Geographic Distributions of RELIGION

in Houston, the US, & World

Islam/ Muslim Judaism/

Jewish

Hindu Buddhist

Christianity

Bahá'í Faith Sikh

Learning Objectives, 109 slides

• Overview of religious characteristics

• Global and US distribution of religious people; Houston Interfaith Unity Council 3

• General demographic characteristics by religion: income, education 7

• Judaism / Jewish 26

• Islam / Muslims 49

• Hindus 80

• Sikhism 96

• Buddhist 103

Summary of Major Holidays & Celebrations by Religion

FLDS Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints

polygamy

Christianity Christmas, Easter, Lent

Buddhist Chinese New Year (lunar calendar)

Hindu Holi – festival of colors (youth)

Diwali – similar to Christmas

Janmashtami – Goddess Lord Krishna (children)

Jewish / Judaism Hanukah – similar to Christmas

Passover – similar to Easter

Rosh Hashanha – Jewish New Year

Muslim / Islam Ramadan – month long fast with no food/water in daylight hours

EID al Fitr – feast to break the fast

Pilgrimage to The Hajj

Major Religions of the World

Christian

Islam

Christian

Christian Christian

Buddhist &

Chinese Hindu

Folk Folk

Judaism

(Israel)

Sects within Major Religions

Sunni

Muslim

Christian Buddhist &

Chinese

Orthodox

Catholic

Sunni

Muslim

Shia

Muslim

Christian

Buddhist &

Chinese

Hindu

Judaism

(Israel) Orthodox

Catholic

Understanding the distribution of Catholics

can help to predict location of the new Pope.

Non-Religious

%

There are many parallels between religion and other social variables, in this case wealth and religiosity.

more religious

less religious

Greater wealth / country

mo

re r

elig

iou

s

Greater wealth

Greater education

more educated

less educated

mo

re e

du

ca

ted

more educated

less educated

Educational Attainment by Religious Group

more educated

less educated

Religions by Size • # Christianity: 2.1 billion • # Islam/Muslim: 1.5 billion • # Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion

• # Hinduism: 900 million

• # Chinese traditional religion: 394 million

• # Buddhism: 376 million

• # primal-indigenous: 300 million • # African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million

• # Sikhism: 23 million

• # Juche: 19 million

• # Spiritism: 15 million

• # Judaism: 14 million

• # Baha'i: 7 million

• # Jainism: 4.2 million

• # Shinto: 4 million

• # Cao Dai: 4 million

• # Zoroastrianism: 2.6 million

• # Tenrikyo: 2 million

• # Neo-Paganism: 1 million

• # Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand

• # Rastafarianism: 600 thousand

• # Scientology: 500 thousand

World Regions by Size

World Church

Size

Religious Body Number of Adherents

Catholic Church** 1,100,000,000

Sunni Islam* 1,000,000,000

Eastern Orthodox Church* 225,000,000

Jinja Honcho* 83,000,000

Anglican Communion* 77,000,000

Assemblies of God* 50,000,000

Ethiopian Orthodox Church 35,000,000

Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD)* 27,400,000

Iglesia ni Cristo (based in the Philippines) 27,000,000

Sikhism 23,000,000

Juche (North Korea) 19,000,000

Seventh-day Adventist Church 16,811,519

Jehovah's Witnesses** 16,500,000

Southern Baptist Convention* 16,000,000

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 12,275,822

United Methodist Church* 11,708,887

Soka Gakkai 11,000,000

New Apostolic Church 10,260,000

Ahmadiyya * 10,000,000

Veerashaivas (Lingayats) 10,000,000

Coptic Orthodox 10,000,000

Sathya Sai Baba 10,000,000

Top Ten Largest Religious Bodies

in the US

Rank Religious Body Membership

1 Catholic Church 66,407,105

2 Southern Baptist Convention 16,400,000

3 United Methodist Church 8,251,042

4 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 5,599,177

5 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 4,984,925

6 Church of God in Christ * 4,500,000

7 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 3,595,259

8 National Baptist Convention of America 3,500,000

9 Assemblies of God 2,687,366

10 Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 2,512,714

Major US Religions by Percent

78%

16%

Religious Self-Identification by Political Party

Back

Any Religion

Baptist

Mormon

Catholic

Lutheran

Methodist

Catholic

Catholics

Jews

Muslims

Interfaith Unity Council Houston

Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston brings people of diverse faith traditions together for dialogue, collaboration and service, as a demonstration of our shared beliefs. IM works with 10 communities of faith, including Bahá'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Unitarian Universalist and Zoroastrian. Their goal is to promote tolerance and acceptance.

