World Religions
Religion Religion is a belief in a supernatural power of powers that are regarded as the creator and maintainers of the universe. Three are three main types: 1. Monotheistic: a belief in one god. 2. Polytheistic: a belief in many gods. 3. Animistic (or traditional): a belief in the divine forces of nature. 4. Atheism: no belief in god When discussing non-christian religions, geographers refer to BCE, before the common era, and CE, common era, instead of BC and AD There are 5 main world religions: 1. Judaism: Concentrated in Israel; it was founded by Abraham. It was established more than 5,000 years ago. The most important religious text is called the Torah, which contains the basic laws and
teachings of the religion. The first 5 books of the Old Testament come from the Torah. The Talmud interprets, explains, and applies the Torah. It is the first monotheistic religion, meaning that Jews worship one God. The name of the Jewish Supreme Being is Yhvh, but Jews believe that the name of God should not be written so that it cannot be easily discarded or disrespected. Some of the main religious events in Judaism include Passover, a time in history when Jews were freed from slavery. God sent the angel of death to take the first born child in every Egyptian home, but the Israelites were passed over. Chanukkah and Yom Kippur are also important holidays. When boys reach their 13 th birthday, and girls on or before their 12 th birthday, the celebrate their bar/bat mitzvah, celebrating their arrival into adulthood. Anti-Semitism is prejudice towards Jews. This has been practiced by numerous countries for thousands of years, including some modern-day peoples. Jews don t eat pork because it s considered unclean. 2. Christianity: evolved about 2,000 years ago from the teachings of Judaism.
It is the largest religion, with 2.1 billion followers or 33% of the earth. There are three main branches: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant. It s based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, whom Christians believe is the savior. The two most important Christian beliefs are that Christ was crucified and the He was resurrected. The main Christian religious text is the Bible, the Old and New Testament. 3. Islam: was founded by Muhammad in the 7 th century CE. Muhammad taught that there is only one, all-powerful God Its followers are called Muslims, and the name Islam means submission or obedience to God, whom Muslims call Allah. Muslims don t eat pork because they believe it is unclean. There are two main divisions of Islam: Sunni and Shiite or Shia. 85% of Muslims are Sunni. After Muhammad s death, he was succeeded by three caliphs, or successors. Sunnis believe that they and their heirs are the rightful religious
leaders. Shiites, on the other hand, believe that only the successors of Ali, Muhammad s son-in-law can be the true leader. One main Muslim holiday is Ramadan, or the day of atonement. Muslims atone for their sins by fasting from sunup to sundown during the month of Ramadan. Muslims also follow the Five Pillars: 1) Daily confession of faith, 2) daily prayer, 3) paying an alms tax, 4) fasting during Ramadan, 5) pilgrimage to Mecca, Islam s holy city. Muslims are also know for creating algebra. 4. Hinduism: This is the oldest religion, and has no known founder. Hindus believe that there is one single god named Brahman who reveals himself in many forms, each with different names and duties. Two examples are Shiva and Vishnu. Therefore, in this case there are many gods (polytheism), but all are really the same god (monotheistic). The cow & bull are sacred to Hindus, as is the Ganges River. The main Hindu religious text is the Four Vedas, or Books of Knowledge. Each
Veda is associated with a certain priest or ritual. Hindus believe in reincarnation Karma is a practice in which Hindus engage. It is the belief that everything that happens is caused by something else, or what goes around comes around. Hindus that lead a good and virtuous life will be reborn in a higher social class, whereas those who do not may be reborn into a lower class. In Hindu societies these classes are known as castes, or the caste system. The lowest of the caste system, those with the worst karma, are known as untouchables. Hindus believe that women have shakti, the divine female creative power. Some women wear a bindi, or a red dot, on their foreheads to guarantee their higher social status as well as the sanctity of marriage. One famous Hindu was Mohandas Mahatma Ghandhi. 5. Buddhism: a religion developed in the 6 th century BCE from the teachings of Hinduism. It was created by Siddhartha Gautama, aka Buddha (The Enlightened One). Buddhism s followers are allowed to choose for themselves on an individual basis their beliefs.
individual basis their beliefs. There is no supreme being, not even the Buddha. It is essentially atheistic, but it doesn t deny existence of gods. The Buddha agreed with the Hindu belief of karma, but unlike Hindus they do not agree with the caste system. Buddhists believe that after death the parts that make up a person dissolve and come together in a new person. Over time, people are reborn, and by following the Eightfold Path, a person may reach enlightenment or nirvana. Nirvana is when a person is freed from attachment to this world and from reincarnation. The Buddhist religious texts include the Sutras and the Tripitaka or the Three Baskets. The Sutra is a book of the sermons of the Buddha. They were recited from memory from one of the Buddha s followers and then placed into the Tripitaka. The Tripitaka include: the teachings of the Buddha, the rules for monks, and the Buddha s philosophy. The religious leader of Buddhism is the Dalai Lama. He is the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama.
Buddhists believe in the Four Noble Truths: 1) life is full of pain, suffering, & sadness, 2) Sadness is a result of unrighteous desires, 3) unrighteous desires can be overcome, 4) the Eightfold Path is the way to overcome desires and cure suffering. The Eightfold Path includes 1) the right view (understand the Buddha s teachings), 2) the right thought (think about others, not yourself), 3) the right speech (tell the truth, say helpful things), 4) the right action (do things that are kind and thoughtful), 5) the right work (do jobs that help others and do no harm), 6) the right effort (try to follow the right path), 7) the right mindfulness (be aware of your thoughts and actions), 8) the right concentration (focus your thoughts). Buddhists, like Hindus, also believe in dharma: the ; doing your duty towards society, family and yourself. It is a Buddhist person s obligation in life. In Buddhist countries, families are often grouped in patriarchal systems, where the oldest competent male is the head of the family and men rule the family.