Religion 6

Creed 2007-2008

Religion Chapter One

• Creed: Latin for “I believe”• Three questions that will be answered

over the year: • Why do we believe?• What do we believe?• How do we express our beliefs?

Religion 1.1

• p.7 “The need for God is written in the human heart”

• Homework questions:• How have humans expressed their religious beliefs

over time?• Why do you think ancient peoples identified divine

power with things in nature?

Religion 1.2

• Drill #1- Please answer the following questions in your notebook.

• 1. What did the people of Ancient Greece believe about their gods?

• 2. Name the three gods of: the sea, the underworld and of war?

Religion 1.2• Definitions: Theos (Greek)=God

• Polytheism– Believing in many gods– POLY=many

• Monotheism– Believing in one god– MONO=one

Ancient Greeks

-Polytheistic, offered sacrifices

-Souls traveled to Hades/underworld (place of the dead) over the Styx River, pay to cross which means that they had to be in good favor with the gods.

- Gods were considered to be part of the natural world: they were thought of as mortal, had emotion

- Head of the Gods=Zeus, lived on Mt. Olympus

Athens, Greece

Athens, Greece

Athens, Greece

Homework

• Read pages 10-11• In your notebook, list the statements (in

note form) that express the main beliefs of both Ancient Egyptians and Hinduism

Ancient Romans

• Polytheistic• Gods: same roles as Greek gods, but names changed to

reflect the Roman language (Latin)• Traditional Roman Beliefs about Death (same as

Greeks)• soul of the dead would go underground to the river Styx. The soul

had to cross the river. A coin was placed in the mouth of the deceased to pay Charon, the boatman of the underworld, for the passage across.

• If the body was not properly buried and did not have a coin, the soul was forced to stay for one hundred years before being allowed to cross the river Styx.

Ancient Egyptians

• Polytheistic• Life depended on the daily appearance of the

sun and the flooding of the Nile- to grow crops and a source of life

• Gods were ½ human, ½ animal• Gods served different purposes (nature) of their

lives

Ancient Egyptians

• Afterlife-a continuation of their life on Earth, which is why the people were buried with all of their possessions and their body and soul

Hinduism

• Hindu: one from India• Oldest religion in the world• Monotheistic-Brahman is the divine

source of all life, but has many expressions.

• Main beliefs– Brahman, incarnation and salvation

Hindu beliefs

• Vedas: sacred writings of hymns and prayers

• Bhagavad Gita: devotional literature of Hinduism

• Temples for prayer and sacrifices• Nature and home are sources of ritual and

devotion (cows: symbol of mother earth)

Hindu beliefs about Death

• Bodies cremated ashes placed in Ganges River (symbolize cycle of life)

• Soul reincarnated (reborn into another body), cycle continues until salvation-becoming one with Brahman

• Must live a good life, have a sincere devotion to God and have self-control in order to break the cycle of reincarnation

Buddhism

• Similar to Hinduism• Founder of Buddhism=Siddhartha Gautama b/c

he was unsatisfied with the answers that the Hindu religion offered

• Reincarnation, to achieve salvation individuals play a big part-following a strict moral code

• Buddha: the enlightened one• monotheistic

Islam

• Monotheistic • Islam: surrender• Muslim: one who surrenders to God• Founded by Muhammed • Allah: Muslim word for God• Muhammad is his [Allah’s] prophet

Islam beliefs

• Pillars of Islam (duties): 1. fasting during Ramadan

2. journey to Mecca

3. pray 5x/day

4. almsgiving (charity)• Must worship in complete submission to

Allah

Islam beliefs about death

• Last Day (the day when the world is destroyed and Allah raises people from the dead)

• Souls remain with the bodies (graves) until the Last Day– the ones destined for heaven are at peace,

while those destined for hell suffer• Resurrection is physical, bodies are re-

created by God

On the Last Day

• Judgment depends on balance of good to bad deeds

• Either placed in Paradise or condemned to Hell

• described as passing over Hell on a narrow bridge to enter Paradise. Those who fall, weighted by their bad deeds, will remain in Hell forever

Chart

Comparative Chart

Homework

• P. 15 Testing 1, 2, 3…• Do all five questions in your Creed book

Answers to Testing 1,2,3

1. Humans have a need for a God to help them answer questions; to explain the unexplainable. We have evidence throughout history where humans have been engaged in religious activties.

2. The ancient religions of Greece, Rome and Egypt no longer exist.

Testing 1,2,3 continued

3. Hindus consider themselves monotheistic because they believe that Braham is the source of all power. All other gods are only expressions of Brahman

4. The Hindus believe that when people die their souls return to earth in another body until becoming one with Braham. Buddhists believe in reincarnation but emphasize that individuals play a major part in breaking the cycle.

Testing 1,2,3

5. Muslims pray facing Mecca 5x/day. During prayer they bow to the ground in total submission

Chapter 1 test

• Format– Multiple Choice– Fill-in-the blank– Short answer

• What to study?– Class notes– Chart– Answers to Testing

1,2,3– All terms in italics– I will post the ppt.

monday afternoon so you can check your notes.