Jewish /Jidaism/Judaism

Symbolized by the “Star of David” and the Menorah candelabra.

Israel: A divided Country because of Religion

Arab-Israeli Conflict

• Palestinians as stateless nation

• West Bank and Jewish settlements

• Golan Heights

• The Security Barrier

• The Gaza Strip (turned over to Palestinian Authority)

fig07_16

Arab

Jewish

• Core of the city is divided similar to Berlin, but by faith rather than political ideology

• Sacred to Judaism, Christianity, Islam

• Judaism: Ancient capital

• Christianity: Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection

• Islam: Ascension of Prophet Muhammad to heaven

The Struggle for Jerusalem

photoun_07_03

Jerusalem is a city divided with a wall to

segregate the Protestants, Muslims, and Jews.

Rosh Hoshanna – Jewish New Year

NICK UT: AP

Ori Leizer of the Israeli consulate raises the Star of David flag outside

the consulate in Los Angeles on Monday, Sept. 29. The flag-raising

ceremony commemorated the Jewish state's 60th anniversary and

came on the eve of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. Consul

General Jacob Dayan says the ceremony marked the first time the

Israeli flag was raised outside a consulate's front doors in the United

States.

The blue-and-white Star of David flag flies outside the

Israeli consulate in Los Angeles Monday, Sept. 29.

Consul General Jacob Dayan says the ceremony marked

the first time the Israeli flag was raised outside a

consulate's front doors in the United States and was only

the second time an Israeli consulate had flown its flag

openly in this country. He adds one reason offices do

not fly the Israeli flag, except at the consulate in New

York City, is concern of violence.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews walk past Israeli border policeman

before the start the holiday of Rosh Hashana near

Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, Monday,

Sept. 29. Jews marked the two-day holiday of Rosh

Hashana, or the Jewish New Year at sundown Monday.

An Ultra-Orthodox Jew walks past mirrors outside a shop before the start

the holiday of Rosh Hashana in the Old City of Jerusalem, Monday, Sept.

29. Jews began celebrating the two-day holiday of Rosh Hashana, or the

Jewish New Year, at sundown Monday.

Hasidic & Haredi Judaism ORTHODOX are ultra conservative believers.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews pray at the Western Wall in

Jerusalem's Old City, before the start the holiday of Rosh

Hashana, Monday, Sept. 29. Jews began celebrating the

two-day holiday of Rosh Hashana, or the Jewish New Year,

at sundown Monday.

An Ultra-Orthodox Jew prays at the Western Wall in

Jerusalem's Old City, before the start the holiday of Rosh

Hashana, Monday, Sept. 29. Jews began celebrating the two-

day holiday of Rosh Hashana, or the Jewish New Year, at

sundown Monday.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews pray at the Western Wall

in Jerusalem's Old City, before the start the

holiday of Rosh Hashana.

Israelis pray at the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site in Jerusalem, ahead

of the upcoming Jewish new year holiday of Rosh Hashana. The two-day

festival of Rosh Hashana that marks the beginning of the Jewish new year

started at sunset Monday. Thousands of Jews are expected to visit the holy

sites in the Old City during the holiday period.

Part is reserved for other religions

Orthodox Jewish women pray as Israeli municipality workers remove notes from the

Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site in Jerusalem, ahead of the upcoming Jewish new

year holiday of Rosh Hashana. The two-day festival of Rosh Hashana that marks the

beginning of the Jewish new year started Monday evening. Thousands of Jews are

expected to visit the holy sites in the Old City during the holiday period.

Ziggy Gruber (cq) hands a loaf of Challah

bread for a customer at Kenny & Ziggy's Deli

Sunday, Sept. 28, in Houston. Challah, a

traditional bread baked for Jewish High Holy

days beginning with Rosh Hashana, is

in short supply in Houston since Hurricane Ike

temporarily closed Three Brothers Bakery, a

major supplier of the bread in the city. Kenny &

Ziggy's is one of the few places with the bread

available.

