Religions 101
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Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Hinduism
Buddhism
Sikhism
What’s in a Symbol?
The Cross
The cross is the central
symbol of Christianity.
Christians believe that
Jesus died on the cross and
three days later rose from
the dead. The cross is a
symbol of victory over
death, promising eternal
life.
The Crescent Moon
The crescent moon is a
common symbol of Islam.
Muslims believe that when
Muhammad received his
first revelation, the moon
was in its last stage,
appearing as a waning
crescent.
The Mogen David
The Mogen David, or Star
of David, is the central
symbol of Judaism. The
star is the sign of the
house of David, the family
that produced the kings of
Biblical Israel.
The Aum
In Hinduism the AUM (OM) is a symbol of the
Supreme God. Hindus believe that it was the
first sound produced at the creation of the
universe, the Big Bang. The sacred syllable AUM
is the name of God. It is uttered at the
beginning and the end of most Hindu prayers.
Dharmachakra or "wheel of
law"
The wheel is one of the most
important symbols of
Buddhism. The eight spokes
of the wheel symbolize the
Noble Eightfold Path set out by
the Buddha in his teachings.
The wheel also represents the
endless cycle of samsara, or
rebirth, which can only be
escaped by means of the
Buddha's teachings.
KHANDA
In Sikhism the Khanda is made up of
three key symbols.
•The double-edge sword in the
middle links to the knowledge of God
•The inner circle reflects the oneness
of God and the link to humanity.
•The outer swords represent truth and
willingness to preserve what is right.
Place of Origin & Holy Sites
Judaism: Middle East-----Jerusalem
Christianity: Middle East-----Jerusalem and Bethlehem
Islam: Middle East-----Jerusalem, Mecca, and Medina
Hinduism: India------Ganges River
Sikhism: India -----Punjab
Buddhism: India---Bodh Gaya
Holy Book and Sacred Language
Judaism-----TeNaKh-----Hebrew
Christianity-----Bible-----No sacred language
Islam----Koran------Arabic
Hinduism------Veda------Sanskrit
Sikhism----- GRANTH SAHIB
Buddhism--------scriptures greatly variety---none
Their God
Judaism----God of Abraham-----Adonai
Christianity----God of Abraham----Yawah---- exists
in three parts (father, son and holy spirit)
Islam-----God of Abraham-----Allah
Hinduism----Brahma------exists in many forms
Sikhism-----God----same God of all mankind
Buddhism-----The Buddha----no one god, but
Buddhists try to live like the Buddha did.
Holy Building & Worship
Judaism----Synagogue-----Prayer, reading from holy book,
sermon
Christianity-----Church/Cathedral----Prayer, reading from
holy book, sermon
Islam------Mosque------Prayer, reading from holy book,
sermon
Hinduism------Temple-------Prayer and meditation, sacrifice
Sikhism-----Temple-----Prayer, meditation, baptism
Buddhism-------Temple, Stupa--------------- Prayer and
meditation; following the 4 Noble Truths
Judaism
Beliefs
•God made an agreement with Abraham that his descendants would be God’s chosen people in exchange
for their faith & obedience.
•God gave the Torah to Moses and tells them how to worship and live. Moses is their most important
prophet.
•Their goal is to live a good life according to the laws of the Torah
•Jews are required to keep the Sabbath day holy, to give to the needy, and to fast.
•Jews believe that God’s teachings continue to be revealed.
•The Torah tells the Jews what they can eat.
Christianity
Beliefs
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They believe that God made an agreement with Abraham that his descendents would be
God’s chosen people.
Religion is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ
Belief that God has three parts: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Belief in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and that he was part of God.
The goal of Christianity is to achieve Salvation.
They require specially trained religious leaders
They believe that God’s teachings continue to be revealed.
Islam Beliefs
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They believe that God made an agreement with Abraham that his descendents would be
God’s chosen people.
Islam is based on God’s teachings and the example of the life of Muhammad as revealed in
the Koran
Muslims accept all of the teachings of the prophets including Moses and Jesus
Muslims do not believe that Jesus was divine
They consider Muhammad to be God’s final prophet
Hinduism
Beliefs
• One all-powerful god with many variations
in the form of gods and goddesses
• Reincarnation
• Ritual purification – both internal and
external
• Observe sacred occasions
Buddhism’s Basic Beliefs
- followers are called Buddhists
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They believe that wanting leads to suffering
The goal of life is to follow the 4 Noble Truths - meditate and study so that they will not want
and can escape the cycle of rebirth.
Buddhists believe that by following the Buddha’s example they can achieve nirvana, or not
wanting, and know peace.
Through doing good in this life (karma), people can improve their soul in the next (dharma).
In Buddhism, there is no caste, or class system
Sikhism
beliefs
• Everyone should have a personal relationship with God.
• Humans should control their tendencies toward anger,
greed, false pride, materialism
• All souls go through a reincarnation.
• Caste systems are not acceptable.
• The 5 K’s:
– Kesa (long hair, which is never cut). This term is sometimes used to refer to the
turban that is used to cover the hair.
– Kangah (comb)
– Kacha (short pants)
– Kara (metal bracelet)
– Kirpan (a ceremonial dagger)