The Major Religions of the World

What is a Religion?  Religion – an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, practices and worship that centers on one or more gods

Monotheism vs. Polytheism  Mono – “one”  Poly – “many”  Theism – the belief in god  What do these terms mean?

World Religion Populations

World Religion #1 Judaism

 14 million people world wide  1 st “monotheistic” religion in history  The Torah, or Jewish holy book, teaches the basic laws of Judaism

Judaism  The universal symbol of Judaism is the Star of David, the emblem of King David who ruled the Kingdom of Israel from 1000 – 962 BC

Ritual, Worship & Celebration  At age 13 Jewish children enter into the religious community – Bar Mitzvah – Men – Bat Mitzvah - Women  House of Worship – The Synagogue  Leadership – Religious services are conducted by a rabbi (“teacher”)

Ritual, Worship & Celebration  Many Jews make the pilgrimage to the “Wailing Wall in Jerusalem – Built in the 2 nd century BCE – Remains of a temple that had stood for close to 500 years Destroyed by the Romans – Thought to be the most sacred of places – Temple itself was thought to be the place where God resides on earth.  Praying at the Wailing Wall signifies being in the presence of the Divine

The “Wailing” Wall

Ritual, Worship & Celebration  What is “Kosher” – Strict dietary laws – Forbids the eating of “unclean” animals such as pigs or shellfish – Dictates how certain foods should be prepared  Important Jewish holy days include: – Chanukah, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover

World Religion #2 Christianity

History of Christianity  Founded c.33CE in Palestine – Founded by Jesus and his followers – Jesus is believed to be the messiah  The most important symbol is the Cross – Symbols the death of Jesus  Currently, main locations are: – North America – South America – Europe

Christian Population throughout the World

Christianity Facts  Over 2B followers…largest religion in the world  Major Sects – Roman Catholic (RCC) – Eastern Orthodox (EO) – Protestant  House of Worship – Church or Chapel  Leaders of the Church – Hierarchy of priests and Pope (RCC) and (EO)

Christianity Beliefs  Sacred Text – The Bible (Old and New Testament)  Important Rituals & Worship Practices – The Seven Sacraments Baptism & Communion are two examples  Major Holidays – Easter and Christmas  Belief in God – One God (a trinity of Father, Son, Holy Spirit)

World Religion #3 Hinduism

 Third largest religion in the world – Over 800 million followers  One of the oldest surviving religions – Formulated by 1500BCE  Basic principles are found in The 4 Vedas – sacred writings  Priests are called Brahmins  There is no one “leader” or “founder”  It is the major religion of India

Early Hinduism  Polytheistic Religion – Thousands of deities – One universal spirit – Brahman – Three Major Gods Brahma, Vishnu, & Shiva  Reincarnation – passing through many lives to reach the Brahman  Karma – consequences of how a person lives

Hinduism Beliefs  God in Hinduism is the Supreme Being – Everywhere, all-knowing, and all-powerful  The purpose of life is to obtain liberation from the cycle of reincarnation – People reach true enlightenment and happiness when they free themselves of earthly desires

Hinduism Information  Rituals – Worship at home and in temples – Temples can have multiple shrines to gods – Worship as individuals and families, not as a congregation

Hinduism Information  Sects – Shaktism Shakti – supreme Goddess – Vaishnavites Vishnu – the Preserver – Shaivites Shiva – the Destroyer – Reform Hinduism Monotheistic & more “western”

Hinduism Information  Celebrations – Diwali Hindu New Year – Festival of Holi Triumph of good over evil – Pilgrimage to the Ganges River in India Hindus believe the river has healing powers

World Religion #4 Buddhism

Who is the Buddha?  Founder-Siddhartha Gautama (c.520BCE) – Known as the Buddha or “enlightened one”  Present spiritual leader -Dalai Lama – Head of Buddhist Church  4 th largest religion in the world today – Over 300 million followers – Mainly found in China, Japan, Korea, SE Asia

Buddhist Beliefs  Purpose of life is to escape the cycle of rebirth (reincarnation) and attain nirvana – Nirvana – a state of wisdom – All living things can be reincarnated Animals can possibly be reborn into humans  How to achieve Nirvana? – Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path – Key to happiness was detachment from all worldly goods and desires

Buddhism Information  Worship Practices – Meditation – deep thought & reflection – Offering of gifts of food, flowers, or candles  Rituals – Importance of the lotus flower Believer can blossom while rooted in the impurity of the world

Buddhism Information  Major Buddhist Sects – Theravada As close as possible to Buddha’s teachings – Mahayana More accepting of the changing world

The Dalai Lama – The present spiritual leader of Buddhism

Current Population of Worldwide Buddhism

World Religion #5 Islam

History of Islam  Founded in 622CE – Founded by Muhammad in Saudi Arabia Muhammad is considered to be a prophet –A messenger of Allah (God)  Two Major Sects (split c.650CE) – Sunni – Shi’a (or Shiite) Leader of Muslim community must be a descendant of Muhammad’s son-in-law (Ali)

Islamic Beliefs  Five Pillars of Islam – Faith Allah is the one true God – Prayer Five times a day – Charity Giving to the poor – Fast During Ramadan – Pilgrimage to Mecca

Islamic Beliefs  One God – Allah  Believe in all the prophets of Judaism and Christianity  Holy Celebrations – Id al-Fitr End of Ramadan Fasting – Eid al-Adha End of Islamic calendar

Islamic Beliefs  Sacred Text – Qur’an (Koran) – Hadith  Religious Law – Sharia  House of Worship – Mosque  Leaders of the Religion – imams

Islam Facts  Second largest religion in the world – Over 1 billion followers  Month of Ramadan – Muslims fast during the day – Most important day is the “Night of Power” The night that the angel Gabriel 1 st spoke to Muhammad  Major Areas in the World – Middle East – SE Asia

The Kaaba Mecca, Saudi Arabia