Religions of The World

Religion – an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, practices and worship that

centers on one or more gods

Who are we?Why are we here?

Do we live after death?What are we suppose to do while we are on earth?

Who do we follow? What laws should we live by?

What should we believe?

World Religions:5 Major Religions

CHRISTIANITY, JUDAISM, HINDUISM, ISLAM, BUDDHISM

• One God or Many Gods?• Monotheism :

“Mono” means ONE• Polytheism:

“Poly” means MANY“theism” means BELIEF IN GOD

ChristianityGOD OR GODS?

Monotheism!One God- “The Father” “The Lord” “God”Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth.

SACRED TEXTS?

The Bible!It’s made up of the:Old Testament (Jewish History) New Testament (Teachings of Jesus)

Christianity IMPORTANT PEOPLE:

Who Teaches it?

Teachers: Priests and The Pope (Leader) !

Most important figures? Who do you think of when you think of this religion?

Jesus ChristJesus is the “son” of GodGiven birth by “The Virgin Mary”According to the scripture, she gave birth to Jesus in a stable (farm barn) as a young virgin because God put the child inside her so that Jesus may grow up to teach the words of the Lord. In the middle of his life, he was accused of lying and people did not want to keep teaching so he was hung on a cross and died. After many days, he his body and soul “rose” from the dead and descended into heaven and Jesus forgave the people for killing him. He said they did not know better and they were sinners and he will always forgive humans sins. He also promised to one day return to earth.

CHRISTMAS: CELEBRATION OF JESUS’ BIRTHDAYEASTER: CELEBRATION JESUS ROSE FROM DEAD

ChristianityOther IMPORTANT PEOPLE?

Saints!Jesus’s followers (normal human men) that listened to Jesus and spread his teachings and wrote many of their experiences, stories, and letters in the Bible. The Bible is organized by their names and what they said about Jesus and God.

Moses- gave people 10 commandments. Peter, Paul, Abraham… many of them!

ChristianityWhat does the members BELIEVE IN/ FOLLOW?

Their Law is the:TEN COMMANDMENTS!

HINT: It’s their “law”! "And God spoke all these words, saying: 'I am the LORD your God…”

ONE: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.' TWO: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.' THREE: 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.' FOUR: 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.' FIVE: 'Honor your father and your mother.' SIX: 'You shall not murder.' SEVEN: 'You shall not commit adultery.' EIGHT: 'You shall not steal.' NINE: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.' TEN: 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.'

Christianity

Follow the ten commandments! Praying, ritual, attending Church! Keep the “Sabbath day” holy aka Sunday! Aka:DAY OF REST, PRAYER, CHURCH.. RELIGIOUS DAY.commemorates God's day of rest after six days of creationSpread the name of the Lord! Aka:Tell other people about your religion and beliefs… in hope of getting more members!Follow in Jesus’ footsteps! Aka: Do the right thing!

What must you do to PRACTICE the religion?

There are7 Sacraments:

FIRST: Baptism- holy water on head..welcome into Catholic church.

IMPORTANT Sacraments::Confirmation- adult in church “accepts” the religion as a member through their own faith and not just baptism.

:MarriageLAST: Death & Mourning

ChristianityWho are HUMANS? How does the religion view us?

Humans are Children of God. Humans are sinners. [We all do bad things, no one is perfect]Jesus forgives peoples sins.Therefore, we are all loved by God.We are expected to Worship one God. We are expected to “do what Jesus would do” Example- love others, forgive, etc…

ChristianityWhat happens to us when we DIE?

Physical Body dies.Soul exists beyond death. The soul is judged at death.Goal: Reach salvation: heaven (good souls, righteous people) And others go to hell (bad souls).

JudaismGOD OR GODS?

Monotheism!One God- “God” The Creator of the World.

SACRED TEXTS?

Hebrew Bible! (also known as the Tanakh) The Torah:first 5 books of the Hebrew BibleContains the commandments

Judaism IMPORTANT PEOPLE:

Who Teaches it?

