Religion

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Religion

• The Way it was
• The Way it is
• The Way it will be

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The Five Major World Religions

• Christianity
• Islam
• Judaism
• Hinduism
• Buddhism

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Christianity

• Most widespread religion in the world
• Present in the USA, Canada, South America,
  Australia, and England, among others
• Various forms exist including Roman Catholic,
  Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist

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Christianitys Beliefs

• Originated as a cult, propelled by Jesus, Himself
• Monotheism-belief in a single divine power
• Trinity unique version of the Supreme Being
  God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit
• Believe in a final judgement by God

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Judaism

• Something less than a world religion with only 15
  million followers around the world
• Only in Israel do Jews represent the national
  majority
• USA has largest concentration of Jews (6 million)
• 3 main denominations Orthodox, Reform, and
  Conservative Jews

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Judaism Beliefs

• Covenant special relationship with God by which
  Jews became the chosen people.
• Regard Old Testament as a record of their history
  and a statement of the duties of Jewish life
• Emphasizes moral behavior on earth

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Hinduism

• Oldest of all world religions
• 14 of all humanity are Hindus
• Remains an Eastern Religion, located in India,
  Pakistan,Indonesia, and South Africa
• Not linked to the life of a single person

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Hinduism Beliefs

• Dharma moral force in the universe that gives
  everyone responsibilities
• Karma a belief in the spiritual process f the
  human soul
• All actions have spiritual consequences
• Reincarnation
• No judgement by supreme being, only when a soul
  reaches Moksha (spiritual perfection) will it not
  be reborn

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Buddhism

• 350 million Buddhists (6 of people)
• Located in Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, India, and
  China
• Resembles Hinduism in doctrine, but stems from
  the life of one person, Buddha

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Buddhist Beliefs

• Believe much of life involves suffering
• Must transcend materialism through meditation to
  achieve Nirvana, spiritual enlightenment and
  peace
• No judgement by a supreme being, but every action
  has spiritual consequences
• Reincarnation
• Enlightenment frees a person from suffering

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Islam

• The majority of people in the Middle East are
  Muslims
• 1.2 billion followers (20 of humanity)
• Follow the teachings of Muhammad-a prophet, not a
  divine being

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Islam Beliefs

• Quran word of God transmitted through
  Muhammad--submission to Allah as the path to
  inner peace
• 5 Pillars of Islam
• 1. Allah is one true God, Muhammad his messenger.
  
• 2. Ritual prayer
• 3. Give alms to the poor.
• 4. Fast during Ramadan
• 5. Pilgrimage at least once to Mecca

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Islam Beliefs

• Final judgment by God
• Muslims must defend their faith--holy wars
  (jihad) against nonbelievers.
• Many countries recently have tried to rid their
  society of morally wrong Western influences

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Historical Religious Conflict
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Crusades

• Roman Catholic Christianity vs. Turks Muslim
• 1095 A.D.- 1099 A.D.
• Palestine and Israel (Mainly the Jerusalem
  region)
• Pope Urban II called for the Christians of Europe
  to battle the Muslims and regain Jerusalem for
  Christianity

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Aftermath of Crusades

• Europeans carved out four states in Palestine
• Many castles and fortresses were built to protect
  the states from Muslim forces.
• The Muslims gradually recaptured the territory,
  and European presence in Palestine ended in 1291.
  
• These events would later come back to hurt
  relations in the future between these peoples.

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Balkans Impact

• The Balkan Wars profoundly influenced the
  European history. They created a strong and
  ambitious Serbia, and anti-Serbian sentiment in
  neighboring Austria-Hungary.
• The conflict had severely damaged the European
  alliances and helped kindle the volatile
  conditions that led to the outbreak of World War
  I.

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Palestinian Conflict

• Throughout history Palestine, located on the
  eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, was
  conquered many times by invaders
• The Arab-Israeli Conflict is mostly a
  20th-century conflict between Arabs and Jews in
  the Middle East over the land of historic
  Palestine.
• Zionism, the reuniting of Jewish people in
  Palestine.

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Palestinian Conflict

• In 1922 the British separated Palestine into two
  territories land east of the Jordan River became
  the Emirate of Transjordan which is now Jordan
  land to the west, from Lebanon and Syria in the
  north to Egypt in the south, remained Palestine

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Palestinian Conflict

• Both Jews and Arabs conducted terrorist attacks
  and intermittent, low-level warfare. Both groups
  resisted the British, particularly when a British
  policy was believed to benefit one side over the
  other. The struggle was reflected in political
  efforts to control land, institutions, and the
  economy.

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Palestinian Conflict

• In the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 Arab forces had
  expected an easy victory over the small and
  isolated Jewish state, but despite heavy
  casualties Israel won
• Israel also increased the land under its control.
  The region just west of the Jordan River known as
  the West Bank

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Palestinian Conflict

• The demoralized Arab world was unwilling to
  accept the Israeli victory, and shortly after the
  war the Arabs began to regroup for more fighting
• In 1967 several Arab states called for war.
  Assuming the Arabs would attack, Israel struck
  first, and caught the Arabs by surprise

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• In the Six-Day War that followed, Israel
  demolished the armies and air forces of the
  Arabs. It also gained control of the West Bank,
  the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip, the Golan
  Heights region of southwestern Syria, and all of
  Jerusalem

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• Today, the United States continues to try and
  negotiate peace in the middle east and with every
  attempt there is a strong opposition from the
  public of the Arabs and Israelis.

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Religious Terrorism
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Muslim Beliefs

• Believe in one God Allah.
• Believe in the Prophets.
• Their holy book is the Quran.
• Believe in the day of Judgment.
• Believe in Angels.

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Judaism

• Believe in a single God.
• Believe that God is continuously at work
  throughout the world.
• God is above and beyond all earthly things.

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Jaish-e-Muhammad

• The group is from Pakistan.
• Group has preformed many killings and suicide
  bombings.
• The latest was in Kashmir, India.
• A suicide bomber drove a car filled with
  explosives into the Kashmir legislative counsil
  building.

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Irish Republican Army (IRA)

• They are national terrorists
• Commit many bombings and suicide car bombings
• Have performed many bombings in Ireland, UK, and
  Germany.

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Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)

• Have committed patterns of Global terrorism
• Composed of numerous guerrilla groups
• Al Fatah, the largest of the groups is lead by
  Yasir Arafat.

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In Conclusion

• Religion covers the world, it is hard not to be
  influenced by some type of religious group.
• The Historically Conflicts dealing with religion
  have been raging for eons.
• The fact that we consider ourselves more
  educated now does not influence religion.
• There are many people that have dealt with this
  in the past and we will have to continue to
  struggle to reach peace.

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Conclusion

• The Future is unknown when dealing with the
  present conflicts
• The past shows us that this is not a simple whos
  right and whos wrong.
• The fighting may continue on for many many years
  to come
• The goals are to try to satisfy many different
  people with many views
• In the end what will happen in Ultimately
  unknown, but the future as of now holds the hope
  that some day this will be over.

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That's All Folks!