Blog Post 26-99 Names of God

Blog Post 24- Islam Webquest

Task 1
1.  What is highest estimate for the total number of Muslims that live in the world today? 

 2.1 billion people.

2.  List 10 countries who have a Muslim population of 86% or greater.

Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gambia, Iran, Iraq.
3.  What country has the largest Muslim population?
Indonesia
4.  How many Muslims are there in the United States?
2,595,000

Task 2

Summarize each of the key beliefs below in a COMPLETE sentence.

1. There is only one unique God.

2. There are Angels who exist and worship God alone.

3.  God revealed his word to humans so that they might believe in him.

4.  Muslims believe in the prophets and messengers of God and his best messenger is Muhammad.

5.  All people will be judged when they are resurrected.

6. Muslims believe in Al-Qadar, which is Divine Predestination, but his belief in Divine Predestination does not mean that human beings do not have freewill.

TEACHINGS OF MUHAMMAD

Go to the following website and put 3 of Muhammad’s sayings in your own words.

1.   Honesty and staying pure while moving forward is the best way to live life and makes up the Divine words of wisdom.

2. Struggling is going against one’s desires and submitting themselves to Allah.

3. Anger, dictatorship and being bias are sins, meaning going against God’s purpose.

Task 3

1.  What does the Quran provide?
The Quran provides guidelines and detailed teachings for a relationship between Allah and his people, a just society, proper human conduct, and an equitable economic system.  It deals with all aspects of humanity.
2.  In what language(s) does the Quran exist? Why?
The Quran can be translated into any language. However, it is only the true Quran in Arabic.

3. During which month was the Quran sent don from Heaven?

The 9th month

4. What did the angel Gabriel command Muhammad to do? What happened next?

He commanded Muhammad to read, and then he taught Muhammad some verses from the Quran, which Muhammad later memorized.

Task 4

1. List and explain the 5 Pillars of Faith.

Shahada- This is the most important pillar of Islam. One is required to say it with conviction at least once in his or her life.

Salat- Muslims pray five times a day: at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and night.

Zakat- Zakat is giving to charity

Siyam- Siyam literally means any ritual fasting, but is generally understood to refer to ritual fasting during the month of Ramadan. From dawn to dusk for the entire month, Muslims must refrain from eating, drinking and engaging in sexual relations.

Hajj- Every able-bodied Muslim is required - if their finances permit - to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.

2. Why are they important? They help to strengthen their faith in and service to Allah.

3.Why is cheating on the 5 pillars impossible? Cheating is impossible because all Muslims strive to perform them, regardless of anything.

4.Compare the 5 pillars with similar activities in other religions: In Christianity, we also fast during Lent, which is similar to Muslims fasting during Ramadan. Christianity also encourages giving to charity and praying as much as possible.

Task 5

1.  What is Ramadan?
Ramadan occurs in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is believed that during this month, the Quran was sent down. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunup to sundown.
2.  What restraints are placed on Muslims during Ramadan?
Muslims must fast between sunrise and sundown during the month of Ramadan.  Smoking and sexual relations are also forbidden during fasting.
3. What can destroy the good acquired during Ramadan?
The telling of a lie, slander, enouncing someone behind his back, a false oath, greed or covetousness can destroy the good acquired during Ramadan.

4.  Why is the 27th day of Ramadan significant?

This is the night that Muhammad received the Quran. On this day, God chooses the course of the rest of the year.
5. What happens when Ramadan ends?
The fast is celebrated for three days in a holiday called Id-al-Fitr. Gifts are exchanged among people and friends and family gather to pray in congregation and for large meals. In some cities fairs are held to celebrate the end of the Fast of Ramadan.
6.  What are the 3 reasons Ramadan is important?
Three reasons Ramadan is important are:  to get closer to God, to become obedient to God, and to fast.
7.  Why is easier to do good during Ramadan?
It is easier to do good during Ramadan because all Muslims do good during Ramadan especially in Muslim countries.

