcise (cut offtheforeskin of themaleorgan of) every malethat shallbeborninhis houseon the 8th day
– God promised that Saraishall bringforth ason forAbram and that their descendants willbekings / royals.

– God changedAbram‟sname to Abraham andSarai‟sto Sarah
– God promised to blessIshmael, who was Abraham‟sfirst son and extend his covenant
toIsaac
– Afterthis, Abraham obeyed God and circumcisedallthe male people in hishousehold includinghimself.

(b) Lesso
(i) ns that can belearnt fromGod’s covenantwith Abraham
God cares forhis peopleand is deeplyinterested in theirwelfare
(ii) God has wonderful blessings in store for his children who obeyHim.
(iii) Wemustfullysubmitto thewillof God and obeyHimpromptlyandcompletelyjust
as Abraham did
(iv) Wemusthave faith in God even when there‟snophysicalevidenceor basis forour
faith.
(v) With God, allthings arepossible (nothingis impossiblewith God)
(vi) God rewards thosewho remain faithful to him.
(vii) Wemustbepatient with God and waitforhimto fulfillhis promises to us.
(viii) God has a right time forthe fulfillment of everypromisehehas made.
(ix) What ever wesow,weshallsurelyreap, no matterhow longittakes.
(x) Howweliveour livescan affect our children / descendants, either positivelyor
negatively.
(xi) Thepromises ofGodare mostlyconditional– ie, theyhappen onlywhen his people
satisfytheconditions
(xii) God is steadfast in His love forHis children
(xiii) God has a definite / specificpurpose for each of His children.
(xiv) God requiresHis children to obeyand trust in Him.
(xv) No matter howlongitmaytake, God‟spromisewillsurelybeestablished/ fulfilled.
(xvi) No situation is permanent– how things aretodaydoes not mean that is how things
willbetomorrow.

2. (a) Libation is the pouringout of special liquids, especiallyalcoholic beverages, to a deityor the ancestors

Libationas a traditional means of worship
– Libation is a waybywhich people prayto a deity
– Libation maybeoffered byan individual on his behalf alone or on behalfofagroupof people
– Libations areusuallyoffered atfestivals, naming ceremonies,engagements, marriage ceremonies,etc
– Thosewho qualifyto offer libation include familyheads, linguists, chiefs, fetish priests, etc
– Libation is offered to theancestors, lessergods and spirits andto theSupreme God
– Theonewho offers thelibation must remove his hat and footwear asasignof respect to the deityorancestors andstands in front of theothermembers of thepraying group
– Theprayers aresaid aloud to thehearingofallthose present
– The right hand is used inthe offeringof libation
– The followingprocedures are followed:

(i) Prelude : the capturingof theattention / consent of the objects of worship (ii)Invocation: the spirits areinvoked through rendering appellations and praise (iii)Petition: petitions / requestsaremadeunto thedeity/ ancestor to which the
prayers arebeing rendered
(iv)Conclusion: Usuallymarked byrequest for curses uponenemies andblessings upon sympathizers

(b) Purposes oftraditional worship
(xi) To offer thanksgivingand praises to theobjects ofworship (Supreme God,lesser gods, ancestors, etc)
(xii) To strengthen the bond between theworshipper and the object of worship
(xiii) To express theworshippers faith andconfidencein the deities (Supreme God, lesser gods, certain spirits)
(xiv) To show reverence/ honour forthe deities / object of worship
(xv) To seek protection / securityfrom the deities
(xvi) To request forblessings– favour,success, prosperity, riches, strength, etc
(xvii) To confess theirevildeeds / wrongdoings andseek forgiveness
(xviii)It promotes unity, solidarityand harmonyamongthe members of thecommunity
(xix) It encourages spiritualgrowth and progress
(xx) It shows dependenceon thedeities forwellbeing and life

3. (a) How fasting isperformed during Ramadan
Introduction:
Fastingmeansto totallyabstain from food, alcohol, sexand smokingbeforedawn till sun set
duringthe month of Ramadan
Ramadan is theninth month on theIslamiccalendar.It is the 4th of the fivepillars ofIslam

Description
(i) All adults Muslims areobligated to fast for allthe29 or30 days of themonth of
Ramadan
(ii) Young children, the aged, the sick are exempted from the fast
(iii) The fastingMuslimabstains from food, alcohol, sexand smokingthroughout theday
– from beforesunrisetillafter sunset.
(iv) TheMuslimrises veryearlyin themorningaboutan houror two beforefajr (the pre- dawn prayer)
(v) He/ she preparesforSuhoor, thepre-dawn meal beforetheFajr prayer.
(vi) He/ she mayalso do some readingor listeningto readings fromIslamicbooks about the virtues ofRamadan.About two units of night prayer mayalso be performed beforeSuhoor.
(vii) The familytakes theearlymorning/ pre-dawn meal (theSuhoor)
(viii) The few minutes beforethebreak of dawn is spentperformingablution, to prepare for the dawn prayer,Fajr
(ix) The fast begins with therenderingof thedawn prayer, fajr.
(x) fastingMuslims areexpected to staycalm, avoid quarrels, avoid unnecessarychatting and shun allforms of evil
(xi) FastingMuslims are expected togo about their normal duties, but must notexert themselves too much.

