WORLD RELIGIONS â?? REL 212 World ReligionsHINDUISM & JAINISMWEEK 2Cosmogony – Origin of…
WORLD RELIGIONS â?? REL 212 World ReligionsHINDUISM & JAINISMWEEK 2Cosmogony – Origin of…
WORLD RELIGIONS – REL 212 World ReligionsHINDUISM & JAINISMWEEK 2Cosmogony – Origin of theUniverseNo specific origin or founder seems to be relevantNature of God/CreatorThe Gods represent many different beliefs. They just happen to be both male and female Gods.View of Human NatureThey believe in Karma. The belief of what goes around comes around.View of Good & EvilThe good things people do will turn out for good, and the bad things people do will have a bad outcome.View of SalvationView of After LifeMosha is when a person is freed from the cycle of life and death and comes into a state of completeness.Only then will he become one with God.Samsara – The reincarnationPractices and RitualsThey practice Yoga, reading scriptures daily, meditating and strict discipline, praying to Shrines, and PujaCelebrations & FestivalsShiv Ratri, The Onam Carnival, Guru Purima, Karwa Chauth, Holi, KrishnaWeek 2 – SourcesMary Pat Fisher, 9th Edition,Living ReligiousEncyclopedia Brittanica 2014Hinduism.iskcon.orgwww.religionfacts.comBUDDHISMWEEK 3Cosmogony – Origin of theUniverseBuddhism was supposed to be an alternative to the ritual oriented Brahmanism. Believing that the worldhas no beginning nor end.Nature of God/CreatorThey don’t believe in a personal God or being who can save people from their sins or sufferings.View of Human NatureBuddha was neither pessimistic nor optimistic about human nature. Also that Buddha set the Four NobleTruths.Good and Evil are inseparable acts of life. The good and evil of an act is understood in terms of its impacton our lives. The good things and bad things that we do shape our life and way of living.View of Good & EvilView of SalvationAs a people we take responsibility for our own happiness and life. What we do is what we make of it.View of After LifeThey believe in rebirth. Once a person dies they are reborn into another body.Practices and RitualsHeavy on meditation, prayer wheels, devotional practices, mantrasCelebrations & FestivalsBuddha Birthday known as Vesak, The Ploughing Festival when the moon is half full, Buddist New YearWeek 3 – SourcesMary Pat Fisher, 9th Edition,Living Religiouswww.religionfacts.comwww.aboutbuddhaism.orgDAOISM &CONFUCIANISMWEEK 4Cosmogony – Origin of theUniverseNature of God/CreatorThey believe in God and that he is loving and benignView of Human NatureThe purpose of existence is to reach one’s highest potential as a human being. Through a rigorous processof self-cultivation that lasts a lifetime, one may eventually become a “perfected person.”View of Good & EvilThey believe that suffering and evil are inevitable in human life, and can promote learning and growth. Amistake is not a “sin,” but an opportunity to learn and do better next time.View of SalvationConfucians do not typically hold beliefs about the individual salvation or damnation of persons beyondthis lifeView of After LifeConfucianism regards both life and death as a responsibility to society, while Daoism (Taoism) holds thatboth life and death should be in conformity to nature.Practices and RitualsAside from its important ethical principles, Confucianism does not prescribe any specific rituals orpractices. These are filled by the practices of Chinese religion, Taoism, Buddhism, or other religion whichConfucians follow.Celebrations & FestivalsThe 28th day of September is the birthday of Confucius. To honor him and his ideals, Teacher’s Day isalso celebrated on the same day. The Chinese Ching Ming Festival, also called, Ancestor Day, normallyfalls on the 4th or 5th of April.Week 4 – SourcesMary Pat Fisher, 9th Edition,Living Religioushttp://www.patheos.com/Library/Confucianism/Beliefs/http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/taoism/rites/ritesWEEK 5SHINTOCosmogony – Origin of theUniverseNature of God/CreatorView of Human NatureView of Good & EvilShinto came about in as early as the 6th century B.C.E.Kami are the spirits or phenomena that are worshipped in the religion of Shinto. They are elements innature, animals, created forces in the universe, as well as spirits of the revered deceased. Traditionallygreat or charismatic leaders like the Emperor could be kami. In Shinto, Kami are not separate from nature,but are of nature, possessing positive and negative, good and evil characteristics.In Shintō it is commonly said that “man is kami’s child.