WorldReligions

Three Major Monotheistic(Abrahamic) Religions(belief in only one god)

JUDAISM• Established:

4000 years ago

• Followers:

14 million

• World rank:

12th largest

JEWISH BELIEFS• Believe in one supreme, all-knowing creator (Yahweh or Elohim)

• They are G-d’s chosen people

• The Messiah or Savior has not come yet

• Follow the 10 Commandments

THE HEBREW BIBLE• The Torah

• Five first books, is the oldest section of the Old Testament in the Bible

• Written down sometime after 600 B.C.E.

JEWISH FOOD RESTRICTIONS- No pork or shellfish

- do not mix meat and dairy

- animals must be slaughtered according to kosher law

JEWISH PLACES OF WORSHIP

• Temples and Synagogues

• Day of Worship: Saturday

JEWISH PERSON(S) OF INFLUENCE

• Abraham

• Noah(of the Ark)

• Moses

• Leaders: Rabbis

JEWISH HOLIDAYS- Rosh Hashana

- Yom Kippur

- Passover

- Hannukah

CHRISTIANITY- Established:

around 33 CE

- 2 billion followers

- World rank: largest

CHRISTIAN BELIEFS- Believe in one supreme, all-knowing creator (God)

- Jesus was the Messiah/son of God

- Follow the 10 Commandments and the teachings of Jesus

CHRISTIAN HOLY BOOK• Bible

– Old Testament:

– Hebrew Bible (Creation Adam and Eve, History)

– New Testament

• Wrote by 4 of Jesus’ Apostles (Mark, Matthew, Luke, John)

• Composed after Christ’s death, Jesus life/his teachings

CHRISTIAN FOOD RESTRICTIONS

• Only Catholics: No meat on Fridays

CHRISTIAN PLACES OF WORSHIPChurches, Chapels,

Cathedrals

Day of Worship:

Sunday

CHRISTIAN PERSON(S) OF INFLUENCEJesus and Disciples

Catholics: Pope

• Protestants: Martin Luther

Leaders: Clergy

CHRISTIAN HOLIDAYS• Christmas

• Ash Wednesday

• Good Friday

• Easter

• Lent

ISLAM Established: 610 CE

• 1.5 billion followers

• World rank:2nd largest

ISLAMIC BELIEFS• Believe in one supreme, all-knowing creator (Allah)

Mohammed was the last prophet of God, after Jesus

The 5 pillars:Faith, Prayer, Fasting,Charity, Pilgrimage to Mecca

THE PILGRIMAGE (HADJ) TO MECCA (SAUDI ARABIA) (ONCE IN LIFE TIME IF POSSIBLE)

10/28/13

QUR’AN (KORAN)

• Word of God – foundation of Islamic life• Perfect – not “corrupted” like Torah, New Testament• Cannot be translated from Arabic

MUSLIM DIETARY RESTRICTIONS• No pork

no alcohol

animals must be slaughtered according to halal law

MUSLIM PLACES OF WORSHIPMosques

Day of Worship:Friday

MUSLIM PERSON(S) OF IMPORTANCE

• Muhammed

• Leaders: Imams

MUSLIM HOLIDAYS• Eid Al-FitrEid Al-AdhaRamadan

Polytheistic (belief in many gods)/Other Major Religions

HINDUISMEstablished:4000 BCE

1 billionfollowers

World rank:3rd largest

HINDU BELIEFSBrahman, the world soul, is divided in many personalities, mainly the Trinity: • Brahma (creator),

• Vishnu (protector)

• Shiva (destroyer)

- Many gods (Polytheistic religion)

- No founder- Reincarnation

- Karma

Hindus believe in many gods (male and female gods)

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Some Hindu gods seem ferocious and blood-thirstylike Kali!

10/28/13

Some appear to be more friendly!

10/28/13

HINDU HOLY BOOKS

– No one holy book

– Vedas (oldest)

– Bhagavad Gita

HINDU FOOD RESTRICTIONSNo beef (cows are sacred)

No raw meat

Many are vegetarians

HINDU PLACES OF WORSHIP

Temples

Click on the temple above to learn about Kali Mata: the rat temple.

HINDU PERSON(S) OF INFLUENCE

• Avatars- gods in human form.

• Too many to name

• (examples: Rama) Leaders:

Gurus

HINDU HOLIDAYSHoli Festival of ColorsNavrati Nine NightsDiwali Festival of Lights

BUDDHISMEstablished:540 BCE

400 million followers

World rank:4th largest

BUDDHIST BELIEFS- No God

- Enlightenment through the Four Noble Truths

1. Life is characterized by suffering and discontentment

2. Suffering is caused by attachments and desires

3. Ending attachments and desires ends suffering.

4. The Eightfold Path provides a method for ending attachments and desires.

– Nirvana

– Reincarnation

BUDDHIST HOLY BOOK

• No one holy book

– Dhammapada is the most widely read

• Buddha sayings in verse form

• One of the most widely read Buddhist scriptures

BUDDHIST FOOD RESTRICTIONS• No beef; some eat

fish, Many are vegetarian

• Moderation in all foods

• Fasting required of monks – no solid foods after noon

BUDDHIST PLACES OF WORSHIP

• Viharas

• Temples

BUDDHIST PERSON(S) OF INFLUENCE

Siddharta Guatama (Buddha) Hindu prince who founded Buddhism

Dalai Lama

Monks

BUDDHIST HOLIDAYSVesak

The Ploughing Festival

The Elephant Festival

Bodhi Day

SIKHISMEstablished:1507 CE

30 million followers

World rank:5th largest

SIKH BELIEFSBelieve in one God for all people of all religions

Freedom and equality for all (including women)

No rituals (idol worship, pilgrimages, fasting, superstitions).

A moral, ethical life with service to others.

SIKH HOLY BOOK• Guru Granth Sahib

SIKH FOOD RESTRICTIONSOnly vegetarian foods served in temples but not required of followers.

No kosher or halal foods.

SIKH PLACES OF WORSHIPDharamsalas

GurdwarasTemples(Golden Temple of Amristar)

SIKH PERSON(S) OF INFLUENCE

Guru Nanak – founded Sikhism and the nine gurus after him form The Ten Gurus (the last proclaimed leader for eternity)

SIKH HOLIDAYSGurparabs – celebrate a Guru’s birth or martyrdomNagar Kirtan – singing holy hymnsVisakhi – creation of the Khalsa (lead authority in the Sikh society)Bandi Chhor – release of Guru Hargobind from capture Hola Mohalla – display of individual and team skills, including fighting & riding

TAOISM

Established:c. 550 BC

20 millionfollowers

World rank:

TAOIST BELIEFS– Tao is unkowable

force and is everywhere

– Ying and Yang (opposite) are found everywhere and must be in balance

– "Those who know do not say; those who say do not know." -Lao-tzu

TAOISM HOLY BOOK

Important Book:

Tao Te Ching

TAOISM FOOD RESTRICTIONS

No particular restrictions

Monks and nuns are required to be vegetarians

TAOISM PLACE OF WORSHIP

Temples

TAOISM PERSONS OF INFLUENCE

Founder:

Lao Tze

TAOISM HOLIDAYS

Tai-shang Lao-chun

(celebrate the deifiedLao Tsu)

SYMBOLS OF WORLD RELIGIONS10/28/13

WHERE THESE RELIGIONS ARE FOUND?10/28/13

WHICH ARE THE LARGEST RELIGIONS?10/28/13

YOU TUBE VIDEO REVIEW OF CHARACTERISTICS OF MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS

Copy and paste on the internat the following:

http://youtu.be/zZxNz8N3ZE4

10/28/13