Transcript World’s Major Religions - Mindy Lewis Photography

People’s of the book
Major Religions of the World
(Ranked by Number of Adherents)
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1) Christianity: 2.1 billion
2) Islam: 1.3 billion
3) Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion
4) Hinduism: 900 million
5) Chinese traditional religion: 394 million
6) Buddhism: 376 million
9) Sikhism: 23 million
12) Judaism: 15 million
America “The Great Melting Pot”
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It has been said that the U.S. is “the great
melting pot” for the people of the world
The “melting pot” would not be
complete unless it included all
the religions of the masses that
make up our country’s population
Judaism
15 Million Devotees
The Star of David & The Menorah
(Represents the 7-day week & the Sabbath)
Judaism
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Religious culture of the Jewish People
One of the world's oldest religions (Year 5,766)
12th largest religion in the world today
Cultural system of Jewish law, custom & practice
of the whole individual & community
Believes that everyone is under God's rule
Oldest of 3 main monotheistic (‘1 god’) religions
Shares many beliefs with other 2, Islam &
Christianity
Believes that all things were designed to have
meaning & purpose as part of a divine order
Famous Jews
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Abraham
Moses
King David & his son King Solomon
Mary (mother of Jesus)
John the Baptist
Jesus
The Twelve
The Apostle Paul
The entire early Christian Church
Where are they?
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15 million Jews throughout the world
(Mostly in the U.S., Israel & former
USSR)
Jews makes up 83% of Israel’s population
More Jews live in the U.S. than in Israel!
Major Branches of Judaism
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Conservative – 4.5 million
Unaffiliated & Secular – 4.5 million
Reform – 3.75 million
Orthodox – 2 million
•Most Jews today do not strictly hold to the
Law
•Many of Israel's Jews are nonobservant and
either nonreligious or even agnostic / atheist
•Religious Jews are in the minority in Israel
Monotheism
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There is only one God, YHWH
Originally Judaism was much different than
the majority of ancient polytheistic religions.
(An important statement of Jewish
Theology.)
Parented the other two main monotheistic
religions: Islam & Christianity
Land of Canaan/Promised Land
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God promised Abraham that his descendants
would inherit this land forever
When it was lost it was a devastating blow to
people’s faith Many believe that God was
behind giving the land back to the Jews in this
century (1948)
Land of Canaan/Promised Land
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Israel – God’s Chosen People – The Jewish
nation Abraham fathered has always believed
themselves to be God’s only chosen people.
(Jewish vs. Gentile perspective.)
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The Law – 613 total commandments the Jews
were to obey. Today only Orthodox Jews
attempt to obey them all. (The rest pick &
choose which portions are applicable to them.)
The Sabbath
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Begins at sunset each Friday, ends the same
time the next day
Considered the most important Jewish festival
Originally ordained by God to be a holy day
of rest where work was forbidden
Few things are specifically forbidden in the
Bible (Numbers 15:32-36 - Gathering kindling
is forbidden under pain of death.)
Most of the rules are found in the Mishnah of
200AD, and are quite detailed & restrictive.
The Synagogue
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Place of Jewish communal worship
Most Jews are members of a Synagogue
although that does not mean that they
regularly attend
Mainly a place for reading scripture & prayer
Since 70AD (Destruction of the Temple),
this has been the center of both religious &
cultural life
The Temple
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Originally built by Solomon approx. 950 BC
and rebuilt last by King Herod
Two most significant events in Jewish history
are the destruction of the temples: 586BC by
the Babylonians & 70AD by the Romans
While the temple has not existed for 1900
years it is still a very relevant topic
Many Jews believe that God will allow for the
temple to be rebuilt again, now that they have
returned to the Holy land
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However, it is unlikely that Muslims will allow
this – as they’ve built the “Dome of the Rock”
on the location of the original Temple
All that remains of the original Temple is the
Western Wall also knows as the Wailing Wall
The wall is a place of prayer & lamentation –
as well as a popular pilgrimage site
Scriptures
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We’re very familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures
as the Old Testament contains them in their
entirety, although the format is different
A prominent feature of the OT is the threefold division of The Torah (Law), Nevi’im
(Prophets) & the Ketuvim (Writings)
Christianity
Early Christianity
Roots lie in Judaism, the
teachings of John the
Baptist, Jesus, and the
apostles
 Earliest converts were Jews
who did not think they
were breaking away from
Hebrew Law
 Earliest Christians wished to be considered
Jews since the Jewish religion was officially
recognized by the Roman govt and its adherents
had certain privileges
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A New Direction
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After Jewish revolts of 66-70
AD and during the reigns
of Trajan and Hadrian,
Christians began to
emphasize their
separateness
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Gulf between Jews and
Christians had become
huge by this time
A New Direction, Cont.
