Name: Mrs Melisha Schultz Student number: 45578656 PO Box: No 13 Logbro by the sea William brown road- Illovo

o Beach 4126 Mod: EDT303Q Ass:02 Unique no: 258187 Date: 30 March 2012

Table of content:

1) Table of content...................................................................Pg 1 of 12 2) Question 1: Fill in information African Religion..................................................................Pg 2 of 12 Buddhism............................................................................Pg 3 of 12 Buddhism- continued ......................................................Pg 4 of 12

Christianity..........................................................................Pg 5 of 12 Hinduism.............................................................................Pg 6 of 12 Hinduism- continued .........................................................Pg 7 of 12 Islam....................................................................................Pg 8 of 12 Judaism................................................................................Pg 9 of 12 Judaism................................................................................Pg 10 of 12 Contemporary Religion.......................................................Pg 11 of 12 3) Bibliography........................................................................Pg 12 of 12

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African religion: Founder figure Concept of God None The San believe in a greater God and a lesser God, as well as spirits of the dead. The Batswana also believe in demigods. The Batswana believe that Modimo is the source of every thing. The Amazulu believe in the supreme creator uMvelinqangi. The Shona believe in Mwari the creator. To the Yoruba it is known as olorum or Olodumare. Main belief They believe in the circle of life, both life and death bring balance. They way they live and their religious beliefs work hand in hand. All life is sacred. The Batswana Ancestors are not restricted by the rules enforced on the living. Maintaining the order in the university is the key principal of their religious practices. The Amazulu also have both male and female elements and they also hold in high esteem their ancestors. The Shona also believe in spirits. Scripture No scriptures oral tradition and some recorded their information by drawings done on rocks. Rituals and symbolism is very prominent. Major festivals The Medicine Dance is the most important ritual practice for the San. Mostly as with other types rituals were directed by spiritual leaders, a select few who are said to have a direct line of communication with the divine. In general communication with the Gods, demigods and higher sprits can only be done through their spiritual leaders or councellors. Origin in time Origin in place Major types More than 4000 years old. Africa The San, the Batswana, the Amazulu, the Shona, and the Yoruba.

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Buddhism Founder figure Shakyamuni Buddha - Prince Siddhartha Guatama (Buddha) was born in India in 563 BCE. At age 29, Guatama left his wife and children to seek spiritual enlightenment. In 535 BCE, he believed himself to have reached enlightenment, assumed the title Buddha, and soon after began teaching about the pathway to enlightenment. Theravada: The concept of a supreme Creator God is rejected or at least considered irrelevant to Theravada Buddhism. Buddha, "the Awakened One," is revered above all--not as "God" but as supreme sage, model of a fully enlightened person. Mahayana: Buddhists view Buddha as a manifestation of a divine being, instead of a supremely enlightened man The Four Noble Truths, forming the essence of Buddhism, are: The Noble Truth of Suffering (Dukkha) The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering (Samudaya) The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering (Nirodha) The Noble Truth that leads to the Extinction of Suffering (Magga) Theravada: Main scriptures: Tipitaka Popular: Dhammapada- Sayings of Buddha Mahayana :Main scriptures: Sutras (sacred texts)- 2184 sacred writings. Popular:Lotus Sutra- A sermon by the Buddha on Bodhisattva, buddha-nature, etc. Perfection of Wisdom Sutra (Prajna-paramita)- Describes emptiness and others. Popular: Heart Sutra- Describes nirvana, emptiness, and Ultimate Reality. "Land of Bliss" Sutra- Describes the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha. Buddhist New Year The Buddhist New Year is celebrated on different days throughout the world.. Vesak (Buddha Day) Vesak is the birthday of the Buddha and the most important festival in Buddhism.. Sangha Day (Magha Puja Day or Fourfold Assembly Day) Sangha Day commemorates the Buddha's visit to Veruvana Monastery in the city of Rajagaha Dhamma Day (Asalha Puja Day) It commemorates the "turning of the wheel of the Dharma" - the Buddha's first sermon - at the Sarnath Deer Park. Observance Day (Uposatha) Observance Day refers to each of the four traditional monthly holy days that continue to be observed in Theravada countries - the new moon, full moon, and quarter moon days. It is known in Sri Lanka as Poya Day. Kathina Ceremony (Robe Offering Ceremony) The Kathina Ceremony is held on any convenient date within one month of the conclusion of the three month rains retreat season (Vassa). Festival of Floating Bowls (Loy Krathong) . The traditional practice of Loy Krathong was originally meant to pay homage to the holy footprint of the Buddha on the beach of the Namada River in India. Elephant Festival
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Concept of God

