Download Belief Systems

Belief Systems
I. Belief Systems (World religions)
A.
Purposes - Religion is a concept man uses to provide:
1. Explanation to how the world was created
2. Guidelines on how to live your life
3. Explanation to what happens after you die
B.
Types of Belief Systems
1. Polytheistic – Belief in MORE than one god.
a. Examples: Animism, Shinto, Hinduism, Daoism
2. Monotheistic – Belief in ONE god.
a. Examples: Judaism, Christianity, Islam
C.
Characteristics of Belief Systems
1. Founder – A person who is considered the founder of the religion
and usually is honored as a deity or scared (Sacred) person.
Why do you think
that people and
civilizations across
the world have
created religions or
belief systems?
a. Examples:
i. Siddhartha Gautama - Buddhism
ii. Lao Tzu – Daoism
iii. Abraham and Moses - Judaism
iv. Jesus - Christianity
v. Muhammad - Islam
2. Sacred Writings – Holy books or texts that provides an
explanation to the origins of the religion, guidelines for behavior,
holy days of observance, as well as rituals and practices.
a.
Examples:
i. Vedas and Upanishads – Hinduism
ii. Tripitka – Buddhism
iii. Analects – Confucianism
iv. Torah and Talmud – Judaism
v. Holy Bible – Christianity
vi. Qur’an - Islam (Koran)
3.
a.
Rules of Behavior – Provides guidelines for behavior in order
to achieve enlightenment, harmony or salvation.
Examples:
i. Dharma – Hinduism
ii. Noble Eight Fold-Path – Buddhism
iii. Ten Commandments – Judaism and Christianity
iv. Five Pillars of Islam – Islam
D. Animism
1.
Founder - There is no one person who is considered the
founder of Animism
2.
Geographic Origin - Developed simultaneously in
different parts of the world. (Africa, the Americas, Asia,
and Australia)
3.
Currently Practiced - World-wide, but most common in
traditional societies of Africa, the Americas, Australia
4.
Significant Writings - Most traditional cultures that
practice Animism have an oral tradition of story-telling,
rather than a developed writing system. (oral history)
5.
Significant Religious People –
a. Shaman - A person who communicates with the
spiritual realms on behalf of the living and conducts
rituals
b. Medicine Man or Medicine Woman - A healer or a
person who can treat illnesses/sicknesses.
c. Griot - A professional storyteller in a traditional African
Animist society.
Why do you think
that the earliest
people and
civilizations
practiced animism
or a form of nature
worship?
6.
Beliefs:
a. Religion that believes that each object has its own spirit
and that ancestors in the spirit world watch over the
living.
b. Polytheistic - Spirits are found in animate and inanimate
(living and nonliving objects) (natural objects)

c. There is belief in a Supreme Being and in lesser gods.
d. Obey the gods and follow tradition and you will be
rewarded with good harvests and many healthy
children. Failure to do so would result in hardships,
crop failure, illness and death.
7.
Practices:
a. Prayers and ceremonies keep gods on your side
b. Use of ceremonial masks as a way to receive what the
people want or need.
c. Need to be good to ancestors while they are alive so
good things will happen
d. Prayers and ceremonies to worship and honor them (use
of masks
E. Hinduism
1.
Founder - There is no one person who is considered the
founder of Hinduism. It evolved over a great period of
time as an answer to questions concerning the origins and
meaning of life and proper conduct toward others.
2.
Geographic Origin - Developed in India approximately
around 3000 BCE
3.
Currently Practiced - Most commonly practiced in India.
(80% of India is Hindu)
4.
Significant Writings –
a. Vedas - collections of prayers and verses about
creation and reverence for nature
b. Upanishads - discussions about the soul and proper
ways of behavior.
5.
Significant Religious People – Hindu priests (Brahmins)
carry out traditional religious practices in temples.
6.
Beliefs:
a.
How can Hinduism
be considered
polytheistic if they
believe there is one
Supreme Being?
