It is conceivable for states to get together and have a
United Nations but it is still inconceivable to have a
United Religions
Abraham Heschel
“Losing My Religion” by REM
Religion: BrotherhoodAsia
of (the
Man?
Indian sub-continent, China, and Japan)is
richly diverse in its religions and
philosophies.
The picture to the left displays
the Bamiyan Buddha, carved into a mountain in
Afghanistan. It was unfortunately destroyed by
the Taliban in 2001 because it is pre-Islam and
seen as idolatry.
The Taliban were accused of selling these type of
artifacts; they denied this accusation.
"We are idol breakers not idol sellers,"
infonews.co.nz
news.bbc.co.uk
Why Should We Study Religion in a
World History Class?
Divide INB paper in half.
Top Half: Brainstorm with a peer about religion,
religious conflicts, tolerance, extremists, rights,
etc.
Create a mission statement about why we, as
world history students, should care about world
religions.
Why Should We Study Religion in a
World History Class?
Global integration has accelerated recently with enormous consequences
for people all over the world. It has resulted in changes in traditional
behavior and has challenged the adaptability of individuals, families,
organizations, institutions, and nations. Wealth has been created and
redistributed as economic, political, and social systems have striven to
adapt.
Governments have had to reassess their roles and responsibilities as the
governing elites have worked to maintain their influence.
The historic trend has had dramatic effect on the civilizations
characterized generally as either Christian and Islamic.
Why Should We Study Religion in a
World History Class?
Global integration has accelerated recently with enormous consequences
for people all over the world. It has resulted in changes in traditional
behavior and has challenged the adaptability of individuals, families,
organizations, institutions, and nations. Wealth has been created and
redistributed as economic, political, and social systems have striven to
adapt.
Governments have had to reassess their roles and responsibilities as the
governing elites have worked to maintain their influence.
The historic trend has had dramatic effect on the civilizations
characterized generally as either Christian and Islamic.
Why Should We Study Religion in a
World History Class?
Divide INB paper in half.
Bottom Half: Class Mission Statement about
why we should study world religions
The Basics
1. A map - label with the geographic areas of
each listed world religion
2. Charts - make sure to fill in basic knowledge
Map of World Religions
The Basics
uncommonthought.com
Monotheism refers to a religion that contains the belief that there is only one
god. Polytheism is the belief that there are many gods. There are three main
monotheistic religions existing in the world today and they share many of the
same characteristics. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have many
commonalities in their foundation, religious doctrine, belief structure, and
spiritual principles. In fact, the similarities far outweigh the differences, an
interesting point when the numerous episodes of conflict are taken into account.
The following chart offers comparisons and contrasts between the three major monotheistic
religions. For the sake of clarification, the Christian religion is divided into Roman Catholic,
Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox.
The Basics
“Heaven Help Us All” by Stevie Wonder
“Sajda” by Rahat Fateh Khan and others
Religion: Brotherhood of Man?
Women and Islam
In the early days of Islam, women enjoyed more freedom than many Muslim women
today. Women were protected by laws concerning such areas as inheritance, divorce,
and property. Also, women and men were considered religiously equal, according to one
interpretation of the Qu'ran, the Islamic holy book.
As Islam spread from Arabia into Northern Africa, Southern Europe, and farther east
into the Indian subcontinent, it began taking on cultural aspects of those areas, through
the normal process of diffusion. Examples of this are the seclusion of women and the
covering of a woman's face in public. The role of Islamic women began to be relegated
to the order of the household, while men handled all public affairs.
Many of these practices, remain in varying degrees throughout the modern Islamic
world. The most recent examples lies with the Taliban of Afghanistan, the Muslim
ruling body which severely restricted the rights of women and imposed extremely harsh
punishments if women violated any laws. For example, a woman could be publicly
executed if she went out into public without a burkha on. As shown here, burkhas
completely hide the identity of the woman.
Some Islamic women enjoy more freedom than others. However, this depends on the
wealth of the husband and does not apply to politics. In the 20th century, many Islamic
leaders attempted introducing western reforms which included the elevating of women's
rights, but they were often met with strong opposition from the fundamentalist element
of Islamic society. Despite this, many women have broken societal stereotypes and have
gained an education, forcing their way up through Islamic society on their own.
Review
Judaism, Islam, and Christianity share a belief in
1. the central authority of the Pope
2. a prohibition of the consumption of port
3. reincarnation and the Four Noble Truths
4. monotheism and ethical conduct
“When I go to the office, I put on my shirt and I take off my caste; when I come home, I
take off my shirt and I put on my caste.”
What is the main idea of this quotation?
1. the caste system continues to influence Indian society
2. the caste system has been reflected by most Indians
3. successful urban workers in India belong the same Caste
4. the Indian government officially supports the Caste system
According the teachings of Confucius, the key to the successful
organization of society is that
1. the ruler should be chosen democratically
2. the evil in humans must be eliminated
3. ancestor worship should be discontinued
4. individuals should know and do what is expected of them
Current Issues
Religion
How well do you
know these terms?
• Yom Kippur
• Rosh Hashanah
• Ramadan
• Ash Wednesday
Are you aware?
• fasting practices
• dietary restrictions (pizza)
• clothing requirements
International
Religious Issues
Religion: Brotherhood of Man?
India and Pakistan
teeth.com.pk
Religion: Brotherhood of Man?
India and Pakistan
Pakistan is largely
Muslim
India is largely Hindu
There is considerable
tension on the border
between the two
countries
changinguppakistan.wordpress.com
harpercollege.edu
Religion: Brotherhood of Man?
Palestine?
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
hotpeachpages.net
A young Palestinian refugee and her mother pass an Israeli military checkpoint near the West Bank village of Nablus in August
Religion: Brotherhood of Man?
A Brief History of the Arab Israeli Conflict
http://www.guardian.co.uk/flash/0,,720353,00.html
exeterpsc.org.uk
Religion: Brotherhood of Man?
Palestine?
Mahmoud Abbas
Benjamin Netanyahu
exeterpsc.org.uk
Yasser Arafat
World Religions
What about your more
immediate world?
How are religious issues
handled in America?
Constitution- 1st
Amendment
•
Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press; or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of grievances
Religion: Brotherhood of Man?
What does freedom of religion mean?
What does the U.S. Supreme Court system
say?
1989 Native American Church
v
Oregon
Native American arrested for use of peyote. Also arrested for
snake handling. These are done in conjunction with religious
ceremonies.
People have died from either or both of these. If we legalize it,
what about pot for your own church? Crack? Oregon State Law illegal to possess peyote and/or use it.
erowid.org
World Religions
The Supreme Court of the United States says
schools must be neutral in their treatment of
religious issues.
Everson v Board of Education 1946
Lemon v. Kurtzman 1971
the lemon test
World Religions
Teachers have to be sensitive to all religions as this
affects student absences, dietary restrictions, and
activities.
Henrico County makes a great effort to educate its
professionals as to important dates, terms, and
lifestyles.
The official policy is posted on the wiki (if you care
to investigate further)
World Religions
How do corporations in the
United States have to
operate about religious
issues?
World Religions
How does the business world expect its
professionals to handle sensitive religious
issues?
The following information was
used to train new employees at
NASA (National Space Agency)
World Religions
You will examine the
following current event.
I will provide a handout.
I want you to mark it up, write
question marks or notes to
the side, and “consume it.”
Current Event Reading and Discussion
World Religion
Projects