WORLD RELIGIONS

Riddle Me This, Batman!

What is the link
between a golden
temple in India
and a huge red
rock in central
Australia?
What does a totem pole in British Columbia have
in common with a stone circle in the south of
England?
Why do millions of people every year journey to a church in
Rome, a wall in Jerusalem, a river in India, and a black cube
in Mecca?
The answer
to all of these questions
involves one word,
religion,
a phenomenon common
to all people in all times.
 According to the dictionary, religion
involves "belief in and reverence for a
supernatural power or powers regarded as
creator and governor of the universe." 
It is "a personal or institutionalized system
grounded in such belief and worship." 
 Simply put, all
religions celebrate
a sense of the
sacred in life.
 Origins of Religion

Religion is as old as humankind.

Since the beginning, human beings
have looked to powers outside of
themselves for protection and reassurance.
These beliefs predate the written word, so we
must look to archaeological finds for evidence
of these ancient religious beliefs. Of course,
we cannot know exactly what these beliefs
were, but we can theorize.
Examples:
Neanderthal Man (60,000 BC)
• Burial sites with animal antlers on the body
and flower fragments next to the corpse.
Cro-Magnon Man (35,000-10,000 BC)
• Buried with food, shells, necklaces of deer
teeth, fine skin clothes, and good tools.
• Dead also covered in red earth to look like
newborns. Good indication that they believed
in rebirth after death – an afterlife.
 Religions Throughout History
Every culture throughout history has had their own religion
and their own rituals of worship.

Some of these religions -

such as those of the
ancient Egyptians, Greeks
and Romans, as well as
those of the Incas, Mayans
and Aztecs - are no longer
practiced, but are
remembered through their
architecture (temples,
pyramids, etc.) and their
literature (mythology).
 Religions Today

• Other religions - such

as Hinduism, Judaism,
Buddhism, Christianity,
and Islam, started
thousands of years ago
and continue to be
vibrant and relevant in
our world today.
 What Characterizes a Religion?
Most scholars agree that every religion has the same
three basic elements:

wisdom or creed,

worship or cult, and

works or code.
 Wisdom/Creed
Refers to the theological beliefs and
scriptures or holy writings of a religion.
A creed is a set of truths that MUST
be accepted and agreed to by those
who wish to belong to the religion,
those who choose to be a follower or
disciple. Briefly, a creed is a
"summary" of the principle beliefs of a
religion.
 Worship/Cult
Refers to the way of
worshipping, to the
rituals that are
practiced by
followers of the
religion. This is
often a difficult
element to describe,
because it involves
so many diverse
elements.
 Works/Code

Refers to the ethical values and the system

of moral practice directly resulting from an
adherence to the beliefs. It is a set of moral
principles and guidelines that must be
respected and followed by those who would
be identified as members of the religion.
 Works/Code (Con’t)

A code, when used in a religious sense, is

simply a summary of the principles and
guidelines by which people choose which
actions are good, and which to be
avoided.
 These three elements
(Wisdom/Worship/Works) fulfill the
three parts of the human soul: thought,
feelings and action; mind, sensibilities
and will; the intellectual, the aesthetic
and the moral.
 Eastern
Western Beliefs
Beliefs
The place of origin of the world religions fall into two
geographical areas, the Middle East (Western Faiths)
and the Far East.

•Judaism Buddhism
Hinduism
•Christianity Confucianism
•Islam Taoism
Shintoism
 Western Beliefs
• Share a similar view of the world and concept because
they both sprang from Judaism (Islam & Christianity)

• MONOTHEISTIC- believe in one GOD

• Humans must enter into an interpersonal relationship

with God

• Morality is based on learning the will of God,

understanding and living it out individually and as a
community

• Time is viewed as linear, from beginning to end

• The Bible (Christianity), Torah (Judaism) or Koran

(Islam) are the central books studied and lived by.
 Eastern Beliefs
• Polytheism - belief in more than one god

• Main concern is to live a good, happier, better life right here and now

• Creation contains God within it. All elements of creation from plants to
animals have an animated spirit

• Meditation- is central to these faiths

• Life is balanced

• Holy books are not central to the belief and practice

• Time is viewed in cycles.