Polytheistic – Brahma is the Supreme Being in the
Hindu religion. Hindus believe in millions of different
gods and are considered manifestations of the one god
Brahma. There are three main gods that control the
cycle of life:
i. Brahma- the creator
ii. Vishnu- the preserver of life
iii. Shiva- the destroyer
b.
Moksha - In Hinduism, salvation is achieved through
a spiritual oneness of the soul with the Brahma, the
creator or the “ultimate reality of the universe.” To
achieve this goal, the soul must obtain Moksha, or
liberation from the endless cycle of birth, death, and
rebirth.
c.
Reincarnation – The belief that your soul is reborn
into another body
d.
Karma - material actions resulting from the
consequences of previous actions
e.
Dharma - fulfilling one's duty in life
f.
Hindu cycle of life - The Hindu cycle of life can best
be represented by the infinity symbol. When one is
born, they are given life by Brahma, as the pass
through life, they are preserved by Vishnu, until
finally Shiva claims you in death. Then the cycle is
repeated over and over again until one finally achieves
Moksha. The belief in reincarnation, karma (deeds that
affect one’s future), and dharma (duties of one’s caste)
also provides the religious justification for the
existence of the rigid social structure known as the
Caste System.
g.
Caste System - A rigid class structure (hierarchy) of
India that is based on Hindu beliefs a person is born
into a caste (station in life) based on deeds committed
in a previous life (karma) and if you follow the dharma
(duties of your caste) you will be rewarded in the next
life. If you do not, you will be punished. If one is has
“Bad Karma” during their life, they will be demoted,
and possibly even removed from the Caste System
altogether. Outcasts, or Untouchables, are members of
Hindu society thought to have been removed from the
Caste System, with no hope of returning to it, due to
their misdeeds in previous lives. Work that is deemed
unclean for all other Hindus is reserved for these
Outcasts.
How does karma
and dharma affect
a person’s
reincarnation?
How does the Caste
System link religion
to social and
political order?
Why do you think
Hindus still
practice the Caste
System even though
it was outlawed in
1947?
7. Practices:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Prayer - Prayer and offerings at temples
Dharma - daily life is regulated by caste rules
Social stratification and discrimination – Limited
caste interaction creates discriminatory practices and
does not allow social mobility. The Caste System was
outlawed in 1947, but it is still widely practiced.
Art - expression of faith through the arts
F. Buddhism
1.
Founder - Siddhartha Gautama, or Buddha, which means
"enlightened one."
2.
Geographic Origin - Developed in India approximately
around 500 BCE
3.
Currently Practiced - Most common in Southeast Asia
and East Asia.
4.
Significant Writings – Tripitka, or the Three Baskets of
Wisdom.
5.
Places of Worship - Buddhism may be practice
individually, but temples and Monasteries known as
Stupas can be used for worship.
6.
Significant Religious People - The Dalai Lama is the
spiritual leader of the Tibetan sect of Buddhism, and is
considered to be the reincarnation of the bodhisattva, or
"Buddha-to-be." Buddhist monks can be identified by
their traditional orange robes.
7.
Beliefs:
a. Buddha - Siddhartha Gautama was a prince born into
the Brahmin caste, and led a luxurious lifestyle.
However, he was troubled by the human misery that
he saw around him everyday (death, illness and
poverty). After meditating under a Bodhi tree, he
concluded that desire was the root caused of all
suffering.
b. Four Nobel Truths - Siddhartha's philosophy of the
nature of human suffering and its relation to desire is
articulated by these four statements:
Why did Buddha
connected human
suffering to worldly
desires?
1. Life is full of pain and suffering.
2. Human desire causes this suffering.
3. By putting an end to desire, humans can end
suffering.
4. Humans can end desire by following the Eightfold Path.
c. The Eight-Fold Path – Gautama’s eight teachings on
how to achieve Nirvana
1.
2.
3.
4.
