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World Religions
Religion is at the heart of all world cultures, it is a set of beliefs and a way of worship. Religions are as old as human kind and tries to answer the big questions. Some religions worship one God (monotheistic), some worship multiple Gods (polytheistic) and others have no God at all. All religions aim to give guidance or rules about the right way to live. No one knows the actual amount of different religions in existence but recent estimates suggest that there are around 4,500. The biggest religions are Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. Some newer religions include things like Jedi.
On this site we are focusing on Christianity, Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism. Looking at what they say about looking after our planet!
Islam is 1,400 old years old and is practiced by Muslims it originated in. Muslims believe in one creator God; Allah. The word Islam means obedience and many Muslims believe it is the purpose of humanity to do Allah's Will. Islam is a way of life which provides guidelines for the moral, legal, spiritual and political organization of society. These guidelines and the laws of Islam (Shari'a) can be found in the Qur'an (Muslims sacred text). Shari'a is made up of 5 categories of action; what Allah has decreed, what Allah has forbidden, what Allah has recommended, what Allah has disapproved of and what Allah has said nothing about. Islam teaches that Allah will Judge our actions if we have been Halal (good and lawful) we will go to heaven. If you have been Haram (done what is not allowed) you will go to hell. The Qur'an is believed to be the word of Allah recieved and revealed through the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) therefore it cannot be changed in any way. Muslims are encouraged to learn the Qur'an by heart in it's original language (Arabic). The 5 pillars of Islam of the foundations of the religion, these pillars are; Shahada- Statement of faith (No God but Allah and Muhammad(pbuh) is the messenger of Allah). Salat- Daily Worship (prayer 5 times a day facing towards Mecca). Zakat- Charitable giving. Sawm- Fasting (this mainly happens in the month of Ramadam). Hajj- Pilgrimage (this should be done atleast once in a lifetime). When possible worship should take place at the Mosque (Muslims place of worship). Muslims celebrate Eid twice a year.
Hinduism is around 4,500 years old but the word Hinduism didn't come into existence until the 19th Century (we're in the 21st century now, and a century is 100 years). It was born out of the worlds oldest civilizations and developed largely in India, peoples approaches to Hinduism can vary from region to region. However all Hindu's believe in reincarnation. They believe that how good or bad you are will influence the next life you have. A Hindu's place of worship is called a Mandir but most daily worship (Puja) takes place at home. Many Hindus have a shrine to a chosen God or Goddess in their homes. Hindus believe that Brahman is the unseen, all-powerful force responsible for bringing all creation into being. He is reached through his personal deities such as, Shiva ans Vishnu. Hindu have 2 sacred texts the Vedas, which is made up of four different texts, and the Uparishads. These are considered to be the word of God and therefore cannot be changed! Traditional Hinduism says that there are 4 main aims in life; Dharma, to perform the duties appropriate to your position in life, as well as being kind to others, being truthful, helping others, loving humanity and making sacrifices for others. The other 3 aims are Artyhs, Kama and Maksh. Hindu's festivals are Holi, Shivarartri, Janmashtami, Dusserah, Ganesh Chaturthi and Diwali.
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Christianity is 2000 years old and was started by a Jewish man named Jesus, in Palestine.There are many different denominations (types, they all have slightly different practices) of Christianity. Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God. Christians believe that there is one omnipotent creator, who is kind loving and forgiving. His nature is reflected in Jesus, his son. Christians believe that Jesus came to earth to teach us how to live in a way that will please God and to die for our sins. Jesus taught many things about how to live your lives, a lot of his teaching were done through parables (stories with meaning). His main teaching was that Christians should lead a simple and selfless love based on love. There are two types of love in Christianity; love of God and love of others (Agape, Christian/Brotherly love). Jesus's life and teachings can be found within the New Testament of the Bible. The Bible is made up of 66 books and arranged in 2 parts the Old Testament (based on the Hebrew bible) and the New Testament. Then special prayer (the Lords Prayer) Jesus taught his followers can also be found in the New Testament. Worship can take place anywhere but communal worship normally takes place at a Church. Worship in Christianity focus' on 5 themes; Adoration, Praise, Thanksgiving, Repentance and Petition. Sunday is a sacred day for Christian's as it is a day of rest, the day God rested after creating the world. Christian festivals are Christmas (the birth of Jesus) and Easter (the death and resurrection of Jesus).
Sikhism was founded in 1499, that's the 15th century CE, by Guru Nanak in what is now modern day Pakistan and North-West India. Sikh's believe that religious conflicts were harmful and that there is one God called Satguru. He created the world and all things in it. Sikhism is based on the desire to close to God and do Gods will. Many Sikh's also believe that a true love of God is not possible without a love of all humanity. Satgurus will is taught through the 10 gurus, the word guru means spiritual guide or teacher. Guru Nanak was the first guru he then had 9 successors and the final guru was in the form of a book. This is known as the Adi Granth. The holy scriptures in Sikhism is called Guru Granth Sahib. There are many sacred places in Sikhism, the place of worship is called a Gurdwara. They also have a holy city called Amritsar in which the 'Golden Temple', built by Guru Arjan, can be found. The Golden temple is also know as the 'house of God' by some Sikh's. There are many festivals celebrated in Sikhism, these are; Hola, Mahalla, Baisakhi and Diwali (the Hindu festival is used to celebrate Guru Hargobind's release from prison.
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Most religions teach that proper respect for the divine should be mirrored in proper respect for the whole of creation.
- Barnes, T
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