...Comparison of Two Religions Hinduism & Buddhism By: Darilyn M. Parks Week 4 Assignment 1 Strayer University Chamblee Campus REL 212 Professor Dr. Bell Belew 02/02/2014 Page 1 Introduction Comparison of Two Religions Religions can overall be very dynamic in their effects, where they can really bring about many changes in individuals as well as societies. The religions Buddhism and Hinduism had existed for thousands of years. Religion has always been the very basic foundation of life, as well as an object that could be studied. Religion can often become tools of great oppression; they are found in many places because are useful. Overall religion has actually held society together, where we use religion in helping us to have an organized structure. We as humans have a way in having the need for a stable frame of reference (Erich Fromm (1900-1980). We all know that religion has a way of transforming people and can just as well help us in understanding life. Religions are considered to have political powers, and in this paper I will speak more of the comparison of Buddhism and Hinduism religions. Hinduism Hinduism is not easily separated from many of the other religions that were created back in India. The scriptures called the “ Vedas “ are considered as being the foundations of Hinduism. Both Hinduism and Buddhism has a devotion that takes the forms of rituals and other different practices...
Words: 923 - Pages: 4
...Comparison of Two Religions V. Tracy Woods Strayer University Margaret Rinck Religion 212- World Religions April 28, 2014 Comparisons of Two Religions Select two (2) religions from those that we have studied so far. Identify and describe the cultural and geographical origin of each religion. According to Fisher, (2014), “Hinduism is a term derived from a name applied by foreigners to the people living in the region of the Indus River, and was introduced in the nineteenth century under colonial British rule as a category for census- taking”. The spiritual expressions of Hinduism range from extreme asceticism to extreme sensuality, from the heights of personal devotion to a deity to the heights of abstract philosophy, from metaphysical proclamations of the oneness behind the material world to worship of images representing a multiplicity of deities. According to tradition, there are actually 330 million deities in India (Fisher, 2014). The Hindu spiritual beliefs is based on the existence and immortality of the Atma (the soul), Karma, the cause and effect of an action, the spiritual law in which they practice, and reincarnation, which is the cycle of birth, death, and the rebirth on to Earth (Fisher, 2014). Buddhism was founded in the late sixth century by Siddhartha Gautama, (The Buddha) and is a religion that is practiced throughout most Asian countries. Dhamma or Dharma, which is the teachings of life experiences of the Buddha and the spirit of essence that he...
Words: 953 - Pages: 4
...COMPARISON OF TWO RELIGIONS:- HINDUISM:- Hinduism constitutes and extremely intricate religion upon which a single definition cannot be imposed. The prime feature of this religion is the vast diversification of beliefs and rituals among its adherents.(www.bellbookandcandlepublications.com) Hinduism has neither a specific moment of origin nor a specific founder. Rather, the tradition understands itself to be timeless, having always existed. Indeed, its collection of sacred texts is known, as a whole , as Sanatana Dharma, "The Eternal Teaching"(www.patheos.com). The tradition is typically divided into four major sects : Shaiva (devotees of the god Shiva), Vaishnava (devotees of the god Vishnu), Shakta (devotees of the goddess), and Smarta (those who understand the ultimate form of the divine to be abstract and all encompassing, Brahman) (www.bellbookandcandlepublications.com). CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN OF HINDUISM:- Hinduism has traditionally been contained in the place of its origin. Hinduism was created through the intermixing of two distinct cultures involving the Aryans and the Indus Valley civilization. Throughout most of history , Hindu adherents remained in South Asia , particularly in India. It was believed that adherents who crossed ”the black ocean” became impure and were no longer Hindu. Only recently has...
Words: 1057 - Pages: 5
...Contemporary Issues in Western Religions Harry Potter REL/134 November 20, 2011 UoP Instructor Contemporary Issues in Western Religions Religious beliefs have been the center of many conflicts across the entire world since the beginning of time. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism the major monotheist religious traditions have been at the heart of many of those religious conflicts. Historical connections and theological similarities are prevalent between the three. In parallel to the similarities exists the contemporary struggles affecting these western religious traditions. From the internal struggles within Christianity such as abortion, to its struggles with Islam and Muslim extremists, finally to the contempt against Christianity from actions of the Holocaust, each tradition faces contemporary struggles within their own right. Gaining a better understanding and insight into the historical, theological, and contemporary struggles between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism will enhance appreciation for each belief. Historical Connections and Theological Similarities: One main pillar of similar theology between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism is the belief in one god. However, each has different perspectives in relation to God. For example, Christians believe in [pic]the Trinity[pic] of [pic]God; God the Father, the Son (Jesus[pic] Christ), [pic]and the Holy Spirit[pic] ("Judaism, Islam, Christianity-Comparison", 2002-2011). Also Christians consider Jesus...
