Download World Religions

World Religions
Introduction
All world religions do the
following:
Set down basic ethical principals
Use sacred writings
Offer a message that appeals to
diverse groups of people
Introduction
Location:
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
arose in the Middle East
Hinduism and Buddhism arose
in India.
Confucianism developed in
China
Introduction
Belief in God(s)
Monotheism – The belief in one
god. - Judaism was the first
religion to use the concept of
monotheism
Polytheism – The worship of
multiple gods
Monotheism
 Judaism, Islam, Christianity
 Belief in one all-powerful god
 Belief in Prophets – people who
reveal the word of god
Abraham is an important prophet
to all three of these religions –
Father of Judaism
Judaism
Decedents of Abraham were
known as Israelites (also known
as Hebrews.
The first 5 books of the Hebrew
Bible is known as the Torah.
Judaism's most sacred text.
Judaism
 According to scripture (ATS) – God
revealed his laws to Moses written on
stone tablets.
 Link
 Israelites settled in Canaan – their
“Promise land” on the east edge of
the Mediterranean Sea
Judaism
 David made Jerusalem the capital of
the Jewish Kingdom.
 His son Solomon built the Temple in
Jerusalem. This is the most holy
place in Judaism
When Solomon dies, Israel separated
into two kingdoms (Israel and Judah)
Judaism
 Israel was conquered by the
Assyrians in 722 BCE
 Judah (and the capital city of
Jerusalem) fell to the Babylonians
586 B.C.E.
 This began the Jewish Diasporia
 Diaspora – Removal or fleeing of one group
of people (Jews)
Jewish Teachings
 10 Commandments
 1st Commandment – Reminds Jews to
worship only one God - Monotheism
 Set aside a holy day – Sabbath
 Honor your Father and Mother
 Other commandments forbid lying, stealing
and murdering
 Consider the kind of person you become if you
abide by these
 Judaism also stresses equality and social
justice
Jewish Teachings
 With no homeland following the
Diaspora, Jews had to find ways to
maintain their religion
 Praying together in synagogues
 Observing the Sabbath
 Studying the Torah
 Judaism has spread around the
world.
Christianity
 Christianity developed in what the
Romans called Judea. (formerly part of the
ancient kingdom of Israel)
 First Christians were Jews who
maintained many Jewish beliefs
 Christianity soon developed its own
doctrine and a much larger following.
Christianity
 Origin
 Lies in the life of Jesus –
Considered by Christians to be the
Son of God
The story of Jesus is contained in the
New Testament
Jesus was born in 6 B.C.E. in Judea
and was a Jewish teacher.
Christianity
 Jesus
 At age 30 he began teaching the
word of God.
God is merciful and loving
Love your neighbor
People can be forgiven of their sins
Christianity
 Jesus
 The Christian Bible says that Jesus
healed the sick and performed
miracles
 He gained many followers
12 special followers are known as the
apostles.
 They were given the task of spreading
Jesus’ message
Christianity
 People started calling Jesus the
Messiah.
 The Romans thought that Jesus might
raise a rebellion so they charged him
and crucified him
 Christians believe that Jesus was raised
from the dead three days later… this is
known as the resurrection.
Christianity
 Beliefs –
 Christians believe that Jesus was the
holy savior
 If people believe in him, they will go to
heaven
 Eventually Christianity became the
official religion of the Roman Empire
 This allowed the Roman Catholic
Church to gain wealth and power.
Christianity
Sacred Text
 The Bible is the Christian holy book
2 parts – Old Testament and New
Testament
 The 4 Gospels contain the telling of
Jesus’ life
Christianity
 The Trinity – God, Jesus, and Holy
Spirit
 God – Father and creator of the
universe
 Jesus – Son of God
 Holy Spirit – God’s presence and
power on Earth
Christianity
Salvation –
 People who believe in Jesus can be
granted eternal life in heaven – Called
salvation
 Salvation is granted through God’s grace.