Janice Jucker, a co-ower of Three

Brothers Bakery on the 4000 block

of S. Braeswood Blvd., walks past

her shop's bent sign. The business

will be closed for up to three months

because of damage sustained after

Hurricane Ike pulled part of the roof

off the building. The missing roof

caused water to get into the bakery.

"This couldn't have happened at a

worse time," Jucker said with Rosh

Hashanah, the first of the High

Holidays starting on Monday.

Ernesto Efrain Aquila, left, and Bobby Jucker dump raw challah bread dough out on the table to rise at Three Brothers Bakery, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011. The shop working 24 hours a day baking the traditional Rosh hashanah challah bread to fill orders, as they expect to fill 1,000 orders Wednesday alone. They'll bake up to 5,000 loaves through Yom Kippur. Three Brothers challah recipe dates back 200 years. Photo: Houston Chronicle,

Karen Warren / © 2011 Houston Chronicle

Honey and honey products are seen on sale at an open-air market in

Jerusalem. Jews around the world dipped an apple in honey on the

evening of Sept. 29 to mark the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashana,

honoring a tradition meant to symbolize a sweet new beginning.

2012 Passover coincides with Easter and the opening for baseball. But since the Holiday begins at

sunset, Jewish worshipers do not stray from the Sabbath to participate in other activities.

Local Jewish leader Lisa Klein, a devoted Astros fan, will miss the

season opener because of Passover. She plans to make up for

missing the season opener by being in attendance for Tuesday's

game against Atlanta. Photo: Brett Coomer / © 2012 Houston Chronicle

Senior Isaac Mirwis, 18, practices three pointers during basketball practice. Robert M. Beren Academy (Houston) is a Jewish school that won a chance at 2012 state playoffs, although the final game was scheduled on a Jewish holiday. As a result, the school chose to forfeit the game and NOT to play on a Sabbath. After public outrage, a ruling came to re-schedule the game, thus allowing Beren Academy to play in the state semifinals. Photo: Mayra Beltran / © 2012 Houston Chronicle

A Houston Jewish high school was willing to forfeit its chance to play in state finals because the game was scheduled on the evening of their Sabbath. Public outrage forced officials to re-schedule to an afternoon time.

Yiddish is the language of Judaism or of Jewish people. It is more conversational and less religious than Hebrew.

Yamaka

Yamaka, it's a Yarmulke, but when

pronounced sounds like Yamaka. It

is also known as a Kippah.

• The sources for wearing a kippah are found in the Talmud. In tractate Shabbat 156b it states: Cover your head in order that the fear of heaven may be upon you.

It is a hemispherical or platter-shaped head cover, usually made of cloth, often worn by Orthodox Jewish men to fulfill the customary requirement that their head be covered at all times, and sometimes worn

by both men and, less frequently, women

in Conservative and Reform communities

at times of prayer.

Kosher Kosher foods are those that conform to the regulations of the

Jewish Halakhic law framework, kosher meaning fit or allowed to be

eaten. A list of some kosher foods are found in the book of Leviticus

11:1-47. There are also certain kosher rules found there. Reasons for

food not being kosher include the presence of ingredients derived from

non-kosher animals or from kosher animals that were not properly

slaughtered, a mixture of meat and milk, wine or grape juice (or their

derivatives) produced without supervision, the use of produce from

Israel that has not been tithed, or the use of nonkosher cooking utensils

and machinery.

One of the main biblical food laws forbids eating blood on account of

"the life [being] in the blood". Cattle are required to have split

hooves and chew their cud. Animals that fit this description include

cows and lambs. Out at this stage are camels, hares, and (shocker) pigs.

Fish are required to have fins and scales, and only the birds listed in the

text are allowed. Bugs and shellfish are prohibited.

Symbols of kosher

acceptability, some

written in Hebrew.

Certificate of Kosher Authenticity

• The animal must be kosher (i.e., mammals that chew their cud and have cloven hooves, or birds that are not birds of prey and for which there is an established tradition that the bird is kosher or similar to one that is).

• Before slaughtering, the animal must be healthy, uninjured and viable. The animal cannot be stunned by electronarcosis, captive-bolt shot to the brain, or gas, as is common practice in modern animal slaughter, for this would inflict such injuries to the animal rendering the shechita invalid. After shechita the shochet may feel the area around the lungs, for scabbing or lesions, which would render the animal not kosher.

