DIFFERENT RELIGIONS
Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism.
1. HINDUISM
Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, according to many scholars,
with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. Today, with
more than 1 billion followers, Hinduism is the third-largest religion
worldwide, after Christianity and Islam. Roughly 94 percent of the
world’s Hindus live in India. Because the religion has no specific
founder, it’s difficult to trace its origins and history.
SOME BASIC HINDU CONCEPTS INCLUDE:
 Hinduism embraces many religious ideas. For this reason, it’s
sometimes referred to as a “way of life” or a “family of
religions,” as opposed to a single, organized religion.
 Most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic, which means they
worship a single deity, known as “Brahman,” but still
recognize other gods and goddesses. Followers believe there
are multiple paths to reaching their god.
 Hindus believe in the doctrines of samsara (the continuous
cycle of life, death, and reincarnation) and karma (the universal
law of cause and effect).
 One of the key thoughts of Hinduism is “atman,” or the belief
in soul. This philosophy holds that living creatures have a soul,
and they’re all part of the supreme soul. The goal is to achieve
“moksha,” or salvation, which ends the cycle of rebirths to
become part of the absolute soul.
 One fundamental principle of the religion is the idea that
people’s actions and thoughts directly determine their current
life and future lives.
 Hindus strive to achieve dharma, which is a code of living that
emphasizes good conduct and morality.
 Hindus revere all living creatures and consider the cow a
sacred animal.
 Food is an important part of life for Hindus. Most don’t eat
beef or pork, and many are vegetarians.
 Hinduism is closely related to other Indian religions, including
Hindus worship many gods and goddesses in addition to Brahman,
who is believed to be the supreme God force present in all things.
SOME OF THE MOST PROMINENT DEITIES INCLUDE:
 Brahma: the god responsible for the creation of the world and
all living things
 Vishnu: the god that preserves and protects the universe.
 Shiva: the god that destroys the universe in order to recreate it.
 Devi: the goddess that fights to restore dharma.
 Krishna: the god of compassion, tenderness, and love
 Lakshmi: the goddess of wealth and purity
 Saraswati: the goddess of learning
WHAT ARE THE HINDU SACRED TEXTS?
There is no single, authoritative text in Hinduism that functions like
the Bible for Christians, or the Qur’an for Muslims. Instead, there are
several different collections of texts.
Hindu ancient, sacred texts were written in Sanskrit, the language of
ancient India. The Vedas are the oldest - about 3000 years old. They
are a collection of hymns, prayers, and magic spells. The Upanishads
are stories and parables told by gurus (teachers) to their students The
Mahabharata is a story of a war between two royal families. The
Bhagavad Gita is a very popular part of this text. The Ramayana is a
story of the god Rama and the rescue of his wife Sita from Ravana, the
evil demon king.
HINDU WORSHIP
For Hindus, there is no weekly worship service, no set day or time in
which a community is called to gather publicly. Although most Hindus
do visit temples regularly, or at least occasionally, to pray and make
offerings, a “good” Hindu need never worship in public. Instead, all
worship can be performed to icons in the home shrine, which is why
the home is a very important place of worship in India.
The best word that describes and summarizes Hindu worship is puja,
which means respect, homage, or worship. Most—if not all—Hindus
have small altars at home on which they place pictures and/or statues
representing different deities, including those to whom the family is
particularly devoted. Each morning, one member of the family, usually
the father or the mother, will perform a short puja at the altar. This may
include saying prayers, lighting a lamp, burning incense, making
offerings of fruit and flowers, and ringing a bell. The goal in this
worship is to please the gods through all five senses.
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HINDUISM VS. BUDDHISM
Hinduism and Buddhism have many similarities. Buddhism, in fact,
arose out of Hinduism, and both believe in reincarnation, karma and
that a life of devotion and honor is a path to salvation and
enlightenment.
