Religion/Belief Systems
What are some of the beliefs of the world?
Hinduism
The main belief that Hinduism holds is that the soul is reincarnated after the death of ones body. While their physical form may grow old, wither, and die, the mind, the soul, itself, will carry on to a new form in another life. The way that the next new embodiment is selected is through the karma and dharma of a person. This process is called reincarnation.
Karma is the sum of everything a person has done, thought, or said. Everything within ones life is summed up, and along with dharma, select the next embodiment. Dharma are the rules that one must follow in order to maintain a positive aura, to remain good. Together, karma and dharma select what caste a person might be in, in the caste system, in their next life.
The caste system is a system of social order, in which people are ranked by what they've done in their previous lives. There are five layers of this system. Each caste have seperate rules and dharma that must be followed, as well as each caste grants different job opportunities, education, etc., and people are prohibited from interacting with anyone from a caste that they are not in.
In order for Hindus to practice their religion, they may devote themselves to God(s), or they may devote themselves to realize themselves. Yoga is often performed through Hindu practice, as well as some Hindus take on the act of becoming a sadhu, and devote their entire lives to lives of religious and spiritual disciplines.
Hindus have three main Holy Books. The Vedas, the Bhagavad Gītā.
Hinduism spread to the entire world, though the first places it took to spreading were varying parts of Asia.
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Note: The symbol that one may notice as the Nazi swastika, was used as a symbol of peace and the four faces of Brahma. It can also be noted that the "arms" go counterclockwise as oppose to clockwise.
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Buddhism
The Holy books of Buddhism are the Tripitaka, the Mahayana Sutras, and the Tibetan book of the dead.
One of the main beliefs of Buddhism are that after the death of the body, where the soul is released, it enters a new body and is reincarnated into this new body. Another belief is that through devotion and practice, one can rid themselves of the suffering of worldly existence and achieve Nirvana. Nirvana is the state of mind in which one is free from worldly worries and suffering, and the final resting place of Buddhists. Buddhists also practice The Three Trainings, Sila, Samadhi, and Prajna, The Four Noble Truths, Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha, and Magga, The Five Precepts, which double as the "code of conduct" that many Buddhists follow, and the Eightfold Path, Panna, Sila, and Samadhi. Prayer, of course, is the main way to achieve Nirvana and is performed by most Buddhists. Buddhists often times are also vegetarians.
Buddhism spread to most of the world with due time, though the first few places that it traveled to were through Asia, and it progressively went to the rest of the world.
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Note: The symbol that one may notice as the Nazi swastika, was used as a symbol of peace. It can also be noted that the "arms" go counterclockwise as oppose to clockwise.
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Judaism
Judaism is the sixth largest religion in the world, and was founded by Abraham and Moses in Israel.
Some of the main beliefs of Judaism are the Thirteen Articles of Faith. They state that there is only one true, incorporeal, eternal God to which all prayers must be directed. This God knows the thoughts and deeds of man, and rewards or punishes man accordingly. The Articles of Faith also state that the prophets tell the truth, and Moses' prophecies are true. The Messiah will eventually return, and all the dead shall be resurrected. Lastly, Jewish people believe that the Torah and the Oral Torah were given to Moses and there shall be no others.
The Holy books within Judaism are the Torah, the first five books of the Holy Bible, and the Oral Torah.
Judaism spread to most of the world in time, but traveled throughout the middle east first.
Some of the practices that Jewish people do are praying, eating kosher foods, and worshiping in a synagogue.
The Jewish final resting place is believed to be Heaven, after the death of the body, their soul will return to their maker where they will spend eternity with Him.
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Confucianism
The main belief of Confucianism is Ren, meaning humaneness or benevolence. Followed by Yi, Li, Zhi, and Xin. Confucianism strongly believes that one can be pure through their virtues and nature, with how they act and think about the world. Confucianism also contains five key relationships that must be maintained by its followers in order for them to be pure followers. One should have stable relationships with superiors, and set good examples for inferiors, according to Confucianism.
The main practice that is followed, is to follow Ren, Yi, Li, Zhi, and Xin, the five virtues. They outline the basic way a citizen of society should act.
The Holy books in Confucianism are The Analects, the Chung Yung, Ta Hsueh, and the Meng Tzu.
Confucianism spread main to Korea, Vietnam, and Japan, in years following.
The goals of Confucianism, or the final spot to achieve, is to have a virtuous life on Earth, to live a fulfilled life.
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Christianity
The holy book of Christianity is the Holy Bible, which contains many different books written by various followers of Jesus, and is separated into two testaments, the Old Testament, composed of thirty nine books, and the New Testament, made of twenty seven books. Within the bible, the code of conduct of Christianity can be found, along with many beliefs of Christianity, and practices that are to be performed by Christians.
The code of conduct for Christianity is found in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Exodus, and tells the story of Moses, being told the ten commandments from God, atop biblical Mount Sinai, where he etches the commandments into two stone tablets, to spread God's law across the land. The ten commandments are as states: Thou shalt have no other Gods before me, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, Honor thy father and thy mother, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor, and Thou shalt not covet. These mean, in order, that Christians are to have only one God and worship only Him, Christians are not to worship any direct image of God, Christians are not to misuse God's name, Christians are to keep Saturday, the Sabbath day, the holy day, respect your parents, do not kill any other humans, Christians are not to perform sexual acts with any married person that is not their own spouse, do not steal, Christians are not to slander or lie about our neighbors, or anyone in that sense, and Christians aren't to envy others and crave their possessions as your own.
