Download buddhism - Mr Dombrowski`s Social Studies Class

Major Religions
Hinduism
A. Hinduism
1. Around 2000 BC, the
Indus civilization
began to disappear
and Central Asian
people called Aryans
took over. Aryan and
Indus beliefs mixed.
New stories about
gods and the world
arose.
a. Aryans wrote these
down in The Vedas
b. The Vedas are
collections of hymns,
prayers, and ritual
rules
c. Many people helped
to write the Vedas,
and there was no
major founder of
Hinduism
2. Hinduism has many gods
that are a part of a
single god.
a. All the many gods are
part of a “world spirit”
called Brahman.
b. Other Gods:
1. Brahma – created the
universe
2. Vishnu – preserves
the universe
3. Shiva – destroys the
universe so it can be
recreated
3. The goal of Hinduism is
to become one with the
Brahman, the “world
spirit.”
a. a person can be
reincarnated many
times before their spirit
can join with Brahman
1. Reincarnated – means
to be born a new.
b. If you live a good life, you
may be born into a
higher social class.
4. When the Aryans moved
into India, they created
castes to keep
themselves separated.
a. Castes are social
classes
b. One is born into a caste,
and you cannot move
castes.
5. Currently there are
780 million Hindus in
the world.
BUDDHISM
B. Buddhism
1. Around 500 BC, and
Indian prince named
Siddhartha Gautama
thought about why
people suffer.
a. He believed that wanting
was the problem. This
chained people to the
cycle of death and
rebirth.
b. If they stopped
wanting, they would
find Enlightenment
c. Nirvana is the
release from
reincarnation
2. Four Noble Truths
1. People suffer
2. They suffer because they
want things
3. These wants can be
overcome
4. The Middle Path is the
way to Enlightenment
3. Siddhartha
Gautama’s way to
end desire was
meditation.
a. When you meditate,
you quietly clear your
mind of all thoughts,
wants, and
distractions
4. Siddhartha was called the
“Buddha,” or
enlightened one.
a. He is seen as a Great
Teacher. He is not
worshipped.
5. In 200 BC, the Indian
emperor converted to
Buddhism and spread it
to China, Korea, Japan,
and Southeast Asia.
6. There are currently 325
million Buddhists in the
world.
II. One God in the Middle East
A. Polytheism is the belief
in many gods.
1. Hinduism and Buddhism
B. Monotheism is the belief
in one god and this idea
was born in the Middle
East
1. It was a strange idea at
the time.
C. Zoroastrianism
1. First great
monotheistic
2. It was preached by
Zoroaster around
588 BC in Persia.
(Modern day Iran)
3. Zoroaster said that
the greatest god was
Ahura Mazda, and
Zoroastrianism soon
became the state
religion of Persia.
a. It didn’t last long,
Persians became
Muslims around 600
CE
JUDAISM
D. Judaism
1. Between 1900 and 1600
BC, a tribe of wandering
herders led by Abraham
moved from Northern
Mesopotamia to
Canaan. (Israel)
a. This tribe called
Hebrews worshipped
one god.
2. Many Hebrew families left
to Egypt to avoid a
famine.
3. Around 1200 BC, Moses
led their descendants
from Egypt back to
Canaan.
4. Around 70 AD (CE), Jews
scattered throughout the
Middle East and Europe.
a. Jews have suffered for
centuries due to harsh
treatment by others
5. Judaism focuses on
ethics and laws. Ethics is
about how people should
treat each other and live.
6. Judaism’s main book, the
Torah, combines Jewish
history and laws.
a. Jews believe God gave
Moses the Torah
7. Religious Jews believe
one day a Messiah will
free them from control. A
Messiah is a savior.
a. Jesus of Nazareth was a
Jewish preacher. Many of
his followers believed he
was the promised
messiah.
CHRISTIANITY
E. Christianity
1. Around 1 CE (AD) the
Romans controlled the
Middle East, and Jesus
was one of the many
people preaching about the
coming of the messiah.
a. The Romans and the
Jewish priest considered
people like Jesus a threat
b. Romans executed Jesus, but
his followers spread his
teachings which were
based on Jewish religious
writings
2. Jesus’ followers
survived, despite the
Romans trying to
wipe them out. They
began converting
people , and when the
Roman emperor
Constantine became
a Christian he spread
it throughout Europe.
a. By 476 CE (AD), when
Rome fell, priests in the
Christian Church were the
most powerful group in
Europe.
b. When European kings and
queens sent out explorers
to explore the “New
World,” Christianity
spread throughout the
world. There are almost 2
billion Christians in the
world today.
3. Because Christianity
came from Judaism,
they share many
beliefs.
a. The Torah forms the
first part of the main
Christian text, The
Bible.
b. The Gospels tell the
story of Jesus
4. Most Christians
believe Jesus was the
son of God, and came
back from the dead
after he was killed.
They believe he died
to make-up for
Christians’ sins.
a. Jews do not share
this belief about
Jesus.
5. Many Christians
believe in the Trinity
of God the Father,
God the Son (Jesus),
and God the “Holy
Spirit. There is only
one God, but 3
persons.
a. Jews and Muslims
believe this is too
close to Polytheism.
ISLAM
1. Muhammad worked in the
city of Mecca, Saudi
Arabia around 610 AD
(CE)
2. Muhammad believed that
he was having thoughts
and ideas that came from
Allah.
a. This new religion became
known as Islam
b. Followers of Islam became
known as Muslims, which
means those who
surrendered to God
3. In 622, a small group
of Muslims fled
Mecca for Medina
where they gained
followers and planned
to spread their
religion.
a. In 630, Muhammad
and his followers went
back to Mecca and
conquered it.
b. They began
conquering all of the
Middle East, North
Africa, Persia, parts of
India and Central
Asia.
c. By 730 CE (AD), they
even took over Spain,
but were kicked out
by 1500 CE (AD)
4. The Quran (also
spelled Koran) is
the Muslim Holy
Book.
a. It is Muhammad's
account of what
Allah told him.
b. Muslim also accept
Jewish and Christian
parts of the Bible.
c. Christians, Muslims
and Jews have fought
for centuries even
though the Koran
says they should
respected as “People
of the Book.”
5. The Five Pillars of Islam are the 5 things
all good Muslims should do:
1. Believe and say that
there is no God but
Allah, and Muhammad
is his prophet.
2. Pray 5 times a day facing
Mecca
3. Give charity to the poor
4. Fasting during Ramadan
5. Make a pilgrimage to
Mecca
6. The Muslim
population of Europe,
US, and Canada
continue to grow.
7. 1.1 Billion Muslims
today.