Download Religion

Top 5 World Religions
Religion
Believers are called…
Christianity (2.1 billion)
Christian
Islam (1.5 billion)
Muslim
Hinduism (900 million)
Hindu
Buddhism (376 million)
Buddhist
Sikhism (23 million)
Sikh
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What is religion?

A set of beliefs about the nature of the
universe, the existence of one or
more gods, and the meaning of life.

A set of customs related to the
worship of a god or gods and a set of
rules for proper conduct.

Religious Concepts:
 Creation
 Salvation
Religions of India
Religion
Percentage in India
Hindu
82.6%
Islam
11.4%
Christian
2.4%
Sikh
2.0%
Buddhist
.7%
Jain
.5%
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I. FACTS



About 80% of India’s pop. is
Hindu.
There’s no founder.
There’s no unified beliefs .



There’s no formal
religious leaders.
Hindus may
worship at a
shrine, temple, at
home or outside.
The Ganges River
is considered
sacred.
II. BELIEFS
1. Brahman



Def: The all-powerful, spiritual
force in everything.
It’s like the world’s soul.
Hindus worship many gods
that give a concrete form to
Brahman:
1.
2.
3.
Brahma –the Creator
Vishnu- the Preserver
Shiva- the Destroyer
2. Reincarnation


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Def: Rebirth of the
soul in another form
A person’s soul
never dies. It
reappears after
death in another
person or animal.
Symbol: wheel of life
3. Moksha

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Def: The end of the reincarnation
cycle
The soul is free of all pain and
merges (comes together) with
Brahman.
It’s like heaven and is the goal of
Hindus.
It cannot be achieved in one
lifetime. One must go through
reincarnation.
4. Karma
Def: Actions in this life that
determine your status in the next
life.
GOOD deeds = HIGHER status in next life
BAD “ “ = LOWER “ “ “
“
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5. Dharma

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Def: Religious and moral duties
done in this life to acquire merit
for the next life.
These vary based on class
(caste), gender, job and age
You must overcome your own
desires to do your duty.
6. Ahimsa


Def: non-violence
All people and things are aspects
(parts) of Brahman and should be
respected
UN Declares Mahatma Gandhi’s Birth
Anniversary As “International NonViolence Day”
The United Nations General Assembly has
decided to declare October 2 - the birth
anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi—as
‘International Day of Non-Violence’ in
recognition of his role in promoting the
message of peace around the world.
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7. Sacred Texts



The Vedas
The Upanishads
The Mahabharata
(the Bhagavad Gita is the most famous
part)

The Ramayana