Monday
Forum post expectations
On the web page
Test Review
Religion
History
Major locations
Basic beliefs
Holidays
Symbols
Judaism
613 mitzvot
248 positive commandments to say what must be followed
365 negative
The Sabbath is observed as a day of rest, starting at sundown on Friday Evening
Place of Worship
Synagogues or temples
Led by rabbis
A Yarmulke/kippah worn during worship
Payot curls on the front of the hair
Menorah
It is a symbol of the nation of Israel and a mission to be a “light unto the nations”
Bar Mitzvah/ Bat Mitzvah
12 boys- Bar 13 girls- Bat
Horah Dance
Ritual, Worship, and Celebration
Many Jews make the pilgrimages to the “Wailing Wall in Jerusalem
Built in the 2nd century
Remains of a temple that had stood for close to 500 years
Destroyed by Romans
Thought to be the most sacred of all places
Praying at the Wailing Wall signifies being in the presence of the Divine
Judaism Beliefs
One 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 life. (613
Ten Commandments is the basic code of law
Kosher Foods
Foods are kosher when they meet all criteria that Jewish law applies to food
Non- Kosher
Mixture meat and milk
Use of cooking untensils which had previously been used for non-kosher foods
The type of animal it is
Kosher Foods
May eat all animals that have cloven hooves and/or chew their cud
Six mammals are specifically not allowed
Camel
Hyrax
Hare
Pig
Whales
Dolphins
Animals Allowed
Cows
Goats
Sheep
Antelope
Deer
Bison
Most fish (excluding, Shellfish, shark, octpus, ells, 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 killed
7 Holy days
Rosh Hashanah- Jewish New year
Yom Kippur-
Sukkot
Hanukkah
Purim
Pesach(passover)
Tuesday
Judaism
Problems facing Jews
Anti-Semitism in History
Hatred of jews
Diaspora
Being forced out of an area
Jews were forced out of Israel
Started in Europe
Pograms
Going after the Jews
Organized beating, killing, and destroying of the Jews
Russian Word
Holocaust
2 out of 3 European Jews killed
Israel established as a Jewish state after WWII
Led several wars and a lot terrorism in the area
Israel vs Palestinians
Land for peace
Give palestine land for their own country
Comments from former Iranian President Ahmadinejad and other Middle East groups
What about the other groups
Why have Jews been despised throughout history
Killed Jesus
Stereotype Control money
Charged high interest to non-Jews
Controlled a lot of businesses
Christianity
Christians are divided into three main branches
Roman Catholic
Eastern Orthodoxy
Protestantism
Beliefs are based in the life, teachings, and death of Jesus Christ 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 later ascended to Heaven
The resurrection of Christ is celebrated on Easter which is most important holiday
The first christians were jews who came to believe Jesus was the Messiah
78.4% of US 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
They believe in heaven and hell
They believe that the Bible is the word of God
Wednesday
Christianity
Christian way of life
Fellowship with God
Pray, go to church, read the Bible
Our relationship with others
Obedience to God’s commands
Discipline
Good works
Follow 10 commandments
Triune God
Father
Son
Holy Spirit
Seasons
Christmas
Easter
Hinduism
Based out of India
Hinduism is derived from a Sanskrit word that means “dwellers by the Indus River”
There is no single founder
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 verses and hymns composed in 1500 BC
Two other important texts are the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita
0.4% of US population
Hinduism Beliefs
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 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
Brahmia
Kshatriya
Vaisya
Sudra
Untouchables
Below the lowest class
Separated Indian society into distinct social classes in which everyone knew their places and believed that if they followed the dharma of their caste, they would be reincarnated into a better caste
Outlawed since 1948
Castes are social classes into which a person is born and lives their entire life. If a person has a good karma they may be reincarnated into a higher caste
Thursday
Samsara Cycle
You're born
You die
You're reborn
Four stages of life
12-24 you get educated and trained
24-48 you get married, raise a family, make money, get involved in many things
48-72 you become a mentor to a young person and start isolating themselves from the outside world
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 one ultimate GOd, Brahman, but shows itself in many forms
The gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva different aspects of him
Brahma is creator
Vishnu- preserver
Shiva- destroyer
Celebrations
Diwali
Festival of Holi
Pilgrimage to the Ganges River
Buddhism
Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) was the founder in 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 the 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 Eightfold Path to Nirvana, or ultimate bliss
The four noble Truths of Buddhism
Existence is suffering
The cause of suffering is craving and attachment
Suffering ceases at some point and turns to Nirvana
- There is a path to Nirvana which is made up of 8 steps called the Eightfold Path
Comments