Download Foundations of Social Studies GEOGRAPHY

Foundations of Social Studies
GEOGRAPHY
RELIGION
Definition
Religion is an organized set of beliefs that humans use to explain the purpose of the universe.
Groups of people who believe and practice the same set of rituals and beliefs make up a religion.
Throughout history, people have followed different religions. Religion helps explain why things
happen from the perspective of faith. Ancient Greeks believed the god Zeus caused lightning
storms. They feared and worshiped Zeus so that he would stop sending the storms. Today, when
individuals get sick or there is a natural disaster, people look to a higher power to bring healing,
comfort, and understanding.
There are two main types of religion: universalizing and ethnic. Universalizing religions believe they
have the truth for all people, and try to convert people all over the world. Ethnic religions do not
actively try to convert followers, and so their religion is much more focused on their own ethnic
group. Religions can also be said to be monotheistic, believing in only one god, or polytheistic,
believing in several or many gods.
There are many religions around the world today. While some are large in number of followers,
others are very small, making it impossible to determine how many religions there are in the world
today. The five main religions are Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism.
Christianity
Christianity began around 30 CE in the Middle East around the city of Jerusaslem. Christians believe
that Jesus was the Son of God and they follow his teachings. There are three main branches, or
versions of Christianity. These branches are Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant.
Christian doctrine is found in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Different churches believe
many different things but there are some basic beliefs. Christians believe that there is only one true
God. They believe that Jesus Christ saved the world from sin and that people need to have faith in
him to be saved. They follow the Ten Commandments that are found in the Bible. Today Christianity
is mostly found in Europe and the Americas. It is the largest religion in world with 2.1 billion
followers, but because it is a universalizing religion, the number is still growing.
Islam
Islam developed in the Middle East around the city of Makkah (Mecca). It was founded in 622 CE by
Mohammad (Muhammad). His teachings are found in the Islam holy book called the Quran (Koran).
The followers of Islam are called Muslims. There are two main branches of Islam: Sunni and Shi’a.
These groups formed after Muhammad’s death because there was a disagreement as to who should
be the next leader. Although the groups differ in some of their rituals, all Muslims believe there is
only one God who is called Allah. Islam religious practice is centered on the Five Pillars. These pillars
are about believing in Allah and Muhammad, praying, having charity, paying alms (a donation to the
church), and traveling to Mecca (a city in Saudi Arabia) at least once in their life. Islam is a
universalizing religion that has spread through Northern Africa and parts of Asia, but the main body
of followers remain in the Middle East where the religion began. Currently, there are 1.5 billion
Muslims, making Islam the second largest religion in the world.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world with 1 billion followers. Hinduism began in India
around 2000 BCE. The details of its origins occurred so far in the past that they are unknown. Hindus
believe that the religion always has existed. Hinduism is an ethnic religion; although there are small
groups of Hindus around the world, it is still mostly found in India and among Indians. Hindus
believe in samsara and karma. Samsara is the belief that you are reborn after you die (sometimes
called reincarnation). Karma is the law of cause and effect; when you do good, good things happen
to you, but if you do bad things, bad things will happen to you. Unlike Christians and Muslims,
Hindus are polytheistic. Polytheism is the belief in many gods and goddesses. For a long time, Hindu
teachings and rituals were passed down orally. There are now teachings that are written down in
several different holy books.
Buddhism
Buddhism began in Northern India around 600 BCE by a man named Siddhartha Gautama who had
been born and raised as a Hindu. Siddhartha saw suffering in life and wanted to find a way to fix it.
Through meditation, he became enlightened, meaning he removed desire for worldliness and
pleasure. Once this happened, he was able to stop the continual cycle of rebirth. Buddhists follow
the Eightfold Path. Like Christianity’s Ten Commandments and Islam’s Five Pillars, the Eightfold Path
is a basic guide on how to live your life. There are three main branches of Buddhism: Theravada,
Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Buddhism is a universalizing religion that has spread mostly through
Eastern Asia. There are currently around 350 million Buddhists in the world, but there are also many
more people who use some Buddhist religious and social practices in their own lives.
Judaism
Judaism is a monotheistic religion which began around 1800 BCE in modern-day Israel. Jews believe
that God promised a man called Abraham that his descendants would be God’s chosen or sacred
people, and that Israel was to be their holy land. The Jewish people are descendants of Abraham
and they follow the teachings of Old Testament of the Bible, which was written by Jewish prophets.
Religious leaders in Judaism are called rabbis. Rabbis perform sacred Jewish rituals and ceremonies.
Judaism played an important role in the development of Western civilization. Both Christianity and
Islam find their roots in this religion, because Jesus was a Jew and Mohammad was very familiar
with the religion. Unlike Christianity and Islam religions, Judaism is an ethnic religion. Today, most of
the world’s 14 million Jews actually live in Israel and the United States.