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WORLD RELIGIONS – REL 212 World Religions
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HINDUISM & JAINISM WEEK 2 |
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Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe |
It’s taught that Brahman is the Creator, and there is no beginning and no end to the universe. Every being comes from dying and being reborn again into some life form. Jainism is similar in the same respect that it’s known to have an eternal life cycle with no beginning or end. Fisher, 2014 pg. 77, 87 & pg 124 |
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Nature of God/Creator |
The Hindu religion worship a number of deities. Shiva who is considered as the destroyer, Vishnu who is the preserver, and Brahma who is the creator. The Jains do not believe in a creator, however they do believe in gods just not one of their own. They believe that nature is what controls the world. Fisher, 2014 pg.87-89 & pg. 124 |
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View of Human Nature |
Hindus believe that humans are reincarnated to follow a specific way of living and to avoid samara. Jains believe that everything is a living being, and they practice a strict pantheism way of living. They take conscious measures to avoid bringing any violence to living things. Fisher, 2014 pg. 77 & pg. 125 |
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View of Good & Evil |
The Hindus believe that one that has good thoughts and does good for others is delivered from karma. Karma is the effect of the negative and evil spirits of ones actions. With the Hindus believing in rebirth occurring multiple times over, they also teach that karma follows you through reincarnation. Much like myself they believe that your present actions determine what happens to you in the future. Their main objective is to avoid karma, by maintaining a good mind, body, and soul. In the Jainism religion any person that is violent in body or mind is seen as evil. One who is said to be violent in any way will reap the effects of karma, similar to the Hindu religion. One who equally treats all living things with care and a pure heart is considered to be good and therefore will be liberated. Fisher, 2014 pg. 77& pg. 124-126 |
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View of Salvation |
To achieve moksha is the Hindus main objective of salvation. This is not easily achieved. There are solidified life stages that the Hindus must go through. This is thought to require one to become completely vulnerable to the practice of meditation and their spiritual scriptures. In Jainism, they have a vegan lifestyle as a result of their belief of nonviolence to living things. True followers base the jobs they take solely of this belief. They are to take twelve vows to ensure they are living right by the religion. Evil is considered to be one that may have malicious intents and doesn’t adopt the three principles of ahimsa, aparigraha, and anekantwad to strive towards perfection. Fisher, 2014 pg. 101 & pg. 126-129 |
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View of After Life |
The Hindus believe in reincarnation. They believe that the spirit comes back over and over again in a number of bodies or possibly even other life form, such as an animal. Jains believe that an impure soul will experience a revolving cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Only those that seek to be perfect will be free from samsara. Fisher, 2014 pg. 77 & pg. 124-126 |
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Practices and Rituals |
The Hindus way of living revolves around rituals. Their rituals begin in the womb of the mother and follow them until death. Jatakarma, for example, is done once they baby is born. They whisper the name of God to the child and put honey in their mouth. Many other rituals include; the naming ceremony, braiding the pregnant mother’s hair, and first leaving the house to name a few. Puja is also a daily part of their religion. All Hindu homes have shrines that are for ritual purity that they pray to at specific times in the day. They use the Vedic scripture to lead their rituals and traditions. The rites of passage are Nitya, Naimittika, and Kamya. A lot of foods are off limits based on the Jains strict vegetarian diet. Not only do they practice meditation, but they also practice fasting, a life of no sexual interactions, and a mentality free from attachment to material things. In order to be accepted as a Jain their hair may be pulled completely out, as this is a practice to free them from the need to feel accepted by society. Ultimately Jains are to avoid at all cost bringing any harm to themselves and other living beings or things and seek perfection. A popular practice is their travel to scared site for worship. Fisher, 2014 pg. 95-98 & pg. 128-130 |
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Celebrations & Festivals |