Main belief

Scripture

Major festivals

Origin in time Origin in place Major types

The Buddha used the example of a wild elephant that is harnessed to a tame one to train to teach that a person new to Buddhism should be helped by an older Buddhist. The Festival of the Tooth On a small hill in Sri Lanka is a great temple that was built to house a relic of the Buddha - his tooth. The tooth can never be seen, as it is kept deep inside many caskets. But once a year in August, on the night of the full moon, there is a special procession for it. Ancestor Day (Ulambana) In Mahayana countries, it is believed that the gates of hell are opened on the first day of the eighth lunar month and ghosts may visit the world for 15 days. Buddhism started in India over 2,500 years ago India Theravada Buddhism this is the first and the southern Buddhism that the word comes from Pali language which means that the Doctrine of the Elders. Their biggest aim is to use the meditation to train mind, and to encourage freedom of the mind from suffering. This kind or freedom suffering will allow you to reach the greatest spiritual goal the Nirvana. Theravada Buddhism is the only surviving school from the earliest years of Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism This is Buddhism in eastern Buddhism. This section only teaches the Pali Canon, this is the religious text in Theravada Buddhism but it also includes additional texts beliefs. This type of Buddhism believes that the person must practice universal compassion, and that is the altruistic quest of the Bodhisattva to attain the Awakened Mind of Buddha hood. This has also the level of mysticism involved Tibetan Buddhism This is the third type of Buddhism that was located in the Northern. This type of Buddhism is also considered to be a type of Mahayana Buddhism, but this was also embraces other teachings, texts, and practices that some are not seen in the eastern type. This is also sometimes called Tantric Buddhism or Vajrayana and this was uses both Mahayana and Theraveda scriptures.

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Christianity Founder figure Concept of God Christianity arose from Judaism. Just as the Jewish believed in one ultimate God so to do the Christians believe in there being only one supreme being, creator and destroyer. Main belief Christians believe in the Father being God, the Son being Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirits. They have a strong belief in Heaven and Hell and that forgiveness from God is given to all Christian followers. They faith is built on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the Day of Judgement The Bible. The Old Testament also known as the Jewish Bible is made up of a set of thirty nine books. The New Testament which contains material pertaining to the new way of Christian thinking, is made up of a set twenty seven books. Major festivals Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Easter celebrates Jesus Christ awaking after being crucified. These two festivals are celebrated by all sects of Christianity, but there are several that celebrated or performed by specific sects, such as Lent. Origin in time Origin in place 1st Century CE Christianity originated in the eastern Mediterranean coast of the Middle East near what is known as modern Israel and Palestine. Major types Protestants and Catholics are the main or major types of Christianity. There are various others such as Baptists Presbyterian, Methodist and Roman Catholics. Many of these have been branched out to create new types with distinct views and practices.

Scripture

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Hinduism Founder figure Concept of God None Hindus all worship a one Supreme Being, though by different names. This is because the peoples of India with different languages and cultures have understood the one God in their own distinct way. Through history there arose four principal Hindu denominationsSaivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism. For Sai-vites, God is Siva. For Shaktas, Goddess Shakti is supreme. For Vaishnavites, Lord Vishnu is God. For Smartaswho see all Deities as reflections of the One God the choice of Deity is left to the devotee. 1. Hindus believe in a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent and transcendent, both Creator and Unmanifest Reality. 2. Hindus believe in the divinity of the four Vedas, the world's most ancient scripture, and venerate the Agamas as equally revealed. These primordial hymns are God's word and the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion. 3. Hindus believe that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution. 4. Hindus believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds. 5. Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha, liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be deprived of this destiny. 6. Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments and personal devotionals create a communion with these devas and Gods. 7. Hindus believe that an enlightened master, or satguru, is essential to know the Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry, meditation and surrender in God. 8. Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practice ahimsa, noninjury, in thought, word and deed. 9. Hindus believe that no religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all genuine paths are facets of God's Light, deserving tolerance and understanding.