Right views
Right Aspirations
Right Speech
Right Conduct
5. Right livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Contemplation
What similarities
do Hinduism and
Buddhism share?
d. Reincarnation - Buddhists believe in an endless cycle
of reincarnation, or samsara, which is similar to beliefs
of Hinduism. However, Buddhists do not believe that
deities are responsible for the phenomenon.
e. Rejects the Caste System - Instead Buddhists who
believe that a person is reincarnated until they can
achieve Nirvana, spiritual enlightenment.
f. Nirvana – Spiritual enlightenment
The concept of reincarnation can best be illustrated using an infinity symbol:
What differences
do Hinduism and
Buddhism share?
g. Two sects of Buddhism:
1. Theravada Buddhists – South East Asia
i. Buddha’s Teachings - Closely followed
Buddha’s original teachings
ii. Devotion - Life devoted to hard spiritual work
iii. Selective - Only monks and nuns could hope to
attain nirvana
2. Mahayana Buddhists – East Asia
i.
Polytheistic - Combined with other East Asian
polytheistic religions such as Daoism and
Shinto and saw Buddha and other holy beings
as compassionate gods.
iii. Prayer - people turned to these gods for help
in solving daily problems as well as achieving
salvation
G. Confucianism
Why did Confucius
believe that
obtaining order in
your family unit
can lead to an
orderly society?
Do the five
relationships apply
to our society
today? If so, which
one?
Which
relationships do not
apply to today?
1.
Founder - Confucius, a scholar, philosopher and politician
2.
Geographic Origin - Developed in China approximately
around 500 BCE
3.
Currently Practiced - Most commonly in China, as well as
elements Southeast Asia and East Asia culture.
4.
Significant Writings –The Analects
5.
Beliefs:
a.
Philosophy vs. Religion - Confucius believed that
social order and mutual respect would provide order
and stability in society if there were rules to guide
behavior in the family unit, society and the
government.
b.
Filial Piety - respect for parents, above all duties, even
loyalty to the state. Also, the needs and success of the
group were more important than those of the
individual.
c.
Five Relationships - Confucianism teaches that there
is a natural social order to society which can best be
explained through the Five Relationships:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Ruler to subject.
Father to son.
Older brother to younger brother.
Husband to wife.
Friend to friend.
d.
Superior and Inferior Relationships - In these
relationships, the first role is considered superior to
the second role and the second role is considered
subordinate to the first. It was taught that if everyone
knew their place in society, then order would prevail.
e.
Role of the Superiors - For example, the ruler must
provide leadership, guidance and discipline to the
subjects. This would be the same for fathers,
husbands and elders.
f.
Role of Inferiors - For example, the subjects must
show loyalty, love and compliance to the leader. This
would be the same sons, wives (women), younger
generations.
g.
Friend to Friend – friends are considered equal
h.
Jen - showing kindness towards others in society
i.
Li - using proper etiquette/ritual to achieve perfect
virtue would result in inner harmony and perfect
character and stressed correct behavior.
6. Practices –
What do you think
is the most
important
characteristic for a
good politician?
a.
Mandate of Heaven – Chinese dynasties claimed
divine right or that the mandate to rule came from
Heaven.
b.
Dynastic Cycle - As long as the rulers were good and
did well for their people, they held the Mandate of
Heaven. If, after several generations, the dynasty
becomes corrupt or does not protect their people, they
will lose the Mandate of Heaven and a new dynasty
will take over.
c.
Patriarchal Society - Women are subservient to men.
In Confucius’ five relationships, women are
mentioned only as the inferior of men. However,
women were to be respected if they were the mother of
sons.
d.
Ancestor Worship - Respect for and worship of
ancestors. Because filial piety was stressed in life,
there was no reason to stop honoring your ancestors
after death.
e.
Scholar gentry - Confucius knew that to have a well
run system of government, it must be headed by
educated, knowledgeable people and stressed the
importance of education for the upper class (scholar
gentry).
f.
Civil Service Exams – Exams based on Confucian
principles that Chinese officials must pass in order to
work for the government.
H. Daoism/Taoism
Daoists believe that
nature is a
marriage of
opposites. They
believe that the
world cannot exist
without this
balance. Name 3
sets of opposing
forces in nature?
