Major Religions Overview

Major Religions Overview

Ayers Rock (Uluru)

Overview of World’s Major Religions - Oral Religion

Sacred Practices in Oral Religions– Life-Cycle Ceremonies– Taboo and Sacrifice – Shamanism, Trance, and Magic – Artifacts and Artistic Expression in Oral Religions

• artists• artistic expression• totems• effigy

Overview of World’s Major Religions - Oral Religion• Taboo and Sacrifice

– social order – guidelines• sex• birth• social behavior• food• antisocial

– restoration• Atonement • Libation• Sacrifice

Overview of World’s Major Religions - Oral Religion

• Oral Religions Influenced Today by:– western technology – environment– language– proselytizing religions– restored practices– whole lives – holistic traditions

HINDUISM

Overview of World’s Major Religions - Hinduism• BRAHMAN – spiritual essence of the universe

– divine reality in all– god in forms infinite– beyond time & space

• ATMAN – individual soul– deepest self– sacred within oneself

• MAYA – illusion– matter– mystery– magic

• KARMA – to do– moral law of cause and effect– force of nature– directs rebirth

• SAMSARA – wheel of life– constant rebirth– circle of life– one life is to short

Overview of World’s Major Religions - Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama

• At 29– Pleasant prison– Witnessed suffering– Depression– Escapes

• Great Going Forth– Looks at family– Rides to edge– Leaves jewels &

clothing– Cuts hair

• Seeks teacher– Teacher to teacher– Unsatisfied– Six years

• Questions– Death?– Suffering?– Age?– God?– Soul?– Afterlife?

Overview of World’s Major Religions - Buddhism Practical

• Refused to talk about anything else

• “Noble silence”• Concentrate on:

– Minimizing suffering– Inner peace

• Doctrines not dogma• Experienced as truth• Three marks of reality

– Constant chance– No permanent identity– Existence of suffering

• Change (anichcha)– Impermanence– Nothing remains the same– Sameness is illusion– Expect change

• Zen (Chan) – meditation– Satori - unity with universe– Zazen – sitting meditation– Koan – public discussion– Manual labor– Samurai - not in fact a true

religion by definition, does not worship any god

Overview of World’s Major Religions - Buddhism The way to inner Peace

• Right understanding– Impermanence of life

• Right intention– Pure motives

• Right speech– Honesty

– Kindness

• Right action– Do no hurt

• Right work

– Job does no harm

• Right effort

– Moderation

– Striving to improve

• Right meditation

– Discipline of meditation

• Right contemplation

– Inner peace

Overview of World’s Major Religions - Jain Ethical Recommendations

• AHIMSA (ahiṁsā) – Nonviolence– Gentleness, harmlessness

• NONLYING – Absolute Truth– No Falsehood & exaggeration

• NONSTEALING – Receive only what is given– Improper desire & causes pain

• CHASTITY - Fidelity– Celibacy for the religious & fidelity in marriage

• NONATTACHMENT – Spirit of Generosity– Family, possessions, clothing

Overview of World’s Major Religions - Sikh Belief and Practice

• TRUE NAME of GOD– No god of Hinduism or of Islam– One God of all

• KARMA AND REINCARNATION– From Hinduism– Rejected ritual– Rejected polytheism

• SOUL AND BODY– God dwells in each person– Social responsibility

• ADI GRANTH— [original collection] SCRIPTURE– Japji – (first part) long poem

• “There is only one God whose name is true, the Creator, devoid of fear and enmity, immortal, unborn, self-existent.”

– Second part - 39 rags (tunes)– Third part - poems and hymns [Hindu, Muslim, Sikh]

• LINE OF TEN HUMAN GURUS– Nanak was first of these ten

Overview of World’s Major ReligionsCHINESE BELIEF

• Veneration of ancestors– become spirits at death – to be placated by family

• Patterns in nature– must work with seasons to survive– cycles & waves– represented by Yang & Yin (1000 BCE)

Overview of World’s Major ReligionsCHINESE BELIEF

• Yang & Yin (1000 BCE)– Not opposite, but complementary principles– light/dark, hot/cold, sky/earth, odd/even– not good & evil – balancing between forces– dynamic & perfect balance in change– dot – presence of the other – becoming it

Overview of World’s Major Religions - TAOIST

• Laozi (Lao Tzu) – old master or old child, born to virgin as old child

• Tao– origin of everything– not personal– does not care for humanity or dislike either– mysterious reality that creates nature– “natural way” “way” “pattern” “process”

