PLACARD 1 - CHRISTIANITY Followers are called Christians Monotheistic Central figures are God & Jesus Sacred text is called the Bible (specifically the New Testament) Holy sites are Jerusalem & Bethlehem Christianity is found primarily in North and South America, Europe, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Sub-Saharan Africa

PLACARD 2 - JUDAISM Followers are called Jews Monotheistic Central figures are God & Moses Sacred text is called the Torah (the Old Testament) Holy site is the city of Jerusalem, specifically the last piece of Solomon’s Temple: the Wailing Wall The Jews have spread many times due to diaspora, eventually ending up in North America, Europe, and the Middle East

PLACARD 3 - ISLAM Followers are called Muslims Monotheistic Central figures are Allah, Mohammed The sacred texts are the Qur’an and Sunnah Holy sites are the Ka’aba in Mecca & the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem Islam is found in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America

PLACARD 4 - HINDUISM Followers are called Hindu Polytheistic Central figures are the numerous gods and the Brahman The sacred texts are the Vedas & the Bhagavad Gita The Ganges River is considered holy, and is used for bathing to cleanse the soul Hinduism is almost exclusively practiced in India and its surrounding countries

PLACARD 5 - SIKHISM Followers are called Sikhi Monotheistic Central figures are God & the first Guru: Nanak The sacred text is called Adi Granth, or First Volume The Golden Temple in Punjab, India, is considered to be holy Sikhism is found in Asia, Europe, and North America

PLACARD 6 - ANIMISM Includes practitioners of Shintoism, as well as Tribal and Pagan beliefs Polytheistic Ancestors, animals, various objects are worshipped No central sacred text, as Animism describes many different religious views No central sacred sites, as Animism describes many different religious views Mainly found in developing nations or remote parts of the world, where tribalism still reigns

PLACARD 7 - BUDDHISM Followers are called Buddhists There are no real gods, however the Buddha is venerated Important figures include Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) & the Dalai Lama Some central texts include the Pāli Tipitaka and the Mahayana Sutras Tibet is considered a holy place Buddhism is practiced in many different ways in India, China, Japan, and Tibet

Religions & Philosophies Christianity Judaism Islam Hinduism Sikhism Animism Buddhism All Images courtesy of Wikimedia and the Department of Veterans Affairs

Christianity Christianity is based on the teachings of Jesus, who is believed to be the son of God. Jesus taught that all were equal in the eyes of God, and deserved compassion and love. Later adherents of Christianity, such as the Apostle Paul and Emperor Constantine, added more teachings and rules to Jesus’ initial sermons.

Judaism Judaism is built on the sacred laws collected in the Torah, which emphasize devotion to Jehovah, adherence to family tradition, and the consumption of kosher foods. Instructions from Moses on how to worship God throughout the year during “feasts” are also described.

Islam Islam is based on the visions of Mohammed, who is considered to be the last great prophet of Allah to mankind. Mohammed taught that all good Muslims adhered to the 5 Pillars, which included: faith, prayer, alms (charity), fasting, and a pilgrimage to the Ka’aba (Mecca) at least once in their lives, called the Hajj.

Hinduism Hinduism is based on the pursuit of Nirvana, or true peace and enlightenment. This is accomplished through samsara, a perpetual cycle of reincarnation based on the adherent’s previous actions, or karma. Hinduism also structures everyday interactions through a rigid caste system.

Sikhism Sikhism teaches that devotion to God and a denouncement of superstitious rituals and the 5 Evils (Ego, Anger, Greed, Attachment, Lust) lead to holiness. All Sikh men are charged with wearing the 5 Kahaar (uncut hair, a small comb, a warrior’s iron bracelet, a warrior’s dagger, and a warrior’s leggings) in order to achieve this holiness.

Animism Animism focuses on the aspects of spiritualism, or the belief that animals, objects, plants, and the dead all have spirits. Though this is mostly relegated to tribal or pagan belief systems, it has influenced the beliefs of other religions, spawning the belief that souls existed in not only man, but animals and plants.

Buddhism Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, which he began after a revelatory pilgrimage in his youth. His main principles revolved around the 4 Noble Truths: the recognition of suffering, the realization of suffering’s origins, the cessation of suffering, and the Eightfold Path to Enlightenment.