†First, this means that a person was given his lifeby kami and that his nature is therefore sacred. Second, it means that daily life is made possible by kami,and, accordingly, the personality and life of people are worthy of respect. An individual must revere thebasic human rights of everyone (regardless of race, nationality, and other distinctions) as well as his own.Purity is at the heart of Shinto’s understanding of good and evil.Impurity in Shinto refers to anything which separates us from kami, and from musubi, the creative andharmonising power.View of SalvationView of After LifePractices and RitualsCelebrations & FestivalsThe concept of salvation is based on the belief that all living things have an essence, soul or spirit knownas “kami.” Rather than living in a glorified Heaven, kami live among us. Some kami are more powerfulthan others. Some are even deified. But all kami must be honored.It is common for families to participate in ceremonies for children at a shrine, yet have a Buddhist funeralat the time of death mostly due to the negative Japanese conception of the afterlife and death as well asBuddhism’s historical monopoly on funeral rites. In old Japanese legends, it is often claimed that the deadgo to a place called yomi (黄黄), a gloomy underground realm with a river separating the living from thedead mentioned in the legend of Izanami and Izanagi. This yomi is very close to the Greek Hades.Shinto rituals are a central component of most of the national festivals in Japan, as well as of the morespecialized events at particular shrines and other sacred sites. Most often they are performed by malepriests who are assisted by a female shrine functionary called a miko, who often is a shaman.The most common type of ritual involves purification – symbolically purifying oneself or an object beforeinteracting with the kami (Shinto gods). Purification is done with waterShinto rituals are usually just one part of a type of large public festival called a matsuri, which is the mainkind of celebration in Shinto. Hundreds and thousands of them fill the calendar thought the year. They areWeek 5 – Sourcescommunity-oriented festival which mark all sorts of things: seasons in nature, the New Year,chrysanthemum blooms, cherry blossoms, events from the Shinto mythologies, Japanese history,agricultural traditions and more. Between these happenings, a number of important rituals are performed.About a month before the New Year, at the beginning of December, people traditionally put up aKadomatsu – “entrance pine” – at their home.Mary Pat Fisher, 9th Edition,www.britannica.comLiving ReligiousWEEK 6JUDAISMCosmogony – Origin of theUniverseNature of God/CreatorView of Human NatureView of Good & EvilView of SalvationView of After LifePractices and RitualsA Divine singular God made all that exists. Everything in the universe was created by God and only byGod. Judaism completely rejects the dualistic notion that evil was created by Satan or some other deity.All comes from God. This follows directly from the fact that God has no physical form. As one rabbiexplained it to me, God has no body, no genitalia, therefore the very idea that God is male or female ispatently absurd. We refer to God using masculine terms simply for convenience’s sake, because Hebrewhas no neutral gender.He is a single, whole, complete indivisible entity. He cannot be divided into parts or described byattributes. Any attempt to ascribe attributes to God is merely man’s imperfect attempt to understand theinfinite.Humans were created in the image of God, meaning in his nature and essence. Humanity was formed withtwo impulses: a good impulse and an evil impulse.Good and evil are spoken of as light and darkness in Judaism. Both were created by God. Humans havethe capacity to make that choice for either good or selfless acts or the evil which is the desire to meetone’s own selfish needs and desires.Salvation comes from the Lord and is a favor bestowed upon the nation as a whole. They believe if yourepent after you sin then you will be restored.Jewish teachings on the subject of afterlife are sparse: The Torah, the most important Jewish text, has noclear reference to afterlife at all.Aside from its cosmetic and therapeutic functions, anointment was an important component of ritualformularies. The anointment of vassals was not a mere ceremonial trapping: “As oil penetrates your flesh,so may they [the gods] make this curse enter into your flesh.†“Bar Mitzvah†literally means “son of thecommandment.