27) 5 Pillars of Islam

1. The shahadah is central to the Muslim faith because it affirms the Muslim belief that there is only one God.
2.  Salat mentally helps Muslims to live in obedience to the will of Allah because it gives them time to focus on their beliefs and how they will live them out. When performing salat physically a person to bow down into a vulnerable position, signifying that Allah is mightier than humans.
3. Zakat shows that Allah’s will is for all people to be taken care of and treated equally. Through their almsgiving, Muslims are committed to helping the less fortunate in their communities.
4.  Sawm mentally allows a person to live in obedience to the will of Allah because it requires a person to fast all day. It physically  allows a person to live in obedience to the will of Allah because it shows the suffering that the marginalized go through on a daily basis, or known as the jihad.
5.  The hajj is a pillar of Islamic faith because it allows believers from all over the world to come together to practice their faith as a global community. I think that this is similar to the Catholic practice of going to Rome and Vatican City because of their religious significance, but it is not required for Catholics to go. Muslims must go on the hajj if they are able.
6.  Many of the possible challenges of living the Five Pillars stem from living in a non-Muslim country. When everyone has the same goal in mind, it is easier for a person to focus on what they need to do.

26) Got 99 names and God is One

    One name is "the all-passionate" which I believe is to be a feminine way of calling God. My reason for calling it feminine is because of the word passionate showing love and care, which every child receives from their mother. God is a figure that shows compassion on to many who seek comfort in him and his willingness to allow us to enter, which shows Gods love for us.
     Another feminine name that i found is "The Shaper of Beauty". Also like a mother, she seeks to make her child look the best as possible. I believe it was in God's goodwill to allow us to be shaped in the same beauty as God. This way God believes that all of us are equal allowing our beauty to shine in example of God's love for us.
     The name, "the Knower of All" to me sounds more masculine for a name of God. I believe in the knowledge of God because he knows all and everything about the world, which we are ignorant to. Like a father scolding or teaching their child of what is the correct way to follow, God knows what is best for us and tries his best to lead all of his children down the correct road.
     Another masculine name for God is "the Judge". I find this name to be masculine because its a role that is led by those who know a great deal of wisdom of whats right in the world. God looks at us every second of our lives and decides like a judge in our afterlife from what we have done with our lives now. Its a strong role that only God is capable of doing for everyone at the same time and it is up to him to help his children be good and avoid being bad at all costs knowing very well that we can sin at any moment.
     There are many names, many names for our one Lord, but they all resemble him in all the ways he is, yet they don't completely tell all that his is in a few words. God is everything and all the names, and we cannot just sum him down to any few words. The names that we have for God tell us all of the attributes and powers which God has and are immeasurable by humans. It's funny how we name him all these things yet, the word "God" sums up all of them and at the same time is unable to represent him fully. God is above all things in our world.

24) Islam Webquest

1) 2.1 billion Muslims
2) Indonesia,  Pakistan, India, Bangladesh,  Egypt,  Nigeria,  Iran,  Turkey,  Algeria, and Morocco.
3) Indonesia
4) 2, 595, 000
5) Belief in God: there is only one god, and he is indescribable and distinguished among other things.

    Belief in Angels: There are mystical creatures that serve under gods rule and follow his commands.

    Belief in God's Revealed Books: God had revealed himself onto man to spread his word and messages in         teachings to others.

    Belief in the prophets and messengers of God: god had assigned only a few men to lead his people as prophets and messengers of his word and Muhammad was and is the last prophet sent by god.

    Belief in the Day of Judgement: Muslims believe in the day when all people will be brought about God's judgement according to their lives.

    Belief in Al-Qadar: Muslims believe that God has predetermined what our lives are set forward to do.

6) The real "jihad" in peoples life is the way people set forth for themselves to serve God to please him.

    The is only one path that is the right path, which is described clearly through the words of wisdom that come from God.

    It is not in the Muslim way to harm others or to do wrong towards another for incorrect reasons.

7)  The Quran provides people with the idea of stepping forward with God towards salvation

8)  The Quran can only be in Arabic because it was revealed to Muhammad in Arab.