But some key differences exist between the two religions: Buddhism
rejects the caste system of Hinduism and does away with the rituals,
the priesthood and the gods that are integral to the Hindu faith.
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2. BUDDHISM
Buddhism is one of the world’s largest religions and originated 2,500
years ago in India. Buddhists believe that human life is one of
suffering, and that meditation, spiritual and physical labor, and good
behavior are the ways to achieve enlightenment, or nirvana.
SOME KEY BUDDHISM BELIEFS INCLUDE:
 Followers of Buddhism don’t acknowledge a supreme god or
deity. They instead focus on achieving enlightenment—a state
of inner peace and wisdom. When followers reach this spiritual
echelon, they’re said to have experienced nirvana.
 The religion’s founder, Buddha, is considered an extraordinary
being, but not a god. The word Buddha means “enlightened.”
 The path to enlightenment is attained by utilizing morality,
meditation and wisdom. Buddhists often meditate because they
believe it helps awaken truth.
 There are many philosophies and interpretations within
Buddhism, making it a tolerant and evolving religion.
 Some scholars don’t recognize Buddhism as an organized
religion, but rather, a “way of life” or a “spiritual tradition.”
 Buddhism encourages its people to avoid self-indulgence but
also self-denial.
 Buddha’s most important teachings, known as The Four Noble
Truths, are essential to understanding the religion.
 Buddhists embrace the concepts of karma (the law of cause and
effect) and reincarnation (the continuous cycle of rebirth).
 Followers of Buddhism can worship in temples or in their own
homes.
 Buddhist monks, or bhikkhus, follow a strict code of conduct,
which includes celibacy.
 There is no single Buddhist symbol, but a number of images
have evolved that represent Buddhist beliefs, including the
lotus flower, the eight-spoked dharma wheel, the Bodhi tree
and the swastika (an ancient symbol whose name means "well-
being" or "good fortune" in Sanskrit).
 Buddhists believe in a wheel of rebirth into different bodies.
This is connected to “karma,” which refers to how a person’s
good or bad actions in the past or in their past lives can impact
them in the future.
DHARMA
Buddha’s teachings are known as “dharma.” He taught that wisdom,
kindness, patience, generosity and compassion were important virtues.
Specifically, all Buddhists live by five moral precepts, which prohibit:
 Killing living things
  Taking what is not given
 Sexual misconduct
 Lying
 Using drugs or alcohol
BUDDHIST HOLY BOOK
Buddhists revere many sacred texts and scriptures. Some of the most
important are:
 Tipitaka: These texts, known as the “three baskets,” are thought
to be the earliest collection of Buddhist writings.
 Sutras: There are more than 2,000 sutras, which are sacred
teachings embraced mainly by Mahayana Buddhists.
 The Book of the Dead: This Tibetan text describes the stages of
death in detail.
TYPES OF BUDDHISM
Today, many forms of Buddhism exist around the world. The three
main types that represent specific geographical areas include:
 Theravada Buddhism: Prevalent in Thailand, Sri Lanka,
Cambodia, Laos and Burma
 Mahayana Buddhism: Prevalent in China, Japan, Taiwan,
Korea, Singapore and Vietnam
 Tibetan Buddhism: Prevalent in Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia,
Bhutan, and parts of Russia and northern India
 Zen Buddhism is a form of Mahayana Buddhism that’s
practiced in many of the same areas. It emphasizes simplicity
and meditation—the word “zen” means meditation—in lieu of
religious scripture, ceremonies or doctrines.
 Nirvana Buddhism is closely related to Theravada Buddhism,
but the concept of nirvana is also central to many paths of
Buddhism. The term nirvana means “blowing out,” as a candle
is blown out, thus ending all attachment and desire to achieve a
state of pure enlightenment.
The FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS comprise the essence of Buddha's
teachings, though they leave much left unexplained. They are the truth
of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of
suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering.
More simply put, suffering exists; it has a cause; it has an end; and it
has a cause to bring about its end.
