Week of October 24-28

Monday-

Five Major Religions of the World

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
What is the point of religion?
- To keep people in line
Polytheism v. Monotheism
- Polytheism: belief in many gods
- Monotheism: belief in one god
Judaism
- Judaism is a monotheistic religion 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
- 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
- The 613 Mitzvat
  - Mitzvah is a commandment or religious duty

Tuesday-

Judaism (continued)

Place of Worship
- Jews worship in Synagogues or temples
- Worship is led by a Rabbi
Symbol
- 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
- 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 party for 12 year old boys and 12 or 13 year old girls
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 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, bu 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 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 Hews 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 (excluding shellfish, shark, octopus, eels, and squid)
    - Chicken
    - Duck
    - 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)

Wednesday-

Judaism (continued)

- Problems Facing Jews
  - Anti-Semitism in history
    - Diaspora- Jews were forced to leave Israel by the Romans
    - Pograms- Russians would round up Jews and rape, beat, and steal from them
    - Holocaust- 2/3 of European Jews killed
    - Israel establish as a Jewish state after WWII (1947)- Led to several wars and a lot of terrorism in the area
      - Israel v. Palestinians
      - "land for peace"
    - Comments from former Iranian President Ahmadinejad and other Middle East 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 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 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 (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
  - Good relationships with others
  - Obedience to God's commands
  - Discipline
  - Do good works
  - Triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
- Holidays
  - Christmas
  - Easter

Thursday-

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 verses 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 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 (Cycle or Law of Samsara)
  - 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
- Indian Caste System
  - Brahman
  - Kshatriya
  - Vaisya
  - Sudra
  - Untouchables
- Four Stages of Life
  - 1. Ages 12-24: you get educated and trained
  - 2. Ages 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 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
- The Triple Gods
  - Brahma- the creator
  - Vishnu- the preserver
  - Shiva- the destroyer

Friday- no school

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