9)  During the Ninth month in the Muslim calender

10) The Angel Gabriel ordered Muhammad to read, and so Muhammad was taught to read the Quran.

11)  Shahada - it is a testimony of ones faith to commit themselves to the religion

       Salat - is prayer which is performed 5 times a day

       Zakat - charity given to the poor and needy

       Siyam - ritual fasting during the month of Ramadan

       Hajj - the pilgrimage to Mecca (not required under some circumstances)

12)  it strengthens the Muslims belief and their service to Allah

13) Muslims believe life is pointless without putting faith into action and practice

14)  Shahada-Baptism

       Salat-Everyone prays

       Zakat-volunteer work

       Siyam-ascetic

       Hajj-going to church

15)  Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calender celebrating when the Holy Quran was sent down from heaven.

16)  Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink during the daylight hours of the day, no smoking, and no sexual activities

17)  telling a lie, slander, denouncing someone behind their backs, a false oath, greed or covetousness

18) Muslims celebrate the Night of power, which is believed when Muhammad first received the revelation of the Quran.
19) When Ramadan ends, people celebrate with the feast of fast breaking and have big parties
20)  The Quran was revealed during this month, the gates of heaven open up and the gates of hell are closed.
21)   Muslims believed that the month of Ramadan is blessed by Allah
22) Muslims have to remember their prayer in Arabic
      Islam history dates back 1400 years ago
      Islam like many other religions have split into sects
      Islam communities are able to unite with each other during holy events
      In order to become Muslim one must recite the declaration of faith
     The Jihad is an everyday struggle
     You don't have to be Arabic to be Muslim
     Muslims cant enjoy the tastes of Bacon
     Allah will remember all that one has committed in the past
     Islamic countries do enforce a sort of capitol punishment

22) Ancient Western Religions

1. Began in Iran during the Persian Empire

2. After Persia was conquered by the Greek general Alexander the Great in 328 BC, aspects of Persian culture, including Zoroastrianism, spread far and wide

3. An angel called Good Thought appeared to him and brought him, as a disembodied soul, before Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord

4. His seventeen hymns, or Gathas are the oldest part of the sacred text of Zoroastrianism, the Avestas, written by Zarathustria.

5. He is the creator who made the sun, stars, moon, water, planets, winds and clouds. As well as the light, dark, and ect.

6. The belief in universal forces of good and evil

7.  Zoroastrianism believes in universal forces of good and evil, and the one God, Ahura Mazda, who is universal goodness, is opposed by the Lie, which is depicted by Zarathustra as an evil cosmic force.

8. Truth and lie

9.  Depending on what you choose as your comic scheme you will go to the House of Best Purpose or not-life

10. Caring for livestock and fields, avoiding the side of evil, praying five times a day and the fire ritual.

11. The Parsis are the Zoroastrians that now live in India

12. The Iliad and the Odyssey are commonly regarded as having been the Bible of the Greeks

13. The gods of the Olympians are of human form meaning they have human attributes and no deity

14.  Zeus is no longer just a god of tremendous power; he is now the source and the enforcer of universal moral principles.

15.  An oracle was a sanctuary favored by a particular god, who communicated in some manner to those who visited the site. The most famous oracle was at Delphi, where the Greeks sought the wisdom of the god Apollo

16. Individuals had to choose to become initiates, and they went through some form of initiation ritual. Initiates experienced a personal encounter with the deity. Initiates gained spiritual renewal through participation in the religion and, as with most mystery religions, hope for a better afterlife.

17. The mystery religion par excellent, celebrated at Eleusis, near Athens

18.  Dionysus is a god of fertility, vegetation, and specifically wine. Dionysus is often depicted in Greek art with vines and grapes, and there are accounts of him miraculously turning water into wine

19. The goal of Orphism was to lead a pure life, through vegetarianism and other ascetic practices, so that the soul might eventually escape the body and fully realize its divine, Dionysian nature.