Teachers: Rabi !

Most important figures? Who do you think of when you think of this religion?

Jacob- called Israel, and his descendents were promised to be watched after by God as long as they obey God. Moses- led the Jewish out of Egypt, through God he gave people “the law” of the Ten Commandments

JudiasmWhat does the members BELIEVE IN/ FOLLOW?

Their Law is the:TEN COMMANDMENTS!

HINT: It’s their “law”!….. TOO!

Eat “Kosher”-strict dietary laws--forbids the eating of “unclean” animals such as pigs or shellfish.

Judaism

Follow the ten commandments! Praying, ritual, attending Synogogue!Shabbat, the weekly day of rest lasting from shortly before sundown on Friday night to nightfall Saturday night.commemorates God's day of rest after six days of creation.

What must you do to PRACTICE the religion?

There are Rites of Passage:

FIRST: Brit Milah-Welcoming male babies circumcision on their eighth day of life.

IMPORTANT::Bar mitzvah and Bat mitzvah

- from childhood to adulthood :Marriage

LAST: Death and Mourning.

JudaismWho are HUMANS? How does the religion view us?

Humans are Children of Israel.God commanded the nation of Israel to love and worship only one God; that is, the Jewish nation is to reciprocate God's concern for the world (aka do as God would do). He also commanded the Jewish people to love one another; that is, Jews are to imitate God's love for people.

Holidays!Passover: celebrates when the Israelis were free from slavery in EgyptRosh Hashanah: Jewish New Year!Yom Kippur -Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year when people seek forgiveness from God. Fasting and prayer.

JudaismWhat happens to us when we DIE?

Death is not the end of human existence. The Torah says that the righteous will be judged by God and in return, they will be reunited with their loved ones after death.Meanwhile, the wicked will be excluded from this reunion.

HinduismGOD OR GODS?

Polytheism!Many Gods; hundreds and hundreds.. Most known three:Brahman= most divine God, most importantShiva= destroyerVishnu= preserver of the Universe

SACRED TEXTS?

The Vedas-ancient prayers (written in Sanskrit)Ramayana (story of a God)

Hinduism IMPORTANT PEOPLE:

Who Teaches it?

Teachers: Brahman.. Most elite class of people in Hindu society

Important Holidays!

Diwali -Hindu New YearFestival of Holi -Triumph of good over evil

Pilgrimage to the Ganges River in India -Hindus believe the river has healing powers. They travel to the river to be healed of all types of

problems.

HinduismWhat does the members BELIEVE IN/ FOLLOW?

Their Code of Behavior= dharma!-It defines your place in society, your duties as a human. -Live a righteous life through dedication, practice= good dharma-Live selfishly and do not follow the religion= bad dharmaKarma- consequences for your actions

Hinduism

tradition, ritual, attending temples, praying in homes!Practice Yoga:Yoga-purify, refine the mind. Way to get closer to Gods.Karma Yoga- living through the right actionsBhakti yoga- living through the right worship, love and devotionJnana yoga-living through the right wisdomRaja yoga - living through meditation and prayer

What must you do to PRACTICE the religion?

HinduismWho are HUMANS? How does the religion view us?

The Divine essence within all human beings is called Atman.It means infinite, eternal, God is present in our creation. According to the religion there is Four Social Positions that all followers belong to:1. Brahmins- priests, teachers of the religion. 2. Kshatriyas- ruler, soldiers.3. Vaishyas- merchants.4. Shudras- workers, common folk.

HinduismWhat happens to us when we DIE?

Meaning: Free from earthly desires.

It is a process of reincarnation (being born again into another body) based on how good/bad a person was.They are judged. Depending on a person’s actions/living in life- depends on if they are born a step up or down the social ladder in their next life.Ex: Brahmin down to a Kshatriya.

The goal is to be a better person in every life and eventually one will make their way up the Hindu social ladder- eventually reaching Brahmin status (a preist, teacher of Hinduism) and in their final death become “Enlightened” to be one without any suffering, not on Earth, with God(s).