Christianity
Practice
 Going to church on Sunday
 Follow the moral teachings of the church
 Observing customs and rituals
Sacraments such as baptism, Holy
Communion
Holidays – Christmas and Easter
Christianity
Spread/Diffusion
 Christianity is the most widely practiced
religion in the world
 2 Billion followers (of 7.2 billion people)
 Most people converted by choice
 Some were forced to convert
 Crusades – Christian v. Muslim fight for
control of Jerusalem
Christianity
Impact
 Christian ethics have influenced laws in
many countries
 Christian charity has helped poor and
suffering people across the globe.
 Influences Government and politics
Islam
Origins
 Middle East around 600 C.E. (After Judaism and
Christianity)
 Taught by Muhammad who was born in
Mecca
 There is a shrine in the heart of Mecca
called the Ka’bah Link
 According to Islamic teaching, in 610
C.E. The word of God was revealed to
Muhammad by an angel.
Islam
Origins
 The Angel told him that he had been
chosen as a messenger for Allah.
 He began to tell Arabs to worship the one
true God Allah.
 The word Islam means “Surrender”
 Followers of Islam are called Muslims
“Those who submit to God”
Islam
Origins
 Early Muslims were persecuted.
 In 622 C.E. Muhammad and his
followers left Mecca for Medina
 In 630 C.E. Muhammad and his
followers took Mecca back
 In 632 C.E. Muhammad died.
 By 750 C.E. Islam had become a major
religion.
Islam
Beliefs
 Recognize Jewish and Christian
prophets such as Moses, Abraham, and
Jesus (Jesus is not the son of God)
 Regard Muhammad as the last great
prophet.
 The Quran is the word of God revealed
to Muhammad
Islam
Beliefs
 Revere the Sunnah (The example
Muhammad set how muslims should
live)
 These examples are recorded in the
Hadith
Islam
Beliefs
 5 Pillars of Islam
 Profession of Faith – There is no God but
God and Muhammad is his prophet”
 Daily prayer – 5 times a day
 Charity – Sharing of riches with poor
 Fasting – Encourage self control
 Pilgrimage to Mecca
Islam
Spread of Islam
 Spread throughout Asia and Africa
 Tried to convert people, especially in areas
that subscribed to Polytheism
 Have waged war to convert Christians and
Jews
 With over 1 Billion followers, Islam is the
world’s 2nd largest religion.
Islam
Way of life
 Islam is more than a religion.
 It is a way of life.
 Affects culture, society, and politics in Muslim
lands.
 Shari’ah law based on the Quran guides all
aspects of life
 Clothing
 Food
 Education
 Finance
 Laws
Hinduism & Buddhism
Origins
Both founded in India
Common roots in the Vedas (a
collection of hymns, poems, and
prayers written in Sanskrit)
Hinduism
Origins
 Based on the Vedas
 Known as a Vedic religion
 Vedic teaching incorporates 4 main social
classes
 Brahmins – The top class made up of
priests
 Kshatriyas – Rulers and warriors
 Vaishyas – Herders and merchants
 Shudruhs – servants, and laborers
Hinduism
Caste system
 The division of people into social
classes
Today there are thousands of groups
within the main 4 groups.
Hinduism
Practice
 Meditation is important
 Used to gain a mystical religious
experience
 Brought a new set of texts known as the
Upanishads (very important today)
Hinduism
Beliefs
 Has a set of basic elements but not a
strict set of practices
 Polytheism – Belief multiple gods
 Each god controls a different aspect of the
universe
 People may devote themselves to one of
these gods.
Hinduism
Beliefs
 Hindus may believe that all of these
gods are a part of one great force called
Brahman.
 The goal of Hindus is to unite their soul
with Brahman.
Hinduism
Beliefs
Hindus believe that time moves
in a circle.
This leads to Reincarnation
 When you die, your soul is reborn into
a different body.
Hinduism
Beliefs
Dharma – Stands for law, duty,
and obligation.
 A person’s Dharma reflects their caste in
Indian society
 People live honorable by observing social
values like nonviolence and charity
Hinduism
Beliefs
Karma – refers to a persons
actions and the consequences of
their actions
 If you live properly you will have good Karma
and be reborn into a higher caste.
 If you fail to live a proper life you will have bad
Karma and be reborn into a lower caste
Buddhism
Origins
 Arose from the teachings of
Siddhartha Guatama 563-483 B.C.E.
