World Religion

- Unit 1 General Intro - 

September 7th

Beginning The Journey - Unit One

Religion begins with a mystery 

Living prompts questions - by responding to these questions, religion provides a way of living and dying meaningfully 

Questions like:

• Where do we come from?

• Where are we going? 

• Why are we here?

• What is “here”?

• What is the nature of this world?

• What is the nature of the supreme/ultimate reality?

Qualities unique to being a human being:

• Self reflection: a conscience

• Being spiritual: we ask and answer life’s most basic questions

Understanding the Human Condition:

• What is our essential nature?

• Are humans good or evil? - or somewhere in between?

• Are we endowed with some form of soul or are we merely physical bodies? 

Creation stories often attempt to answer these questions

Almost every religion will offer aspirations or goals

What is spiritual perfection?

• Salvation, enlightenment, transcendance 

The humans spiritual element enables them to transcend their physical limitations

One way to overcome suffering is to attain spiritual perfection 

What do I need to do?

Is there a connection between my actions and suffering? 

What should my journey through life look like?

September 8th

Teaching what is right or wrong (ethical) forms a significant part of most religious traditions

Destiny

Not all religions will provide an answer to the question: 

Where are we going? 

Cosmology: understanding the nature of the universe 

What is the nature/reality of the world we live in?

• Where did the world come from?

• Is it real? Is it an illusion?

• Are all living things sacred? Are all living things just matter? 

• Is all life interconnected?

• Will this help or hinder my goal of spiritual perfection? 

What is the ultimate reality?

Is there a higher power?

Most religions teach that the supreme/ultimate reality is somehow revealed to humans through sacred stories/myths or a religious experience. 

Main Categories

Monotheism - 1 God (Judaism, christianity etc.)

Polytheism - many gods/goddesses (Hinduism)

Pantheism - everything/everyone is one (single raindrop vs a lake/ocean) (Buddhism) 

- Unit 2 Aboriginal - 

September 18

Aboriginal People in Canada

Over 1 mill people in canada are aboriginal

8/10 live in ontario + western provinces

54% in urban centres 

10% of winnipeg population is aboriginal

indigenous peoples includes first nations metis and inuit

First nations includes many groups 

Difference between the names used by the people themselves and those used by others

There may be variations in spellings b/c spoken terms were written down in many forms 

History 

indigenous peoples in canada 

• live in diverse environments

• Have a great variety of rituals, symbols and practices 

Their spirituality is deeply connected to the physical environment, including animals and plants

Life is seen as interconnected 

Until recently most indigenous cultures have been oral, relying on memory and memory keepers

Their history has been passed down orally and through archeological findings  

Despite diversity indigenous peoples share a lot of the same worldviews of indigenous peoples everywhere in the world 

They show a deep sense that all that exists - trees, animals, humans, the earth - is alive 

indigenous peoples helped early europeens bu teaching them survival skills

Many europeans considered their own ways “civilised” and the indigenous ways “uncivilised” 

• indigenous peoples were expected to give up their ways 

• Reserves were created and land was set aside for specific First Nations peoples to use

Dates

In 1857 - gradual civilization act was passed to assimilate indigenous people into european culture 

In 1876 - indian act allowed the federal government to set up residential schools for indigenous children which were run by anglican, united, Presbyterian and catholic churches

In 1895 - all indigenous ceremonies, dances and festivals were banned

September 25 

indigenous Central Beliefs, Morality and Spiritual Teachings 

- indigenous people believe the world around them is always changing from within and these forces work independently from one another

- The universe is a complex assembly of powers or spirits - small and great, beneficial and dangerous

- Humans do not control these forces but, to live, they must ally themselves to these powers to keep harmony between the different forces

The great Spirit

The great spirit inhabits all things - rocks land water plants animals and people 

Most indigenous people believe the spirit is fluid and that it is there at specific moments 

