World Religions 7th Grade Geography

Think of some conflicts in the world today based on religion.

5 Major World Religions

Hinduism

No single founder, c. 2000 BC

Founded in India

Vedas (Knowledge)

Brahma

Brahma Shiva Vishnu

Preserver & Protector of

Creation

Destroyer of Creation

Creator

Brahmin: “Guru” Those that have the highest spiritual

authority teach about the Vedas.

Hinduism is not just a religion, but a way of

life (law, religion, and duty).

Dharma: the moral order of the universe -

tolerance is key to order

Prayer: “May good thoughts

come to us from all sides.”

Truths must be sought

through multiple sources.

Reincarnation, Karma, and the Caste System

Reincarnation: rebirth of a soul into a new body

Karma: view of causality in which good deeds, words, thoughts, and

commands lead to beneficial effects for a person, and bad deeds, words,

thoughts, and commands lead to harmful effects. These effects are not

necessarily immediate but can be visited upon a soul in future lives through

reincarnation.

Caste System: divides Hindus into four main categories based on

occupation

Dalits: “Untouchables”

Buddhism Founded by Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha), c. 525 BC

Originated in India

Tripitaka

Siddhartha Gautama

Father sheltered him

in a palace so he

would not face

human hardships or

misery.

Traveled outside

palace and saw old

man - became

determined to

experience suffering

which is a defining

trait of life.

Meditation

Siddhartha reached

enlightenment through

meditation.

Meditation:

transforming oneself to

go beyond the

distractions of the world

and see the true nature

of things.

He then became the

Buddha - “he who is

enlightened”

Belief: The Middle Way Siddhartha refused water, endured pain,

and nearly starved himself to death until a

young girl offered him water.

Event led him to believe people should

embark on a path of balance instead of

extremism.

1. There is suffering.

2. Suffering has an origin.

3. Suffering can cease.

4. There is a path out of suffering.

Afterlife

Death results in either

Reincarnation or Nirvana -

goal of the Buddhist path.

Nirvana is a state of

complete freedom,

radiance, and joy where one

is no longer subject to

rebirth.

The Dalai Lama

Most enlightened

Buddhist - the

14th Dalai Lama

Believed to be a

reincarnation of

one of the

Buddha’s

followers.

Abrahamic Religions

Religions of the God of Abraham

Judaism

Christianity

Islam

Judaism Founded in Israel, c. 2000 BC

Primary figure is Moses

Torah (Old Testament)

Judaism is a Family Faith Jewish religious customs revolve around the home and a general

connection between Jews around the world - meals and worship on the

Sabbath.

Good deeds done by a person of Jewish descent are seen as an act of

worship.

Because Judaism is a faith of action, they do not focus on an afterlife.

Israelites Jews believe that Yahweh (G-d) appointed them to be

“the chosen people” to set an example of holiness and

ethical behavior to the world.

Jewish prayers include WE and OUR instead of I and

MINE.

The Ten Commandments

6. Harm no one.

7. Stay faithful to your spouse.

8. Stealing is forbidden.

9. Always tell the truth.

10. Be happy with what you have.

1. Put God first.

2. Worship only Him.

3. Keep God’s name sacred.

4. Rest on the seventh day (Sabbath).

5. Obey your parents.

The Mashiach

Believe that the Messiah would be a great

political and military leader, observe the

commandments, be righteous, bring peace

to the world, and be a human being.

Christianity Founded in Jerusalem and spread out through Turkey, c. AD 30

View Jesus as the Messiah

Bible (Old & New Testament)

Christians

Over 2 billion people in the world believe that Jesus

of Nazareth is the Messiah and that he bore

everyone's sins on the cross. They believe that he

died and was resurrected on the third day just as he

prophesied.

Christianity is based on the life and teachings of

Jesus. The Holy Trinity.

Christians focus on Jesus Christ as a present reality

-- someone whom we should all connect with and

live like.

Beliefs: Redemption and Salvation The agent of redemption is through Jesus

Christ, who partook in numerous miracles

as the Son of God.

According to Christians, individuals that

believe in Him and perform good works

will be saved, or have “everlasting life”

(reach Heaven).

Primary Practices

Baptism - symbolizes

purification and admission to the

Christian Church

Communion - when bread and

wine are consecrated and

shared.

Christians Around the World

Islam Founded in Saudi Arabia, c. 610 AD

Muhammad as Messenger

Qu’ran or Koran (Old & New Testament, including complimentary

chapters)

Muhammad the Prophet Muhammad is considered the founder of Islam and

the last of the prophets (Adam, Noah, Abraham,

Moses, Solomon, and Jesus).

Muhammad is said to confirm and complete the

revelations of previous prophets.

Islamic Beliefs Islam means to “surrender” or

“submit” to the will of Allah (God).

The Qur’an means “recitation” or

“reading” and is regarded as the

verbatim word of God delivered

to Muhammad by the archangel

Gabriel.

Muslims believe the true will of

God is written in the Qur’an, to

which human beings are to

submit.

Five Pillars of Islam

1. Declaration of faith: “There is no deity but God, and Muhammad is

the messenger of God.”

2. Obligatory prayer: 5 prayers a day (before sunrise, noon, late

afternoon, after sunset, and before bed).

3. Zakat: compulsory giving based on percentages (collected by the

state and used on the poor).

4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan.

5. Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca (if one can afford it).

Pilgrimage: Ka’bah

List three things you learned from the lecture.