World religions
I. Hinduism
A. Origins of Hinduism
· Aryan + Indus People = Indian Civilization. The most important product of this merger was the introduction of Hinduism.
· The religion of Hinduism is based on the ancient Aryans religious beliefs. What we know about these beliefs comes from the Vedas (a collection of hymns & religious rituals).
· The Vedas are the oldest Hindu sacred text.
B. The Vedas were memorized & delivered as long hymns or songs by priest speaking Sanskrit (ancient Aryan language.)
· The Vedas were passed down from generation to generation in oral form and were not written down for hundreds of years.
C. Hinduism is the religion of most Indian people. Early Hindu believers believed in an ultimate reality called Brahman (great universal spirit or god).
· They believed each person had a soul or inner self called Atman.
· The soul could be reborn over and over again into different forms. This is called reincarnation.
· Reincarnation is the belief that Atman can be reborn over and over into a higher or lower form. Much of this is based on Karma. The good and bad deeds a person may accumulate during one’s life will determine what form they are reincarnated into. If a person lives a good life, they can move up in status (higher caste). If they live with bad karma they may move down in the caste system.
· The divine law of dharma, rules karma. The law requires that a person perform the duties or responsibilities of their particular caste. If you do your duties (good dharma & live with good karma) one will be reincarnated into a higher caste.
D. Caste System = Social class or social order of Indian civilization.
· It was also brought in by the Aryans.
· Early on there were only 4 castes & one group outside the caste system called the outcastes or untouchables.
· Eventually many more castes developed usually tied to one’s job.
E. Today
· There are almost 800,000,000 people worldwide practicing Hinduism.
· It is known as the world’s oldest organized religion. (dating back to 1500BC)
· It is polytheistic, but today followers primarily worship Vishnu (the preserver of the universe) & Siva (the creator & destroyer).
II. Buddhism
A. Origins: Buddhism originates in India around 528BC when Siddhartha Gautama ( aka. Buddha) established the concepts and methods for reaching enlightenment. Founder of Buddhism: Siddhartha (Buddha).
B. Siddhartha was born into nobility around 563BC in northern India. He was the son of a wealthy prince. He had every luxury, he was educated, and he was assured a very comfortable life. But because of his noble lifestyle he lived a sheltered life...
· He had no true understanding of the harshness of life. After venturing away from home and seeing death, sickness, & suffering, he decided to try and find an understanding to pain and suffering by seeking wisdom.
· At age 29 he left his family and began to wander seeking wisdom and understanding to human suffering.
C. While seeking wisdom he tried several different methods.
· He 1st tried to find wisdom and an understanding to suffering by fasting and strict discipline. He ate only a few grains (1-7) of rice a day. He became so starved and sick that you could see his backbone through his stomach. On the verge of death he realized that perhaps this was not the best way to seek wisdom.
· He then went into a deep meditation. It is said that he meditated for days before he finally discovered the true path to enlightenment. At this point he takes on a new name, Buddha “Enlightened One”.
D. Buddha’s teachings
· He believed in reincarnation. He believed that it depended on the life a person leads. Good is rewarded and evil is punished.
· He taught that salvation or enlightenment could be attained by knowing and following the “4 Noble truths” & the Eightfold path or “Middle way”.
E. The Four Noble Truths
· Everything in life is suffering and sorrow.
· The cause of suffering is people’s selfish desires.
· The way to end suffering is to end desire.
· The way to end desire is by following the 8-fold path.
F. Eight fold Path or Middle Way
· This is a path to enlightenment. Each step must be mastered along the way. When you reach the end and finally become enlightened you will find “Nirvana”
· Nirvana- The goal of Buddhism (is a perfect spiritual peace where one is released from the cycle of reincarnation.)
