Religion

What does spirituality mean to you?

What does religious mean to you?

What does religious mean to you?

What are the benefits to having religion in society?

What are the detriments to having religion in society?

Should the word “God” be included in the Pledge of Allegiance?

What are your thoughts on separation of Religion and Government?

Should we allow time during school for prayer? If so, how should school implement it?

The Supreme Court of the US recently ruled in favor of same sex marriage. Now it is legal for same sex couples to be married in the US. Kim Davis is a county clerk, who is an elected official in Kentucky and has refused to marry same sex couples because she says it violates her religious rights. What are your thoughts?

Should it be required for public schools to teach religion in school?

How do you teach religion in school, while separating church and state?

Which religions do you think we should learn about in school?

HINDUISM

Origins

• Emerged: Indigenous faith of India.• 4000 BCE• 900 million followers

Prophets

• none

TEXT

• Vedas – considered the basic truths and most important texts• Four others including Tantra

Clergy

• No official administrative authority• Gurus – personal spiritual

teachers• Famous Hindu – Gandhi

Symbols

• Lotus: The lotus flower represents one symbol of fortune in Buddhism. It grows in muddy water, and it is this environment that gives forth the flower's first and most literal meaning: rising and blooming above the murk to achieve enlightenment.

Symbols

• Om or Aum: the universal sound of the universe

Symbols

• Elephant: Good Fortune who provides prosperity, fortune and success. Remover of Obstacles of both material and spiritual kinds. Interestingly, he also places obstacles in the path of those who need to be checked.

Symbols

• Svastika: translates to “all well”. Symbolizes good luck

Core Beliefs

• Believe in many gods• Non-attachments to results• Nonviolence• Vegetarianism• Yoga (paths to realization)• karma• caste• reincarnation

Hindu Proverbs

Veda quotes

• “Truth can not be suppressed and always is the ultimate victor." -the Yajur Veda

• "You must learn to endure fleeting thingsthey come and go!"-Bhagavad-gita 2:14

• "Life and death, joy and sorrow, gain and loss; These dualities cannot be avoided. Learn to accept what you cannot change."-the Ramayana(book 2)

• "Do not be led by others,awaken your own mind,amass your own experience,and decide for yourself your own path." -The Atharva Veda

BUDDHISM

Origins

• 531 BCE• India

Followers

• 500 million• Mostly throughout Asia, but a

growing number in Western Hemisphere

Holy Text

• Dhammapada – direct teachings of Buddha• Tripitaka – teachings handed

down orally (not recorded until 600 years later• Sutras – collection of scriptures

committed to memory for meditation

Prophets

* Buddha is given extremely high reverence but NOT considered divine.

Clergy

• Monks, nuns

Symbols

• Wheel of Dharma• Bodhi Tree• Lion• Stupa• Lotus

Wheel of Dharma

• Eight fold path

Bodhi Tree

• Buddha’s enlightenment

Lions

• Guards of temples

Stupa

• Places for worship• Relics of monks/nuns

Lotus

• Mud = humble beginning for people• Flower = enlightenment people

can obtain

Core Beliefs

• Nirvana• Karma• Reincarnation• 4 Noble Truths• 8-fold Path• Middle Way

Nirvana

• Ultimate goal: to end suffering of rebirth. To become one with the universe, Om, the creator

Karma

• Good and bad credit that follows our soul from our past, until now, and into the future. Our future reincarnation is influenced by our karma

4 Noble Truths

8 Fold Path

Reincarnation

• The cycle of rebirth is a law of nature. All living things experience the cycle of life and death. Karma determines our “rebirth”.

Middle Path

• To live in the middle rather, than in extremes is the best path

Judaism

Origins

• Around 15th century BCE• Middle East

Followers

• 14 million or .2% of the World’s population• About 6 million in Israel• About 6 million in the US• About 1 million in Europe• 1 million elsewhere

Prophets: spokespersons of God

• 48 male/ 7 female• Abraham: father of Judaism, made covenant with

God and in return would receive promise land. • Isaac: 2nd son of Abraham. Jewish Lineage.• Jacob: son of Isaac. Fathered 12 sons (Twelve tribes

of Israel) • Sarah: wife of Abraham & gave birth to Isaac (Jews)• Moses: Greatest of Jewish prophets. Lead Jews out

of slavery. Parts Red Sea. Receives the ten commandments from God.

• Aaron: brother of Moses. Founder of priesthood• Miriam: sister of Moses• David: King who united the Jews• Solomon: son of David. Built the Holy Temple in

Jerusalem

Texts:

• Torah – Old Testament of the Bible• Midrash – oral/written narratives

by rabbis’ and scholars’ contribution.• Talmud – 1) Mishnah are

explanations of Torah after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem 2) Gemara are centuries of rabbinical questions, comments, discussions.

Clergy

• Rabbis (no hierarchy, but may have a senior rabbi)

Symbols of Judaism

• Star of David- symbol of modern Jewish identity

• Menorah – Hebrew lampstand, divine light spreading throughout the world

• yarmulke – skullcap, shown as a sign of respect to cover the head when praying

• synagogue – Jewish place of worship• tallit – prayer shawl with fringes that

equal 613 (number of commandments in the Torah)

• Mezuzuh- Hebrew blessing mounted on a Jewish household’s doorframe.

Beliefs

• Mitzvah- 613 commandments of the Torah

• Shabbat- Jewish Sabbath, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.

• Kosher- “fit” food• Rosh Hashanah- Jewish New Year• Yom Kippur- Day of Atonement• Hannukah- celebration of Jewish

history• Passover- celebration of deliverance of

Jewish people from slavery

Christianity

Origins

• 30 CE with the crucifixion of Jesus• Diffused from Middle East

Followers

• 2.1 billion (largest)• 1.3 Catholics, 225 million

Orthodox, 970 million Protestants

Prophets

• Jesus

Text

• Holy Bible – Old and New Testaments (39 books)

Clergy

• Pope: Roman Catholics • Patriarch of Constantinople:

head of Orthodox

Symbols

• Cross: Jesus dying for humanity’s sins• Fish: faith and abundance• Triquetra: Trinity

Beliefs

• Jesus is divine (son of God)• Trinity – doctrine of one God in three parts

(Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.• Virgin Birth – Jesus conceived without sexual

intercourse• Resurrection – Jesus returned to life three days

after crucifixion• Ten Commandments: Most important laws for

humans from God• Satan – malevolent entity who seeks to lead

humans astray and separate them from God• Sin- transgression of divine law• Papal Infallibility: Pope is incapable of error.• Grace: gift of forgiveness for sins

Islam

Origin

• 622 CE• Saudi Arabia

Followers

• 1.5 billion (2nd largest)• (940 million Sunni, 560 Shia)

Prophets

• Muhammad: • 25 total: Jesus, Abraham,

Ishmael, Adam, Noah, David, John the Baptist, Moses, others

Holy Text

• Koran or Quran: primary scripture• Hadith: a collection of books

chronicling sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad and his followers

Clergy

• Sunnis has no formal clergy, but do have imam (religions figure who is respected and leads prayer.• Shiite: has hierarchical clergy, from

the mullah, who has made a serious study of Islamic law and literature, to the mujtahid, an Islamic religious scholar, to the very powerful ayatollah, who sometimes rule entire countries. An imam in Shiite Islam is the highest of all.

Beliefs

The END