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Within these pages you will find information on the five major world religions. This is a special publication for teens so we hope you enjoy.

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N.G.F.T: Religion 5—28—2009

N.G.F.T: Religion

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What You Want to Know About Jewish Faith.

Authors :Paul Kouros, Brian Stodola, Dominick Richards

There is information about Judaism on this page. The information is revolving around the geography, be-liefs, practices, formation and history of the religion.

Page 5

Middle East Yeast, Islam, It’s Rising



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Rub Da Buddha Belly. Authors :Paul Kouros, Brian Stodola, Dominick Richards


Page 8

Who’s Your Father?



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How Many Gods Does It Take to Reach Eternal Peace?



Table of Contents

N.G.F.T: Religion

Judaism is heavily impacted by their geography, beliefs, practices, and the formation and history of the religion. An interesting fact is that Jerusalem is located in the desert. In the Torah, god told the Jewish people that the city of Jerusalem which is in the desert, belonged to them. In the same way their beliefs and practices impact their religion in a big way. They believe that Jesus was a prophet, not a deity, and they eat kosher foods. Last and most importantly there are a few important people and events that started this religion. Abraham founded this religion but it was him and his family that got it started. Over all the geography, beliefs, practices, and formation and history coincide with the way they live as Jew-ish people.

Judaism is highly concentrated in the city of Jerusa-lem which is located in the desert. The best way to start is to discuss the physical layout of the region.

Jerusalem was a barren land and the Jewish people that in-herited the city turned it into an oasis in the desert. Another interesting fact is that there are Jewish people everywhere around the world. There are 13 million people who believe in the Judaism faith. Lastly people who believe in the Judaism faith live all around the world. Most Jews live in Jerusalem because that is where most Jews lived during the formation of Judaism. There is no doubt that anywhere you go whether it is in the desert or to the city; you might find someone who is Jewish.

There are many different beliefs in Judaism that make it what it is. For example the role of their god is not only creator but one who should be loved. In the Torah it says “love the lord your god with all your heart, soul, and mind.” Even more compelling is how the people should love and worship god. The Torah is always stating that you should love god. The final example to note is how the relationship with their god is that of a father and son. In the Torah the Israelites are god’s children and he is their father. Of course these facts make it obvious that Judaism is special when it comes to its beliefs.

There are many different practices that go along with Judaism. For instance the people worship in a building called a synagogue. There are many synagogues located in many places, and they are strictly for Judaism worship. Also they have someone called a rabbi which is a teacher, and a leader in the church. Jesus was known as rabbi and teacher which im-plies that rabbi is teacher. Lastly the people have holy days and celebrations which help with prayer and meditation. A great example of this is the Sabbath because the people do not work so that they can pray and meditate to help them connect with god. As a result we can safely say that there are many practices that make Judaism what it is.

There are a few important people to the Judaism religion that make it what it is today. Initially the founder of the religion was Abraham. Abraham was the son of a Terach and Abra-ham questioned his beliefs so Abraham went out on his own to find the real answers and he finds that the universe is the work of a single creator so he taught that to others. In addition Judaism started around 1010 BCE. He created the belief of monotheism which is the belief in one god and this started many other religions. In conclusion, Judaism has a very interesting part in many dif-ferent religions.

In conclusion, Judaism is a very special religion that has a lot of special qualities. One notable example is that the religion impacts the surrounding community. People that believe in Judaism believe that god gave them the Gaza strip and that is causing trouble with the Palestini-ans. Secondly the religious beliefs and practices make it unique. This is one of the few religions where you have a personal relationship with god. Consequently the Judaism plays a role in cur-rent global politics. Today even some of our laws are modeled after some of the Ten Command-

What You Want to Know About Jewish Faith.

N.G.F.T: Religion

Star of David. Man wearing the star of David on his jacket.