The Hindus celebrate in so many different ways. They can have up to sixteen religious holidays that the government approves in any given year. They celebrate the change of seasons, which is called the Holi. They celebrate their Gods, spirits, and the earth. Their celebrations occur at specific times during specific months or seasons. For instance, the Vashnavites celebrate Krishna’s birthday in either August or September. During this time worshipers fast and stay up until late night speaking about Krishna’s life. Jainism is completely different then the Hindus given how they celebrate. Jains celebrate in a more subtle way. They fast for days at a time, study scriptures, and mediate. Their most important celebration is called Paryushan Mahaparva, which is held annually. This is a fast that last for over a week and during that time they focus on the right way to live through scriptures and lectures. Fisher, 2014 pg. 108-111 & pg. 131-133 |
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Week 2 - Sources
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Fisher, M. P. (2014) Living Religions Pearson: Upper Saddle River, NJ |
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BUDDHISM WEEK 3 |
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Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe |
In the Buddhism religion they do not believe there is a God or a creator of the universe. They believe that people come as a result of their bad karma. They believe people to live in a never-ending cycle of being born, aging, suffering, and death until they are completely pure. Fisher, 2014 pg. 143 & 149 |
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Nature of God/Creator |
Buddhist do not believe in a God or a creator. Fisher, 2014 pg. 143 |
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View of Human Nature |
Buddha believed the human population to be made up of naturalistic/materialistic beings. People were attached to ideas and physical things and it’s all really just an illusion. This caused inevitable suffering, and Buddha found the cure to end all suffering through teaching the Noble Eightfold Path. Suffering is caused by a state of ignorance and not seeing things for what they really are. Fisher, 2014 pg. 143-145 |
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View of Good & Evil |
Buddhist consider the good to be the ones that follow the teachings of Buddha and fully commit themselves and keep their vows. Good deeds will also result in one receiving good merit that will benefit them in this lifetime as well as the next. Evil in the form of an actual person is not something that they believe in. They believe that certain feelings to be evil such as, greed, anger, and the disregard of seeing and accepting things for what they really are. The only way to avoid these feelings is by following the Noble Eightfold Path. These feelings are toxic and will result in the person having bad karma being ending up in the wheel of birth and death. http://www.patheos.com/Library.html |
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View of Salvation |
Buddha didn’t direct his teaching so much on the goal to achieve nirvana, instead he focused on ending suffering in humans and how to accomplish that. As a result he came up with The Four Noble Truths which ultimately laid out what individual can expect to experience in this lifetime and how to accept it, because it’s evident. This then led to The Noble Eightfold Path to liberation. This path gave human being the exact orders they needed to follow, in addition to any vows they made, in order to achieve the Buddhist goal of nirvana. Fisher, 2014 pg. 143-145; http://www.patheos.com/Library.html |
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View of After Life |
Buddhist believe that only people with bad karma are reborn again and having to continuously experience the cycle of birth, suffering, and death over and over again. Those that are able to make themselves pure in mind, body, and soul are able to escape this cycle and accomplish the ultimate Buddhist goal, which is nirvana. Fisher, 2014 pg. 146-149 |
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Practices and Rituals |
The practices of Buddhist varies depending on the country. There is a daily ritual where monks give offerings to a Buddha image and do a small recitation, this is practiced in the Theravada countries and in Mahayana countries they have a similar ritual as well. Meditation is another widely preformed practice, which is an important aspect on the path to finding enlightenment. The teachings of the Dharma played a significant role in Buddhism. This outlined Buddha’s truths and how a true Buddhist should behave in order to achieve nirvana. Although there wasn’t a specific action one had to take in order to enter into the religion, there were some that had to let go of all ties to family and get rid of all material things in order to get spiritual enlightenment. Fisher, 2014 pg. 143, 153-157; http://www.patheos.com/Library.html |
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Celebrations & Festivals |
The festivals held by Buddhist will vary in different countries due to the evolving religion. Their celebrations surround honoring Buddha and his teachings. One festival that is important to the different schools of Buddhism is Vesak, which is the day they celebrate Buddha’s birthday and enlightenment. This occurs in April or May, and they would go to temples to hear stories of Buddha’s life, release animals, and make offering such as; flowers, candles, and incense. In several countries heavily populated by Buddhist this is considered a holiday by the government. Fisher, 2014 pg. 173-175 |
