Religions
By: Alexis L
Hinduism
History:
- This is a huge religion in the majority of the Indian Continent.
- This is called the "oldest living religion".
- The word "Hindu" comes from a river complex from the northwest, of the Sindhu River.
- Hinduism started in Pakistan near the Indus River.
Beliefs:
- Hindus believe that if a person does good works throughout their life when they die their soul will go through incarnation depending on their actions in their past life.
- They believe in Karma: an action (good/bad) always has a (good/bad) action in return.
- They believe in one supreme god.
Rituals:
- They set up icons/images to worship, because they believe this will bring them and their god closer.
- Hindus worship in the morning.
- They celebrate and worship their god throughout their family members or friend's life cycle (wedding, deaths, children)
Hindu Scripture:
The Hindu scripture is called The Vedas. This was introduced by the Ayrans in 1200-2000 BCE.
The Vedas has 4 part:
- The Samhitas: hymns
- The Brahmanas: prayers
- The Aranyakas worship
- The Upanishads: philosophical teachings
Holidays: Hinduism has many holidays but here are some of them..
- Diwali: The Festival of Lights and celebration of good over evil
- Thaipusam: When Faith, endurance, and penance is celebrated.
Buddhism
Buddhism is monotheistic, and 376 million people follow this religion.
History:- Buddhism is around 2,500 years old.
- This religion has been created because of Siddhartha Gautama's journey to enlightenment during the 6th century BC.
Beliefs:
- They follow the teachings of Buddha.
- Buddhists desire to follow a path that leads to enlightenment. They believe you can achieve this by practicing morality, meditation, and wisdom.
- They believe in change, and that nothing is permanent.
- Buddhists also believe in the Four Noble Truths that Buddha taught. These are,
- The truth of suffering (Dukkha)
- The truth of the origin of suffering (Samudāya)
- The truth of cessation of suffering (Nirodha)
- The truth of the path to the cessation of suffering (Magga)
Rituals:
- Buddhists worship at home or in the temple.
- The temples are designed to represent 5 elements: fire, air, earth, water, and wisdom.
Holidays: There are many holidays in this religion, but here are some...
- Dharma Day: The celebration of Buddha's teaching
- Sangha Day: The celebration of the Buddhist community, and this is the second most important holiday.
- Parinirvana: The celebration of Buddha's death. They celebrate his death because they believe he achieved enlightenment and left all of his suffering behind when he passed away.
Judaism
History:
- Judaism originated in Middle East more than 3500 years ago.
- A lot of the history of the Jewish people starts in the Old Testament in the Bible.
Beliefs:
- They believe in God, and that He created the world.
- The Jewish people believe that their relationship with God is based on a covenant.
- People who follow Judaism only believe in the Old Testament in the Bible and do not believe in the New Testament.
- People who follow Judaism worship in synagogues.
- They pray 3 times a day; morning, afternoon, and night everyday.
- They read and follow their holy book the Torah.
- Hanukkah: This holiday November 28th and continues for 8 days into December. It is a Festival of Lights celebrated around Christmastime.
- Passover: This is a celebration of how God led all of the Jews out of slavery and the desert and into freedom.
Islam
Christianity
Beliefs:
Christianity is Monotheistic.We believe that God created the world, and everything in it. We also believe that God sent his son, Jesus to die on the cross and rise again to save us from our sins. That way we have an opportunity to choose to believe in Jesus and live for him, by believing in Jesus we can have eternal life with him in heaven. (“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." -John 3:16)
Christians read the Bible, so we can learn more about God. One of my favorite Bible Verses is: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." (Proverbs 3:5, 6)
Christians go to church every Sunday so we can worship God, learn more about Him, and grow in our relationship with Him.
Holidays:
-Christmas: On December 25th we celebrate the birth of Jesus!
- Easter: Every Easter we celebrate that Jesus died on the cross to wipe away all of our sins, and He rose again on the 3rd day!