Words: 2531 - Pages: 11
...Sikhism and Christianity have many comparisons as well as differences. Starting with the comparisons, Sikh religion believe that there is only one God, much like what the Christians believe. Christians believe that there is only one God who sacrificed his son for us so that we can have life. Another comparison would be that in Sikh religion, they have Gurus, those who God has chosen to deliver his message. Much like Christians who believed the deity of Jesus Christ, who had followers that helped deliver the message of God. In Christianity, pastors, preachers, etc. believe that they were chosen to deliver the message of God. Sikh religion and Christianity both believe that all human races are equal. They believe that no one is superior nor inferior. “Followers of the Sikh religion believe in reincarnation, a cycle...
Words: 475 - Pages: 2
...Western Religions Jennifer, Josafina, Lucas, & Wendy Lemons REL 134 02/24/2011 Mikel Del Rosario Contemporary Issues in Western Religions There are many religions in the world today. It is possible to study many individual religions and never fully understand one religion completely. In this paper only three religions will be discussed. The three religions discussed are Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The primary focus religion that will be discussed is Christianity, the second religion will be Judaism, and the third religion will be Islam. In this paper the historical connections between these three religions will be explored. Questions will be answered such as; what makes these three religions similar? How are they connected? The theological similarities and differences between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam will also be thoughtfully brought up. The contemporary struggles within Christianity today will be explored. It will also be discussed what contemporary struggles Christianity has with Judaism and the contemporary struggles between Christianity and Islam. In this paper it is the expressed hope that the reader will be able to learn about these three religions and gain knowledge. The paper is to help the reader learn something new about Christianity, Judaism, and Islam and with curiosity want to explore these individual religions further. With this hope in mind this paper will start with the historical connections between these religions. When...
Words: 1060 - Pages: 5
...Comparing Religions By Lillian M. Floyd COM/150 Joss Hevel December 19, 2012 Religion is an important part of American society. There are many different religions that people follow for their own reasons such as Baptist, Protestant, Lutheran, Catholic, Muslim, and Buddhism. Each religion has different followings and ways to receive faith through the religion. Which religion has the most faith and why does that religion has the most faith? This essay will examine comparisons between the Baptist religion and other religions such as Catholic, Protestant, and Lutheran. These religions are some of the most important religions in the world today. Some of the other religions that can be compared to the Baptist religion are Buddhism, Muslim, and Sangria. The differences are far and wide, but there are some similarities between religions. The first religions that will be compared are Baptist and Catholic. There are many differences between the Baptist church and the Catholic Church, but most are not seen at first. Most of the differences between Baptist and Catholic churches have to do with theological differences, or the study of God of each church (Catholic vs. Baptist, 2012). The main difference between the two churches is the Communion of each church. The Roman Catholics takes communion at every mass while Baptists take communion on special holidays such as Easter and Christmas. The next difference between Baptists and Roman Catholics is the level of decoration within...
Words: 1626 - Pages: 7
...Assess the view that science has replaced religion as the main ideological influence in society today. 33. On the one hand it is argues that science has replaced religion as the main ideological function because of the increase in technology, science, and secularisation. However, on the other hand it is argued that religion is still influential and evident in society because of the functions is still performs, thus science has not replaced religion. in comparison to these two views, Marxists and Feminists argue that nor science nor religion are the main ideological influences, rather capitalism and patriarchy are the main ideological influences in society. Firstly, science has replaced religion as the main ideological influence in society because of the enormous impact it has had on society over the last few centuries. This has led to a widespread faith in science. The key feature of science is that it has cognitive power; it can explain, predict and control the world. The fact that religion is declining shows that science has replaced religion. for example, in 2005 only 6.3% of the population attended church on Sundays, which is half of the figures in the 1960s. There also less church clergy now, e.g. in 19000 here were 45000 clergy whereas in 2000 it was 34000. Thus this shows that religion has declined, and this can be attributed to the fact that science is taking over. On the other hand, Davies argues that religion is still the main ideological influence in society...