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Week 3 - Sources
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Fisher, M. P. (2014) Living Religions Pearson: Upper Saddle River, NJ |
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/ataglance/glance.shtml | |
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DAOISM & CONFUCIANISM WEEK 4 |
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Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe |
There is not any text that spoke of how the world began and if they believe in a creator of the world. |
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Nature of God/Creator |
Some contested that Confucianism was not a religion because it was not known if they believed in a deity. http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/PHIL_of_RELIGION_TEXT/CHAPTER_2_RELIGIONS/Confucianism.htm |
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View of Human Nature |
In Confucianism humans are beings with a heart and mind and it’s their feelings that make them truly human. Humans are born good, however there are some later followers that believe differently. Hsun Tzu tought that individuals were born evil but could be changed and become good through moral education. http://www.patheos.com/Library/Confucianism/Beliefs/Human-Nature-and-the-Purpose-of-Existence; http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/PHIL_of_RELIGION_TEXT/CHAPTER_2_RELIGIONS/Confucianism.htm |
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View of Good & Evil |
The two schools of Confucian thought that came after be die had different views on initial human nature. Mencius believe that humans were born good and there was a connect between the goodness of human nature and the nature of Heaven. On the other hand Hsun Tzu believed differently. He believe that humans are initially evil and the Heavens had nothing to do with it. He believed that humans can only become good by moral education and good works. Fisher, 2014 pg. 211-212 |
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View of Salvation |
Salvation was not so much of an important aspect in Confucianism. Their main focus was to teach how to have a purposeful life by following Confucian’s teachings. He taught that there was always an order in which to do things. http://www.patheos.com/Library/Confucianism/Beliefs/Afterlife-and-Salvation |
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View of After Life |
They did not focus their attention on what happens to humans when they die. The put their attention into learning how to live right by Heavens definition. The here and now was what Confucian’s teaching focused on. Fisher, 2014 pg. 209-211 |
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Practices and Rituals |
Ancestor ritual is a very important ritual to Confucians. The praised and gave offering to their deceased relatives, this was a way of ensuring that they became ancestors and ghost to them. Between Confucian and his followers there were a total of 9 writings that can be broken down into two categories; The Five Classics and The Four Books. After Confucian died his classic were used to train individuals how would later go on to serve in the government. http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/PHIL_of_RELIGION_TEXT/CHAPTER_2_RELIGIONS/Confucianism.htm Fisher, 2014 pg. 209-214 |
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Celebrations & Festivals |
The text did not touch on the celebrations and festivals of the Confucians. |
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Week 4 - Sources
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http://www.patheos.com/Library/Confucianism/Beliefs/Afterlife-and-Salvation |
Fisher, M. P. (2014) Living Religions Pearson: Upper Saddle River, NJ |
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WEEK 5 SHINTO |
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Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe |
Shinto has no founder. It has no sacred literatures and no set codes of ethical requirements. They do not have any implied beliefs about how the world being. The Nihongi’s tells a different creation story. Nihongi tells that before there was an earth there was a deity who came forth on its own, and it gave birth to many kami. Two in particular kami Amatsu and Amaterasu who worked to give birth to all things and organize the world. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/ataglance/glance.shtml; Fisher, 2014 pg. 222, 226 |
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Nature of God/Creator |
The Shinto’s believe in kami, and they are made up of Gods and spirits. Kami is not perfect and no different in kind from humans, just a higher manifestation and energy. Some kami can be evil and make mistakes just like humans. They answer prayers and they have influence over human events and the course of natural forces. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/beliefs/kami_1.shtml |
