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Religions

This page details the various main stream religions and their beliefs, and views on the meaning of life. Reading through these will, I'm sure, help you to understand some of the contemporary views on life, and its meaning(s).

Okay, Ill start with Judaism, because I can!

JUDAISM

The history of Judaism is closely linked with the history of the ancient kingdom of the Hebrews, Israel. The good old ' single god' principle' (also know as monotheism) is widely held to stem form Judaism, and the ideas guiding the faith area animated by the belief that God directs all aspects of human life and activity. Jewish law teaches that the Hebrews are descended from Abraham, the Patriarch with whom god formed the Covenant ( a binding contract). Practising Jews believe that, in return for their love and obedience, God promised to sustain them as HIS people.

Naturally being monotheists they only have one God.

The scripture of Judaism is called the Torah. The Torah is the five books of Moses that begin the Hebrew (and, of course, Christian) bible. It contains the Jewish law, authoritative from Biblical times to date. The 10 Commandments area t the heart of the Law (random quote: 'the house of bondage'!). They form the moral guide for the entire Jewish - Christian tradition and are also a deep influence on Islam, which regards Moses' delivery of them (don't think Shane Ward) as a divine revelation.

Judaism is a very diverse faith. However there are 6 principle that all Jews recognise and embrace:

There is only one God

 God is the ultimate authority, with dominion over the universe

 Life is holy

 The Torah is the word of God

 Group prayer and worship are central to a righteous (not Bill and Ted) life

 All Jews share a common destiny, sense of collective purpose and a responsibility for each other

There are four notable branches to the Jewish faith: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist.

Thank you and over to Christianity -

CHRISTIANITY:

Christianity has grown form a tiny sect in first century Palestine to be one of the worlds largest faith, LARGE! At its heart is the figure of Christ, or Jesus, a Jew who had a popular ministry embracing sinners and Outkasts (sorry Miss Jackson woo) and promoted love and tolerance. His claim to be the messiah won him both followers and detractors.

The faith believes in only one god: God. But Catholics believe in a 'triune' God - the trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This would seem to defy rational explanation, but its religion so there!

The majority of Christians accept the Bible as the inspired word of God. It consists of 39 sacred Hebrew and Aramaic books (the Old Testament is about fighting and cool stuff) and 27 books from the years following Jesus' ministry (the New Testament - boring).

Christianity is often seen as a 'work in progress' religion, its a direction as opposed to a ridgid set of principles. However, Chritians beleive that Jesus was both God and Man, born to redeem the Human race; that he was executed and rose from the dead, enabling man to achieve true salavation. His teachings of mercy and forgiveness are accepted and celebrated and Christians expect his second coming. They also beleive that good will prevail over evil. So there!

There are many churches of Christianity, with Roman Catholic being the largest religion on the planet. Eastern Orthodox, of which Russian is a branch, are most prominant today; and Protestant - from C of E to the Shakers. (dont think dodgy welsh retrograde rockers!)

ISLAM:

The third great monotheistic religion. A religious system laid out by the prophet Mohammed in the seventh century. 622 is celebrated as the first year of the Muslim era. Mohammed was born around 570 in Mecca (not the club in exeter!) and he is viewed as the final prophet of God. Islam, today boastin over 900 million 'members', translates as submission - as in submission to God ( a muslim is one who submitts). It teaches social and personal codes for both sexs.

Muslims have only one God, ie God. He requires moral behaviour and total devotion.

The Qu'arn (pro. Koran) authoritative only in Arabic. Teaches that human life is a test and we will be rewarded or punished for our actions in this life, in the next one. So basically if you act imorally then in the next life you will be born a Tory voter, or summat...... The second Islamic scripture is the Sahria, or Law, whcih takes in all human endeavour.

There are five articles of faith in the Muslim creed. They are - a belef in a single god, angles, the revealed books, the prophets and The Day Of Judgement. The five pillars of the muslim faith, essential to all followers, are:

1. Confession of faith in God and his prophet Mohammed.

2. Ritual worship - prayers five times a day, directed towards Mecca.

3. Alms giving - the 'Zakat, or a purification tax on property, given for the benifit of the poor.

4. Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.

