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Major Religions of the World Background Beliefs Comparison to Christianity Witnessing to… Islam Muhammad Six Articles of Faith Five Pillars Comparison to Christianity When witnessing to a Muslim Background Information • • • • 7th Century Muhammad received visitations from the angel Gabriel Continued for 23 years until Muhammad’s death The angel purportedly revealed the words of Allah to Muhammad • These revelations compose the Qur’an, which is Islam’s sacred text Beliefs Six Articles of Faith 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Belief in one Allah. Belief in the angels. Belief in the prophets. Belief in the revelations of Allah. Belief in the last day of judgment, heaven, and hell. Belief in predestination. Beliefs Five Pillars 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The Testimony of Faith (shahada) Prayer (salat) Giving (zakat) Fasting (sawm) Pilgrimage (hajj) Beliefs About Jesus • • • He was a mere prophet, not God’s son He was created like Adam He did not die on the cross as the Bible makes it appear Comparison to Christianity Major Differences • • Rejection of the Trinity Jesus’ death on the cross • That they said (in boast), We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them…for of a surety they killed him not. (Qur’an, Surat An-Nisa’ [4:157-158] Comparison to Christianity Major Differences • • • • Rejection of the Trinity Jesus’ death on the cross The Word of God Salvation When Witnessing to a Muslim What would you say? When Witnessing to a Muslim • If God created the illusion that Jesus was crucified, but Jesus wasn’t, then God has lied and He ceases to be perfect. • Isaiah 53:5-6 • John 3:16 • 1 Peter 2:24 • Jesus willingly died on the cross and even prophesied that it would happen. • John 10:17-18; 19:30 • Matthew 20:18-19 When Witnessing to a Muslim • Salvation cannot be earned. • If you love me, you will obey my commands (John 14:15) • Our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) • The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent (John 6:28-29) • You can know that you are going to heaven. • I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6) • I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13) Hinduism Unclear Beginnings Sacred Writings Comparison to Christianity When Witnessing to a Hindu Background Information • Has its origin in the invasion of Indo-European tribes from Russia and Central Asia around 1500 BC. • Comprised of thousands of years of Indian history along with the ancient oral tradition and religion of Vedism • Religious principles mixed including the Hindu beliefs of reincarnation, polytheism, and the spiritual unity of humanity. • Vyasa Krishna compiled The Vedas around 1500 BC, which is one of the religion’s holy books Beliefs • • • One of the most diverse and complex religions Recognize over 330 million gods One supreme god, Brahma • • • • Believe that Brahma is impersonal and unknowable Believed to inhabit every portion of reality throughout the entire universe Believe that because Brahma is everything, then everyone is divine. Believed to exist in three different forms • Brahma – Creator • Vishnu – Preserver • Shiva – Destroyer Beliefs Schools of Hinduism make it difficult to summarize Hindu theology • • • • Sankara’s School – Monistic belief in which all of reality can be reduced to one thing or substance. Brahmanism – Pantheistic belief that god is the ultimate source of being and that all reality are manifestations of this god. Ramanuja’s School – Panentheistic belief that the world is a part of god and that events and changes in the universe affect and change god. Bhakti Hinduism – Theistic belief that there is one god who is distinct from creation Beliefs Is the Vedas sacred? Beliefs Five Sacred Texts 1. The Vedas – Oldest of Hindu scriptures meaning, wisdom or knowledge. 2. They are more than theology books; they contain a rich and colorful theo-mythology. • There are four Vedas • Rig Veda – The Book of Mantra • Sama Veda – The Book of Song • Yajura Veda – The Book of Ritual • Artharva Veda – The Book of Spell Beliefs Five Sacred Texts 2. The Upanishadas – Collection of writings between 800600 BC that marked a change to mystical ideas about humanity and the universe. Great influence on Gautama Buddha. 3. The Mahabharata - Consists of 100,000 verses composed over an 800-year period beginning about 400 BC. And describes the deeds of Aryan clans. 4. The Ramayana – Consists of 24,000 couplets describing the life of Rama, a righteous king who was supposedly an incarnation of the God Vishnu. Beliefs Five Sacred Texts 5. The Bhagavad Gita – The most sacred of all Hindu books and is also the most read of all Indian works in the entire world. Comparison to Christianity Major Differences: GOD • • Hinduism: God is unknowable. He is the one impersonal, ultimate spiritual reality. Hindus claim that there are 330 million gods. Bible: One God in three Persons who is personally known. While God is all-powerful and ever-present, He is not monistic (God as everything). Comparison to Christianity Major Differences: CREATION • • Hinduism: Brahman alone exists; everything (the universe, earth, man, rocks, animals, etc.) is ultimately an illusion. Brahman caused the illusion of creation. There is no beginning or conclusion to creation, only endless repetitions or cycles of creation and destruction. History has no value since it is based on an illusion. Bible: God is separate from His creation. All things were created by Him, through Him, and for Him. Comparison to Christianity Major Differences: HUMANITY • • Hinduism: The eternal soul of each human is supposedly a manifestation of Brahman mysteriously trapped in the physical body. A person must live repeated lives or reincarnations called Samsara before the soul can be liberated from the body. Bible: Each person is important. God created all people so you could freely choose to know and love Him. (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-10. Comparison to Christianity Major Differences: JESUS • • Hinduism: Jesus is not seen as the Messiah, God’s Son, or as physically resurrected. He was simply a man who realized his divine nature. Bible: God’s perfect Son. Holy, divine, resurrected, and also fully human. When Witnessing to a Hindu • There is a deliberate openness to contradiction that can be a headache to navigate when sharing the Truth about Jesus. • Help them critically examine their belief system by gently challenging the idea that truth claims are equally true if they contradict one another. • Jesus claimed that He and the Father were one. He was crucified because He made Himself out to be God. P. 97 in Jesus Among Other Gods When Witnessing to a Hindu • They have a great reverence for sacred scriptures. • They believe in one Supreme Being, worlds beyond this world. • They have respect for other faiths. • What will happen after you die? Will you be reincarnated? Does heaven or hell await? Do you cease to exist? When Witnessing to a Hindu • Warning: The Vedas deliberately intertwines myth, theology, and history to achieve a story-form religious root. This theo-mythology is so deeply rooted in India’s history and culture that to reject the Vedas is viewed as opposing India. Therefore a belief system is rejected by Hinduism if it does not embrace Indian culture to some extent. Major Religions of the World Buddhism Judaism