1. What is religion?

2. What does text mean?
Using what you know about texting, try to figure out what “religious text” means. Hint: It has nothing to do with cell phones.

3. If the Greek prefix mono means “one” and theism means ”the belief in God or gods,”
what does the word monotheistic mean?

4. Who was Abraham?
(Not Abraham Lincoln)

5. List as many religions as you can.

6. Is there anything you think most religions have in common?

7. World Religions

9. Hinduism Many gods and goddesses
Birth
Life
Death
Hinduism
Started 1500 BCE
Many gods and goddesses
Reincarnation, the continuous cycle of rebirth
Sacred writing is the Vedas (include prayers, hymns, rituals, Hindu philosophy and mystical texts
Important gods: Brahma, the god of creation
Vishnu, the preserver of the universe
Shiva, the destroyer

10. Buddhism Started 563 BCE Founder was Siddhartha Gautama, a Hindu
He became known as Buddha, which means “enlightened one”
He taught four noble truths:
Life has suffering
We suffer because we want power and riches
To not suffer, we need to not want power and riches
To give up wanting power and riches, we must follow the Eight-Fold Path

11. Buddhism continued The Eight-Fold Path
Right understanding
Right thought
Right speech
Right action
Right livelihood
Right effort
Right mindfulness
Right concentration

12. Judaism Abraham was the father of the Jewish people One God
Started around 2000 BCE
Abraham was the father of the Jewish people
One God
God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, laws that tell how Jews should live their lives
A traditional belief is that a messiah, or savior will come and lead the Jewish people to defeat their enemies

13. Christianity People who believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ
He was born between 6 and 4 BCE
He gathered disciples.
Jesus was a Jew
He believed in one God
Taught that anyone who believed in Him would have eternal life and forgiveness.
His disciples recorded his teachings in the gospels which are a part of the New Testament.

14. Islam Started around 600 CE Based on the teachings of Muhammad
He claimed that Allah (God) sent the angel Gabriel to him
Gabriel told him he needed to be a messenger for Allah
Believes in one God
Muhammad’s revelations were collected in a book called Koran, a sacred book that states how people should live their lives.

15. Buddhism Christianity Hinduism
Choose the correct religion to match with the description below:
Buddhism Christianity Hinduism
Islam Judaism
monotheistic; Torah; conservative; orthodox; reform
Universe has one divine soul; karma; Brahma; Vishnu; Shiva
Four noble truths; nirvana; reincarnation
Monotheistic; Bible; Jesus Christ; Catholicism; Protestantism
Monotheistic; Allah; Koran; five pillars