• For example, it is there when an eagle flies but not when it is asleep

It is often addressed as the creator who appears to be a highest God who is one

This spirit reveals itself in many ways in nature these are the spirits 

• In vision quests they encounter these powers when they find their spirit helpers 

• Like angels in christianity spirits become guardians of the person's spirit life

Spiritual teachers and leaders

indigenous people mainly pass down their spiritual powers through word of mouth 

Certain men and women have greater spiritual power than others

A shaman or medicine person uses their powers for the benefit of the community 

• A shaman is a physical and spiritual healer who performs ceremonies using knowledge of medicines and herbs

• The shaman also remembers and tells the spiritual teachings of the community 

The medicine wheel 

It is sometimes referred to as the sacred hoop

The circle represents the continuous cycles of life and the connection among all species

Movement is circular and typically in a clockwise or “sun wise” direction 

• This helps to align with the forces of nature such as gravity and the rising and setting of the sun

The cross points in the four directions (North South East West)

• Each is typically represented by a distinctive colour such as black, red, yellow and white

The powers of the four directions organise everything 

• Stages of life: birth, youth, adult (or elder), death

• Seasons of the year: spring, summer, winter, fall

• Aspects of life: spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical

• Elements of nature: fire (or sun), air, water and earth

• animals : eagle, bear, wolf, buffalo, and many others 

• Ceremonial plants: tobacco, sweet grass, sage, cedar

Elders use the wheel as a tool for teaching younger generations  about who they are, where they come from, their place in the  world, and how they are related to each other and to  everything else. 

Circles and drums 

Drums are sacred objects of different sizes, types, and purposes, and are used in ceremonies

They represent the heartbeat of the nation and of mother earth

Heart and drum share the same purpose and responsibility - to provide life through its beat. 

The circle is sacred: 

• Dancing is intended for the renewal of all creation is done in a circle

• The sacred pipe is passed in a circular motion 

• indigenous people see the circle everywhere because they see the powers of the universe operating as a circle 

- UNIT 3 JUDAISM -

October 10

Judaism In Canada 

* Canada has the fourth largest Jewish population in the world, after the united states, Israel and france

* Approx. 350000 jews live in canada today

* Today the largest number of jews live in toronto and montreal

History Of Judaism 

* Judaism traces its origins back to abraham and sarah, patriarch and matriarch of the israelites 

* It is the story of a covenant (promise) made between God and abraham

* Religion is called judaism because the jewish people trace their heritage to the hebrew people who lived in the kingdom of Judah

* King solomon built a temple in jerusalem that would serve as the centre of worship for the jewish faith

* When the temple was destroyed the jews dispersed and had to find a new way to honour God

* A place of worship, now known as synagogues, were created

The Jewish Belief…. 

* In one God, creator of the universe

* In prophets - especially moses, through whom the torah was revealed to the hebrew people

* In the torah (first five books of the bible) containing religious, moral and social law which guides the life of a jew (hebrew bible does not include the new testament) 

* in the written law of the Torah which contains 613 commandments 

* In Talmud which explains on how to apply God’s law in everyday life

* Kosher dietary rules

* what you wear and other symbols

* prayer and devotion to the one God 

* The Temple and Temple Rites

* observance of Holy Days 

* Proper social relations between male and female, in business, judicial rulings, etc. 

* Judaism was around before christianity, it is the foundation of christianity 

* jesus was jewish, as were his followers and the apostles 

* jews do not believe that Jesus was anything more than a good and wise man who lived and died 2000 years ago. The jews are still waiting for their messiah. 

