Transcript Religions of the Middle East

Judaism: Background
The Jewish religion trace their origin to
the patriarchs Abraham, his son, Isaac
and his son Jacob
Abraham made a covenant with God
Moses received the Torah from God
– Considered the most important prophet
The Jews are forced out of Israel
– Diaspora (587 BCE)
Started: 20th century BC
How many followers: 13 million
Main Belief: there is only 1 God,
and God chose the Hebrews to be
his people
Place of worship: temple or
synagogue
Name of Teacher: Rabbi
Follower: Jews
Books Studied: Torah (history),
Sects: Reform, Conservative,
Orthodox
Holidays: Yom Kippur (Day of
Atonement), Passover, Rosh
Hashanah (New Year)
Western Wall/Wailing Wall
Christianity: Background
Christianity is based on the birth, life
and death of a 1st century Jew, Jesus
Christ
Around the age of 30, Jesus began
preaching about God, his father, He
gathered followers, and performed
miracles
The Roman authorities found Jesus to
be a problem and had him arrested and
killed
– Good Friday
– Easter
Started: 1st Century AD
How many followers: 2 Billion
Main Belief: Salvation through belief in Jesus
Christ, the Son of God
Name of Teacher: priest, preacher, minister
Books Studied: The Bible (old testamenthistory and laws and new testament-life and
teachings of Christ)
Sects: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox,
Protestant
Holidays: Christmas (Christ’s birth), Easter
(Christ’s resurrection)
Judaism and Christianity have the same
beginning.
The first 5 books of the Old Testament
are the same as the Torah
The first “Christians” were Jews who
believed Jesus was the Messiah they
were waiting for.
Islam: Background
Most of the people of this region are
Muslim. Islam is more than a religion, it
is a way of life.
While meditating in a cave, Mohammed
receive a revelation from God through
the Angel Gabriel.
– Mohammed recorded the revelations,
became the Quran (the last revealed word
of God)
Islam
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The framework of the Muslim life are the
“Five Pillars”
Faith: Everyday… repeat, “There is no God
but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet”
Prayer: A Muslim must pray 5 times a day
(towards Mecca)
Zakat: Give charity to the needy
The Fast: Fast during the holy month of
Ramadan (sunrise to sunset)
Hajj: Take a pilgrimage to Mecca
Started: 622 AD
How many followers: 1.1 Billion
Main Belief: Submission to God, whose last
prophet was Mohammed
Place of worship: Mosque
Name of Teacher: Iman (prayer leader)
Follower: Muslim
Books Studied: Quran/Koran
Sects: the Sunni and the Shiite
Holidays: Ramadan
Islam means both “peace” and “submission”
The Arabic word for god is “Allah”
Islamic law protects the privileges of
minorities and are tolerant of other
beliefs
Muslims respect Jesus, Moses and
Abraham as prophets of God
The Quran confirms Jesus’ virgin birth
and tell of the miracles he performed
The God of the Muslims is the
same God as the Jews and
Christians
Religion Collage Assignment
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Choose one of the monotheistic religions
Create a collage using pictures, symbols,
words, etc. to depict the religion’s main
beliefs, symbols, misconceptions, place in
the news/world, etc.
Needs to fill an 8.5x11 piece of paper
Write a well developed paragraph explaining
what you included on your collage
Due Friday!
Hinduism
Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions with
900 million
The religion began in India about 4000 years ago.
Hindus believe in one god, Brahman
– Many see them as polytheistic because Hindus see different
expressions of Brahman
They believe that rivers (like the Ganges) and
animals (like cows) are sacred.
They believe in reincarnation (a person’s soul never
dies)...a person can be reborn many times until their
soul reaches their final resting place – depends on
Karma (the way a person lived before).
Caste System
Brahmins-Priests
Kshatriya-nobles
•The Caste system is very
rigid, you cannot move up in
social class
•The Indian Constitution has
outlawed caste based
Vaisya-traders, artisans, discrimination
farmers, herders
Sudra-laborers
Untouchables
•The Caste System is
declining in urban areas as
education improves
•The Caste System is still
prominent in many rural
areas
Buddhism
The religion started in India more than 2500
years ago as a result of Prince Gautama’s
(Buddha) quest for Enlightenment.
Buddhists do not believe in a personal god.
A pagoda is the house of worship (Buddhist
temple).
Found mainly in China, Tibet, Japan, SE Asia.
Four Noble Truths
–
Pathway to enlightenment
Major Religions in India
Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism
Other regions:
– Jainism
4.2 million followers
believe in extreme nonviolence
everything has a soul
Strict vegetarians
Do not believe in gods or spiritual beings, more a religion of
self-help
– Sikhism
Founded in the early 1500s,
a mixture of Islam and Hinduism,
monotheistic and believe in karma and reincarnation
Major Religions of Japan
Buddhism
Shinto
– Japanese devotion to invisible spiritual beings and
powers called kami
Kami are not gods but if treated properly they will intervene in
our lives to bring benefits
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Not seen as a religion but a way of life
An ethnic religion, rarely practiced outside Japan
Has no scriptures, no founder, no God
Teaches ethical practices
Does not require members to follow Shinto as their
only religion, coexists with Buddhism
Daoism/Taoism
Ancient tradition of philosophy and religious belief
The Tao, “the Way”, is the ultimate creative principle of
the universe
– All things are unified and connected in the Tao
The Tao is not God, but Taoists worship many deities in
temples
Taoism promotes, harmony, being virtuous, and self
development
Taoism practices, meditation, feng shui, fortune telling
Before the Communist revolution, Taoism was the
strongest religion in China
– After the government began destroying any non-communist
religions its numbers have significantly reduced