Download Five Major Religions

Five Major Religions
JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, HINDUISM,
ISLAM, BUDDHISM
Religion
 Most people on Earth have an organized culture.
One aspect of this culture is a type of religion. There
are many types of religions; however, due to time, we
will be studying the five major religions of the world.
 Religion has always been a very major part of
culture, influencing governments, families, daily
habits, and more. For ex. worshipping on Sunday,
cannot eat pork, praying five times a day.
Major Religions
Judaism
 Judaism first developed as a religion more than
3000 years ago. It was the world’s first religion
based on the God who set down laws about right and
wrong.
 The Israelites were related to other peoples of the
Fertile Crescent, but developed a unique culture.
They practiced monotheism whereas the people of
the Fertile Crescent practiced polytheism.
Judaism
The Jews originated from Abraham, a man called by
God to leave his home in Ur and go to a place called
Canaan. God told Abraham that his descendants
would be a great nation and own the land of Canaan
, or the Promised Land. This became a covenant , or
binding agreement with Abraham and God.
Judaism
 Most of what Jews believe about the origins of their
religion comes from the Torah, or the Pentateuch
which means penta=five, teuch = vessel, book or
tool. The Torah consists of the first five books of the
Hebrew Bible.
 Can you list them?
 In Genesis, it says that Abraham’s grandson Jacob
had twelve sons who made up the twelve tribes of
Israel. These people became known as the Israelites.
Judaism
 As time passed, the children of Abraham grew and
prospered. Unfortunately, a famine wiped out the
crops and the Israelites had to go to Egypt for help.
 After many years in Egypt a new ruler took the
Israelites into bondage and forced them to work as
slaves in Egypt for many years.
Judaism
 After many years, Moses rose up to lead the Jews out
of Egypt. Let’s read the story on page 122.
Judaism
 The God of the Hebrews forbade worshiping other
gods. This belief in one God set the Israelites apart
from other people living in the Fertile Crescent.
 Do you know why? Monotheism not polytheism.
 God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount
Sinai. These were 10 laws that made the core of
Jewish religion.
 The Sabbath was Israel’s day of rest and prayer.
What day is ours today?
The Kingdom of Israel
 According to the Bible, Israel became a powerful
kingdom under the leadership of King David. The
capital city was Jerusalem.
 David’s son Solomon, built a great temple in
Jerusalem and it was the center of both religious and
political life
Kingdoms of Israel
 After King Solomon’s death, the kingdom of Israel
split into two kingdoms:
 Northern Kingdom-Israel- was conquered by the
Assyrians.
 Southern Kingdom- Judah-was conquered by the
Babylonians.
 Resulting in the scattering of Jews to many parts of
the world is called Diaspora
Basic Teachings of Judaism
 Ethical monotheism- There is only one God
 Observance of law- the Hebrew Bible (Old
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Testament) and the Talmud (text concerning
commentaries about the Jewish laws).
Love for others- Love one another as you love
yourself.
Weekly day of rest- Sabbath
Commitment to study and prayer
Connection to the Land of Israel- Canaan, sacred
sites.
Hinduism
 The Aryans were a nomadic tribe that invaded the
people of India and settled in the Indus River valley
area. They composed a collection of spiritual hymns
and songs to religious worship called the Vedas. The
Vedas called upon people to make offerings to their
gods. The best known of the Vedas is the Rig Veda. It
includes more than 1000 hymns praising Aryan gods
and goddesses who represent the sky, sun, and fire.
Hinduism
 The Caste System-fixed social class into which a
person is born and which you would stay in your
entire life. It was grouped into two different ways –
occupational and religious.
 Occupational or jati meant birth group.
 Religious or Varnas was based on religious status.
The Caste System
 The Vedas identify four varnas, or caste groupings :
 Brahmins (priests)
 Kshatriyas (rulers and warriors)
 Vaishyas (landowners, bankers, merchants)
 Sudras (farmers, laborers, servants)
 Later another was added- Dalits (untouchables) they
did the dirty jobs
Hinduism
 People began to change their thinking about the
rituals and questioned their importance. They
turned to gurus or teachers for answers. The gurus
would leave their house and live in the forests and
talk about religious ideas. This would result in the
Hindu religion. Their ideas survive in writings
known as the Upanishads. This became the Hindu
holy scriptures.
Hinduism
 The Upanishads helped connect people to the
emerging Hindu religion. The Brahmins were
supposed to interpret the Vedas, but now the
Upanishads encourages all Indians to study the
Upanishads.
 There are two main beliefs in Hinduism:
 There is one cosmic god-Brahman.
 Every person is born with a soul.
Hindusim
 Brahman is the source of all things and Hindus
worship individual gods or goddesses as forms of
Brahman. Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, and Shakti are
some examples.
 The soul is considered a form of Brahman as well.
Hinduism
 Another important belief is Reincarnation and a
Karma.
 Reincarnation means when the body dies it will come
back in another body.
 Karma is a law that determines how a person is
reborn. It is the effect of a person’s actions in this
and in previous lives. Good Karma=rebirth in to a
higher caste while bad Karma =rebirth into a lower
caste.
Hinduism
 Four Goals: Hindus believe that people have four
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basic goals in life.
Doing what is right- Dharma- a person’s duty in
his/her caste and avoiding doing harm to any living
thing- Ahimsa.
Striving for wellbeing, or earning a livelihood with
dignity
Pleasure- this includes physical pleasures
Moksha or liberation from reincarnation.
Buddhism
 Buddhism like Hinduism arose in India and is based
on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama who
became known as Buddha.
 Siddhartha was a prince who was sheltered from
sickness, old age, and death. He eventually saw
those things and was greatly disturbed by them. He
also saw a holy man that caused him to give up his
pampered life and search for enlightenment.
