Major Religions Of The World

1. Non-Religious World View

2. Agnosticism, Atheism, Humanism

3. Agnosticism
Agnosticism is a belief about the existence or non –
existence of God
An agnostic usually holds the questions of whether
God exists or not open, pending the arrival of more
evidence.
Agnostics are willing to change their belief if some
evidence or solid proof is found in the future.

4. Atheism
An atheist is a person who lacks a belief that a
god(s) and/or goddess(es) exists
They have a belief that there is no God.

5. Humanism
Humanists think that science and reason provide the best
basis for understanding the world around us.
They believe that moral values are properly founded on
human empathy and scientific understanding.
“I am a Humanist. I don’t believe in any higher power that the
best expressions of the human spirit, and those are to be
found in personal and social relationships. Evaluating my
life those terms, I’ve had some mixed results. I’ve hurt some
people and disappointed others, but I hope that on balance,
I’ve given more than I’ve taken.”
Professor Fred Hollows

6. SMART’S DIMENSIONS OF
RELIGION

7. Smart’s Dimensions
Due to the vastness of the subject of religion there is
a need to make the study of it more manageable;
there is a need for an ordered strategy.
Ninian Smart is a Professor of Religious studies at
Lancaster University.
His work has concentrated on the characteristics that
are found commonly across different religious
traditions.

8. 7 Dimensions
Smart’s Dimensions
2.The practical and ritual dimension
3.The experiential and emotional dimension
4.The narrative or mythic dimension
5.Doctrinal and philosophical dimension
6.Ethical and legal dimension
7.Social and institutional dimension
8.Material dimension

9. 1. Practical and Ritual
In all religions people come together for different
purposes, and when they do, the words they say
and the things they do tend to follow a certain
pattern. This formalised behaviour is a ritual, of
which, there are a number of different types:
Rites of Passage or Initiation rites – Initiation rites
are most often associated with the transition from
childhood or infancy into adulthood.
Rites of worship or devotion – There are both
communal and private acts of worship or devotion.

10. 2. Experiential and emotional
All religions regard an inner experience as very
important, and such experiences are often highly
emotional. They are understood to be contacts with
gods or spirits, or insights into truth.
Immediate experience: the believer is in direct
contact with the unseen world.
Mediated experience: the believers understand that
it is through some person, object or act that they are
united with the unseen world.

11. 3. Narrative or mythical
This is the story side of religion and refers to the
sacred stories within various religious traditions
which seek to explain the meaning of various
aspects of reality i.e. the origins of the world,
death.

12. 4. Doctrinal and philosophical
This refers to the beliefs and values which play an
important part in all the major religions because
there comes a time when a faith has to formulate
some kind of intellectual statement of the basis of
faith i.e. the Catholic faith believes in the trinity,
three persons but one God.

13. 5. Ethical and Legal
Every religion has a code of approved moral
conduct.
What is regarded as morally good or morally evil is
not the same in all religions.
This dimension expresses the law that a tradition
incorporates into its belief system.
It refers to various religious moral codes which seek to
regulate the lives of believers in approved ways i.e. in
Buddhism, there are the Five precepts or virtues that are
universally binding.

14. 6. Social and Institutional
In one way or another, all religions become organised,
and they organise the world around them. It is this
organisation of religion that we call social structure.
Sacred Time: Almost every religion has a
religiously based calendar, and the religious
calendars of no two religions are alike.
Sacred Persons: Religions also mark out and set
aside ritual experts, spiritual guides and leaders.

15. 7. Material
This refers to the visible and symbolic forms usually
expressed as buildings, works of art, even special
places of pilgrimage i.e. Mecca, the River Ganges.

16. Major Religions of the World

17. Major Religion Statistics

18. Australia & the Major Religions
Table of the Major Religions

19. JUDAISM
“Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be
my people; and walk in all the way that I command you, that
it may be well with you.’” (Jeremiah 7:23)

20. Practical & Ritual
Rites of Passage
B'rit Milah – Circumcision
Bar Mitzvah – Naming ceremony
Kiddushin – Marriage ceremony
Death
Rites if worship or devotion
According to their tradition, Jews pray 3 times a day: morning prayer is called
shaharith, afternoon prayer is called minhah and evening prayer maarib
Sabbath Day: Friday afternoon until Saturday afternoon, every week.
For some Jews during Sabbath, no secular activity is allowed, while others allow
themselves to perform normal activities beyond the core celebration.
Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh
Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year.“
The shofar is a ram's horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most
important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the
synagogue

21. Experiential & Emotional
Sabbath – weekly day of rest (shortly before sundown
on Friday night to shortly after sundown Saturday
night).
Commemorates Gods day of rest after the 6 days of creation.
Prayer – three times a day, fourth prayer added on
during Shabbat.
Three pilgrimage festivals
Passover: Beginning on the evening of the 14
th
day of Nisan
(1
st
month Hebrew calendar).
Shavout (Pentecost): celebrates the revelation of the Torah to
the Israelites.
Sukkot: Commemorates the Israelites’ 40 years of wandering
through the dessert on their way to the Promised Land.