Different Types of Judaism

* Orthodox Jews, continue to observe all the ancient rules and practices 

* Conservative Jews, seek to preserve jewish traditions and rituals but have a more flexible approach to  the interpretation of the law than the orthodox jews 

* Reform Jews, have reformed or abandoned aspects of orthodox jewish worship and rituals to attempt to adapt to modern changes in social, political and cultural life

* Most jews in canada are conservative jews

The Jewish Community 

The centre of the community

* When the temple was destroyed jews no longer had a centre of worship or a role for the high priest

* Most jews choose a rabbi or join a more structured community to help them observe their religion 

The synagogue

* After being expelled to Babylon in 597 BCE the jews were dispersed among other nations

* They set up synagogues so they would not be dependent on the temple in jerusalem 

* When the temple was destroyed in 70 CE m0re synagogues were built 

Synagogues have two purposes 

* They are places where the torah is taught

* They are places of worship outside of jerusalem

* The torah is read from a raised platform and the rabbi speaks from a pulpit to explain the torah 

* A lamp is kept burning at all times to remind people that god is present

* The synagogue contains an ark or cabinet where the torah scrolls are kept

* The ark is usually on the eastern wall so the congregation face jerusalem when they face the ark

Central Beliefs

Kashrut and Kosher

* Kashrut is the section of jewish law that deals with what foods jews can and cannot eat and how those foods must be prepared and eaten

* Kashrut means fit, proper or correct 

* The word Kosher describes food that meets these standards

* Rabbis do not “bless” foods to make it kosher

* according to the Torah the only types of meat that can be eaten are animals that have cloven hooves and chew the cud

* If an animal species fulfils only one of these conditions that its meat may not be eaten

* IE bulls, cows, sheep, lambs, goats, veal and springbok 

* A kosher species must be slaughtered by a Schochet, a ritual slaughterer 

Jewish law prohibits causing any pain to animals so unconsciousness must be instantaneous and death must occur almost immediately 

The Torah

* The torah presents the teachings of judaism in the form of a story

* Genesis, the first book of the torah contains the two stories of creation

* Genesis also tells the story of Abraham and his wife Sarah

* Abraham’s faith in God is tested many times, but never wavers

* The rest of Genesis tells the story of God’s faithfulness to his covenant (sacred agreement) with Abraham 

* The second book of the Torah is Exodus 

* The story picks up when Abraham's descendants the children of Israel had become slaves to the egyptians

* On mount Sinai, God made a covenant with Moses and gave him the ten commandments and the rest of the law

* The Ten Commandments contain the most important instruction on how to live the covenant 

The Talmud

* The Talmud is the second most important Jewish sacred writing

* It is a huge book of civil and religious laws and ethical teachings

* It contains layer upon layer of interpretations of the Torah made by Rabbis between the 1st and 5th centuries

* It is a written record of the Halakhah (the Oral Torah)

* the Halakhah contains prescribed ways to apply the commandments in the Torah to daily life

* It includes laws about ritual purity 

The Kippah 

* The Kippah also known as a yarmulke is the skull cap worn by men in the synagogue 

* It is worn by jews to fulfil the customary requirement held by authorities that the head be covered at times of prayer

* This custom evolved as a sign of recognition that God is above and watches your every act

* Some jewish males will wear it at all times

The Yad

* It is a jewish ritual pointer, popularly known as a Torah pointer

* It is used by the reader to follow the text during the Torah reading from the parchment Torah scrolls 

Hanukkah Menorah 

* Also known as a chanukiah is a nine branched candelabra lit during the eight day holiday of Hanukkah 

* The ninth holder, called the shamash (“helper”) is for a candle used to light all other candles

* To be kosher the shamash must be offset on a higher or lower plane than the main eight candles or oil lamps

- UNIT 4 ISLAM - 

Muslims in Canada

One of every 5 people is muslim

Second largest religion in the world

-1.6 billion people

There are approx. 1,053,945 muslims in canada

Muslim means “one who submits to the will of god”

“Islam” is an arabic word which means peace 

Muhammed 

• Muhammed is the descendant of Ishmeal, who was the son of Abraham (founder of judaism) 

• Born in 570 ce, born into one of the most respected tribes in Makkah

His father died shortly after his birth and his mother died when he was 6

• Raised by his grandmother and uncle

• He was a trader and travelled all over

• He was well respected for his honesty and efficiency as a businessman

• At 25 he married a rich widow woman who was 15 years older than him

• At 40 Angel Gabriel (jim) appeared to him (610 CE) 

