J3 Geography Date: ___________________ Name: ______________________________ Social Studies Period ______ Major World Religions AIM: What are the FIVE major world religions, and what are the major beliefs of each? DO NOW: View the question posted on the board. Respond in the space provided below. 1. Judaism Intro→ The Hebrews were one of the groups who lived in the Fertile Crescent. According to Hebrew tradition, the Hebrews became enslaved in Egypt, and God helped them escape this slavery. The Hebrews would set up the kingdom of Israel with Jerusalem at its capital. They believed God had promised them this land. Over time, Hebrew beliefs transformed into the religion we know today as Judaism. • • • • Judaism is a ____________________________________ religion, meaning its people believe in only __________ God. The sacred text of Judaism is the _____________________, which created the moral basis for Judaism. Jews believe that God gave them the _________________________________ through Moses. These are laws that describe how people should behave toward _________ and _______________________________. _____________________, or spiritual leaders, preached a strong code of _________________ and morals. 2. Christianity Intro→ Christianity began in Palestine with the teachings of a Jew names Jesus in about 30 A.D. Beginning with a small group of followers, Christianity grew and spread to become the religion with the most followers worldwide. Like Jews, Christians believe in only ONE God, so it is a monotheistic religion. • • • • Christianity and the teachings of _____________ were rooted in __________________________ tradition. o Example→ Jesus accepted the ___________________________________ given to the Jews through Moses. Jesus taught ____________________ and sympathy for the _____________ and helpless. Jesus preached ___________________________ and _______________________ before God. The sacred text of Christianity is the _________________, which has two parts: o Part one: The _________________________________, which includes Hebrew scripture, laws, history etc. o Part two: The _________________________________, which include the ________________ (Jesus’ teachings) 3. Islam Intro→ In 622 A.D., a new religion called Islam arose in Arabia. Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam is a monotheistic religion, in which the religions followers, called _____________________, believe in only ONE God. • • All Muslims accept ____________ basic responsibilities, known as the ____________________________________. o Pillar 1: Belief in one God, called ________________, who is compassionate and all-____________________ o Pillar 2: Muslims are expected to _________________ five times per day o Pillar 3: Muslims are expected to give ____________________ to the poor o Pillar 4: Muslims are expected to ____________ from sunrise to sunset during _______________________ o Pillar 5: Muslims are expected to visit the city of _______________ at least once in their lives The sacred text for Muslims is the ___________________, which provides a guide to life for Muslims. 4. Hinduism Intro→ Hinduism is one of the oldest and most complex religions in the world. Unlike most major religions, Hinduism has no single founder. The largest population of Hindus lives in India. • • • • • Hindus believe in _________ unifying spirit called _______________________. Because Brahman is too complicated for humans to understand, Hindus worship __________ main gods to better understand the world: ____________________ (The Creator), _____________________ (The Preserver), ____________________ (The Destroyer) For Hindus, the main goal of life is to achieve union with Brahman. Most people cannot achieve this union in one ____________________. Hindus believe that souls can be rebirthed into a new body, allowing people to continue this quest toward ________________ with Brahman. People get closer to this union by being ______________ into higher and higher levels of existence. This is called _______________________________. By living a good life and having good _______________, a person will be reincarnated to a higher level. The sacred text of Hinduism is the _____________, a collection of prayers. 5. Buddhism Intro→ Buddhism also developed in India but later spread to other areas such as China. Its founder, a prince named Siddhartha Gautama, was born a Hindu. Siddhartha Gautama left his wealthy home to search for the meaning of human suffering. While meditating, he found the answer to his question, and was thereafter referred to as the __________________. • The main teachings of Buddhism are the ______________________________________________ o 1. All life is _________________________________ o 2. Suffering is caused by _____________________ o 3. The way to eliminate ___________________________ is by eliminating ________________________ o 4. Following the ______________________________________ will help people overcome desire. • The Eightfold Path: 1. Right Views: To keep ourselves free of prejudice and superstition, and to see the true nature of life. 2. Right Thoughts: To turn our minds away from the violence and hatred in this world. 3. Right Speech: To refrain from harmful talk and to use our words wisely. 4. Right Conduct: To see that our deeds come from peace and goodwill. 5. Right Livelihood: To try to earn our living in such a way that we avoid evil karma. 6. Right Energy: To use our energies to overcome ignorance and destructive desires. 7. Right Mindfulness: To cherish a good mind, for all that we think and do have their roots in the mind. 8. Right Meditation: To study the Teachings of the Buddha & to practice them to the best of our abilities.
