placard 1 - christianity followers are called christians monotheistic central figures are god &...
TRANSCRIPT
PLACARD 1 - CHRISTIANITY
• Followers are called Christians• Monotheistic• Central figures are God & Jesus• Sacred text is called the Bible
(specifically the New Testament)• Holy sites are Jerusalem & Bethlehem• Christianity is found primarily in North
and South America, Europe, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Sub-Saharan Africa
PLACARD 2 - JUDAISM• Followers are called Jews• Monotheistic• Central figures are God & Moses• Sacred text is called the Torah (the Old
Testament)• Holy site is the city of Jerusalem,
specifically the last piece of Solomon’s Temple: the Wailing Wall
• The Jews have spread many times due to diaspora, eventually ending up in North America, Europe, and the Middle East
PLACARD 3 - ISLAM
• Followers are called Muslims• Monotheistic• Central figures are Allah, Mohammed• The sacred texts are the Qur’an and
Sunnah• Holy sites are the Ka’aba in Mecca &
the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem• Islam is found in Asia, Africa, Europe,
and North America
PLACARD 4 - HINDUISM• Followers are called Hindu• Polytheistic• Central figures are the numerous gods
and the Brahman• The sacred texts are the Vedas & the
Bhagavad Gita• The Ganges River is considered holy, and
is used for bathing to cleanse the soul• Hinduism is almost exclusively practiced
in India and its surrounding countries
PLACARD 5 - SIKHISM• Followers are called Sikhi• Monotheistic• Central figures are God & the first
Guru: Nanak• The sacred text is called Adi Granth, or
First Volume• The Golden Temple in Punjab, India, is
considered to be holy• Sikhism is found in Asia, Europe, and
North America
PLACARD 6 - ANIMISM• Includes practitioners of Shintoism, as well
as Tribal and Pagan beliefs• Polytheistic• Ancestors, animals, various objects are
worshipped• No central sacred text, as Animism
describes many different religious views• No central sacred sites, as Animism
describes many different religious views• Mainly found in developing nations or
remote parts of the world, where tribalism still reigns
PLACARD 7 - BUDDHISM• Followers are called Buddhists• There are no real gods, however the
Buddha is venerated• Important figures include Siddhartha
Gautama (Buddha) & the Dalai Lama• Some central texts include the Pāli
Tipitaka and the Mahayana Sutras• Tibet is considered a holy place• Buddhism is practiced in many
different ways in India, China, Japan, and Tibet
Religions & Philosophies
ChristianityJudaism
IslamHinduismSikhismAnimism
Buddhism
All Images courtesy of Wikimedia and the Department of Veterans Affairs
Christianity
Christianity is based on the teachings of Jesus, who is believed to be the son of God. Jesus taught that all were equal in
the eyes of God, and deserved compassion and love. Later adherents of
Christianity, such as the Apostle Paul and Emperor Constantine, added more
teachings and rules to Jesus’ initial sermons.
Judaism
Judaism is built on the sacred laws collected in the Torah, which emphasize
devotion to Jehovah, adherence to family tradition, and the consumption of kosher foods. Instructions from Moses on how to worship God throughout the year during “feasts” are also described.
Islam
Islam is based on the visions of Mohammed, who is considered to be the last great prophet of Allah to mankind.
Mohammed taught that all good Muslims adhered to the 5 Pillars, which included: faith, prayer, alms (charity), fasting, and
a pilgrimage to the Ka’aba (Mecca) at least once in their lives, called the Hajj.
Hinduism
Hinduism is based on the pursuit of Nirvana, or true peace and
enlightenment. This is accomplished through samsara, a perpetual cycle of reincarnation based on the adherent’s previous actions, or karma. Hinduism also structures everyday interactions
through a rigid caste system.
Sikhism
Sikhism teaches that devotion to God and a denouncement of superstitious rituals
and the 5 Evils (Ego, Anger, Greed, Attachment, Lust) lead to holiness. All
Sikh men are charged with wearing the 5 Kahaar (uncut hair, a small comb, a warrior’s iron bracelet, a warrior’s dagger, and a warrior’s leggings) in
order to achieve this holiness.
Animism
Animism focuses on the aspects of spiritualism, or the belief that animals, objects, plants, and the dead all have
spirits. Though this is mostly relegated to tribal or pagan belief systems, it has influenced the beliefs of other religions, spawning the belief that souls existed in
not only man, but animals and plants.
Buddhism
Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, which he began
after a revelatory pilgrimage in his youth. His main principles revolved around the 4
Noble Truths: the recognition of suffering, the realization of suffering’s
origins, the cessation of suffering, and the Eightfold Path to Enlightenment.