The Buddha taught about Four Noble Truths. The first truth is called
“Suffering (dukkha),” which teaches that everyone in life is suffering
in some way. The second truth is “Origin of suffering (samudāya).”
This states that all suffering comes from desire (tanhā). The third truth
is “Cessation of suffering (nirodha),” and it says that it is possible to
stop suffering and achieve enlightenment. The fourth truth, “Path to
the cessation of suffering (magga)” is about the Middle Way, which is
the steps to achieve enlightenment.
3. ISLAM
Islam is the second-largest religion in the world after Christianity, with
about 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. As one of the three Abrahamic
religions—the others being Judaism and Christianity—it too is a
monotheistic faith that worships one god, called Allah.
The word Islam means “submission” or “surrender,” as its faithful
surrender to the will of Allah. Although its roots go back further in
time, scholars typically date the creation of Islam to the 7th century,
making it the youngest of the major world religions. Islam started in
Mecca, in modern-day Saudi Arabia, during the time of the prophet
Muhammad.
ISLAM FACTS
 The word “Islam” means “submission to the will of God.”
 Followers of Islam are called Muslims.
 Muslims are monotheistic and worship one, all-knowing God,
who in Arabic is known as Allah.
  Followers of Islam aim to live a life of complete submission to
Allah. They believe that nothing can happen without Allah’s
permission, but humans have free will.
 Islam teaches that Allah’s word was revealed to the prophet
Muhammad through the angel Gabriel.
 Muslims believe several prophets were sent to teach Allah’s
law. They respect some of the same prophets as Jews and
Christians, including Abraham, Moses, Noah and Jesus.
Muslims contend that Muhammad was the final prophet.
 Mosques are places where Muslims worship.
 Some important Islamic holy places include the Kaaba shrine
in Mecca, the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, and the Prophet
Muhammad’s mosque in Medina.
 The Quran (or Koran) is the major holy text of Islam. The
Hadith is another important book. Muslims also revere some
material found in the Judeo-Christian Bible.
 Followers worship Allah by praying and reciting the Quran.
They believe there will be a day of judgment, and life after
death.
 A central idea in Islam is “jihad,” which means “struggle.”
While the term has been used negatively in mainstream culture,
Muslims believe it refers to internal and external efforts to
defend their faith. Although rare, this can include military jihad
if a “just war” is needed.
MUHAMMAD
The prophet Muhammad, sometimes spelled Mohammed or
Mohammad was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in A.D. 570. Muslims
believe he was the final prophet sent by God to reveal their faith to
mankind.
According to Islamic texts and tradition, an angel named Gabriel
visited Muhammad in 610 while he was meditating in a cave. The
angel ordered Muhammad to recite the words of Allah.
Muslims believe that Muhammad continued to receive revelations
from Allah throughout the rest of his life.
Starting in about 613, Muhammad began preaching throughout Mecca
the messages he received. He taught that there was no other God but
Allah and that Muslims should devote their lives to this God.
KORAN
The Quran (sometimes spelled Qur’an or Koran) is considered the
most important holy book among Muslims.
It contains some basic information that is found in the Hebrew Bible as
well as revelations that were given to Muhammad. The text is
considered the sacred word of God and supercedes any previous
writings.
Most Muslims believe that Muhammad’s scribes wrote down his
words, which became the Quran. (Muhammad himself was never
taught to read or write.)
The book is written with Allah as the first person, speaking through
Gabriel to Muhammad. It contains 114 chapters, which are called
surahs.
Scholars believe the Quran was compiled shortly after Muhammad’s
death, under the guidance of Caliph Abu Bakr.
FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
Muslims follow five basic pillars that are essential to their faith. These
include:
 Shahada: to declare one’s faith in God and belief in
Muhammad
 Salat: to pray five times a day (at dawn, noon, afternoon,
sunset, and evening)
 Zakat: to give to those in need
 Sawm: to fast during Ramadan
  Hajj: to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during a
person’s lifetime if the person is able
THE TWO MAJOR MUSLIM HOLIDAYS ARE:
 Eid al-Adha: celebrates the Prophet Abraham’s willingness to
sacrifice his son for Allah.