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View of Human Nature |
In Shintoism humans are said to be born pure. If later in life one becomes impure then they could be freed from the pollution by cleansing and practicing purifying rituals. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/beliefs/ |
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View of Good & Evil |
Shinto’s believe that humans are born good, and that evil is any person or thing that disturbs kami in any way. They also believe that any person or thing that disrupts the harmony of the world, natural and social order, or that is just impure is evil. There is no set standard of what is right and what is wrong in Shintoism. To avoid evil one should maintain purity morally and spiritually. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto; http://www.patheos.com/Library/Shinto/Beliefs |
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View of Salvation |
The human purpose is to maintain purity to connect with like kami. However, if one is impure or experience tsumi they can be purified to get rid of it and connect with heavenly kami. Fisher, 2014 pg 232-234 |
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View of After Life |
Due to the great influence that Buddhism had on the Shinto religion, it is thought that they had a lot of the same beliefs. As in Buddhism, they believed that if you live righteously then you will be rewarded in the afterlife. http://www.patheos.com/Library/Shinto/Beliefs/Afterlife-and-Salvation |
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Practices and Rituals |
Everything in Shintoism has symbolic importance so their rituals are conducted in a very specific manner. A daily home ritual will begin in the morning as the sun comes up, they will clap and say a prayer and then give offering to kami such as; rice, water, and as salt which all have a symbolic meaning. Fisher, 2014pg. 231 |
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Celebrations & Festivals |
The Shinto’s have many different ceremonies and festivals. They invest so much into kami so some of their ceremonies are very detailed. As a result, it could take up to ten years for some priest to learn how to conduct the ceremony. These celebrations may service many purposes. The highest is to celebrate kami. All local shrines participate in celebrating their own kami. Kami is taken out on a shrine in a parade. They offer food, entertainment, and praises to kami and all that attend are blessed by the priest. In the Shinto religion they have many other festivals that are celebrated seasonally, annually, and throughout life celebrations. They have festivals for the unborn fetus and for those that have reached a milestone in age. Fisher, 2014 pg. 230-231 |
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Week 5 - Sources
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Fisher, M. P. (2014) Living Religions Pearson: Upper Saddle River, NJ |
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/shintoethics/ethics.shtml |
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WEEK 6 JUDAISM |
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Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe |
The world began under the direction of God, who is the creator. Jews believe in only one God who is transcendent. God first created the material world and shortly after created man and woman to be the masters of everything. In the religion Judaism there is no single founder. Fisher, 2014 pg. 246-249 and 278 |
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Nature of God/Creator |
The Jews believe in God, and he is their majestic father and king. Some thought of God as a remote God, while others perceived him to be in close relationship with the people. Fisher, 2014 pg. 253 |
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View of Human Nature |
All humans are equal with the potential to mirror the same qualities of God. The have all the ability to be prefect human beings. Humans have free will giving them the choice of which path that want to take. Fisher, 2014 pg. 279-280 |
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View of Good & Evil |
Good is the one that loves God wholeheartedly and follow his will. Evil is anyone that defies God in a sense of sinning. In Judaism there is a set standard of good. That is giving thanks continuously, praying, abiding by all the commandments, and praising God. If they stray from God’s will then they are exiled, but could find their way back to their spiritual home through righteous living. Fisher, 2014 pg. 249-250 |
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View of Salvation |
Salvation is described as the soul experiencing eternal life unaffected by evil. In order to obtain salvation one must follow all of God’s commandments and abide by the Torah. All of his children can experience the good life by doing this as following the most important commandment, which is to love God. Fisher, 2014 pg. 279-280 http://www.patheos.com/Library/Judaism/Beliefs/Afterlife-and-Salvation?offset=1&max=1 |
