World Religions

Hinduism:

The world’s oldest relgions, beginning in India in 1700 BC.

Hindusim is a polytheisitc religion.

Polytheism is the belief in many gods.

The Hindus believe that souls are continually reborn and the reobrn forms is based on the good and evil actions of past lives called Karma.

The definition of Dharma is duty/responsibility.

Hunduism has 1.2 billion followers.

The Holy Book that Hindus used is The Vedas: 4 Holy books used to describe the nature of the Brahman.

Like other religions, Hindusim focuses on one completing their their role in a permanent universe, instead of acting on their transient desires.

Actions are motivated by universal goals, not focused on results. Focus on performing our actions, not the consequences.

The ganges River is a holy site in India in which ashes of the dead are spread to begin reincarnation.

Om is a chant to represent the universe.

80% of the population in India is Hindu.

India’s caste system is like a hierarchy or a social ladder. You are born into a caste, and you cannot rise above that caste in that lifetime.

Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama in 500 BCE.

Buddhism is a polytheistic religion.

He is also known as the “Buddha,” meaning “The Awakened.”

Followers use the “Four Noble Truths” to reach Nirvana.

Buddhism began in Nepal and has spread throughout Asia.

Buddhism is practiced by 500 million people.

Buddha saw attachments to objects as a false reality and focused more on meditating and achieving nirvana, or the ultimate reality and peace.

His teachings are in the Holy Text which is The Tripitaka.

Impermanence is when everything around us is constantly changing,

Selflessness is when there is no identity that remains over time, because we are changing.

Interdependence is that we are all connected, the whole universe is dependent on us, on vice versa.

The Four Noble Truths are:

1) Life has inevetible suffering

2) There is a cause to our suffering

3) There is an end to suffering

4) The end to suffering is contained in the eight fold path

A symbol used in Buddhism is the Dharma Wheel.

The Dharma Wheel includes the Right view (know the truth), Right intentions (free your mind of evil), Right speech (say nothing that hurts others), Right actions (work for the good of others), Right livelihood (respect life), Right effort (resist evil), Right concentration (practice meditation), Right mindfulness (control your thoughts).

Judahism is a monotheistic religion.

Monotheism is the belief that there is only one god.

Judahism is similar to Christianity. The difference is Jews follow Abraham from the Old Testament instead of Jesus Christ and the New Testament.

Judahism have 14-15 million followers.

Jews are also known as Hebrews and Israelities.

Rabbi is a Jewish religous leader.

Yamaka is a hat Jewish men wear when they pray,

Jews believe that food from an animal must be blessed by a Rabbi. This makes the food kosher.

A synagogue is a Jewish place of worship.

The Holy Book used in Jedahism is The Torah, which is very similar to the Old Testament in the Bible,

Abraham, born in 2000 BC, is considered the founder of Judahism. He was wailling to kill his own son, Issac, in order to please Yahweh.

Moses leads the people from Egypt to the “Holy Land” of Israel. There he receives the 10 commandments of how to live a good life.

The “Golden Age” for Jewish people in Israel will be from 1000-500 BC. After, they will be controlled by an uncontrolled by an outside force until 1948.

The Babylonians conquer Israel in 500 BC.

Then conquered by Persia, then Alexander the Great, then the Romans.

Romans were mad the Jewish people for committing acts of terror agaisnt the government. They destroyed the great synagogue and renamed Israel to Palestine.

Western (wailing) wall is a holy site for Jews. It is a wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Many Jews go there to pray multiple times per day.

Christianity has more followers than any other religion at 2.38 billion followers.

Christianity is a monotheisitc religion.

There are different sects, such as Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant.

The Holy Book used in Christianity is The Bible.

A symbol used in Christianity is the cross and sometimes the fish.

Jesus, who was a Jew and the founder of Christianity, was born in Bethlehem in the year 1. We use the birth to measure time.

Jesus traveled around the modern day Middle East, teaching humility, charity, and salvation through faith, whcih are seen in the New Testament. His teachings undermined the Jewish teachings at the time, so Pontius Pilate tried Jesus and found him guilty. He was to be crucified at Calvary, just outside Jerusalem.

Christians believe Jesus rose 3 days after being crucified and ascended into heaven about 40 days later. People who follow his teachings will be rewarded in heaven, those who don’t will be punished.

Apostles Peter and Paul worked to spread the world of Jesus. They were successful because of the unification of the Roman Empire. Originally, Christianity was outlawed, but by the decline of the Roman Empire, the official religion was christianity.

Constantine was attemping to become emperor of Rome in 310 A.D.

He saw a cross appear in the sky and immediately converted, making all future emperors Christian as well. This is the start of the Holy Roman Empire.

Jesus was born Jewish and many of his followers were Jewish before converting.

Jews believe Jesus existed, but they don’t believe he was the messiah.

Christianity has a clear concept of heaven and hell, while Judism doesn’t.

Although there are many Hindu gods, many Hindus consider the faith to be monotheistic because they believe Brahman is one force with multiple forms.

Each Hindu wants to be “at one” with Brahman to get an immortal life. However, it can take multiple lives in order to become “one” with Brahman.

Hindus refuse to eat meat because they believe the animals are forms of gods.

A Hindu’s definition of karma is the length of time that it takes for the soul to be “at one” with Brahman.

The caste has been traditionally tied to one’s occupation.

Enlightenment is a state of heightened wisdom.

According to Siddhartha, one can reach enlightenment by overcoming their desires because suffering comes from desires.

Buddhism spread to many countries such as China, Japan, Korea, and many South Asian countries.

Buddhism is less common in India today because many started following Hinduism and some parts of Islam as well.

Islam began in Mecca (Saudi Arabia) by Muhammed in the year 610 AD. It eventually spread to cover most of North Africa and the middle east.

The 5 pillars of Islam is Statement of faith, pray 5 times a day, Give to charity, Fasting during daylight: Ramadan (30 days), and a pilgrimate to Mecca (Hajj).

The two main branches of Islam are Sunni and Shia.

Islam has 1.6 billion followers.

The symbol for Islam is the Crescent Moon.

Jihad is a war with permission from god.

Caliph is a leader of all muslims

Mosque is a place of worship for Muslims.

The Qur’an is the holy text of Muslims.

The Qur’an is written in Arabic and the letters are seen as art,

The Qur’an tells of the wonderful world that awaits in heaven for believers.

The Hajj is a pilgrimage, or religious trip to Mecca. This is one of the 5 pillars of Islam. Inside the box is a meteorite that is a symbol of God’s and Abraham’s covenant.

MUhammed leaves his birthplace, Mecca, and fights against a city called Medina. He wins multiple battles and converts everyone in both cities to Islam.

After Muahmmad’s death the Arab world was no united under one religion and built a kingdom starting in 750 CE. They also set up various trade routes throughout North Africa and the Middle East. This was the Golden Age of Islam.

The Sharia Law is a very strict form of the Islamic faith that forbids pork, gambling, and alcohol. It also has very strict laws about women in public, drawing Muhammed, and insulting the Qur’an.

Most Muslims don’t follow Sharia Law.