World Religions and Ethical Systems

Buddhism
1. Buddhism has influenced Asian religion, society and culture, for
over 2,500 years. Today most Buddhists live in Sri Lanka, East and
Southeast Asia, and Japan.
2. Buddhists are united by their belief in the Buddha’s teachings,
known as the Dharma.
3. Buddha’s findings after 49 days of meditation are called the Four
Noble Truths –
(a)Life is filled with sufferings and sorrows,
(b)The cause of all suffering is people’s selfish desire for the
temporary pleasures of this world.
(c)The way to end all suffering is to end all desires.
(d)The way to overcome such desires and attain enlightenment is to
follow the Eightfold Path or Middle way between desires and
self denial.
 Continued Buddhism
Buddhists believe that the there are three cardinal
faults of humanity: greed , hatred and delusion.
The Buddha taught that the key to happiness was
detachment from all worldly goods and desires.
Happiness could be achieved by following Eightfold
Path ( Right views, Right Resolve, Right speech, Right
Conduct, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right
Mindfulness, and Right Concentration) or the Middle
Way, a life between earthly desires, and extreme forms
of self-denial.
Buddhists strive to follow the Buddha’s teachings
through meditation, a form of religious contemplation.
 Continued Buddhism
7. Buddhists believe that all living beings possess the
potential for spiritual growth and the possibility of rebirth
as humans.
8. Those who dedicated their entire life to the teachings of
the Buddha are known as the Buddhist monks or nuns.
They are expected to lead a life of poverty, meditation, and
study.
9. To learn humility, monks must beg for food and money.
1o Major Buddhist sects are: Theravada (who believed in
the original teachings of Buddha), Mahayana (who
believed that many people could become Buddha and
could choose to give up nirvana and work to save humanity
through good works and self-sacrifice).
 Islam
1. Islam is a religion based on the teachings of Prophet Muhammad
(sw).
2. Followers of Islam, known as Muslims believe that God revealed
these teachings to Muhammad (sw) through the angel Gabriel
(Jibrail).
3. Islam teaches the existence of only one God, called Allah.
4. Muslims believe in all Prophets of Judaism and Christianity.
5. The Muslims show their devotion to Allah by committing the tasks
of faith in Allah, five times prayers a day called the salah, fasting
during the lunar month of Ramadan, pilgrimage to Mecca by those
who can afford to maintain expenses at least once in a life time, and
zakat or charity.
6. They celebrate after the fasting month of Ramadan, called Eid-ul-
Fitr, and on the 10th day of the month of Jilhajj.
7. There are two Muslim sects: Shias and the Sunnis.
 Christianity
1. Christianity is the largest religion in the world, with
about more than two billion followers.
2. It is based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
3. Most Christians are members of one of three major
groups: Roman Catholic, Protestant or Eastern
Orthodox.
4. Christianity teaches the existence of only one God.
5. Christianity regards Jesus Christ as the son of God.
6. They believe that Jesus entered the world and died to
save humanity from sin.
7. The Christian cross is a symbol of crucifixion of Jesus
Christ.
 Continued Christianity
8. The cross represents Jesus’ love for humanity by dying for its
sins.
9. Christians believe that they reach salvation by following the
teachings of Jesus Christ.
10. Worshipping as a group is an important part of Christian
life.
11. Most Protestant services include praying, singing, and sermon.
12. Some services include Baptism, and Communion, in which
bread and wine are consumed in remembrance of Jesus’s death.
13. Communion celebrates the last meal (the last supper) Jesus
took with his disciples.
14.The Bible is divided into two major parts: (a) the Old
Testament, which focuses on Jewish history, and the New
Testament, which describes the teachings of Jesus Christ.
 Hinduism
1.Hinduism is the major religion of India and
Nepal.
2.It has also followers in Indonesia, as well as in
parts of Africa, Europe and Western
Hemisphere.
3.Hinduism is a collection of religious beliefs
that developed over thousands of years.
4.Hindus worship several gods.
5.Hinduism stresses that persons reach true
enlightenment and happiness only after they
free themselves from their earthly desires.
 Continued Hinduism
6. Followers of Hinduism achieve this goal through worship, the
attainment of knowledge, and a lifetime of virtuous acts.
7. Each year thousands of Hindus make a pilgrimage to India’s
sacred Ganges River.
8. Most Hindus come to bathe in the Ganges water, an act they
believe will cleanse and purify them. The sick and disabled come
in the belief that the holy water might cure their ailments.
The Brahmin priests are religious leaders. They take care of the
images in the temples and read from the sacred books.
According to Hindu religious belief, the Brahma is the creator of
the universe. Vishnu and Shiva are other two main gods. Vishnu
is the preserver of the universe, while Shiva is the destroyer.
The Vedas are the oldest Hindu scriptures.
 Judaism
1. Judaism is the religion of more than 14 million Jews
throughout the world.
2. It was the first major religion to teach the existence of
only one God.
3. Judaism teaches that a person serves God by studying
the Torah (first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without
question and living by its teachings.
4. Orthodox Jews obey the Torah without question.
5. Conservative and Reform Jews interpret the Torah to
make its teachings relevant to today’s world.
6. The Star of King David (who ruled the Kingdom of Israel
from about 1000-962 BC) or the Shield of David is the
Universal symbol of Judaism.
 Confucianism
1. With no clergy and no gods to worship, Confucianism is
not a religion in the traditional sense.
2. It is an ethical system that provides direction for
personal behavior and good government.
3. However, this ancient philosophy guides the actions and
beliefs of millions of Chinese and other peoples of the
East. Thus many view it as a religion.
4. Confucianism is a way of life based on the teachings of
the Chinese scholar Confucius.
5. It stresses social and civic responsibility. Over centuries
Confucianism has greatly influenced people’s spiritual
beliefs.