World Religion Magazine
World Religions
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World Religion Magazine
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World Religion Magazine
To fully understand the major religions I have gone to different parts of the world to meet with key players in different faiths. In the following pages there are imagined interviews from around the world with many different religious leaders.
Roman Catholic Church in St. Louis, Missouri
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Hinduism
Batu Caves, hindu temple north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I have just come to New Delhi, India where I am going to meet a Guru and ask a few questions about Hinduism. Gabe: Tell me a little bit about yourself. Guru: I am a Guru from New Delhi, India. If you don"t know, a Guru is a person who helps people understand the teachings of Hinduism. Gabe: Can you tell me a little about Hinduism. Guru: Hinduism was formed a very long time ago in the Indus River Valley. It is believed that when a group of people called the Aryans conquered the Dravidians, Hinduism was formed as well as the caste system. In Hinduism we believe in one god Brahman who is a single power that lives in everything and takes many different forms. It may seem like Hinduism is Polytheistic but it is actually Monotheistic. Hindus believe in something called reincarnation or samsara. This is the belief that when you die you come to life
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again in a different form until finally one achieves Moksha. Moksha is the merging of one"s soul or atman with Brahman. To reach Moksha one must follow their dharma. A dharma is someone"s proper path in life which is specific to one"s caste and gender. some other things Hindus believe in is ahimsa which is the belief in non-violence and they also believe in karma which means actions in life determine your fate in the lives that follow. Gabe: What is this caste system? Guru: It is a system where every person is born into a social class and can not change class unless they do good deeds in their life because then they will be reincarnated into a higher caste. There are four main castes in the caste system they are; Brahmans which are priests and people with lots of power, then there are the Kshatriyas who are rulers and warriors, then the Vaisyas which is the farmers and merchants caste and finally the Sudras who do very labor intensive work. Although these are the only real castes, there is one more level Hindus celebrating Divali or the festival of lights called the Dalits or the untouchables. These are people who have the lowest jobs including, street sweepers, garbage collectors, toilet cleaners, and more. These days the caste system is forbidden by law because there was a lot of discrimination, but in rural areas of India it is still sometimes used. Gabe: How do people worship in Hinduism? Guru: Today Hindus go to temples to worship using the Vedas which are the main holy book for Hindus. We meditate and use raga music which is a type of music used for meditation, and we practice yoga which is exercise designed to help free the soul from the cares of the world. Hindus also give Puja which are offerings to God. Many Hindus also go to the Ganges river to bathe. This is because the river is considered sacred and that it will purify sins. There are also holidays which Hindus celebrate. Divali is the most important holiday which goes on for five days. It is a celebration of good over evil. During the holiday, families dress up nicely, go to the temple, give gifts to neighbors, and pour milk on statues of god. Gabe: How does Hinduism affect culture? Guru: Hinduism affects culture mainly because of the caste system. This is because your social class never changes. Parents who follow the caste system also usually make arranged marriages for their kids. If two people from different castes fall in love, it is very rare that they can get married and if they try there can be major consequences 5
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including death. Another way Hinduism affects culture is because people have to set aside time for meditation. Today some people do not meditate as much as they should because they are too busy. Gabe: How many Hindus are there in the world? Guru: There are about 900 million world wide which is 14 percent and its centered in India Gabe: How many Hindus are in the United Sates? Guru: There are approximately 1 million in the U.S. or 0.4 percent. Gabe: Thanks a lot Guru: Sure
Hindu temple in Singapore 6
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Islam
Muslims worshipping around the Kaaba, a shrine in Mecca
I have traveled now to the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. I am going to interview an Imam and ask about the Muslim religion. Gabe: Hello, can you tell us a little about yourself? Imam: Hello, as you may know I am an Imam in the holy city of Mecca. If you do not know, an Imam is a worship leader in mosques which is the place where Muslims worship. I teach the word from the Koran, our holy text and also the Shari"ah, the laws of Islam stated in the Koran. Gabe: How did Islam form? Imam: Muslims believe that there is one god named Allah. Long ago there was a man named Muhammad who we believe is the one who formed Islam. Muhammad was born in Mecca which is why many Muslims pray towards Mecca and take a pilgrimage to Mecca. When Muhammad was 40 years old he went to Mount Hira where the angel 7