• Only acceptable means of slaughter are

• slitting the throat to drain the blood.

• The comparable practice in Islam is halal.

Religion=Islam

Followers = Muslims

Allah means God in Arabic

fig_07_04

Diffusion of Muslim Religion, 630-1600 AD

from the Holy City of Mecca

Muslim Rule includes many nationalities

of people including Arabs, African Blacks,

and Asians in Indonesia/Malaysia

Asians

Blacks

Arabics

Divisions within Islam • Sunnis versus Shi’ites

– Split over issue of successor to Muhammad

– 85% of Muslims are Sunni – Shi’ites are dominant in:

• Iran

• Iraq

• Azerbaijan

• Religious revivalism – Iranian revolution (1979)

– Wahhabism (Saudi Arabia)

– Al Qaeda and Usama Bin Laden

Sunni

Muslim

Shia

Muslim

Christian

Buddhist &

Chinese

Hindu

Judaism

(Israel) Orthodox

Catholic

Distribution of Sunni and Shia factions of Islam

Shia

Basic Tenets of Islam • Muhammad (571–632 A.D.) is the final and greatest

prophet

• Quran (Koran) is the holy book

• Five Pillars of Faith – 1 The Shahada, also spelled shahadah, (Arabic: aš-šahāda as-

shahadah.ogg audio (help·info) from the verb šahida "to testify") is the Islamic creed. The Shahada is the Muslim declaration of belief in the oneness of God and acceptance of Muhammad as his prophet.

– 2 Frequent prayer; face the holy city of Mecca (5 times per day)

– 3 Most holy of all celebrations is Ramadan, a month of daytime fasting; no food or water during daylight hours for the month; culminated with the Feast; usually occurs in Nov. – Dec.; dates are set by the lunar calendar (as are Jewish, Chinese, and Hindu holidays) which is 11 days shorter (than the Gregorian calendar used in the western world) so the dates vary by year.

– 3 Alms-giving to the poor;

– 4 Lifetime goal is a pilgrimage to the Hajj in Mecca, the most sacred place

Thousands of Muslims circle the Kabaa inside and outside the Grand Mosque during Eid al-Fitr morning

prayers in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Hundreds of thousands of Muslims perform the early morning Eid Al-Fitr

prayers at the al-Haram Grand Mosque in the Saudi holy city of Mecca. The

three-day festival marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Tens of thousands of Muslim pilgrims pray inside the Grand Mosque, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Nov. 4, 2011. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws three million visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. The Hajj will begin on November 5. Photo: Associated Press, Hassan Ammar / Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.

Egyptian kindergarten children of the Degla Azharian language school in Cairo, Egypt, stamp their mock passports Nov. 3, 2011, as they wear white robes to simulate a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia to attend the Hajj. Photo: Associated Press, Amr Nabil / AP

A crowd of Muslim pilgrims make their way to throw cast stones at a pillar, symbolizing the stoning

of Satan, in a ritual called "Jamarat," the last rite of the annual hajj, in Mina near the Saudi holy city

of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 8, 2011. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws 2.5 million visitors each

year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. Photo: Associated Press, Hassan Ammar / AP

Aug 2 2011 HAMAD OLAYAN / Getty

Asian and Arabs workers crowd a food distribution counter at a

local mosque, as they ready to break their fast on the second day

of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Riyadh. During the

month devout Muslims must abstain from food, drink and sex

from dawn until sunset, when they break the fast with the meal

known as "Iftar".

Aug 12 2011 Pavel Rahman / Associated Press

BANGLADESHI MUSLIMS ATTEND FRIDAY PRAYER AT BAITUL

MUKARRAM NATIONAL MOSQUE IN DHAKA. MUSLIMS THROUGHOUT

THE WORLD ARE MARKING THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN,

WHERE OBSERVANTS FAST FROM DAWN TILL DUSK.

A curtain separates men from women

during prayer ceremonies.

In nearly two-thirds of American

mosques, female worshipers are

required to pray behind a partition, or

in balconies or rooms that are

separate from the main congregation

hall.

The walls that segregate Muslim men

from women inside many American

mosques took a long time to go up,

and it could be a long time before they

come down.