Some of the beliefs of Christians are that there is only one true God, who is God, and that Jesus is the son of God and the messiah of God. Christians, alike Muslims and Jewish people, believe that once one dies on Earth, they transcend into the afterlife and have a judgement day in which they either go to Heaven or Hell. According to the book of John, any who are to believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, and died on the cross to atone for our sins, that they are to have everlasting life as the Messiah has purified them.
Some practices of Christianity are to follow the ten commandments, keeping the Sabbath Day, Saturday, a day of holiness and rest, and attending church every Sunday. Christians also often times pray at least one time a day, if not multiple times, in order to connect with their God.
The final resting place of Christianity, as mentioned prior, is either Heaven or Hell, which is determined on Judgement day, after one dies on Earth. In order to be granted eternal life in Heaven with their God, Christians must believe that Jesus is their savior, and died in order to wash away their sins.
Today, Christianity is the largest religion in the world, with approximately 2.1 billion Christians in the world, currently. Starting in Judea, it spread first throughout the near east of Jerusalem, in places such as Aram, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Jordan. It then spread rapidly throughout the world, and today can be found nearly everywhere in the world.
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Islam
The holy book of Islam is the Quran, which contains many of the beliefs and practices that Muslims are to follow, as well as the code of conduct of Islam. The Quran consists of 114 surahs, or chapters, and addresses many subjects, including four main topics of faith, justice, virtue, and worship.
The code of conducts of Islam is known as the Five Pillars. The five pillars are faith, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage. Faith is a declaration of faith and trust, in knowledge that there is only one true God, Allah. Prayer, Salat, is the Islamic prayer that consists of five prayers throughout every day. Fajr, at dawn, Dhuhr, at noon, Asr, in the afternoon, Maghrib, in the evening, and Isha, at night. Charity is the practice of giving to others that are less fortunate than oneself. Fasting takes place during the holy month of Ramadan, which changes year to year. During this month, Muslims are to fast and eat only basic meals at night. Pilgrimage is the travel to the holy city of Mecca during the holy month of Dhu al-Hijjah, at least once in a Muslims lifetime, so as to connect to Allah and their religion. This is also called Hajj. Travel to Mecca outside the holy month, is called Umrah.
Some beliefs of Islam are that there is only one true God, which is the same God that is worshipped in Christianity and Judaism, and his name is Allah. Also similar to Judaism and Christianity, a belief of Islam is Judgement day, which will judge ones actions on earth and they will be sent either to Heaven or Hell accordingly. However, unlike Christianity, though similarly to Judaism, Muslims do not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, but they believe that he was instead a messenger of God, alike Moses and the founded of their religion, Muhammad. Muhammad is believed to have talked to the angel Gabriel in a cave near Mecca while meditating inside of it, and that Gabriel brought divine revelation to the prophets.
Some practices of Islam are the Five Pillars, as well as the prohibited consumption of pork, or any non-halal foods.
Islam today is the second largest religion in the world, with approximately 1.3 billion followers in the world today, and Islam first spread to Medina, through Central Asia, North Africa, Spain, and the Persian and Byzantine empires.
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How Does It Affect Their Lives?
Hinduism
The followers of Hinduism have very different daily lives as they must follow karma and dharma every day of their lives. They must constantly remind themselves to be pure and follow their set rules, so they can achieve a better life in the next life cycle. They must also be conscious of their goal of Moksha, and meditate to their gods for help. Hindus live by a caste system, and have specific restrictions that follow along with them, as well. For example, people in one caste are restricted from marrying anyone or sometimes even from coming in contact with anyone, from another caste. The castes also determine jobs that can be obtained,many shape a Hindus life.
Buddhism
Buddhists daily lives are greatly influenced by their religion. Every day, Buddhists have many followings they must abide by such as the three trainings, the four noble truths, and the five precepts. They also must attempt to find Nirvana in their lives as they meditate and cleanse themselves from the sufferings of the world. Buddhists must meditate and pray in order to achieve enlightenment in their lives and reach peace, and toss away suffering, in life.
Judaism
Jewish people have different daily lives, because of their religion. In the daily life of a Jewish person, they must remind themselves to remain pure in the eyes of God and follow the Ten Commandments given to Moses to present to the world. They also pray to their God and treat others with the respect that God expects of them. Jewish people also must restrict themselves from eating some foods, most known, pig.
Confucianism
Followers of Confucius have different lives than that of a person without any religion. For one, followers of Confucius must follow Confucius's words and maintain strong, positive relationships with inferiors and superiors in their lives. They also practice the five virtues, Ren, Yi, Li, Zhi, and Xin. Confucianism also has its followers constantly remind respectful of superiors.
Christianity
The lives of Christians are very unique in how they practice Christianity, and there are many who do not practice Christian practices, though still consider themselves Christians. In the daily life of a Christian, one generally prays daily, and many pray before every meal. Many Christians also follow the ten commandments on a daily basis, and are to help spread the word of God throughout the world, and are to help any that may need help. In America today, Christianity is regarded as the main religion of the country, and everything is greatly catered to Christians, giving a form of privilege to those that practice, while other religions are generally discriminated or put at a disadvantage.
Islam
Muslims lives are very different, not only in how they go about their days themselves, but also how they are treated by others. Many Muslims, though depending on what "branch" one belongs to, may not, or may not simply due to lack of desire, pray five times a day, from dawn to dusk, although it may be unconventional or inconvenient, in order to correctly talk and connect with God, Allah. Muslims in America also face a growing problem as racism is on a rise due to a supposed connection made between radical groups to a base of completely unconnected individuals. Today, many Muslims are subject to being called terrorists, threatened, and even attacked themselves.