Reincarnation: The belief that someone is reborn into a different body or living thing.
Brahma: The creator god.
Vishnu: The preserver god.
Shiva: The destroyer god.
Mandir: A Hindu place of worship.
Diwali: The festival of light.
Holi: The festival of spring.
Puja: Hindu worship at home.
Polytheistic: The belief in many gods.
Monotheistic: The belief in one God.
Mahatma Gandhi: A religious leader in Hinduism.
What do Hindus believe?
Hinduism is the oldest of the major world religions.
The name 'Hindu' comes from an old name for people who lived in part of northern India around the Indus Valley near the river Indus.
Believe in one supreme God.
Believe in striving to live a perfect life free from the cycle of life and death.
Believe that they can be reborn again into another living thing.
Brahman is in every living thing.
Brahman is like salt dissolved in water.
Hindu Beliefs about God and Hindu Gods
There are three main gods in Hinduism:
Brahma: the creator god.
Vishnu: the preserver god.
Shiva: the destroyer god.
Hindus believe that Brahman is in everything and is beyond human understanding.
Hindus believe Brahma is everywhere.
Hinduism can be known as a monotheistic or polytheistic religion.
How do Hindus Worship?
Puja is the name of Hindu worship at home.
Hindus can worship at home or in the Mandir.
Hindus may attend weddings and events to raise money in the Mandir.
Most Hindus have a shrine or room in their homes.
Hindus can visit the Mandir at any time to pray.
Hindu Festivals: Diwali
Diwali is celebrated in October or November every year.
It lasts for five days.
It is linked to the story of Rama and Sita, where the evil demon King Ravana was defeated.
It signifies the victory of good over evil.
It is celebrated with homes lit with different lights.
Hindu Festivals: Holi
Holi is known as the festival of spring or color.
It signifies the victory over the demon girl Holika.
It is celebrated with different colors.
Mahatma Gandhi
He was a famous Hindu.
He was an important leader in India when the country was becoming independent.
He did much to shape how Hindus thought about themselves.
Gandhi left a great legacy of non-violence.
He famously said, "An eye for an eye…and soon we shall be blind," to show that violence was not the answer.
Introduction to Christianity: Who is Jesus?
Incarnation: Becoming flesh, taking a human form.
Crucifixion: An ancient form of execution in which a person is nailed to the cross.
Parable: A short story, with a message or moral.
Baptism: The ritual through which people become members of the Christian Church.
Good Friday: The day Jesus was nailed to the cross.
Easter Sunday: The day Jesus rose from the dead, three days after his crucifixion.
Ascension: 40 days after Jesus rose from the dead, he returned to God in Heaven.
Trinity: The belief that there are three persons in one God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Festival: A day or period of celebration for religious reasons.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
The Resurrection of Jesus
The Christian Belief About God: The Trinity
Festivals in Christianity
Who was Jesus?
Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
At that time most of the people living there were Jewish.
Jesus was born and raised as a Jew.
He spent most of his adult life preaching and teaching about God and healing the sick.
According to the Bible, Jesus Christ is the incarnate word of God, fully human and fully divine, creator and saviour of the world.
He is the founder of Christianity.
The Romans and Jewish community claimed that he was creating trouble, so he was captured and nailed to the cross, atoning for the sins of humanity.
Jesus was crucified.
This day is remembered today by Christians through Good Friday.
After three days, he rose from the dead.
This day is called Easter Sunday.
Ascension: This is 40 days after Jesus rose and he had appeared to all his disciples and the people, then he returned to God in Heaven.
Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection and ascension are remembered today at certain times during the year.
Christians celebrate these days with special services in Churches.
Christians remember Jesus and what he did for the faith.
Crucifixion is celebrated with Christian churches today trying to carry out what happened on the day.
Easter eggs are used to celebrate his resurrection and the beginning of a new life in Christianity.
The Trinity
The Trinity is the belief that there are three persons in One God.
Christians believe God to be three persons in one.
The Trinity: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit.
God the Father: the creator and sustainer of all things.
God the Son: the incarnation of God as a human being, Jesus Christ on earth.
