Brian MacLeod

Professor Jacobs
May 5
th
2014
HUMA 2300
Signature Assignment
Throuh this o!er!ie" of the #u$ti%$e %$aces & !isited and $earned about o!er the
se#ester & rea$i'ed there are so#e stron si#i$arities and a$so #any difference in a$$ of the
"or$ds re$iions( &n the ne)t %aes of this %a%er & "i$$ re!ie" each re$iion and "hat & $earned
about it a$on "ith connectin the si#i$arities a#on the# a$on "ith the *ey differences that
stood out to #e( +ne thin that is certain is that each re$iion is uni,ue and has a $are
%o%u$ation of stron be$ie!ers a$$ around the "or$d(
& "i$$ start "ith the &s$a#ic re$iion( The -ur.an is their %ri#ary te)t/ "ritten by
Muha##ad( Muha##ad is be$ie!ed to be the %ro%het "ho recei!ed re!e$ation "hi$e "ritin
the -ur.an( A$$ah is the na#e they use for their 0od( They be$ie!e that on$y "hen read in the
&s$a#ic $anuae is the -ur.an in it.s truest for# and therefore is a$"ays read in that $anuae
"hen %racticin in this faith( Much of the ti#e the !erses of the -ur.an are sun out $oud(
Their be$ief a$so inc$udes %rayer/ ta*in %$ace fi!e ti#es dai$y( They be$ie!e this *ee%s the#
#ore dedicated to their 0od( &n their %rayers they recite the sa#e $ines fro# the $ast !ersus of
the -ur.an( They face to"ard the #ecca bui$din/ "hich !aries de%endin on "here you are in
the "or$d( Their ti#e of "orshi% is 1riday afternoons( 2urin this ti#e they de#onstrate these
be$iefs and %ractices by *nee$in and %rayin "ith each other as a &#a# recites #e#ori'ed
!erses fro# the -ur.an( This is a direct corre$ation to their be$ief in %rayer and the "ay they
%ractice it( Another ritua$ they fo$$o" before %rayer is ho" they c$eanse the#se$!es( A$$
#us$i#s before "orshi% c$ean the#se$!es and re#o!e their shoes( This is a sin of res%ect
and "orthiness before they %raise A$$ah(
1astin is another ritua$ of %ractice to sho" dedication in the &s$a#ic re$iion( 1astin is
durin the ninth #onth of the &s$a#ic ca$endar/ "hich is different fro# the 123#onth ca$endar
"e o by/ and the fastin is %refor#ed da"n unti$ dus*( This is %racticed by a$$ Mus$i#s and
chi$dren that ha!e co#e of ae( They are a$$o"ed to ha!e a brea* "ith a #odest #ea$/ but
"hi$e fastin no food or drin*( 4ince the fast is so i#%ortant and he$d so hih$y if a day of
fastin is #issed then it is #ade u% for( 1astin is a sin of s%iritua$/ #enta$ and unse$fish
dedication(
Another ritua$ %racticed by those "ho are ab$e to in the &s$a#ic faith is the Pi$ri#ae to
Mecca( A$$ Mus$i#s are reco##ended to o once in their $i!es( Those "ho are ab$e to tra!e$
"i$$ o on the t"e$!e #onth of the year to the Mecca and "orshi% around the 5a.aba/ the first
te#%$e dedicated to 0od( &t is considered a !ery ho$y %$ace(
Mus$i#s use uide $ines/ $i*e %ractices/ to he$% *ee% the# in the ood races of 0od/
these are ca$$ed the 1i!e Pi$$ars( The first bein 4hahada #eanins faith6 4a$at #eanin
%rayer6 4a"# is fastin/ 7a*at is charity/ and Ha88 is Pi$ri#ae( These %i$$ars re%resent
!a$ues and be$iefs %racticed by the is$a#ic re$iion(
The 9hristian re$iion is the $arest #ost %racticed re$iion in the "or$d( They be$ie!e
Jesus 9hrist to be the son of 0od and Pro%het( There are #any different sub re$iions based
around 9hristianity( Jesus 9hrists roots "as a 8e" and %reached across Pa$estine/ "as
ba%ti'ed and $i!ed fro# the ti#es of : B9;3 2< 9;( Later "as crucified by the =o#ans for
b$as%he#y/ and "as said to ha!e then resurrected( The resurrection of Jesus 9hrist is the
reason 9hristians ce$ebrate easter( The sunday before that is %a$# sunday and the "ee* after
is considered to be a ho$y "ee* of ref$ection and re#e#brance( Most 9hristians be$ie!e in
these foundationa$ be$iefs and "orshi% 9hrist and %ractice his teachins( 9hristians be$ie!e in
re%entance and fori!eness thouh the crucifi)ion of 9hrist( Jesus had disci%$es in "hich they