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Gabriel gave him the first revelation. The angel told Muhammad many teachings which is now what the Koran is made up of. Gabe: What is this trip to Mecca? Imam: In Islam there are Five Pillars which include; Testimony to faith, to pray five times a day, support the needy, fasting during Ramadan, and that Muslims should make a pillage to Mecca. In Mecca there is a shrine called the Kaaba which is dedicated to Allah and Muslims go there to worship. Gabe: How do Muslims view Jesus? Imam: Muslims believe that Jesus was the last prophet on Earth before Muhammed. We also believe that Jesus was not killed because we believe God would not have let him die at the hands of human beings. Gabe: How do modern people worship in Islam? Imam: People worship in mosques where they learn the teachings of the Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey Koran by Imams like myself. Muslims also pray five times a day. When Muslims pray in mosques they pray towards Mecca because in the Koran it says that is how Muslims should pray. In Islam there are many holidays including the most important, Ramadan. Ramadan is the celebration of when the angel Gabriel came to Muhammad and delivered the verses of the Koran. During Ramadan Muslims do not eat or drink from sunrise until sunset for the whole month. Also during Ramadan Muslims give to charity and read the Koran daily. Gabe: What are the branches of Islam? Imam: There are two branches called Sunni and Shi"ite. In Sunni they believe that Caliphs are leaders and that any devout Muslim could become a Caliph. In Shi"ite they believe that Caliphs are political and religios leaders and that they have to be descendants of Muhammad. Gabe: How does Islam effect culture? Imam: Islam effects culture in many ways. One way is that in Islam all people are equal and in the Koran it states that Muslims must respect Jews and Christians. Another way is that women are often secluded and cover most of there bodies while in public. This is called Purdah. Most Muslim women wear a hijab which is a covering for women. In 8
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Islam there are also arranged marriages which to some is a bad thing because the parents decided who their children marry. Since Muslims have to pray five times a day they also usually carry a prayer mat with them. Islam can also effect other cultures because some people have Islamophobia which is the fear of Islam. This is mainly because there is a lot of conflict in the Middle East and It looks as if Muslims are combatative which in some cases may be true but some times they are just respecting Jihad. This is where Muslims defend their religion Gabe: How many Muslims are there worldwide? Imam: There are 1.5 billion Muslims in the world which is 23 percent of the world. Gabe: Where is Islam centered? Imam: Islam is mainly in the Middle East, Indonesia, and Northern Africa. Gabe: How many Muslims are there in the United Sates? Imam: There are about 3 million which is 1 percent of the US. Gabe: Thank you for your time
A muslim praying towards Mecca 9
World Religion Magazine
Buddhism
Buddhist monks celebrating Vesak I have traveled to Tibet to meet a Buddhist monk. I am going to ask him a few questions about Buddhism. Gabe: Tell me a little bit about yourself. Monk: Hello, I am a Tibetan monk. I worship the religion Buddhism. Gabe: How did your religion form? Monk: Around 566 B.C. Siddhartha Gautama was born into Hinduism and was in the Kshatriya caste. Siddhartha lived a very good life but was shielded from the outside world. When he was older he saw that there was a lot of suffering and sadness. He decided that he would leave his wife and son and try to find out why people suffer and how it could be ended. When he left he tried to find a way to become enlightened and finally decided to meditate until he found enlightenment. When he did he outlined what he found in the Four Noble Truths. He also said that if you were to obtain Nirvana, a state of freedom from the cycle of rebirth, you must follow the eightfold path. Siddhartha"s friends began to call him Buddha. When Buddha died the people he taught started to spread the religion even more.
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Gabe: How are Buddhism and Hinduism similar and different. Monk: Both the religions practice meditation, believe in non-violence, and originated in India. Both believe in reincarnation, believe in Karma, and both worship in temples. They are different because Buddhism rejects the caste system, Buddhists believe in Nirvana, Buddhism was formed in 550 B.C. but Hinduism was founded in 2000 B.C, and they have the Tripitaka which are the holy texts of Buddhism. Buddhism also challenged Hinduism by questioning the Brahmin caste, rejecting the caste system, condemned philosophy of “religion�, rejected concept of Brahman, rejected the Vedas, and rejected deities. Gabe: Who is the Dalai Lama? Monk: The Dalai Lama is one of the most important people in the Buddhist faith. He was born in Tibet in 1935 and was the 14th Dalai Lama. His real name is Tenzin Gyatso. He also won the noble peace prize. Gabe: How do Buddhists today worship? Monk: People today go to temples and worship the Tripitaka, the holy text of Buddhists. They also follow the Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path. Meditation is a big part of worship as well. Stupas usually made of large stones are put on tombs of other Buddhists. There are also many holidays including Vesak. Vesak is the celebration of the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. It is celebrated every full moon of May. Buddhists give gifts to the monks, give to the poor and put water on Buddha statues. Gabe: How does Buddhism affect culture? Monk: It affects culture because we must set out time to meditate which can be hard for some people. Also if you are a monk you have to wear the traditional clothing. Gabe: How many Buddhists are there worldwide and in the U.S.? Monk: There are 376 million worldwide which is about 6 percent mainly in Southeast Asia. There are about 1.5 million Buddhists in the U.S. which is 0.5 percent. Gabe: Thank you. Monk: You"re welcome. Statue of Siddhartha Gautama(Buddha) 11
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Judaism
Orthodox quarter in Antwerp, Belgium I have now traveled to Israel where I am going to meet a Rabbi to discuss Judaism. Gabe: Tell me a little about who you are. Rabbi: Hello, I am a Rabbi or a Jewish religious leader. I teach Jews the messages of the Torah which are the first five books of the Old Testament and the holy text of the Jewish people. Gabe: Tell me a little about Judaism. Rabbi: A long time ago a man named Abraham who was considered to be the founder of Judaism. It was said that he was called out of Iraq by God and went to the promised land now known as Israel. Another big figure in Judaism was Moses. Moses was the greatest prophet. He led the slaves out of Egypt and to the promised land. He also received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. The Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God and are a guideline for Jewish life. Gabe: What is this Promised Land?