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View of After Life |
Rabbis believed that Jews had a special place, in what they called olam ha-bah, if they abided by the Torah, repent for their sin, and did good deed. There were different beliefs on reincarnation. There was a Rabbi that believed that God being the creator of all things could resurrect the dead, while others believed that the spirit if was godly would go on to experience eternal divine pleasure. Other literatures explained that the wicked go to hell and the godly go to a paradise. http://www.patheos.com/Library/Judaism/Beliefs/Afterlife-and-Salvation |
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Practices and Rituals |
Prayer was especially important in Judaism. Prayer started before their eyes opened in the morning and would continue throughout the day until bedtime. They believed firmly that one should continuously give thanks to God. One of the most important rituals in Judaism was the circumcision of all baby boys after they are eight days old. The Torah was the scared Jewish literature. It outlined how God’s will, that one should seek to follow. In order to be a Jew you have to be circumcised and have a ritual Jewish bath for cleansing. Foods that are not kosher are forbidden. These foods include pork and shellfish. Fisher, 2014 pg. 283-284 http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/beliefs/conversion.shtml |
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Celebrations & Festivals |
Celebrations are very important in Jewish life. Their celebrations provided specific times to repent, give thanks to God for everything he’s done, and to reflect. All Jews participate in these celebrations. They have a set of annual celebrations that occur at the beginning of the New Year. They call it High Holy Days. They consists of Jews being spiritual renewed. Over the 30 day course of this time there are prayers to God, blowing of a ram’s horn, and more. Shortly after there’s time within these celebrations that promote change and repent for any wrongdoing they may have occurred the previous year. Hanukkah is a celebration that is more widely familiar throughout the different realms of religions. This is celebrated right before winter, and for eight nights a candle is lit in a dedicated holder. This represents a victory of the Maccabean rebellion at an attempt by Antiochus to force non Jewish practices on the Jews. Within some families they give gifts during this time. Fisher, 2014 pg. 286-288 |
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Week 6 - Sources
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Fisher, M. P. (2014) Living Religions Pearson: Upper Saddle River, NJ |
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/beliefs/conversion.shtml |
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WEEK 7 CHRISTIANITY |
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Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe |
Christians believe that God was the almighty creator of the universe. Out of love God created the world and the human race. God role was to allow them all the possibilities of leading a righteous life. Fisher, 2014 pg. 308 http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/PHIL_of_RELIGION_TEXT/CHAPTER_2_RELIGIONS/Christianity.htm |
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Nature of God/Creator |
Christians believe in God, and that God is love. They believe that Jesus was God’s son and sent to save mankind. God interacts with humans through the work of the holy spirit. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/beliefs/basics_1.shtml |
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View of Human Nature |
Humans are divine creatures made by God, with their only purpose being to love and serve God. The root of the universe and people is good, and they are given the gift of reason from God. Although humans are good at their core they are inclined to sin. http://www.patheos.com/Library/Christianity/Beliefs/Human-Nature-and-the-Purpose-of-Existence Fisher, 2014 pg. 346 |
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View of Good & Evil |
Good in Christianity is following the teachings of Jesus, and evil is denying God and steering away from the Holy Bible. Evil is constituted by sin and humans are inclined to sin. Yes, one should avoid sinning because it can result in being completed disconnected from God. Jesus life was the ultimate mold of how the human race should behave. Fisher, 2014 pg. 346-347 |
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View of Salvation |
After death comes “judgment day.” This is the day where God either rewards or punishes the soul based on ones’ faith. To make it to heaven one must believe in God and show it. Everyone can make it to heaven to live with if they love God, followed his word, and what Jesus taught. Christians believe that Jesus is going to return one day to judge all people as he promised. http://www.patheos.com/Library/Christianity/Beliefs/Afterlife-and-Salvation |
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View of After Life |
