Religions

Atheism

• Belief in no gods

Monotheism

Belief in one god (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)

Polytheism

• Belief in many gods • (Hinduism, Animism, Shintoism)

Adherents called:

Jews Christians

Major Concentration:

Israel, Europe, USA North and South America, Europe, Australia, Russia, part of Africa

Sacred text:

Bible/Torah (Old Testament) Bible (Old Testament + New Testament) *10 Commandments: Set of rules/moral behaviors to live by *10 Commandments: Set of rules/moral behaviors to live by

Clergy:

rabbis priests, ministers, pastors, bishops

House of worship:

synagogue, temple church, chapel, cathedral

Main day of worship:

Saturday Sunday

Type of theism:

strict monotheism Trinitarian monotheism (Father, son, holy spirit)

Identity of Jesus:

Jesus was just a regular guy Son of God, God incarnate, savior of the world Their savior is yet to come

Jesus:

  

normal birth died by crucifixion NOT resurrected

 

virgin birth death by crucifixion



resurrected

Salvation by:

belief in God, good deeds correct belief, faith, good deeds, sacraments

Islam

Islam

 Second largest religion in the world  Followers are called Muslims  One god- Allah  God’s prophet: Muhammad (born in Mecca, he received a vision that he must proclaim Allah as the ONE supreme God)  Qur’an/Koran- holy book  Mosque- building of worship

5 Pillars of Islam

1. Declaration of faith (“There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger”)

2. Pray five times a day towards Mecca

3. Give to charity (2.5% of one’s wealth)

4. Fast during Ramadan (no food or drink from sunrise to sunset during the month long holiday)

5. Hajj- Pilgrimage to Mecca (at least once in lifetime)

How to Remember the 5 Pillars of Faith Picture yourself doing these one day…

1. Wake up and point to the sky declaring Allah as your one and only god 2. Pray (5 times a day) 3. Walk down the street and you see a homeless man; give him charity 4. Now that all your lunch money is gone, you fast because it’s Ramadan 5. You go to the airport and hop on a plane to Mecca

Acronym

Charity Allah is the one and only god Ramadan (fast during) Pray 5x a day towards Mecca Pilgrimage to Mecca

Poem/Song

Allah is the only one to Mecca I must run It’s the way I face to pray 5 times throughout the day Two point five is what I give to help others live Don’t worry, just stay calm you’ve just gotta fast during Ramadan

•

Castes= social classes people are born into and cannot

change • Where did this occur? India • The caste system gave each person a role in society and rules to live by. To ignore or change those rules was to disrupt the harmony of society. Caste is based on the idea that there are separate kinds of humans.

•

There is no social mobility- the caste you are born

into is the caste you stay in your entire life. It determines: • Where you live • Your job • Your friends/who you marry • How you dress

• Positive: sense of stability and order because everyone has a role and “knows their place” • Negative: discrimination, no choice, no incentive to improve life (especially for untouchables)

Religions in South Asia

Hinduism

• Founder- no founder, no formal church • Sacred Texts * Vedas: eternal truths that were revealed to wise men * Upanishads: helps to explain the Vedas

Hindu Gods

• Brahman- Hindus worship many gods, each god is part of a supreme force called brahman • 3 Main Gods:

• 1.) Brahma (creator)

Hindu Gods

• Vishnu (preserver)

Hindu Gods

• Siva (destroyer) aka Shiva

Basic Beliefs

• Dharma * duties and obligations * each caste has their own duties * people can improve their caste by carrying out their dharma • Karma * every deed (mental or physical) in life impacts a person’s fate in the future (what goes around comes around)

• Samsara (reincarnation) * rebirth of the soul in various forms *a person can be reborn into any form * Hindus believe people must be reincarnated several times before moksha can be achieved • Moksha * freeing of the soul to be united with brahman *moksha can’t be achieved in one lifetime *based on karma and dharma

Cow is sacred

If a person has a good karma they may be reincarnated into a higher caste . This life Born into A caste Good Karma Bad Karma Next life Higher caste Lower caste

Buddhism

• Siddhartha 2.) Birth Date: 560 BC Birth Place: Nepal Family: son of a local ruler, he married and had a kid

Buddhism

3.) One day Siddhartha went for a walk outside of the palace walls 4.) He saw an old man, sick man, dead man, and a beggar

Buddhism

5.) He realized life was full of suffering

Buddhism

6.) So Siddhartha left his luxurious life and set out to find the cause of human misery

Buddhism

7.) One day while meditating under a tree he understood the cause of human suffering and became Enlightened From then on, he took the name Buddha or “Enlightened One”

Buddhism

• Four Noble Truths 8.) Suffering is Universal * everyone suffers from pain, sickness, and death

Buddhism

• Four Noble Truths 9.) The Cause of Suffering is Desire * people desire things such as riches and long life, nothing is permanent, pleasure causes suffering because it will end someday

Buddhism

• Four Noble Truths 10.) The only way to end suffering is to crush desire * if people give up desire they can achieve nirvana (the condition of wanting nothing)

Buddhism

• Four Noble Truths 11.) The way to end desire is to follow the Eightfold Path * Buddha set out a guide to right conduct and understand the cause of suffering

Confucianism:

I.Confucius was China’s best-known philosopher, born in about 551 B.C. II. The disorder and suffering caused by constant warfare disturbed Confucius. He wanted to restore peace.

III.The Analects- book of Confucius’ ideas written down by his followers

5 Relationships:

1. Ruler & Ruled 2. Father & Son 3. Husband & Wife 4. Older Brother & Younger Brother 5. Friend & Friend

a.The superior person should set an example for the inferior one and watch out for them.

b.The inferior person should be loyal and obedient V. Filial Piety- respect and duty that children owe their parents

Daoism (Taoism)

• Lao Zi, the founder, emphasized the link between people and nature rather than the importance of proper behavior • Yin and Yang- the forces of nature that balance each other • A society with rules was artificial and disturbed natural order • The best government has the fewest rules

Legalism

I.

Rejected Confucian ideas about proper behavior II. Believed people act out of self interest and would respond to rewards and punishment III. Harsh laws imposed by a strong leader would keep society orderly

Animism

• Everything has a soul/spirit (Ex. animals, plants, rocks, rivers, etc.) • Mostly practiced by tribes and small groups of people in rural areas • Shaman- religious leaders • Use herbs to help heal people • Have supernatural powers that allow them to connect people to the spirit world and vice-versa • Respected and wise • No holy book • No particular place of worship