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Rabbi: The Promise land is the land that Jews believe God gave to them. For a long time this land was not controlled by Jews but After WWII the world felt so bad about the Holocaust that they gave back the land of Israel to the Jews. This has caused a big conflict between Israel and Palestine. Gabe: How do Jews worship? Rabbi: Jews worship mainly by going to the synagogue and learning the word of God through the teachings in the Torah. Jews also celebrate many holidays the most important being Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is a time to ask God for forgiveness for the sins of the past year. Yom Kippur happens on the tenth day of the Jewish month Tishri. Jews celebrate this by fasting for the whole day, praying, apologizing to people they did wrong to, do not go to work, and attend services at the synagogue. Another way we worship is when Children turn 13 or 14 they have a Bar mitzvah for boys or Bat mitzvah for girls. This is a celebration of the passing into adulthood. Gabe: What are the different branches in Judaism? Rabbi: There are three Branches in Judaism Orthodox, Conservative, and Reformed. Orthodox is the most strict of the branches. Orthodox Jews practice the original ways because Orthodox used to be the only branch. Conservative is a middle ground between Orthodox and Reformed. Conservative was the last branch formed and they follow traditional ways but also adapt to modern life. Reformed is the loosest of the three branches. In Reformed they modernize Judaism. This was the second branch but was a lot different than Orthodox.
A wall from Herod’s temple (approx. 19 B.C.) where Jews pray called the Wailing Wall which is located in Jerusalem.
Gabe: How does Judaism affect culture? Rabbi: Judaism effects culture in different ways. One way is the Kosher diet. Kosher is where Jews do not mix meat and dairy products, do not eat shellfish but, not all jews
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keep Kosher. another way is that some jews wear special clothing including Yarmulkes, a small head covering worn by some Jewish men. Gabe: How many Jews are there world wide and where is Judaism focused? Rabbi: There are 14 million Jews worldwide which is 0.2 percent and they are focused in Israel and the U.S. Gabe: How many Jews are there in the U.S.? Rabbi: There are about 7 million in the United States, 1.3 percent of americans. Gabe: Thank you Rabbi: No problem
Synagogue in France
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Christianity
Crucifix in the Swiss Alps Now Im going to stay right here in the U.S. and meet a pastor to talk about Christianity. Gabe: Hello, can you tell a little bit about what you do? Pastor: Sure, I am a pastor here in the United States. I teach the word of God and the teachings in the Bible which is the holy text of Christians. The Bible like the Torah and the Koran has the Old Testament but it also has the New Testament which is what happened after Jesus came to Earth because we believe that Jesus was the son of God. Gabe: Tell me a little about Christianity. Pastor: Christianity is the belief that Jesus was the son of God and was the Messiah. Jesus was brought into the world by Mary and her betrothed husband Joseph. Mary and Joseph were not married yet and one day the angel Gabriel came to her and told her she would have a baby who would be the Son of God. This was very surprising to Mary but Jesus was born eventually. This event is why people celebrate Christmas. After Jesus was born he went on to give many great teachings including the Sermon on the
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Mount. This was a collection of the most important of Jesus' teachings and sayings. While Jesus was alive there were 12 apostles who were the original believers. One of these apostles was Paul. Paul was a Jew but he had roman citizenship and he tried to get rid of Christianity. One day God told him that he should learn and teach Christianity. Most of the New Testament was written by Paul. After a while the Romans started to hate Jesus because they didn"t agree with his views. A lot of Romans started to say they should kill Jesus. A man named Pontious Pilot was the Roman Prefect in Israel. He realized that people wanted Jesus dead so he gave Jesus the death sentence. Jesus was taken to a hill and was crucified on a cross. After he was put into the tomb on the third day he resurrected from the tomb and went to heaven. After Jesus died many christians were persecuted until the Roman Emperor Constantine agreed on a policy of religious tolerance. Gabe: How do people worship Christianity today? Pastor: Today many Christians go to churches and worship. There are also holidays which includes the most important Easter. Easter is celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus. Gabe: What are the Major branches in Christianity? Paster: They are Catholicism, Orthodox and Protestant. Catholicism is different because the Pope is the second largest figure in the religion. The Pope is the head of the Catholic church. Orthodox is the smallest branch. Protestant is looser and is the largest branch in the U.S. Gabe: How does Christianity affect culture? Pastor: It affects our culture greatly because the United States was founded on many Christian principals. Gabe: How many Christians are there world wide Pastor: There are about 2.1 billion Christians which is 33 percent of the world population. Christianity is centered in North America, Latin and South America, Europe, and Russia. Gabe: Thank you for your time. Pastor: My pleasure.
St Basil's Cathedral, Moscow Russia
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Published by:Gabe Westergren date: 10/9/12 Teacher: Mr. Turrisi Class Color: Red
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