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The Five Major Religions of the World

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Studying ReligionAcademic versus theological perspectiveThe academic perspective does not make value judgments about the validity of a religionThe academic perspective does not preach one religion over the otherThe academic perspective focuses on the history and beliefs of the religion

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AnimismAnimism is the belief that all living and nonliving things in nature have a spirit Animism was the belief system of many early civilizationsAnimism in early civilizations was often combined with ancestor worship

What is a Religion?An organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, practices and worship that centers on one or more gods

What is the point of religion?

Polytheism vs monotheism

NumbersChristianity: 1.9 billion peopleIslam: 1.1 billionHinduism: 800 millionBuddhism: 325 millionJudaism: 14 million

Judaism is a monotheistic and the first major monotheistic religion in historySome believe Judaism dates back to Adam and Eve Many historians say that is was established around 1800 B.C. as part of a covenant between God and AbrahamAbraham would leave Ur(Babylonia) and go to Canaan(Israel)He would be blessed with many sons and his family would be given IsraelMoses led the Jews out of Egypt(slavery) around 1500 BC

The Torah is the first five books of the Bible and contain the laws and teaching of JudaismThe Ten Commandments are the foundation of Judaism

613 Mitzvot

The Sabbath is observed as a day of rest, starting at sundown on Friday evening2.6%of U.S. adults identify as Jewish

Judaism Place of WorshipJews worship in Synagogues or templesWorship is led by a Rabbi

The universal symbol of Judaism is the Star of David, the emblem of King David who ruled the Kingdom of Israel from 1000 962 BC

A Yarmulke/Kippah is worn during prayer to show respect to G_d

Rabbi with Payot

Menorah-It is a symbol of the nation of Israel and a mission to be a light unto the nations

Bar MitzvahBat MitzvahWhat is this celebration? Video-Horah Dance

Ritual, Worship & CelebrationMany Jews make the pilgrimage to the Wailing Wall in JerusalemBuilt in the 2nd century BCRemains of a temple that had stood for close to 500 yearsDestroyed by the Romans Thought to be the most sacred of placesPraying at the Wailing Wall signifies being in the presence of the Divine

The Wailing Wall

Judaism BeliefsJews believe that there is a single God (Yahweh) who not only created the universe, but with whom every Jew can have a personal relationshipThey await the Messiah, who will be an earthly kingThey believe in heaven, but the Torah doesnt say a lot about it and focuses more on how to live your lives(613 Mitzvat)Ten Commandments is the basic code of law

Kosher Foods

Foods are kosher when they meet all criteria that Jewish law applies to food Characteristics that make a food non-kosher:The mixture of meat and milk The use of cooking utensils which had previously been used for non-kosher foodThe type of animal it is

Leviticus 11:3 says that Jews may eat all animals that have cloven hooves and chew their cudSix mammals are specifically not allowed:Camel HyraxHare PigWhalesDolphins

Kosher animals are as follows:Cows, goats, sheep, antelope, deer, bison, etcMost fish(excluding shellfish, sharks, octopus, eels and squid)Chicken, duck, and turkeyMilk and cheese are kosher but cannot be eaten with meat or mixed with meat

PreparationThe slaughter of animals is designed to minimize the painusually done by a slice across the throatThis eliminates the practice of hunting for food unless it can be captured alive and ritually slaughtered. All blood and veins must be removed from meat(salting and broiling are common methods)

7 Holy Days

Rosh Hashanah-Jewish New YearYom Kippur-A day of fasting and praying which occurs 10 days after the first day of Rosh HashanahThe holiest day in the yearSukkot-8 day festival of thanksgivingHanukkah-The Feast of Lights is an 8 day Feast of DedicationIt recalls the war fought by the Maccabees in the cause of religious freedom

Purim-The Feast of Lots recalls the successful plan to save all of the Persian Jews from slaughter by the Persians, circa 400 BCPesa(Passover)-The 8 day festival recalls the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt circa 1300 BCEA holiday meal, the Seder, is held at homeShavuot-Pentecost recalls God's revelation of the Torah to the Jewish people

Problems Facing JewsAnti-Semitism in HistoryDiasporaPograms-LinkHolocaust-2/3 of European Jews killedIsrael established as a Jewish state after WWII(1947)-Led to several wars and a lot of terrorism in the areaIsrael vs Palestiniansland for peaceComments from former Iranian President Ahmadinejad and other Middle East groupsWhy have Jews been despised throughout history?

Christians are divided into three main branches: Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism Beliefs are based on the life, teachings, and death of Jesus Christ and founded in 33 ADThe cross is a symbol used to represent life, death, and resurrection

Christian Population throughout the World

Jesus Christs death made salvation and forgiveness of sins possible for everyoneThree days after his death he was resurrected and later ascended to HeavenThe resurrection of Christ is celebrated onEaster, which is considered Christianitys most important holidayThe first Christians were Jews who came to believe Jesus was the Messiah 78.4% of U.S. adults identify as Christians

Christian BeliefsChristians believe that they can have a personal relationship with God, and that they are saved by faith, and good works(according to some)They believe in heaven and hellThey believe that the Bible is the word of God

Christian Way of LifeFellowship with GodOur relationships with othersObedience to God's commands Discipline Good works

Triune God

Hinduism is derived from a Sanskrit word that means dwellers by the Indus RiverThere is no single founder of HinduismIt consists of thousands of different religious groups that have evolved since 1500 B.C. in that areaThe Hindu belief is that gods can take many forms, but all form one universal spirit called Brahman

There is no single Hindu book of doctrine, but manyThe Vedas are the primary literary works, containing sacred verses and hymns composed in 1500 B.C.Two other important texts are the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita0.4% of Americanadults practice Hinduism