Main belief

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Scripture

The Vedas are the foundational scriptures of the Hindus The Veda is divided into four great books: 1. The Rig-Veda 2. The Yajur-Veda 3. The Sama-Veda 4. The Atharva-Veda The Yajur-Veda is again divided into two parts: 1. The Sukla Yajur-Veda 2. The Krishna Yajur-Veda. The Krishna or the Tattiriya is the older book and the Sukla or Vajasaneya is a later revelation to Sage Yajnavalkya from the resplendent Sun-God. The Rig-Veda is divided into twenty-one sections, the Yajur-Veda into one hundred and nine sections, the Sama-Veda into one thousand sections and Atharva-Veda into fifty sections. In all, the whole Veda is thus divided into one thousand one hundred and eighty recensions. Each Veda consists of four parts: 1. The Mantra-Samhitas or hymns. 2. The Brahmanas or explanations of Mantras or rituals. 3. The Aranyakas (philosophical interpretations of the rituals). 4. The Upanishads (The essence or the knowledge portion of the Vedas). The division of the Vedas into four parts is to suit the four stages in a mans life.
Diwali - Festival of Lights Deepawali or Diwali is the biggest of all Hindu festivals Holi - Festival of Colors Holi is a celebration of life a boisterous occasion when Hindus smear each other with the colors of joy. Other Major Festivals There are a number of other major festivals that are celebrated by Hindus in different regions of India and around the world. These mainly include celebrations around the birthdays of popular deities, as well as some ritual fasts followed by feast and festivity. Durga Puja, Dusshera & Navaratri In this autumn festival, Hindus observe 10 days of ceremonies, rituals, fasts, feasts, song and dance in honor of the supreme mother goddess Durga. After 9 divine nights of Navaratri comes Dusshera or Vijayadashami that celebrates goddess Durga's victory of good over evil. Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi Rakhi is a special occasion to celebrate the chaste bond of love between brothers and sisters, by tying a sacred thread around the wrist. Winter Festivals January is harvest time in India. It's time for Thanksgiving rituals and celebration of the bounties of nature

Major festivals

Origin in time

Origin in place Major types

The exact beginnings of Hinduism are impossible to determine, since they evolved as time and culture impacted the religious ideas of early India. Some scholars believed Hinduism started with the invasion of India by lighter skinned Aryans around 1500 BCE. India Many different forms often depending on the god who is worshipped
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Islam Founder figure Concept of God Mohammed who was born between A.D. 569 and 571, to Abdullah and his wife Aminah, of the Arab tribe of Koreish Key to the Islamic concept of God is that Muhammad's prophesy cleaned away all false associations people had made with God and established finally the pure religion of monotheism. The first thing Islam asserts and the last is that there is no god except Allah. Allah being the primary name of God in Arabic and meaning 'the god'. 1. Belief in Allah - There is only one God, Allah and Muhammad is the final prophet of Allah. 2. Belief in The Angels - Muslims belive that Angels act like 'a liason officer' between God and The Prophets. 3. Belief in The Prophets - Muslims belive in 28 prophets (including Jesus) Muhammand is the last and final prophets. He is the seal of the prophets. 4. Belief in The Holy Books - Muslims belive the Qur'an are the actual words of Allah that were passed on to Muhammad by The Angel Gabriel. 5. Belief in The Day of Judgement - Muslims believe that when you die there will be a final day of Judgement. Allah will decide if you were a good Muslim throughout your life. If you were you would be rewarded and sent to Paradise. If you weren't, you would be punished and sent to hell. 6. Belief in Pre-destinbation - Muslims belive that God has already decided how you will live your life. The Quran There are only two Muslim festivals set down in Islamic law: Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha ("Eid" or "Id" means festival). There are also several other special days which Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr The Celebration concluding Ramadan Ramadan, the month of fasting, ends with the festival of Eid alFitr. Literally the "Festival of Breaking the Fast Eid al-Adha The celebration concluding the Hajj Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, commemorates the prophet Abraham's willingness to obey Allah by sacrificing his son Ishmael. Muharram The Islamic New Year The month of Muharram marks the beginning of the Islamic liturgical year Mawlid al-Nabi Prophet Muhammad's Birthday This holiday celebrates the birthday of Muhammad, the founder of Islam. 610 AD Saudi Arabia Sunni and Shia