Task 6

List 5 interesting facts you learned from the websites above:

1. It is disrespectful to portray Muhammad’s face.     

 2. Muslims account for 1/5^th of the word’s population.

3. Islam means “submission” from a word meaning “peace”. ·    

4.  The architecture of Muslims differed from the rest of the world at one time in the world.
5.  Islam and Judaism go back to the prophet and patriarch Abraham and their three prophets are directly descendants from his sons.

 

Blog Post 22- Ancient Western Religions

1. The Zoroastrianism began to flourish in ancient Iran in the 4^th and 5th centuries B.C.

2. Zoroastrianism spread beyond its place of origin after Persia was conquered by Alexander the Great in 328 BC.

3. An angel named Good Thought brought Zarathustra a disembodied soul in front of the one true God, Abura Mazda.

4. The sacred text of Zoroastranism is the Avesta. The oldest material is the Gathas and was written by Zarathustra.

5. The Ahura Mazda is eternal and universal goodness and controls the cosmos and destiny of humans.  

6. Ethical dualism is the belief in universal forces of good and evil.

 7. The Lie is the evil force. It is associated with Ahura Mazda because his child, the hostile spirit, chose the Lie.

8. In the Zoroastrianism cosmic scheme, humans must choose between good and evil.

9. Zarathustra’s understanding of human destiny is that humans will die and then be judge whether to go to heaven or hell based on the good and evil in their life.

10. The general ethical demands of traditional Zoroastrian life calls for followers to pray five times daily.

11. The Parsis are the followers of Zoroastrianism . They live in India.

12. The Iliad and the Odyssey are commonly regarded as the Bibles of the ancient Greeks.

13. The sentence means that the Greek gods who competed in the Olympics competed while in human form.

14. Aeschylus’s main contribution to the understanding of the Olympic gods was the idea of divine justice. For example, he believed that the gods’ actions were in response to the humans’ actions.

15. An oracle is a sanctuary favored by a god, who communicates with those who visit it. The most famous Greek oracle was Delphi. It was consulted  because it received her wisdom from Apollo.  

16. The three basic aspects of the mystery religious are an initiation ritual, members experience a personal encounter with the deity, and initiates gain spiritual renewal through participation and hope for a better life.  

17. Eleusinian honored Demeter and Persephone.  

18. The god Dionysus is associated with fertility, vegetation, and wine. He is often depicted with vines and grapes.  

19. The goal of the ascetic practices of the Orphics was to lead a pure life so the soul can escape the body.  

20. Plato’s theory of knowledge is that knowledge is recollection.  

21. Platonic dualism is that reality has eternal and perfect Forms, and the material, bodily world is a reflection of the world of Forms.

22. Jesus seemed to have much in common with the ancient Asclepius because both were called Savior and the worshipers’ relationship with Asclepius resembled the relationship Christ has with Christians.

23.  Numina supernatural beings that were the ancient Roman equivalent of deities. They controlled various things such as populating towns.

24.  The most powerful Roman deity was Jupiter.

25.  The six planets that are named after Roman deities are Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn.

26. The Roman State thought that it was essential to maintain official worship practices because they did not want to anger the gods.  

27. Mithraism and the Cult of Isis were the two mystery religions that rivaled main Christianity in the late Roman empire.

28. The Egyptians believed that Osiris was killed by his brother. However, his wife, Isis, put him back together, which later turns him into a mummy.

29. Augustus encouraged the worship of the spirit of the emperor.

30. Christians and Roman rulers clashed over emperor worship because Romans believed the focus of worship should be the state and Christians believed that the focus should be God.

Judaism

1. The Synagogue is a meeting place, learning center, and a worship space in Judaism.

2. Layouts of most synagogues vary, but some aspects are usually true throughout synagogues.  The Ark, usually found on the eastern wall of the synagogue, is where the Torah is kept. The Torah scrolls are the holiest text in Judaism. The scrolls in the synagogue must be handwritten on parchment from a kosher animal. The scrolls are covered by cloth mantles (covers) and stored in the Ark. The Ten Commandments are also located on the wall of the synagogue.

3.  A rabbi is a Jewish teacher. He is not a clergyman because he does not have the authority to perform certain rituals. He determines and interprets religious laws. To become a rabbi, a man must complete college and a number of rabbi training classes, and learn Hebrew.

