RELIGION

More than any other culture trait, religion defines who we are.

It h helps us attempt to understand a people (why they do the things they do.)

All religions share certain implied value systems.

Why are we here, what happens after we die, politics, sexual relations, mores, eating habits, etc..

Humanism emphasized the ability of human being to guide their own lives.

Monotheism: belief in one god or supreme being.

Christianity, Judaism, Islam

Polytheism: Hindu, traditional religions

Universalizing religions: Seek to convert others to their religion. Are found throughout the world.

Christianity, Islam, Buddhism are the best examples.

Ethnic religions: relatively concentrated spatial distribution. Do not actively seek converts. Hinduism and Judaism the best examples.

Secular – someone who separates religion from all other aspects of society.

Branches of Christianity:

Catholic Protestant Orthodox

Protestants are broken down into denominations.

Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, etc..

Islam is broken down into:

About 95% Sunni 15% Shia (Shiite)

Only Shia majority countries are Iran and Iraq

Fundamentalism: often considered extremist groups within a religion. Al Qaeda and the Wahabi sect is an extremist group within Islam

Sects: Small groups not affiliated with more mainstream denominations.

Religious Hearths

Christianity: Middle East (Southwest Asia). Particularly in Israel.Around 2,000 years old. Holy text the Old and New Testament.

Judaism: Israel, Middle East. Oldest monotheistic religion.

Islam: Middle East Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Holy City Mecca

600 AD -- Based on the teachings of Muhammad

Holy text: Torah

World’s largest religion.

Second largest religion, though the fastest growing.

Countries with the largest Muslim population?

Indonesia and India.

Place of worship a church.

Place of worship a mosque.

Hinduism: hearth is India, founder is unknown.

Roughly one billion adherents, 800 million in India.

There is a Hindu presence throughout the islands of Southeast Asia. Diffused with traders.

Buddhism: hearth is India. Largest population in China, although there are large Buddhist populations all through East and Southeast Asia.

Many Eastern religions combine more than one belief system (Buddhist and Shinto, Dao.

This is called syncretism.

Other Eastern Religions

India: Baha’i, Sikhism

China: Taoism, Confucianism

Japan: Shinto

Animism: Worshipping nature - African traditional religions or the Native Americans worship of the spirits.

A theocracy is a state that is ruled by religious leaders.

Sharia law: Based on the Quran and the teaching of Muhammad.

Cornerstone of Islam: Five Pillars of Islam.

One of which is the Hajj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca.

Holiest site in Judaism is the Wailing or Western Wall.

It is all that remains of the Second Temple that was destroyed by the Romans around 70 AD

The Old City of Jerusalem is small, about the size of Cole’s Crossing.

It is a holy city for all three Abrahamic religions.

It is also the site of the Dome of the Rock (Islam) and several Christian churches built on sites based on events involving Jesus.

Jerusalem, Israel

Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Hinduism and Buddhism prescribe to the belief in reincarnation.

Although not required as in Christianity, both build temples to worship in.

The holy river of Hinduism is:

Ganges

Holy cities of Varanasi and Benares.

Religious landscapes