Make-Up:
We ask you to read the material below. The material will include "deep thought", our key words (definition), scripture (link - please read) and some general thoughts and video(s). We ask you to read all material and then comment in the comments section. Share one key thought or concept that came to you and how it will make a difference.
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On March 13th, we began a 3-week series on Faith and Religion. Our first lesson (13th) was on World Religions. We took time to look at five of the main world religions.
Lesson Highlights
Bible Text:
Genesis 17:1–7; 21:1–21; Isaiah 11:1–10; Matthew 15:21–28; Acts 10:1–35
Lesson Focus:
Christians who are knowledgeable and confident about their own faith can communicate and collaborate respectfully with people of other faiths.
Big Question:
How are Christians supposed to interact with people of other faiths?
Key Words:
JUDAISM, HINDUISM, BUDDHISM, ISLAM, MUSLIM
Definition of Key Words
JUDAISM: a monotheistic faith founded on a covenant made by God with Abraham and Sarah. They were "blessed to be a blessing" to the world.
HINDUISM: a faith that sees this world as an illusion and seeks to help people become one with a divine being that is understood through many forms.
BUDDHISM: a faith that is founded on the teachings of Gautama Buddha and seeks to help people become enlightened or achieve Nirvana.
ISLAM: a monotheistic faith founded on the revelation of Allah to the prophet Muhammad that guides how people should live so that they will enjoy paradise after their death.
MUSLIM: a person who follows the teachings of Islam.
Below is more of a thorough understanding of the religion and the main teaching.
Modern Judaism
Modern Jews trace their heritage to Abraham and Sarah through their son, Isaac. The faith practices of the "Children of Abraham" that we see in our Christian scriptures and the people we often refer to as "Jews" are very different from the people of modern Judaism. We must be careful not to apply information from our scriptures to modern people in ways that they don't accept for themselves. We also must keep in mind that a deep animosity developed between Christians and Jews during the time between Jesus' death and the mid-1600s. At some point during history, Jews were expelled from every Christian country in Europe except Holland and the Scandinavian countries. The Holocaust and the establishment of the modern State of Israel have also changed the identity of the Jewish people in fundamental ways.
At the core of modern Judaism are three basic concepts: God, Torah, and Israel. As Judaism explains who God is, there are several key points to keep in mind. God is the creator of the universe. God is the redeemer who freed the people from slavery in Egypt and will provide the final redemption. God is the revealer of the teachings and laws that constitute the Torah. God created human beings and entered a covenant relationship with the Jewish people through Abraham. The people continue the covenant relationship with God within a community through observance of the mitzvot or "commandments." Hebrew scripture has 613 mitzvot, which are interpreted over the ages by the rabbis.
The Torah is also a complex concept in modern Judaism. The Torah is first and foremost the five books of Moses (which we know as Genesis through Deuteronomy) as "revealed" on Mount Sinai. Torah also includes a long history and tradition of rabbinic interpretation of these Books. Torah is continually growing and changing as the body of interpretations of rituals, theology, and ethics is added to over the years.
Islam
As a beginning, a few words must be clarified. Islam is the name of the religion or faith. It means "peace" or "submission" in Arabic. Muslim is the person who practices this faith. Qur'an(sometimes spelled Koran) is the name of their holy book, which contains the revelations given to the prophet Muhammad by Allah (God) through the angel Gabriel. Allah means "the one, the only"—and is one of the names of God. Muslim people write the name in all caps as a way of honoring God. Jihad is best understood as the spiritual challenge to achieve piety, submission, and obedience to Allah (the common interpretation of jihad as merely "holy war" is misleading). Muslim people do not consider Islam to be a religion, in the sense of being separate from the rest of life. Islam is the entirety of life—no part of life is separate from it.
Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam is monotheistic and traces its heritage back to Abraham. Abraham's first child, Ishmael, is the ancestor of the Muslim people.
Islam identifies seven "Principles of Faith" that are comparable to the Christian creeds: Belief in Allah, Belief in his angels, Belief in his books, Belief in his messengers (including many "prophets" from the Bible, such as Moses and Jesus; Muhammad is believed to be the final messenger), Belief in the Day of Judgment, Belief in life after death, Belief in divine preordainment
There are also "Four Pillars" that summarize the practice of Islam:
Salah or prayer—performed at least five times each day
Zakah or charity—setting aside money for those in need
Sawm or fasting—during the month of Ramadan
Hajj or pilgrimage—requiring all who are able to travel to Mecca once in their life
Hinduism (Vedanta)
Hinduism encompasses many different sects unified by their common holy texts—the Vedas. Veda means "knowledge" in Sanskrit. The primary interpretation of the Vedas is Vedanta, which means "the culmination of the Vedas." The focus of Vedanta philosophy is to address the relationship between God, humankind, and nature. Brahman is the name of God—the ultimate reality. Brahman is not a personal God, as Christianity would describe God. Brahman is infinite, undivided, unchanging reality.
Hinduism also holds that all religious paths lead to the same God. The goal is to "wake up" to your true nature. Hinduism recognizes several spiritual practices (yogas) for realizing your true nature:
Karma Yoga —taking the path of selfless action
Jnana Yoga —affirming your true nature
Bhakti Yoga —developing a loving relationship with a personal aspect of God
Raja Yoga —gaining control over the mind
Buddhism
The term Buddha is a title that means "one who has been awakened" or "the Enlightened One." Any person has the potential to become a Buddha, although the title generally refers to Gautama Buddha, who was born into wealth as "Siddhartha," but upon seeing the suffering of others renounced that wealth and resolved to share the enlightenment he had gained about how one can deal with suffering (dukkah).
The core beliefs of Buddhism are the enlightened teachings (dharma) of Gautama Buddha, known as the "Four Noble Truths":
Life is suffering.
There is a reason for this suffering (namely desire and attachment).
There is a way to end suffering.
The way to end suffering is the "Eightfold Path."
The practice of Buddhism follows this "Eightfold Path," which can be divided into three parts:
Wisdom
Right views—understanding Buddha's teachings and truth/reality
Right aspirations—having high and noble aims
Morality
Right speech—speaking kind words and truth; not lying, gossiping, or being verbally abusive
Right conduct—practicing good, moral, compassionate behavior
Right livelihood—having an honest living that does not cause suffering to others
Concentration
Right effort—persevering in goodness and clearing the mind
Right mindfulness—being attentive to reality and the present moment
Right meditation—concentrating on Buddha and the dharma (teachings), using meditation as an instrument to attain enlightenment
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