World Religion Photo Explanation

Photo #1

Siddhartha Gautama

Siddhartha Gautama (c. 563–479 BC), the prince from present day Nepal who became the Buddha, ‘the Enlightened One,’ required his followers to isolate themselves from worldly life.http://siddharthagautama.org/

Photo #2

Jesus ChristAccording to Christians, Jesus is considered the incarnation of God and his teachings are an example for living a more spiritual life. Christians believe he died for the sins of all people and rose from the dead.http://www.biography.com/people/jesus-christ-9354382

Photo #3

Moses

Along with God, it is the figure of Moses (Moshe) who dominates the Torah. Acting at God's behest, it is he who leads the Jews out of slavery, unleashes the Ten Plagues against Egypt, guides the freed slaves for forty years in the wilderness, carries down the law from Mount Sinai, and prepares the Jews to enter the land of Canaan. Without Moses, there would be little apart from laws to write about in the last four books of the Torah.http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/moses.html

Photo #4

The Prophet Muhammad

Muhammad from Mecca who unified Arabia into a single religious polity under Islam. He is believed by Muslims and Bahá'ís to be a messenger and prophet of God, and by most Muslims as the last prophet sent by God for mankind.[3][n 1] Muhammad is generally considered to be the founder of Islam, although this is a view not shared by Muslims.[4] Muslims consider him to be the restorer of an uncorrupted original monotheistic faith of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and other prophets.[5][6][7][8]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad

Photo #5

Vishnu

The Hindu god Vishnu is the preserver and protector of creation. Vishnu is the embodiment of mercy and goodness, the self-existent, all-prevading power that preserves the universe and maintains the cosmic order of Dharma.http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses/vishnu.htm

Photo #6

Synagogue

A synagogue is the Jewish place of worship. This is known by the Star of David on the building.

Photo #7

Church

Christians worship their god and teach about the bible in buildings called “churches”. Although churches can take on many forms, some of the most spectacular are the Catholic Churches. Christian churches are easy to identify based upon the cross(es) on the buildings.

Photo #8

Mosque

Muslims pray and worship to Allah in buildings called mosques. This is a Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Photo #9

Buddhist Temple

Buddhist worship in temples. This is the Angkor Wat 12th Century Cambodia

Photo #10

Hindu Temple

The Akshardham temple in Indian capital New Delhi measures 356 ft. long, 316 ft. wide and 141 ft. high, covering an area of 86,342 sq. ft. and has set the world record for the Largest Hindu Temple.

Photo #11

Hindu Concept of Gods

Ganesha: He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth.

Photo #12

Christian Concept of God

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. In the Christian faith, the belief is that the all mighty god created man based upon an image of himself.

Photo #13

Islamic Concept of God

Much like the Christian faith, followers of Islam believe in a single all-mighty god. The name of their god is Allah and Muhammad is their prophet.

Photo #14

Buddhist Concept of Gods

Followers of Buddhism do believe in Gods, yet they do not necessarily answer to a god. The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to seek enlightenment and eventually become a Buddha.

Photo #15

Christian/Jewish Laws

Christians follow a set of rules known as the Ten Commandments. These commandments are to be followed closely and should never be broken. If one is broken, Christians must ask God for forgiveness. These laws were given to Moses by God when he lead the Jews through the desert away from Egypt.

Photo #16

Laws of Islam

The 5 Pillars. The major rules of Islam are found in the five pillars. Islam has been demonized by our country because of the attack on the World Trade Center. Do any of these laws say to be violent?

Photo #17

Buddhist Laws

In Buddhism the ultimate goal is to seek enlightenment. To begin the process of seeking enlightenment a Buddhist must follow the laws of The Eight Fold Path. So you notice any differences between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity?

Photo #18

Hindu Laws

Hindus along with Buddhist believe in Karma. This means how you live your life today determines how your life will be lived in the future. As the saying goes, “what comes around goes around”.