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Christian leaders had decided that
Gentiles who converted to
Christianity did not have to become
Jews in order to become Christians
There were dangers to this policy
 Unapproved religion
 Roman government by the time of
Nero or Domitian had decided that to
be guilty of just the name Christian
was punishable by death
Foundation of Christianity:
Resurrection
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What is the one thing that the whole
Christian faith is based on ?
 Jesus’ resurrection from the death
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Supporting material:
 1Co 15:14: “And if Christ has not
been raised, then our proclamation is
worthless, and your faith is also
worthless.”
Apostolic Era: Empowerment
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A few weeks later:
Jesus’ resurrection
Peter and other
disciples denied
Jesus… (scared)
Peter and other disciples of
Jesus announced Jesus'
resurrection in Jerusalem
The disciples are not afraid
for their lives…
Reason ???
Apostolic Era: Early Persecutions
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Jesus’ resurrection
Jesus’ brothers did not
believe that He was the
Son of God (in fact, they
believed that He was
crazy - John 7:3-5
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James (brother of Jesus)
was stoned to death for
his faith in Jesus
Jesus appeared to James
after He has resurrected from
the death (1 Co 15)… Seeing
a death person coming back
to life will surely make
someone into a believer…
Apostolic Era: Early Persecutions
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Jesus’ resurrection
Paul persecuted
and killed Christians
(according to his
own words)
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Paul was killed by
Nero (because Paul
was a Christian…)
According to Paul: he was
converted to Christianity after
seeing and speaking with the
resurrected Jesus (Acts 9)
Apostolic Era: Persecutions
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Rome burned
By Nero
Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most
exquisite tortures on a class hated for their
abominations, called Christians (Tacitus)
Post Apostolic: Persecutions
Pliny: 100 AD
"I have observed the following procedure: I
interrogated these as to whether they were
Christians; those who confessed I
interrogated a second and a third time,
threatening them with punishment; those
who persisted I ordered executed....” – Pliny
Persecution
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Greatest persecutions
began in 3rd century AD
Christian intolerance of
pagan beliefs bred powerful
retaliatory hatred of
Christians
 Accused Christians of
cannibalism, atheism,
haters of mankind
 Charged with
dishonoring the emperor
 Blamed with all the evils
that afflicted the state
Post Apostolic: Persecutions
Decius: 249 - 251
"Under the emperor Decius many persecutions
arose against the name of Christ, and there was
such a slaughter of believers that they could not
be numbered. Babillas, bishop of Antioch, with
his three little sons, Urban, Prilidan and
Epolon, and Xystus, bishop of Rome,
Laurentius, an archdeacon, and Hyppolitus,
were made perfect by martyrdom because they
confessed the name of the Lord.” – Gregory of
Tours
Growth –
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th
4
Century AD
Hellenistic religions helped pave the
way for success of Christianity
 Shared similarities with cults as
Isis made Christianity acceptable
But many found Christianity
Cult of Isis held
superior to Hellenistic cults
ritual purification
rites and offered
 Central was Jesus, a historical
promise of an
rather than a mythological figure
aftelife
 His teachings in the Gospels
 Books were elevated in content
but written in the language of the people
Post Apostolic: Official Religion
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323
Edict of
Constantine
Milan:
emperor of
Christianity the WHOLE
given same Roman
status as Empire
pagan
religions
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Christianity
only legal
religion in
Roman
empire
325
Council of Nicaea
Constantine
emperor of the
Western
Roman Empire
– fighting
under the
Christian Cross
symbol
(dream)
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Islam:
Submission to the will of Allah
Islam: The Muslim World 622
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Muslims are strict monotheists.
