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World Religions: Basic Facts

Neutral, descriptive facts about the beliefs, texts, places and practices of major world religions.

76 cardsGrades 6–8, Grades 9–12#religions#christianity#islam#judaism#hinduism#buddhism

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  • ReligionTerm
    A system of beliefs and practices about the sacred, often shared by a community
  • MonotheismTerm
    Belief in one God
  • PolytheismTerm
    Belief in many gods
  • FaithTerm
    Trust or belief in a religion's teachings
  • JudaismTerm
    One of the oldest monotheistic religions, began in the Middle East about 4,000 years ago
  • TorahTerm
    The first five books of the Hebrew Bible; central text of Judaism
  • SynagogueTerm
    Jewish house of worship and community
  • RabbiTerm
    Jewish teacher and leader
  • Sabbath (Shabbat)Term
    Jewish weekly day of rest from Friday evening to Saturday evening
  • PassoverTerm
    Jewish spring festival remembering the Israelites' freedom from slavery in Egypt
  • HanukkahTerm
    Jewish festival of lights in winter
  • Yom KippurTerm
    Jewish Day of Atonement, a day of fasting and prayer
  • Rosh HashanahTerm
    Jewish New Year
  • Bar and bat mitzvahTerm
    Ceremonies marking a Jewish young person's religious responsibility
  • ChristianityTerm
    Religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth; the largest religion in the world
  • BibleTerm
    Holy book of Christianity, with the Old and New Testaments
  • ChurchTerm
    Christian house of worship
  • ChristmasTerm
    Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus, on December 25 in most churches
  • EasterTerm
    Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus
  • TrinityTerm
    Christian teaching of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit
  • Catholic, Orthodox, ProtestantTerm
    The three main branches of Christianity
  • IslamTerm
    Religion founded on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad; followers are called Muslims
  • QuranTerm
    Holy book of Islam, believed by Muslims to be God's word
  • MosqueTerm
    Muslim house of worship
  • Five Pillars of IslamTerm
    Faith, prayer, charity, fasting and pilgrimage
  • RamadanTerm
    Islamic month of fasting from dawn to sunset
  • Eid al-FitrTerm
    Festival marking the end of Ramadan
  • Eid al-AdhaTerm
    Festival of sacrifice at the time of the Hajj
  • HajjTerm
    Pilgrimage to Mecca
  • MeccaTerm
    Holy city in Saudi Arabia that Muslims face when praying
  • ImamTerm
    Leader of prayer in a mosque
  • HinduismTerm
    Ancient religion of India with many gods and traditions
  • VedasTerm
    Oldest sacred texts of Hinduism
  • Bhagavad GitaTerm
    Hindu scripture about duty and devotion
  • Temple (mandir)Term
    Hindu house of worship
  • BrahmanTerm
    The supreme reality in Hindu thought
  • KarmaTerm
    The idea that actions have consequences, in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain thought
  • ReincarnationTerm
    Belief that the soul is reborn after death
  • DiwaliTerm
    Hindu festival of lights, also observed by Sikhs and Jains
  • HoliTerm
    Hindu spring festival of colors
  • Ganges RiverTerm
    River considered sacred by Hindus
  • BuddhismTerm
    Religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha
  • BuddhaTerm
    Means 'awakened one'
  • Four Noble TruthsTerm
    Buddhist teachings about suffering and how to end it
  • Eightfold PathTerm
    Buddhist guide to ethical living and meditation
  • NirvanaTerm
    Buddhist goal of freedom from suffering
  • MeditationTerm
    A practice of focused attention and calm
  • MonkTerm
    A man who lives a religious life in a monastery
  • Wesak (Vesak)Term
    Festival marking the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death
  • SikhismTerm
    Monotheistic religion founded in Punjab by Guru Nanak in the 1400s
  • Guru Granth SahibTerm
    Sikh holy scripture
  • GurdwaraTerm
    Sikh house of worship
  • Five KsTerm
    Articles of faith worn by initiated Sikhs
  • JainismTerm
    Indian religion stressing nonviolence toward all living things
  • ConfucianismTerm
    Chinese philosophy based on Confucius that stresses respect, learning and family
  • DaoismTerm
    Chinese tradition of living in harmony with the Dao, or Way
  • ShintoTerm
    Japan's native tradition honoring kami, or spirits
  • Bahá'í FaithTerm
    Religion founded in the 1800s that teaches the unity of humanity
  • Indigenous religionsTerm
    Traditions of native peoples, often tied to land and ancestors
  • AnimismTerm
    Belief that natural things have spirits
  • ZoroastrianismTerm
    Ancient Persian religion with the prophet Zoroaster
  • HumanismTerm
    A non-religious outlook focused on human values and reason
  • AtheismTerm
    Lack of belief in a god or gods
  • AgnosticismTerm
    The view that the existence of God cannot be known
  • SecularTerm
    Not connected to religion
  • InterfaithTerm
    Involving people of different religions
  • Religious freedomTerm
    The right to follow your own beliefs
  • ScriptureTerm
    Sacred writings
  • PilgrimageTerm
    Journey to a holy place
  • PrayerTerm
    Communication with the divine
  • RitualTerm
    A set of actions performed for a religious purpose
  • ClergyTerm
    Religious leaders
  • Place of worshipTerm
    Church, synagogue, mosque, temple, gurdwara or shrine
  • Golden RuleTerm
    Many traditions teach to treat others as you want to be treated
  • Number of followers (approx.)Term
    Christianity and Islam are the two largest; Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism follow in various order
  • RespectTerm
    Learning about faiths helps people understand and respect each other

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