Photo #19

Jewish Symbol

The Star of David, a symbol first seen in writing in a 12th century work, has become associated with the Jewish people and their sanctuaries. The symbol only became heavily associated with Judaism when it was chosen as the emblem for the Zionist movement in 1897.http://www.jewishgiftplace.com/Jewish-Star-of-David.html

Photo #20

The Star and Crescent of Islam.

The star and crescent is the best-known symbol used to represent Islam. The symbol is not Muslim in origin, it was a polytheistic icon adopted during the spread of Islam, and its use today is sometimes controversial in the Muslim world. The crescent and star are often said to be Islamic symbols, but historians say that they were the insignia of the Ottoman Empire, not of Islam as a whole.http://www.religious-symbols.net/islam-symbols.html

Photo #21

Hindu Symbol:Aum or Om

The syllable Om is composed of the three sounds a-u-m (in Sanskrit, the vowels a and u combine to become o) and the symbol's threefold nature is central to its meaning. It represent several important triads:

the three worlds - earth, atmosphere, and heaventhe three major Hindu gods - Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/symbols/aum.htm

Photo #22

Buddhist Symbols: Swastika and Buddha

The Swastika is a well-know good-luck symbol from India. Unfortunately, it is too well known in the west, as the Nazis chose it as their main symbol. In Sanskrit, swastika means "conducive to well-being". The Buddha Statues inspire us to develop our inner qualities to achieve happiness, good fortune, and satisfaction in our lives.viewonbuddhism.org/general_symbols_buddhism.html

Photo #23

Christian Symbols: Cross and Fish

The cross on which Jesus our Lord and Savior died for our sins is the most commonly recognized and most universally accepted symbol for Christianity the world over. It symbolizes God’s great sacrifice, an offer of salvation to all of humanity and the promise of the resurrection.

FISH – The fish is a very early Christian symbol (one of the first). The fish is an acrostic. Each letter in the Greek word for fish (Ιχθυs)(ichthus) represents another word.ichthus fish is one of the first Christian creeds:

I - (i) – ησουs (Iasous) – Jesusχ - (ch) – χριστοs (Christos) – Christθ - (th) – θεουs (Theos) – God’sυ - (u) – υιοs (Uios) – Sons - (s) – σοταρ (Sotar) – Saviorhttp://www.christiansymbols.net

Photo #24

Hindu Holiday: Holi Festival

The colorful festival of Holi is celebrated on Phalgun Purnima which comes in February end or early March. Holi festival has an ancient origin and celebrates the triumph of 'good' over 'bad'. The colorful festival bridges the social gap and renew sweet relationships. On this day, people hug and wish each other 'Happy Holi‘http://www.holifestival.org/

Photo #25

Jewish Holiday: Hanukkah

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

Photo #26

Muslim Holiday: Ramadan

Ramadan is a special month of the year for over one billion Muslims throughout the world. It is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God, and self-control. Muslims think of it as a kind of tune-up for their spiritual lives. There are as many meanings of Ramadan as there are Muslims. The third "pillar" or religious obligation of Islam, fasting has many special benefits. Among these, the most important is that it is a means of learning self-control. Due to the lack of preoccupation with the satisfaction of bodily appetites during the daylight hours of fasting, a measure of ascendancy is given to one's spiritual nature, which becomes a means of coming closer to God. Ramadan is also a time of intensive worship, reading of the Qur'an, giving charity, purifying one's behavior, and doing good deeds. As a secondary goal, fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate, and learning to thankfulness and appreciation for all of God's bounties. Fasting is also beneficial to the health and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits or overindulgence. http://www.colostate.edu/orgs/MSA/events/Ramadan.html

Photo #27

Christian Holiday: Christmas

Christmas is a Christian holy day that marks the birth of Jesus, the son of God.Jesus' birth, known as the nativity, is described in the New Testament of the Bible.http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/christmas_1.shtml

Photo #28

Buddhist Holiday: Buddha Day

Buddha day is the celebration of the Buddha’s birthday. It is considered by most to be the most important day in Buddhism and most Buddhists spend the day in contemplation of the Buddha’s life and enlightenment. Celebrations outside the temples often involve ceremonial bird releases and some local traditions or culture into the festivities.http://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/buddha-day/