4. Shabbat, the most important ritual observance in Judaism, is a day of rest and spiritual enrichment. It is from Friday sundown to Saturday night.

5. The Torah contains the first five books of Moses. It also talks about Jewish values and rules of society. Talmud is the Oral Torah that explains the scriptures and how to interpret them. 6. Orthodox Jews follow the teachings of the Torah. Reform Jews believe that the Torah and their faith are constantly changing and evolving. Conservative Jews believe that Jewish laws should be able to adapt to the current time period. Zionist Jews believe that all Jews should return to the Holy Land.  

6. Orthodox Judaism strictly follow the laws in the Torah. Reform Judaism value the Torah, but believe that each individual is free to interpret it as he/she chooses. Conservative Judaism believe that Jewish laws should not be disobeyed, they can be adapted. The Zionist Jews believe there should be a national Jewish state in Palestine.

7. Hebrew is in the Canaanite group of Semitic languages. It is the historical language of the Jews.  

8.Yiddish is the language of European Jews.

9. Mazal Tov- Congratulations

Shalom- Hello/Peace/Goodbye

 Mitzvah- party

10. Brit Milah is when baby male Jews are circumcised. Bar/Bat Mitzvah is when a Jewish boy/girl is of the age to assume responsibility for observing the commandments and for his acitons. In Judaism, marriage is a natural and desirable part of life.

11. Rosh Hashanah, also known as “head of the year”, is considered New Years in Judaism. This is a time for Jews to reflect on their past and try to look to the future for changes.  Yom Kippur is the most valuable holiday for Jews where they take time to pray and fast. Passover also known as “Pesach” includes festivals and starts the upcoming months of growing crops. Hanukah lasts for 8 days and is a Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple.

12. I knew that Jewish boys and girls had Bar/Bat Mitzvahs when they came of age.  I also knew that Jews celebrated Hanukah and Yom Kippur. I knew that there was different branches of Judaism differentiating on how strictly they followed Torah.

13. I am surprised at all of the laws that Orthodox Jews follow.

14. Marriage is very similar to marriage in my family.

15.  One aspect of Jew tradition that is different is the Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.

Buddhism Questions

1. Siddhartha Gautama

2. An Old Man, A man with disease, a corpse, and an ascetic which filled him with elation and hope.

3.The Middle Way holds that a healthy spiritual life depends on a healthy physical life. It does not reject the body itself just the desires of the body. It also focuses on balance and not the extremes.

4. Gautama was meditating under a fig tree and demons were trying to distract him but he vowed on not moving until he under the purpose of life. He saw his own life on replay, how life was a cycle and discovered the Four Noble Truths.

5. Sangha is the first Buddhist monastic community with members of men and women from all walks of life

6. the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha

7. Time in means of the universe is eternal. They both believe in the doctrine of samsara or the wheel of birth

8. His reaction was rejection of the caste system because it was bondage that he too once experience. He allowed women to be accepted in the Sangha
9. No-Self, Impermanence, Suffering. They are all changing natures of reality.
10. No ultimate reality within. Atman is the ultimate reality and it is to be found within and to be absorbed in.
11.It is the transference of a bundle of energy and it is determined according to one's karma. Based on the deeds done in the first life will decide if the rebirth will be more privilege because his or her karma continues
12. Do not take life, do not take what is not given, do not engage in sensuous misconduct, do not use false speech, do not drink intoxicants, do not eat after noon, no not watch dancing or shows, do not use garlands, perfumes or ornaments, do not use high or soft beds, and do not accept gold or silver

13. Suffering, Frustration, Dislocation or Discomfort. Dukkha to me means the "puppet master" saying that he who controls the strings controls the person. The person cannot drive themselve because something else is

14. Tanha is desire, thirst or craving and is relating because the cause of suffering is desire.

15. Right Views, Right intentions, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditation

16. The difference is that the Buddha do not need a model to provide teachings leading to their awakening they accomplish their liberation on their own

17. "Worthy one" is enlightened and fully aware of the truth of the Buddha's teachings. They are free from desire.