  • Night of Power during the month of Ramadan (fasting)

  • AG demanded he read a passage even though he could not read

  • On the third request he was able to read the passage

• For the next 23 years he received a series of revelations 

  • These revelations would later become the Qur’an

• In 632 CE he died at the age of 62

Five Pillars of Islam

Shadah

• Declaration of faith/creed 

• There is no God but God and Muhammed is the Messenger of God

Salat

• Mandatory prayer five times a day 

  • Before dawn

  • Mid-day

  • Late afternoon

  • After sunset 

  • After dark

Zakat 

• Charity

• Islamic law states that a person should give aims valued at 2.5 percent of their assets to the poor

Sawm

• Mandatory fasting

• Entire month of Ramadan from dawn till dusk

  • no eating

  • No drinking

  • No smoking

  • No having sex 

Hajj

• Mandatory pilgrimage 

• Makkah or Mecca

• Undertaken by any Muslim who has the health and means to make the pilgrimage 

• Once a year, some go more than once in their lifetimes

Festivals

The Ramadan Fast

• Month long

• Draw muslims closer to God

• Develop spiritual piety, patience and perseverance 

Eid al-fitr 

• Festival of breaking the fast

• First day of the tenth month of the islamic year

• Celebrates the end of Ramadan

• Celebrated with great joy

  • Family gatherings

  • Gifts 

  • Donations to the poor are given 

Clothing

Hijab 

• Arabic word for cover

• Covers most or all of womens hair

Niqab

• Viel for the face

• Leaves area around the eyes clear

• May be worn with a separate eye veil 

Burqa 

• Most concealing

• Covers entire face and body

• Leaves just a mesh screen to see through

- UNIT FIVE HINDUISM -

Hinduism in Canada 

• The world is home to over a billion hindus

• Most live in india, but a lot live in nepal, bangladesh, indonesia, sri lanka, and malaysia 

• Hinduism has spread with immigration to canada and other countries

• It is the third largest religion in the world after christianity and islam

• In canada the hindu population is about 497 200

  • This makes hinduism Canada’s fourth most followed religion 

  • Most live in ontario, quebec, manitoba and saskatchewan 

What is Hinduism

Hinduism is a tradition that means many things and has many variations 

• It is not a unified centralised religion like roman catholicism 

• It has no formal church and no single authority

• It has no founder and no fixed doctrines

• One of the oldest religions 

• Gave birth to Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism 

• Tolerance and diversity: “Truth is one, paths are many”

• Many deities but a single impersonal ultimate reality 

• A philosophy and a way of life - focused both on this world and beyond

Hindu Beliefs

One impersonal Ultimate Reality - Brahman

• Brahman is manifested as many personal deities

• True essence of life - Atman, the soul, is Brahman trapped in matter

• Reincarnation - atman is continually born into this world lifetime after lifetime (samsara) 

• Brahman is the power that sustains the universe and is its deepest reality 

• With the Upanishads (ancient texts)

• Hindu beliefs shifted to think that 

  • Consciousness unites everything

  • The self that people experience in their consciousness is one with Brahman, the reality of the universe

  • Brahman cannot be names, and many forms of the deities are needed to express the various aspects of Brahman

• By going beyond their bodies, thoughts and feelings, Hindus believe that they can discover their true selves, or atman

• Each atman is a fragment of the divine Brahman 

• Everyone is a part of the divine

• Hindus believe that coming to a consciousness of themselves as Brahman is the way to defeat death

• What keeps human from this consciousness is their many distractions 

Humans see and sense things that are different from one another (and not one)

• This is an illusion called maya

• When people see things as separate from each other they do not perceive the divine oneness (brahman) of all things

• Realising that Brahman or Atman is present in everyone and everything is to be set free 

What is Brahman

• The underlying unity of all things 

• The power that sustains the universe and its deepest reality 

• The power that unites and sustains all things is consciousness 

What does it mean to be one?

