World Religions

6th grade Social Studies

Mrs. Galati

What is religion?• In ancient times, people tried to explain the world

around them as the works of the gods, and they often prayed and gave thanks to the gods for the gifts of nature

• Today people have a wide variety of beliefs and ways of worship

• Most religions share a common purpose of trying to explain the mysteries of life: how the world was created, why it was created, what happens after death, and why there is suffering in the world.

What is religion?

Most religions are centered around the worship of one god (monotheism) or many gods (polytheism)

What makes up one’s religion?•Customs/traditions

•Beliefs

•History

•Clothing

•Symbols

•Holidays and celebrations

•Places of worship

•Rites of passage

•Food

Religions Around the WorldWhile there are many religions practiced around the

world, we will be focusing on five main religions.

Judaism

Christianity

Islam

Hinduism

Buddhism

JUDAISM

Judaism-Basic Facts

• Judaism is a monotheistic religion- Jews believe in only one god who is eternal.

• There are approximately 13-15 million Jews in the world, with the largest populations being in Israel and the US

• There are three main Jewish groups or branches:Orthodox Jews, Conservative Jews, and Reform Jews

• According to Jewish law, if your mother is Jewish, you are also Jewish.

Judaism-A Brief History

• Judaism began about 4,000 years ago when Abraham made an agreement with God, promising that him and his people would obey and worship only one god. In return, God promised to make Jews the Chosen People and lead them to the Promised Land.

• Moses lived about 500 years after Abraham and he rescued the Jews from their lives of slavery in Egypt. Moses, too, spoke to God and promised that the Jews would obey his laws, the Ten Commandments, and in return, he would take special care of them.

• Jews have faced much persecution and have fought many wars, leading to diaspora- the scattering of the Jewish people. Because of this, Jews are now spread around the world, but mainly in the US, Europe and Israel.

Judaism-A Brief History• During WWII, Jews were a target of

prejudice and persecution, now known as the Holocaust. During the Holocaust, an estimated 6 million Jews were murdered.

• Adolf Hitler, the leader of Germany, made Jews the scapegoat for all of the problems of Germany and vowed to eliminate them.

• Anne Frank, whose diary is a very famous book read around the world today, was a young girl who was victim of the Holocaust.

The Torah and Other Holy Books

• The first five books of the Jewish Bible are called the Torah

• “Torah” means teachings, and it tells Jews what God is like, as well as contains the laws that govern Jewish life

• The Torah is written on scrolls and is read in synagogue when Jews worship

• Jews also study Talmud, which is the teachings of rabbis collected over many years

• Nevi’im, the teaching of the prophets, and Ketuvim, which are the songs, stories, and psalms from Jewish history, also make up the Jewish holy books.

Holidays, Celebrations and Customs

Important Holidays:Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New YearYom Kippur: The day of atonement or repentancePassover: Celebrates and remembers the escape and freedom of the Jews from

slavery in EgyptHanukkah: The festival of lights, celebrating a miraculous lamp that stayed lit for

8 nights, with only enough oil for one.

Celebrations and Rites of Passage:

Bar and Bat Mitzvahs: When a young Jew reaches the age of 13, they are considered old enough to take on the responsibilities of a Jewish adult.

Jewish Weddings: Jews get married under a chuppah, and stomp on a wine glass at the end of the ceremony to signify the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem.

The Sabbath, or Shabbat: This is the Jewish holy day, which starts at sunset every Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday. This is the day God rested, and therefore is a day of rest for all Jews.

Important People and Places in the Jewish Religion

• Synagogue (or temple) is where Jews practice their religion and worship God.

• A rabbi is a teacher trained in Jewish law. He or she helps Jews study the Torah, and conduct religious services on Shabbat and other holidays.

• The ark is a special cabinet at the front of the synagogue where the Torah is kept

• The bimah is a special platform where the rabbi stands and where Torah is read.

Food, clothes, symbols, and miscellaneous!

