Religion.LifeTips.com

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1 Religion.LifeTips.com

2 Category: *News & New Content* Subcategory: Getting Around This Site Tip: Send Your Questions Religion-tips' number one goal is to bring you interesting and accurate information. We are happy to answer any questions you haven't seen addressed here. If we don't have the answer (each religion is a lifelong study in its own right), we are happy to research it. Please send your questions to ReligionGuru@lifetips.com. Subcategory: New Tips Tip: New Tips Listed Here! ** Click here for our new Ramadan tips! ** ** Click here for our new History of Halloween tip! ** Tip: The Place to Check For New Content Here is the place to check for new Religion-Tips content. This New Tips section is your guide to brand new tips, timely information (like upcoming holidays), fun ideas, newly launched articles, and Big Brain tests. Have any trouble using this site? Please ReligionGuru@lifetips.com. Category: Buddhism Subcategory: All Buddhism Branches Tip: What is Buddhism? The idea of a supreme creationist god is not relevant in Buddhist belief. Buddha is not revered as a god, but as a person who reached total enlightenment (or Nirvana). Buddhism teaches souls are liberated to Nirvana by reaching a state of selflessness though eliminating cravings, doing acts of kindness, doing no harm, and meditation. Tip: Who Founded Buddhism & When? Prince Siddhartha Guatama (Buddha) was born in India in 563 BCE. At age 29, Guatama left his wife and children to seek spiritual enlightenment. He studied

3 Brahmanism and nearly fasted to death, but came to reject this path. In 535 BCE, he believed himself to have reached enlightenment, assumed the title Buddha, and soon after began teaching about the pathway to enlightenment. Tip: Who is the Dalai Lama? Today's Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, born in Tibet in 1935 is the 14th Dalai Lama. According to Tibetan tradition, the Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama, and the incarnation of Avalokiteshvara (the Buddha of Compassion). He is considered to be the highest-ranking Buddhist in Tibetan Buddhism, but is not officially recognized in other Buddhism branches. Category: Celebrations Subcategory: Chinese Holidays Tip: When is the Chinese New Year? Chinese holidays are based on the Lunar Calendar rather than the Western (Gregorian) calendar. Because of this, the Chinese New Year is not on the same date each year, but does occur sometime between January 21st and February 19th. The next Chinese New Year will be the Year of the Sheep in the Chinese astrology, and will fall on February 1, 2003 (or the Chinese year 4701). Subcategory: Christian Holidays Tip: Easter Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. Christians around the world celebrate this holiday many different ways, but popular activities include going to church in nice (and often new) dress clothes, decorating eggs, egg hunts, and time with family. Some countries celebrate with the Easter Bunny, some with dances, parades, or fireworks, but they all have fun! Subcategory: Jewish Holidays Tip: How is Purim Celebrated? Purim is a fun filled day with costumes, food, noisemakers, cheers, giving to charity, and gathering to listen to the Megillah (Purim story). The festivities include little girls dressed like Queen Esther, baskets of gifts exchanged including special Haman's hat shaped cookies, and lots of food and wine. Enjoy!

4 Tip: How is Purim Pronounced? The most common way to pronouce Purim is pur-im, with the ur sound being similar to the ur sound in the words purr or fur. Tip: What is Purim About? Esther, a Jewish orphan girl, was chosen by the king of Persia to be his wife. Esther hid her Jewish identity until she learned of the king's prime minister's plans to kill all the Jews in the kingdom. She chose to risk her life to save her people, and told the king of her identity and the terrible plan. The king spared her people and sentenced his prime minister to death. Category: Children & Religion Subcategory: Teaching Children Tip: Preparing Children One of the most important jobs a parent has is teaching their child how to successfully enter adulthood. A most difficult balancing act is teaching children to retain the values they are brought up with, while still blossoming into a healthy adult prepared for the large world around them. Loving parents must work hard at teaching children to hold fast to their values while still respecting and doing no harm to others. Category: Christianity Subcategory: All Denominations Tip: What is Christianity? Christianity can be defined as a belief in the teachings of Jesus. Apart from that, many different denominations and beliefs exist. Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestantism are the largest groups with Protestantism including over 2000 various branches. Subcategory: Catholicism

5 Tip: What are Catholicism's Scriptures? The Catholic bible is composed of 73 books. The first half, called Old Testament, contains a Christian translation of the 39 books of the Hebrew Tanach, and 7 books called Deuterocanonical works (or the Apocrypha). The second half, called the New Testament, is a collection of 27 books originally written in Greek. Subcategory: Seventh-Day Adventists Tip: What are the Seventh-Day Adventists' Scriptures? The Seventh-Day Adventists use standard Protestant Christian bible translations such as the New American Standard Bible or the New King James Version. Seventh-Day Adventists also rely heavily on the teachings of Ellen G. White, who is considered a prophetess in the SDA religion, however they do not consider her teachings to be canonized Scripture. Category: Ethical & Work Issues Subcategory: Rights of Others Tip: Know Your Biases - Strive to Be Fair Consider how your opinions affect interactions with others. Do you favor people in your workplace who share your point of view? Do you listen and try to learn about others, or only try to persuade people to your point of view? Fair interaction does not require an empty brain with no opinions; it requires a genuine respect of those who differ. Category: Expanding Perspectives Subcategory: Learning About Others Tip: Get Those Books! Books are one of your most valuable tools when wanting to learn about others. It is important when learning about a religion to choose at least one book authored by someone currently in that belief system. While it's great to read from a wide spectrum of opinions, be sure to get it from the horse's mouth as well. Tip: Talk to People When curious about a belief system, ask questions! The best resources are often