Example: Night
and day
1.
Founder - Laozi, a Chinese philosopher
2.
Geographic Origin - Developed in China approximately
around 500 BCE
3.
Currently Practiced - Most commonly in China, as well as
elements Southeast Asia and East Asia culture.
4.
Significant Writings – Tao-te-Ching or The Way of Virtue
5.
Beliefs:
a.
Daoism - It represents a naturalistic ideal of how one
should live their life.
b.
Dao - can be translated into English, meaning "the
way." It is a philosophy which teaches that nature has
a “way” in which it moves, and that people should
accept the “way” of nature.
c.
Wu-Wei - concept of "not doing." This means that
people should not act unnaturally by doing things, but
rather should openly accept the natural way.
d.
Harmony in nature - An emphasis is placed on the
link between people and nature. Taoism teaches that
this link lessened the need for rules and order, and
leads one to a better understanding of the world.
e.
Government is unnatural - Daoists viewed
governments as “unnatural” and believed that the best
governments are the ones that govern the least.
f.
Yin and Yang - symbol that has also been used to
illustrate the natural harmony that exists in the world.
Everything must have an opposing force that allows
the harmonious universe to exist.
1.
2.
3.
Yin
Yang
Light
Male
Heavenly
Active/Aggressive
Strong
Hot
Dark
Female
Earthly
Passive
Weak
Cold
I. Judaism
1.
Founder –
a. Abraham is recognized as the founder of Judaism due
to his covenant with God.
b. Moses is also considered a founder due to his role in
the liberation of the Hebrews from Egypt, and his
delivery of the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai
sometime around 2000 BCE.
2.
Geographic Origin - Developed in the Middle East in and
around the area that is currently Israel sometime around
3000 BCE.
3.
Currently Practiced – Worldwide, but the greatest
majority of Jews reside in Israel, the United States,
Eastern Europe and Russia.
4.
Significant Writings –
a. Torah - The holy book of Judaism. It describes the
creation of the world, the history of ancient Israel, the
Ten Commandments, and contains the Psalms and the
prophetic books.
b. Talmud - The collection of Jewish writings that is the
basis of Jewish religious law; Book of ethical writings
5.
Places of Worship - Jews worship in temples called
synagogues.
6.
Significant Religious People - Rabbis charged with
conducting religious services, ensuring that Jewish laws
are observed, and serving as a spiritual guide for the
community.
7.
Beliefs:
a. Three essential elements – God, Torah and Israel
b. God - Monotheism – Judaism teaches that there is
one God, Yahweh, who is the creator of all things.
1. Covenant with God –Abraham, the first prophet
made a covenant (agreement) with Yahweh (God).
God promised Abraham a protection and a home
in Canaan (Israel) in return for Abraham’s faith in
one all-powerful God by following to God’s
divine teachings, the torah.
a. Moses – Led the Israelites from slavery in
Egypt and entered into a covenant with God
through the Ten Commandments.
c. Israel – The holy land God provided to the Jews. It
also describes a political entity, a people, a nation, a
belief system, a social group and a culture.
d. Torah - The holy book of Judaism. It contains the
ethical and ritual commandments through which one
may partake in God’s ethical and moral holiness.
e. Ten Commandments –
1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make yourself any graven
image or any likeness of anything that is in the
heavens above…
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord
your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold
him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord
your God
5. Honor your father and mother and that your
days may be long in the land the Lord your
God gives you.
6. You shall not commit murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not witness falsely against your
neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house,
your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his
maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or
anything that is your neighbor's.
Jews believe that
they are God’s
chosen people, why
does their survival
of slavery, exile,
persecution and the
Holocaust reinforce
this idea?
f. Jewish Persecution – throughout their existence,
Jews have faced persecution, a program or campaign
to exterminate, drive away, or subjugate a people
because of their religion, race, or beliefs.
