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9/7/10

World Religions

T. Seay, BHS

9/7/10

I. What are the major world religions?

• Main idea: There are five major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

• A RELIGION is a set of beliefs, practices, and often lifestyles of a group of people

– Explains their past, their ideas about where people came from, and what we’re doing here.

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What is a Religion?

• All religions have

– Rituals: practices or routines in order to gain favor of higher power, or as a reminder of holy events of the past

• Passover (Judaism)

• Pilgrimage to Mecca (Islam)

• Sacrament (Christianity)

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What is a religion?

• All religions have

– Holy places or objects

• Cross, crescent, place

– Jerusalem

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What is a religion?

• All religions have

– Belief in a universal power

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What is a religion?

• Generally, religions have sacred texts

– Judaism: “Old Testament”

– Christianity: New Testament and Old Testament

– Hinduism: Vedas

– Islam: the Koran

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• There are thousands of different religions.

• Generally, the “Big Five” have had the most influence

• All five major religions began in Asia

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II. Hinduism

• Began in India around 1500 BCE

• Uses CASTE SYSTEM: Levels of power in society

A. BRAHMINS: highest caste; priests

B. VAISYAS (VYS-yuhs): ordinary people; merchants, farmers, teachers, etc.

C. SUDRAS (SOO-druhz): servants and peasants

D. “UNTOUCHABLES”: outcasts

E. No social mobility (no moving from caste to caste)

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Hinduism (cont’d)

• Do we have levels of power in the U.S.?

• Is there social mobility in the U.S.?

• KARMA: Circle of actions in life

– It changes according to good or bad deeds

– Good deed “good karma”

– Bad deed “bad karma”

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Hinduism

• VEDAS: writings about Hindu religion

– Dharma: Doing your job here on earth the best way you can

• Stay in your caste

• Don’t complain about your problems

• Practicing your dharma brings good karma

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Hinduism

• REINCARNATION: cycle of rebirth of the soul in different forms

– Depends on your karma

– Don’t step on that ant! It could be your great-grandmother!

– The more good karma you get, the closer you get to stopping reincarnation

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Hinduism

• Moksha: the ultimate goal

– Union with the godhead

– The end of reincarnation

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Think, pair, share

• What are three characteristics that the five major religions have?

• What are five characteristics of Hinduism?

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III. Buddhism

• Began in Nepal (NE India) around 500 BCE

– Siddartha: a young, rich prince

• Siddartha was a Hindu

• He was not satisfied with life

• Wandered through his father’s kingdom & found suffering people

• Left wife and child, wore rags, begged for food for years

– Meditated under a ming tree for over a month

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Siddartha became “the Buddha”: The “Enlightened One”

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Buddhism

• The Buddha became a poor preacher

– Announced the Four Noble Truths

• Life is full of suffering and pain

• Suffering is caused by desire

• To end suffering, end your desires

• Do this by following the Eight-fold path

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Buddhism

• The Eight-fold path

– Be charitable

– Be peaceful

– Accept what is around you

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Buddhism

• Buddhists believe in KARMA and REINCARNATION

– When desires are stopped, reincarnation stops

– You reach NIRVANA

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Buddhism spread from India east to China, Japan, and Korea