Christians do believe there is life after earthly death. They believe that all sins will follow you into the afterlife. They believe that another world exists for the decease. Once dead God judges you by your sins and your relationship with him, and it’s possible to be eternally punished for your sins. http://www.patheos.com/Library/Christianity/Beliefs/Afterlife-and-Salvation |
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Practices and Rituals |
In Christianity worships usually take place in churches. Baptism and Eucharist are two of the most important rituals in Christianity. Baptism is a cleansing with water to purify the body, mind, and soul. It’s the beginning of a Christian way of life. Eucharist is the Holy communion representing Jesus’ last supper. During this communion Christians are given a piece of bread and wine to signify the body and blood of Christ. The Bible plays a very important role in Christianity as believers read and recite passages out of it during prayers or service. Baptism is the rites of passage into the religion. Fisher, 2014 pg. 348-351 |
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Celebrations & Festivals |
Christianity has a yearly cycle of celebrations which the focus is surrounded by the life of Jesus. Christmas is one of the major celebrations, which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Many Christians celebrate this day by exchanging gifts and fellowshipping. In spring they celebrate Easter and “Good Friday.” These days signify the death of Jesus and his resurrection day. Forty five days before Easter, many followers participate in Lent, another celebration where they focus on repenting and fasting. They pray, and perform acts of charity in order to contribute to Jesus’ greatest sacrifice. Fisher, 2014 pg. 351-353 |
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Week 7 - Sources
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/beliefs/basics_1.shtml |
http://www.patheos.com/Library/Christianity/Beliefs/Afterlife-and-Salvation |
Fisher, M. P. (2014) Living Religions Pearson: Upper Saddle River, NJ |
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WEEK 8 ISLAM |
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Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe |
Muslims believed that God created the universe and everything in it. They believed in signs that God was working. They believed that he protected and was merciful to faithful believers. People come from clay. Fisher, 2014 pg. 388 |
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Nature of God/Creator |
They believed that God was a compassionate God. That he was their “only” and his followers were not to worship anyone but him. They believed that God showed signed when he was working, and that individuals were warned before they endured punishment from God. Allah is benevolent. Fisher, 2014 pg. 388-389 |
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View of Human Nature |
Islam is a monotheistic religion. Good gave humans gifts that make them superior to anything else that exists. Humans are imperfect, but they are not inclined to sin. It can be difficult for them to resist temptation though, and as a result they forget the God they are supposed to serve. http://www.patheos.com/Library/Islam/Beliefs/Human-Nature-and-the-Purpose-of-Existence |
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View of Good & Evil |
Good are those that follow God’s will and serve him. Islamic people seen good as those that do good deeds, feed the poor, follow the Qur’an and simply abide by God’s law. Evil is any person that strays from God and does not genuinely seek forgiveness from him. Humans make become evil in spirit but Islam teaches that God is a forgiving God and one that purely repents will be forgiven by God. Doing bad thing constitutes evil and one should avoid it by always serving God and following Muhammad’s teachings. http://www.patheos.com/Library/Islam/Beliefs/Suffering-and-the-Problem-of-Evil |
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View of Salvation |
They Day of Judgment has many names in the Qur’an. It is this day that the Islamic nation believed that God will resurrect all and judge them. Determining if their good deeds outweigh the bad and vice versa. They will then either be sent to the eternal flames of hell if they did more bad than good, or be sent to paradise in heaven if they did more good. In order to get to heaven one must be faithful to Allah and know the laws and live by them. Everyone can go to heaven. Fisher, 2014 pg. 388 http://www.patheos.com/Library/Islam/Beliefs/Afterlife-and-Salvation |
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View of After Life |
Muslims believe in heaven and hell. After death and being in the grave for a short period of time, the body is then resurrected and will then be finally judged by their deeds. It is at this time one will either be sent to hell or heaven. The afterlife is considered to be a reflection of this life. Heaven and hell is two completely different experiences. Fisher, 2014 pg. 390-391 |
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Practices and Rituals |
