MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS

RELIGION – Belief in and reverence (respect) for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. – A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.

ETHNIC RELIGIONS Ethnic religions require all of its participants to be born into the faith. The only way someone may become part of an ethnic religion without being born into it is through marriage. Hinduism and Judaism are the oldest examples of ethnic religions.

UNIVERSALIZING RELIGIONS Universalizing religions are religions whose purpose is to spread its belief’s and increase its number of followers. Christianity, Buddhism and Islam are the oldest examples of universalizing religions.

MONOTHEISM Monotheism is belief on only one God. Judaism, Christianity and Islam are monotheistic.

POLYTHEISM Polytheistic religions believe in more than one god. Hinduism, Buddhism and most Native American Indians believe in many gods.

HINDUISM Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion. Hindus worship many gods, which represent different forms of Brahman (most divine spirit in the Hindu religion) It began in India in the Indus Valley.

JUDAISM The monotheistic religion of the Jews, traces its origins to Abraham (in Palestine) and has its spiritual and ethical principles founded primarily in the Hebrew Scriptures and the Talmud.

The cultural, religious, and social practices and beliefs of the Jews are found in the Torah and Old Testament of the Christian Bible. Jews are considered a people and community.

CHRISTIANITY Christianity is based on the combined teachings of Judaism and Jesus Christ. Jesus, born of the Jewish faith, taught that the kingdom of Heaven was open to all people (Gentiles) not just Jewish people. He had to die by being crucified to open heaven to Gentiles.

BUDDHISM Buddhism was founded by a Hindu prince named Siddartha Guatama. He became known as the Buddha or “Enlightened One” after he spent 40 days and nights meditating under a tree to discover the importance of suffering.

ISLAM Islam combines the teaching of Judaism, Christianity and the teaching of Mohammed. Mohammed, born in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, also meditated in a cave where he was visited by the Angel Gabriel.

MOHAMMED Mohammed believed that the Angel Gabriel told him that the Jewish and Christian followers were correct but had become corrupt and that is was his duty to teach and convert all people to the new way. There are 5 Pillars of Islam.

5 PILLARS OF ISLAM Shahadah- Faith in one God Allah. Salah- Prayer 5 times daily pointed in the direction of the Holy city of Mecca. Zakah- Giving to the Poor. Sawm- Fasting during the Holy month of Ramadan (sun up to sun down) Hajj- Pilgrimage to the holy city.

ANIMISM Animism (from Latin anima (soul, life) commonly refers to a religious belief that souls or spirits exist in animals, plants and other entities, in addition to humans. Animism may also attribute souls to natural phenomena, geographic features, everyday objects, and manufactured articles. Religions which emphasize animism in this sense include Shinto, Hinduism and pagan faiths such as folk religions.soullifereligious belief soulsspiritsanimalsplantshumansgeographicShintoHinduismpaganfolk religions

NATIVE AMERICANS