G. Today there are about 350 million followers of Buddhism.
Judaism
A. Origin & background: It originates from the ancient Hebrew people. It’s the 1st monotheistic religion in the world. The main laws and teachings of the religion come from the Torah (the 1st 5 books of the Hebrew Bible)
· According to the Torah, Abraham (the father of the Hebrew people) was chosen by God (Yahweh) to move his family from Mesopotamia to Canaan. This was the beginning of the Hebrews.
B. Another key figure in Judaism was Moses.
· According to the Torah Moses led the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt sometime between 1300-1200BC. (The Exodus).
· According to the Torah, after the Exodus Moses was given the Ten Commandment by God.
C. The 10 Commandments became the foundation for civil & religious law for Judaism.
· Observant Jews follow many strict laws and rituals that guide daily life and the ways they worship.
· Followers worship in a synagogue (place of worship).
D. Today about 14 million people (Jewish people) practice Judaism.
· Most of these Jewish people live in Israel & the United States.
· Judaism has influenced both Christianity & Islam.
IV.Christianity
A. Origins: It actually began 2000 yrs ago when Jesus began his teachings. It gets its roots in Judaism taking many aspects of Judaism religious law and the many of the books of the Old Testament come from its Judaism back ground. However; the core of the New Testament of the Bible deals with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, the person in which Christianity is based. (You could call him the founder of Christianity.)
B. Christianity is based on the Gospels, life & teachings of Jesus, ancient Hebrew law, and the death of Jesus.
· These teachings can be found in the Christian text called the Bible (Old & New Testaments).
· The Gospels are written by followers of Jesus and his teachings. Some were actually disciples of Jesus who later became known as Apostles.
C. Why was Christianity so appealing to so many people allowing it to spread quickly?
· It embraced all people (men, women, rich and poor)Open to all people
· Gave hope to the powerless.
· Appealed to those upset with the extravagances of Rome.
· Offered a personal relationship with God.
· Promised Eternal Life. Goal- Heaven
D. Christians are monotheistic. They believe Jesus was the Son of God and that he died on a cross so that men and women’s sins could be forgiven.
· Christianity is practiced by approximately 2 billion people from all parts of the world.
V. Islam
A. Background: The followers of Islam are called Muslims. The word Islam means “peace through submission to the will of Allah”. They believe in one God “Allah”.
i. The religion was founded by Muhammad in A.D.610
ii. They also accept the prophets of Judaism & Christianity.
iii. Muslims follow the practices & teachings of the Quran (Islamic Holy Book), which Muhammad said was revealed to him by Allah.
B. Five Pillars of Islam
i. Islam is a direct simple faith, stressing the need to obey the will of Allah. This means following the 5 Pillars of Islam.
1. Belief (believing there is no deity but the One God, and Muhammad is the messenger)
2. Prayer (performing the prescribed prayers 5 times daily)
3. Charity (giving parts of one’s wealth to the poor, “giving alms”)
4. Fasting (refraining from food or drink from dawn to sunset through the month of Ramadan)
5. Pilgrimages (making at least one pilgrimage to Makkah or Mecca in one’s lifetime. This journey is called the “Hajj”).
· The goal of Islam is to reach Paradise.
C. Shari’ah
· A set of practical laws to regulate their daily lives.
· It is based on scholars interpretations of the Quran and the examples set by Muhammad in his life.
· It regulates all aspects of Muslim life: family, business, government, and moral conduct.
D. Today:
· As of 2000 there were 1.1 billion followers of Islam.
VI. Confucianism-
A. Background- Took root in china during a time of civil war.
- Developed by Confucius due to the Rulers loss of the “Mandate of Heaven”- the Chinese belief that a ruler’s power stemmed from divine authority.
B. Beliefs- Confucianism is less a religion than a philosophy and a way of life.
C. Central ideas- Stress Civic Responsibility, provides people with an ethical system to follow based on five basic relationships.
- The most important being parent and child- filial piety.
D. His main goal was to influence government through his teachings
VII. Sikhism
A. Developed in India
B. Combined elements of Islam and Hinduism