Week of October 24th-28th

Monday: Finished the Religion videos and started taking notes

Tuesday: Took notes of Religion

Wednesday: Took notes over Religion

Thursday: Took notes over Religion

Friday: NO SCHOOL

Notes

Major Religions of the the World:

Major Religions
- Hinduism- 14%
  - 800 million
- Buddhism- 6%
- Judaism
  - 14 million
- Christianity- 33%
  - Christianity 1.9 billion
- Islam
  - 1.1 billion
Animism
- Animism is the belief that all living and nonliving things in nature have a spirit
- Animism was the belief system of many early civilizations
- Animism in early civilizations was often combined with ancestor worship
What is religion
- An organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, practices and worship that centers on one or more gods
Polytheism vs. Monotheism
- Polytheism is the worship of more than one god
- Monotheism is the worship of one single god
Judaism
- Judaism is a monotheistic and the first major monotheistic religion in history
- Some believe Judaism dates back to Adam and Eve
- Many historians say that was established around 1800 B.C. as part of a covenant between God and Abraham
  - Abraham would leave UR(Babylonia) and go to Canaan(Israel)
  - He would be blessed with many sons and his family would be given Israel
  - Moses led the Jews out of Egypt(slavery) around 1500 B.C.
- Torah is the first 5 books of the Bible and contain the laws and teaching of Judaism
- The Ten Commandments are the foundation of Judaism
- Mitzvoh is a commandment or religious duty. There are several different groups of mitzvat. The 613 Mitzvot are divided in
- The Sabbath is observed as a day of rest
- Judaism place of worship
  - les worship in Synagogues or temples
  - Worship is led by a Rabbi
- The Universal symbol of Judaism is the star of David, the emblem of King David who ruled the Kingdom of Israel from 1000-962 BC
  - A Yarmulke
    - Menorah it is a symbol of the nation of Israel and a mission to be "a light unto the nations"
  - Bar Mitzvah-Bat Mitzvah
    - Coming of age
- Ritual, Worship, and Celebration
  - Many Jews make the pilgrimage to the "Wailing Wall in Jerusalem"
    - Built in the 2nd century BC
      - Remains of a temple that had stood for lose to 500 years
    - Destroyed by the Romans
    - Thought to be the most sacred of places
  - Praying at the "Wailing Wall" signifies being in the presence of the Divine
  - Judaism Beliefs
    - Jews believe that there is a single God (Yahweh) who not only created the universe, but with whom every Jew can have a personal relationship
    - They await the Messiah, who will be an earthly king
    - They believe in heaven, but the Torah doesn't say a lot about it and focuses more on how to live your lives (613 Mitzvah)
    - Ten Commandments is the basic code of law
  - Kosher Foods
    - Foods are kosher when they meet all criteria that Jewish law applies to food
    - Characteristics that make a food non-kosher:
      - The mixture of meat and milk
      - The use of cooking utensils which had previously been used for non-kosher food
      - The type of animal it is
      - Leviticus 11:3 say that Jews eat all animals that have cloven hooves and chew their cud
      - Six mammals are specifically not allowed:
        Camel
        Hyrax
        Hare
        Pig
        Whales
        Dolphins
    - Kosher animals are as follows:
      - cows, goats, sheep, antelope, deer, bison, etc
      - Most fish (excluding shellfish, sharks, octopus, eels, and squid)
      - Chicken, duck, and turkey
      - Milk and cheese are kosher but cannot be eaten with meat or mixed with meat
    - Preparation
      - The slaughter of animals is designed to minimize the pain- usually done by a slice across the throat
      - This eliminates the practice of hunting for food unless it can be captured alive and ritually slaughtered
      - All blood and veins
- Problems Facing Jews
  - Anti-Semitism in history
    - Diaspora
    - Pograms
    - Holocaust- 2/3 of European Jews killed
    - Israel established as a Jewish state after WWII(1947)- Led to several wars and a lot of terrorism in the area
      - Israel vs Palestinians
      - "Land for Peace"
    - Comments from former Iranian President Ahmadinejad and other Middle Easy groups
Christianity
- Christians are divided into three main branches: Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism
- Beliefs are based on the life, teachings, and death of Jesus Christ and founded in 33 AD
- The cross is a symbol used to represent life, death, and resurrection
- Jesus Christ's death made salvation and forgiveness of sins possible for everyone
- Three days after his death he was resurrected and alter ascended to Heaven
- The resurrection of Christ is celebrated on Easter, which is considered Christianity's most important holiday
- The first Christians were Jews who came to believe Jesus was the Messiah
- 78.4% of U.S. adults identify as Christians
- Christian Beliefs
  - Christians believe that they can have a personal relationship with God, and that they are saved by faith, and good works (according to some)
  - They believe in Heaven and Hell
  - They believe that the Bible is the word of God
- Christian Way of Life
  - Fellowship with God
  - Our relationships with others
  - Obedience to God's commands
  - Discipline
  - Goods works
- Trinity- God
  - Father
  - Son
  - Holy Spirit
- Holidays
  - Christmas
  - Easter
Hinduism
- Hinduism is derived from a Sanskrit word that means "dwellers by the Indus River"
- There is no single founder of Hinduism
- It consists of thousands of different religious groups that have evolved since 1500 BC in that area
- The Hindu belief is that gods can take many forms, but all form one universal spirit called Brahman
- There is no single Hindu book of doctrine
  - The Vedas are the primary literary works, containing sacred verse and hymns composed in 1500 BC
  - Two other important texts are the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita
- 0.4% of American adults practice Hinduism
- Hinduism Beliefs
  - The Hindu belief involves reincarnation of the soul, which is rebirth after death
  - Hindus believe in the conditions of one's present life are due to karma, or accumulated good or bad behavior in past lives
  - The purpose of life is to obtain liberation from the cycle of reincarnation
  - People reach true enlightenment and happiness-Moksha- when they free themselves from earthly desires
- Dharma
  - Signifies behaviors that are considered to be in accord with the universe
  - Includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues, and "right way of living"
  - People are encouraged to practice good Dharma and they may come back into a higher class/better life
- Four Stages of Life
  - 1) Ages 12-24 you get educated and trained
  - 2) Ages 24-28 you get married, raise a family, make money, get involved in many things
  - 3) Ages 48-72 you become a mentor to a younger person and start isolating themselves from the outside world
  - 4) At age 72 you end ties to the outside world and get rid of your worldly possessions. Prayer and devotion become very important
  - Mostly aimed at men and is not followed as much as it used to be
- 3 Gods- the Triple Gods- Trimurthis
  - Brahma- Creator
  - Vishnu- Preserver
  - Shiva- Destroyer

Comments