Five Major World Religions

Judaism

Overview Developed in the eastern Mediterranean

region

Migration of Jews to other parts of the world is known as Diaspora

Many Jews forced into slavery during the Babylonian exile in 586 B.C.E

Overview

Jews were dispersed throughout the Mediterranean lands of the Roman empire later moving through much of Europe, North Africa, and Arabia

The Holocaust in Europe during WWII forced many Jews to flee to the United States

In 1948 the State of Israel was created and further migration to the area was encouraged

Sacred Items

Sacred site: Jerusalem

Sacred Text: The Torah

Sacred Symbol: The Star of David

Important Days: Passover, in spring; Rosh Ha-shanah and Yom Kippur in autumn, and Hanukkah, in late autumn or winter

Hinduism

Overview Hinduism began to develop about 4,000

years ago in the Indian subcontinent Today Hinduism is the main religion of

India and is closely tied to India’s history and culture

Hinduism has no founder, no clear beginning, and no central authority, hierarchy, or organization

Overview Hinduism is polytheistic, worshiping many gods

that range from local deities to pan-Indian gods or even a single high God

There is no single belief that unites all followers of the religion

However most do believe in the sanctity of the ancient religious writings known as the Vedas and in an eternal and infinite source of reality called Brahman

Other common beliefs include ahimsa-non injury to living things- and samsara- a continuous cycle of rebirth

Sacred Items

Sacred sites: Ganges River and the city of Varanas

Sacred Text: The Vedas, Bhagavad Gita

Sacred Creature: The Cow

Important Days: Festival of Holi, in spring; Diwali, or Deepavali (Festival of Lights) in Autumn

Buddhism

Overview Originated about 2,500 years ago in the

foothills of the Himalayas The Buddha sent monks to preach the

faith to others During Buddha’s lifetime the new

religion spread throughout northern India

Based on the Four Noble Truths

First Noble Truth life is suffering i.e., life includes pain, getting

old, disease, and ultimately death. We also endure psychological suffering like loneliness frustration, fear, embarrassment, disappointment and anger. This is an irrefutable fact that cannot be denied. It is realistic rather than pessimistic because pessimism is expecting things to be bad; instead, Buddhism explains how suffering can be avoided and how we can be truly happy.

Second Noble Truth The second truth is that suffering is caused by craving

and aversion. We will suffer if we expect other people to conform to our expectation, if we want others to like us, if we do not get something we want, etc. In other words, getting what you want does not guarantee happiness. Rather than constantly struggling to get what you want, try to modify your wanting. Wanting deprives us of contentment and happiness. A lifetime of wanting and craving and especially the craving to continue to exist, creates a powerful energy which causes the individual to be born. So craving leads to physical suffering because it causes us to be reborn.

Third Noble Truth

The third truth is that suffering can be overcome and happiness can be attained; that true happiness and contentment are possible. lf we give up useless craving and learn to live each day at a time (not dwelling in the past or the imagined future) then we can become happy and free. We then have more time and energy to help others. This is Nirvana.

Fourth Noble Truth

The fourth truth is that the Noble 8-fold Path is the path which leads to the end of suffering.

In summary, the Noble 8-fold Path is being moral (through what we say, do and our livelihood), focusing the mind on being fully aware of our thoughts and actions, and developing wisdom by understanding the Four Noble Truths and by developing compassion for others.

Overview In the 200s B.C.E missionaries and traders

introduced Buddhism to Sri Lanka, China, Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, Tibet and Mongolia

To many, Buddhism goes beyond religion and is more of a philosophy or 'way of life'. It is a philosophy because philosophy 'means love of wisdom' and the Buddhist path can be summed up as:

(1) to lead a moral life,(2) to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and(3) to develop wisdom and understandi

Sacred Items

Sacred Site: Bodhgaya

Sacred Text: The Pali Canon

Sacred Objects: Statues of Buddha

Important Days: Buddha Day, celebrated at the full moon in May

Confucianism Overview

China’s most famous and influential teacher and philosopher

His views were how to live a moral and proper life Three dimensions of the human condition--the self,

community, and tradition--are expressed in Confucian spirituality.

Followers of Confucianism is that all people have the ability to learn and improve themselves

" The fundamental concern of the Confucian tradition is learning to be human."▪ Tu Wei-ming.

Overview Confucius wanted to make education widely

available

He helped establish teaching as a profession and a way of life

Confucianism does not contain all of the elements of some other religions, like Christianity and Islam. It is primarily an ethical system to which rituals at important times during one's lifetime have been added.

Values Li: includes ritual, propriety, etiquette, etc.

Hsiao: love within the family: love of parents for their children and of children for their parents

Yi: righteousness

Xin: honesty and trustworthiness

Jen: benevolence, humaneness towards others; the highest Confucian virtue

Chung: loyalty to the state, etc.

Sacred Items

Sacred Text: The Analects

Sacred Symbol: Yin-Yang

Sacred Site: Confucian Temple

Important Days: Teacher’s Day in August or September

Islam Overview

The Five Pillars of Islam provide Muslims with the basics for living a proper and moral life

The Five Pillars are important symbolic acts of faith

Monotheism is the central theme of Islam—a belief in only one God, Allah, who is omnipotent. According to Islam, God has four fundamental functions: creation, sustenance, guidance, and judgment. The overall purpose of humanity is to serve Allah, to worship him alone and to construct a moral lifestyle.

First Pillar

A profession of faith demonstrated by the statement “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger”

Second Pillar Daily Prayer- All Muslims must face toward

Mecca to Pray

Muslims observe five formal prayers each day. The timings of these prayers are spaced fairly evenly throughout the day

Fajr (pre-dawn)Dhuhr (noon) 'Asr (afternoon)Maghrib (sunset) 'Isha (evening)

Third Pillar

Concern for and almsgiving to the needy; Giving charity to the poor

Fourth Pillar

Self-purification through fasting Fasting during the month of Ramadan is

a demanding physical exercise. This practice binds members of the Muslim community together and symbolizes the importance of spiritual matters over the physical demands of the body

Fifth Pillar

The pilgrimage to Mecca for those who are able.

Sacred items

Sacred text: Qur’an

Sacred Sites: Mecca (Makkah), Al-Madinah, Jerusalem

Important days: Fast of Ramadan, during the entire ninth month of the Islamic year, Id al-Fitr, at the end of Ramadan; and ‘Id al-Adha, at the end of hajj in the twelfth lunar month

Christianity

Overview The worlds largest religion, both in

number of followers and by area More than 1.8 billion people are

Christian, roughly one third of the world’s population

Christianity is the dominant religion in most of North and South America, Europe and Russia, Australia and New Zealand, the Philippines, and many parts of sub-Saharan Africa

Overview Fragmented into many separate denominations

with different religious hierarchies and practices

In the U.S there are hundreds of different Christian groups.

Some major regional patterns include Baptist and other conservative denominations in the South; Lutherans in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Dakotas; Mormons in Utah; and Roman Catholics in southern Louisiana, the Southwest, Northeast, and Sacred Heart High School

Basic Beliefs

Reference Handout

Sacred Items

Sacred Text: The Bible

Sacred Sites: Bethlehem and Jerusalem

Sacred Symbol: Cross