H O U R 1

COMPARATIVE RELIGIONS

EASTERN & “WESTERN” RELIGIONS

Eastern (Asian based wisdom traditions)

• Buddhism

• Hinduism

• Taoism

• Confuciansim

Western (Really middle eastern traditions )

• Judaism

• Christianity

• Islam

WHAT IS JUDAISM?

Religious Judaism

Key Ideas

• What did we see in the

Tanakh?

• What does it mean to be

God’s chosen people?

• What are covenants and

how are we supposed to fulfil

them?

Tanakh

Believes in “orthopraxy”,

Correct action as evidence of faith

FULFILLING THE COVENANTS: THE WAY OF THE TORAH

FULFILLING THE COVENANTS: THE WAY OF THE TORAH

Variations on Judaism

1. Reform Judaism • Should adapt to changing world.

• Be loyal to birth country.

• Committed to ethical teaching,

but not strict laws of Torah.

2. Orthodox Judaism • Should have strict observance of

the Torah.

3. Conservative Judaism • Middle ground between Reform &

Orthodox.

• Recognizes authority of scriptures.

• But, admits interpretation may

need to be changed.

MEANING IN THE FUTURE

“The End of Days”

Some Common (but not Necessarily Universal) Beliefs

• End of the world.

• Redemption for Israel.

• All nations recognizing God of Israel as the only true God.

• Coming of a Messiah.

• Bodily resurrection and Judgment:

• Eternal life in New Eden or punishment.

• Though not much said about afterlife.

Key Idea:

Judaism much more concerned about life, than afterlife.

THE MESSIAH

The Messiah “The Anointed One” (Not “Savior”)

People and objects were anointed with oil to be marked as holy.

Variations on the Messiah

• Orthodox: • A messiah (from David’s line) will come to restore Israel, build a 3rd Temple,

and usher in era of peace.

• Reform: • A messianic era of peace, but no messiah.

• Conservative: • “Messiah” is metaphorical. We each should strive to bring about messianic

era.

WHAT’S THE CORE? (EVEN IN NON-RELIGIOUS TERMS)

• What is the Ultimate • God

• Human Condition? • “Off the mark” from what God had intended.

• How to Transcend the Human Condition? • Live the way God has asked us to: the way of the Torah.

• What’s the key idea to you? • Faith.

• Personal responsibility.

• Significance of our choices. Meaning of events (past & future).

• Mankind as “Family”

• Do you see similarities with any religions you’re familiar with?

JUDAISM QUESTIONS (LAST WEEK)

You ever felt like can’t catch a break?

Ever wondered why bad things happen

to you? What it all means?

ISLAM QUESTIONS

You ever searching for something really

important, only to later remember

you’ve had it the entire time?

THE WORLD RELIGIONS (WORLD COMPRISED OF DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES)

• Unaffiliated = claim not to

be part of a religion.

• *Includes followers of

African traditional

religions, Chinese folk

religion, Native American

Religions, and Australian

aboriginal religions.

• **Includes Bahai’s, Jains,

Sikhs, Shintoists, Taoists,

Wiccans, Zoroastrians,

and other faiths.

THE POPULATION OF ISLAM

Guess The Population

Which countries do you think have the most Muslims?

Rank Your Top Five

Syria Saudi Arabia Indonesia

Pakistan Afghanistan Sudan

India Iraq Turkey

Iran Bangladesh Egypt

Nigeria Algeria Morocco

THE POPULATION OF ISLAM

Guess The Population

Rank your top five: which countries do you think have the most Muslims?

1. Indonesia

2. Pakistan

3. India

4. Bangladesh

5. Egypt

• More Muslims in Africa & Asia than the “Middle East.”

• Fastest growing religion. On pace to surpass Christianity.

• Why do you think?

Afghanistan - #13

Saudi Arabia - #14

Syria - #15

THE POPULATION OF ISLAM

More Muslims in Africa & Asia than “Middle East”

THE POPULATION OF ISLAM

Fastest Growing Religion.

On Pace to Pass Christianity.

Why do you think?

REVIEW: FORKING PATHS OF ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS

Abraham

Isaac

(son from Abraham’s wife Sarah)

Judaism

Modern Judaism

Christianity

Ishmael

(son from Sarah’s handmaiden Hagar)

Islam

Red

Sea Hagar &

Ishmael

Abrahamic

Origins

What do you associated with

Islam?

ISLAM (ALLAH)

ISLAM (MOSQUES)

ISLAM (MOSQUES)

ISLAM (MOSQUES)

ISLAM (MOSQUES)

ISLAM (PRAYER)

ISLAM (PILGRIMAGE)

ISLAM (MECCA)

ISLAM (MECCA)

ISLAM (QUR’AN)

ISLAM (SUNNI & SHIA)

ISLAM (HALAL)

ISLAM (CRESCENT)

ISLAM (SUFI)

ISLAM (RUMI)

ISLAM (WHIRLING DERVISHES)

WHAT IS ISLAM?

Allah • A contraction of al- ‘illah (“The God”)

Muslim: • “One who submits to Allah”

Islam: • “Peace”, “Submission to Allah”

Peace can be found by remembering to submit to the will of Allah

(Does this kind of sound familiar?)