1. Worldviews & Religion
Mr. Blake

2. Major Faith Systems:
Theism - there is a personal God that created and sustains the universe
Atheism - denial of the existence of a god or gods
Deism - there is a God but he is not intimate
Pantheism - god can be found within the world/nature
Polytheism - many finite gods who exist in the world

3. Islam God: One God, who has no son Holy Book: The Quran
Name of God: Allah
Main Beliefs: The Five Pillars
Muslim profession of faith
Praying 5 times a day
Paying alms to the poor and needy
Fasting during Ramadan (June 5- July 5, 2016)
Pilgrimage to Mecca
“God is not Jesus, and Jesus is not God.” (Quran 5:72)
God’s Prophet is Muhammed (Quran 15:9)

4. Judaism God: One God of the Bible, the Messiah is coming
Holy Book: The Torah (Bible’s first five books)
Name of God: Jehovah
Main Practices:
Holy Weeks: Passover (main one)
Holy Days: Yom Kippur (main one)
Hanukkah - rededication of the Holy Temple
Messianic Jews
The Maccabee’s - leaders of off branch
The Star of David

5. Christianity God: Triune (Father, Son - Jesus, Holy Spirit)
Holy Book: The Bible
Name of God: God
Main Beliefs:
Jesus was born of a virgin, Mary, as both fully God and fully human.
Jesus lived a perfect life to mirror the holiness of God, the Father.
Jesus died and was resurrected to show God’s power over sin and death.
The Holy Spirit descended on mankind.

6. Hinduism Gods: Devas Holy Book: The 4 Vedas
Name of God: Ishvara, Devi, Bhagavan, etc.
Main Beliefs:
Endless cycles of creation
Karma
Soul reincarnation
Seeks enlightenment
All life is sacred
Unseen spirit world

7. Buddhism God: Buddha was not God, nor did he claim to be.
Holy Book: The Four Noble Truths & the Eightfold Path
Main Beliefs:
Wealth doesn’t equal happiness
Tolerance of other religions
Four Noble Truths:
Life is suffering.
Suffering is caused by craving & aversion.
Suffering can be overcome and happiness attained = NIRVANA
The Eightfold paths lead to the end of suffering
Refrain from lying, take freely given things, don’t take life, avoid intoxication

8. Shintoism God: Spirit world, main god “Amaterasu, the sun goddess”
Main Beliefs:
Honor, dignity, and purity held in high regard - Japanese in origin
Prayers to ancestors
Worship at shrines
Ancestral worship

9. Rastafarianism God: Judeo-Christian God
Holy Book: Holy Piby, the “Black Man’s Bible”
Name of God: Jah
Main Beliefs: No afterlife
Developed in Jamaica in 1920/30
Divinity of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I
Ritual use of marijuana, avoidance of alcohol, dreadlocks, and vegetarianism
Equality of all life
Resistance of white culture or “Babylon”