The Islamic religion is impacted by its history of the religion, geography, beliefs and prac-tices. One piece of evidence that points to this is this religion was started on top of a moun-tain with a prophet speaking to an angel. Mohammed was speaking to an angel on top of a mountain and then god started to speak through him. Yet another piece of evidence is the people of the Islamic religion pray facing Mecca. Mecca is a dry desert and is scarce of vege-tation and is also the home land of Mohammed. A final good piece of evidence is there are many practices and beliefs in the Islamic faith. They pray facing in the direction of Mecca and they pray inside of mosques. So it is clear to see that the Islamic religion is affected by their beliefs, practices, geography and history and foundation of their religion. The history and formation of the Islamic religion is very detailed and interesting. It is important to note that there are no leaders besides their god Allah and there is only one founder of the religion. The founder of the Islamic religion was Mohammed and people have followed his example of being independent worshipers. Adding to that the Islamic religion was formed around 610 CE. Mohammed had a revelation on 610 CE when he was on a mountain top when he was speaking to an angel and god spoke through him. Adding to those the first time Arabic was written down was when the Qur’an is like the bible for the Islamic people. So it is clear to see that the Islamic religion was formed in a very vivid way. There are many factors that the geography contributes to the faith and how it’s prac-ticed. Initially the birthplace of the Islamic religion is very dry and lacks vegetation. Mecca is in the Saudi Arabian desert. On the other hand there are 1.84 billion believers that live all around the world. Islamic belief is spread very quickly through things like world trade. But most are located in Mecca because of the Hajj. Of course the religion was started near Mecca. Therefore, during the formation of the religion most of the believers lived near Mecca. As a result the factors of the geography greatly affect the religion and its followers. The beliefs of the Islamic religion have structured it to be what it is today. An inter-esting fact is the god of the Islamic religion is Allah and he is the master. The Qur’an says that Allah is omnipotent and all knowing. Secondly the people of the Islamic religion must pray and worship Allah they must pray in the direction of Mecca inside a mosque. Lastly the relationship between an Islamic person and Allah is strong. Allah is like a master and an all knowing father. There is no doubt that the believers have laid down a foundation for the relig-ion. The Islamic religion is greatly impacted by its many practices. One important fact is that the place of worship is the mosque. The mosque must be kept holy by having people take off their shoes and by the absence of furniture. Another important fact is that there are cur-rently no religious leaders in the Islamic faith. The only religious leader in the Islamic faith was Mohammed. Accordingly prayer and meditation five times a day and they have several celebrations. One of their celebrations is the pilgrimage to Mecca and another is when they fast for the month of Ramadan so they can spend their time in prayer and meditation. To re-emphasize there was Muslim people practice their religion greatly impact it. The formation of the religion, geography, beliefs and practices play a major part in the Islamic faith. Initially the Islamic people have 1.84 billion followers and those people impact their surroundings. The fact is the Islamic religion has many followers shows that they are bound to convert others around them. On the other hand there are Islamic people involved in the government too. With the Islamic people in the government they can express their Is-lamic views. But most conclusive is that the formation of the religion and geography are an important role in the Islamic religion. When Mohammed came down from the mountain he spread the beliefs and practices to the Islamic people. There is no doubt that the Islamic re-ligion is affected by the way they practice their beliefs and the history and origin of the relig-ion.

Middle East Yeast Islam, It’s Rising

N.G.F.T: Religion

A symbol of an Islamic group.

The symbol of the Islamic religion.