20.  Plato believed that we have experienced them in previous lives. Knowledge, therefore, is recollection

21.  Wisdom lies in identifying oneself with the truth of the Forms, rather than with the changing and imperfect material world

22.  Both were called Savior, and the intimacy of the worshipers’ relationship with Asclepius bore a strong resemblance to the relationship with Christ celebrated by Christians

23.  The numina were supernatural powers, each in charge of a specific function. These powers were thought to populate Roman homes, towns and countryside, and to inhabit a wide variety of spaces, such as fields, streams, trees, doorways, altars, and shrines.

24.  Jupiter (Jove) the sky god

25.  Jupiter- Zeus/Venus- Aphrodite/Mars- Ares/Neptune- Poseidon/Mercury- Hermes/Saturn- Cronos

26.  Proper worship of the gods was thought to ensure the peace of the gods so it was believed to help ensure the welfare of the Roman state

27.  Mithraism and the mystery religion that celebrated the goddess Isis

28.  Osiris was killed and hacked into pieces by his evil brother. Isis, his wife/ sister searched and found all of his body parts. When she put him back together she mummified him and he came back to life. He then became the god of the underworld

29.  He encouraged the worship not of himself, but of his genius, or guardian spirit

30. Christians refused to worship on behalf of the emperor and the romans grew suspicious of the Christians, because of their refusal.

23) Judaism Stuff

Holy Items:

1. The 3 functions of a synagogue are a House of Assembly, a House of Study, and as a House of Prayer.
2. The layout of a synagogue is split into 2 by a mehitzah, which is a curtain that separates the woman from the men. The ark is by the east wall as a storage place for the Torah when its not in use. The Torah is normally covered by cloth mantles which are holy, and are normally never worn out and the mantle is decorated is a holy fashion with mostly silver and other garbs.
3. A Rabbi is the leader of a congregation in a synagogue. In order to be one you need to be Jewish, Be a good speaker or listener, Decide which branch you want to serve, have a degree, gain substantial life experiences, complete a 4-5 year seminary program, and graduate as a rabbi leader with a masters degree in Hebrew scripture. Any person of the church can be a part of the clergy where as a rabbi is a total life commitment to one specific task. A rabbi's role to teach their community about the Torah.
4. The Shabbat is a day of rest and enrichment. The Shabbat occurs every seventh day.
5. Torah means either the book of Moses, or the Jewish Bible. The Talmud is "The Oral Torah" the stories that have "said" from the beginning to the modern times.
6. The branch of the Reform says that the Torah was not told at the same time, but was said throughout time. The Conservatives have related teachings of both Reforms and Orthodox. The Zionists are secular jews. 

Languages:

1.  Hebrew is the language of the early Jews.
2. Yiddish is modern Jewish literature, culture, and identity.
3. Mazal Tov: Good Luck; Shalom: Greetings; Mitzvah: Good deed
4. Brit Milah (Bris): Ceremony of Circumcision; Bar/Bat Mitzvah: A mans or woman's age of responsibility; Jewish Marriage: a natural and desirable state of adult life because it provides companionship and security. 
5.  Rosh Hoshanah: Jewish New Year
   Yom Kippur: Day of atonement
   Chanukah:The festival of lights
   Passover: The removal of arrogance in our souls
6. I knew that Chanukah was eight days long.
7. The most surprising thing was that women also had a mitzvah.
8. That on the seventh day is a time of relaxing.
9. There's nothing really surprising about their traditions, it just seems more formal to the older traditions which is respectable.