6 people in the religion you'd like to learn about. Many people are happy to answer sincere, respectful questions; and they may help clear up a long held misunderstanding! Category: Foods Subcategory: Traditional Foods Tip: Moon Cakes Mooncakes are eaten during the Chinese Moon Festival. Mooncakes are believed date back at least to the Yuan dynasty (CE ), and are credited with helping to bring about a rebellion. The legend says that a Han Chinese rebel leader named Liu Fu Tong, wanted to coordinate a rebellion against the foreign ruling Mongolian people. Liu devised a plan to sneak messages in through the mooncakes, with instructions to the Han Chinese to strike. Today, mooncakes are eaten to commemorate the success of this plan. Tip: What's For Dinner - Tales From the Past When adding a dish that your great grandmother made, learn the stories behind it. Discover how the tradition got started, and what it meant to your great grandmother. Share the stories about your dish when enjoying it with your family and guests. Tip: What's For Dinner? What foods did your Great Grandmother make and why? What religious and cultural significance did some of those foods have? Learn about your cultural and religions heritage and start adding one or two of these interesting foods from your past. Category: Hinduism Subcategory: All Hinduism Tip: What is Hinduism's Scripture? The most important of all Hindu texts is the Bhagavad Gita. Hindu belief is that it was given by Krishna, and it teaches nature of consciousness, the self, the universe and the Supreme. Other important texts include the Rig Veda, Brahmanas, Sutras, and the Aranyakas.

7 Tip: What is Hinduism? Although Hinduism consists of thousands of different religious groups, and therefore does not have only one specific theological system, many common beliefs in Hinduism exist. Some believe in transmigration of the souls (rebirths through many lifetimes), karma (the accumulation of good and bad deeds), the number of gods to be worshipped is large, and the ways to salvation are diverse. Category: Islam Subcategory: Islamic Traditions Tip: How is Ramadan Pronounced? Ramadan is pronounced rom-a-don, with the "a" sounds respectively being similar to a sound in pat, the a sound in about, and the a sound in father. Tip: What Does (pbuh) Mean? Have you ever seen (pbuh) and wondered what it means? Muslims traditionally write (pbuh) after Muhammad, Jesus, and other Islamic prophets' names to show respect. (pbuh) is an abbreviation for (peace be upon him). Subcategory: Understanding Islam Tip: What is Islam? The worship of a single, indivisible God is very important in Islamic belief. Islam teaches submission to God, prayer, the study of Scripture, and avoidance of alcohol, drugs, pork, and gambling. The Day of Judgment in which all believers and non-believers will be sent to either Heaven or Hell is also a fundamental belief in Islam. Tip: Who Founded Islam & When? Islam was founded by Muhammad (also spelled Mohammed or Muhammed) around 622 CE. Islamic teaching is that the angel Gabriel (or Jibreel) read the first revelation to of the Islamic faith to Muhammad in Mecca during the ninth month on the Muslim calendar (or the month of Ramadan) and continued to come to Muhammad many times over a period of 23 years. Category: Judaism

8 Subcategory: All Branches Tip: Are There Various Branches Within Judaism? Three major branches exist within Judaism: Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. Orthodox Judaism is the most traditional branch and closest to Judaism as it was when it began. Reform Judaism is a much more liberal branch of Judaism and Conservative Judaism began out of an effort to reconcile the two. Tip: Who Founded Judaism & When? As with many religions, there is more than one school of thought as to when Judaism began. Some would say Abraham was the first Jew, while others teach Judaism began with Moses and the giving of the Torah about 3,300 years ago. Judaism teaches a mass conversion took place Mt. Sinai when the Torah was given; and afterwards, Moses taught the lessons given to him by God. Category: Other Eastern Religions Subcategory: Confucianism Tip: What are Confucianism's Scriptures? The Analects are a collection of sayings and teachings of Confucius, recorded by his disciples. They are part of the Si Shu (or Four Books) that also includes The Doctrine of the Mean (or Chung Yung), The Great Learning (or Ta Hsueh), and the Meng Tzu (containing the writings of Meng Tzu, one of Confucius' most famous followers). Also important, but predating Confucius, are The Wu Jing (or Five Classics). The Wu Jing contains philosophies of life cycles, history, poetry, etiquette and civil behavior. Tip: What is Confucianism? As Confucianism is more properly described as ideologies for right living rather than a religion, Confucianism is often practiced in harmony with other belief systems such as Taoism, Buddhism, and/or Shinto. Confucianism places high importance on values such as humaneness towards others, family love, etiquette, and honesty. Important life events emphasized through traditions in the Confucian religion are birth, reaching maturity, marriage, and death. Tip: Who Started Confucianism & When? Confucianism is based on the moral and ethical teachings of K'ung Fu Tzu (Confucius),