18. "Blowing out" it can only be experience and being that it is so rare people are blown away when they experience it

19. Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana

20.The teachings

21. The Great Vehicle, Buddhism for large masses

22. Turns the energy of desire against itself

23. The spiritual leader of Vajrayana Buddhism found through supernatural ways and mundane

24. Asia

Buddhism

Buddhism

The goal of Buddhism is to reach total enlightenment know as Nirvana. It’s founder is Siddhartha Gautama, now referred to as the Buddha. He was a wealthy prince who led a very sheltered life until he traveled outside of the palace walls where he came across sickness, old age, death, and finally an old monk who had given up everything to end his suffering. These sights inspired Siddhartha Gautama to renounce everything and find the true path of enlightenment. Buddhism has no god or higher deity, the main purpose of this religion is to seek enlightenment.

The Buddha

The Three Jewels

The Three Jewels are very important in Buddhism. They are the Buddha (yellow) who serves as an example of how to live one’s life , Dharma (blue) which is the teaching of the Buddha and serves as a way of how to reach enlightenment, and Sangha (red), which is the practice of following in the footsteps of other Buddhists who have gone before you. 

Three Jewels

Dharma Wheel

Four Noble Truths

1. Life is filled with  dukkha (suffering)

2.Dukkah is caused by desire

3. Dukkah can only be ended by ending desire

4. One must follow the path that takes us away from suffering (i.e. the 8-fold path)

The Eightfold Path
1. Right understanding

2. Right resolve

3. Right speech

4. Right action

5. Right livelihood

6. Right effort

7. Right mindfulness

8. Right meditation

Wat Arun- Buddhist Temple in Thailand

Hinduism Chapter Review

1. Moksha is release from this ordinary, finite limited realm of existence into the infinite ocean of the divine. It is characterized by infinite bliss, being and awareness. Once a Hindu has attained moksha, they will never be reincarnated.

2. Monism says that all reality is ultimately one. This can be explained through an analogy. Although rivers, ponds, and lakes appear to be distinctive, they all share the same essence; water.

3. Brahman is the essence of all things. Atman is the ultimate reality within, the eternal Self. Brahman and Atman are one.

4. Hinduism’s many deities function as extensions of one ultimate reality. They provide points of contact with the divine.

5. Samsara is the “wheel of rebirth.” This means that the individual is reincarnated from one life-form to another. What is actually reincarnated varies from person to person, but the atman, the “self” or “soul”, is reunited with its source.

6. Hinduism’s most popular text is the Bhagavad-Gita.

7. Karma and dharma connect the divine with this world. Karma says that every action produces an outcome that is justified by the action’s moral worthiness. Therefore, it determines the particular circumstances and situations of one’s life. Dharma is ethical duty based on the divine order or reality. It is the complete rule of life. When seeking guidance about dharma, Hindus turn to divine revelation, sacred tradition, practices and examples of the wise in society, and conscience.

8. The first caste is brahmin, consisting of priests. The second caste is kshatriya, consisting of warriors and administrators. The third caste is vaishya, made up of farmers, merchants and artisans. The fourth caste is shudra, consisting of servants and laborers.

9. Krishna encourages Arjuna to engage in war because it is his sacred duty. Not fighting in the war would be abandoning his duty, gaining evil in the process.

 10. The first stage is of the student. This lasts until marriage. The second stage is the householder, in which pursuing and career and raising a family are important. The next stage is the forest dweller stage, marked by the birth of the first grandchild. The fourth stage is sannyasin, or wandering ascetic. This stage is composed of forest dwellers who remain detached from the normal attractions and distractions of social life.

11. The first goal of life is kama, or pleasure. Kama is to be embraced by whosoever desires it. Artha, or material success and the social power that comes with it is another life goal. Once sensual pleasure and material success runs dry, the third goal of life comes to play, dharma. As a life goal, it is the most desired duty. The fourth life goal is the infinite being, awareness and bliss of moksha.

12. The first path is Karma Marga, or “The Path of Works.” This is best suited for the active, for those whom physical activities come naturally. The second path if Jnana Marga, or “The Path of Knowledge.” This path is best suited for those with talent for philosophical reflection. The third path to liberation is Bhakti Marga, or “The Path of Devotion.” This is best suited for those to whom emotional attachments comes naturally.