• Think of the ocean: it is one body of water but each drop is individual 

What is Atman?

• Atman is the true self - atman is a drop of the divine Brahman 

• Atman exists within a person

• All individuals are a part of the divine

• Hindus believe that it is important to become aware of this divine spark of Brahman within themselves and within all things

• They must overcome illusion 

What is maya

• The hindu word for illusion is maya

  • For hindus everything we see, smell, touch, hear, or think is maya

• Seeing things as separate and not One (brahman) is a result of maya

• Maya keeps us from knowing the truth

• For hindus, maya keeps a person from seeing the divine oneness (brahman) that surges through all things

Hindu Beliefs Cont’d

• Karma is the spiritual impurity due to our actions 

• It keeps our atman bound to this world (good and bad)

• Ultimate goal of life is to release our atman and reunite with the divine, becoming as one with Brahman (moksha) 

• Hindus believe that true freedom comes when a person is aware of Brahman in all things 

- UNIT SIX BUDDHISM - 

Buddhism in Canada

• Buddhism is the 12 largest religion in canada 

• Many canadian buddhists trace their faith origins to family roots in Asian countries 

• The largest number of buddhists live in ontario and british columbia 

History of Buddhism

• Buddhism has its roots in northern india and hinduism 

• Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of buddhism, sought a new way of practising religion 

• In 563 BCE, Siddhartha Gautama was born a prince of a small hindu kingdom

• A wise man prophesied that he would either become a great king or a great religious leader

  • He said that id the child were exposed to suffering we would follow the spiritual path

• Siddhartha’s father wanted him to become king so he tried to shield him from suffering 

• When he was 16, he went on a journey that exposed him to suffering and led to the creation of buddhism

  • At the age of 29, he rejected the life of luxury to seek enlightenment and the solution to suffering

  • Siddhartha travelled from teacher to teacher but failed to find enlightenment as to the cause and cure of suffering 

• He concluded that neither his old life of luxury nor the life of a religious ascetic was the right way to live

• He began to develop a middle way between luxury and asceticism, giving up greed and selfishness as well as the harsh denial of pleasure

• Siddhartha resolved to sit in meditation until he attained enlightenment

• He finally attained the Great Enlightenment and became known as the Buddha

• The Budda is said to have achieved Nirvana - an awakening to the truth about life, becoming a Buddha (awakened one) at the age of 35

• The Buddha’s enlightenment gave him a special understanding of human suffering and how people might escape that suffering, attain complete peace, and enter Nirvana 

• The Buddha decided to remain on Earth to share his insights instead of immediately entering Nirvana

• After he achieved Nirvana, the Buddha gave his first sermon, called the wheel of Dharma, about the nature of human experience and what people must do to release themselves from suffering

• He continued to trach for 45 years until his death at 80

• His teachings were not written down in his lifetime, they were written down by his followers 400 years later

The Four Noble Truths

The Buddha taught the four noble truths

1. To live is to suffer 

2. The cause of suffering is self centred desire and attachments 

3. The solution is to eliminate desire and attachment, thus achieving nirvana

4. The way to nirvana is through the Eight-Fold Path 

The Eight-Fold Path

1.  Right View 

• Know the truth (the four noble truths

2.  Right Intention 

• Free your mind of evil 

3.  Right Speech 

• Say nothing that hurts others 

4.  Right Action 

• Work for the good of others 

5.  Right Livelihood 

• Respect life 

6.  Right Effort 

• Resist evil 

7.  Right Concentration 

• Practice meditation 

8.  Right Mindfulness 

• Control your thoughts 

Unit 1 - Intro to World Religions

Definitions:

Cosmology- the study of the universe as a whole   

Empathy- understanding how others feel 

Ethics- what is morally right and wrong

Faith- strong belief and way of living in something   

Monotheism- belief in one god   

Mysticism- becoming one with god  

Myth- story or tale concerning things in the past that may or may not be true   

Pantheism- everything and everyone is one   

Polytheism- belief in multiple gods

Revelation- revealing or making known  

Ritual- religious ceremony that is repeated   

Transcendence- to ascend into the beyond

Key Learnings from Unit:

What questions do most religions try to answer?- What happens after death? How was man put on earth? Why was he put on earth? Where was it from?