• Yarmulke or kippah: a skull cap warn by Jewish men as a sign of respect to God

• Tallit: A prayer robe worn by Jewish men in the synagogue

• Star of David: A six pointed star that is the main symbol of Judaism

• Menorah: A candle stick with seven branches that stands in the synagogue. A different version of this menorah is used on Hannukah

• Mezuzah: A tiny prayer scroll in a protective box, fastened on the right hand side of a door

• Kosher: Jews eat foods that follow special dietary laws. All plants are kosher, but not all animal products are.

CHRISTIANITY

Christianity- The Basics• Christianity is a monotheistic religion- Christians

believe in one god, who is seen in three different ways- God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit

• There are more than 1.7 billion Christians in the world, and over 22,000 different groups or churches within the Christian faith

• The three largest groups of Christians: Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics and Protestants

• Christianity began approximately 2000 years ago, when Jesus, believed to be the son of God, lived on Earth.

Christianity- A Brief History

• Jesus was born a Jew in the town of Bethlehem, and was raised in Nazereth, where he trained to be a carpenter.

• Jesus was baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist, which began his new life.

• Shortly after, at approximately the age of 30, Jesus traveled around country teaching and preaching to people to love God and obey his laws. Jesus’ stories and teachings were called parables.

• Jesus had twelve close followers, known as the disciples or apostles.

Christianity- A Brief History• Jesus was loved by many, but mistrusted by others. Betrayed

by one of his own followers, he was arrested by Roman leaders and put on trial, where he was sentenced to death by crucifixion (being nailed to a wooden cross)

• Three days after his death, Jesus’ disciples found his tomb empty and believed that he was alive, or has risen from the dead. Over the next 40 days, Jesus appeared to them several times before finally rising up to heaven.

• Christians believe that Jesus’ death and resurrection opened

up the way to God, and that he died so their sins would be forgiven.

• After Jesus’ death, his disciples continued his work and teachings.

• Hundreds of years after Jesus lived, Christianity split into the many groups we see today.

The Bible: Old and New Testament

• The Christian Holy Book is called the Bible, and it is divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament

• The Old Testament is almost the same as the Jewish Bible or Torah

•The New Testament tells the importance of the life and death of Jesus for Christians and contains other writings from early days of Christianity

•The New Testament is made up of the four Gospels. The writers of the Gospels tried to tell the stories of what Jesus did and why he was so important.

•The New Testament also contains The Book of Acts, letters, and the book of Revelation

Holidays, Celebrations and Customs

Important Holidays:Christmas: Celebrates the birth of Jesus

Easter: The remembrance of Jesus’ death and the celebration of his resurrection.

Lent: When Christians remember the 40 days Jesus spent alone and hungry in the desert

Important Events and Rites of Passage:Baptism: Can take place with infants or adults. The sign of the cross is traced on a baby’s

forehead . As an adult, you may be immersed in water. This symbolizes sins being washed away and a new start as a Christian

Christening: A baby is given his or her first or Christian names. Godparents are chosen.

Communion: Worshippers eat a wafer and sip wine symbolizing the body and blood of Jesus. This remembers the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Confirmation: The promises made for children at baptism are confirmed and they become full members of the church. Here children are welcomed into God’s family.

Important People and Places• The word church can be used to mean a group of Christians who worship

together or the building in which worship takes place

• The most important churches are called cathedrals

• Orthodox churches are usually square with a dome roof.

• Protestant churches are often called parish churches.

• Church services are lead by a priest or a pastor

• In Catholicism, the leaders of the church are called priests, and the senior priests are called bishops. Women cannot be priests, and priests are not allowed to marry.

• Roman Catholics believe that the Pope is the most important person in the Church. “Pope” means father.

Symbols and Miscellaneous

• The cross is the most common symbol of Christianity

• Another symbol of Christianity is a fish

• The dove is the symbol of the Holy Ghost

ISLAM

Islam-Basic Facts• Islam is the third monotheistic religion- people who practice this religion

believe in one god, Allah, who is eternal.

• While Islam is the name of the religion, people who follow this religion are called Muslims.

• The words Muslim and Islam both come from an Arabic word meaning submission, and Muslims therefore submit to God, meaning they obey his authority.