 Eid al-Fitr: marks the end of Ramadan—the Islamic holy
month of fasting.
4. CHRISTIANITY
Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in the world, with
more than 2 billion followers. The Christian faith centers on beliefs
regarding the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While
it started with a small group of adherents, many historians regard the
spread and adoption of Christianity throughout the world as one of the
most successful spiritual missions in human history.
SOME BASIC CHRISTIAN CONCEPTS INCLUDE:
 Christians are monotheistic, i.e., they believe there’s only one
God, and he created the heavens and the earth. This divine
Godhead consists of three parts: the father (God himself), the
son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit.
 The essence of Christianity revolves around the life, death and
Christian beliefs on the resurrection of Jesus. Christians believe
God sent his son Jesus, the messiah, to save the world. They
believe Jesus was crucified on a cross to offer the forgiveness
of sins and was resurrected three days after his death before
ascending to heaven.
 Christians contend that Jesus will return to earth again in
what’s known as the Second Coming.
 The Holy Bible includes important scriptures that outline
Jesus’s teachings, the lives and teachings of major prophets and
disciples, and offer instructions for how Christians should live.
 Both Christians and Jews follow the Old Testament of the
Bible, but Christians also embrace the New Testament.
 The cross is a symbol of Christianity.
 The most important Christian holidays are Christmas (which
celebrates the birth of Jesus) and Easter (which commemorates
the resurrection of Jesus).
HOW DID CHRISTIANITY BEGIN?
Christianity traces its beginning to the miraculous birth, adult ministry,
death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, known as Jesus Christ.
Over 2000 years ago in Palestine (today's Israel), Jesus was born into a
humble Jewish family. His mother was a young peasant woman named
Mary.
Christians believe that his father was the Holy Spirit of God, making
Jesus both fully human and fully divine. His earliest followers came to
believe that he was the Messiah, or messenger, sent by God to free
God's people from slavery, sin, and death. God sent his son Jesus in
human form so that people would better understand God as a caring
and loving parent.
Jesus lived and experienced the suffering of humans. Jesus healed the
sick and told stories, or parables, and preached sermons that taught
what God wanted people to do – to love God with all their hearts and
love their neighbors as themselves. Jesus taught by example. By being
loving and forgiving himself, Jesus taught others to be loving and
forgiving - especially toward those who were considered outcasts in
society. This is the central message and style of Jesus' teaching.
During his adult ministry, Jesus built up a loyal following, led by his
twelve disciples. (Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip,
Bartholomew/Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus,
Simon the Zealot, Judas the Greater, and Judas Iscariot) But Jesus also
made enemies among the religious and political leaders of his time. In
the end, these powerful leaders were so threatened by Jesus' growing
following that the Roman governor sentenced Jesus to death and had
him crucified. The third day after Jesus' death, his followers found his
tomb empty and discovered that he had been raised from the dead.
Christians believe that the painful sacrifice of Jesus' life on the cross
shows how much God loves God's people. Jesus paid with his life on
Earth for the sins of the world.
Christians believe that in raising Jesus' from the dead, God showed
that Jesus' message of love and forgiveness was more powerful than
death, and that believing in Jesus and following the example of his life
and his teaching would lead to eternal life after death. The resurrection
(rising from the dead) is the sign of God's salvation offered to all
people.
After his resurrection, Jesus Christ's followers spread his message
throughout the world, creating the Christian Church. Today there are
about two billion Christians living all over the world.
WHAT DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE?
Christians believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God – fully human
and fully divine – and that through believing in him and following his
teachings they can inherit eternal life. Christians believe that Jesus
died for humanity, that God raised him from the dead, and that Jesus
will come again at the end of time. In addition, Christians believe in
the Trinity, or the three parts of God: God the Father or Creator, God
the Son (Jesus) or Redeemer, and God the Holy Spirit or Sanctifier.