9 a Chinese philosopher born in 551 BCE in the state of Lu in China. Confucius spent his life giving advice to Chinese rulers, and trying to find one who would rule according to the tenets of Confucianism. Confucius died with only a small amount of followers, not living long enough to see the great influence he would have on Chinese culture. Subcategory: Mixes Tip: What are the Majority Beliefs in China? The three most widespread and influential belief systems in China are Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. It is most common to see elements of all three mixed together throughout much of China, since none of these religions demand or claim exclusivity. Subcategory: Shinto Tip: How is Shinto Pronounced? Shinto is pronounced shin-to, with the to sound being similar to the to sound in toe or tow. Subcategory: Taoism Tip: What is Taoism? Taoism, or The Way is the all-encompassing force that flows though all - living and non-living. Yin and Yang represent the dualities of the universe: good and evil, darkness and light, male and female. Taoism teaches that one concept cannot exist without its opposite. Through compassion, moderation, and humility, Taoists strive to become one with the Tao. Tip: Who Founded Taoism & When? Lao-Tse, is generally credited with founding Taoism, although some believe him to be a mythical figure. Lao-Tse is said to have lived in the same era as Confucius; and Taoism's psychology and philosophy became a religion in China when it was adopted in 440 CE as a state religion. Category: Other Religions Subcategory: Baha i

10 Tip: What is Baha'i? The Baha'i faith teaches that God revealed truth through prophets of many religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and others) and that Bahá'u'lláh is the most recent messenger of truth. The Baha'i faith teaches there is only one God. Tip: Who Founded Baha'ism & When? The Baha'i faith was started when Baha'u'llah, a Persian born man who began to record teachings the Baha'i faith believes were revelations from God. These early nineteenth century writings became what are now the Baha'i Scriptures. Category: Politics Subcategory: People Tip: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. An amazing man who reached across educational, racial, and religious divisions, Martin Luther King, Jr., ultimately gave his life for what he believed in. King successfully taught non-violent means of advancing equal rights, which helped advance many oppressed groups. One may wonder if he knew of his coming fate and pressed forward anyway considering the theme of this last speech, "I've Been To The Mountaintop" (a reference to the Judeo/Christian Bible story of the last days of Moses). Tip: Gandhi Albert Einstein said of Gandhi, "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth." Many great men, including Martin Luther King, Jr., have admired Mahatma Gandhi as he was truly a man who lived and died by what he believed. He lead the struggle in India for independence from Britain, teaching nonviolent protest and religious tolerance. The efforts did succeed bringing independence from the British, however Gandhi's dream of Muslims and Hindus living peacefully in one country was not realized. Instead, a Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan were born. Subcategory: Quotes Tip: A Note on Selected Quotes Some question why certain quotes were included in this section. When endeavoring to learn about a subject, we cannot learn from the past by only looking at one part. Only by

11 examining all of it as a whole, can we even begin to understand. Remeber to check back regularly, as this section expands. Tip: Absolute Certainty "To be absolutely certain about something, one must know everything or nothing about it." -Olin Miller Tip: Learn, then Act "There is nothing more frightening than active ignorance." -Goethe Tip: Think "What luck for the rulers that men do not think." -Adolf Hitler Tip: You Must... "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -Mahatma Ghandi Category: Religion & Relating to Loved Ones Subcategory: Dating & Marriage Tip: What About Dating? Know what you are looking for in a partner and make a list of the ideals you would and would not compromise on. Consider the future and how you expect religion to play a role in your life. Be sure to discuss these issues with potential life partners. Category: Science Subcategory: Ethics in Science Tip: Religion, Ethics, & Science It is likely impossible to separate our own personal points of view when it comes to ethics in religion and ethics in science, as our religions are a part of who we are. Consider how your religious beliefs affect your views on scientific and moral issues; and learn how they affected the ancestors' of your religion views in the past. Envision that past, and consider how it compares to your convictions today.

12 Subcategory: Evolution and Creation Tip: Creationist Stories in Schools? Should creationist stories be taught in public schools? If yes, how would those stories be selected? Interpretations vary from the religions that share the Genesis creation story; who would get to tell their version? Would the Shinto creation stories also be taught in public school? How about Hindu or Native American stories? How much public school time and money would be set aside for this task? Perhaps after examining the issues, one may decide religion is best taught in the home, religious organizations, and private religious schools. Category: Sikhism Subcategory: Understanding the Sikhs Tip: How is Sikh Pronounced? The most common way to pronounce Sikh is sek (as in seek), however some say the proper pronunciation is SE-ikh. Tip: Who Founded Sikhism & When? Guru Nanak was born to a Hindu family in Western Punjab over 500 years ago. According to Sikhism belief, Guru Nanak was given divine messages while spending three days in communion with God. He made several long journeys over the course of his life spreading the Sikhism religion, by teaching Hindus and Muslims what he had learned.