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They believe in the JudeoChristian God, which they call
Allah.
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Muslims believe that the Torah
and the Bible, like the Qur’an,
is the word of God.
Peoples of the Book
The Prophetic Tradition
Adam
Noah
Abraham
Moses
Jesus
Muhammad
Muhammad Ibn (son of) Abdallah
Founder: Muhammad Ibn (son of)
Adballah (descendant of Abraham)
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Born: 571 AD in Mecca, Arabia
Titles: The prophet, the messenger
(Alrasul)
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The last revelation: Qur’an’s origins
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Muhammad received his first
revelation from the angel
Gabriel in the Cave of Hira in 610.
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622  Hijrah  Muhammed
flees Mecca for Medina.
*Beginning of Muslim calendar
Muhammad’s revelations were compiled
into the Qur’an (written in Arabic) after his
death.
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Islam by the death of Mohammed 632
632-661: Four Elected Successors
(Caliphs)
Abu-Bakr - 632-634
•The first elected official. Wise leader
Omar Ibn Elkhattab - 634-644
•A first-rate statesman. Honest, modest and just.
•Conquered the Levant, Egypt, Iraq, Persia
Othman bin Affan - 644-656
•Collected and compiled the Quran
•Emergence of power struggle
Ali Bin Abitalib - 656-661
•Power struggle escalated to armed conflict
•Emergence of political parties
732,
100 Yrs after Mohammed
Essential Question:
Why was Islam able to
spread so quickly and
convert so many to the
new religion?
The Spread of Islam
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Easy to learn and practice.
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No priesthood.
Teaches equality (“close” to equality
for women).
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Non-Muslims, who were “Peoples of
the Book,” were allowed religious
freedom, but paid additional taxes.
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Easily “portable”  nomads & trade
routes.
The 5
Pillars . . .
1. The Shahada
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The testimony.
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The declaration of faith:
There is no god worthy of
worship except God, and
Muhammad is His
Messenger [or Prophet].
Basic Duties of Life . . .
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2. The Salat
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The mandatory prayers
performed 5 times a day:
* dawn
* noon
* late afternoon
* sunset
* before going to bed
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Wash before praying.
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Face Mecca and use a prayer rug.
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2. The Salat
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Pray in the mosque on Friday.
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3. The Zakat
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Almsgiving (charitable
donations).
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Muslims believe that all things
belong to God.
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Zakat means both “purification”
and “growth.”
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About 2.5% of your income.
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4. The Sawm
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Fasting during the holy
month of Ramadan.
Considered a method of selfpurification.
No eating or drinking from
sunrise to sunset during
Ramadan.
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5. The Hajj
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The pilgrimage to Mecca.
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Must be done at least once in a
Muslim’s lifetime.
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2-3 million Muslims make the
pilgrimage every year.
Those
who complete the pilgimage
can add the title hajji to their name.
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Other Islamic Religious Practices
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Up to four wives allowed at once.
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No alcohol or pork.
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No gambling.
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Sharia  body of Islamic law to
regulate daily living.
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Three holiest cities in Islam:
* Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem.
Muslims in the World Today
Countries with the Largest
Muslim Population
1. Indonesia
183,000,000
6. Iran
62,000,000
2. Pakistan
134,000,000
7. Egypt
59,000,000
3. India
121,000,000
8. Nigeria
53,000,000
4. Bangladesh
114,000,000
9. Algeria
31,000,000
10. Morocco
29,000,000
5. Turkey
66,000,000
Arabs make up only 20% of the total Muslim
population of the world.