The Holy Spirit is God's presence in the world.
THE ESSENCE OF JESUS' TEACHING COMES FROM HIS
SUMMARY OF THE JEWISH LAW HE GREW UP WITH:
 Love God with all your heart, soul and mind.
 Love your neighbor as yourself.
 Christians also seek to follow the ten commandments God gave
Moses to give the Israelites:
 Worship no other God but me. Do not make images to worship.
 Do not misuse the name of God.
 Observe the Sabbath Day (Sunday, for Christians). Keep it
Holy.
 Honor and respect your father and mother.
 Do not murder.
 Do not commit adultery.
 Do not steal.
 Do not accuse anyone falsely.
 Do not tell lies about other people.
 Do not envy other's possessions.
WHAT ARE THE SACRED TEXTS OF CHRISTIANITY?
The sacred text of Christianity is the Holy Bible. The Christian Bible
has two parts: the Old Testament which is essentially the Hebrew
scriptures of Jesus' time; and the New Testament which contains
writings about Jesus Christ and about the early church. The four
gospels (a word meaning ‘good news') of the New Testament are
accounts of Jesus' life and teaching, of his death and resurrection. The
New Testament also contains the Acts of the Apostles, which describes
the early growth of the Christian church; the letters of Paul and other
important leaders in the early church; the Letter to the Hebrews; and
the Book of Revelation. The New Testament teaches that salvation
comes through believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
and in following his teachings. It teaches that salvation is a gift God
extends freely through Jesus Christ to all people.
5. JUDAISM
Judaism is one of the world’s oldest religions, dating back nearly 4,000
years, and is considered to be the original Abrahamic faith (which
include Islam and Christianity). As a monotheistic faith, followers of
Judaism believe in one God who revealed himself through ancient
prophets, including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Solomon and
others.
In addition to a number of sacred texts — the most important of which
is the Torah — Jews believe that the Ten Commandments are holy
laws handed down to Moses by God. Worldwide, there are about 14
million Jews today, who worship in religious centers known as
synagogues.
Throughout their history, Jews have been subject to persecution for
their faith, including the deaths of about 6 million Jews during the
Holocaust. The history of Judaism is essential to understanding the
Jewish faith, which has a rich and influential heritage of law, culture
and tradition.
TORAH
The Jewish sacred text is called the Tanakh or the “Hebrew Bible.” It
includes the same books as the Old Testament in the Christian Bible,
but they’re placed in a slightly different order.
The Torah—the first five books of the Tanakh—outlines laws for Jews
to follow. It’s sometimes also referred to as the Pentateuch.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, AS WRITTEN IN THE TORAH,
ARE:
 Worship no other God but Me.
 Do not make images to worship.
 Do not misuse the name of God.
 Observe the Sabbath Day (Saturday). Keep it Holy.
 Honor and respect your father and mother.
 Do not murder.
 Do not commit adultery.
 Do not steal.
 Do not accuse anyone falsely. Do not tell lies about other
people.
 Do not envy other's possessions.
THERE ARE THREE BASIC GROUPS OF JEWISH PEOPLE
WHO HAVE A DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING OF THE
INTERPRETATION OF THE TORAH.
 Orthodox Jews believe that all of the practices in the Torah
which it is practical to obey must be obeyed without question.
 Conservative and Reform Jews believe that the ancient laws
and practices have to be interpreted for modern life with
inclusion of contemporary sources and with more concern with
community practices than with ritual practices.
 Reform Jews also allow everyone to sit together, men and
women, and both Hebrew and the local language are spoken in
services.
3 IDEOLOGIES OF MAN
1. COMMUNISM
Communism is a form of government most closely associated with the
ideas of Karl Marx, which he outlined in The Communist Manifesto.