The Islamic religion is impacted by its history of the religion, geography, beliefs and practices. One piece of evidence that points to this is this religion was started on top of a mountain with a prophet speaking to an angel. Mohammed was speaking to an angel on top of a mountain and then god started to speak through him. Yet another piece of evidence is the people of the Islamic religion pray facing Mecca. Mecca is a dry desert and is scarce of vegetation and is also the home land of Mohammed. A final good piece of evidence is there are many practices and beliefs in the Islamic faith. They pray facing in the direction of Mecca and they pray inside of mosques. So it is clear to see that the Islamic religion is affected by their beliefs, practices, geography and history and foundation of their religion. The history and formation of the Islamic religion is very detailed and interesting. It is important to note that there are no leaders besides their god Allah and there is only one founder of the religion. The founder of the Islamic religion was Mohammed and people have followed his example of being independent worshipers. Adding to that the Islamic religion was formed around 610 CE. Mohammed had a revelation on 610 CE when he was on a mountain top when he was speaking to an angel and god spoke through him. Adding to those the first time Arabic was writ-ten down was when the Qur’an is like the bible for the Islamic people. So it is clear to see that the Islamic religion was formed in a very vivid way. There are many factors that the geography contributes to the faith and how it’s practiced. Initially the birthplace of the Islamic religion is very dry and lacks vegetation. Mecca is in the Saudi Arabian desert. On the other hand there are 1.84 billion believers that live all around the world. Islamic belief is spread very quickly through things like world trade. But most are located in Mecca because of the Hajj. Of course the religion was started near Mecca. Therefore, during the formation of the religion most of the believers lived near Mecca. As a result the factors of the geography greatly affect the religion and its followers. The beliefs of the Islamic religion have structured it to be what it is today. An interesting fact is the god of the Islamic religion is Allah and he is the master. The Qur’an says that Allah is omnipotent and all knowing. Secondly the people of the Islamic religion must pray and worship Allah they must pray in the direction of Mecca inside a mosque. Lastly the relationship between an Islamic person and Allah is strong. Allah is like a master and an all knowing father. There is no doubt that the believers have laid down a foundation for the religion. The Islamic religion is greatly impacted by its many practices. One important fact is that the place of worship is the mosque. The mosque must be kept holy by having people take off their shoes and by the absence of furniture. Another important fact is that there are currently no religious leaders in the Islamic faith. The only religious leader in the Islamic faith was Moham-med. Accordingly prayer and meditation five times a day and they have several celebrations. One of their celebrations is the pilgrimage to Mecca and another is when they fast for the month of Ramadan so they can spend their time in prayer and meditation. To reemphasize there was Mus-lim people practice their religion greatly impact it. The formation of the religion, geography, beliefs and practices play a major part in the Islamic faith. Initially the Islamic people have 1.84 billion followers and those people impact their surroundings. The fact is the Islamic religion has many followers shows that they are bound to convert others around them. On the other hand there are Islamic people involved in the govern-ment too. With the Islamic people in the government they can express their Islamic views. But most conclusive is that the formation of the religion and geography are an important role in the Islamic religion. When Mohammed came down from the mountain he spread the beliefs and practices to the Islamic people. There is no doubt that the Islamic religion is affected by the way they practice their beliefs and the history and origin of the religion.

Rub Da Buddha Belly

N.G.F.T: Religion

A statue of Siddhartha.

Statue of a Buddha relic.

Hinduism is different from the other four major world religions, but in the same sense its geography, beliefs, practices and formation and history impact the Hinduism faith. The first indication of this is how the religion was formed. There was a lot of conflict within the area and religions mixed forming Hinduism as we know it. The next indication of this is how the geogra-phy greatly impacts the religion. The geography has many mosques and temples to worship their religion. A final indication of this is how the beliefs and practices make this faith different from others. Hindus believe in many gods and feel the need to worship all of them. Thus seeing the many examples shows that the geography, beliefs, practices, history and formation affect the religion greatly.

One of the ways that the Hinduism religion is impacted comes from the formation and history of the religion. One important fact is there is no founder but there are religious leaders within the Hinduism faith. The leaders in the faith are called gurus or sages and they help believ-ers find enlightenment. Even more compelling is that the religion was founded so long ago. The Hinduism religion was started in 1500 BCE which was 3509 years ago. The final example to note is that the Hinduism faith has been around for 5000 years. It has only been recorded for the past 3000 years and there is no information on how the religion was completely formed. In sum-mary although we don’t know how Hinduism was formed, we can tell that the roots of the relig-ion go way back.

The geography of the Hindu faith reflects how the religion is carried out by current be-lievers. It is important to first note that the Hindu people have a lot of trials where they worship. Since current believers are highly concentrated in India, they have to deal with intense drought. Another notable example is how there are currently 900 million believers worldwide. Most Hin-dus live in India because they cannot leave due to the cast system. The last example that suggests this is that the believers lived in India. India is where the religion started so that is where most followers lived. Due to all of these examples we can say the geography of the Hindu faith re-flects how the religion is carried out by believers.

The beliefs of the Hindu faith show how the religion is followed by believers. Initially Brahman is their god. Brahman is their god and creator who they worship. Secondly the individ-ual person has a somewhat close relationship with Brahman. An individual of the Hindu faith must pray and worship their god Brahman. Lastly an individual is to be willing to do whatever is asked of them, sort of like a servant to Brahman. Their god asks to be worshiped and they wor-ship him at certain parts of the day. Thus these examples show that the beliefs affect a person’s daily life.