Try to reach Enlightenment!

IslamGOD OR GODS?

Monotheism!One God- Allah

SACRED TEXTS?

Qur’an-scripture Sunnah- words and deeds of Muhammad

Who’s Muhammad?.........

Islam IMPORTANT PEOPLE:

Who Teaches it?

Teacher & Leader: Imam !

Most important figures? Who do you think of when you think of this religion?

Last prophet= MuhammadHe had a revelation from God in the form of the angel, Gabriel, and was told there was no other God but Allah, and all should live to please Allah.Islam was founded on the words of Muhammad.

IslamWhat does the members BELIEVE IN/ FOLLOW?

5 Pillars of Faith: 1. Allah is the one true God.2. Prayer Five times a day.3. Charity and Giving to the poor4. Fasting (not eating) During Ramadan,5. Make a Pilgrimage (religious journey) to Mecca.

Also:Believe in angels and have prophets sent by God like in Christianity and Judaism.

Islam

Prayer, ritual, tradition in a Mosque.Islam means surrender, submission, commitment, peace through submission to God. Believing in one God as the almighty. Performing good deeds will get a follower closer to God because man's deeds shape and mould his spirit- improving it.

What must you do to PRACTICE the religion?

Islamic Holidays!Id al-Fitr

=End of Ramadan Fasting Eid al-Adha

=End of Islamic calendar

IslamWho are HUMANS? How does the religion view us?

Followers are called Muslims.

Humans should practice rightful living to improve their spirit. A person’s actions in life shape their spirit and better spirits are closer to God.

IslamWhat happens to us when we DIE?

Muslims believe that the present life is a trial in preparation for the next realm of existence.There is a day of judgement.Human beings not only have a body, but also has a 'spirit' given to him or her by God. During death the person’s spirit is judged by their good deeds or bad deeds and goes on into life after death.

BuddhismGOD OR GODS?

No God.

SACRED TEXTS?

Ripitaka- “the three baskets” scripture It has Buddha’s saynas and rules for monks (strict followers of the religion)

Holidays!

Buddha's Birthday is known as Vesak

Bodhi Day (Enlightenment Day)Bodhi Day honours the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama

Buddhism IMPORTANT PEOPLE:

Who Teaches it?

Teacher & Leader: Dalai LamaHead of Buddhist Church !

Most important figures? Who do you think of when you think of this religion?

Buddha (originally named Siddartha) = not a God, he was a messenger .

The Buddha explicitly rejects a creator of the world.Like Muhammad in Islam- Buddha spreads the wisdom

of his spirituality.

His name means “the enlightened one”

BuddhismWhat does the members BELIEVE IN/ FOLLOW?

Purpose of Living is to: Detach (seperate oneself from) worldly goods and desires.

Believe in Four Noble Truths1. Life as we know it ultimately is or leads to suffering (dukkha) in one way or another.2. Suffering is caused by craving/desire. (aka being greedy)3. Suffering ends when desire ends. This is achieved through enlightenment.4. This liberated state is achieved by following the path laid out by the Buddha.

Eight Fold Path: A path to living right. As Buddha outlined.1. Right understanding 2. Right intention 3. Right speech 4. Right action 5. Right livelihood 6. Right effort 7. Right mindfulness 8. Right meditation9. Superior right 10. Superior right liberation

Buddhism

Praying, fasting (not eating for periods of time).

Meditation- look within oneself for truth

5 Precepts (Laws!)1. To refrain from taking life 2.To refrain from taking that which is not given 3. To refrain from sensual misconduct 4. To refrain from lying 5. To refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness

What must you do to PRACTICE the religion?

BuddhismWho are HUMANS? How does the religion view us?

Life is suffering.

Humans – if they live through the right actions to eliminate suffering.

A human is: one of the realms of rebirth in which attaining Nirvana is possible

What’s Nirvana?...........

BuddhismWhat happens to us when we DIE?

