Christianity
Belief
: God is the creator of everything
: They also think that God can do anything he wants to
Rituals
History of Christianity
The initial converts to Christianity were Jews or proselytes to Judaism, and the church was centered in Jerusalem. Because of this, Christianity was seen at first as a Jewish sect, akin to the Pharisees, the Sadducees, or the Essenes. However, what the apostles preached was radically different from what other Jewish groups were teaching. Jesus was the Jewish Messiah (the anointed King) who had come to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17) and institute a new covenant based on His death (Mark 14:24). This message, with its charge that they had killed their own Messiah, infuriated many Jewish leaders, and some, like Saul of Tarsus, took action to stamp out “the Way” (Acts 9:1-2).
monotheistic or polytheistic
Judaism
God- Judaism is a monotheistic faith, meaning that Jews believe there is only One God. Often this God is beyond our ability to comprehend, but God is nevertheless present in our everyday lives.
Human kind was created in the divine image- Judaism teaches that every person (Jewish and non-Jewish) was created "b'tzelem Elohim," which is Hebrew for "in the image of God."
Torah- The Torah is Judaism's most important text. It contains stories and commandments that teach us about life and death
Rituals
History of Judaism
Judaism traces its history back to the creation of mankind, but the explicitly Jewish historical origins begin with Abraham and the Hebrews. According to the Torah, Abraham's home was the northern Mesopotamian town of Harran.
Under God's command, Abraham migrated to the region of Canaan, which is roughly equivalent to modern Israel and Lebanon. For a time the Hebrews lived in servitude in Egypt, then returned to Canaan.
The ancient Hebrew people were seminomadic herdsman and farmers, organized into tribes and living in Mesopotamia. Contributions of nearby cultures include a West Semitic concept of divine messengers , Old Babylonian and Hurro-Semite law, Mesopotamian cosmogony and primitive history, Canaanite language and mythological literature, and Egyptian hymns and wisdom literature.
All of these cultures featured belief in creator and preserver gods, a system of ethics, and developed religious rituals.The head of the Canaanite pantheon was El, a powerful god depicted as both judgmental and compassionate.
Monotheistic or polytheistic
Their major holiday's are Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur--the new year related holidays
Shavuot--celebration of the giving of the Torah
Passover--celebration of the flight from Egypt
Their most practiced rituals are
Sabbath, Kosher food laws, prayers, Torah-reading, learning the Torah and Talmud, charity, avoiding slander or violence, the Holy Days and festivals, etc.
Hinduism
Rituals
History of 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.
Although today's Hinduism differs significantly from earlier forms of Indian religion, Hinduism's roots date back as far as 2000 BC, making it one of the oldest surviving religions. Because of its great age, the early history of Hinduism is unclear. The most ancient writings have yet to be deciphered, so for the earliest periods scholars must rely on educated guesses based on archaeology and the study of contemporary texts.
Monotheistic or polytheistic
They have three main gods Rahman, and Shiva, and Vishnu
There is no single Hindu holy book; instead, Hinduism consists of a number of holy books. These are Bhagavad-Gita, Ramayana and Veda. However, the prime book is the Bhagavad-Gita and is part of the Mahabharata.
1. Holi - festival of colors and spring (February-March)
2. Mahashivaratri (Shiva Ratri) - night sacred to Shiva (February-March)
3. Rama Navami - birthday of Lord Rama (April)
4. Krishna Jayanti - birthday of Lord Krishna (July-August)
5. Raksābandhana - renewing bonds between brothers and sisters (July-August)
6. Kumbh Mela - pilgrimage every 12 years to four cities in India (July-August; last one 2003)
7. Ganesha-Chaturthi (Ganesha Utsava) - festival of Ganesh (August-September)
8. Dassera - victory of Rama over demon king Ravana (September-October)
9. Navaratri - festival of Shakti (in Bengal) or Rama's victory over Ravana (South India) (September-October)
10. Diwali - festival of lights and Laksmi (September-October)
Buddhism
1. That all life experience is inherently unsatisfactory
2. That this unsatisfactoriness springs from desire
3. That the answer to this problem is available
4. That this answer is to follow the Eightfold Path
Rituals
- Going for Refuge. This is probably the most significant ritual connecting people to the Dharma. This is the oldest and most common ritual throughout most Buddhist traditions.
- Offering homage or respect to the Buddha, to Buddhist teachers, teachings, or other important areas of Buddhist life.
- Making offerings or practicing dana.
- Confession of faults
- Precept ceremonies
- Calling on spiritual forces for support or protection
- Blessings, aspirations, and Brahmavihara “prayers.”
- Dedication of merit
- Rites of Passage such as weddings and funerals
- Initiations and ordinations
History of Buddism
By finding the path to Enlightenment, Siddhartha was led from the pain of suffering and rebirth towards the path of Enlightenment and became known as the Buddha or 'awakened one'.
Buddha temple statue, Kathmandu, NepalA life of luxury
Opinions differ as to the dates of Siddhartha Gautama's life. Historians have dated his birth and death as circa 566-486 BCE but more recent research suggests that he lived later than this, from around 490 BCE until circa 410 BCE.
He was born into a royal family in the village of Lumbini in present-day Nepal, and his privileged life insulated him from the sufferings of life; sufferings such as sickness, age and death.
Monotheistic or polytheistic
Their major holidays are Buddhist New Year, Vesak (Buddha Day, and Dhamma Day (also known as Asalha Puja Day
Islam
•There exists only one personal God Almighty--Creator, all-powerful, ever-present, and all-knowing--formless, incorporeal spirit.
Rituals
Salaam/Salat/Prayer (rakah only a unit of the whole Salah)
Zakāt/Charity
Sawm/Fasting
Hajj
History of Islam
Monotheistic or polytheistic
Two major Muslim holidays are celebrated around the world- Ramadan, the month of fasting, and Hajj, the month designated for pilgrimage to Mecca for Muslims who can afford it. Several other holidays are celebrated by most Muslims, including Eid Al-Fitr, which falls at the end of Ramadan, and Eid Al-Adha, which occurs at the end of Hajj.