Download Three World Religions

Three World Religions
Mr. Brown
Did You Know
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The Quran, the holy book of Islam,
is believed to be the exact and
precise word of God, revealed to
Muhammad by the angel Gabriel
over a period of approximately 23
years. Although the Quran has been
translated into many languages,
only the original Arabic is
considered the literal word of Allah.
I. Judaism
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A. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are
major faiths that are examples of
monotheism, or belief in one supreme
god.
B. Judaism was first practiced by a small
group of people in Southwest Asia called
the Israelites. The followers of Judaism
today are known as Jews. Their holy book
is the Torah.
I. Judaism
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C. The Jews believe that they are God’s
chosen people and will remain so for as
long as they follow God’s laws. They
believe God made a covenant, or
agreement, with Abraham. The most wellknown of these laws are the Ten
Commandments, which were revealed to
a prophet, or messenger of God, named
Moses.
D. About 1000 B.C., King David created a
kingdom in the area of present-day Israel.
The capital of this kingdom was
Jerusalem.
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E. Eventually, the Jewish people spread to
many countries throughout the world.
Jewish scholars, writers, artists, and
scientists have greatly increased the
world’s knowledge.
F. In some areas, Jews have been treated
with tolerance. In other areas, they have
been treated cruelly.
G. Jews celebrate several important holy
days, including Passover, Rosh Hashanah,
and Yom Kippur.
Essential Question
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From whom do the Jewish people
believe they are descended?
According to Jewish belief, the Jews
are descended from Abraham and
Sarah, who first worshipped the one
god, or Yahweh.
II. Christianity
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A. Christianity arose from Judaism in Southwest
Asia. Later, it spread to non-Jews.
B. A Jew named Jesus began preaching in what is
today Israel, the West Bank, and
Jordan. Some Jews greeted him as the messiah,
or savior, who would deliver
them from the Romans.
C. Jesus was convicted of treason under Roman
law and crucified outside
Jerusalem. His disciples, or followers, proclaimed
he then rose from the dead.
They began preaching that Jesus was the Son of
God.
Christainity
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D. The disciples spread Jesus’ teachings across
the Roman world and beyond. The holy book of
the Christians is the Bible.
E. Christians were often persecuted until the
Roman emperor Constantine became a Christian
and proclaimed Christianity a lawful religion of the
Roman Empire. Christianity later became divided
into Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox
Christians. A third group—Protestants—formed
much later.
F. Christianity has more followers than any other
religion. Christian holidays include Christmas,
Good Friday, and Easter.
Essential Question
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What is Easter?
Easter, believed to be the day that
Jesus rose from the dead, is the
most important day of the Christian
calendar.
III. Islam
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A. The followers of Islam are called Muslims.
B. Muslims believe that Muhammad is the last
and greatest prophet of Allah, or God. Muhammad
was born about A.D. 570 in Makkah. He told
people there was one God, Allah, before whom all
believers are equal.
C. Muhammad’s message angered the rich
merchants of Makkah. In A.D. 622, Muhammad
was forced to flee for safety from Makkah to
Madinah.
D. Muhammad’s forces eventually defeated
armies who came to Madinah. Muhammad made
Makkah the center of Islam. Over time, Muslim
armies, merchants, and scholars spread the faith
in Asia, North Africa, and parts of Europe.
III. Islam
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E. There are two main branches of Islam:
Sunnis and Shiites. They differ on which
leaders should rule in the Islamic
community.
F. The Muslim holy book is the Quran.
The Quran describes the five pillars of
faith, or the five obligations all Muslims
must fulfill.
G. Once in each Muslim’s life, he or she
must, if able, make the hajj, or journey
to Makkah to pray.
Essential Question
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What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the month, according to
Muslim beliefs, in which God began
to reveal the Quran to Muhammad.
Muslims observe Ramadan by
fasting during daylight hours.