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Intro to World Religions
Faith
• Belief that is not based on proof
• Religions cannot be proven or disproven, they require faith. Since we cannot prove that any religion is right or wrong, we should be respectful of all people’s religions.
The 5 (6) Major Religions of the World
• Islam• Hinduism• Christianity• Buddhism• Judaism• (And atheism)
• Which religion do you think has the most people?
• 2.1 billion Christians
• 1.5 billion Muslims
• 1.1 billion atheist/agnostic
• 900 million Hindus
• 300 million Buddhists
• 12 million Jews
• Universal Religions—Religions that attempt to be global– Christianity, Islam, and
Buddhism• Ethnic Religion—Appeals
mainly to one group of people living in one place– All other religions
• Monotheistic Religions: Religions with one God
• Polytheistic: Religions with more than one God
Christianity• 3 main branches: Roman Catholic, Protestant,
and Eastern Orthodox• Branch—Large division of a religion
Christian beliefs
• Main belief: Jesus Christ was the son of God, and he died on the cross for all mankind’s sins. Three days later, he was resurrected and went to Heaven.
All Christians
• Age: 2014 years old• Hearth: Jerusalem • Holy book—Bible• Bible—Made of two parts: Old Testament and
New Testament• Old Testament: Everything before Jesus
(Moses, Abraham, etc.)• New Testament: Jesus’s teachings and life
Catholicism
• Follow religious hierarchy– Hierarchical
• Pope: At the top of the hierarchy
• Connection to God is mainly done through the Catholic Church, like through priests
Protestantism
• Protestants: Broke away from the Catholic Church in the 1600’s (Martin Luther)
• Do not follow hierarchy—People can have a direct connection with God
• Do not follow Pope
Judaism
• Only 12 million people worldwide• Oldest monotheistic religion in the world:
4,000 years old
• Main leader/prophet: Abraham, who started the religion
• Also important: Moses—Received the 10 Commandments
• God’s Name: Yahweh
Judaism
• Cultural Hearth: Jerusalem• Holy Book: Torah• Basically, Jews believe
everything in the Old Testament of the Bible (the Torah), but do not believe Jesus is the son of God
• Believe in heaven and hell, think people should follow the 10 Commandments
10 Commandments
Review!
1. Which religion is older, Christianity or Judaism?2. Which people are recognized in both Christianity
and Judaism?3. What does monotheistic mean?4. Which of these religions is ethnic? Universal?5. Are Christianity and Judaism monotheistic or
polytheistic?6. What is the difference between Christianity and
Judaism?7. What is the cultural hearth for both of these
religions?
Islam
Islam
• Universal religion• Monotheistic• Holy Book- Koran (Qur’an)• Recognize Abraham,
Moses, and Jesus as prophets
• Also believe in afterlife, heaven and hell
• Founder—Mohammed—Prophet, not son of God
• Age of religion—1300 years
• Cultural Hearth: Mecca and Medina (Saudi Arabia)
• Mecca—Holy city for Muslims—Where Mohammed first set up Islam
5 Pillars of Islam• Declaration of Faith• Praying 5 times a day• Zakat—Giving to charity• Fasting—Going without
eating• Hajj (Pilgrimmage)—Go
to Mecca in your life if possible
Sunni vs. Shi’ite• Sunni—83% of
Muslims– Believed leaders of Islam
should be chosen or elected
• Shiites—17% of Muslims
• Believe leader of Islam should be a descendent of Mohammed
• Huge amount of conflict between these two branches
Sunni Shiite Distribution
Sharia Law• Strict Islamic law, not
used by all Muslims• Very specific—Governs
everything from how to marry to how to eat to how to pray
• Can be very unequal for women – Ex. burqa
• Jihad- Means war• For most Muslims,
means an inner struggle between good and bad
• For some, it means a holy war against infidels (unbelievers)
Review!
1. What are the 5 Pillars of Islam?2. Who is the founder of Islam?3. Rank the religions of Christianity, Judaism, and
Islam from oldest to youngest.4. What is the difference between Sunni and Shia
Muslims?5. Do you think Muslims should be allowed to
practice aspects of sharia law in the United States if they choose to?