22) Buddhism Questions

1. Siddhartha Guatama
2. Old Man, Diseased Man, Corpse, which developed his knowledge of suffering in the world about and an ascetic which turned his life in the direction of learning the way to end suffering.
3. The Middle Way was an equilibrium that held the life of both the physical and spiritual as a key importance to gain enlightenment.
4. The Buddha had sat under a fig tree and meditated for 7 weeks as he was faced with the temptations of Mara trying to stop the Buddha in his efforts.
5. Sangha is a religious community filled with monks and nuns.
6. The Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
7. Time is cyclical, the universe is eternal, and Samsara
8.  The Buddha disliked the system of Hinduism and did not care for the caste system, the Buddha wanted everyone to have equal opportunities.
9. No-self - there is no essence in a person, there is a change; Impermanence - existence continues to flow; Suffering - there is always suffering and its causes and ended by us. The first two are the natural results to Suffering.
10. Everything goes through a change and the old self has died on creating the present you.
11. The energy that came from an earlier energy that resemble each other. Karma is the moral law of cause and effect which functions with samsara. Samsara relates with Karma because if you have good Karma the soul has a chance to not having to suffer anymore, but if one had bad Karma or not enough good Karma they are sent back to the world of the living and their Karma follows them from their past life.
12. Do not take life, do not take what is not given, do not engage in sensuous misconduct, do not use false speech, do not drink intoxicant. Do not eat after noon, do not watch dancing or shows, do not use garlands, perfumes, or ornaments; do not use a high or soft bed, do not accept gold or silver.
13. Dukkha is translated as "suffering" and I believe it to be a philosophy of how life is.
14.  Tanha is "desire" and it relates to Dukkha because our suffering is caused by desires because they corrupt us in a sense.
15. Right views, right intentions, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right meditation.
16. The Buddha is the first enlightened teacher and the following enlightening ones do not seek nirvana in order to help guide others in the right path towards enlightenment.
17. One who is an arhat, is one who has become enlightened and has experienced some of nirvana.
18. Nirvana - the extinction of desire and individual self-hood. It explains the results of the commitment one has when he devotes his life under the teachings of the Buddha.
19. Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana
20. The main focus of Theravada is meditating on the teachings of the Buddha.
21. Mahayana means "greater vehicle" and its because of how popular this sect is in Buddhism.
22. Vajrayana says, "fight fire with fire" by using desire to defeat desire or use desire for good.
23. The Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara a very important and wise bodhisattva. The Dalai Lama is picked through testing people seeing if they are the incarnate of the Dalai Lama before.
24. India and most of Asia.

21) Introduction into Buddhism

Buddhism came about through the Buddha (the enlightened one) who was known as Siddhartha. Siddhartha had lived in a life of luxury as a child, but after a while in his life he had went on an excursion out of his palace and had discovered some of the sad aspects of life. This had begun his motivation into seeking an answer to life and to stop the depression of life. He had undergone some painstaking techniques in order to find the answer, but had failed. He then transferred himself to a new method, his own method, by searching through his mind in meditation, and that is where he found total peace.

The heart of Buddhism's teachings are based around the "Three Jewels," which are: The Buddha (yellow), Dharma (blue) and Sangha (red). The Buddha jewel represents the stage of commitment into Buddhahood; seeking enlightenment through the vision of the Buddha. Dharma is represents the fulfillment to that commitment by practicing the traditions that are outlined in the scriptures in the objective of doing good to life. Sangha shows the fulfillment of enlightenment and enjoying that privilege with the other peers.

Another teaching of following the path is the Threefold Way which includes: ethics, meditation, and wisdom. The ethics of a Buddha is followed by the Five Precepts, which are basic concepts of sensitivity towards life. Meditation is the second stage, which connects a person with themselves and enters peace through practices that relieve external problems. Wisdom correlates with meditation because it involves and understanding of life and how to react to each thing with the understandings of the Buddha's way. 

The Buddha had found a basis through his understanding of life through the Four Noble Truths. One, all of life itself is suffering and is living a struggle in some way. Two, the reason for our suffering is due to ourselves because our minds are never settled with everything. Three, we are the cause of our suffering, but we are also the solution to it through our responses to our struggle. Fourth, there is a solution to rid ourselves from the struggle.

The end to our struggles is led through the "Noble Eightfold Path," which extends the "Threefold Way," and are the support beams to the teachings of the Buddha. This is known as the Perfect process, which is as followed:

1) Right Understanding

2) Right Resolve

3) Perfect Speech

4) Right Action

5) Right Livelihood

6) Perfect Effort

7) Perfect Awareness

8) Right Meditation