World Religions
By: Katie Bennett
Christianity
- Monotheistic
- Worships: God
- Beliefs: the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the seven deadly sins: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, anger, sloth, the Ten Commandments, Jesus is the Son of God and saved the world from sin when he died
- Divisions: Roman Catholics and Protestants
- Holy Book: The Bible
- Major Holidays: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Good Friday, Easter
- Rituals: Baptism, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, Reconciliation, Holy Orders, Holy Matrimony
- Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut-UOhY0s8E
Islam
- Monotheistic
- Worships: Allah
- Beliefs: the Five Pillars, Twelve Imams, ressurection of soul and body: either eternal heaven or hell, the prophet Muhammad recieved divine revelation directly from Allah and then wrote the Qur'an
- Divisions: Sunnis and Shi'ites
- Holy Book: Qur'an
- Major Holidays: Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, Hijra, Eid al-Adha
- Rituals: Five Pillars of Islam, the mystical rituals of Sufism, various Shi'ite practices
- Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ztu3kAtjMs8
Judaism
- Monotheistic
- Worships: God
- Beliefs: Seven days of creation, Ten Commandments, Twelve Tribes of Israel, 13 Articles of Faith
- Divisions: Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox
- Holy Book: The Torah and the Talmud
- Major Holidays: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Tu B'Shevat, Purim, Pesach, Shavuot
- Rituals: The Mitzvot, The 613 commandments, Rabbinic Law, Keeping Kosher
- Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmB7vJUdECU
Hinduism
- Polytheistic
- Worships: Brahman
- Beliefs: when you die, if your karma is unresolved, then you will be reincarnated, if your karma is resolved, then you will achieve liberation, there are three paths, three debts, four stages of life, four purposes of life, seven sacred cities, and ten commitments, main gods are: Vishnu, Shakti, Shiva, Krishna, and Rama
- Divisions: Saivism, Vaisnavism, Saktism
- Holy Book: Vedas, Upanishads, Sutras, and Bhagavad Gita
- Major Holidays: Mahashivarati, Holi, Ramnavami, Dusserah, Diwali
- Rituals: meditation, worship of home-made altars, Realization of Self, Ayurveda (healing), Hatha and Kundalini yoga, Namaste greeting
- Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9yWwFWpbRo
Buddhism
- Polytheistic
- Worships: no one
- Beliefs: nothing is permanent, no self or soul, there are three jewels/ refuges, three delusions, three trainings, three marks of existence, four noble truths, four immeasurables, four reminders, four Bodhisattva vows, five precepts, five powers, five hindrances, five Dhyani Buddhas, six perfections, six realms of existence, noble eightfold path, ten Paramita, twelve links of dependednt arising, and buddhas of confession
- Divisions: Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana
- Holy Book: Pali Canon and various Mahayana sutras
- Major Holidays: Buddha's birthday, his enlightenment, and lunar quarters
- Rituals: Meditation, Mantras, mudras, prayer wheels, monasticism, pilgrimage
- Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBLJZg5RoRw