• World History & Geography II

• FOUNDER: Abraham

• HOLY BOOK: the Torah

• HOUSE OF WORSHIP: Synagogue

• FOLLOWERS: “Jews”

HISTORY

• God Spoke to Abraham (around 1800 BCE)

• Abraham makes a covenant (agreement) –love and support for worship

• God gives Moses the 10 Commandments

BELIEFS

• The first monotheistic religion

• Following Torah and the 10 Commandmentswill lead to heaven

• “ethical world view” – people should lead moral lives

BELIEFS cont’d

• A synagogue MUST have windows

• Bar Mitzvah: boys declare responsibility as adults

• Bat Mitzvah: girls have similar ceremony

TRADITIONS

• Rosh Hashanah: the Jewish New Year

• Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement – fastingto repent; to purify body and soul

• Passover: signifies “passing over” from slavery in Egypt to freedom

TRADITIONS cont’d

• Hanukkah: the Festival of Lights – a declaration of faith

• Kosher diet: no pork; dietary laws overseen by Rabbis

TRADITIONS cont’d

• Yarmulke: worn to symbolize God’s superiorityto men

• Saturday is considered the Sabbath

• FOUNDER: Jesus of Nazareth

• HOLY BOOK: the Bible (Old Testament and New Testament)

• HOUSE OF WORSHIP: churches

• FOLLOWERS: Christians

HISTORY

• Jesus Christ born in Bethlehem

• Followers believed him to be the Messiah (King of the Jews) and son of God

• Attracted followers because of his message that stressed love for God and compassion for other people

HISTORY cont’d

• Constantine granted toleration to Christians and converted in 313 CE

• Christianity was made the official religion of the Roman Empire in 395 CE

BELIEFS

• Treat others as you would be treated

• God is a loving and forgiving being

• Monotheistic

• The Trinity – Father/Son/Holy Spirit one God in three beings

BELIEFS cont’d

• Good deeds on Earth will be rewarded with a life in “heaven” after death

• Ten Commandments

• Jesus died for all mens’ sins

TRADITIONS

• Celebration of Christ’s birth – Christmas

• Celebration of Christ’s resurrection – Easter

• Consider Sunday the Sabbath

Modern Christianity

• ALL Christian religions that are NOT Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox are Protestant denominations

• There are more than 200 Protestant denominations today

• FOUNDER: Muhammad

• HOLY BOOK: Quran (Koran)

• HOUSE OF WORSHIP: Mosque

• FOLLOWERS: Muslims

• GOD: Known as Allah

• Muhammad is born about 570 in Mecca

HISTORY

• 610: he is visited by the angel Gabriel and called to be a messenger of God

• Muhammad tries to convert the people of Mecca but fails

• 622: the Hijra – Muhammad and his followers left Mecca for Yathrib (now Medina)

HISTORY cont’d

• Muhammad was welcomed in Medina as a ruler and as God’s prophet; as a result, thousands adopted Islam

• Allah is all powerful and all knowing

• Allah is the only God

BELIEFS

• Christian and Jewish prophets (including Jesus) are messengers of Allah’s word

• All people are created equal and born without sin

BELIEFS cont’d

• Each person will stand before Allah on Judgment Day and go to paradise or to hell

BELIEFS/PRACTICES

THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

• SHAHADA: the profession of faith in Allah as the one true God

• SALAT: the ritual prayers performed five times per day while facing Mecca (east)

BELIEFS/PRACTICESCont’d

THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

• ZAKAT: almsgiving or charity

• SAWM: fasting during the daylight hours of the holy month of Ramadan

BELIEFS/PRACTICESCont’d

THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

• HAJJ: pilgrimage to Mecca – done at least once by every Muslim who is able

BELIEFS/PRACTICESCont’d

• DIET: no pork no alcohol or other addictive drugs

• Friday is considered the Sabbath

• FOUNDER: no single founder

• HOLY BOOK: the Vedas

• HOUSE OF WORSHIP: Temples

• FOLLOWERS: Hindus

Shiva

“God is one but wise people know it by many names”

BELIEFS

• BRAHMAN: A single spiritual power beyond the many gods of the Vedas – an unchanging, all-powerful spiritual force

• The most important Hindu gods are:• Brahma – the creator• Vishnu – the preserver• Shiva – the destroyer

BELIEFS cont’d

Shiva

BELIEFS cont’d

• REINCARNATION: rebirth after death into

another form• conduct in this life determines caste in

the next• MOKSHA: achieving union with Brahman

• KARMA: all of the actions of a person’s life that affect his/her fate in the next life

BELIEFS cont’d

• DHARMA: an individual’s religious and moral duties

BELIEFS cont’d

• CASTE SYSTEM (Jati): the social hierarchy that divided and framed Hindu society• Five primary groups:

* Brahmans (priest caste)* Kashatriyas (warrior caste)* Vaisayas (merchants and farmers)* Sudras (menial workers)* Panchamas (untouchables)

-- now known as Harijans

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• FOUNDER: Siddhartha Gautama

• Buddha means “Enlightened One”

• HOUSE OF WORSHIP: Temples

• FOLLOWERS: Buddhists

HISTORY

• Siddhartha was born about 566 BCE into the Kashatriya (warrior) caste

• Left his home to discover “the realm of life where there is neither suffering nor death”

BELIEFS

FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

FIRST NOBLE TRUTH: All life is full of suffering, pain and sorrow (SAMSARA)

SECOND NOBLE TRUTH: Desire is the cause of this suffering

BELIEFS (cont’d)

FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

THIRD NOBLE TRUTH: The only cure for suffering is to overcome desire

FOURTH NOBLE TRUTH: Nirvana can be reached by way of the Eightfold Path

BELIEFS (cont’d)

EIGHTFOLD PATH

1. Right Views 7. Right Livelihood2. Right Aspiration 8. Right Effort3. Right Speech4. Right Conduct5. Right Mindfulness6. Right Rapture

BELIEFS (cont’d)

• Through meditation a Buddhist may achieve enlightenment

• The final goal of a Buddhist is to reach NIRVANA, union with the universe and release from the cycle of rebirth

BELIEFS (cont’d)

• The Middle Way: The Buddha saw following the Eightfold Path as a way to salvation

• Buddhism emphasizes moral and ethical rules

BELIEFS (cont’d)

• Both accept concepts of Kharma, Dharma and Moksha

SHARED TRADITIONS (with Hinduism):

• Cycle of rebirth

• Principles of nonviolence

BELIEFS (cont’d)

• Rejects priests, formal rituals and the many Hindu gods

DIFFERENCES from Hinduism:

• Urges individuals to seek enlightenment through meditation

• Rejected the caste system