Words: 1397 - Pages: 6
...contain its own divergent nations focusing on Armenia and Georgia. Central Asia are cultures of Muslim beliefs. Armenia and Georgia are cultures of the Christian beliefs. As with numerous religions studied all around the world, Muslim and Christian faith are beheld as influential, life changing lifestyle in a spiritual aspect, and musically. Although, these two religions contrast, they also consume their resemblances in Central Asia and Armenia and Georgia. In the many countries of Central Asia and Muslim beliefs, there are music that identifies their culture. There is mountain music derived from Kyrgyzstan that consists of Kyrgyz traditional instruments. Two other Muslim countries in Central America such as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan strongly practice its music. Uzbekistan and Tajikistan practices music called “The Shashmaqam” or “six maqam”. Shashmaqam is a genre of music that consist of instrumental pieces, songs, poetry, and dance. Shashmaqam also have performers stylize the poetic texts that drawn from Sufi symbolic texts from classical Islamic poets, into rhythms that are short and long. The history of Caucasus is battle-scarred and is a borderland between Christian and Muslim worlds. The Caucasus is the front line of a sometimes-problematic clash of cultures. One of the two distinct regions that make up the Caucasus are Armenia and Georgia, who are both historically Christian cultures. The Armenians have a solid wisdom of distinctiveness, and re-establishing...
Words: 655 - Pages: 3
...Joseph Kropholler Professor Scott ENGL 1301 20 December 2015 Two Sides to Every Bible Have you ever heard the expression: “two wrongs don’t make a right”? This popular phrase is very applicable towards understanding the modern dilemma of hostility between the religions of Christianity and Islam. Both religions have many followers that openly and subtly attack the opposing religion today. The fact that both religions preach strong beliefs and devout lifestyles that contradict each other creates an environment for struggle. Additionally, the expression “two wrongs don’t make a right” helps encapsulate the root of the problems that continue to persist between the two religions. This prolonged hatred is the result from centuries of conflict between religious descendants. In the modern world, social media is increasingly influencing both Christianity and the Islam faith through raising awareness and presenting biased opinions. As Christianity and the Islamic state globally become more aware of each other, the differences in each religion have become an expansion of animosity against the opposing faith. A popular view from both faiths of Islam and Christianity involve a defensive and aggressive stance towards the opposing religion. Islamic followers in many aspects of belief disagree with and reject Christian views. This is created by feedback loop that has influenced many Muslims on different levels towards having a hateful mindset. Largely due to media created...
Words: 1001 - Pages: 5
...Dimensions ♣ Social ♣ Business ♣ Religion ♣ Language o Business Environment ♣ SWOT Analysis ¬ Regional Conclusion: 1 page ¬ References Conclusion Sources Geographic/population: MOROCCO [pic] https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mo.html The Location Morocco is in the north of Africa it is next to the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara. It is slightly larger than state of California (446,550sq. km, and 172,413 sq mi). The main cities are Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, fees, Meknes, and tangier. In a country like Morocco the expectation of a tourist view as in term of traveling sites are lots of mountains and deserts. The land is 19% Arable land, 2% permanent crops and 79% as other. Population/ethnicity As of 2009 the estimation of the population is 34,859,364 with an annual 20.96% birth rate/1000 population and a 5.45% death rate /1000 population. The ethnicity groups are 99% Arab –Berber, 2% Jewish and 0.7% as other. The main religion is 98.7% Muslim, 1% Christian and 2% Jewish. The wide spread language is Arabic but French is mainly spoken when conducting business and government. The average person 15yrs of age and older can read write. History: Ancient History In the ancient history of morocco it had many cultures and religions, but the original people of this...
