Download Major World Religions

Major World Religions
Hinduism
 Founded c. 4000 to 2500 BCE in the Indus Valley
 Belief that everything is united in a totality called Brahman.
 Purpose of life is to realize that one is a part of God; thus releasing them from
worldly existence and joining them with God.
 This enlightenment can only be achieved through a process of death and rebirth, a
process known as samsara.
 The progress on one’s process toward enlightenment is measured by his karma;
an accumulation of his good and bad deeds throughout his life which determines
his next reincarnation state. Selfless, good-hearted acts can allow one to reach a
higher level in the next life, while evil deeds are punished by reincarnation as a
lower life.
 The result of the karma of one’s life determines their caste. The lowest level of
the caste system is the untouchables and the highest is the Brahmins. Only
Brahmins are allowed to perform Hindu religious rituals.
Judaism
 Founded c. 2000 BCE near Israel and Egypt.
 Derived from union (divine covenant) between the Ancient Israelites’ god and
Abraham, their earthly leader. Their next leader, Moses, led them out of Egypt
and was given the Law from God. Joshua then led them into the Promised Land in
Israel, establishing the Israelite kingdom with Saul as its first king. King David
established Jerusalem and King Solomon built Israel its first temple. In 70 CE,
Solomon’s temple was destroyed and the Jews were scattered around the world
until Israel was established in 1948.
 They believe in a single creator who is the absolute ruler of the universe.
 He rewards good deeds and punishes evil activity. The Torah was revealed to
Moses by God and cannot be changed. However, Jews do communicate with God
through earthly prophets.
 They believe in the inherent goodness of the world, and that people do not need a
savior to deliver them from original sin.
 They believe that the Messiah will return to earth and all Jews will be collected in
Israel and there will be a general resurrection of the dead. At this time, they
believe the Solomon’s temple will also be rebuilt.
Buddhism
 Founded between 560 and 490 BCE by Siddhartha Gautama, who assumed the title
Buddha and came up with the religions major beliefs.
 Buddha promoted the Middle Way of life, instead of relying on extreme methods
as a way toward enlightenment.
 Long after he died, his teachings were written down into what is now known as
the Triptaka.
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Like Hindus, Buddhists also believe that one must go through many cycles of life,
death, and reincarnation. After many such cycles, if one accepts the call to release
himself from worldly desire and self, one may attain Nirvana.
Buddhism has developed and spread throughout much of Asia, and today many
slightly different forms of the religion exist. These differences, however, do not
cause conflict because of the highly philosophical nature of Buddhism.
Confucianism
 Founded c. 500 BCE in Lu, China by K’ung Fu Tzu (aka Confucius)
 This religion strongly stresses individual morality and ethics, as well as proper
political ethics.
 It stresses the following values:
o Li: ritual, propriety, etiquette, etc.
o Hsiao: love among family members
o Yi: righteousness
o Xin: honesty and trustworthiness
o Jen: benevolence towards others; the highest Confucian virtue
o Chung: loyalty to the state, etc.
 Confucianism is not characterized, like other religions, by regular rituals. Instead,
it stresses the importance of major life milestones, such as birth, marriage,
maturity, and death.
Christianity
 Founded c. 30 CE by Jesus Christ in the Near East.
 Began as a breakaway sect of Judaism. Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary
and her husband Joseph, but conceived through the Holy Spirit.
 Jesus was bothered by some of the traditional Jewish practices and began
traveling and preaching a different message from God.
 He was joined by 12 disciples who followed him in his journey and learned much
from him. During this journey, Jesus performed multiple miracles and related his
teachings through the preaching of parables.
 He later revealed that he was the Son of God and had been sent by his Father to
deliver the world from original sin.
 He was punished to death by crucifixion by Pontius Pilate for these teachings, and
he died on the cross. Three days later, he rose from the dead and appeared to his
disciples and told them to continue to spread his message.
 Two primary differences between Christianity and Judaism:
o Christians believe in original sin and that Jesus delivered us from it
o Christians believe that Jesus was fully human and fully God
 They believe in the Holy Trinity: God the Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit.
 They believe that those who repent their sins before God sincerely will be joined
with God and Jesus in heaven. Belief in hell and Satan differ among Christians.
 Today, there are a myriad of different versions of Christianity in the world.
Islam
 Founded in 622 CE by Muhammad the Prophet in Mecca.
 Muslims do not view their faith as different from that of the prophets Abraham,
David, Moses, and Jesus. They believe that Mohammad’s role was to clarify and
purify this faith by removing its erroneous teachings.
 Two sacred texts: the Qur’an and the Hadith. The former being the words of
Allah (the “One True God”) and the latter being the sayings of Mohammad.
 They believe in strict monotheism who is just, omnipotent, and merciful. They
believe that Satan drives people to sin, and that any nonbeliever or unrepentant
sinner will go to Hell for eternity. Those who repent their sins and submit to God
will return to a state of sinlessness and be delivered into Paradise for eternity.
 Alcohol, drugs, and gambling are prohibited under Muslim law.
 They reject the opinion that Jesus was divine or that he died on the cross to cure
earthly subjects of original sin.
 They must live their lives by the Five Pillars of Islam:
o Recite the shahadah at least once.
o Perform the salat (prayer) 5 times a day while facing the Kaaba in
Makkah.
o Donate regularly to charity via the zakat, a 2.5% charity tax, and through
additional donations to the needy.
o Fast during the month of Ramadan, the month that Muhammad received
the Qur'an from Allah.
o Make pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in life, if economically and
physically possible.