†“Bar†is “son†in Aramaic, which used to be the vernacular of the Jewish people.“Mitzvah†is “commandment†in both Hebrew and Aramaic. “Bat†is daughter in Hebrew and Aramaic.(The Ashkenazic pronunciation is “basâ€). Under Jewish Law, children are not obligated to observe theCelebrations & FestivalsWeek 6 – Sourcescommandments, although they are encouraged to do so as much as possible to learn the obligations theywill have as adults.ShabbatThe weekly day of rest, on Saturday, is marked in Israel with most spending the day together with familyand friends. Public transport around the majority of the country is suspended, businesses are closed,essential services are at skeletonstaff strength, and furlough is granted to as many soldiers as possible.ShabbatThe weekly day of rest, on Saturday, is marked in Israel with most spending the day together with familyand friends. Public transport around the majority of the country is suspended, businesses are closed,essential services are at skeletonstaff strength, and furlough is granted to as many soldiers as possible.www.jewishvirtuallibrary.comMary Pat Fisher, 9th Edition,Living ReligiousWEEK 7CHRISTIANITYCosmogony – Origin of theUniverseNature of God/CreatorView of Human NatureView of Good & EvilView of SalvationView of After LifePractices and RitualsGod created everything in his infinite wisdom. Creation was purposeful, not arbitrary, and therefore theuniverse is not morally neutral, but fundamentally good. In this purposeful creation, everything andeveryone is intrinsically valuable.Very similar to the beliefs of Judaism he is the Supreme Being. He is the Alpha and the Omega. Godcreated the heavens and the earth and every living thing in it.Fundamental to the Christian understanding of human nature is the belief that the first humans werecreated in the image of God. God created man in his own image. God created Adam and Eve, but theycommitted sin.Christians have faith in a good and loving Creator who has a plan for creation that is also good andloving. This tenet of faith has prompted Christians to seek explanations or justifications for suffering.Christians believe that loving and praising God will get you in to heaven. The Devil is the opposer.Lucifer roams the Earth to bring pain and suffering to all.Christians believe that by their trust and belief in the Holy Bible and Jesus Christ, the son of the SupremeBeing they will reach salvation. According to Christian belief, salvation is made possible by the life,death, and resurrection resurrection of Christ, which in the context of salvation is referred to as the”atonement.”The Bible teaches that heaven is an actual place. If you read the Bible and believe Jesus is Lord you shallbe saved, and enter the kingdom of heaven. The body dies but the spirit lasts forever.Nearly all Christians will have been baptized, either as an infant or as an adult, and regularly participate incommunion. Most attend church every Sunday to worship and pray. The cross is important to Christianityas well as Jesus Christ’s depiction of being hanged upon that cross.Celebrations & FestivalsWeek 7 – SourcesLENT [March-April] Forty-day preparation for Easter. It corresponds to the 40 days Jesus spent fastingbefore beginning his ministry. Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Christmas which celebrates Jesus’s birthday.Mary Pat Fisher, 9th Edition,www.britannica.comLiving ReligiousWEEK 8ISLAMCosmogony – Origin of theUniverseNature of God/CreatorView of Human NatureView of Good & EvilView of SalvationView of After LifePractices and RitualsCelebrations & FestivalsAllah is the supreme being who created everything and everyoneIslam teaches that Allah, the one god, has 99 attributes. Although we can understand some of His attributes, Hisessence cannot be comprehended by a human’s limited mental capacity. He is transcendent and not a part of hiscreation, and is most often referred to in terms and with names that emphasize his majesty and superiority.Humans are the greatest of all creatures, created with free will for the purpose of obeying and serving God.Islam offers a complete picture in explaining good and evil. To understand the Islamic teachings on good and evil,however, one first needs to understand that Islam views life as a test of deciding between good and evil. TheQur’an clearly states that God is the only authority in defining good and evil.For a Muslim, the purpose of life is to live in a way that is pleasing to Allah so that one may gain Paradise. It isbelieved that at puberty, an