Comparative Religion Concepts

Founder of Buddhism

• Siddhartha Gautama

Nostra Aetate

• An important Catholic Church document from 1965
• Means "In Our Time" in Latin

Buddhist Beliefs

• The Three Jewels
• Eightfold Path
• Five Precepts
• Karma (concept of rebirth)
• Dharma (the concept of the guiding cosmic order)

Polytheism vs. Monotheism

• Polytheism: Belief in multiple gods
• Monotheism: Belief in one god

Hindu Caste System

• Brahmins: Priests, teachers, intellectuals
• Kshatriyas: Warriors, rulers, leaders
• Vaishyas: Merchants, traders, landowners
• Shudras: Laborers, servants

Indigenous God Name

• Kitchi-Manitou

Muslim Belief about Jesus

• Muslims see Jesus as Isa (a prophet) and a messenger of Allah.

Indigenous Rituals

• Pipe Ceremony: A ritual using a sacred pipe to symbolize unity, harmony, and truth, used for negotiations and respectful conversations
• Sweat Lodge: Purification ceremony cleansing the body, mind, spirit, and heart
• Sun Dance: Ceremony in June or July, involves fasting, purification, and sometimes body piercing, as a symbol of renewal and dedication to the Great Spirit
• Smudging: A cleansing ritual using sacred herbs like sage, tobacco, cedar, or sweetgrass, for physical, spiritual, or mental purification.

Holy Trinity

• The Christian holy trinity consists of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Seven Grandfather Teachings

• Honesty
• Humility
• Truth
• Wisdom
• Love
• Respect
• Bravery

Five Pillars of Islam

• Salat (prayer)
• Shahada (declaration of faith)
• Hajj (pilgrimage)
• Zakat (charity)
• Fasting

Tracing Muslim Ancestry

• Muslims trace their ancestry back to Abraham through Ishmael.

Diaspora

• A group of people who have dispersed from their original homeland and settled in various parts of the world

Jewish Holidays

• Yom Kippur
• Sukkot
• Pesach
• Purim
• Shavuot
• Hanukkah
• Shabbat
• Brit milah or bris
• Bar/bat mitzvah

Atheism vs Agnosticism

• Atheism: Belief that there is no god
• Agnosticism: Belief that the existence of a god is unknown.

Sacred Places of Religion

• Mosque (Islam)
• Church (Christianity)
• Temple (Judaism)
• Synagogue (Judaism)

Buddhist Festivals

• Vesak
• Asalha puja
• Magha puja

Abrahamic Religions

• Islam
• Christianity
• Judaism

Genocide

• Deliberate and systematic destruction of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group

Scripture Analysis - Hinduism

• "Both the eyes are one-sided.for the perfect balance, you need Shiva's third eye"
• The third eye represents harmony.

Scripture Analysis - Islam

• "All Mighty Allah SWT has said: 'O son of adam,so long as you call upon Me, and hope in Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and i shall not mind'"

Quotes About Suffering and Intolerance

• "All conditioned things are impermanent. When one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from Suffering" (Buddhism)
• "You shall not oppress stranger, for you know the soul of the stranger, have been strangers to the land of egypt" (Judaism)
• "Perhaps that you have noticed that in the Slightest breeze you can hear the voice of the cotton tree;this we understand it its prayer to the great spirit, for not only men, but all things and all beings pray to him continually in different ways..."(Indigenous)
• Quote about how Allah is merciful if you apologize with pure intention.