Major religions of the world

religion

Monotheistic – belief in one god

Polytheistic – belief in many gods

Animistic – belief in divine forces in nature

World Religions

Judaism

JudaismOldest of the Southwest Asian religionsCalled JewsLive in Israel, United States, Canada, South America, and Europe

Began more than 4,000 years ago founded in 1300 BCOldest monotheistic religionLaws and teachings come from a holy book called the TorahReligious center is Jerusalem

Founder: Abraham

Nearly 15 million people practice this religion today

Western Wall or Wailing Wall is significant to the religion

Believe that a messenger of God, theMessiah, will arrive to unite the worldin peace.

HistoryDrought and famine forced them into Egypt where they lived as slaves.

Moses led them out of bondage into the Sinai Desert where they wandered for 40 years.

God gave his commandments to Moses on top of Mount Sinai.

The Holocaust - The Nazi Party murdered 6 million European Jews during WWII

Jews believe that they are God’s chosen people, and that the state of Israel, given to them by God, is a holy place.

Holy Books• Torah – 1st five books of the Old Testament• Nevi’im – books of the prophets• Ketuvim – writings• Tanakh

Core Beliefs:

The synagogue is the site of worship for the Jewish faith

Rabbi – church leader

Common Symbols 6-pointed Star of David Yarmulke (cloth skullcap) Tallit (frined prayer shaw) Menorah - candelabrum

Western Wall / Wailing Wall

Important Holy Sites

• Temple Mount / Foundation Stone – considered to be the most holiest site for Jewish people; it is the location of many events mentioned in the BibleWestern Wall – most sacred place

• Jerusalem – holiest city• Mount of Olives• Hebron

Holidays, Rituals, and Observances

• Sabbath (Shabbat) – begins on Friday night and lasts until sundown on Saturday

• Yom Kippur – a day of repentance for wrongdoings

• Hanukkah – celebrated in December• Bar Mitzvah – celebrates a boy’s 13th birthday

and his entrance into adulthood

ChristianityMonotheistic religionBased on the teaching of Jesus ChristLargest of all religionsTeachings follow the Bible

It spread from JerusalemHas 3 major groups:Roman CatholicProtestantEastern Orthodox

Expansion of Christianity

Began more than 2,000 years ago with Jesus Christ – believe in Jesus Christ as the son of God

It is estimated to have 2 billion followers

Believe that Christians are an eternal life will come to them if they follow the Ten Commandments, love and help others and live as the Bible teaches.

Christians believe sinners will be punished in the afterlife.

Holy Communion represents the Last Super.

Baptism is when a person is welcomed into the church.

Church leaders are calledpriests or ministers.

Place of worship – church

Symbols of Christian faith:FishCrossLamb Important Places:

Jerusalem – the Holy LandVatican CityLourdes, FranceChurch of the Holy Sepulcher – resurrection of Jesus

Holidays and Observances

• Christmas – December 25 (celebrates the birth of Christ)

• Epiphany – January 6 (marks the visit of the Three Wise Men to baby Jesus)

• Lent – beginning of late February or early March (time of repentance)

• Good Friday – the day when Christ was crucified• Easter – celebrates Jesus’ resurrection

Hinduism

Dates back around 4,000 yearsConcentrated in IndiaPolytheistic religion – worship hundreds of gods and goddesses

Caste System shapes the lives and culture of Hindus It is a level of fixed social classes with specific rites and duties

Hinduism Facts:

• Began in Northwestern India• Approximately 900 million Hindus – make up

about 15% of the world’s population• Most live in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh• It has no single founder• The gods and goddesses forms one Supreme

Being called “Brahma”

Sacred Texts:•Bhagavad Gita – considered to be revered scripture•Vedas 4 collections – oldest sacred texts of Hinduism•Upanishads – collection of stories•Mahabharata – poem about war between 2 families

SymbolismOm or Aum – made up of 3 Sanskrit letters and is the most important symbol in Hinduism. It is the symbol of piety.

Swasitka – a pictorial character that symbolizes the eternal nature of the Brahman

Ganges River – “Mother Ganges”Cow – considered sacred

Core Beliefs

• Samsara – reincarnation; souls are born and reborn in another person or animal

• Goal is to reach moksha (salvation) when the soul merges with the god Brahman

• Believe their actions throughout life will determine how they will be reborn

• Cows are sacred• Caste system

Holy Sites

• Ganges River• Tirthas – places of pilgrimage

o Varansi (called Benares or Kashi) – honor the deadoMathura – birthplace of Krishnao Chaidambaram – considered to be the temple of

temples

RITUALS & OBSERVANCES

Worship in a temple or mandir that is dedicated to a particular go or goddess

A shrine in the temple features a statue of that deity

Shoes are removed before entering the temple

Families have small shrines in their homes

Samskaras – ceremonies marking the major points of a Hindu’s life

Diwali – festival of lightsHoli – festival of colors and springMahashivaratri (Shiva Ratri) – night scared to ShivaRama Navami – birthday of Lord RamaKrishna Jayanti – birthday of Lord Krishna

IslamBased on the teaching of MuhammadFollowers are known as MuslimsMonotheistic religion2nd largest religion

God is called AllahHoly book is the Koran or Qur’anReligion began in Southwest AsiaTwo major divisions: Sunni and Shiite

Islam means “Peace through the submission to God.”