(xii) The fastingMuslims must stayin a prayerful andmeditative mood and recite the
Quran as muchas possiblethroughout theday.
(xiii) Islamicleaders read out portions of theQuranand teach / preach throughout theday. (xiv) The fastingMuslimis expected to performgood deeds, such as providing forthe
poor, carrying out charitable activities, etc, in the courseof thefast.
(xv) The fast is broken in theeveningwith a meal (theIftar)after sunset (xvi) The fourth Prayer, theMaghrib, is offered justafter the eveningmeal. (xvii) The fifth and last prayer,Isha, is offered as thelast activityof theday
(xviii)The fastingMuslimis expected to sleepearly, ie, just afterthe fifth prayer,in order to wakeup earlyto prepare forthe day.
(xix) TheRamadan month of fastingends with thecelebration ofEid-Ul-Fitr

(b) Benefits offastinginRamadan
(i) It makes the fastingMuslimthank and praise Godforhis goodness
(ii) It encourages a sense ofequalityamong allmankind
(iii) It creates theopportunityforthe Muslim to givemoreto thepoor(Zakat) (iv) It provides the chance toconfess sins and askforforgiveness
(v) It promotes total submission to the will of Allah
(vi) It enables the fastingMuslimto seek God‟sprotection and guidance
(vii) It cultivates thevirtueofself-control in the fasting Muslim.
(viii) It makes thephysical bodyhealthier as ittakesa rest from the continuous digestion of foods
(ix) It helps toguard againstsin and wrongdoing
(x) Itgives the opportunityto ask forAllah‟sblessings and favour
(xi) It enables one to purifyhim/herself
(xii) It strengthensthe fasting Muslims‟relationship with God. (xiii) It enables him/ hertogrow spiritually
(xiv) It promotes the study, meditation and recital of theQuran.

4. (a) Deeds that constitute examinationmalpractice
(i) Askinganother candidateaquestion during examination
(ii) Teaching/ helpingaco-candidateduringexamination
(iii) Receiving answers to exam questions from a candidate or an invigilator
(iv) Someonewritingtheexamination for anotherperson
(v) Copyinganothercandidates answers
(vi) Allowingacandidatetocopyone‟sanswer
(vii) Chattingwith anothercandidateduring examination
(viii) Discussion ofquestions / answers duringtheexamination
(ix) Writingafter theinstruction for stoppingwork hasbeengiven
(x) Knowingthe questions of apaper beforetheexamination starts
(xi) Turningover to anew section / partofthe question paper beforebeingtold to do so. (xii) Answeringquestions , writingbeforebeingtold to do so
(xiii) Writingon anyother material except thegiven ones (question papers and answer sheets)
(xiv) Possessing/ usingamobilephonewhile examination is in progress
(xv) Standing/ stretchingwith the intention of copyingfrom anotherperson
(xvi) Makinganykind of noise to disturb, while examination is in progress

(xvii) Bringingmaterials that arenot allowed (such as calculator, pieces of notes,etc)into the examination room
(xviii)Exchangingpapers (whetherquestion or answer)duringexamination
(xix) Taking an examinationanswer sheet outof the examination room

(b) Reasons why suchactivities areunacceptableinsociety.
(i) It defeats theverypurposeof examination
(ii) It leads to awrongassessment / evaluation of acandidate‟sperformance
(iii) Theyareagainstthe lawsof thestate and rules/ regulations of theexamination council
/ school.
(iv) It deceives the candidateinto believingthat he/ sheis academicallybetter (orworse)
than what he/ she actuallyis
(v) It makes a section ofthecandidatesgain unfair advantageover others.
(vi) It destroys the reputationofthe pupil, his/herschool /parents /family/ community/
sponsor and even thenation in general
(vii) Itgraduallycultivates anattitudeof laziness in pupils /students, knowingverywell theycan always cheat their wayto success.
(viii) Certificates issued bytheexamination bodymaylose its value/ weight. (ix) It can lead to thecancellation of examination results
(x) Students can begiven asuspension (barred fromwritingexam)
(xi) It creates afalse impression about theprevailingstandards ofeducation in the country
(xii) It causes wrongplacements of students in schools and courses.
(xiii) It can cause thestudent to develop a low selfesteem of him/ herself
(xiv) It can lead tofatal incidents such as collapsing, heart attack, suicide,etc

5. (a) Reasons why goodmanners areimportant inyour community.
(i) Theypromote peace, unityandgood neighbourliness
(ii) Theycreate theroom foroneto receive help from others
(iii) Theycause oneto receiveblessings from God
(iv) Theybringhonour andrespect to the home/ school /church / communitythat one is comingfrom
(v) Theyhelp to reducetension and conflicts in the society.
(vi) Theymakeiteasier fortheonepossessingitto progress in life. (vii) Theyenable people togain the respectand trust ofothers

