Download The Five Major Religions

The Five Major Religions
Restrictions on Religion by the
Governments of World Countries
Christianity
Judaism
Islam
Buddhism
Hinduism
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Compare and contrast the elements of the
five major world religions
More than 730 Religions which have
broken out into more than 4,200 branches
Social Hostilities Involving Religion
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Learning about
religions will help us
understand each
other better. If we
understand each
other better, we
may be able to
avoid conflicts and
come to peaceful
resolutions.
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Beginnings of Religions
Religion by the Numbers
Religion Distribution
Christianity
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The early Hebrews who eventually developed
into the Jewish religion became the foundation
of Christianity.
Jesus, or the Messiah, was a Jewish boy who
disagreed with some of the Jewish principles of
his day began to profess a new way of thinking.
This eventually led to the beginning of the
Christian religion.
Christianity
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Christianity started about 2000 years ago
about the same time of Jesus.
The central point of Christian belief is that
God, the Father, entered into human
history as the Son, Jesus of Nazareth, and
arose as the Holy Spirit.
Christian Philosophy
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Monotheistic – One God
who is the Creator of the
universe. This one God
is also thought of as the
Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
Jesus is both fully man
and fully God. He was
born of the Virgin Mary ,
crucified, resurrected
from the dead, and
ascended to the Father.
Christian Philosophy
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Sin and Evil are
realities.
The Bible is the Holy
Book that records
God's revelation.
All believers are
promised life
everlasting.
The leader of
Christianity was Jesus,
and the followers were
his 12 disciples.
Christian Denominations
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Catholic
Protestant (Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist,
Pentecostal, etc.)
Orthodox
Others (Latter Day Saints/Mormon, NonTrinitarian/Unitarian, etc.)
What is
_______?
History
Christianity
Largest Monotheistic Religion
Jesus was born 2,000 years ago.
Christians are the
followers of Jesus Christ
religion with them as they
People brought
moved around the world.
Beliefs
Monotheism is the belief in one
God
Christians believe in the Trinity: father, son
holy spirit.
God
is all powerful
Believe Jesus died
Sin
on the cross.
is to turn your back on God.
, and
Sacred
Writings
Christianity
The Bible is a collection of sacred books and
writings.
Old & New Testaments
Places of
Worship
(Spiritual
Places)
Churches:
Share one way in which churches are decorated:
Practices
&
Traditions
A Sacrament is something you do to receive
a blessing
Holidays
Altar, Cross, Pews, Statues
Name another tradition of Christianity:
Baptism, confirmation, communion,
Prayer, Making sign of the cross
Christmas is the
Easter
birth of Jesus Christ.
is the holiest day of the Christian year.
Judaism
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People who practice in the religion JUDAISM are
called Jews.
JUDAISM was the first to teach belief in only
one God (Monotheistic).
Two other important religions developed from
Judaism: Christianity and Islam.
Judaism
 Jews think that God will
send a Messiah (a
savior) to unite them
and lead them in His
way.
 Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah.
The Jewish people do not agree; they anticipate
the Messiah’s arrival in the future.
 Judaism teaches that death is not the end and
that there is a world to come.
Judaism
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The "Torah," the first five books of the
Hebrew Bible, is the most important
Jewish scripture.
It contains the basic laws of Judaism.
Another important book is the "Talmud,"
serving primarily as a guide to the civil and
religious laws of Judaism.
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The Jewish house of
worship is called a
synagogue.
Rabbis (spiritual leaders)
conduct services, act as
interpreters of Jewish
laws, and deliver sermons.
Today there are over 18
million followers of
Judaism scattered
throughout the world. A
large number of those
people live in the Jewish
nation of Israel. Over six
million live in the United
States.
Judaism
Jewish Philosophy
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God is one and unique
God is the creator
God is lawgiver
God is judge
We have the obligation to worship
The Torah is God's law
The Messiah will come.
What is
_______?
History
Judaism
First Monotheistic Religion
Abraham lived over 4,000 years ago and is the
_ father of a great nation.
First religion to worship one god.
Moses
led the people out of Egypt to freedom.
The ten commandments are the laws
Jewish people.
Anti-Semitism is the
Israel
Beliefs
prejudice
of the
against Jews.
was founded as a homeland for Jews.
Hebrew language.
Important to learn the
Belief that Jews should live and act like God’s
people.
10 Commandments are the rules to live by.
Sacred
Writings
Places of
Worship
(Spiritual
Places)
Practices
&
Traditions
Judaism
Torah is The Jewish Laws/ how you should behave
The Talmud
is another sacred book.