• Began as a philosophy, became a religion

Overview of World’s Major Religions - TAOIST Virtues

• WU-WEI (“NO ACTION”) — SPONTANEITY– effortlessness – no strain, – only what is necessary– plants grow

• QUIET– reclusive beginnings– continuing trait

• GENTLENESS– loves peace– avoids violence– “weapons tied to the

slaughter of mankind”• HUMOR

•CLOSENESS TO NATURE•live in harmony with nature•accepting transformation•embrace change

•SIMPLICITY•eliminate unnecessary & artificial•natural goodness of humanity•formal education unnecessary•inherent complexity “give up learning, put an end to your troubles”

Overview of World’s Major Religions - Shinto

• No known founder or group

• Mysterious origins like people – blend of groups

• Lived close to nature

• Believed spirits inhabited nature

• Power of nature in harmony with it

• Elements of shamanism

& mysterious healings

• Ethical & Family elements

• No need for name till Buddhism arrived

• Shin’-to – “the way of the gods” “kami-no-michi”

• Blend a large number of gods into a pantheon myth

• Primeval chaos

• Sacred spirits – “kami”– Izanami (female who invites) -

primeval mother

– Izanagi (male who invites) - primeval father


• Consolidate to make land

• Floating Bridge of Heaven

• Stirred ocean with end of spear

• Island formed from brine– Izanami gives birth to fire

god, & is burned

– Izanagi attempts to rescue her in underworld

• Returns dirty

• Cleanses in ocean

• As washes sees:– Amaterasu—sun goddess

– Tsukiyomi—moon god

– Susanowo—wind god

• New family relationship with these

• Purity:– Pollution – “tsumi”

– Ritual washing – “harai”

• Japan worldly –heaven shared with divine beings


• 6th century – forced to define itself

• Buddhist monks viewed Shinto as Buddhist deities with Japanese names

• Shinto – agriculture, fertility, birth

• Buddhism – philosophy, sickness, funerals, afterlife

• Accommodation – Buddhist & Shinto places of worship

• Confucianism– ethical system

– education

– family

– government

– emperor – father

– ministers – elder brothers

• At times welcome outsiders & others reject them

8 Judaism

Overview of World’s Major

Religions - Judaism

Masada

Site of the Zealot holdout in the resistance of Hebrews against the Romans, when the second Temple was destroyed.

Overview of World’s Major Religions - Judaism

Stories of Origins

• Genesis 1-11

– Ordered creation

(similar Babylonian Epic – Enuma Elish)

– Image of God

– Garden of Eden – Paradise Lost

– Family rivalries - violence

– Great flood - judgement

(similar Mesopotamian story – Epic of Gilamesh)

• Promised land lost– 587 BCE

– 70 CE

10-1 Islam

Overview of World’s Major Religions - Islam

• Islam literally means surrender or submission. • Sacred book of Islam

– Sermons of Muhammad– Qur’an (Koran).

• Beginning of the Muslim calendar is the Western year 622 c.e. – Date of Muhammad’s escape from Mecca to Medina

• Religions of Arabian Peninsula– Judaism, – Christianity, – Zoroastrianism,– local religion – worshipped spirits of trees & mountains,

tribal gods & jinni (capricious spirits of the desert)

Overview of World’s Major Religions - Islam

• Islam & Judaism– circumcision

• Muslims like Christians & Zoroastrianism believe:– in the soul – resurrection of the body– final judgment– heaven and hell

• Muslims trace themselves back ultimately to what great patriarch Abraham.

Islam & the EnvironmentIslamic Environmental Ethics, Law, and Society by Mawil Y. Izzi Dean

• Clear-cut legal foundation– Formulated by God– Not on humanistic

philosophies

• Islamic “Law”– Rigid– Dry

• Shariah (source of water)– Source of life– Rules/Ethical Principles

• Shariah (5 human actions)– Obligatory actions (wajib)

• Required to perform

– Devotional/Ethical (mandub)

• Encouraged to perform• No liability

– Permissible actions (mubah)

• Freedom of choice

– Abominable actions (makruh) (makrūh)