Hinduism BeliefsThe Hindu belief involves reincarnation of the soul, which is rebirth after death Hindus believe the conditions of ones present life are due to karma, or accumulated good or bad behavior in past livesThe purpose of life is to obtain liberation from the cycle of reincarnationPeople reach true enlightenment and happiness-Moksha-when they free themselves of earthly desires

DharmaSignifies behaviors that are considered to be in accord with the universeIncludes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and right way of livingPeople are encouraged to practice good Dharma and they may come back into a higher class/better life

Four Stages of Life

Ages 12-24 you get educated and trainedAges 24-48 you get married, raise a family, make money, get involved in many thingsAges 48-72 you become a mentor to a young person and start isolating themselves from the outside worldAt age 72 you end ties to the outside world and get rid of your worldly possessions. Prayer and devotion become very important.Mostly aimed at men and is not followed as much as it used to be

Hindu Gods

Many consider Hinduism to be polytheistic Most Hindus would say they worship one God.There is only one ultimate God, Brahman, but shows itself in many formsThe gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, for example, are different aspects of Brahman:Brahma reflects God's divine work of creating the universe Vishnu reflects God's work in keeping the universe in existenceShiva reflects God's work in destroying it

Om

Hinduism InformationCelebrationsDiwaliHindu New YearFestival of HoliTriumph of good over evilArrival of springFestival of ColorsPilgrimage to the Ganges River in IndiaHindus believe the river has healing powers

Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) was the founder of Buddhism in 560 BCBuddha means the awakened oneHe grew up in a wealthy family but decided to follow a path of self-denialHe did not find truth until he sat down under a tree, now known as the Bo treeThere he was enlightened and obtained the knowledge he had been looking forHe discovered four noble truths and the Eightfold Path to Nirvana, or ultimate bliss

The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism

Existence is sufferingThe cause of suffering is craving and attachmentSuffering ceases at some point and turns to NirvanaThere is a path to Nirvana which is made up of 8 steps called the Eightfold Path

Buddhists believe in reincarnationOne must stop the cycle of rebirth as a suffering, selfish individual, and must attain NirvanaAbout 1% of Americans areBuddhist

Buddhism like Hinduism:ReincarnationKarmaDharma

But notCaste systemHindu godsHindu priesthood

Buddhism has much in common with Hinduism with some differences

Buddhism InformationWorship PracticesMeditation deep thought & reflectionImportance of the lotus flowerBeliever can blossom while rooted in the impurity of the world

Major Buddhist Sects

TheravadaAs close as possible to Buddhas teachingsMahayanaMore accepting of the changing world

The Dalai Lama The present spiritual leader of Buddhism14th Dalai LamaHas been DL since 1950Has been in exile in India since 1959

The Islamic crescent and star is the international symbol for IslamIslam means submission (to Allah) in Arabic Allah is an Arabic word which means the One True GodMuslims believe that the Quran is Gods word as revealed to the prophet Muhammad (570-632 A.D.) through the angel GabrielMuslims do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, although they do believe he was a prophet

Islam is very family-oriented The primary means of transmitting the religion are through the familyMuslims are people that practice Islam.6%of U.S. adults follow Islam

There are two main sects of Islam: Sunni and ShiiteOne of their main differences is in their beliefs about who were the leaders following the death of Prophet MuhammadSunni, from the Arabic word for tradition, accepted the succession of Muhammads elected successors The majority of Muslims in the world today are SunnisShiite, from the Arabic word for faction, believe that leaders must be descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and her husband Ali. They rule Iran and also have a sizeable presence in Iraq and Syria.

History of IslamFounded in 622 ADFounded by Muhammad in Saudi ArabiaMuhammad is considered to be a prophet, a messenger of Allah (God)Two Major Sects (split c.650CE)SunniShia (or Shiite)

5 Pillars of Islam

1. Shahada(witness) is the Muslim profession of faith- "I witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah" Muslims say this when they wake up in the morning and just before they go to sleep at night

2. Salat(daily prayer) is a prayer ritual performed 5 times a day by all Muslims over the age of 10Between first light and sunrise After the sun has passed the middle of the sky Between mid-afternoon and sunset Between sunset and the last light of the day Between darkness and dawn

Face the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia

The Kaaba

Sawm(fasting) is abstaining each day during Ramadan

Ramadan is the holiest day for Islam. It marks when Muhammad had the Quran revealed to himSawm helps Muslims develop self-control, gain a better understanding of God's gifts and greater compassion towards the deprived.Not only is food forbidden between dawn and sunset, but also things like smoking, chewing gum, negative thoughts and sexual activity

4. Zakat(almsgiving) is giving money to the poor This is a compulsory gift of 2.5 % of one's savings each year Giving in this way is intended to free Muslims from the love of money It reminds them that everything they have really belongs to God

5. Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca that all physically/financially able Muslims should make at least once in their lifeMecca is the most holy place for MuslimsTakes place during days 8-13 of the 12th month of the Islamic Lunar calendarThey circle the Kaaba seven times, say prayers, drink from a holy spring, walk to Mount Arafat to pray, feast, cast stones at three pillars(to fight Satans temptations), shave hair and run between some hills

Islamic Law

Sharia Law outlines laws for Muslims and is based from the QuranMany African and Middle Eastern countries laws are based on Sharia Law5 Major Crimes:Theft, highway robbery, intoxication, adultery and falsely accusing another of adultery

Food LawsVery similar laws to the Jewish kosher foodsNo alcohol, pork, blood, no pork fat products, scavenger animalsFood must be prepared similarly to the JewsSlice to the jugularDrain blood

Issues Facing Islam TodayRadical Islamic TerroristsISISAl-QaedaRacial profilingWomens rights

In Afghanistan

In US

Spread of Religion in HistoryVideo

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