Buddhism
 He finally reached enlightenment or a state of perfect
wisdom. He changed his name to Buddha or “the
Enlightened One.”
 Buddha accepted the idea of karma, but did not
accept the idea of a permanent soul. He believed
that it would disappear and cease to exist when a
person achieved enlightenment. He did not believe
in the existence of any god or the caste system.
Buddhism
 His major beliefs were the Middle Way, the Four
Noble Truths, and the Eightfold Path.
 The Middle Way meant not to be too worldly and not
live too poor.
 The 1st noble truth- all of life involves suffering.
 2nd- wanting or desiring things for oneself causes
suffering- don’t be selfish.
Buddhism
 3rd- people can end their suffering by giving up all
selfish desires.
 4th- follow the Eightfold Path
 The Eightfold Path prepares the mind for a new way
of life, taking charge of one’s behavior, and train the
mind to gain enlightenment.
Eightfold Path
 Right belief- belief in and understanding the 4 noble
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truths
Right purpose- make spiritual growth your purpose
Right speech- be aware of what you say
Right conduct- be aware of what you do
Right livelihood- choose a profession that supports
spiritual growth
Eightfold Path
 Right effort- make an effort to control thoughts and
hold to good ones.
 Right mindfulness- be aware of what one thinks and
feels. Control over emotions.
 Right meditation- practice the kind of meditation
that leads to enlightenment.
 If you do all these you can reach nirvana-state of
blissful peace without desire or suffering.
Islam
 People who practice the Islamic faith are called
Muslims. They consider Muhammad the prophet of
their religion a messenger from God.
 Muhammad was born in Mecca which was a religious
center for the shrine Kaaba.
 As he grew up he noted greed, corruption, and
violence, so he went to a cave outside of Mecca and
prayed and saw the angel Gabriel who gave him
messages from God. These were written down to
create the Quran, Islam’s holy book.
Islam
 As Muhammad preached one God and the
revelations from God, many believed. He stated he
was a prophet like Abraham, Jesus and the prophets
of Judaism and Christianity, but was to clarify God’s
truth. Soon many opposed Islam and fear of
angering the gods cause Muhammad and his
followers to leave Mecca and move to Medina. This
migration is called the Hijra.
Islam
 Muhammad became a political and military leader
who led the Muslims to overtake the rulers of Mecca
and put them under his rule. He returned to Mecca
and reinstated the Kaaba as a religious shrine and
after his death the Islamic faith spread throughout
Asia.
Islam
 Basic beliefs: Quran- holy book which covers nature
of God, creation, and the human soul.
 Believe in one God- monotheistic
 Islam means submission submitting to God’s will.
 Teach a soul will keep living after a person dies.
Choose good or evil and it will affect your soul after
death.
Islam
 The Five Pillars of Islam
 1 Belief- there is no god but God and Muhammad is
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the messenger of God
2 Prayer- your duty to pray towards Mecca five times
a day.
3 Charity- give to the poor and needy.
4 Fasting- During Ramadan you will not eat or drink
between daybreak and sunset for one month.
5. Pilgrimage- travel to Mecca at least once in your
lifetime.
Christianity
 In 63 BC, the Romans took control of the Jewish
kingdom in Judea. Many Jews opposed the Roman
rule and were hoping for the Messiah or savior, to
come and save them from the Romans and establish
a kingdom on Earth. During this time, there were
many religious factions that led the Jewish
community.
Christianity
 First faction-Zealots- who opposed the Roman rule
by force.
 2nd- Pharisee- educated people who observed Jewish
law and believed that good people could be
resurrected after death.
 3rd- Sadducees- were elite Jews who did not believe
in the resurrection.
 4th- Were followers of John the Baptist, who taught
Christ was to come and baptize for salvation. John
1:29, Acts 19:3-5
Christianity
 Jesus, son of God, was raised by a carpenter in
Nazareth, began His teaching around the age of 30.
He preached to the Jews about the one and only God
and the steps to salvation.
 He chose 12 men or apostles to help Him spread His
teachings. Jesus taught that God was loving and
forgiving. He said that people must love God with all
their hearts and love their neighbors as they loved
themselves.
Christianity
 Jesus also promised that who obeyed the gospel
would have everlasting life. His followers believed
Him to be the messiah. This caused a problem with
the rulers, that Jesus was teaching that God was
more important than the emperor. Fearing a revolt
the Jewish leaders asked for His death. The request
was granted and Jesus was crucified.
Christianity
 Crucifixion was the worst and most humiliating way
to die in Roman times. The crosses were on a public
road for all to see and most times it was a way for all
to come and spend the day watching people die. The
person condemned was laid out and nailed onto a
cross, hands and feet) and left to suffocate until
death. They were most often beaten before they were
crucified, so death would come faster.
Christianity
 As we know, Christ rose again after the third day and
told His apostles to spread His teachings to the
world.
 The church began in Jerusalem on the day of
Pentecost c. AD 33.
Christianity
 Ways of Worship
 Christians shared a common faith in the teachings of
Jesus. They prayed, sang, gave money to help the
poor, preached the word, partook of the Lord’s
Supper, which was a representation of His body and
blood. They also practiced baptism, which means
immersion in water, to represent washing away of
sins and being buried with Christ.
Christianity
 Christianity began to spread all throughout Judea,
Asia, and eventually spread to Rome. One of the
most devoted followers was a man named Paul.
Originally named Saul, he persecuted the church and
the Christians, but was converted and became a
leader in spreading the gospel. He also wrote 13 of
the books in the New Testament. Unfortunately,
many Christians died due to the persecution of the
church, but it also caused the spread of the church
and Christ’s teachings throughout the world.