A Temple and synagogue are places of prayer and study.
A Cantor sings or chants the prayers
A rabbi means teacher; he/she leads the services.
A light is always kept burning.
The prayer shawl is called the tallit
The Yarmulke is head covering
Kosher is a way to prepare food.
Tell what each holiday is:
Rosh Hashanah- New Year- repent sins
Yom Kippur- Atonement – make up for sins “fix it”
Holidays
Hanukkah- Victory in Israel – menorah
Passover- Freed from slavery
Islam
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ISLAM is the name given to the religion preached
by the prophet Muhammad in the 600s A. D.
Muslim is the name given to the people who
practice the Islam religion
The Islamic religion started in the area known as
Palestine in the year 600AD.
It has millions of followers, most of them in the
region north and east of the Mediterranean Sea.
Islamic Philosophy
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Allah, is the one Islamic God; Monotheistic
Muslims learn that life on earth is a period of
testing and preparation for the life to come.
Angels record good and bad deeds.
People should behave themselves and help
others, trusting in Allah's justice and mercy for
their reward.
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The holy book of Islam is
the "Koran" or Quran.
Muslims believe its words to
be those of Allah himself,
spoken to Muhammad by an
angel.
Muslims pray five times daily
in their mosques (churches).
While praying, they face the
holy city of Mecca (in SaudiArabia) and sometimes
kneel with faces to the
ground.
Islam
Islam
All Muslims are required to make a pilgrimage
(trip to a sacred place) to
Mecca at least once in
their lifetime.
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Dome of the Rock
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It was completed in 691-692,
making it the oldest existing
Islamic building in the world.
The Foundation Stone, is in
the center.
According to Islamic tradition,
this rock is the spot from
where Muhammad ascended to
Heaven .
According to Jewish tradition,
the stone is the site where
Abraham prepared to sacrifice
his son Isaac.
An Islamic shrine and
major landmark located on
the Temple Mount in
Jerusalem, Israel.
What is
_______?
History
Islam
Monotheistic; Muslims are the people who practice
Islam
Muhammad is the spiritual messenger.
Mecca is a city of great importance to the
Muslim people.
Palestine Country/land that was given to the Jews
Arabic is the language of the Muslim religion.
Beliefs
Allah is the name of the Islamic
God
Muslims dress the same to show we are all equal
in the eyes of
God.
Actions determine your after-life.
Islam
Sacred
Qur’an
(“Koran”) is written in Arabic
Writings
Mosque: Friday – holy day
Places of
Share some facts: Wash when enter; no shoes, boys &
Worship
girls apart, no statues or pictures
(Spiritual Five pillars are duties a Muslim must perform:
1. Testimony of faith
Places)
2. Pray
times a day facing Mecca
5
poor
3. Give $$ to the
Practices 4. FAST
&
5. Trip to Mecca
Traditions
leads prayer.
Imam
No alcohol or
pork
Holidays
is a holiday in which daytime fasting is
Ramadan
done for 1 month.
Eid-al-Fitr
exchanged.
is a holiday to end the fasting. Gifts are
Venn Diagram:
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
•Jesus is divine
•Trinity
•Sacraments
•Ordained Ministry
•No Sacred Language
•Church is Holy Building
•Weekly Holy Day is Sunday
•Salvation and Damnation
•Recitation of Creed
•Story of Jesus’ Life
•Liturgical practice of breaking bread
and wine
•Ongoing revelation
•One God- God of Abraham
•Special Relationship with God
•History of Ancient Hebrews
•Importance of Prophets
•Religion is Divided into groups
•Prayer occurs during religious service
•Services held in Holy Building
•Jerusalem is Holy City
•Arabic Sacred Language
•Mecca Holy City
•Muhammad Final Prophet
•Koran is Holy Book
•5 Pillars- To Attain Salvation
•God is Allah
•Mosque is Holy Building
•Friday prayer
•Hajj to Mecca
•Dietary Laws
•Fasting- Ramadan and
Yom Kippur
•Almsgiving
•Sacred Language
•Hebrew is Sacred
Language
•Canaan is Promised Land
•God is Adonai
•Synagogue is Holy
Building
•Holy Day is the Sabbath
(Friday Night to Saturday
Night)
Jerusalem: Whose Holy City?
Both groups claim this territory as their Holy Land.
The name Jerusalem itself is part
Arabic part Hebrew that means
city of peace.