13. The three most important schools of Hindu philosophy are Vedanta, Sankhya, and Yoga. They all strive to attain knowledge over the ignorance that binds the self to samsara.

14. Three important gods and goddesses are Brahma, the Creator, Vishnu, the Preserver, and Shiva, the Destroyer.

15.An avatar is an incarnation, or living embodiment, of a deity, who is sent to earth to accomplish a divine purpose. Krishna an avatar of Vishnu is an important Hindu figure who is identified as an avatar. Rama is another popular avatar of Vishnu.

16. The Bhagavad-Gita is most closely associated with bhakti marga.

17. Three aspects of Hindu devotional life are household and village rituals, holy places, and cow veneration.

18. Mahatma Gandhi influenced Hinduism with his insights including his tendency to accept all wisdom as lighting the way to the divine. In addition, his efforts to stand up to oppression through nonviolence and civil disobedience influenced Hinduism.

19. In the twentieth century, the Indian government officially forbade discrimination against outcastes. There are governmental programs that seek to promote the economic and social rights of those people.

20. Sati is the burning of a widow. Since 1829, sati has been officially forbidden. However, it sometimes does still occur.

21. In 1947, the Muslim community forced the partitioning of India to form the divided nation of Pakistan, providing a Muslim homeland.

Primal Religions- Yoruba

Location: The Yoruba are located in West Africa; predominately in Nigeria. However, they are also located in Benin and Togo. This area includes savanna grassland in the north and tropical rain forest region in the south.  The Yoruba favor living in cities, such as Ife, the center of the Yoruba religion

Cosmological view: The Yoruba see reality as being divided into two; heaven and earth. Heaven is the invisible home of the gods and ancestors, and earth is visible home of the human beings. The purpose of the religion is to maintain the balance between the worlds. 

The Yoruba believe that Olorun is the original source of power in the universe. He has deities who act as an in between the people and himself.

Sacred Symbols:  The Yoruba have a lot of symbols in their religion. For example, they use wood and metal carvings, plants and animals as symbols of gods and ancestral spirits. Some symbols are made to identify divinities. These include sculptures, bowls, stools and masks. Wooden figures are also very common, especially when representing twin birth.  Edan, one male and one female figure, joined by a chain, is another symbol. They are used for initiation into the Ogboni society.

Edan Symbol

Sacred Locations:  One sacred location is Osun-Osogo Sacred Grove. It is believed that the goddess of fertility Osun landscaped the grove with shrines, sculptures and art in honor of Osun. The Yoruba people see it as a symbol of identity. At many sacred locations, one can find an Akoko Tree, which is a symbolic marker for sacred spots in the Yoruba religion.

Sculptures in Osun-Osogo Sacred Grove

Gods: The major god is Olorun, who is believed to be the original source of power. There are many lesser deities under Olorun called orishas. Whiler they are lesser than Olorun, they are still very significant. One orisha is Orisha-nla, who created the earth. Another important god is Ogun, the god of war. He inhabits the area between the ancestors and the rest of the orishas.

Orisha Ogun

Totems,taboos:  The Yoruba primarily use totems as their totems. There are a number of taboos in the Yoruba religion. In fact, they are actually very important to the religion. It is taboo to say that the King is dead because the Yoruba view the King as a mortal God. It is it taboo to say that a fat person is heavy. One final example is that it is taboo to ask whether a project was successful or not.

Shaman: The Shaman leads the people and helps to restore their soul. They call on Olorun, the father of all creation to do so. He gives the Shamans wisdom, purity and peace to help them with their responsibility.

Rituals: There are many important death rituals in the Yoruba religion. For example, when the corpse is lowered to the grave, the survivors bring an animal victim and offers his gift to the minister. Another ritual is the daily worship of gods. Every morning, the worshiper stands in front of the shrine, usually alone, and proceeds to worship the god.

