Warm-Up Discussion Questions

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Warm-Up Discussion Questions

• Why do you think so many different cultures
  subscribe to some form of religion?
• Does religion play an active role in our society?
  Why or Why Not?
• 3. How would the world be a different place
  without religion?

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World Religions

• Icons, Texts Symbols

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Terms for Understanding

• Monotheism The belief in one God
• Polytheism The belief in many Gods
• Deity a God
• Reincarnation Rebirth after death
• Sect a separate religious group within a
  religion having alternative views

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Buddhism

• Founder Siddhartha Guatama (563-483 BC)
• He is known as Buddha or enlightened one
• Most Buddhists live in Sri Lanka, East
  Southeast Asia Japan
• 354 Million followers

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Core Beliefs Key to happiness is to detach
oneself from all worldly goods and desires.
Reincarnation. No Deity. Sacred Text
Perfection of Wisdom Sutra-an 11th century text
relating the life teachings of Buddha
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Christianity

• Founder Jesus Christ
• Deity God
• Largest religion in the world - 1.9 billion
  followers
• Europe, Latin America, Africa, North America

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Core Beliefs There is only one God
(Monotheism) Jesus entered the world and died to
save humanity. Sacred Text The Bible 2 parts
Old Testament New Testament
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Hinduism

• Founder None
• Deities 3 main Gods-Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
• Polytheistic
• Worlds oldest religion
• Major religion of India
• 762 Million followers

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Core Beliefs persons reach true enlightenment
happiness only after they free themselves from
their Earthly desires. Karma determines
reincarnation. Sacred Texts Many. A few are
The Vedas Bhagavad-Gita
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Judaism

• Founder Abraham
• Deity God (Yahweh)
• Monotheistic
• 14 million followers worldwide
• Most practiced Religion in Israel

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Core Beliefs Moral conduct the belief in one
God Sacred Texts The Hebrew Bible, The Torah
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Islam

• Founder Muhammad
• Deity God (Allah)
• Monotheistic
• 2nd Largest religion 1.2 billion followers
• Africa, Southwest Asia (Middle East), Southeast
  Asia

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Core Beliefs There is only one God. The Five
Pillars of Islam Faith, Charity, Fasting,
Prayer, Pilgrimage to Mecca Sacred Text The
Quran (Koran)
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Confucianism

• Founder Confucius
• (551-479 BC)
• Deity Confucius (viewed by many as a God)
• Mostly a Chinese religion-although
  officially,Communist China is atheist

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Core Beliefs Social order, responsibility,
harmony, good government. Respect for family
education stressed Sacred Text The Analects, a
collection of Confucius teachings from 400
BC. Confucius has been compared to the great
Greek philosopher Aristotle for his humanistic
view high moral standards.
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There can be many different sects within the same
religion.
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Question

• The major world religions are all based on
  very peaceful foundations and rules. That being
  said, why do you think religion is the source of
  so much conflict in history?