Download The World Religions

The world has Five major religions:
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Christianity
Islam
Buddhism
Hinduism
Judaism
Judaism is a monotheistic religion
(belief in ONE god). In fact, Judaism
was the first major religion to believe
in one God. Jews trace their national
and religious origins back to God’s call
to Abraham.
Sacred Books: The Torah are the
writings of Moses and explain
Jewish laws. The Old Testament are
writings of other Prophets.
Prophet: Judaism contains the
belief of a person chosen to God to
speak for him on earth.
Moses near the burning bush
Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion spanning 3,000
years.
Sacred symbol: The menorah is
used in the celebration of
Hanukkah.
What is Hanukkah? A celebration of the
Temple of Jerusalem following the
Maccabees’ victory over the Syrian
Greeks.
Jews praying in a synagogue on Yom Kippur,
from an 1878 painting by Maurycy Gottlieb
Christians began
under the umbrella
of Judaism
Christianity claims more
members than any of the other
world religions. It is based on the
belief in one God and on the life
and teachings of Jesus. Christians
believe that Jesus, Who was born
a Jew, is the son of God and is
fully divine and human.
Important People:
Jesus of Nazareth, who was born a Jew,
died on the cross for humanity’s sins.
Sacred book: The Bible is the spiritual
text for all Christians and is considered
to be inspired by God.
Sacred Symbol: Christians believe that
Jesus died for their sins. The statue
Christ the Redeemer, located in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil, symbolizes this
fundamental belief.
Major Beliefs: Heaven and Hell,
Divinity of Christ, The Holy Trinity
(the Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
Important People:
Among the more famous Hindu
gods are Brahma, Vishnu and
Shiva who represent the creative,
sustaining and destructive forces
in the universe.
Sacred books:
Vedas: consist of hymns, prayers
Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur
Veda and Atharva Veda:
The four great Vedic collections.
They make up one of the most
important Hindu religious texts.
Major Beliefs: Hindus believe the
universe contains several heavens and
hells. According to the concept of rebirth
or reincarnation, which is central to their
beliefs, souls are continually reborn. In
what form one is reborn is determined by
the good and evil actions performed in his
or her past lives. Those acts are Karma.
Sacred Symbol: One important symbol of
Hinduism is actually a symbol for a sound. “Om”
is a sound that Hindus often chant during prayer,
mantras and rituals.
Important people:
Siddhartha Gautama, known
as the Buddha after his
enlightenment at the age of
35, was born some 2,500
years ago in what is now
Nepal. The Buddha’s
followers stick to his
teachings which aim to end
suffering in the world.
Buddhists call this goal
Nirvana.
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Major Beliefs:
a. Reincarnation
b. Salvation through inner peace
c. Four Noble Truths: (Deals
with anxiety and stress).
• d. The Eightfold Path: How to
live with no suffering.
Sacred Book:
Tipitaka, written in a
language that was
closely spoken by
Buddah himself.
The Dharma wheel, often used to represent the
Noble Eightfold Path.
Important People: Followers of Islam,
known as Muslims, believe in one God,
whom they call Allah. The word Allah is
Arabic for “the god.” The spiritual
founder of Islam, Muhammad, began his
teachings in Mecca in A.D. 610.
Muslims believe he was the last of a
series of holy prophets that included
Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.
Sacred Book: According to Muslims,
the Quran, their holy book, contains
the direct word of God, revealed to
their prophet Muhammad sometime
between 610-632 A.D. It is written
and read only in Arabic.
About 1.5 billion people practice Islam
Muhammad
Major Beliefs:
a. Jihad: Struggle to defend the faith.
b. The Five Pillars
c. Ramadan: month-long celebration
commemorating the time during
which Muhammad received the
Quran from Allah.
Symbol: Islam is often symbolized by
the crescent moon. It is an important part
of Muslim rituals, which are based on the
lunar calendar.