People waiting to eat after a funeral

Extra Images

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_people#Benin

http://obafemio.weebly.com/uploads/5/1/4/2/5142021/04-1_162.pdf

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1118

http://newafricanspirituality.com/page3/files/category-yoruba002c-shamanism002c-obatala.html

http://www.cte.ku.edu/gallery/visibleknowledge/salami/22/historyYoruba.htm

http://reasonbelieve.blogspot.com/2010/01/introduction-to-yoruba-religion.html

Chapter Review

1. Some forms of religion are called primal because they came before the religious traditions most people practice today. Some characteristics are that they have preserved a mythic orientation toward life. They tend to be traditions of nonliterate tribal peoples and very diverse.

2. They gave shape to the landscape and created the various forms of life, including human beings. They determined tribe’s language, social rules, customs.

3. The spiritual essence remains

4. A totem is the natural form, such as an animal or other feature of the landscape, in which the Ancestor appeared in the Dreaming.  Taboo dictates that certain things and activities are set aside for specific members of the group and are forbidden to other.

5.It is only through ritual that the sacred power of the Dreaming can be accessed and experienced. Every ritual has a myth that tells of certain actions of the Ancestors during the Dreaming.

6. From the Ancestors in the Dreaming

7.They awaken young people to this spiritual identity and redefine their social identity within the tribe. They bring about the symbolic death of childhood and prepares the way for the spiritual rebirth.

8. Knocking the two lower middle teeth out and burying them in the ground and circumcision

9. The Western regions of central Africa, in Nigeria, Benin and Togo

10. Because there the god Orisha-nla first began to create the world

11. They believe that reality is divided into two separate worlds: heaven and earth. Heaven is the invisible home of the gods and ancestors, and earth is the world of normal experience.

12. The supreme God. He is the primary source of power in the universe

13. The others gods in the Yoruba religion.  They function as mediators between Olorun and human beings. They are lesser deities than Olorun, but are still sources of sacred power and can help or harm human beings.

14. One is Orisha-nla who created the earth. Another is Ogun, the god of iron and of war. He was originally a human being, but became a god after his death.

15. A trickster figure is a sort of mischievous supernatural being

16. Family ancestors gained their supernatural status by earning a good reputation and living to an old age. Defied ancestors were important human figures known throughout Yoruba society.

17.They mediate between the gods and ancestors in heaven , and human beings on earth.

18.One’s future can be learned through divination.  It is essential because knowledge of one’s future is considered essential for determining how to proceed with one’s life.

19.They migrated from Asia, probably by crossing the Bering Strait some twenty thousand to thirty thousand years ago

20.It serves as the model of pan-Indian religion

21.The Lakota name for the supreme reality

22.The Lakota trickster figure

23.They believe that four souls depart from a person at death. One journeys along the “spirit path” of the Milky Way. The soul meets an old woman, and other parts enter unborn children.

24.Spiritual power that will ensure greater success in activities

25.A dark and airtight hut made of saplings and covered with animal skins. It is intended to represent the universe. It causes the participant to sweat profusely.

26.It arrives in the form of an animal usually with a message.  Sometimes the participant acquires a guardian spirit.

27.A woman of outstanding character

28. The axis or center of the universe. In the dance, it represents the supreme being.

29. They believe their bodies are the only things they truly own, so it is the only suitable sacrifice to offer to the supreme being.

30. They were a highly developed civilization, and were urban. They are similar because they emphasized the interrelationship between myth and ritual and it predated Catholicism.

31. Most of present-day Mexico and extended southward to present-day Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica

32. Quetzalcoatl ordered the world and in Tenochtitlan.

33. Quetzalcoatl’s earthly devotee. He provided the Aztecs with the perfect role model for their own authority figures

34. The age of the fifth sun. They believed that it would be the last to ever shine.

35. The spatial world had four quadrants, which connected the earthly realm to the heavenly realm above and the underworld below.

36. Because each human had two divine forces, one in the head and another in the heart, that nurtured the human being with basic needs. They connected the earthly realm to the divine realm.

37. They could communicate with the gods and make offerings through language, providing an alternative to sacrifice.

38. The Aztec king believed that the Spanish leader was Topiltzin Quetzl-coatl, the long-lost priest-kind of the Toltects. The king welcomed the Spanish leader and provided him with gifts.

39.The Aztecs performed similar rituals devoted to the same purpos

40. The boundaries between the supernatural and human worlds are thing and easily crossed. The all-encompassing nature of religion, and change.