22. Narrative or Mythical
The Torah is the most important document in
Judaism.
It is otherwise known as the Law and is the first five
books of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
It was received by Moses on the top of Mt Sinai

23. Doctrinal and Philosophical
Thirteen articles of Faith
God is creator
God is one
God is incorporeal
God is eternal
God alone is to be worshipped
God has spoken through the prophets
Moses was the greatest of the prophets
The whole of the Torah was revealed to Moses
The Torah is the unalterable word of God
God has knowledge of and concern for all the deeds of human beings
God rewards those who keep the mitzvot (commandments) and
punishes those who transgress them
The Messiah will come
The dead will be resurrected

24. Ethical and Legal
All Jewish behaviour is ultimately derived from the Torah.
Contained within the Torah is 613 commandments (halachah)
that comprise the legal tradition of Judaism.
It is concerned with guiding believers in right relationship with God and
right relationship with one’s families and neighbours.
Tikkum olam ‘repair the world’
Jewish principle of commitment to social justice and social order.
Tzedakah and gemilut chasidim (deeds of loving kindness).
Tzedakah: giving away of some material possession
Gemilut chasidim: investment of one’s personal time and energy.

25. Social Structures
The local synagogue is at the heart of Jewish religious
activity, led by a rabbi (teacher).
The Orthodox and Chasidim typically use the word "shul,"
which is Yiddish. The word is derived from a German word
meaning "school," and emphasizes the synagogue's role as a
place of study.
Conservative Jews usually use the word "synagogue," which
is actually a Greek translation of Beit K'nesset and means
"place of assembly" (it's related to the word "synod").
Reform Jews use the word "temple," because they consider
every one of their meeting places to be equivalent to, or a
replacement for, The Temple.

26. Material
Synagogue
Jews at the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in
Jerusalem. The Western Wall is all that remains of
the Second Temple, which was destroyed in 70
B.C.E. It serves as a gathering place for Jews to
lament the Temple's loss.
The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism, it
is where God gathered the earth from which he
formed Adam.

27. Symbols
1.Mezuzah: A small box of wood or metal containing 15 verses
of the Bible, the "Shema" attached to the doorpost of the house
and of each room, reminder of God's presence everywhere.
2.Tefillin: Two small boxes containing verses of the Bible,
adjusted to the forehead and left arm during the morning prayer,
for the mind and the heart.
3.Yarmulke ("Kippa"): Yiddish word for the skull-cap, as a sign
of respect to God.

28. 1.Menorah: 7 branches candlestick. It has been said
that the menorah is a symbol of the nation of Israel
and their mission to be "a light unto the nations."

2.Star of David

29. Hinduism

30. Rituals & Passages
Rites of Passage: Hindu rites of passage are called
samskaras.
They serve to purify the soul, and mark the various stages of life.
The first rite is before conception.
Jatakarma – birth ceremonies (plus others in childhood)
Upanayana – initiation (the sacred-thread ceremony)
Vivaha – marriage
Antyeshti – funeral and rites for the dead
Rites of Devotion:
Puja – the ritual that honours a god or goddess as a divine guest,
usually in a temple, but can also be a domestic ritual.

31. Experiences and Emotional
Karma-yoga (the yoga of selfless action) - It is the
way that leads to the attainment of God through
selfless work
Jnana-yoga (philosophical research and wisdom) –
It is the path of knowledge.
Astanga/RajaYoga (physical exercises and
meditation) - How to develop concentration and
how to commune with God
Bhakti-Yoga (the path of devotional service) - God
can be realised only by means of a love as ardent
and all-absorbing as the conjugal passion

32. Narrative and Mythical
Vedas are the most ancient and sacred Indian
scriptures organised in four collections (Rig, Sama,
Yajur, Atharva) and consisting of hymns of praise,
ritual/ceremonial manuals and mysticl/philosophical
treatises.
The Upanishads are a continuation of the Vedic
philosophy, and were written between 800 and 400 B.C.
They elaborate on how the soul (Atman) can be united
with the ultimate truth (Brahman) through contemplation
and mediation, as well as the doctrine of Karma-- the
cumulative effects of a persons' actions.