The Hinduism faith is impacted by its practices also. One important fact is that there are many temples that they worship in. There is a temple for every different form of their god in their religion. Along with that there is the fact that there are gurus and sages who are religious leaders. The role their gurus and sages is to help the people pray so they can release their inner god which is why they pray and meditate. Most compelling is the different celebrations that the people of the Hinduism faith practice. Once a year at least everyone in India bathes in the Ganges River, they also believe in reincarnation after death, and if you die in the city of Varanasi you reach eternal bliss and you don’t get reincarnated. It is evident that the practices that the people of the Hinduism faith participate in impact the religion.

The different qualities in Hinduism make it different from the other four major world religions. First and foremost is how the religion impacts the surrounding community. Hinduism is mostly concentrated in India which allows it to spread throughout Asia, forming a different perspective within any type of meeting. Still there is how the religion greatly impacts the global politics. There are Hindus in global politics whose faith plays a role in their decision making. Even so the qualities mentioned earlier make Hinduism unique. Their views, practices, history and so much more are so unique that it makes Hinduism special in its own way. Truly Hinduism is made Unique by its beliefs, practices, geography, history and formation.

How Many Gods Does It Take to Reach Eternal Peace?

N.G.F.T: Religion

Brahman the god who started Hinduism.

A relic of the god of the elephants.

Christianity is a faith fairly similar to Judaism but has slightly different qualities. One way to look at this is the formation and history of the starting of the religion. Formed from Juda-ism with some different beliefs. Another indication is the geography of places with Christianity are quite different then the other religions. The other religions have sandy dry areas and Christi-anity is everywhere including the United States. Lastly the beliefs and practices are different. Christians believe in one god and Jesus is god’s son and we worship them both. Clearly Christi-anity is very unique in some ways but similar to other religions in other ways.

Christianity has a formation and history with interesting people and facts. The first good piece of evidence is the religions founder is Jesus Christ. Jesus was an interesting man which pastor and other Christina leaders try and follow the footsteps of. Another example that suggests this is how the religion was founded in 80 CE. Even though Jesus died around 40 CE the religion didn’t start for another 40 years. The final good piece of evidence is the story of how the religion was formed. Jesus was crucified after being accused of blasphemy after this he rose again and ascended into heaven. This all adds up to the conclusion that Christianity is filled with over-whelming amounts of interesting facts regarding its formation and history.

Just like every other aspect of Christianity the geography impacts the religion also. One important thing to note is the region that Christianity was started in was a small city in the Middle East. The religion was formed in a stable in the city of Bethlehem. Even more compelling is that there are many believers in the Christian faith today. In 80 AD most believers lived in Bethle-hem. On top of everything there is around 2 billion believers today. There are people that believe in the Christian faith on every corner of the world. Yes it is evident that the geography of Christi-anity impacts how many believers and followers there are.

Some of the Christian beliefs are somewhat similar to some other religions. One good example is we believe that god is our creator of all. We pray to god and give him thanks for what he has given us. Secondly depending on the individual’s devotion to the Christian faith they can do different things. Such as celebrate holidays like Christmas and Easter and go to church on Sundays. On top of that individuals are close to their god. An individual may live by the rules given by their god which are the Ten Commandments. Therefore you can see some differences and similarities to other religions.

There are many different practices in Christianity that make it what it is. First and fore-most the place of worship for Christians is a church or monastery. There are many different de-nominations which mean there are many different names for the place of worship. Next is the religious leaders who are usually pastors. Again many denominations mean different roles and leaders. In addition to those there are holy days and celebrations that Christians use to praise and pray to their god. A great example of this is the Sabbath or days of communion where Christians pray to and worship god. One can see that the many practices within Christianity act as braces for their faith.

It is evident that the Christian faith is impacted by its formation geography beliefs and practices. First of all Christianity impacts the surrounding community. In the Christian faith there are missionaries that try to convert people. Along with that there is people that are a part of the Christian faith that are in office. With those people in office they can input Christian ideas into the government. The most compelling is that Christianity is one of the most common religions. There are various denominations of Christianity but none the less they are all Christian. Yes it is evident that Christianity is effected by its history of the religion the geography, beliefs and prac-tices to say the least.

Who’s Your Father?

N.G.F.T: Religion

Jesus being crucified on the cross.

The Christian cross.

N.G.F.T: Religion

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N.G.F.T: Religion

stodola, kouros, richards

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