Communism is based on the goal of eliminating socioeconomic class
struggles by creating a classless society in which everyone shares the
benefits of labor and the state controls all property and wealth.
Marx believed that capitalism, with its emphasis on profit and private
ownership, led to inequality among citizens. Thus, his goal was to
encourage a system that promoted a classless society in which
everyone shared the benefits of labor and the state government
controlled all property and wealth. No one would strive to rise above
others, and people would no longer be motivated by greed. Then,
communism would close the gap between rich and poor, end the
exploitation of workers, and free the poor from oppression.
The basic ideas of communism did not originate with Marx, however.
Plato and Aristotle discussed them in ancient times, but Marx
developed them into a popular doctrine, which was later propelled into
practice. Marx’s ideal society ensured economic equality and fairness.
Marx believed that private ownership of property promoted greed, and
he blamed capitalism for society’s problems. The problems, he
claimed, stemmed from the Industrial Revolution. The rise of factories,
the reliance on machines, and the capability of mass production
created conditions that promoted oppression and encouraged the
development of a proletariat, or a working class.
Simply put, in a capitalist system, the factories fueled the economy,
and a wealthy few owned the factories. This created the need for a
large number of people to work for the factory owners. In this
environment, the wealthy few exploited the laborers, who had to labor
in order to live. So, Marx outlined his plan to liberate the proletariat, or
to free them of the burden of labor. His idea of utopia was a land
where people labored as they were able, and everyone shared the
wealth.
If the government controlled the economy and the people relinquished
their property to the state, no single group of people could rise above
another. Marx described this ideal in his Manifesto, but the practice of
communism fell far short of the ideal. For a large part of the 20th
century, about one-third of the world lived in communist countries—
countries ruled by dictatorial leaders who controlled the lives of
everyone else. The communist leaders set the wages, they set the
prices, and they distributed the wealth. Western capitalist nations
fought hard against communism, and eventually, most communist
countries collapsed. Marx’s utopia was never achieved, as it required
revolution on a global scale, which never came to pass. However, as of
2020, five proclaimed communist countries continue to exist: North
Korea, Vietnam, China, Cuba, and Laos.
2. HUMANISM
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and
social potential, and agency of human beings, whom it considers the
starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that
human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and
shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane
society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in
the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is
not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality.
Throughout recorded history there have been non-religious people who
have believed that this life is the only life we have, that the universe is
a natural phenomenon with no supernatural side, and that we can live
ethical, meaningful, and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and
humanity. They have trusted to the scientific method when trying to
understand how the universe works, made their ethical decisions based
on a concern for the welfare of human beings and other sentient
animals, and sought to make a positive contribution towards building a
better society.
Today, people who share these beliefs and values are called humanists
and this combination of attitudes is called humanism.
3. HEDONISM
Hedonism is a philosophy that regards pleasure and happiness as the
most beneficial outcome of an action. More pleasure and less pain is
ethical. More pain and less pleasure is not.
Literally, the word hedonism comes from the Greek word 'hedone'
which means pleasure. Hedonism is an ideology or a way of life that
believes that happiness can only be obtained by seeking as much
pleasure as possible and avoiding painful feelings.
In philosophy, hedonism is a school that considers happiness to be the
most important thing in life and emphasizes that happiness can be
achieved through fulfilling personal needs and desires. This school
also believes that happiness should be the main goal in one's life and
everything will have value if it is able to make us happy.
Meanwhile, the meaning of the word hedonism in lifestyle refers to
actions and habits that focus on fulfilling personal desires and
enjoyment, such as excessive consumption of food, drink, and
shopping, and spending time and money on activities that only satisfy
personal desires.
From this existing understanding, we can conclude that hedonism is a
lifestyle that focuses on enjoyment and personal satisfaction without
being concerned with the impact on oneself and the surrounding
environment. Hedonism is closely related to wealth, inner pleasure,
power, freedom, and so on.