Muslims at GRB

Convention Ctr

Newly constructed

Mosques in

Houston and at GRB Convention Ctr.

Surrounded by his family Kamil Abood, 57, prays as the Iraqi

refugee prepares to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, a three-day festival

marking the end of Ramadan, in their southwest apartment.

Mayra Beltran: Houston Chronicle

Hamed Meegel, 41, embraces son Natheer Suied, 2, as the Iraqi refugee family with

seven children prepares to celebrate their first Eid al-Fitr, a three-day festival marking

the end of Ramadan, in America.

Muslim families in Houston celebrate their holidays with

food and fellowship just as any other American family.

Mayra Beltran: Houston Chronicle

Safa Suied, 10, father Hamed Meegel, 41, and daughter Marwa Suied, 12, eat

lunch at neighbors apartment as the Iraqi refugee family with seven children

prepares to celebrate their first Eid al-Fitr in America at their southwest.

Mayra Beltran: Houston Chronicle

Zahraa Awda and Safa Suied eat lunch at neighbors' apartment as the Iraqi refugee

familiy prepares to celebrate their first Eid al-Fitr, a three-day festival marking the

end of Ramadan, in America at their southwest apartment.

Zahraa Awda, 8, and sister Safaa Awda, 17, pray as the Iraqi

refugee family with six children prepares to celebrate Eid al-

Fitr, a three-day festival marking the end of Ramadan.

Ala is the Turkish equivalent of

Vogue Magazine featuring fashion

for veiled women of Muslim faith.

Daniel Etter for The New York Times: The magazine Ala (A

Fashion Magazine Unshy About Baring a Bit of Piety)

uses Eastern European models, including this woman

from Ukraine and Moldovia, partly because their pay is

relatively low.

After Winning The Vote, A Saudi Princess Fights For Women's Right To Drive

• Saudi Arabia‟s King Abdullah ruled that the nation‟s women would be allowed, for the first time, to vote and run in local elections beginning in 2015.

• Call it a pre emptive „Arab Autumn‟ strike by Saudi Arabia‟s ruler King Abdullah to stave off any potential protests, call it what you like but what is distinctly poignant about this new vote is that for the first time women in the Kingdom will be able to vote and run in municipal elections.

• However, Saudi women are still denied the basic rights to drive and to leave the country without permission.

• Women must also be chaperoned by a male (husband or oldest son) for almost any type of public activity.

• “Arab Spring” in other countries has pressured leaders to make landmark reforms in all areas.

Princess

Ameerah Al-Taweel

•By Assaad Abboud From: AFP September 26, 2011

St. Thomas grad faces whipping for driving in

Saudi Arabia By LINDSAY WISE,

HOUSTON CHRONICLE December 6, 2011

Her driving violation and inevitable arrest was deliberate to help promote rights for women. After living in Houston for 10 years, she recognized the value of basic civil rights and the repression others suffer.

In countries where there are laws, it is driving the practice underground and across borders, says UNIFEM (United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women). West African nationals don’t need passports and visas to travel in the region, so the families can easily take the girls across the border.

People deny that the practice continues and group excisions are no longer announced in the market. But it still happens, and it travels wherever people think it will not be punished or noted.

"We think it is getting worse," said a specialist in

sexual violence with UNIFEM in Burkina Faso.

“The ideal situation to excise their daughters in plain view“ says the study.

In Mali, where there are NO laws to protect women, an estimated 89-94% of girls still suffer genital mutilation.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a dangerous and irreversible practice which has severe repercussions on the physical, mental and psychosocial health of the girls affected.

Despite being recognized across the world as a form of violence against women, because the tradition is deeply rooted within certain cultures it is still a widespread practice.

6/6/2003 Muslim woman cannot wear veil in US driver's license photo

ORLANDO (AP) — A Florida judge ruled Friday that a Muslim woman cannot wear a veil in her driver's license photo, agreeing with state authorities that the practice could help terrorists conceal their identities.

Anti-Muslim sentiment has grown dramatically in America despite the Constitution's guarantee of

freedom of religion and separation of church and state.

• Pamela Geller, anti-Muslim blogger extraordinaire, sounded the alarm today over the latest “Islamization of America” outrage. She discovered that Butterball whole turkeys are certified halal, and in this she sees the latest example of “stealth” infiltration of Islam into all things American (read: non-Muslim). This Thanks-giving, she frets, the jihad starts with what’s on your table.

