DAY 2

RELIGION

What is Religion. Belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.

. a particular system of faith and worship.

. a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.

BackgroundChauvet cave in France 30,000 BC

Bhimbetka rock, India 28,000 BC

Knowledge of societies is confined to the period after the last ice age (12K years ago) coinciding with the invention of agriculture.

RELIGIONS KNOW FROM ARCHEOLOGY

GÖBEKLI TEPE 9500 BC

. Temple believed to be a pilgrimage and burial cite. T shaped stones in circular pattern. In Anatolia Turkey. 50 feet high . 1000 feet in Diameter

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STONEHENGE 8000 BC

. Known ancient burial cite

. Holes once containing pine trees . Stones used after 2600 BC.Heel stone marks sun rise at summer solstice (256’).Druid religion

RELIGIOUS ROOTS. Indo European sacrificial ideology 5500 BC

. Proto-Semitic (Abrahamic religions) 3750 BC

. Sumerian Cuneiform (religious records) 3000 BC

Pyramid Texts (1st religious texts)2494 BC

RELIGIONS KNOW FROM TEACHINGS

HINDU, INDIA 900MOldest living religion (origins about 1200 BC)General term for religions with the same coreOne supreme god with lesser deitiesSacred text of four vedasSatya – the principle of integration rooted in the AbsoluteRta – the expression of Satya that regulates the universeBelieve in reincarnation

Largest Hindu temple - Delhi

BUDDHISM 360M

. Gautama Buddha Nepal 480 to 400 BC

. Isolated till age 29; Became an Ascetic; Discovered the middle way. Four noble truths - suffering is natural; due to craving for sensuality; can be ended; by following the noble enlightened path. Eight fold path - follow the right: view; intention; speech; action; livelihood; effort; mindfulness; concentration. Can achieve end of suffering by decoupling from the conditioned world.

EGYPTIAN RELIGIONS

. Heliopolis Theology (creation myth)

. Memphis Theology (first dynasty – Ptah)

. Hermopolis Theology (8 gods paired male and female)

. Theban Theology (religious capitol – gods attributes of Amun/Re)

PREEMINENCE

 . Ra - the sun god. Amun - the creator. Isis - the mother goddess. Aten - the only god

EGYPTIAN BELIEFS

. Pharaoh descended form gods. Bodies preserved to house spirits.Horus, god of war, son of Iris and Osiris.

EGYPTIAN HERITAGE

. First religion of the West

. Belief in the spirit and an afterlife

. mayet, - concept of truth, balance, order, law, morality, and justice

Jews 14M

. Children of Abraham

. Monotheists

. Covenant

. Moses leads to the promised land

. Awaiting the Messiah

. Returned to the Promised Land

Greeks and Romans. Romans concurred the Greeks and adopted their culture. Zeus/Jupiter head god.. All human activity results from influence of a particular god.. Very tolerant of other religions.

Christians 1600M Jesus Christ 0 – 33. 12 Jewish apostles spread religion east and west. Apostle Paul takes religion to the Christians. Organize around Bishops. Augustine goes to Milan. Constantine takes Roman state to Christianity. Western empire collapses (576). 25 Dec. 800, Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne Emperor. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) modifies Catholic philosophy. Huss (1371- 1415) Priest and Martyr presages Luther

Christian Evolution

. Martin Luther 1483-1546

. John Calvin 1509-1564

. John Knox 1514-1572

. Emanuel Swedenborg 1688-1772

. Joseph Smith 1805-1824

Islam 1200M

Muhammad 570-632

. In a cave in 609, Gabriel visited him and God revealed himself to him. Give yourself to God.. Led an Army to conquer Mecca – destroyed all pagan temples (632).. Quran written by scribes following him around. Hadith written several generations later

Islam TeachingsSurah3:32 Allah does not love unbelievers5:33 Penalty for warring against A&M: killed, crucified, cut off hands and feet from opposite sides, or exiled.9:152 Kill the unbelievers where you find them; capture them; besiege them; ambush them.

Religions around the World

1.Why so many Religions ?

2.What do they have in common?

3.How are they different ?

4.Why is ours the only true one?

Questions