world religions
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World Religions. Jainism. Jainism is an ancient religion from India that teaches that the way to liberation and bliss is to live lives of harmlessness and renunciation. The essence of Jainism is concern for the welfare of every being in the universe and for the health of the universe itself . - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
World Religion
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Jainism• Jainism is an ancient religion from India that teaches
that the way to liberation and bliss is to live lives of harmlessness and renunciation.
• The essence of Jainism is concern for the welfare of every being in the universe and for the health of the universe itself.
• Jains believe in reincarnation.• Jainism is a religion of self help. • Most Jains live in India, and according to the 2001
Census of India there are around 4.2 million living there.
Buddhism• Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that focuses on
personal spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life.
• There are 376 million followers worldwide.• Buddhists follow the path of the Buddha,
Siddhartha Gautama, who went on a quest for Enlightenment around the sixth century BC.
• There is no belief in a personal god. Buddhists believe that nothing is fixed or permanent and that change is always possible. The path to Enlightenment is through the practice and development of morality, meditation and wisdom.
Christianity• Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah promised in
the Old Testament.• Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.• Christians believe that God sent his Son to earth to save
humanity from the consequences of its sins.• One of the most important concepts in Christianity is that of
Jesus giving his life on the Cross (the Crucifixion) and rising from the dead on the third day (the Resurrection).
• Christians believe that there is only one God, but that there are three elements to this one God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
• Christianity is the most popular religion in the world with over 2 billion adherents
Islam• The word Islam means 'submission to the will
of God'.• Islam is the second largest religion in the
world with over 1 billion followers. • Muslims believe that there is only One God.• According to Muslims, God sent a number of
prophets to mankind to teach them how to live according to His law.
Judaism• Judaism is the original of the three
Abrahamic faiths, which also includes Christianity and Islam.
• There were around 13.1 million Jewish people in the world in 2007.
• Judaism was founded by Moses, although Jews trace their history back to Abraham.
• Jews believe that there is only one God with whom they have a covenant.
Hinduism• Hinduism is the religion of the majority of people in India and
Nepal. It has over 900 million adherents worldwide.• In some ways Hinduism is the oldest living religion in the world,
or at least elements within it stretch back many thousands of years. Yet Hinduism resists easy definition partly because of the vast array of practices and beliefs found within it.
• Unlike most other religions, Hinduism has no single founder, no single scripture, and no commonly agreed set of teachings.
• Throughout its extensive history, there have been many key figures teaching different philosophies and writing numerous holy books. For these reasons, writers often refer to Hinduism as 'a way of life' or 'a family of religions' rather than a single religion.
Key Characteristics of
Religions1. Belief System2. Community
3. Central Myths4. Ritual
5. Characteristic Emotional Experiences
6. Material Expression7. Sacredness
Belief SystemSeveral beliefs fit
together into a fairly complete and systemic
interpretation of the universe and the
human being’s place in it; this is also called a
worldview.
CommunityThe belief system is shared, and its ideals are
practiced by a group.
Central MythsStories that express the religious beliefs of a group
are retold and often reenacted. Examples of central myths include the major events in the life
of the Hindu god Krishna, the enlightenment experience of Buddha, the exodus of the
Israelites from oppression in Egypt, the death and resurrection of Jesus, or Muhammad’s
escape from Mecca to Medina. Scholars call such central stories: myths (the term myth does not
mean that the stories are historically untrue but only that the stories are central to the religion).
RitualBeliefs are enacted and made real through
ceremonies.
Characteristic Emotional Experiences
Among the emotional experiences typically associated with religions are dread, guilt,
awe, mystery, devotion, conversion, “rebirth”, liberation, ecstasy, bliss, and inner
peace.
Material Expression
Religions make use of an astonishing variety of physical elements- statues, paintings, musical
compositions, musical instruments, ritual objects, flowers, incense, clothing,
architecture, and specific locations.
SacrednessA distinction is made between the sacred and
the ordinary; ceremonies often emphasize this distinction through the deliberate use of
different language, clothing, and architecture. Certain objects, actions, people,
and places may share in the sacredness or express it.