Muslim means “anyone or anything that submits itself to the will of God.”

Islam is a complete way of life that governs all facets of life: moral, spiritual, social, political, economical, intellectual, etc.

islam

Five Pillars of Faith

1. Shahadah – declaration of faith in the oneness of God and that Muhammad is the last prophet of God

2. Formal prayer 5 times a day3. Fasting during the daylight hours in the month

of Ramadan4. Poor-due tax – 2.5% of one’s savings given to

the needy at the end of each year5. Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once

Beliefs

• God is loving, merciful, and compassionate but also swift in punishment

• God revealed 99 of his names (attributes) in the Holy Qur’an

• The prophets brought the message of peace and submission (Islam) to different peoples at different times

Holy Sites:MeccaMedinaDome of the RockHebron – Cave of the Patriarchs

Worship in a mosque

The star and crescent was adopted during the spread of Islam

Green was thought to be Muhammad’s favorite color; others believe green symbolizes vegetation and life

FestivlasEid-ul-Fitr: the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast; end of Ramadan

Eid-ul-Adha: the Feast of Sacrifice; also known as Baqri-Eid (the Cow Festival); every Muslim is expected to offer a sacrifice at this time

Ramadan

Laylatul-Qadr: the Night of Power; night the Qur’an was 1st brought down

BuddhismDeveloped around 250 B.C. in IndiaFounder – Siddhartha GautamaLeader is called the Enlightened One

Teachings promote the correct way of living in order to reach an enlightened spiritual state called nirvanaSpread from India to Southeast Asia

Buddhism Facts

• Has 376 followers• 4th largest religion in the world• Sacred texts: Pali Canon and sutras• Spiritual leader: Monk• Place of ritual: Temple, meditation hall• Main locations: China, Japan, Korea, and

Southeast Asia

Ultimate Reality – nothing is permanent

Buddhism is a path of spiritual development that helps a person in finding the true nature of life.

Buddhism emphasizes on experiencing, rather than teaching or learning.

It considers meditation as the means to enlightenment.

The followers of Buddhism do not worship any God and follow the noble eightfold path to lead a meaningful existence.

Four Noble Truths: All of life is marked by suffering Suffering is caused by desire and attachment Suffering can be eliminated Suffering is eliminated by following the Noble

Eightfold Path

Holy Sites

Limbini – the place where Gautam Buddha was born as Siddharta.

Bodhgaya – place where Siddharta attained enlightenment and became the Buddha.

Samath – place where Buddha delivered his 1st sermon.

Kushinara – place where Buddha died.

Holidays• Vesak - Buddha’s birthday• Buddha’s enlightenment • Dhamma Day -Lunar quarters• Buddhist New

Year

Sikhism

Sikhism Facts:• Currently 23 million Sikhs worldwide – 19

million live in India• 5th largest religion in the world• Monotheistic religion• Religion was born out of conflicts between

the Hindu and Muslim religions• Guru Nanak Dev – founder of Sikhism• Founded in India• Sacred Book: the Adi Granth

Guru Nanak Dev believed religion was a way to unite people, but in practice he found that it set men against one another.

Beliefs: Live a disciplined lifeDo not believe in Heaven or hellGod makes his will known through the Gurus

Sikhism believes in reincarnation

“Sikh” means a strong and able disciple

Respected fortheir workethic and higheducation standards

Practices:

Wearing of the turban and the Five Ks

Pray regularly and meditate

Live a life the balanceswork, worship, and charity

Sikhism 5 K’s – 5 Articles of Faith which shows a commitment to the Sikh way of life1. Kesh – uncut hair2. Kangha – a wooden comb3. Kara – a metal bracelet4. Kachera – a specific style of cotton

undergarment5. Kirpan – a strapped curved sword

The temple is the center of the Sikh religion

Five Cardinal Vices

• Lust• Anger• Greed• Worldly attachment• Pride

Important Places

Harmandir Sahib (Darbar Sahib) – the Golden Temple and is the most important shrine for Sikhs. It is the spiritual and cultural center of Sikhs.

Nankana Sahib, Pakistan – birthplace of Guru Nanak who was the founder of Sikhism. It is a place for pilgrimage for Sikhs.

Major HolidaysVaisakhi DayBirthday of Guru NanakBirthday of Guru Gobind SinghMaghi – commemorates the martyrdom of the Forty Immortals