World Religion Project
By: Hallie Le
Hinduism
Hinduism is unique among the world religions in that it has no founder or date of origin. While most major religions derive from new ideas taught by a charismatic leader, Hinduism is simply the religion of the people of India, which has gradually developed over four thousand years.
The origins and authors of its sacred texts are largely unknown. Hinduism is polytheistic, meaning that they believe in more than one god. Some holy book Hindus have a plethora of religious texts, most notably The Rig Vedas and the Bhagavat Geetha. The most celebrated Hinduism holiday is Holi and Dwali.
Christianity
Traditional Christian beliefs include the belief in the one and only true God, who is one being and exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the belief that Jesus is the divine and human Messiah sent to the save the world. Christian practice is the gathering at churches for worship, fellowship, and study.
Christianity developed out of Judaism in the 1st century. It is founded on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and those who follow him are called "Christians." The three major branches of Christianity are Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism.
This religion is monotheistic, because they only believe in one god and one god only. They follow a god named, Trinity. They used the holy bible and their guide and their book. Some holidays they celebrate are one of the many holidays we celebrate, even though some of us aren't Christian. Christians celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving.
Judaism
Judaism believes in:
God exists
God is one and unique
God is incorporeal
God is eternal
Prayer is to be directed to God alone and to no other
The words of the prophets are true
Moses' prophecies are true, and Moses was the greatest of the prophets
The Written Torah and Oral Torah and were given to Moses
There will be no other Torah
God knows the thoughts and deeds of men
God will reward the good and punish the wicked
The Messiah will come
The dead will be resurrected
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion that follows the four truth.
1. The nature of suffering
2. The cause of our attachments with changing nature of things
[They always end in misery]
3. There is a state of emancipation called 'Nirvana
4. There is a way to attain nirvana in the Right uses of The MIND the WORDS and the Body.
Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people around the world. The word comes from 'budhi', 'to awaken'. It has its origins about 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gotama, known as the Buddha, was himself awakened (enlightened) at the age of 35. Some of the rituals that buddhism preform is: Meditation (Mental concentration and mindfulness), Mantras (Sacred sounds), Mudras (Symbolic hand gestures), and Prayer Wheels (Reciting mantras with the turn of a wheel). Some of the holidays they celebrate is the birthdays of Bodhisattvas in the Mahayana tradition or other significant dates in the Buddhist calendar. The most celebrated happens every May on the night of the full moon, when Buddhist people all over the world celebrate the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha over 2,500 years ago. Buddhism does not believe in god making it neither monotheistic or polytheistic. They also do not have a holy book or and bible.
Islam
Islam religion believes in the 5 pillars of wisdom. The Five Pillars of Wisdom are obligations which Muslims must fulfill in order to live the way of Islam. Islam is a monotheistic religious tradition that developed in the Middle East in the 7th century C.E. Islam, which literally means "surrender" or "submission," was founded on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as an expression of surrender to the will of Allah, the creator and sustainer of the world. There are 5 main practices which are: Shahada (Declaration of faith), Salat (prayer), Zakāt (Charity), Sawm (Fasting), and Hajj (peace). This religion believes in one god and one god only. His name is Allah.
Some of the holidays they celebrate:
Laylat al-Qadr - Towards the end of Ramadan, Muslims observe the "Night of Power," which is when the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to Muhammad.
Eid al-Fitr - At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate "The Festival of Fast-Breaking."
Hajj - Each year during the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, millions of Muslims make an annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia called Hajj.
- Day of Arafat - During one day of the Hajj, pilgrims gather at the Plain of Arafat to seek God's mercy, and Muslims elsewhere fast for the day.