Words: 3524 - Pages: 15
...Jesus and Mohammed Paper Jesus and Mohammed Jesus Christ and Mohammad are two prophets that have changed many individuals’ views on both Christian and also Islamic religion. Both religions originate from the Middle East. Christianity and Islam worshippers obey the Ten Commandments. It is also important for each worshipper of the two religions to love their neighbor as well as forgive one another. Although there are many similarities within the two religions there are also major differences that separate the two. Jesus as well as Mohammad’s death had a major impact on the path of Christianity as well as Islamic religion. Life of Jesus Christ Jesus was born in Bethlehem to a spiritual Jewess Mary and a carpenter named Joseph. It is taught that Jesus was conceived by a miracle of the Holy Spirit (Religion Facts 2010). The Gospels do not have any narratives on the early life of Jesus Christ. The book of Luke goes on to explain the life of Christ as age 12. During this time in his life Jesus was found discussing religion in the temple to a rabbi about the torah. The answers that he gave to the rabbi he left many astonished. This was a turning point in Christ life; he was discovered to be the Son of God. At the age of 30 Jesus began his ministry. One of his first acts was when he was baptized by John the Baptist. John the Baptist was known as a captivating and alluring person. He called many to repent and baptized those that responded to his calling...
Words: 1301 - Pages: 6
...questioned the idea of a one religion in India. Some Indian scholars state that the term Hinduism is a misnomer because its origin derived from the word Hidu. The early American history is closely tied with Hinduism. Unitarians represented as a small, liberal sect of American Christians. In the period following American Independence many writers showed interest in religious ideas and texts of India. They belonged to the social and religious community of New England Unitarianism. Later they entered a uniquely American religious movement. Transcendental writers of the nineteenth century commented on Hindu texts. During that period the Transcendentalists were not alone who was interested in Hinduism. They were considered radical by the larger Unitarian movement from which they emerged. Their interest in Hinduism combined a modest tradition of earlier Unitarian writers. Those writers had been studying works of European scholarship on India in the 1790s. Unitarians are marked that they made a decisive American transaction with Oriental thought in the beginning of the nineteenth century. The early studies of Hinduism were written by Unitarians. They introduced certain biases in the general American understanding of Indian religiosity. In their early studies Unitarians initiated two ongoing traditions of response to religious pluralism. One of the first serious American studies of Hinduism appeared at the end of the eighteenth century. "A Comparison of the Institutions of Moses with...
Words: 681 - Pages: 3
...Among the five great religions to which nearly nine-tenths of present-day humanity belong, Buddhism and Christianity have been the most frequent subjects of comparison. And rightly so. Because, together with Islam, and unlike Hinduism and Chinese universism, they are “world religions,” that is to say, forms of belief that have found followers not merely in a single though vast country, but also in wide regions of the world. Buddhism and Christianity, however, differ from Islam in so far as, unlike the latter, they do not stress the natural aspects of world and man, but they wish to lead beyond them. A comparison between Buddhism and Christianity, however, proves so fruitful mainly because they represent, in the purest form, two great distinctive types of religion which arose East and West of the Indus valley. For two millennia, these religious systems have given the clearest expression of the metaphysical ideas prevalent in the Far East and in the Occident, respectively. The similarities between these two religions extend, if I see it rightly, essentially over three spheres: (1) the life history of the founder; (2) ethics; and (3) church history. 1. The biographies of Buddha and Christ show many similar features. Both were born in a miraculous way. Soon after their birth, their future greatness is proclaimed by a sage (Asita, Simeon). Both astonish their teachers through the knowledge they possess, though still in their early childhood. Both are...
Words: 615 - Pages: 3
...REL 212 Comparison of Two Religions Karen Fulton November 4, 2013 Prof. William Denning REL 212 REL 212 Comparison of Two Religions Karen Fulton November 4, 2013 Prof. William Denning REL 212 Jainism and Buddhism Jainism is one of the oldest of the oldest religions known today. Its origins lie in the county of India. The origin can be traced back to the Indus River Valley civilization of 3000 B.C. Jains believe that there were twenty-four great teachers called Tirthankaras-people who attained all knowledge and preached it to the people. Approximately 2600 years ago Lord Mahavir or Vardhaman (599 to 527 BC), the last of the Tirthankar expounded the Jain philosophy. In essence Jainism addresses the true nature of reality. Jains believe in reincarnation, their souls, which are believed to be a unique substance in the universe, take different living forms in the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Jains believe in the philosophy of karma, reincarnation of worldly soul, hell and heaven as a punishment or reward for one’s deeds, and liberation of the self-form life’s misery of birth and death in a way similar to the Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. Jains belief has Hinduism historical roots, but many differences between the two Indian religions. Another belief is the universe and everything in it is eternal and nothing that exist now was ever created nor will it be destroyed , and there are three realms , the heavens, the earth, and hell. They also say humans can attain...
Words: 954 - Pages: 4