• There is a belief in reincarnation or rebirth

• Things can be made better or worse through karma

Importance of Studying
Religion
• 1. Understand differences and see similarities
between nations and cultures both political and
philosophical

• 2. Appreciate our own beliefs by seeing them

alongside those of others

• 3. Work for Ecumenism through a meaningful

exchange of ideas between religious groups
 Similarities of Religion

•Belief in a power greater than

humans
 Similarities of Religion

•Belief in a power greater than

humans
•Holy Places eg. Mecca, Jerusalem,
 Similarities of Religion

•Belief in a power greater than

humans
•Holy Places eg. Mecca, Jerusalem,
•Set of religious symbols by which
the religion is identified
 Similarities of Religion

•Belief in a power greater than

humans
•Holy Places eg. Mecca, Jerusalem,
•Set of religious symbols by which
the religion is identified
•Having a liturgy or observance of
Holy Days
 Similarities of Religion

•Belief in a power greater than

humans
•Holy Places eg. Mecca, Jerusalem,
•Set of religious symbols by which
the religion is identified
•Having a liturgy or observance of
Holy Days
 Similarities of Religion

•Having sacred or Holy Writings, list

of rules
 Similarities of Religion

•Having sacred or Holy Writings, list

of rules
•Number of important people,
founders, prophets, missionaries,
historical people
 Similarities of Religion

•Having sacred or Holy Writings, list

of rules
•Number of important people,
founders, prophets, missionaries,
historical people
•Place of worship
 Similarities of Religion

•Having sacred or Holy Writings, list

of rules
•Number of important people,
founders, prophets, missionaries,
historical people
•Place of worship
•Belief in a Golden Rule
 RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES

• Their idea of sin or evil

•
 RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES

• Their idea of sin or evil

• Their idea of salvation

•
 RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES

• Their idea of sin or evil

• Their idea of salvation

• The idea of priesthood

•
 RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES

• Their idea of sin or evil

• Their idea of salvation

• The idea of priesthood

• Their idea of a personal God

- some believe that their god can personally communicate with each human- can be
contacted, persuaded, involved. Others that their God is unreachable -- people are on
their own to find their own answers. Others that their God is beyond the limits of
experience or knowledge
World Religions and Spiritualties
All religions are an expression of a
people’s response to the Divine

People want to know:

1.Who is God?
2.What does God require of me?
3.How do I know God?
4.How can I be close to God?
 World Religions and Spiritualties
The characteristics of each religion are
a reflection of its people. The unique
identities of a people are shaped by
their culture, geography, language, and
history. These become a basis for how
a people understand God, how they
show their devotion to God and how
they worship.
 Three common elements of
religion
Wisdom - sacred writings and oral
tradition
Worship - rituals express the
emotional experience to have the right
attitude toward God and others
Works - Holiness in action or daily
lives, commandments to live by,
 JUDAISM
History
Judaism is a monotheistic religion meaning it has a
belief in one God.
- rooted in the promised land- modern day Israel
- Covenant- an agreement between 2 or more
persons
-Covenant between Abraham and God -God
promised to make Abraham’s descendants a great
nation and he would be blessed with descendants
and land
Genesis 12:1-3, 6-7
 Wisdom
Sacred Writings and Oral Traditions

Hebrew Bible is known as the Tanak.

-divided into 3 sections
- the Torah -“the Law” “Pentaeuch” - first 5 books
of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
and Deuteronomy) revealed to Moses on Mt. Sinai
- the Prophets-traces the history of the Torah
- the Writings “wisdom books”- the Psalms,
Proverbs, Song of Songs etc.
 Wisdom
Oral Traditions

Oral Traditions -
Mishnah - “to repeat, to study”
- deals with issues such as how to observe Shabbat,
festivals, marriage, divorce, buying, selling
The part of the Law that was passed down orally,
then put into writing
- the teachings of the Rabbi- means“teacher”
Talmud - contains the teachings of Jewish rabbis for
the first few centuries
- purpose of the Talmud is to educate
how to live out the Torah in daily life.
 Worship
Worship at Home

Worship begins in the home

because home and family are
seen as very important parts of
life.
- is important to make sure that an intention behind a
prayer is good
-prayer will deepen their relationship with God
-thank God for the blessings received
 Worship
Types of Prayer

Prayer books - Most Jews use a prayer book called a

Siddur which can be used at home or at synagogue
Shema Israel - most prayers begin with this prayer

“Hear O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall
love the lord, your God,with all your, heart, and with all your
soul and with all your might.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-6:5
It is written down on scrolls and that re placed in boxes called
mezuzah and tefillin and are placed in the doorways of houses.
Tefillin are worn by men during prayer
 Worship - the Synagogue
Synagogue means a “place of meeting or
assembly”and this is where Jews meet to worship
-most of the time Jews pray standing up, but they
may bow as they refer to God the King
- on certain holy days, the Jews may kneel as a sign
of humility before God
 What you will see in a synagogue
In every synagogue there is a large
cupboard called the ark. In here are
stored the scrolls of the Torah and other
holy writings.
Above the ark is the eternal
light that burns as a symbol
of God’s eternal covenant.