• Boycott Butterball, she wrote, because: Turkeys that are halal certified — who wants that, especially on a day on which we are giving thanks to God for our freedom?

• [This author is promoting fear, prejudice, and hate because Muslims can eat the same foods as Christians.]

Thanksgiving dinner or stealth jihad?

A blogger is calling for a Butterball boycott since its turkeys are halal and certified for American Muslims to eat. November 24, 2011

What is Halal Food? By Saad Fayed, About.com Guide

In Arabic, the word halal means permitted or lawful. Halal foods are foods that are allowed under

Islamic dietary guidelines. Halal is one of the most humane methods of animal slaughter. Muslims are

taught through the Qu'ran that all animals should be treated with respect and well cared for. The goal is

to slaughter the animal, limiting the amount of pain the animal will endure. When an animal is

slaughtered, the jugular vein is cut and the blood is allowed to drain from the animal. Remember,

Muslims are prohibited from consuming animal blood.

These prohibited foods and ingredients are called haram, meaning forbidden in Arabic.

Muslims are taught through the Qu'ran that all animals should be treated with respect and well cared

for. The goal is to slaughter the animal, limiting the amount of pain the animal will endure.

When an animal is slaughtered, the jugular vein is cut and the blood is allowed to drain from the

animal. Remember, Muslims are prohibited from consuming animal blood. According to these

guidelines gathered from the Qu'ran, Muslim followers cannot consume the following:

•pork or pork by products

•animals that were dead prior to slaughtering

•animals not slaughtered properly or not slaughtered in the name of Allah

•blood and blood by products

•alcohol

•carnivorous animals

•birds of prey

•land animals without external ears (snakes, reptiles, worms, insects)

HINDUISM: India • The world’s oldest religion

• Diffused south and east down the Ganges

• Absorbed and eventually supplanted earlier native religions and customs

• More than just a religion, but a complete way of life

– Intricate web of religious, philosophical, social, economic, and artistic elements

– No common creed

– No single doctrine

– No direct divine revelation

– No rigid narrow moral code

RELIGIOUS CONTRASTS

• ISLAM – Monotheistic

– No idols

– One sacred book (Koran)

– Uniform dogma - 5 pillars

– Intolerant (of other religions)

– Eat beef/Sacrifice cows

– Bury Dead

– Social Equality (in theory)

– Theocratic society

• HINDUISM – Polytheistic

– Many idols

– Various sacred writings

– Varying beliefs

– Absorbed other religions

– Venerate cows

– Burn dead

– Caste system

– “State” of secondary importance

Buddhist &

Chinese

Hindu

MAJOR TENETS OF HINDUISM

• Three main ideas are important in

understanding the Hindu religion and the caste

system

–Reincarnation

–Karma

–Dharma

REINCARNATION • Every living thing has a soul.

• When a living thing dies, its soul

moves into another living creature.

• Souls are reborn in a newly created

life.

KARMA • Every action brings about certain

results.

• There is no escaping the consequences

of one’s actions.

• Good behavior is rewarded when the

soul is reborn into a higher-ranking

living creature.

DHARMA

• A set of “rules” that must be

followed by all living things if they

wish to work their way up the

ladder of reincarnation.

• Each person’s dharma is different.

• Puja or worship

• Cremation of the dead

• Regulations of the caste system

THREE BASIC PRACTICES

Caste System • Castes are hereditary systems of occupation,

endogamy, social culture, social class, and political power., the assignment of individuals to places in the social hierarchy is determined by social group and cultural heritage. Although India is often now associated with the word "caste", it was first used by the Portuguese to describe inherited class status in their own European society.

• Discrimination based on caste is prevalent mainly in parts of Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Japan) and Africa. UNICEF estimates that

discrimination based on caste affects 250 million people worldwide.

HINDU DEVOTEES ARRIVE AT THE RIVER GANGES TO TAKE A BATH DURING THE KUMBH MELA FESTIVAL IN HARIDWAR. THE KUMBH MELA, WORLD'S LARGEST RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL, WHICH IS HELD EVERY THREE YEARS AND ROTATES AMONG FOUR INDIAN CITIES, ATTRACTS HUGE CROWDS OF DEVOTEES WHO BELIEVE A DIP IN THE RIVER CLEANSES THEM OF SIN AND FREES THEM FROM THE CYCLE OF LIFE AND REBIRTH.

