Major Religions of the World

1. Major Religions of the World

2. Agenda • Objectives: Identify and outline key elements of major world religions • EQ: What belief systems constitute the major religions of the world?

5. Christianity • Based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ • Originated in Palestine in the 1st century AD • Believe that Jesus was the son of God who came and died for people’s sins and then rose so that all people could be saved • Believe in one God (monotheistic) who created the universe and all things in it • Christianity originally developed as a part of Judaism

6. Christian Way of Life • The Bible is Christianity’s Holy Book • Christians = Followers • Fellowship with God • Our relationships with others • Obedience to God's commands • Discipline • Roman Catholicism > Pope > Cardinal > Bishop > Priest

7. Important Days • Ash Wednesday-Lent • Palm Sunday • Good Friday • Easter • Pentecost • Advent • Christmas

8. Judaism • Is a monotheistic religion • Judaism is the oldest and smallest of the world's five great religions • Being a part of a Jewish community and living one's life according to Jewish law and traditions is very important. • The fundamental beliefs of Judaism are: -There is a single, all-powerful God, who created the universe and everything in it. -God has a special relationship with the Jewish people due to covenant that God made with Moses on Mount Sinai, 3500 years ago.

9. The Jewish place of worship is called a Synagogue • The religious leader of a Jewish community is called a Rabbi • Unlike leaders in many other faiths, a rabbi is not a priest and has no special religious status • The Jewish holy day, or Sabbath(Shabbat), starts at sunset on Friday and continues until sunset on Saturday • During the Sabbath, Jews do not work (drive, cook, etc…)

10. 7 Holy Days • Rosh Hashanah-Jewish New Year • Yom Kippur-A day of fasting and praying which occurs 10 days after the first day of Rosh Hashanah. The holiest day in the year • Sukkot - 8 day festival of thanksgiving • Hanukkah-The Feast of Lights is an 8 day Feast of Dedication. It recalls the war fought by the Maccabees in the cause of religious freedom 

11. Purim-The Feast of Lots recalls the defeat by Queen Esther of the plan to slaughter all of the Persian Jews, circa 400 BC • Pesa (Passover) –The 8 day festival recalls the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt circa 1300 BCE. A holiday meal, the Seder, is held at home • Shavouth - Pentecost recalls God's revelation of the Torah to the Jewish people

12. Menorah-It is a symbol of the nation of Israel and a mission to be "a light unto the nations.

13. Islam • Islam is the world's second most followed religion • It began around 1400 years ago in Arabia, but swiftly become a world faith, and now has around 1.2 billion people • "Islam" is an Arabic word which means “surrendering oneself to the will of God” • One will achieve peace and security by doing so • A person surrenders to the will of Allah by living and thinking in the way Allah has instructed. • Islam is more than a system of beliefs. The faith provides a social and legal system and governs things like family life, law and order, ethics, dress, and cleanliness, as well as religious ritual and observance—Islamic Republic

14. Where is Islam practiced? • The countries with the largest Islamic populations are not in the Middle East as most would think • The largest are Indonesia (209 million), India (176 million), Pakistan (167 million), and Bangladesh (134 million) • Islam's three holiest places, the cities of Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem, are all in the Middle East

15. The present form of Islam began in Arabia in 622 AD • It is based on the ministry of a man named Muhammad and on the words that Allah gave to the world through him • Muhammad did not found Islam. • Islam was created by Allah at the beginning of time, and in fact Muslims regard Adam as the first Muslim • Muhammad was the final messenger through whom Allah revealed the faith to the world • There had been earlier messengers, among them Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus.

16. 5 Pillars of Islam • Shahada (witness) is the Muslim profession of faith • Salat (daily prayer) is aprayer ritual performed 5 times a day by all Muslims over the age of 10 • Sawm (fasting) is abstaining each day during Ramadan • Zakat (almsgiving) is giving alms to the poor • Hajjis the pilgrimage to Mecca that all physically/financially able Muslims should make at least once in their life

17. Other Info • The Qur’an is the Islamic holy book • The Qur'an is the actual word of God, and contains the fundamental beliefs of Islam • Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are holy cities • According to tradition, the Qur'an was dictated to Muhammad • Two major sects • Sunni • Shiite • The Sharia outlines all of the laws (comes from the Koran)

18. Hinduism • Hinduism includes a very wide range of beliefs and practices, so there aren't many things that are common to all Hindu groups • Hinduism has no founder, no single book of faith, no creed, and no single source of authority (such as Jesus) • Hinduism is very individualistic but a big part of a person’s everyday life • There are 1.1 billion Hindus in the world, mostly in India

19. Hindu Beliefs • All good things in life are gifts from God • Finding out what your life’s calling is as Dharma suggest/requires is a very important goal • Being a fair and decent person is very important • Wealth, power and material belongings are good goals as long as they don’t become all important • Moksha is the ultimate goal

20. Hindu Gods • One would think Hinduism is polytheistic. Most Hindus would say they worship one God. • There is only one ultimate God, Brahman, but shows itself in many forms • The gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, for example, are different aspects of Brahman: • Brahma reflects God's divine work of creating the universe • Vishnu reflects God's work in keeping the universe in existence • Shiva reflects God's work in destroying it

21. Buddhism

22. Founded in India around 500 BC by Siddhartha Guatama • Became Buddha, the Enlightened One, when he was 29 • He was trying to find the true meaning of life and eventually, through four trance-like stages of meditation, he was enlightened to the Buddhist was of life • His main teachings was to eliminate human wants as they are the cause of suffering in the world

23. Buddhism has no unique creed, no single authority and no single sacred book • Buddhism focuses on each individual seeking to attain enlightenment • Key beliefs and values are contained in "The Four Noble Truths“ • 1. Life means suffering • 2. The origin of suffering is attachment to worldly things • 3. The end to suffering is attainable through eliminating physical wants/needs • Eventually can achieve Nirvana (“becoming extinguished” or “blowing out”) • Nirvana means freedom from all worries and troubles

24. 4. The path to the end suffering and achieve Nirvana is to follow the Eight Fold Path • Right View • Right Intention • Right Speech • Right Action • Right Livelihood • Right Effort • Right Mindfulness • Right Concentration