• There are an estimated 1.5-1.6 billion Muslims in the world, making Islam the second largest religion, after Christianity.

• There are two main groups of Muslims- the Sunnis and the Shi’ites.

Islam- History/Beliefs•Islam is based on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca in 570 CE.

•At the age of 40, Muhammad received a message from God to pass on to the people of Mecca about how they should be living their lives. These messages or revelations kept coming to Muhammad through the archangel Gabriel, the rest of his life, and became the basis for the Koran.

•Muhammad taught that there was only one God, Allah, and that it was wrong to worship other gods or idols. He told people how to live their lives, being kind and generous to the poor and weak.

Islam- History/Beliefs

Muslims believe in the 5 pillars of Islam:

1. Allah is the only God and Muhammad is his messenger/prophet

2. Muslims must pray 5 times a day facing Mecca

3. Muslims must give alms (money) to charity or the poor

4. Muslims must fast for one month (not eating or drinking during daylight) during Ramadan

5. Once in their lifetimes, Muslims should make a pilgrimage to Mecca

The Koran (Qur’an) and other holy books

•Muslims believe the words of the Koran are the words of Allah, given to Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel. Muhammad recited them to his friends, who eventually wrote them down.

•The Koran is treated with great respect, and when not in use, it is kept carefully wrapped. Before touching the Koran, Muslims often wash or have a bath. Many times it is placed on a stand so that it does not need to be handled too much

•The Koran is made up of 114 chapters called surahs.

•Prophets from other religions, such as Abraham, Moses and Jesus are also mentioned in the Koran.

•The Hadith is the other important collection of Islamic teachings. The book contains a collection of sayings from Muhammad, and is often a place that Muslims look for advice.

Holidays, Celebrations and Customs

Important Holidays/Events:

Ramadan: For a month each year, Muslims fast during the hours of daylight to show patience and the importance of religion over everything else.

Id-ul-Fitr: This is the celebration that ends Ramadan, marked by the rising of he new moon. There are parties and feasts

Maulid al Nabi: This is the celebration of the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday

Ashura- The beginning of the Muslim New Year, when Allah made the world.

Growing Up/ Rites of Passage:

Birth: As soon as a baby is born, they are brought into the faith as quickly as possible with a ceremony and prayers whispered in the baby’s ears.

Aqiqah: At seven days old, the baby is given a Muslim name

From the age of four, children are expected to go to the madrasah regularly, a school to learn to read and write Arabic and recite the Koran.

The Mosque and Hajj•The Muslim place of worship is called a Mosque, which means “a place to bow down”

•Some mosques have a tall tower called a minaret.

•Mosques usually have a large courtyard leading to a covered prayer hall, and a place for Muslim to wash before prayer. The prayer hall is covered with carpets.

•On the wall of the mosque is an alcove called a mihrab, which shows the direction of Mecca, so they know the right way to face when they pray.

•In the mosque, men and women worship separately.

•An imam is a prayer leader who gives the sermons in the mosque.

Hajj is the name given to the pilgrimage, or religious journey, Muslims must make to Mecca at least once in their lifetimes. Every year, millions of Muslims travel from all over the world to make this pilgrimage. When in Mecca, they worship the Ka’aba, a cube-shaped shrine believed to have been built by Abraham.

Food, clothes, symbols, and miscellaneous!

•The star and crescent symbol is one of the most famous symbols of Islam, and is even featured on the flags of many countries in the Islamic world, including Turkey and Pakistan.

Muslim women dress much differently than women in the US. They believe in covering themselves up. Many Muslim women wear a hijab which is a veil or scarf that covers their head. They also usually wear full length dresses.

Women may even be seen wearing a full body covering that covers even there face, leaving a mesh screen over the eyes. This is called a burqa.

Similar to the Jewish “kosher” diet restrictions, there are certain foods that are forbidden for Muslims. Good foods are halal, while forbidden foods are called haram. Anything that comes from an animal which eats another animal is haram. Alcohol is also considered haram, and is banned in Muslim countries.