Major World Religions

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Major World Religions
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Hinduism

• 500,000,000 Hindus in the world-3rd largest
  religion
• Predominant religion of India
• Society divided into castes with its own duties
• Brahmans-priests and scholars
• Kshatriyas-the rulers and warriors
• Vaishyas-merchants,farmers and artisans
• Sudras-workers
• Outside the castes are the outcastes who perform
  work that others think are unclean

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Basic Beliefs

• There is unity of all things in the World this
  unifying spirit is Brahman and is reached through
  Yoga which teaches self-control and concentration
• It is wrong to hurt any living thing many Hindus
  will not kill an animal or eat meat
• God exists in many forms Hindus worship many
  gods
• Reincarnation one life follows anothergives
  hope to people whose position seems hopeless
• Karma-where the soul of a person goes for
  rebirth a good person will be born in a higher
  position and vice-versa
• Work without worrying about results-always do
  your best

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Holy Places and Things

• The Ganges is the holy river
• People make pilgrimages there
• Pilgrims bath in its waters to wash away the
  impurity of sin
• Cows are sacred
• Righteous living-avoid untruth and envy,seek
  knowledge, practice non-violence and obey the
  caste rules

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Caste System

• Has delayed Indias development into a prosperous
  nation
• Govern every part of Indian life including where
  people live and what they do
• Has created inequalities but has also contributed
  to a stable social order

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Buddhism

• Found mostly in Asia predominantly in such places
  as China and Japan
• Started in India in the 6th century B.C.concern
  for all people, male/femalerich/poor
• Four noble truths
• Everything in life is suffering and sorrow
• The cause of all pain is peoples self-centered
  desirespleasure is only temporary and leads only
  to rebirth and more suffering
• End all pain by ending all desires
• People can overcome desires and attain
  enlightenment by following the Eightfold path and
  thus reach Nirvana

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Siddharta Gautama

• Hindu prince
• Known as Buddha-Enlightened One
• Decided to search for the meaning of life
• Left his comfortable life for one of self-denial
  and meditation
• Urged people to seek enlightenment through
  meditation rather than the Hindus priests,
  formal rituals and many gods

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Eight Fold Path of Righteous Living

• Renounce material pleasure
• Control emotions
• Meditate selflessly
• Respect all living creatures
• Acquire knowledge
• Cultivate goodness
• Speak the truth
• Act generously

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Confucianism

• Confucius born in China in 551 B.C.
• Ideas became the basis of Chinese society and
  government until the early 20th century
• Spread to neighboring countries
• Urged people to participate in society
• Little emphasis on the hereafter
• Stabilized society but prevented progress

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Teachings of Confucius

• Chinese society organized around five basic
  relationships and its code of conduct
• Ruler-subject
• Father-son
• Husband-wife
• Older brother-younger brother
• Friend-friend

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The Five Virtues

• Careful observance of ancient traditions
• Reverence for learning
• Honesty
• Devotion to parents, family and friends
• Obedience to the rule-What you do not want done
  to you, do not do to others

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Taoism

• Natural order
• Teachings of Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu- 6th
  century B.C.
• Nature follows the Tao,the wayor the universal
  force that guides all things
• Only humans fail to follow the Tao
• Taoists withdrew from society to live closer to
  nature
• Achieve peace of mind by practicing humility and
  renouncing wealth and prestige
• Live in a simple manner

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Christianity

• Founder-Jesus
• Started in Roman held lands in the Middle East
• Jesus prophesized to be the messiah sent by God
  to lead the Jews to freedom
• Few people accepted that Jesus was the messiah
  referred to as the Christ-anointed one
• Jesus executed

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Beliefs

• Firmly rooted in the Jewish religion
• Belief in one God- monotheism
• Accepted the Ten Commandments
• Expanded Jewish beliefs
• Equality of individuals
• Universal love
• Eternal salvation

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Persecutions

• Romans persecuted the Christians throughout the
  Roman Empire
• 313 A.D.- Constantine ended the persecutions
• Edict of Milan- religious toleration
• Gained many converts throughout the empire
• 392 A.D.- Theodosius made it the official
  religion of the Roman Empire

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The Roman Catholic Church

• Centered in Rome
• Led by the Pope
• 1054 A.D.-split
• Greek Orthodox Church-east-Patriarch
• Most of western Europe- Roman Catholic

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Islam

• Founded by Mohammed(570-632A.D.)
• Religious reformer that condemned the peoples
  worship of idols
• Urged a new ethical religion
• Born in Mecca in Arabia but fled to Medina where
  people accepted his ideas

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Islamic Principles

• There is no God but Allah Mohammed is the great
  prophetall people must submit and praise and
  glorify Allah
• Individuals must observe the following religious
  duties- pray 5 times a day,fast during the month
  of Ramadan,pilgrimage to Mecca
• Must follow a code of behavior-give alms to the
  poor,no gambling or alcohol,revere ones parents,
  treat all Moslems as family

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More Principles

• Faithful- eternal life after death
• Jihad- Moslems fighting for their faith are
  assured entrance to paradise
• Bible- Koran- final authority on all matters
• Some principles drawn from Judaism and
  Christianity
• Spread east to India west to North Africa and
  into Spain
• 732 A.D. Battle of Tours- Moslems defeated by the
  Franks kept Western Europe Christian