 He became the Buddha or “Enlightened one”
 HE lived a privileged life in the ruling family. At
age 29 he went outside the palace and saw
suffering.
 He then left the palace and wondered across India
searching for “Greater truth”
Buddhism
Origins
 Siddhartha Guatama
 Tried to achieve a higher consciousness through
meditation and by giving up worldly pleasures
(ascetic practice). One night he sat under a tree
and meditated. He did this for days. One night he
reached a new level of consciousness where he
saw his past lives and the effects of karma. He
shed his desires and became enlightened.
Continued next slide …
Buddhism
Origins
 Siddhartha Guatama
By morning he had reached Nirvana (a
state of happiness and peace). He had
become the Buddha.
Buddhism
Beliefs
 The Four Noble Truths – core of
Buddhism
1. Suffering is present in all things and
nothing lasts forever.
 Death, suffering and loss are inevitable. Ignoring it
leads to more suffering.
 Offer kindness to those who suffer
Buddhism
Beliefs
 The Four Noble Truths – core of
Buddhism
2. The cause of suffering is desire
 Pleasure, power, and desire cause suffering
3. Removing desire removes suffering
4. The way to remove desire is the Eightfold
Path (Eight guidelines)
Buddhism
Eightfold Path
1. Right understanding – Deeply understand the
Four Noble Truths
2. Right Purpose – Live a life of selflessness, love,
and nonviolence
3. Right Speech – Be careful and truthful in what
you say
4. Right action – Do not kill, steal, or hurt others
Buddhism
Eightfold Path
5. Right livelihood – Earn a living n ways that do
not harm
6. Right effort – Promote good actions and prevent
evil actions
7. Right mindfulness – Be aware of, but not
attached to your emotions, thoughts, and
feelings.
8. Right Concentration – Focus your mind with
practice such as meditation
Buddhism
At the heart of Buddhism is that
all things change.
 Pleasure does not last and one suffers when it is
gone.
 The Eightfold Path offers a way to end suffering and
find peace
Buddhism
Spread of Buddhism
 Became more popular with the Emperor
Asoka.
 Hinduism is the main religion in India.
However Buddhism spread to Southeast Asia,
Central Asia, and China.
 Today, Buddhism is the world’s 4th largest
religion.
Confucianism
Spread of Confucianism
 Confucianism is more a way of life than a
religion
 Became an official religion in China
Confucianism
Origins
 Based on the teachings of a man named
Kongfuzi – his western name was Confucius
– 551-479 B.C.E.
 He became a great teacher and affected the
lives of millions of people.
 This occurred at a time of civil war
 People believed the Emperor had lost the
Mandate of Heaven (Ruling with the support of
heavenly spirits)
Confucianism
Origins
 Confucius wanted to affect the government of
China
 He had little support for his ideas during his
lifetime.
 His ideas grew after his death.
Confucianism
Beliefs
 He believed in many gods as did the Ancient
Chinese.
 This included dead ancestors looking down
from heaven
 His teachings focused on earth
 “If we are not able to understand life and to
serve humanity, how can we understand and
serve spirits”
Confucianism
Beliefs
 Believed that building a more
harmonious earth brings us closer to
heaven
 People should live a life of virtue (good)
 Most important virtue is ren (Benevolence)
 Kindness
 What you do not want done to yourself, do not do
to others
Confucianism
Beliefs
 5 basic relationships
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Parents and child
Husband and wife
Older sibling and younger sibling
Friend and friend
Ruler and subject
 The most important is parent and child
 Filial Piety – respect shown by children for
parents
Confucianism
Beliefs
 Respect your elders
 Elders should set a good example
 Kind, honest, helpful, wise and faithful
 Respect all people
Confucianism
Spread
 After his death, his students collected his teachings
in a book called Analects
 This help spread his teaching throughout China
 Chinese rulers later adopted Confucianism as a state
ideology
 A set of basic ideas, beliefs, and values
 Knowledge of his ideas became the basis of the civil
service exam
 School children memorized his sayings
 Some people worshipped him as a god.