You are Reborn.Goal: reach nirvana which happens after death when a soul obtains the highest wisdom and enlightenment “one with God”

It is only possible for believers, rightful living- to grow in spirituality so that one day, when reborn, a person can get to Nirvana.

Compare/ContrastNow that you have learned about 5 major world religions……..

Tell me:How are they similar?

How are they different?

?

Christianity Judaism

Compare• Monotheistic- One God • God is the Creator of the World• Moses gave people the 10 commandments• God spoke to the Saints • Love, trust/believe• Follow the 10 commandments as their law• Praying, ritual, attending place of worship• Keep one holy day in a week• Sacraments and Rites of Passage are human’s steps in life• Humans are children of God• People should Love and worship one God• Live as God would want you to (imitate God’s ways)• Souls Exist beyond death• Souls are judged• Good souls go on to a better place

Christianity Hinduism

Compare• Priests teach the religion• Live righteously..do the right thing• Prayer, ritual, attending a place of worship• God created the world• Love, trust/believe• Leaders, teachers, holy books• Soul exists beyond death• Soul is judged• A good soul goes on to a better situation after death

Christianity Islam

Compare• Monotheism- One God.• God spoke to prophets explaining his existence, prophets are God’s

messengers• Messenger of God- spread the word of God and is the famous figure of the

religion (Jesus, Muhammad)• God created the world, all powerful• Belief that there is no other God but one God, and one God should be

worshipped.• Prayer, ritual,• Love, trust/believe• Living righteously = better spirit (soul)= closer to God• Souls are judged • Living righteously = better situation after death

Christianity Buddhism

Compare

• There is a messenger of God• Righteous living is outlined in their laws (8 fold path and 10 commandments)• 5 precepts and 10 commandments – do not kill, sensual wrongness,

stealing…• Love, trust/believe• Right actions = spiritual growth= closer to God

Judaism Hinduism

Compare• Live righteously = follow God’s ways• People will be watched over by the Gods if they live right and follow the right

path in life• Spirit within human beings that is shaped by God and our actions• Love and trust/believe• Go through paths in life to reach righteous living through dedication and

tradition• Soul judged after death• Soul has a better experience after death for doing the right thing during our

time on earth• Lots of tradition to follow “yoga, kosher foods, etc.”

Judaism Islam

Compare• Monotheism- One God• Worship only one God as the almighty- creator of the world• Learned about God through Prophets who heard God and spread the word• Prayer, doing the right thing• Being submissive, committed towards God through tradition and righteous

living• Love, trust/believe• Leaders, teachers, holy books• Good deeds= closer to God= improve spirit• Spirit is judged and goes on to a better situation if it was a good soul

Judaism Buddhism

Compare• There was a messenger of God• Living right, following law (10 commandments and 8 fold path) gets a soul

closer to God= improved spirit= go on to have a better experience after death• 5 precepts and 10 commandments – do not kill, sensual wrongness,

stealing…• Love, trust/believe

Hinduism and Buddhism

Compare• Do not believe in One God• Place in society is shaped by a person’s rightful actions which will eliminate

“suffering or bad karma”• Outline on what actions a follower HAS to do: 5 pillars , all the types of yoga.• Praying, fasting, ritual, tradition, love, dedication• Reach enlightenment= no suffering, with God, a higher existence than life on

earth, it is achieved through a scale system (better, more righteous you are –the closer you are to enlightenment) to get to the top (nirvana, enlightenment)

Hinduism Islam

Compare• Code of behavior/living righteously that is expected to be followed• Being submissive, committed towards God through tradition and righteous

living• Love, trust/believe• Leaders, teachers, holy books• Good deeds= closer to God= improve spirit• Spirit is judged and goes on to a better situation if it was a good soul

Buddhism Islam

Compare• Messenger of God- spread the word of God and is the famous figure of the

religion (Muhammad, Buddha)• There are paths that must be followed (5 pillars, 8 fold path)• Being submissive, committed towards God through tradition and righteous

living• Love, trust/believe• Good deeds= closer to God= improve spirit• Spirit is judged and goes on to a better situation if it was a good soul