Himalayan Mountains &

Ganges River Valley

Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years occurs. Millions bathe in the sacred waters of the Ganges River at Allahabad. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A Hindu devotee takes a holy bath at "Sangam," the meeting point of Indian holy rivers of Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, on occasion of "Paush Purnima," considered to be very auspicious according to Hindu calendars, during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013.

Devotees wash themselves in the waters of the Ganges believing that it washes away their sins and ends the process of reincarnation.

Up to 50 million Hindus will make the pilgrimage to the Indian city of Haridwar where, during the course of the three-month-long

Kumbh Mela festival, the faithful will take a spiritually cleansing bath in the heaadwaters of the Ganges River. (Arden Farhi/CBS)

Hindu Temple, Stafford, TX

Hindu Temple Pearland, TX

17130 McLean Rd

Hinduism

17130 McLean Rd.

Pearland, TX 77584

Phone: 281-489-0358

Website:

www.meenakshi.org

Sri Meenakshi Devasthanam

Pearland, TX

Sri Meenakshi Devasthanam

Pearland, TX

Sikhism, was established in the 15th C.

and is more progressive than Hinduism:

• Equality of races

• Equality of genders

• Rejection of image-worship

• Rejection of the caste system.

A turban or Dastaar is a mandatory headgear for the religious order of Sikhs. They are almost exclusively from the Punjab area of India and are not to be confused with

Muslims or Arabs.

Among the Sikhs, the turban is an article of faith that represents honor, self-respect, courage, spirituality, and piety. Some Sikhs wear the turban partly to cover their long, uncut hair. The turban is mostly identified with the Sikh males, although some Sikh women also wear turban.

There are approximately 30M Sikhs

in the world and 2/3 are in India.

The turban represents total commitment to the religion which emphasizes the union of the soul with God. A Sikh disciplines his thoughts and actions so that the five obstacles — lust, anger, greed, attachment, and ego — are dispelled and the soul is united with God. Sikhs believe that the cycle of reincarnation is escaped by this union.

Punjab

Indian Sikh schoolgirls laugh during a Sikh religious procession in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011. The procession was held to mark the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh guru, who was executed in 1675 in Delhi. Photo: Associated Press, Kevin Frayer / AP

OAK CREEK, Wis. (AP) — Shortly after the 2012 massacre in Aurora, an unidentified gunman killed six

people at a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee in a rampage that left terrified congregants hiding in closets and others texting friends outside for help. The suspect was killed outside the temple in a shootout with police officers. Sikhs are a branch of Hindus, very passive, and often mistaken for Muslims.

Members of the Sikh community came together with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee to discuss her letter to Attorney General Holder which asked for among other things a Federal Task Force to study recent and past attacks on the Sikh community and how these attacks can be stopped. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) Photo: Cody Duty / © 2011 Houston Chronicle

Sikhs, who joined U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, are calling for

more scrutiny of hate crimes. They say

Houston is unusually tolerant.

A devotee takes a ritual bath at the water tank of the illuminated Bangla Sahib Sikh temple on the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in New Delhi, India, Nov. 10, 2011. Sikhism was founded in the 15th century by Guru Nanak, who broke away from Hinduism, India's dominant religion. He preached the equality of races and genders, and the rejection of image-worship and the caste system. Photo: Associated Press, Gurinder Osan / AP

There are 7 sites for Sikh worship in

the Houston area. http://www.houstonsikhs.org

Gurdwara: (Gurmukhi: ) literally Guru's

portal/ abode / House or Door or

the place or worship. Sikhism,

has no room for symbolism or

ritualism; Sikhs have neither

idols nor altars in their

Gurdwara. They have no

sacraments and no priestly

order.

Gurdwara Sahib South West Houston Sugar Land

Congressman Ted Poe spoke

in 2008 at the Sikh Center 8819 Prairie Dr. Houston, TX 77064

ORIGINS AND SPREAD OF

BUDDHISM • Siddhartha Gautama (563 - 483 B.C.)

• Emperor Aśoka (3rd Century B.C.)

