1. World Religions

2. World Religion Breakdown

3. Importance of Religion around the world

4. One God or Many????? Monotheism The belief in one God Christianity Islam Judaism Sikhism Polytheism The belief in many Gods Hinduism Animism- believers in supernatural powers, attribute a soul to living things (plants, animals), inanimate objects, and natural phenomena Native Americans Voodoo (practiced in Haiti)

5. Hinduism Oldest living religion 3 rd largest religion in the world ~1 billion followers Followers- “Hindus”

6. Hinduism Founder: No known founder 2500 BCE Place of Origin: India Beliefs: One Supreme Reality (Brahman) manifested in many gods and goddesses and Caste System (illegal today but still practiced) Deity: Polytheistic- Brahman (The supreme self), Vishnu (God of the sun), Shiva (God of fertility), Ganesh (God of obstacles) Afterlife: Reincarnation what you are reborn as depends on Karma (belief that what you do affects the future) Dharma or a good life path allows people to be reincarnated into a higher form Moksha- “one-ness” once reached it ends rebirth Sacred Text: Vedas (Holy Books) Place of Worship: Shrine Practices: Yoga, bath in Ganges River to wash away sin, cremate body at death and ashes are spread in Ganges River Holidays/Festivals: Diwali- the festival of lights- four day festival which celebrates a new year of victory of light over darkness Symbol: Om

7. Judaism 12 million World Followers “Hebrews or Israelite” VIP- Moses who freed the Jews from slavery in Egypt Ethnic Religion- a person who identifies their ethnicity by their religious beliefs Followers- “Jews”

8. Judaism Founder: Abraham in 2000 BCE Place of origin: Jerusalem (holy city) located in Israel (Middle East) only nation where Jewish people are the majority of the population. Beliefs: Monotheistic; Judge people on how they live their everyday lives Deity: Yahweh (God) Afterlife: “Messiah" will come to Earth and save the Jewish people. Scared Text: Torah (Old Testament) Place of Worship: Synagogue Men and women usually sit separately. Men are required to cover their heads with a hat called a yarmulke. In most cases, worship takes place in the Hebrew language. The Jewish spiritual leaders are called rabbis. Practices: Shabbat- attend synagogue, Friday night, remember the 7 th day of creation when God rested to make time for family Holidays/Festivals: Yom Kippur- 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue. Bar mitzvah is for boys (13 yrs) and Bat mitzvah is for girls (12 yrs). Rosh Hashanah- Jewish New Year Hanukkah- festival of lights Symbol: Star of David

9. Christianity Largest religion ~ 2.2 billion world followers Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead, making him the Messiah (Savior) promised in the Old Testament Followers- “Christians”

10. Christianity Founder: Jesus Christ (Son of God) in 30 CE Place of origin: Bethlehem (Middle East) Beliefs: God is revealed in 3 forms: Father, Holy Spirit, Son Three main denominations: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant Deity: God Afterlife: Heaven and Hell Scared Text: The Bible (New Testament) Place of Worship: Church Practices: Attend church on Sunday’s Holidays/Festivals: Easter- celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christmas- celebrate Jesus’ birthday Symbol: Cross

11. Buddhism ~500 million followers, 4 th largest religion in the world “The Buddha”, or the enlightened one Followers- “Buddhists”

12. Buddhism Founder: Siddhartha Gautama in 500’s BCE Siddhartha was born a wealthy prince, but gave up everything to find a true understanding of the world’s suffering Place of origin: India Beliefs: Encourage followers to reach enlightenment—understanding the true meaning of life and truth about the world. 4 noble truths: 1.Life is Suffering; 2.Suffering is due to attachment to things; 3.Attachment can be overcome; 4.There is a path to accomplish all this: The Noble Eightfold Path Deity: No idea of God —it’s more of a way of life, so it is actually a philosophy, but most people still call Buddhism a religion Afterlife: Rebirth or Reincarnation Must achieve Nirvana which is ending the sorrow of life Scared Text: Tripitaka or Sutras Place of Worship: Buddhist temples: Stupa is a mound-like structure that often has a Buddhist relic buried underneath. Pagoda is a temple with several tiers or levels. Practices: Puja- It involves meditation, bowing, chanting, or making offerings Holidays/Festivals: Vesak, Wesak or Buddha Day, is celebration of Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death Symbol: The Noble Eight Fold Path

13. Sikhism Followers- “Sikhs” 23 million worldwide 90% live in the state of Punjab, India

14. Sikhism Founder: Guru Nanak in 1500 CE Place of origin: India and Pakistan Beliefs: Monotheistic, be generous, serve others, live honestly Deity: God (Vahiguru) Afterlife: Heaven Scared Text: Granth Place of Worship: Any building where the sacred text is kept Practices: Meditation (allows communication with God), Services held on Sunday’s, chants and prayers end in shared meal Sikh men must not cut their hair, must maintain a beard and wear a turban, brush hair twice a day, and wear a bracelet to remind them of one God, must carry a knife at all times, and wear drawstring underwear to remind them to keep their chasity Holidays/Festivals: Maghi- celebrates the winter harvest Symbol: Khanda (double edge sword)

15. Islam One billion+ followers Fastest growing religion in world Followers- “Muslims” Ethnic Religion

16. Islam Founder: Muhammad in 600’s CE Place of origin: Mecca, Saudi Arabia (Middle East) Beliefs: Monotheistic with two denominations: Sunni and Shi’a 90% Sunni. Shi’a and Sunni disagree about who should lead Islam and how they are chosen 5 Pillars: Declare Faith, Pray 5 times a day, Give money to charity, Fasting, Pilgrimage to Mecca Deity: Allah Afterlife: Heaven and Hell Scared Text: Koran or Qur’an Place of Worship: Mosque Practices: Use prayer mats to kneel pray, women and men pray separately, don’t eat pork Holidays/Festivals: Ramadan- time of sacrifice in an attempt to with Allah, Muslims fast from sun up to sun down Symbol: crescent moon and star

17. National Geographic Cover-L Must include the following: Image that represents the 6 major religions 6 “Headlines” regarding each major religion Cost Date On the back: Create an acrostic for each of the 6 religions Example I s the fastest growing religion S ome followers are Shi’ite and some are Sunni L anguage of this religion is Arabic A braham is considered a prophet M uslims is the name of Islamic worshipers

18. K Assignment 1.Complete Culture of Religion 2.Create an acrostic for each of the 6 religions on a separate sheet of paper and staple to Religion worksheet Example I s the fastest growing religion S ome followers are Shi’ite and some are Sunni L anguage of this religion is Arabic A braham is considered a prophet M uslims is the name of Islamic worshipers