 Originated ~ 1500 B.C. in India (oldest religion, traced back to Indus Valley civilization)  Founder – none (none known…)  Holy Text – Vedas

 House of Worship – individual homes, temples  Holy Site – Ganges River is considered sacred

 Beliefs  Polytheistic – belief in more than one god  Caste system – rigid society based on 5 classes  Reincarnation – to be born again Afterlife – Reincarnation – being “born again”, if you have lived a good life you may be born into a higher caste Practiced in India and Nepal

 Originated ~1300 B.C.  Founder was Abraham  Holy Text – Torah (Old Testament)

 House of Worship - Synagogue Star of David

 Holy Site – Western (or Wailing) Wall in Jerusalem

 Beliefs/History –  Monotheistic – one god  Jesus is viewed as a prophet, not Messiah  Sabbath (holy day) is sundown Friday to sundown Saturday  Some practice dietary food laws (Kosher – no pork)  Holocaust - during WWII 6 million Jews killed

 Afterlife- belief in Judgment Day (Heaven/Hell)  Practiced in Israel, Europe, and U.S. Judaism (cont.)

 Founded ~525 B.C.  Founder was Siddhartha Gautama (became known as “Buddha” or The Enlightened One)  Holy Text: The Tripitaka

 House of Worship – Temple  Beliefs – Break dependence on worldly desires to reach inner peace (Nirvana)  Did not believe in caste system  Afterlife – belief in reincarnation (to be born again)  Practiced in Asia (China)

 Founded in A.D. 30 in the Middle East  Founder was Jesus  Holy Text: New and Old Testament of the Bible  House of worship: Church or Cathedral

 Holy site: Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem)

 Beliefs:  Monotheistic – belief in one god  Jesus is Messiah  Sabbath is Sunday  10 Commandments  Roman Catholic, Protestant, Eastern Orthodox are all “subgroups” of Christianity Afterlife: Belief in Judgment Day (Heaven/Hell)

 Most practiced religion in the world.  Found in N. America, Europe, S. America, Africa, Australia, parts of Asia Thematic map of world religions

 Founded in ~A.D. 600  Founder is Muhammed  Holy Text: Qur’an (Koran) (written in Arabic)

 House of worship: Mosque

 Holy sites:  Kaaba in Mecca Medina in Saudi Arabia, (place of Muhammed’s birth) Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem (notice the Western Wall in the foreground)

 Beliefs:  Sabbath is Friday  Jesus accepted as prophet  God is Allah  Followers are called Muslims  Five Pillars of Faith 1. Prayer 5x each day facing Mecca 2. Declaration of Faith 3. Fasting during holy month of Ramadan 4. Almsgiving (charity) 5. Hajj – pilgrimage to Mecca

 Afterlife: Belief in Judgment Day (Heaven/Hell)  Fastest growing religion, found in Middle East, Africa, Europe, and N. America

The End