account of each person’s deeds is opened, and this will be used at the Day ofJudgment to determine his eternal fate.Islam teaches the continued existence of the soul and a transformed physical existence after death. Muslimsbelieve there will be a day of judgment when all humans will be divided between the eternal destinations ofParadise and Hell. Until the Day of Judgment, deceased souls remain in their graves awaiting the resurrection.However, they begin to feel immediately a taste of their destiny to come.Prayers, fasting, and the pilgrimage. It is also common to hear about the various restrictions Islam imposes such asprohibition of alcohol and pork, and the requirement for women to dress modestly. The Muslim prayer is acombination of physical actions, verbal sayings, and an internal feeling in the heart. Muslims are required to be in astate of calmness, serenity and humbleness while performing their prayers. Once the prayer is started, a series ofsayings and actions are performed. The sayings include reciting parts of the holy Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, aswell as other sayings glorifying God and thanking Him for all of His blessings upon us.Eid al-Fitr- Known as the “Feast of Breaking of the Fast†which marks the end of Ramadan. It falls on the first day ofthe next month, Shawwal and celebration lasts 3 days. Eid al-AdhaKnown as the “Feast of the Sacrifice†is the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah. Day of Arafa – It is the 9th day of the monthDhu al-Hijjah -the last month in the Islamic Calendar). It is also the second day of Hajj. The next day is the first dayof Eid al-Adha.Week 8 – SourcesMary Pat Fisher, 9th Edition,Living Religiouswww.britannica.comWEEK 9SIKHISMCosmogony – Origin of theUniverseThe Sikh tradition was founded by Guru Nanak in the late 15th century C.E. in the Punjab region ofwhat are today India and Pakistan. According to Sikh beliefs, the same revelatory spirit inhabited GuruNanak and his nine successorsNature of God/CreatorThe concept of God in Sikhism is uncompromisingly panentheistic, as symbolized by “Ik Onkar”(oneCreator), a central tenet of Sikh philosophy. Sikhs believe that the Creator is all pervasive and is the onlytruth, that all creation is illusory and the route to enlightenment is the realization that all creation is One.Sikhs perceive human life as an opportunity to merge with the divine will. However, the core problem isthat human judgment is occluded by a false sense of self.Evil only exists when people place themselves at the center of everything by being selfish, but good existsbecause their soul is believe to be a part of the divine world of the higher being.In Guru Nanak’s conception, worldly actions, no matter the religious allegiances, are accounted for by adivine process beyond human understanding.The Sikh tradition emphasizes a life free of worry about the afterlife, but focused on one’s ethical actionsand piety in this life. Doing well in the cycle of birth and death (“coming and going,” or reincarnation)have brought about the specific human life that must now use the opportunity to reach the divine court.The Sikh is required to undertake the following observances: Wake up early in the morning. Bathing andcleansing of the body should be performed. Cleanse the mind by meditating on God! Engage in familylife and address your responsibilities within the family. Attend to a work or study routine and earn a livingby earnest means.View of Human NatureView of Good & EvilView of SalvationView of After LifePractices and RitualsCelebrations & FestivalsAs soon as the mother and child are able to travel, the family visits the Gurdwara. There they recite joyfulhymns from the Guru Granth Sahib to celebrate the birth of the new child. Karah Prashad (sacredpudding) is prepared by the family. Amrit (sweet water) is also prepared and given to the infant as well asthe mother. The name is chosen by taking the Hukam, the granthi randomly opens Sri Guru Granth Sahibto any page and reads the hymn on that page. The first letter of the first word of the hymn is chosen. Thechild’s name is than chosen beginning with that letter and is announced to the congregation.Week 9 – Sourceswww.patheos.com/Library/Sikhism.htmlWEEK 10NEW RELIGIOUSMOVEMENTSCosmogony – Origin of theUniverseNature of God/CreatorView of Human NatureView of Good & EvilView of SalvationView of After LifePractices and RitualsCelebrations & FestivalsWeek 10 – Sources.Mary Pat Fisher, 9th Edition,Living Religious