Some of the most important practices in Islam are the Five Pillars of Islam. These Five Pillars include: belief and witness, daily prayers, zakat or charity, fasting, and hajj. Pork and wine are prohibited by Muslims. The Qur’an was very important in the practices of Islam as it contain the messages of God. They use it in prayer, to spread the Islam faith to others, and as a guide. Fisher, 2014 pg. 391-396 |
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Celebrations & Festivals |
There are only two festivals observed in Islamic law. Those two festivals are Eid ul Fitr, and Eid ul Adha. Eid ul Fitr is celebrated at the first sight of the new moon. It comes after a month long of fasting, and all Muslims celebrate. Eid ul Adha is a four day celebration commemorating Ibrahim sacrificing his son and his complete obedience to God orders. All Muslims celebrate, but only Muslims that can afford to sacrifice animals in a proper slaughterhouse participate in the sacrifice. Another important celebration is the Night of Power also known as Lailat al Qadr. This night celebrates when the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. They spend the night studying the Qur’an and praying. This takes place the 27th of Ramadan. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/ |
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Week 8 - Sources
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Fisher, M. P. (2014) Living Religions Pearson: Upper Saddle River, NJ | ||
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WEEK 9 SIKHISM
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Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe |
Sikhs believe that God is the creator of all things. He is without form or gender, and he is found within everything. Fisher, 2014 pg. 435-436 |
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Nature of God/Creator |
God is the only God and that he is everywhere at all times. God is the only doer and giver. God is a personal God that treats everyone equally. He lives within everyone, so no matter how bad or evil one can be there is always the ability to change. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/beliefs/beliefs.shtml |
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View of Human Nature |
The purpose of life for humans is to realize God within the world. Sikhism is a monotheistic religion who completed devotes themselves to God. They believe that Nam carries the all the power that one needs to live an ethical life. Fisher, 2014pg. 445 |
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View of Good & Evil |
Good is people that serve other people, work hard, sharing with the needy, and remembering God at all times. Evils is one that has self-centered ways or actions that could be cause by the five evils lust, pride, greed, anger, and attachment to things. This can be avoided by staying tru and abiding by the three duties of the Sikh, which is to pray, work, and give. Fisher, 2014 pg. 435-436 & 446 http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/beliefs/beliefs.shtml |
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View of Salvation |
Sikhs believe that one actions determine one’s afterlife. Serving everyone is an importation tradition to the Sikhs as it plays a major role in reaching liberation. They believe in karma and the wheel of birth, death, and rebirth. In order to get to God Sikhs must follow three steps. They must work hard in society, they must share their earning with the needy, and keep God first at all times. Everyone is that follows those steps is able to achieve liberation. Fisher, 2014 pg. 435-436 |
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View of After Life |
In Sikhism they believe in a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. They believe that quality of life is determined by karma. This is a reflection of how good or bad someone behaved in their previous life and the only way to rid yourself of this vicious cycle is to completely become one with God and know him. They teach not to worry themselves with the afterlife as it’s determined by one’s deeds. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/beliefs/beliefs.shtml |
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Practices and Rituals |
Sikhs devoted hours of daily prayer to God. They have a morning prayer that starts very early in the morning called JapJi. During this time the comb away all negative thoughts and focus on the blessings of Nam. The Guru Granth Sahib plays an important role in the daily rituals of Sikhs as the recite, chant, and sing melodies from it. Sikhs don’t have a prescribed initiation process, although they can choose at birth to partake in a straight sword baptism. Fisher, 2014 pg. 447-449 http://www.patheos.com/Library/Sikhism/Ritual-Worship-Devotion-Symbolism/Rites-and-Ceremonies |
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Celebrations & Festivals |
Celebrations are especially important to Sikhs as it directly celebrates their Guru’s and Sikhism as religion. Vaisakhi is one of the most important days to Sikhs. This day celebrates the year that Sikhism was born. This day is celebrated in April. They dance, sing and have parades much like Gurpurbs. Gurpurbs is another festival that celebrates the lives of the Gurus. They have separate celebrations of each Guru’s birthday or martyrdom. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/holydays/gurpurbs.shtml |
