October 24-28

Monday- Absent (took notes)

Tuesday- Notes (Below)

Wednesday-

Thursday-

Friday- No School

5 Major World Religions

- Hinduism

- Judaism

-Buddhism

- Islam

-Christianity

Animism
- Animism is the Belief that all living and non-living things in nature have a spirit
- Was the belief system of many early civilization
- Animism in early civilization was often with ancestor worship
What is a religion
- An organized system of beliefs, ceremonies practices and worship that centers on one or more gods
What is the Point of Religion
- Give meaning to something
Polytheism
- Many gods
Monotheism
- one god
Numbers
- Christianity 1.9 billion
- Islam 1.1 billion
- Hinduism 800 million
- Buddhism 325 million
- Judaism 14 million
Abraham is the base of all 3 religions- Islam, Judaism, and Christianity
Judaism:
- Monotheistic and the first major monotheistic religion in history
- Some believe Judaism dates back to Adam and Eve
- Many historians say that is 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 BC
- The Torah is the first five books of the Bible and contain the laws and teaching of Judaism
- The Ten Commandments are are the foundation of Judaism
- They have 613 other commandments mitzvots
Judaism Place of Worship
- Jews worship in Synagogues or temples
- The universal symbol of Judaism is the Star of David, the emblem of King David who rules the Kingdom of Israel from 1000- 962 BC
Bar Mitzvah- Bats Mitzvah
- Celebration of a Jewish child's 12th birthday
Ritual, Worship, & Celebration
- Many Jews make the pilgrimage to the "Wailing Wall in Jerusalem"
  - Built in 2nd Century
  - Ra mains of a temple that 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
Judaism Beliefs
- Jews believe that there is a single God (Yahweh) who not only created the universe, but with whom ever 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 Mitzvat)
- 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 food non-kosher
  - The mixture of meat and milk
  - The use of cooking utensils which had been previously been used for non-kosher food
  - The type of animals it is
- Leviticus 11:3 says that Jews may eat all animals that have cloven hooves (slits) and chew their cud
- Six mammals are specifically not allowed
  - Camel
  - Hyrax
  - Hare
  - Pig
  - Whales
  - Dolphins
- Kosher Animals are the following:
  - Cows, goats, sheep, antelope, deer, bison, etc.
  - Most Fish: 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 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 must be removed from meat (salting and broiling are common methods)
- Problems Facing Jews
  - Antisemitism in History
    - Diaspora
    - Pograms
    - Holocaust- 2/3 of European Jews killed
    - Israel established as a Jewish state after WWII (1947)- This 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
    - Why have Jews been despised throughout history?

Christianity

Christians
- Christians are divided into three main branches: Roman, Catholicism,Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism
- Beliefs are based on the life, teaching, and death of Jesus Christ and found 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 later 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 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 relationship with others
- Obedience to God's commands
- Discipline
- Good works
Triune God
- God is Father
- God is Son
- God is Spirit
- Father is not Son
- Son is not Spirit
- Spirit is not Father

Hinduism

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 B.C. 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, but many
  - The Vedas are primarily literally works, containing sacred verses and hymns composed in 1500 B.C.
  - Two other important texts are the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita
- 0.4% of America adults practice Hinduism
Hinduism Beliefs
- The Hindu belief involves reincarnation of the soul, which is rebirth after death
- Hindus believe that 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 of 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
Caste System
- Brahmin
- Kshatriya
- Vaisya
- Sudra
- Untouchables
The Four Stages of Life
- Ages 12-24 you get educated and trained
- Age 24-48 you get married, raise a family, make money, get involved in many things
- Age 48-72 you become a mentor to a younger person and start isolation themselves from the outside world
- 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
Hindu Gods
- Many consider Hinduism to be 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 (creator) reflects God's divine work of creating the universe
- Vishnu (Preserver) reflects God's work in keeping the universe in existence
- Shiva (Destroyer) reflects God's work in destroying it
Hinduism Information
- Celebrations
  - Diwali
    - Hindu New Year
  - Festival of Holi
    - Triumph of good over evil
    - Arrival of spring
    - Festival of colors
  - Pilgrimage to the Ganges River in India
    - Hindus believe the river has healing powers

Buddhism

Buddhism (560 BC)
- Buddha means "the awakened one"
- He grew up in a wealthy family but decided to follow a path of self- denial
- He did not find truth until he sat down under a tree, now known as the Bo tree
- There he was "enlightened" and obtained the knowledge he had been looking for
- He discovered four noble truths and the Eight fold Path to Nirvana. or ultimate bliss
- Buddhists believe in reincarnation
  - One must stop the cycle of rebirth as a suffering, selfish individual, and must attain Nirvana
- About 1%of Americans are Buddhist
The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism
- 1. Existence is suffering
- 2. The cause of suffering is craving and attachment
- 3. Suffering ceases at some point and turns to Nirvana
- 4. There is a path to Nirvana which is made up of 8 steps called the Eight Fold Path
The Eight-Fold Path
- Right View
- Right intentions
- Right Speech
- Right Action
- Right Livelihood
- Right Effort
- Right Concentration
- Right Mindfulness
What Buddhists and Hindu's have in common
- Believe in reincarnation
- Karma
- Dharma
What Buddhists and Hindu's do not have in common
- Caste System
- Hindu Gods
- Hindu priesthood
Buddhism Information
- Worship Practices
  - Meditation - Deep thought & reflection
  - Importance of the lotus flower
    - Believer can blossom while rooted in the impurity of the world
Major Buddhist Sects
- Theravada
  - As close as possible to Buddha's teachings
  - Mahayana
    - More accepting of the changing world
The Dalai Lama- The present spiritual leader of Buddhism
- 14th Dalai Lama
- Has been DL since 1950
- Has been in exile in India since 1959

Islam

Islam
- The Islamic crescent and star is the international symbol for Islam
- Islam means "submission (to Allah)" in Arabic
- "Allah" is an Arabic word which means "the One True God"
- Muslims believe that the Quran is God's word as revealed to the prophet Muhammad (570-632 A.D.) through the angel Gabriel
- Islam is very family-oriented
- The primary means of transmitting the religion are through the family
- Muslims are people that practice Islam
- .6% of U.S. adults follow Islam
- There are two main sects of Islam:
  - Sunni
  - Shiite
- One of their main differences is in their beliefs about who were the leaders following the death of Prophet Muhammad
- Sunni, from the Arabic word for "tradition," accepted the succession of Muhammad's elected successors
  - The majority of Muslims in the world today are Sunnis
- Shiite, from the Arabic word for "faction," believe that leaders must be descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and her husband Ali
  - They rule Iran and also have a size able presence in Iraq and Syria

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