5. Pilgrimage, or Hajj - every Muslim is expected to visit Mecca at least once.

There are two main branches of the faith - The Sunni sect, which emphasises the direct relationship with Alla, without a human meditator, i.e. a cleric. About 90% Muslims worship in this sect. The Shiit sects doctrine is focused on a figure known as the Imam, whose leadership enables full understanding of the Qu'ran. LARGE! in Iran.

HINDUISM:

Hindu means 'Indian', and Hinduism incorporates countless Indian beliefs, sects and practises, some ancient, some more recent. Developed over perhaps 4,000 years, it arose from no single person nor event. Thus believers regard it as having exsisted forever. Emphasis is placed upo obtaining freedom from the perceived (physical) world and reaching Brahman (the Absolute), an eternal, reality-transending form. The concept of reincarnation is centeral to Hinduism, and loosely collected beliefs are combined with techniques like meditation and study to promote spiritual developmen.

Hinduism has a VAST range of Gods and deities! It claims literally thousands of the chaps! It dosent really see montheism and polytheism as being incompatable, however. Believers understand the many Hindu deities as sybols for a single transcendent reality, Brahman.

Important Gods include the triad of Brahma (the creator of the world), Vishnu and Shiva (see the Kama Sutra), as well as Krishna, Rama and Shakti. Worship of Shakti gave rise to the Tantric practises so beloved of Sting! (the singer, not the wrestler!)

The main Hindu scripter of Hinduism is the Vedas, a great collection of early Hindu religious writings outlining spirtual principles accepted by all Hindus. The next the Hindu scripture is the Upanishads - direct accounts from spirtually enhanced mystics (see drug users) whcih set out the principles of reincarnation.

Preciseuniveral principles are hard to come by and dont play a major role in Hinduism. The following are, however, beleifs commonly accepted by Hindu beievers:

1. The Vedas present divenly inspred teachings.

2. Brahman is made manifest in a variety of forms, all best understood as symbols of divine truth.

3. Brahman may be reached through many different paths.

4. The physical world is illusory and conceals the divine truth form all but the wisest.

5. The doctrine of Karma ensures full accountability for every thought, word or deed.

6. The doctrine of reincarnation holds that one is trapped in the cycle of life and death ('samsara') until attaining true realisation.

7. A devotee can embrace any number of revealed forms of the Absolute in any number of ways.

Hinduism is one of the most diverse faith and has a simply huge range of branches. Far beyond the scope of this project to list them all.......... sorry

and finally..........

BUDDHISM:

Developed in India, Buddhism has its origins in the sixth century BC, when Prince Siddartha Gautama renounced his opulent lifestyle and began searching for liberation and the solution to human suffering. After some years he achieved enlightenment, realising he was Buddha. (you would have thought he'd know!?)

The faith he developed emphasises freedom from delusion, desire, anger and ignorance. Buddhism has tranlated teachings of divine love and transcendent purpose into pacifism that shapes human action on a rather gurt scale.

Buddha taught that the many Hindu gods do exsist but that they do not hold a dominion over human life.

The Theravada school of Buddhism has scriptures in three parts known as the Tipitaka. The scriptures of the Mahayana scholl of Buddhism are the Mahayana sutras. Among the best known Tibetan Buddhist scrpitures is the 'Bardo Thodol' or theTibetan book of the dead. Ego death man....

Buddhists are commited not to kill, steal, act in an unchaste manner, speak falsely or take intoxicants (Doh!). The founding ideas and bedrock of the faith are The Four Noble Truths (theres four of 'em ya know?).

1. Life is suffering

2. Suffering has a cause: craving and attachment.

3. Craving and attachment can be overcome.

4. The path towards ending craving and attachments is an eightfold path: right understanding, right purpose, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right alertness and finally right concentration.

There are four main branches of Buddhism, each of which contians its own different movements and trends. They are: Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan and Zen.

PhillDuryistines

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