Wailing wall = believed by
many people to be the
remains of one wall of a great
Jewish temple, which was torn
down by the Romans.
Buddhism
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Founding person of
Buddhism is Guatama, the
Buddha
The Dalai Lama is a Buddhist
monk who remains the
leader of the Tibetans.
Buddhism
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Buddhism is a major religion in China, Japan,
and Tibet.
Buddhism is the second fastest growing
religion. 488 million Buddhists worldwide*
The Major Philosophy of
Buddhism
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Love: without conditions
Compassion: or feeling at one with the person
who is suffering
Sympathetic Joy:Celebrate the happiness of
others, and do not resent their good fortune.
Impartiality: Treat everyone equally, and do not
use others for personal gain or to win approval.
The Major Philosophy of
Buddhism
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Buddhism states that existence is a
continuing cycle of death and rebirth
called reincarnation.
Each person's position in life is determined
by his or her behavior in the previous life.
This is known as their "karma" (also a
Hindu belief).
What is
_______?
History
Buddhism
Polytheistic – Many Gods
Guatama was a prince who started the religion
and became the Buddha
A Buddha is a god like figure who has reached
enlightenment – left cycle of rebirth
A Buddha has realized that sadness and
suffering is caused by wanting
Beliefs
Dharma
is the law of Buddhism.
Reincarnation is the belief that when you die
you are reborn again. The life form you take on
is determined by your actions on Earth or your
karma
Nirvana is the place you go when you
become a Buddha.
Sacred
Writings
Places of
Worship
(Spiritual
Places)
Practices &
Traditions
Sutras
Tripitaka
Shrines in your home
Temple Pagoda
Share some facts:
1. Dharma
wheels are used while praying.
2. Burn incense or candles, Buddha statues
3. Prayer Flags. Bodhi trees, lotus flowers
Four NOBLE Truths: desire or wanting creates
Show Compassion
No Gossip
No bullying
Put others First – think, speak, act
Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader.
Monks shave their heads.
Meditation is to free your mind of thought.
Holidays
O-bon : hang lanterns to guide spirits
Vesak
:Buddha’s birth, death, enlightenment.
Hinduism
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HINDUISM is one of the world's oldest
polytheistic religions.
Over 2/3's of the world's Hindus live in India;
large numbers reside in Africa also.
Hindu Beliefs
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Hindus believe in many gods, numbering into
the thousands.
They recognize one supreme god called
Brahman (the Absolute).
Hindus believe in a continuous process of rebirth
called "reincarnation."
Hindu Beliefs
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At death, the Hindu's deeds (karma) determine
what the next life will be.
Followers work to break this cycle--birth, death,
re-birth-- (referred to by writers as the "Wheel
of Life") and gain release.
The Hindu's soul then merges with Brahman in a
condition of spiritual perfection (moksha). This is
the goal of Hindus.
Hinduism
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Hinduism has many
sacred books, the
oldest being a series
called the "Vedas.“
Traditional Hindu
society was divided
into groups of four
classes (or varnas).
This was known as
the "caste system."
What is
_______?
History
India
practiced.
Hinduism
OLDEST; Polytheistic
is the country where Hinduism is primarily
Caste System divides people into classes and
doesn’t allow them to cross the lines.
Gandhi was a great leader who preached tolerance
and nonviolence.
Beliefs
Brahman is the divine God.
Vishnu and Shiva are also Gods.
Cows are believed to be sacred
eaten.
and beef is not
Moksha is when you have left the cycle of
reincarnation (samsara).
Sacred
Writings
Hinduism
are written in the language of Sanskrit.
Vedas
Upanishads
Temple called a Mandir. Share some facts:
Places of
Worship
(Spiritual
Places)
Practices
&
Traditions
No shoes; wash feet, bells, statues washed,
Flowers, incense, candles
Shrines can be found in a person’s home
The forehead is marked with a bindi –dot- or tilak to:
1. Good Luck; be humble
2. Before prayer
3. Marriage
Sacred River:
Ganges
Raksha Bandhan:
Honor your siblings
A Rakhi is a bracelet given to a sibling to show
commitment.
Holidays
Divali ;festival of lights to honor Lakshmi the
God of wealth & good fortune.
Holi ;return of spring
Religious Symbols
Christianity
Hinduism
Buddhism
Islam
Judaism
How much have you learned?
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Hopefully you understand religions better and
we can avoid conflicts and come to peaceful
resolutions.
Focus on similarities not differences.