Religion
By: Darby Shepard
Christianity
History:
Christianity was created in the beginning of the 1st century. 3 branches came from that, Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Reformation. Christianity hit on some main ideas that people thought of. Including the afterlife, separation of church and state, and separation of the soul from the body.
Beliefs:
- God sent Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of the people. Three days later he was raised from the dead. Jesus is known for his teachings to the people.
- Christians believe in heaven, where those who have confessed to God, and given their life to him shall go. They also believe in hell, where those who do not believe go. Some Christians (particularly Catholics) believe in purgatory. A temporary place of punishment for unconfessed sins.
- Belief of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit as one.
Christianity is monotheistic, though the belief is that there are three sides of the one God. Christmas, Easter, and Good Friday are the main religions. Highly practiced rituals include: baptism, praying, and Sunday services.
Please go to the link below where a video is located to learn more about the history of Christianity.
Hinduism
Belief:
- Hindu's believe more in practice than in actual beliefs. What you do, over what you may believe.
- Hindu's believe in an "universal" God named Brahman. They believe that part of this God is in each person, called Atman.
- Hindu's believe in reincarnation after death. They believe that once you die your soul is inserted back into another life. Like from a human to an animal. Where you are placed to say is based on Karma.
The religion is both monotheistic and polytheistic because there are a lot of different Gods, but they focus on one main God. The many different Gods are said to be different faces if the one main God. The main god is known as Brahman, the creator. A long with him the two other main ones are Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer. The Hinduism book is written in Sanskrit and is called the Vedas.
Rituals:
- Worship
- Cremation
- Compliance with rules of the caste system (a division of society to preserve society)
In the Hinduism religion there is a holiday for each and every day. Some of the days include: Holi, Mahashivaratri, Rama Navami, and Krishna Jayanti.
Buddhism
Beliefs:
- They do not believe in a God as much as they believe in life. They believe in a spirit force, but not necessarily a God.
- Buddhism is more of a philosophy. They believe in nonviolence and kindness.
- They encourage one to reach "enlightenment" which basically means an understanding of the true meaning of life and the truth about the world.
This religion, like Hinduism, is both monotheistic and polytheistic. The people believe in the main Buddha. Though they also follow the 4 noble truths, and sometimes the Dalai Lama.
The holy book that Buddhists follow is called the Tipitaka. It is written in an ancient Indian language called Pali.
Holidays:
- Vesak - the birthday of Buddha and the most important celebration. It is on the first full moon in May.
- Sangha Day - when wanderers were said to have made their way back to give praise to Buddha
- Dhamma Day - this is in celebration of the Buddha's first sermon.
The Elephant Festival and the Festival of the Tooth are also big holidays for the Buddhists.
Rituals:
- Meditation - concentration
- Mantras - sacred sounds
- Mudras - symbolic hand gestures
- Prayer Wheels - says mantras while turning a wheel
Judaism
Beliefs:
- There is one God
- God created the universe
- God has a person relationship with each and every Jew
- Prayers are to be sent to God alone
- The word of the prophets is true
- Moses was the greatest prophet
- God knows the thoughts of people, and will punish those who do wrong.
- The Messiah will come once again
- Those once dead will come alive again
Jews believe in one God (monotheistic). They believe in the god Abraham. The Jews follow and believe in the Torah, which is their holy book.
Some Holidays of the Jews include:
- The Passover - which is the celebration of the Children of Egypt who were led out of slavery, into freedom, by Moses.
- Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year Festival that celebrates the creation of the world
- Hanukkah - is the Jewish Festival of Lights. It lasts eight days and celebrates the victory over religious persecution in the Holy Land
Some of their rituals include the following: sacred time, sacred space, worship and devotion throughout your daily life, and symbolism.
Islam
History: This religion is very similar to Christianity and Judaism. Islam began in Arabia. It was shown to the people by the Prophet Muhammad. Those who believe in Islam and follow it are called Muslims. The Quran is a record of the exact same words said by Allah. Muhammad memorized the words and used them in his daily life. People tracked what he was doing and recorded it. They then started following in his footsteps.
Beliefs:
- They believe in one God, whom they call Allah.
- They believe in Moses and Jesus, and they believe that they were both very important holy men.
- They believe that Muhammad was the last prophet
- They believe that the Quran was the last Book of God
Muslims believe in only one God (monotheistic) whose name is Allah. They believe in the Quran to be their Holy Book.
Holidays:
- Ramadan - this is a time when the Muslims do not eat, fast, during hours when there is daylight.
- Eid-ul-Fitr - a celebration after Ramadan where they give food and presents to the children
- Eid-ul-Adha - a festival in remembrance that Abraham was going to sacrifice his an for the people
Rituals:
- Pray 5 times a day
- Wash themselves before prayer
- While praying they must face the direction of Mecca