Monday- notes on religions
Tuesday- notes
Wednesday- notes
Thursday- notes
Friday-no school
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 is early civilizations was often combined with ancestor worship
What is Religion?- an organized systems of beliefs, ceremonies, practices and worship that centers on one or more gods
What is the Point of religion?- to give people faith, keep people in line
33% Christianity-1.9 billion people
21% Islam 1.1 billion
14% Hinduism 800 million
.22% Judaism 14 Million
6% Buddhism-
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 is 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
-The Torah is the first five books of the Bible and contain the laws and teaching of Judaism
-The Ten Commandments are the foundation of Judaism
-613 mitzvot- 613 more commandments
-Positive and negative rules to live your life
-The Sabbath is observed as a day of rest
Judaism place of worship
-Jes worship in Synagogues or temples
-Worship is led by a Rabbi
The Universal symbol of Judaism is the star of David, the emblem of keng david who ruled the Kingdom of Israel from 1000- 962 BC
-A Yarmulke hot a
-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 celebration (12)
Ritual, Worship and Celebration
-Many Jes make the pilgrimage to the “Wailing Wallin in Jerusalem”
-Build in the 2nd century BC
-Remains of a temple that had stood for close to 5000 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
-Jes 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 Mitvzat)
-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 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, 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 must be removed from meat (salting and broiling are common methods)
Problems Facing Jews
-Anti-Semitism in History
-Diaspora- Jews forced to leave their homeland by the Romans
-Pograms- the Russians would target the Jewish, kill, beat, steal from them etc.
-Holocaust- ⅔ of European jews killed - 6 million
-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”
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 founding 33 AD
-The cross is a symbol used to represent life, death, and resurrection
Catholic 50%
Orthodox 12%
Protestant 37%
Other 1%
-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 import 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 relationship with others
-obedience to God’s commands
-Discipline
-Good works
Triune God
-Christmas - Jesus born and celebration of his birth
-Easter- Jesus rose from the dead.
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 lll 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
-Two other important texts are the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita
Hinduism Beliefs
-The Hindu belief involves reincarnation of the soul, which is rebirth after death
-Hindus believe 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 or 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
-The caste system (outlawed since 1948) separated Indian society into distinct social classes. The lowest class is the untouchables
Four stages of life
-1.) ages 12-24 you get educated and trained
-2.) 24-48 you get married, raise a family, make money, get involved in many things
-3.) Ages 48-72 you become a mentor to a young person and start isolating themselves from the outside worlds
-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
Gods
-Vishnu-preserver
-Brahma-creator
-Shiva- destroyer
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