1. Slavery in Egypt – Became slaves in Egypt
until God and Moses freed them
2. Diaspora - forced exile throughout the world
due to persecution.
3. The Holocaust - The Nazis systematic
annihilation of the Jews during WWII. Over 6
Million Jews were executed due to antiSemitic policies of the Adolf Hitler’s Final
Solution.
J. Christianity
1.
Founder – Jesus of Nazareth and his disciples who helped
spread his teachings.
2.
Geographic Origin - Developed in Judea (now Jerusalem,
Israel), located in the Middle East bordering the
Mediterranean Sea sometime around the year 30 CE.
3.
Currently Practiced – Christianity is the largest religion in
the world with over 2 billion followers. It is the dominant
religion in North America, South America, Europe, and
Russia.
4.
Significant Writings – The Holy Bible,
a. Old Testament – The teachings from the Jewish holy
book the Torah
b. New Testament - The written accounts from Jesus’
disciples concerning his life and teachings.
5.
Places of Worship - Christians practice their faith in
temples usually referred to as churches.
6.
Significant Religious People –
a. The Pope - the religious leader for all Roman
Catholics
b. Patriarch - the Christian leader of the Eastern
Orthodox sects.
c. Priests and ministers are Christian holy men and
women who are charged with conducting religious
services, ensuring that Jewish laws are observed, and
serving as a spiritual guide for the community.
What similarities
do Judaism and
Christianity share?
7.
Beliefs:
a. Shared beliefs with Judaism – Christianity derived
from Judaism
What differences
do Judaism and
Christianity share?
1.
Monotheism – Belief in one God
2.
Ten Commandments - Both follow the
religious guidelines of the Ten Commandments
found in the Book of Exodus.
3.
Messiah - Jewish prophecies contained in
several books of the Old Testament stated that
God would send a savior, or messiah, to the
people of Israel. While Judaism clearly states
that this event has not yet occurred.
b. Jesus Christ, Messiah - Jesus of Nazareth was a
Jewish carpenter. Christians believe that Jesus was
the Son of God and the Messiah (Savior) sent to
redeem the world of sin.
Christianity
considers itself to
be monotheistic.
How does the belief
in the Holy Trinity
reinforce this idea?
c. Holy Trinity - formed by the Creator (Father),
Redeemer (Son), and Sustainer (Holy Spirit).
Christians believe that these three entities are all part
of a single higher power.
d. Compassion - Christians emphasize God’s love and
compassion. They preach the need for justice,
morality, service to others
e. Salvation - reaching Heaven
f. Atonement - forgiveness of sins. Christians believe
that sins can be forgiven by God.
g. Practices –
Why do some
people consider the
Holy trinity
polytheistic?
1. Church Service - Christians are expected to attend
church services regularly, usually on Sundays and
holy days such as Christmas and Easter.
2. Sacraments - Christians take part in sacraments,
which are religious practices such as baptism, and
receiving the Eucharist (Communion).
h. Christian Denominations - Due to different
interpretations of the Bible and the practice of
different ceremonies and rituals, there are several
different sects within Christianity.
i. Great Schism - The first major split within
Christianity occurred in 1056. This split divided the
Christian world into the Roman Catholics and the
Eastern Orthodox.
Why do you think
that Christianity
has so many
denominations or
sects?
1. Roman Catholicism - The largest Christian
branch and claims over a billion members,
representing approximately half of all Christians.
The Church's highest earthly authority is the Pope.
This branch of Christianity is predominately
practiced in Western Europe and the Latin
America. (Latin based)
2. Eastern Orthodoxy - The 2nd largest Christian
branch, estimated to number between 225 and 300
million members. The highest earthly authority is
the Patriarch. This branch of Christianity is
predominately practiced in Eastern Europe and
Russia. (Greek)
j. Protestant Reformation - The second major split
within Christianity. The Reformation was a protest
against perceived wrong doings by the Catholic
Church. The new Christian denominations were
known as Protestants, because of their "protesting."