s%read the teachins of 9hrist and acted as #issionaries( His disci%$es "ere to$d to be nor#a$
#en that a!e u% their $i!es to s%read the "ord of 0od and $earn fro# hi# "hi$e he "as on
earth( Most 9hristians be$ie!e in the sy#bo$s of a cross/ it is a re#inder that 0od sacrificed
his one and on$y son for our sins( They a$so %arta*e in sacra#ent to sy#bo$i'e the sacrifice
that 9hrist #ade( &t usua$$y inc$udes so#e ty%e of bread/ "hich re%resents the body of 9hrist
and so#e ty%e of %ur%$e>red 8uice re%resentin the b$ood of 9hrist(
Buddhis# is one of the fe" re$iions that don?t be$ie!e in a s%ecific 0od( They be$ie!e
in the teachins of the buddha( Buddha tauht to see* en$ihten#ent and a!oid sufferin(
Throuh %ersona$ sufferin and e)%erience the Buddha disco!ered that %ain and sufferin
"as not necessary( Most of Buddhist %ractice the teachins of Buddha/ understand and *no"
the $ife story of the Buddha and the 2har#a( The story of Buddha te$$s ho" he ca#e to *no"
his *no"$ede throuh his e)%eriences( Buddha tauht to see* the Midd$e "ay and a!oid
e)tre#es( Buddhist be$ie!e in 5ar#a/ that the actions of this $ife "i$$ ha!e conse,uences $ater(
They a$so %ractice ritua$s and %rayer for s%iritua$ benefit/ such as funera$ ritua$s/ #editation
and %rayer( A$thouh these are not a$"ays %racticed reu$ar$y #ore irreu$ar$y they e)cist to
%ractice s%iritua$ en$ihten#ent( 4ee*in en$ihten#ent is the %ri#ary oa$ for buddhist its
said that Buddha found en$ihten#ent after ha!in fasted under a tree( 4ee*in en$iht#ent
re,uires the ste%s of first con,uerin desire/ inorance and sufferin(
+!er a$$ "hi$e attendin these different re$iions & $earned that the at#os%here of a
Buddhis# and &s$a#ic church are #ore si#i$ar than that of a 9hristian church( They ha!e
#ore for# and ru$es to their ser!ices6 @hereas the 9hristian church & attended "as #ore
re$a)ed/ not ha!in s%ecific %rayers to fo$$o"( The Buddhist and &s$a#ic church are #ore
adorned "ith .sacred. ite#s( But at the sa#e ti#e a$$ these re$iions are !ery si#i$ar( ;!en
thouh the 9hristian church #ay ha!e $ess orani'ation to their ser!ices they sti$$ ha!e a
%rocess they o throuh that a$$o"s the conreation to unite in their be$iefs( Another f$uid
connection throuh a$$ these re$iions is the teachin of ood #ora$s and !a$ues( A$$ these
re$iions "ant their fo$$o"ers to thin* of others/ find %eace for the#se$!es/ and act in $o!e(
They a$$ are surrounded by a co##unity of $i*e #inded %eo%$e that they can co#e to/ ta$* to/
and co##une "ith in order to further their faith and ro" in their re$iion( & rea$i'ed that this
tie bet"een these re$iions is a #a8or thin/ because bein ab$e to be around $i*e #inded
%eo%$e is !ery u%$iftin( Aou cou$d te$$ that as %eo%$e $eft at the end of any of the ser!es &
attended they "ere ha%%ier/ #errier/ and #ore %eacefu$( The ti#e they ha!e united is ood
for the# to e)%erience( Thouh so#e of the re$iions ha!e %rayer throuh out the "ee* or
e!en throuhout the day there is a certain ti#e for the #a8ority of the# to a$$ conreate(
&n this c$ass "e "ere tauht the funda#enta$s of the #a8or re$iions in the "or$d( This
enera$ *no"$ede he$%s #e ha!e an understandin of ho" the structor of different %arts of
the "or$d o%erate and he$%s "ith an understandin of "here certain cu$tures co#e fro# ho"
their co##unity o%erates/ and "hy( & en8oyed the course and $earned #ore then & "as ho%in
to( =e$iion is a hue %art of %eo%$es cu$ture and a bi inf$uence to ho" the "or$d o%erates
today( &ts i#%ortant to understand the di!ersity and co#%$e)ity of re$iion and this course
he$%ed #e better understand those thins and the under$inin be$iefs of the #a8or re$iions in
the "or$d( & fee$ & ha!e a better understandin of cu$ture around the "or$d and can better
re$ate to ho" the #a8ority of %eo%$e in the "or$d "orshi% and their be$iefs(