God the Holy Spirit: the power of God, which is active in the world, drawing people to God.
The Trinity is the key idea in Christianity.
Main Festivals
There are two main festivals in Christianity: Christmas and Easter.
Christmas is the day commemorating the incarnation, the birth of Jesus.
This is the day Mary gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem and laid him in a manger.
Easter is the festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
This is the most important celebration for Christians, it celebrates the victory of Jesus over death.
The week leading up to the resurrection is known as the Holy Week.
Special services are held in Churches such as Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
Introduction to Islam
Islam: Means peace.
Muslim: Follower of the religion of Islam.
Allah: The Arabic name for God.
Five Pillars of Islam: The five duties Muslims are expected to do.
Shahadah: The declaration of faith.
Salah: Prayer.
Wudu: Ritual washing before prayer.
Zakah: Giving to charity.
Sawm: Fasting.
Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca.
Muhammad: The last prophet in Islam.
Mosque: The place of worship.
Imam: The religious leader in the mosque.
Qur'an: The Muslim holy book.
Eid ul-Fitr: A festival in Islam that marks the end of Ramadan.
Eid ul-Adha: A festival in Islam that commemorates Ibrahim's obedience.
The Introduction and Origin of Islam
Muslim Beliefs
The Place of Worship
Festivals in Islam
The Five Pillars of Islam
Essential Knowledge
The word 'Islam' in Arabic means submission to the will of God.
Followers of Islam are called Muslims.
Muslims believe there is one true God, Allah (the Arabic word for God).
Islam began in Arabia and was revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
In Arabic, the word Islam means 'submission to the will of God.'
Muslims believe that Islam was revealed over 1,400 years ago through Prophet Muhammad.
Today, there are around 1.9 billion Muslims around the world, with over 3 million Muslims living in the UK.
The Qur'an started with the Prophet Muhammad.
Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca/Makkah.
He received revelations of the Qur'an from God.
He left for Madinah, where he established the first Islamic state.
Muhammad was the last prophet.
Islam is a monotheistic religion, meaning Muslims believe in only one God.
The belief in one, indivisible God is also known as Tawhid.
Muslims believe in the supremacy of God's will; the idea that God's will is above all things.
Islam was founded by Prophet Muhammad.
For over twenty years, Prophet Muhammad received special messages from God, brought to him by the archangel Jibril.
These messages were written down by the Prophet's companions, and together they formed the Qur'an, the Islamic holy text.
Muslims have six main beliefs:
Belief in Allah as the one and only God.
Belief in angels.
Belief in the holy books.
Belief in the Prophets (e.g., Adam, Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Dawud (David), Isa (Jesus).
Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the final prophet.
Muslims worship in a building called a mosque.
Friday is the Muslim rest day, and the communal prayer (Jummah Prayer) takes place on this day.
Prayers are led by an Imam, who is an important part of the Muslim community.
Mosque buildings typically contain an ornamental niche (mihrab) set into the wall that indicates the direction to Mecca (qiblah).
Muslims can also pray at home, in school, at work, and in airports.
However, anywhere they decide to pray must be respectable to Allah and clean.
To attend the mosque, Muslims must take off their shoes, and women must cover their heads.
Before prayer, Muslims perform wudu, a form of ritual washing that involves washing their hands, mouth, nostrils, face, top of head, and feet in a specific way and several times.
There are two main festivals in Islam:
Eid ul-Fitr or Id ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan.
It is a time when Muslims give to charity and is also known as the Feast of Breaking fast.
Eid ul-Adha is another important festival in Islam.
It remembers Ibrahim, who was willing to sacrifice his son to Allah.
A ram is slaughtered, and people visit relatives and enjoy festive meals.
The five Pillars are the duties Allah gave to Prophet Muhammad to pass to Muslims.
Muslims must practice all in their daily lives.
The five pillars support the Islamic faith:
Shahadah: The declaration of faith (first pillar).
Salah: Prayer (second pillar).
Zakah: Giving to charity (third pillar).
Sawm: Fasting (fourth pillar).
Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca (fifth pillar).