• Morally, but not legally wrong

– Prohibited actions (haram)• Practices prohibited


• Law & Ethics– Not separated– Adhered

• Accepted Shariah• Follower of faith

• Environment– All components – Created by God– All living things different

functions– Measured/Balanced by

Creator– Serve humanity a part

• Not sole reason to exist• Other reasons too


Legal & ethical reasons to protect environment

1. Preserve its values as a sign of the Creator

2. Components continuous praise of Creator

3. Absolute continuity of Creator (sunnah)

4. Beings worthy of protection & kind treatment (hurmah)


Legal & ethical reasons to protect environment

1. Preserve its values as a sign of the Creator

2. Components continuous praise of Creator

3. Absolute continuity of Creator (sunnah)

4. Beings worthy of protection & kind treatment (hurmah)

5. Human relationships are established on justice & kindness

6. Universe created by God must be preserved

7. Not for this generation alone; all ages

8. Duty of humans to protect environment, no other creature can


• Comprehensive Nature of Ethics

• Two principles1. Natural instinct

– Imprinted by God

– Between good & evil

– Neutral – neither good or bad

2. Messengers from God– Complexities

– Cannot define correct

– Not in vacuum

– Inspired by God

– Conscience approves

– Accepts

– Valued guidance

– Desire what God loves & wants


• Comprehensive Nature of Ethics

• Two principles1. Natural instinct

– Imprinted by God– Between good & evil– Neutral – neither good or

bad

2. Messengers from God– Complexities

– Cannot define correct– Not in vacuum

– Inspired by God– Conscience approves– Accepts– Valued guidance– Desire what God loves &

wants

• Virtue part of the whole– Way of life– Serves to guide & control

• Truthfulness– Protecting– Conserving– Sustaining

• Political, Social, & Economic– Not on human reason– Not on society’s mandate– Not on economic groups– These are based on

circumstances

• Ethics unalterable as time and space


• Human-Environment – Enjoy, use, benefit

– Preserve, protect, promote

• All creatures are God’s dependents– Responsible for:

• Trees

• Animals

• All natural elements

– Muhammad prayer for rain• For trees in drought

• For animals dying for lack of water

– Humans not punished• Because of elderly, babies,

animals


• Human-Environment – Enjoy, use, benefit– Preserve, protect, promote

• All creatures are God’s dependents– Responsible for:

• Trees• Animals• All natural elements

– Muhammad prayer for rain• For trees in drought• For animals dying for lack of

water

– Humans not punished• Because of elderly, babies,

animals

• Earth place of peace & rest– Humans made of earth

(dust) & water– Brought forth from earth– Earth often named, so

important– Subservient to humans– Receptacle of living & dead– Source of purity– Place of worship– Source of blessing– To be cared for by

humanity


Sustainable Care of Nature• Utilization

– Not unnecessary destruction

– Not to squander– Continued use in a

sustainable way

• Muhammad– “Act in your life as though

you are living forever and act for the Hereafter as if you are dying tomorrow.”

– “When doomsday comes if someone has a palm shoot in his hand he should plant it.”


Sustainable Care of Nature• Utilization

– Not unnecessary destruction– Not to squander– Continued use in a sustainable

way

• Muhammad– “Act in your life as though you

are living forever and act for the Hereafter as if you are dying tomorrow.”

– “When doomsday comes if someone has a palm shoot in his hand he should plant it.”

– Life is maintained with due balance in everything.

– Every part of God’s creation was carefully made to fit into the general system.

• Not only for the current generation– Umar ibn al-Khattab &

Khuzaymah ibn Thubit• Neglected land• Old man close to death• Planted land together

• 5 times a day, prayer starts– “Praise be to Allah, Lord of

the Worlds.”• Submit to Creator of all• World sign of the Creator


Practice of Environmental Ethics

• Muslim Communities– Protection of certain

zones/special use areas (hima)

1. Maintain some land in unused state

2. Limited to avoid inconvenience

3. Not built on or cultivated

4. For the welfare of the people


Practice of Environmental Ethics

• Muslim Communities– Protection of certain

zones/special use areas (hima)

1. Maintain some land in unused state

2. Limited to avoid inconvenience

3. Not built on or cultivated

4. For the welfare of the people

• Hima– Grazing area for the

livestock of the poor

– To protect wildlife

• Harim– Inviolable zones

• Wells

• Natural springs

• Underground water channels

• Rivers

• Trees planted on barren land


• Environmental Aspects of Development– First Arab Ministerial

Conference

– Justice, mercy, cooperation

– Islamic faith and its values

• Amir of Kuwait– To UN 1988

– Conserve natural & human resources

– Combat pollution

– Support sustainable development

10-1 Islam

Documents

Major Religions Overview