1. Protestant Christianity - A branch within
Christianity, containing many denominations of
different practices and doctrines that originated in
the sixteenth-century Reformation (Branches
include: Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, Anglican,
etc.) These branches of Christianity are
predominately practiced in Western Europe and
the United States (Vernaclular)
k. Martin Luther - a German monk who was concerned
about the sale of indulgences and other corruptions in
the church. In 1517, he wrote his 95 Theses, which
were 95 arguments against the sale of indulgences. He
posted these on the door of the Wittenberg church in
protest. The Catholic Church ordered Luther to recant,
or take back his theses, but he refused. The Church
excommunicated him (kicked him out of the church),
and would have executed him had they been able to
capture him.
1. Justification by Faith - Luther believe that
Christians could only reach salvation through
faith in god. He did not believe that the Pope or
other priests had any special powers, including
the forgiveness of sins. Luther's beliefs became
the basis for the Protestant form of Christianity.
Luther's ideas spread quickly throughout
Germany and Europe.
l. John Calvin - another priest, turned reformer. Like
Luther, he believed that faith in god provided the path
to salvation, but he also promoted the idea of
predestination.
2.
Predestination – Calvin’s belief that certain
people were chosen by god for salvation
(heaven). Followers of Calvin all believed they
were predestined for heaven. They setup
religious communities throughout Europe and
lived very strict, moral lives.
K. Islam 1.
Founder – Islam was founded by the prophet Muhammad.
2.
Geographic Origin - Developed on the Arabian Peninsula
(Mecca or Mekkah) in the year 622 CE, and quickly
spread to other regions through trade and warfare.
3.
Currently Practiced – Islam is most dominant throughout
the Middle East, including North Africa and Southwest
Asia and Southeast Asia.
4.
Significant Writings – The teachings of Islam are collected
in the Qur'an or Koran.
5.
Places of Worship - Muslims may gather to worship in
temples called Mosques
6.
Significant Religious People – the Caliph or successor to
the Prophet Muhammad.
7.
Beliefs:
a. Monotheism – Belief in one God
What similarities
do Judaism,
Christianity and
Islam share?
b. Muhammad – Muslims consider Muhammad as the
last great prophet to God and he received the final
word of God, or Allah, through the angel Gabriel
while living in the city of Mecca.
c. Qur’an - The Qur’an or Koran is the final and
complete revelation of Allah
d. Five Pillars of Islam - Under Muhammad's
leadership, the Five Pillars of Islam were established.
Every Muslim is expected to follow these rules in
order to lead an ethical life:
1. Confession of Faith - The belief that "there is no
God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet."
2. Prayer - Muslims must pray five times per day,
facing towards Mecca.
3. Alms - Muslims must give alms (charity or tax) to
the poor, and support the local Mosque by
donating a portion of their income.
4. Fasting- During the Ramadan, the ninth month of
the Muslim calendar, all Muslims must fast during
daylight hours, except the very young or sick.
5. Hajj - Muslims who have the finances to do so,
must make a hajj, or holy pilgrimage, to the city of
Mecca.
Many Muslim
nations apply the
Sharia (Islamic
law) to
governmental law.
What are the
possible advantages
of creating a
theocracy?
e. Sharia - Islamic system of law that regulates moral
conduct, family life, business practices, government
and other aspects of a Muslim community.
f. Hegira - The flight of Muhammad from Mecca to
Median was instrumental to the founding of the
religion of Islam, and is known as the Hegira and this
date became the starting point for the Islamic calendar.
g. Jihad - or the holy struggle save Islam or spread
Islam.
h. Sunni and Shia Islam – Due to different
interpretations on how to choose the Caliph, religious
leader of Islam, differing sects of Islam evolved.
1. Sunni Islam - The largest denomination of Islam;
Sunni Muslims believe that the Caliph should be
chosen from the community.
What are the
possible
disadvantages of a
theocracy?
2. Shia Islam - The minority branch of Islam; The
followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'ites. Shiite
Muslims believe that the that Muhammad's family
and certain individuals among his descendants
should be the Caliph