Numbers
Christianity: 1.9 billion
Islam: 1.1 billion
Hinduism: 800 million
Buddhism: 325 million
Judaism: 14 million
Judaism (Star of David)
Monotheistic and the first major monotheistic religion in history
Some believe Judaism dates back to Adam and Eve
Many historians say that it was established around 1800 BC 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 BC
Torah is the first five books of the Bible and contain the laws and teaching of Judaism
Ten Commandments are the foundation of Judaism
623 total commandments
613 Mitzvot
Sabbath day is observed as a day of rest, starting at sundown on Friday evening
Places of Worship
Synagogues or temples
Led by Rabbi
Universal symbol of Judaism is the Star of David, the emblem of King David who ruled
Bar Mitzvah- Bat Mitzvah
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 close to 500 years
Destroyed by Romans
Thought to be the most sacred of places
Praying at the Wailing Wall signifies being in the presence of the Divine
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
10 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 says that Jews may 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
Most fish
Chicken
Duck
Turkey
Milk and cheese are kosher but cannot be eaten with meat or mixed with meat
Preparation
Slaughter of animals is designed to minimize the pain- usually done by a slice across the throat
Eliminates the practice of hunting for food unless it can be captured alive and ritually slaughtered
All blood and veins must be removed from the meat
Problems Facing Jews
Anti-Semitism in History
Controlled the banks
Give out loans and then charge very high interest
Diaspora
Movement of Jews out of their traditional lands to locations around the world
Pograms
Organized killings/rapings of Jewish people
Not 6 million
Holocaust
⅔ of European Jews killed
Israel established as a Jewish state after WWII
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 East groups
Christianity (cross)
Location
Divided into 3 main branches:
Roman Catholicism
Eastern Orthodoxy
Protestantism
Europe
Australia
Central America
South America
North America
Canada
Southern Africa
Beliefs
Based on Jesus’:
Life
Teachings
Death
Symbol
Cross is a symbol used to represent:
Life
Death
Resurrection
Beginning
Jesus Christ’s death made salvation and forgiveness of sins possible for everyone
Three days after his death he was resurrected and later ascended to Heaven
Resurrection of Christ is celebrated on Easter, which is considered Christianity’s most important holiday
First Christians were Jews who came to believe Jesus was the Messiah
78.4% of US adults identify as Christians
Beliefs
Believe that they can have a personal relationship with God
They are saved by faith
Saved by good works
Believe in heaven and hell
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
Good Works
Triune God
God is father
God is son
God is holy spirit
Hinduism (Ohm)
India
Derived from the Sanskrit word that means “dwellers by the Indus River”
There is no single founder of Hinduism
Consists of thousands of different religious groups that have evolved since 1500 BC in that area
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 verses and hymns composed in 1500 BC
Beliefs
Reincarnation of the soul
Rebirth after death
Conditions of one’s present life are due to karma
Accumulated good or bad behavior in past lives
Purpose of life is to obtain liberation from the cycle of reincarnation
People reach true enlightenment and happiness
Moksha- when they free themselves of earthly desires
Dharma- rules and duties you should live
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
4 Stages of Life
Ages 12-24 you get educated and trained
Ages 24-48 you get married, raise a family, make money, get involved in many things
Ages 48-72 you become a mentor to a young person and start isolating themselves from the outside world
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 by everyone
Triple Gods
Brahman
Ultimate God
Shows itself in many forms
Brahma- Creator
Vishnu- Preserver
Shiva- Destroyer
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