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Week 9 - Sources
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/beliefs/beliefs.shtml |
Fisher, M. P. (2014) Living Religions Pearson: Upper Saddle River, NJ |
http://www.patheos.com/Library/Sikhism/Ritual-Worship-Devotion-Symbolism/Rites-and-Ceremonies |
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WEEK 10 NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS |
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Cosmogony - Origin of the Universe |
Mormons believe that God created the world. He was able to create the universe out of materials that already existed and was assisted by Jesus Christ. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/mormon/beliefs/god_1.shtml |
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Nature of God/Creator |
Mormons believe in a God but that there is more than one God. God possesses all powers. They believe that he is like humans and body and feelings. They believe that he is a personal God because of what he has lived through and because he is relatable that people can have a personal relationship with God. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/mormon/beliefs/god_1.shtml |
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View of Human Nature |
The Book of Mormon refers to humans as carnal, sensual, and devilish, and that they have to be reborn in order for the soul to progress. They believe that the human sinful tendencies could cause humans to stray from God. They believe that his could be overcome. The ultimate goal for Mormons is to live and clean life and have strong family values. Fisher, 2014 pg. 466 http://www.patheos.com/Library/Mormonism/Beliefs/Human-Nature-and-the-Purpose-of-Existence |
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View of Good & Evil |
Mormonism teaches that humans are not evil but are easily tempted and it could result in them doing evil deeds. God allows his children the freedom to choose between good and evil. Good is doing good deeds and following the teachings of Jesus and living life to please God. Evil is the person that has fallen, which in turn means that they have succumb to sins. One should avoid evil by living a clean life, having strong family values, and hold the moral ethics of the Church to the highest regards. Fisher, 2014 pg. 466-467 http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/mormon/socialvalues/ethics_1.shtml |
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14View of Salvation |
Salvation can be achieved through ones actions and through the grace of God. To Mormons there are steps that need to be followed in order to achieve salvation. To name a few; they must believe in Jesus Christ, be baptized, endure test in their life, repent, and right their wrongs. They teach that everyone has the potential to be a like God. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/mormon/beliefs/salvation_1.shtml |
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View of After Life |
Mormons do not believe in reincarnation. They believe that after death the spirit goes to one or two places, paradise (heaven) or spirit prison. They are judged by their actions and based off that their spirit will live in heaven or be eternally tortured. However they believe that even those spirits in jail have the ability to be granted into the Celestial Kingdom by accepting the teaching of the church through missionary work. http://www.patheos.com/Library/Mormonism/Beliefs/Afterlife-and-Salvation |
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Practices and Rituals |
Mormons teach not only out of the Bible but also The Book of Mormon. The live by The Book of Mormon because they believe it to be the most authentic teaching of Jesus. They highly disapprove of alcohol, coffee, tea, and tobacco. Baptism was a very important ritual in Mormonism. Converters has to be baptized, as well as children when they reach the age of 8. Fisher, 2014 pg. 466 http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/mormon/ritesrituals/baptism.shtml |
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Celebrations & Festivals |
Mormons don’t have many celebrations like other religions. They mainly only celebrate two widely known days Christmas and Easter. They do have one other festival that they celebrate on July 24th known as Pioneer Day. All Mormons participates in these holidays. One this day they celebrate the first arrival of Saint Latter Day Saints in 1847. This day is recognized not only by the Mormon churches but also by the state of Utah. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/mormon/holydays/holydays_1.shtml |
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Week 10 - Sources
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/mormon/beliefs/god_1.shtml |
http://www.patheos.com/Library/Mormonism/Beliefs/Human-Nature-and-the-Purpose-of-Existence |
Fisher, M. P. (2014) Living Religions Pearson: Upper Saddle River, NJ |
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