Final Short Responses Extra

What are the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism?

1. Life entails suffering (Duhkha)

2. Suffering is caused by selfish desire (Tanha)

3. To overcome Duhkha, one must overcome Tanha

4. Eightfold path

What are the Ten Commandments?

1. One God

2. No idolatry

3. No Lords name in vain

4. Keep the Sabbath

5. Honor parents

6. No killing

7. No adultery

8. No stealing

9. No lying

10. No coveting

What are three ways Christinas believe human beings are images of God as Triune?

1. Social dimension

2. Capacity to generate offspring

3. Authentic human love

What are the five pillars of Islam?

1. Profession of faith

2. Daily prayer

3. Almsgiving

4. Fasting

5. Pilgrimage

Why religion has no founder?

Hinduism

Hinduism

Founder: N/A

God - Brahman: SDA, Identical with creation, Impersonal

Human Nature: atman is not one’s true self, Atman is identical with God

Where are we going? Liberation (Moksha) from having to be reborn into the finite world and so merge back into God fully experience one’s identity with infinite existence

How do we get there? Enlightenment made possible by reincarnation governed by karma

Buddhism

Founder: Siddhartha Gautama

God - Brahman: SDA, Identical with creation, Impersonal

Human Nature: Atman is identical with god, anatman is an illusion

Where are we going? Liberation (Moksha) from a world that appears distinct from God and so fully experience one’s identity with infinite existence and so one’s finitude is extinguished (Nirvana)

How do we get there? After a long process of reincarnation governed by karma, enlightenment is immediately available to all by Eightfold path

Judaism

Founder: Abraham

God - Yhwh: SDA, distinct from creation, personal

Angels and Demons

Human Nature: Man is created in the image of god but with competing impulses Yetzer tov and Yetzer ra

Where are we going? Sheol (a place where the dead wait), Gehinnom, Gan Eden, Resurrection, Olam Ha-Ba (world to come)

How do we get there? Belief in one God and living accord with the covenant embodied in Mosaic Law, which remains in force during the reign of the Messiah

Christianity

Founder: Jesus Christ

God: SDA, distinct from creation, trinity of persons

Angels and Demons

Human Nature: Man is an image of God born into a state of original sin that affects all of creation

Where are we going? Heaven, Hell, Purgatory (Catholicism), Resurrection, Glorified Heaven and Earth

How do we get there? God’s grace made available by Christ’s redemptive sacrifice on the Cross accepted by faith yet lost by sin

Islam

Founder: Muhammad

God - Allah: SDA, distinct from creation, personal

Angels and Jinn

Human Nature: Man is born a Muslim, which means to be a slave and deputy of Allah, but is also forgetful of the truth

Where are we going? Paradise, Hell, Resurrection

How do we get there? belief in Allah and his prophets, especially Muhammad, and living in accord with Shari’ah