Main belief

Scripture Major festivals

Origin in time Origin in place Major types

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Judaism Founder figure The specifically Hebrew element of biblical history begins with Abraham, who is considered the founder of the Jewish religion. However, he does not discover God but is rather called by the God who is already known into a covenant, in which God promises to many descendents and the land of Canaan. Concept of God Judaism is a monotheistic faith, meaning that Jews believe there is only One God God is one. God is almighty - controls all domains. God has no form Main belief God

Judaism is a monotheistic faith, meaning that Jews believe there is only One God Humankind Was Created In the Divine Image Community

Judaism believes that Jews are uniquely connected with each other The Ten Commandments:

1. I am the Lord your God 2. You shall not recognize the gods of others in My presence 3. You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain 4. Remember the day of shabbat to keep it holy 5. Honor your father and your mother 6. You shall not murder 7. You shall not commit adultery 8. You shall not steal 9. Do not give false testimony against your neighbor 10. You shall not covet your fellow's possessions

Scripture

The Torah

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Major festivals

Purim (Festival of Lots) It recalls the story of Esther, a Queen who foiled a plot by one of her advisors, Haman, to kill all the Jews

Pesach (Passover) Commemorates Moses freeing the Israelites from their enslavement under the Pharaoh in Egypt

Shavuot (Pentecost) Commemorates Moses being given the Ten Commandments by God following the Exodus from Egypt

Origin in time Origin in place Major types

Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) Yom Kippur (Day Of Atonement) Succot (Tabernacles) Chanukah (Festival of Lights)

More than 4000 years old Israel The three main types are Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. Conservative Jews follow most traditional practices, but less strictly than the Orthodox. Reform Jews are the least traditional.

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Contemporary Religion Theorists on religion Karl Marx-Maintained that religion is an illusion made by man. Sigmund Freud-Religion can not withstand reason and experience. Erich Fromm-Radical humanism that stresses the unity of the human race. Secularisation thesis Peter Berger used the term secularisation to describe a process by which sectors of society and culture are removed from the domination of religious institutions and symbols. The term, secularisation, is used to describe the restraint in the control of religion due to changes within modern society, as well as the adaptation of religion to the changing values of society. Thomas Luckman referred to the increasing individualism of persons in society and thus looking at themselves for meaning 3 Reactions to modernisation Christian Fundamentalism: Belief that the Bible is Gods word and has final authority. It does not contain errors. A literal interpretation is required of the Bible. Universalism: Wilfred C Smith postulates that the Christian Religion should allow for interfaith dialogue and universalism. He claims that the various religions of humanity are historically interlinked. Religion should be viewed in its historical context. New Age: Believes that we are at the beginning of a new age. Every aspect of modern life is addressed by this movement. From ecological conservation , medicine, education, psychology business administration and physical science.

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Bibliography: 1) EDT303Q Tutorial letter 101/3/2012 2) EDT303Q Study guide 3) The Human Search For Meaning: JS Kruger, GJA Lubbe, HC STEYN 1st edition, 4th impression 2005, Via Afrika 4) The Project Gutenberg eBook, How to Teach Religion, by George Herbert Betts 5) The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Idea of God in Early Religions, by F. B. Jevons 6) The Project Gutenberg EBook of Modern Religious Cults and Movements, by Gaius Glenn Atkins 7) Project Gutenberg's The Varieties of Religious Experience, by William James 8) Websites used http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/ http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/15800/pg15800.txt http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/621/pg621.html http://www.gutenberg.org/files/19051/19051-h/19051-h.htm http://www.gutenberg.org/files/25338/25338-h/25338-h.htm http://www.education.gov.za/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=HoS7sshyXoQ%3D&ta bid=533&mid=1499 http://www.eccurriculum.co.za/ReligionStudies/32.45Religion%20studies%20P2%20memo.pdf http://www.jewishyouth.ca/templates/youth/article_cdo/aid/286729/jewish/Diffe rent-Types-of-Jews.htm www.religionfacts.com www.contenderministries.org www.infoplease.com www.zindagee.co.uk buddhismgroup.blogspot.com www.religioustolerance.org www.buddhist-temples.com www.buddhanet.net theeternalmoment.com www.hinduwebsite.com www.wisegeek.com www.edepot.com www.dalailamajuly2008.com www.shaivam.org www.islam101.com www.himalayanacademy.com www.indiaparenting.com www.hinduism.co.za
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