Five World Religions, 1

• Islam - Founded in Arabia by Muhammad in A.D. 622. An adherent of Islam is called a Muslim. They believe the purpose of existence is to worship God and spread the message of Allah.

• Judaism- The Hebrew leader Abraham founded Judaism in Mesopotamia (Israel/Palestine) around 1300 B.C. Judaism is the oldest of the monotheistic faiths.

• Christianity - Founded by Jesus Christ, who was crucified around A.D. 33 in Palestine in the city of Jerusalem. It was after his death when his followers came to believe in him as the Christ, the Messiah.

Cool Fact:

All 3 Religions are

linked by Abraham!

A very simplistic version of the genealogy of Abraham and his

connection to each of the religions of Judaism,

Christianity and Islam.

• Judaism is the oldest and smallest of the

world's monotheistic religions.

• Its holy city is Jerusalem. Today, the single remaining temple wall, the Western Wall, is

a place of prayer for Jewish pilgrims.

• Believe in a single God, Yahweh, who created the universe.

• They await the Messiah, who will be an earthly king.

• The Torah is (in its most simple form) a series of five books (The Old Testament) and is the founding document of the people of Israel, describing its origins, history and visions of a just society.

• Saturday (begins at

sundown on Friday) is time for worship.

Reconstructed Hurva Synagogue, Old City of Jerusalem

• Jews worship in Synagogues or temples. Men and women usually sit separately.

• Worship is led by a Rabbi.

There is no set blueprint for synagogues and the architectural

shapes and interior designs of synagogues vary greatly but often

follows styles in vogue at the place and time of construction. A synagogue always contains an ark, where the

Torah scrolls are kept.

• Christianity is the world's largest religion, with about 2.2 billion followers worldwide. It is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, the son of God.

• God, the creator of the world, sent Jesus to earth to save humanity from the consequences of its sins.

• Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his Crucifixion (the Resurrection)

• Jesus was crucified by the Romans (seen as a threat to Roman and Jewish authorities if he was seen as the Messiah. Called

him the King of the Jews.) in the manner all criminals were dealt with at the time.

• Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiahpromised in the Old Testament

• Christians believe that there is only one God, that consists of 3 "persons“-God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost - the Trinity

• They believe in heaven and hell after death

with the ultimate goal to be living a righteous life and be granted passage into heaven.

• They believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. It is divided into the Old and New

Testaments.

• Parts of the writing contained in the Old Testament are also sacred to Jewish and Muslim people.

• Many cathedrals and basilicas, and a number of abbey churches are among the world's most renowned works of architecture.

Westminster Abbey London, England

• The Christian place of worship is called a Church

• Catholicism vs. Protestantism - as a result

of the Reformation, Protestant sects broke with the Catholic Church and established their own separate churches.

• Roman Catholicism vs.

Eastern Orthodox

Christian Church divided when the Roman Empire was divided and then fell. Orthodox Christians do not recognize the authority of the Pope.

Christianity 1500 C.E. Christianity Today

In 1500, located in Europe and Middle East

Today, located in Americas and Europe

• Islam is the second most popular religion in the world with 1.3 billion followers.

• Islam began in Arabia and was revealed to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad.

• Those who follow Islam are called Muslims.

• Muslims believe that there is only one God, called Allah, who speaks Arabic.

• Muslims treat the Qur'an with great respect because they believe that the Qur'an is from Allah, and every word and every letter is sacred.

• As will all other holy scriptures, many interpretations of it exist.

• The Muslim scripture is the Holy Qur'an. It is 'the unaltered word of God'. Muslim beliefs and practices are rooted in the Qur'an.

• Religious leaders are called imams.

Grand mosque in Mecca

• The Muslim building for communal worship is called a Mosque. The word comes from the Arabic for "place of prostration".

• Worshippers are called to prayer 5 times a day from minarets – towers on the mosque corners.

• They contain only designs, no people or animals or furniture. Traditionally, men pray in the mosque but women with permission from their husbands who are properly covered may also enter a mosque.

• Normal day of worship is Friday.

• The month of pilgrimage during which all Muslims, at least once in their life, should try to make the pilgrimage to Mecca and worship at

the Kaaba

•The Arabic word "jihad" is often translated as "holy

war," but in a purely linguistic sense, the word " jihad"

means struggling or striving. (The Arabic word for war is: "al-harb".)

•In a religious sense, as described by the Quran,

"jihad" has many meanings. It can refer to internal as

well as external efforts to be a good Muslims or

believer, as well as working to inform people about

the faith of Islam.

It is not a violent concept or a declaration of war against other religions.

Believed that the successor should come from his family, starting with Ali, his son-in-law.

(These, the partisans of Ali, were named from the word Shia ,

meaning “partisan” in Arabic.)

