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WORLD RELIGIONS World Religions Geographers study religion because the Earth is impacted by people and their religions. World Religions This study will present information about some of the most popular world religions , but will not attempt to convince or persuade any one to accept the teachings of any religion. Today, there are more than 10,000 distinct religions, of which 150 have one million or more followers. There are over 33,830 Christian denominations or identifiable bodies of believers. (World Christian Encyclopedia by David B. Barrett, 2001.) We will focus on the following religions: Hinduism (4000B.C.) Judaism (2500B.C.) Buddhism (500 B.C.) Christianity (4 A.D.) Islam (622 A.D.) Confusianism (550 B.C.) Doaism (440 A.D.) Adherents: Those who practice or follow a religion. World Religions Religion Adherents % Pop. Hinduism 900,812,000 13.4% Judaism 17,822,000 0.3% Buddhism 360,939,000 6.0% Confuscianism 5,254,000 0.1% Daoism 20,000,000 0.35% Christianity (All) 2,833,022,000 33.4% IN THE LAST 50 YEARS YEARS: Muslims have increased 235% Christians have increased 47% Hinduism has increased 117% Buddhism has increased by 63% Islam is the 2nd largest religion in France, Great Britain and the U.S. HINDUISM 4000 B.C. Lord Vishnu Hinduism … is one of the most complex and oldest religions in the world. … … has no single founder unlike most major religions. Hinduism … has many sacred texts, instead of just one. The Veda, one of the oldest, is a collection of 4 sacred writings. … … developed and changed over 3,500 years. Basic Beliefs of Hinduism • Caste System: Ranked society into occupational classes. Brahmins—priests Kshatriyas—soldiers and warriors Vaishyas—merchants, skilled traders, farmers, laborers Sudra—unskilled laborers Untouchables—poor, discriminated against; NOT part of system • Beliefs based on the concept that human and animal spirits reincarnate, or come back to live many times in different forms. • Belief that souls move up and down the class hierarchy depending on one’s karma (or the sum of their life’s actions, good and bad) Hinduism and Buddhism were two very important religions that developed in ancient India. They both influenced Indian civilization. To a Hindu... Different gods are forms of an all-powerful spiritual force. The goal of life is to become one with this force or to reach Nirvana (the escape from cycle of reincarnation). An Indian image of Buddha Siddhartha Guatama or Buddha founded Buddhism. He was born about 566 B.C. After studying and reflecting, he believed that he had found the cure for human suffering. Buddha taught that... individuals must free themselves from desires. One should live a moral life One should avoid evil words and actions. • Buddha attracted many followers. •After his death, missionaries spread his teachings across many parts of Asia. •Although Buddhism took root in other parts of Asia, it slowly declined in India. REVIEW: 1. Which religion is still widely practiced in India today? 2. What four beliefs do Hinduism and Buddhism share? JUDAISM 2500 B.C. MONOTHEISM: The belief in the existence of only one god. POLYTHEISM: The belief in or worship of more than one god. The Hebrews were one of the groups that lived in the Fertile Crescent. The Hebrews recorded their laws in a sacred scrolls called the Torah. According to the Torah, God made a covenant, or binding agreement, with Abraham to be the God of the Hebrews. Later, the Egyptian pharaoh made the Hebrews into slaves. Moses helped the Hebrews to escape. Torah ark, showing scrolls with embroidered cases and Torah crowns. The Hebrews wandered in the desert for 40 years. Finally, they set up the kingdom of Israel with Jerusalem as its capital. The Israelites believed that God had promised them this land. Later, the kingdom split apart and both sections were conquered. In time, Hebrew beliefs evolved into the religion we know as Judaism. The Hebrews also believed that God had chosen them as his people. Judaism was monotheistic, teaching a belief in one God. The Hebrews also believed that God had chosen them as his people. The laws of Judaism are called the Ten Commandments. They describe how people should behave toward God and toward each other. Moses receives the Ten Commandments. This is an illustration in the 12th Century Winchester Bible. Review: 1. What were two lessons taught by the prophets? 2. What were three beliefs of Judaism? Generally, ancient Rome allowed its citizens to worship as they pleased. However, Jewish reformers called Zealots wanted independence. When the Jews revolted, the Romans drove them out of their homeland. During this time, a new religion emerged. Its founder was a Jew named Jesus and he was born around 4 B.C. He called himself the son of God. Jesus among his followers. Jesus said that he was the messiah, or savior sent by God. •He believed in the Jewish idea of one God and accepted the Ten Commandments. •He preached new ideas and claimed that he was “Christ,” the promised savior who would save humankind from its sins. •Many Jews and Romans worried that Jesus was dangerous and he was arrested by the Romans. Jesus was tried and executed Romanstyle:nailed to a cross and left to die. After Jesus died, his followers spread his teachings. They became the first Christians. At first, Rome persecuted the Christians. Still, Christianity continued to spread. Many people found comfort in the belief that Jesus redeemed them from sin and offered them the possibility of a better life after death. Jesus had welcomed all people, including the poor and the troubled. In A.D. 313, the emperor of Rome, Constantine, ended the persecution of Christians. Eighty years later, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman empire. GROWTH OF CHRISTIANITY Christianity gradually spread throughout the Roman empire. Apostles carried the teachings of Jesus across the region. REVIEW: 1. What messages did Jesus preach? 2. In which year did Christianity become the official religion of the Roman empire? In 622 A.D., a new religion called Islam arose in Arabia. According to the Koran, the sacred text of the Muslims, Allah (God) sent his angel Gabriel with a command to Muhammad to spread the message of Islam. Muhammad spent the rest of his life spreading the word of Islam. Soon thousands of people adopted Islam. People who practice Islam are called Muslims. Like Jews and Christians, Muslims believe in one god, Allah. Allah is compassionate and allpowerful. Five Pillars of Islam Almsgiving Hajj (Pilgrimage) Prayer five times a day Ramadan Recitation of Creed Islam teaches that people are responsible for the way they behave. Muslims must pray every day and are expected to fast, or go without food, from sunrise to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan. Daily prayers are required of Muslims. They must kneel on clean ground, so they use a pray cloth or rug. Men and women do not pray together. Muslims are supposed to help the poor and visit the holy city of Mecca. If Muslims follow Islamic teachings, they will have eternal happiness after death. The sacred book of Islam is the Quran (sometimes spelled Koran). Muslims believe that the Qu’ran contains the word of God,so it is the final authority in all matters. It also provides a complete guide to life. Over time, Muslims developed a system of law, called the Sharia. The laws teach people how to behave in family life, business, and other aspects of the community. In this way, Islam is both a religion and a way of life. The Qu’ran, the Sharia, and the Arabic language helped unite all Muslims. All All Muslims accept five basic duties called the Five Pillars of Islam. Review: 1. What do the Quran and the Sharia teach? 2. Name three duties of Islam. Rise of Confuscianism Confuscianism • A code of conduct to live by • A philosophy of life to live by rather than a religion (no church, clergy, gods or life after death. Confuscianism The Five Relationships Husband and wife Parent and child Elder and younger brother Ruler and subject Friend to friend. Key Concepts: • Filial Piety—the greatest of virtues • Respect and obedience given to parents • Li—polite behavior expected of all Rise of Daoism • Lao-Tse, the founder • Means “The Way” • Symbol: Yin and Yang represent “balance” between all things in nature. Religion has been the comforter of mankind throughout the ages, from the cavemen to the present day. It helps people put order into chaos and for many, it helps explain what happens after death. Most religions preach peace, yet religion has been the cause of many wars.