Billy's Bibliography

"Christian Beliefs." 21 May 2008 .

"Hinduism." Wikipedia. Wikimedia. 20May 2008 .

"Hinduism Symbols." 19 May 2008 http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/symbols.htm.

Hinduism. Understanding World Religion Video. 3.

Hinduism Research Paper

Many people practice many different religions around the world. Some religions are monotheistic, believing in one god. Some religions are polytheistic, believing in more than 1 god. Hinduism is polytheistic and Christianity is monotheistic. Hinduism and Christianity are quite different.

One thing that makes Hinduism and Christians different is their major beliefs. Hindus believe that they will be reborn as another creature or a human. Hindus believe that you can reach moksha and you stop being reborn. Moksha is when you reach heaven and stop the cycle of karma for yourself. Hindus believe that certain gods watch over you for different things. Ganesha, one of the Hindu gods, has the power to remove obstacles from ones way. Christians believe that god created all that is seen and all that is unseen, such as people the universe, and everything else. Christians believe that Jesus Christ a person that lived about 2000 years ago. It is said that he is one with god and that he is god’s son. Christians believe that people can be “saved” If they confess to their sins and truly believe in Jesus’s resurrection. Christians believe that when your life is over you go to Heaven or Hell.

Another thing that makes Hinduism and Christians different is their background. Hinduism formed in India. It is said to have started 4,000 years ago. Major Hindu countries are Shrilanka, India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Today there are over 500 million people practicing Hinduism in India. Hinduism has grown thanks to ancient and modern prophets, mystics, philosophers, and saints. One of the modern day helpers was Mahatma Ghandi. He was the leader of the Indian independence movement. The religion of Christianity was formed by Jesus Christ. Jesus was the leader of the Christians and the Romans didn’t like this. They nailed him to a cross. He died and people believe he went to heaven.

A third thing that makes Hinduism and Christians different is their holidays and ceremonies. Christians celebrate Easter and Christmas. Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. It is a holiday of giving. Easter is the day that he died or his resurrection. Hindus have the holiday of Roksha Bandhan and Divali. Divali is the celebration of lights on the Hindu New Year. Divali is usually in October or November. There are many colorful lights all around. Roksha Bandhan is a celebration of brothers and sisters. Roksha Bandhan is on a full moon. Sisters tie a rahki on their brothers wrist and in return the brothers give their sisters a gift.

In conclusion, Hinduism and Christianity are very different. They are different because of their major beliefs, their backgrounds and their ceremonies and holidays.

Muslim and Buddhism Paper

Johnny Powers

People practice many different religions around the world. A Muslim is one who freely and willingly accepts the supreme power of God and strives to live his or her life in accord with the teachings of God. Islam is a very different religion then Buddhism. Founded in India 2,500 years ago, Buddhism remains the dominant religion of the Far East and is increasingly popular in the West. These religions are different because Buddhists believe rebirth, and Muslims believe that there is only one god to be worshiped.

One thing that makes Islam and Buddhism different is their ceremonies. Muslims pray five times a day; these five prayers are known as Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha. Muslims ceremonies are different then some Buddhist ceremonies like Vesak. The holidays of Vesak celebrates Buddha's life and his Enlightment. Muslims don’t believe rebirth.

Another thing that makes Islam and Buddhism different is their major Symbols. The Eight-Spoked Wheel is a symbol of the Buddhist Eightfold Path. This is different from the Muslims because the muslims have a picture of a cresent moon. The star and crescent is a well-known symbol of Islam. It features on the flags of many countries in the Islamic world, notably Turkey and Pakistan. Contrary to popular belief, the symbol is not Muslim in origin. Rather, it was an icon adopted during the spread of Islam, and its use today is sometimes controversial in the Muslim world. It is important to keep in mind that Islam has few traditional symbols, and the crescent moon and star are not ones that are recognized by as traditional symbols by Muslims. The symbol is due to cultural diffusion and the spread of Islam to the Ottoman turks who ruled a large area and also put the crescent moon and star symbol on their flag. The only object that is a symbol of Islam is the prayer rug. Muslims this is the rug that Muslims pray on five times a day.

A third thing that makes Islam and Buddhism different is their background. Currently, the number of Muslims is estimated to be 1.3 billion. Muslim history began in Arabia with Muhammad's first recitations of the Qur'an in the 7th century. Islam's historical development has affected political, economic, and military trends both inside and outside the Islamic world. This is different from the Buddhists because they have a different background. The founder of Buddhism was born in the Himalayan Mountains in 563 BC. The country is now called Nepal. Today the majority of Buddhists live in Shrilanka, Loas, Thailand, and Cambodia. Buddhists make up about 6% of the world's population. The founder of the Buddhist religion was Siddhartha Guatema.

In conclusion, Islam and Buddhism are very different. They have many differences such as; Symbols, Beliefs, and History. Each has major differences separating them from being the same. There are not many things the can make the two religions the same.

Bibliography

"Islamic History." Info please. 21 May 2008 http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0760942.html.

"Islamic Symbols." Religion Facts. 21 May 2008 .

Major Beliefs

The central Muslam belief is that there is only one god to be worshiped.

Johnnys Sources

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0760942.html

http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/symbols.htm

www.Wikipedia.com

Major Symbols

The star and crescent is a well-known symbol of Islam. It features on the flags of many countries in the Islamic world, notably Turkey and Pakistan. Contrary to popular belief, the symbol is not Muslim in origin. Rather, it was an icon adopted during the spread of Islam, and its use today is sometimes controversial in the Muslim world. The crescent and star are often said to be Islamic symbols, but historians say that they were the insignia of the Ottoman Empire, not of Islam as a whole. It is important to keep in mind that Islam has few traditional symbols, and the crescent moon and star are not ones that are recognized by as traditional symbols by Muslims. The symbol is due to cultural diffusion and the spread of Islam to the Ottoman turks who ruled a large area and also put the crescent moon and star symbol on their flag. It has since become associated with Islam. Some other symbols are Ka 'bah, a Mosque, and a prayer rug.

Ceremonies/Holidays

There is a special Friday prayer called Jumu'ah. Muslims pray five times a day; these five prayers are known as Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha. Some holidays in 2008 are Muharram, celebrated on January 10; Mawlid al-Nabi, celebrated on March 20; Ramadan, starts September 2; Eid al-Fitr, is the end of ramadan on October 2; Eid al-Adha, celebrated on December 9.

Background/History

Currently, the number of Muslims is estimated to be 1.3 billion. Muslim history began in Arabia with Muhammad's first recitations of the Qur'an in the 7th century. Islam's historical development has affected political, economic, and military trends both inside and outside the Islamic world.