33. Epics: A text usually very long depicting a total view of
creation and society and exploring the deepest concerns of
humans
Mahabharata: speaks of the nature of god, the nature of the
devotee and the way in which the devotee communications in a
devout way with God
Ramayana: The Ramayana is a moving love story with moral and
spiritual themes.
Bhagavad Gita: This is one of the most popular and
accessible of all Hindu scriptures, required reading for
anyone interested in Hinduism. The book discusses
selflessness, duty, devotion, and meditation, integrating
many different threads of Hindu philosophy.

34. Doctrinal and Philosophical
In the long history of Hinduism, there has never
been a set of beliefs established by an elite group to
which all ‘believers’ must give assent.
Instead Hindus operate on a set of assumptions
about reality and the world.
However, the core of Hinduism is the belief in
Brahman, the underlying universal life force that
encompasses and embodies existence.

35. Belief overview
Almost all Hindus believe that the real self (atman) is
distinct from the temporary body made of matter (prakriti).
The eternal soul identifies with matter and is entrapped by
maya (illusion). Impelled by lust, greed, anger, etc., he
undergoes samsara (the cycle of repeated birth and death).
Each soul creates its unique destiny according to the law of
karma (the universal law of action and reaction). Under the
influence of eternal time and the three gunas (material
qualities) he moves throughout the creation, sometimes
going to higher planets, sometimes moving in human
society, and at other times entering the lower species.

36. The goal of most Hindus is moksha, liberation from
this perpetual cycle, through re-identification with
the eternal brahman (Supreme). Hinduism accepts
different paths towards this common goal (union
with God). Nonetheless, it stresses strict adherence
to universal principles through the practice of one's
dharma (ordained duty) as revealed through
authorised holy books and usually received through
the guru (spiritual mentor).

37. Trinity
That the Supreme Reality is One and
can be worshiped in any form is a concept unique to
Hinduism.
Hinduism gives form and shape to these "works“ of
Infinite with the Hindu Trinity - Brahma, Vishnu
and Shiva - "Brahma", the creator, "Vishnu" the
sustainer and "Shiva" the destroyer or the
annihilator of the Universe.

38. Ethical and Legal
In the Hindu framework, attention is placed on
relationships between individuals as members of
groups possessing different qualities and social
requirements.
Dharma is a complex set of teachings to be
understood and practised from the beginning to the
end of one’s life.
It focuses on upholding harmony with the order of the
world.
Purity and pollution
Class and caste

39. Social Structures
Harmony and balance are achieved by means of
ordering human groups in different levels, each one
having obligations and privileges. These are called
the four varnas.
Brahmin – priest/teacher
Kshatriya – warrior/king
Vaishya – farmer/merchant
Shudra – servant to the other three classes.

40. Material
Shrines are found in Hindu homes and are
used to worship the God/Goddess of that
house.
Temples

41. Symbol
The syllable Om is composed of the three sounds a-u-m (in
Sanskrit, the vowels a and u combine to become o) and the
symbol's threefold nature is central to its meaning. It
represent several important triads:
the three worlds - earth, atmosphere, and heaven
the three major Hindu gods - Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva
the three sacred Vedic scriptures - Rg, Yajur, and Sama
Thus Om mystically embodies the essence of the entire
universe. Hindu people greet each other by placing
their two hands together and slightly bowing
the head, whilst saying namaste or a similar
phrase. They adopt the same posture when
greeting the temple deity or a holy person.
Thus when greeting another person, a Hindu
is offering respect to the soul within (atman)
and also to God within the heart
(Paramatman).

42. • Lotus (padma) – symbol of
purity/transcendence. Growing out of the
mud, it is beautiful, and though resting on
water, it does not touch it.
• Conchshell – used during arati: one of the
four symbols of Vishnu. The others are the
lotus, club and disc.
• Swastika – an ancient solar sign
considered to invoke auspiciousnes.
• Trident (trishul) – the symbol of Shiva;
often carried by Shaivite sannyasis
(renunciates).
• Kalasha – coconut circled by mango
leaves on a pot. Often used in rituals such
as the fire sacrifice.
• Cow – symbol of purity, motherhood and
ahimsa (non-violence).
• Lotus feet (of guru or deity) – touching
the feet of superiors shows an attitude of
submission and service.
•Dipa/lamp – symbol of light.