E. J. PALKA

Buddhist &

Chinese

Hindu

BUDDHISM • Adherents objected to harsher

strictures of Hinduism

• Focuses on knowledge,

especially self-knowledge

• Elimination of worldly desires,

determination not to hurt or kill

people or animals

E. J. PALKA

FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

• Sorrow and suffering are part of all life.

• People suffer because they desire things they cannot have.

• The way to escape suffering is to end desire,

to stop wanting, and to reach a stage

of not wanting.

• To end desire, follow the “middle path,” i.e., the path that avoids the extremes of too much pleasure and desire.

EIGHTFOLD PATH TO

“THE MIDDLE WAY”

• Right understanding

• Right purpose

• Right speech

• Right conduct

• Right means of earning a living

• Right effort

• Right awareness

• Right meditation

FALL OF BUDDHISM

ON THE SUBCONTINENT

• Hinduism - broad and tolerant, accepting many of the teachings of Buddha

• Buddhists in India - willing to compromise with the beliefs and customs of Hinduism

• Final blow - 8th century - arrival of Islam

-- Destroyed the great Buddhist monasteries

-- Burned libraries

-- Killed monks

• Today - only 1 million Buddhists in India

The 14th Dalai Lama (in reign since 1950), Tenzin Gyatso lectured at Rice University on May 1, 2007. He talked about “The Meaning of Compassion in Everyday Life” and in another unit about “Tolerance and Universal Responsibility”.

The Dalai Lama is the highest lama of

Tibetan Buddhism originating in the

14th C. In religious terms, the Dalai

Lama is believed by his devotees to be

the rebirth of a long line of tulkus who

are considered to be manifestations of

the bodhisattva of compassion,

Avalokiteśvara.

Traditionally, the Dalai Lama is thought

of as the latest reincarnation of a series

of spiritual leaders who have chosen to

be reborn in order to enlighten others.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989,

and is also well known for his lifelong

advocacy for Tibetans inside and

outside Tibet.

Chinese folk artists perform the lion dance at a temple fair to celebrate the Lunar New Year of Dragon on January 22, 2012 in Beijing, China. Falling on January 23 this year, the Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, which is based on the Lunisolar Chinese calendar, is celebrated from the first day of the first month of the lunar year and ends with Lantern Festival on the Fifteenth day. Photo: Getty Images, Feng Li / 2012 Getty Images

Gaelyn Godwin, center, chants as she balances her new robe on her head Saturday before ascending to the teaching seat during a ceremony marking her elevation to abbot of the Houston Zen Center. Photo: Nick De La Torre / © 2012 Houston Chronicle

The Houston Zen Center, at 1605 Heights Boulevard, a 1918 home designed by Alfred C. Finn, will host a series of design workshops.

Houston Zen Center

welcomes new abbot

By Joshua Mann April 7, 2012

About 100 Buddhists, many of whom wore traditional robes, sat in near-perfect silence outside the Houston Zen Center Saturday to watch Gaelyn Godwin "ascend the mountain" from abiding teacher to the center's abbot.

A procession of about 20 people on Heights Boulevard, led by Godwin's grandchildren, walked with the abbot to the newly named Auspicious Cloud Temple on Heights Boulevard amid chimes, gongs, drum beats and the smell of incense.

Founded in the late 1980s, the Houston Zen Community was a peer-led Zen Buddhist community until Godwin arrived in 2003 to become the abiding teacher.

American Bodhi Center (Buddhist Temple) 29123 Mellman Road, Hempstead, Texas 77445

You Ren, a Buddhist nun, follows chants during the Chung-Mei Buddhist Temple's Chinese New Year Eve Prayer & Peace Lantern Festival, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in Stafford. The Temple has scheduled special Dharma functions to be held on January 29, 2012 to pray for world peace, blessings, and good fortune in the coming year. Photo: Houston Chronicle, Nick De La Torre / © 2012 Houston Chronicle

A big wooden drum is one of several instruments used for chanting services at the Chung-Mei Buddhist Temple.

The Temple has scheduled special Dharma functions to be held on January 29, 2012 to pray for world peace, blessings, and good fortune in the coming year.

The Homage to Thousand Buddhas Ceremony will also be held and the Light Offering Dharma Service will be February 5th.

Photo: Houston Chronicle, Nick De La Torre / © 2012 Houston Chronicle

Lunar New Year

http://www.chron.com/news/photogallery/local_lunar_new_year.html