(b) Ways ofshowing decency in dressing.
(i) Wearing clothes that aresuitable forthe occasionorplace
(ii) Wearing clean, unscented and neatlyironedclothes
(iii) Boys andgirls tuckingintheirshirts and blouses (ie, theones that must be tucked in) (iv) Wearingwell-polished/ well-cleaned footwear
(v) Wearing clothes which cannot be seen through(especiallygirls)
(vi) Combing/ brushingone‟s hairneatly
(vii) Wearing clothes that sufficientlycover thebody(especiallygirls) (viii) Wearingtrousers orshorts at/ abovethe waistline(especiallyboys) (ix) Puttingon apair ofsocks, if wearingshoes (full)
(x) Wearingbelt, especiallywhen beltholes areprovided

6. (a) Commitment
Givingoneself completelyto a person ora cause
Or
Devotingoneself to aperson, or group orthing,especiallyif that person, orgroupor thingis
worthwhile
Weshow commitment when we
– Perform our responsibilities willingly
– Shareour resources to help theperson orgrouporthing
– Enter into agreement / covenants with theotherparty
– Sharethe other parties joy,sorrow, successes andfailures
– Sharethe interestsof theotherpartyandcontributeto their welfare

(b) Ways by whichone canshowcommitment to friends (i) Sharingideas, skills andknowledgewith them (ii) Helpingthem in times ofdifficulty
(iii) Sharingour items with them whenever theyneed it
(iv) Defendingthem when theyarein trouble
(v) Correctingthem in a nicewaywhen theygowrong
(vi) Sharingour secrets with them (vii) Beingentirelytruthful with them (viii) Prayingfor them
(ix) Advisingthem to stayawayfrom wrong-doing
(x) Apologizingto them whenever wewrongthem
(xi) Forgivingand encouragingthem when theydo uswrong
(xii) Helpingthem to do theirhousework
(xiii) Visiting/ communicating wit them regularlyto check on them
(xiv) Toleratingand respecting dissentingviews from them

7 (a) Causes ofbribery andcorruption.
(i) Lowwagesand salaries
(ii) Greediness(orgreed)
(iii) Lack of sympathyfor others
(iv) Extravagant lifestyle (v) Wantingto show off (vi) Financial difficulties
(vii) Low standards ofmorality (viii) Poverty/ unemployment (ix) Ignorance
(x) Low self esteem
(xi) Pressure from peergroup/ familyor society
(xii) Excessivebureaucracy
(xiii) Habitual practice
(xiv) Lack of respect forGodand man
(xv) Cultivation of theget-rich-quick attitude

(b) Reasons why it iswrong to give bribe.
(i) It is a sin againstGod
(ii) It is an offenceagainstthe state
(iii) It can lead to ones arrestand imprisonment
(iv) It lowers ones reputation /dignity
(v) It creates injusticein thesociety
(vi) Itgives one an undueadvantagein a situation
(vii) It promotes partiality
(viii) It can lead to shame anddisgracewhen caught
(ix) It reduces ones selfworth
(x) It creates conflicts and instabilityin our institutions
(xi) It leads to lower productivity
(xii) It cultivatesan attitudeoflaziness in people (xiii) It can promotethe misuseof state resources (xiv) It creates inefficiencieswithin oursystems
(xv) It denies justiceto thosewhose rights havebeen abused
(xvi) It creates opportunities forthe perpetuation of social vices

8. (a) Reasons why money should bekept out ofchildren’s reach
(i) Theycan destroyit(currencynotes) (ii) Theycan misplaceit
(iii) Theycan put it in theirmouth / swallow themoney,whichcan beverydangerous
(iv) Theycan defacethecurrencynotes
(v) To avoid earlyfamiliaritywith money. This canmakethemgreedyor lovers of money
(vi) To prevent thecultivation of thehabitof pickingmoneywithoutasking(pilfering/
stealing)
(vii) To prevent theattack ofdiseases andinfections on children

(b) Ways inwhich dopeoplemisusemoney inyour community
(i) Gambling– lotteries, raffles, betting, etc
(ii) Over spendingon certainsocial ceremonies,suchas funerals, weddings, naming ceremonies, birthdayparties
(iii) Impulsebuying– ofthingtheymaynot reallyneed or havenot budgetedfor
(iv) Buyingexpensive thingsin order to show off
(v) Startingprojects which nevergetscompleted, therebywastingthe money
(vi) Givingbribes in order tocorrupt the system andgain some favour
(vii) Payinghugesums of monies to so-called „visa contractors‟,manyof whom end up
defraudingthem.
(viii) Buryingdead people with money, based on the belief that theymight neediton their journeyto theworld of thedead.
(ix) Spendinghugeamounts of moneyon expensive entertainment shows andothersocial activities which do not profitmuch.