The split rose from an early dispute over who should be the leader of Islam after the death of Muhammad.

Argued that the successor should be appointed by election

and consensus, as tradition dictated.

(Sunni comes from the Arabic word Sunna , meaning

“tradition.”)

Islam in 1500 C.E. Islam Today

In 1500, located in Middle East, Africa, and Southern Europe

Today, located in Middle East, Africa, and Asia

• Islamic View – “Jews and Christians are respected as ‘people of the book’, but with wrong beliefs and only partial revelation.”

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• Judaism View – “Islam and Christianity are false interpretations and extensions of Judaism.”

• Christian View – “Judaism is a true religion, but with incomplete revelation. Islam is a false religion.”

• No particular founder - it originated in the religious practices of Aryan tribes who migrated into India from central Asia over 3,000 years ago

• Often also considered a philosophy and a culture, not simply a religion. Hinduism does not have one single text that all practitioners follow, or a central figure all believers recognize.

• Considered to be one of the most tolerant religions in the world!

• One of the oldest religions of humanity, founded in 1500 BCE or earlier.

• It is the 3rd largest religion in the world.

Brahma, the creator

Brahman: The eternal being - created and preserves the world.

Vishnu – The Sustainer

Vishnu is the Preserver or Sustainer of life; has steadfast principles of order, righteousness and

truth.

Shiva – The DestroyerShiva is both the destroyer and the restorer, the great

ascetic and the symbol of sensuality,

the benevolent herdsman of souls and the wrathful

avenger.

• Karma – the sum effect of a person’s actions, good and bad, which helps shape future experiences and determines how the atman will be reborn in the next life.

• Dharma – can be described as right conduct, righteousness, moral law, and duty. Anyone who makes dharma central to one’s life strives to do the right thing, according to one’s duty (often related to the Caste System among Hindus) and abilities, at all times.

• Moksha is Liberation - the soul’s release from the cycle of reincarnation to join with the Brahman.

• Genuine Respect for Other Faiths – No one religion teaches the way to salvation above all others, but all paths are deserving of tolerance and understanding.

Each level of class was created from body parts of Purush. In early Vedas, Purush meant

a cosmic man whose sacrifice by the gods created all life.

• Pilgrimage to Ganges River. Bathing in it will purify them and remove bad karma.

• Places of worship - usually a temple or in the home.

• Spiritual leaders are called gurus or sages.

• Sacred Text – the four Vedas (not all Hindus recognize them as such.)

• The word swastika comes from the Sanskrit svastika, which means “good fortune” or “well-being."

The swastika has an extensive

history. It was used at least 5,000

years before Adolf Hitler designed

the Nazi flag.

• To this day it is a sacred symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Odinism.

• The conjecture of Aryan cultural descent of the German people is likely one of the main reasons the Nazi party formally adopted the swastika as its symbol in 1920.

Buddhism

•Based on teachings of

Siddharta

Gautama

•4th largest religion in the world

•Developed in Northeast India in 520 BCE and spread to other parts of Asia

Siddhartha Gautama

He transformed into the first Buddha - the Enlightened One and spent his remaining years preaching Dharma.

He lived a luxurious life but when he witnessed suffering outside his sheltered world, he sought the answer to ending suffering.

After years of meditation and searching, he sat under a Bodhi tree where he became Enlightened.

Born a prince in what is now modern Nepal.

Avoid extremes– either an overt pursuit of passionate worldly desire or extreme asceticism (a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures.)

The Teachings of Buddhism

Take the “Middle Path or Noble Way” Therefore, extinguish the self, don’t obsess about oneself.

Some Basic Buddhist Beliefs

All life is sacred.

Reject extremes – take The Middle Way.

Try to end suffering.

Suffering is universal.

Karma

Reincarnation

Brahman

Dharma

Taken together, the teachings of the

constitute dharma,

the basic doctrine shared by all Buddhists.

Four Noble Truths

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Noble Eightfold Path

Eightfold PathRight Understanding

(know the truth)

Right Speech

(say nothing to hurt others)

Right Livelihood

(respect life)

Right Concentration

(practice meditation)

Right Mindfulness

(control your thoughts)

Right Effort

(resist evil)

Right Action

(work for the good of others)

Right Intention

(free your mind of evil)

Do you see any

connections or

groupings

among the 8?

Some Religious Practices of Buddhism

Temple or meditation halls are where worship takes place.

Nirvana - Living this lifestyle will lead to personal salvation– escape from the cycle of incarnation and the attainment of nirvana.

Monks or lamas are spiritual leaders.

Buddhism rejected the caste system so it found many followers among the Sudras and untouchables.

Scriptures – there are many ‘sutras’ but the Pali Canon is considered the First Buddhist Scripture.