What is the difference between theistic and non-theistic religion?- The idea of gods

What is spiritual perfection?- pure thoughts, loving nature, living ones true self

What is the ultimate reality?- supreme and final best reality How is it revealed?- myths and stories or religious experiences

How does learning about other religions help you with your faith? It helps me see how similar every religion is, but it makes me wonder if every religion is praising the same “god”

Unit 2 - Aboriginal Spirituality

Key Learnings from Unit:

Why is the Eagle Feather important?- it symbolises honour, respect, strength, courage and wisdom

Name the 7 Grandfather Teachings

• Humility

• Bravery

• Honesty

• Wisdom

• Truth

• Respect

• Love

What does a Shaman/Medicine Person do in the community?- offer healing techniques and helps those who are suffering from mental/physical pain

Why is the physical environment important to Aboriginals?- it represents so much in their community and it heals

How are traditions and rituals passed down from generation to generation?- Usually word of mouth through ancestors and elders

What does the beat of the drum represent?- the heartbeat of our mother

What are Reserves? And why were they created? Reserves are where indigenous people were forced to live.

When was the Indian Act created?- April 12, 1876

When was the last Residential School closed? 1996

What were residential schools and why were they created in the 1800’s?

Residential schools were schools that indigenous children were sent to to strip them of their culture indefinitely. 

Unit 3 - Judaism

Key Learnings from Unit
What is the “written law” called?- torah

Which two people do Jews trace their origins back to?- Abraham and Moses
How many commandments are in the Torah?- 613
After the Temple was destroyed, where did Jews begin to worship?- Synagogues

The 3 types of Judaism are?- orthodox, conservative, reform

Jewish people believe the covenant (promise) was made between who?- god and abraham 

What does the Talmud explain?- the teachings and opinions of rabbis
Who revealed the Torah to the Hebrew people?- Moses
What is Kosher?- The diet that jews follow

What is the Torah, and what does it teach?- the torah is the jewish sacred text and it teaches laws, ethics, and narratives for the jewish community 

Unit 4 - Islam

Key Learnings from Unit:

Who is Muhammad is the descendant of?- Abraham
How many deities did the Kaaba hold before Muhammad cleansed it?-360

What is the purpose of fasting during Ramadan?- a private act of worship that brings nearness to god and spiritual discipline 
Define each of the 5 Pillars and explain the purpose of each

- Shahadah (Faith)- there is no god but god

- Salat (Prayer)- the prayer that muslims have to perform five times a day

- Zakat (Charity)- donation to charitable sources each year 

- Sawm (Fasting)- spiritual discipline and closeness to god

- Hajj (Pilgrimage)- journey to the kaaba in mecca to pray
What is the Kiswah?- the cloth that covers the kaaba in mecca

What are the majority of Muslims; Sunni or Shia?- sunni

What was Muhammad’s job when worked with his Uncle?-shepherd 

Unit 5 – Hinduism

Key Learnings from Unit:

What is Maya?- magic or illusion
What is Brahman?- the ultimate reality underlying all phenomena 

What is Atman and what is its significance?-the universal self or “soul” that after death transmigrates to a new life or attains release

Unit 6 – Buddhism

Key Learnings from Unit:

What are the Four Noble Truths?- the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering

What is the significance of the Noble Eightfold Path and what is the symbol?- the noble path is the pathway to become the buddha and its symbol is the dharma wheel

Explain the ultimate goal of a Buddhist?- to end the  cycle of suffering, the repeated cycle of death and rebirth (nirvana)