Introduction to Sikhism
Guru Nanak: The founder of Sikhism.
Mool Mantra: The statement of faith.
The Guru Granth Sahib: The Sikh holy book.
The Five Ks: Items worn by members of the Khalsa.
The Khalsa: The community of committed Sikhs.
Gurdwara: The Sikh place of worship, meaning the 'doorway to the Guru'.
Diwali: Festival of light.
Vaisakhi or Baisakhi: The birthday of the Khalsa.
The Origin of Sikhism: Who is Guru Nanak?
What does the Mool Mantra teach Sikhs about the Nature of God?
The Place of Worship: The features and purpose of a Gurdwara
What are the five Ks in Sikhism? The Origin and what they are.
The Festivals in Sikhism
Essential Knowledge
Guru Nanak is the founder of Sikhism.
Sikhism was founded in 1500 CE in India.
Guru Nanak had a revelation that everyone should believe in God, that all religions are one before God and lead to the same God.
There are 10 human gurus in Sikhism.
The Mool Mantra is the statement of faith, stating Sikh beliefs about God.
God is one.
He is not born and does not die.
He does not discriminate.
He is without fear.
The Mool Mantra is the opening verse in the Sikh holy book.
Gurdwara is the Sikh place of worship, considered the residence of the Guru, a place to learn spiritual wisdom, a place for religious ceremonies, and a community center.
It also has a communal kitchen where vegetarian meals are served, and everyone is welcome.
The Five K's are items commanded by the last human Guru to be worn by committed Sikhs.
The Khalsa is the community of Sikhs.
The 5 Ks are things/objects that members of the Khalsa are required to wear:
Kesh (long uncut hair).
Kangha (a wooden comb).
Kara (a bracelet).
Kachera (cotton under shorts).
Kirpan (a small sword).
Diwali, the festival of light, usually lasts five days, with homes decorated, fireworks, and prayers said.
It celebrates the release from prison of the 6th guru, and the Golden Temple is filled with lights.
Vaisakhi/Baisakhi, the birthday of the Khalsa, is celebrated between the 13th and 14th of April.
It is a spring harvest festival, with Gurdwaras decorated and processions through the streets.
Sikhs have a special meal with family and friends.
Humanism
Human: A human being; a person.
Humanism: A system of thought and action based on the nature and interests of humans.
Humanist: A follower of the principles of humanism.
Theist: Someone who believes that there is a God.
Atheist: Someone who does not believe in God.
Agnostic: Someone who is not sure whether God exists.
Empathy: To understand and share the feelings of others.
Non-religious: Not relating to a religion.
Reason: The power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgments.
What is Humanism?
Where do I come from?
How does a humanist work out what is right or wrong?
What do humanists believe about life after death?
How do humanists celebrate life events?
Essential Knowledge
Humanism is not a religion.
It is an approach to life which encourages living based on reason and rejects religion.
Humanists believe humans evolved over the years to learn, make choices, and have their own beliefs.
It is a worldview that only uses science, evidence, reason, and empathy to make sense of the world and to inform how they should act and care for others.
Humanists do not believe that we were created by God; they believe in evolution.
Research was carried out by Charles Darwin, who was the first to publish the theory of evolution.
Humanists do not believe in God or other supernatural beings and do not believe that our knowledge of right and wrong comes from religious rules such as those found in scripture.
They believe in the Golden Rule: treat others as you yourself want to be treated.
Humanists try to live a full and happy life and help others do the same, and believe we should use our own human nature as a guide to good living.
What do humanists believe happens when we die?
For some religious people, they believe that when we die, we move into another life.
Humanism is a non-religious worldview.
Humanists do not believe in an afterlife.
They believe that death is the natural process that is the end of our existence on earth.
They don't believe in an afterlife, and they don't believe that anything happens after we die, which means that we should make the most of our lives because this is the only one that we have, and that might be in different ways.
Humanists do celebrate important life events, but this is done differently.
For example, for a wedding, couples will write down their own vows and promises rather than basing it on what religious text says.
Humanists do not have a naming ceremony for their baby, but parents write down the promises they have for their child.