QOD 9/16/13 Do you claim any certain religion as your own? What does it mean if a religion is monotheistic? What about polytheistic?

QOD 9/16/13

• Do you claim any certain religion as your own?• What does it mean if a religion is

monotheistic? What about polytheistic?

ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS

MONOTHEISTIC

• Belief in ONE God• 55% of the world claims one of these

3 religions• Judaism, Christianity, Islam

How are they similar?

• All are ABRAHAMIC – founder or father was Abraham from the Bible• A and Sarah – too old• A and Hagar = Ismael ~ ISLAM • A and Sarah = Isaac ~ CHRISTIANITY, JUDAISM

Judaism

• 14.5 Million Followers• 1st Monotheistic Religion• Diety: Yahweh (YHWH) or G-d•Moses was greatest prophet

• Beliefs:–One God–Serve God - study and follow

teachings of the Torah•Torah = Jewish Holy Book•1st 5 books of Christian Bible

–Waiting on the Messiah–Leaders= Rabbis–Symbol= Star of David–Place of Worship= Temple or

Synagogue

• Treated with cruelty• Wealth and blamed for killing

Jesus–(Crusades, Black Plague,

Inquisition)

• Anti-Semitism – hatred of Jews• The Holocaust -1937-1945• Zionism – a call for a homeland• Israel established 1949

Christianity

• 2.2 Billion Followers • Deity: God• Monotheistic• Founder: Jesus Christ of Nazareth (JC)• JC told parables (stories) and was seen as a

threat. He was arrested and executed.

Beliefs:– JC was born to virgin Mary, was the son of

God, – lived as a prophet, was crucified, died for

sins, and rose again–Bible= Holy Book (old and new testament)– Leaders=Priests, Ministers, Reverends, Pope

(Catholic)–Place of Worship= Church–PROTESTANT = protest

3 Types of Christians• Eastern Orthodox• Roman Catholic• Protestant (baptist,

methodist, presbyterian, mormon, lutheran, etc…)

Catholicism

• All Catholics are Christians, but not all Christians are Catholics

• The Pope is God’s chosen mouthpiece • Salvation at baptism, can be lost by bad

deeds and no good works.

ISLAM – “Submit”

• 1.5 Billion followers• Muslims – “one who submits”• Sacred Text – Qur’an (Koran)• Split in two sides – –Shi’a – 10%–Sunni – 90%

• Medina-”city of the prophet”

• Muhammad – last prophet sent by Allah• Received words from Allah in a cave –

wrote them down = Qu’ran• 622 AD

Islamic State

• Society–Men are responsible for women–Women-inherit property

5 pillars of Faith• The Creed• Prayer• Zakat• Fasting• Hajj

The Creed

• “There is no god, but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”

Prayer

• 5 times a day• Mosque: place of worship

Zakat

• Charity• Wealthy should assist the poor

Fasting

• Ramadan: month of fasting

Hajj

• Annual trip to Mecca• At least once in life

QOD 9/24/13

• What might cause a religion to be polytheistic instead of monotheistic?• What do you think you know about

the Buddha?

Buddhism

• 360 Million Followers• Deity: None, Buddha was a teacher• Founder: Buddha• Leaders= Monks

–Places of Worship= Temples and home, meditation, offerings–Goal= Reach Nirvana

4 Nobles Truths •1. suffering exists •2. it has a cause (desire) •3. it has an end •4.there is a way to end it• Following Eightfold Path

The Buddha

• Siddhartha Gautama• Born into royal Hindu family• Lived lavish life till age 29, left home• Saw an old man, a sick man, and an ascetic• Becomes an ascetic, abandons family and

palace • Discovers “Middle Way”

• I was to see that sight again, but once was enough. Flames were coming from a human being; his body was slowly withering and shriveling up, his head blackening and charring. In the air was the smell of burning human flesh; human beings burn surprisingly quickly. Behind me I could hear the sobbing of the Vietnamese who were now gathering. I was too shocked to cry, too confused to take notes or ask questions, too bewildered to even think ... As he burned he never moved a muscle, never uttered a sound, his outward composure in sharp contrast to the wailing people around him

Hinduism• 950 Million Followers• World’s Oldest Religion• Deity: Brahman (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva)• Founder= None, Evolved over time• Mostly in India today

• Basic Beliefs – “daily morality”•Dharma: how life is supposed to be•Karma: how you act affects you later•Moksha: liberation from life/death cycle•Reincarnation: coming back after death

–Place of Worship= Shrines–Ganges River is sacred – washes sins

away - afterlife–Holy book= none (vedas and epic

poems)–Main gods – Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna–300,000 other ones!!