ORIGIN OF WORLD RELIGIONS

• Zoroastrianism - world’s oldest known religion that was founded by Zoroaster
• They believe in Ahura Mazda
• Ahura = Lord , Mazda = wisdom
• Zoroastrianism - There is a supreme god who represents all that is good, wise, and true
• The Patriarch of Abraham - Played a major role in the establishment of monotheistic religions
• (Jews) Abraham = ancestor of Israelites
• Muslim =considers Ishmael as the ancestor of the Arabs 
• Christians = Father in faith and the ancestor of Jesus Christ
• Abraham is considered as one of the three patriarchs of Judaism alongside his son Isaac and Isaac’s son, Jacob. The Jewish people trace their lineage back to these patriarchs.
• Ishmael is considered as the ancestor of the Arabs in Islam because of his direct lineage from Abraham
• Prophet Muhammad is a direct descendant of Ishmael. His tribe, Quraysh tribe, is descending from Ishmael
• Abraham is often referred to as the father in faith due to his exemplary role in demonstrating faith and being a model of righteous living
• Abraham is willing to obey God, even to the point of being willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac , is seen as a profound act of faith and trust
• Ancient Hebrews = Elohim, Adonai, or Yahweh
• Muslim = Allah
• Judaism – 48 prophets and seven prophetesses
• Christianity – 12 apostles
• Muslim = Muhammad is the final prophet and the Seal of the Prophets
• India – one of the world’s oldest surviving civilizations
• Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism – four great religions originated in India.
• Hinduism – heterogeneity (being diverse) 
• Hinduism = Museum of Religions
• Buddhism = Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) 
• Buddha is a human being who came to discover how to terminate suffering in order to escape painful and continuous cycle of rebirth
• Chinese civilization – endeavored to establish and attain good governance
• Confucius was regarded as China’s greatest philosopher and teacher by those who lived at the same time as buddha
• Golden Rule - Do unto others as you would have others do unto you
• China – Daoism
• Birth and personal life of Laozi (Lao-tzu) wrote Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching, The Book of The Way and Its Power)
• Dao = road, path or way in which one does something
• Confucian Dao = is close to the meaning of Dao in Daoism which means road, path or way in which something does something. (Human affairs)
• Confucian Dao = is close to the meaning of Dao in Daoism which means road, path or way in which something does something. (Human affairs)
• Daoist Dao = the way universe works
• Shintoism - Japan
• Shintoism - started from mythology
• The term actually originated from the Chinese words shen and tao roughly translated as the “way of the Gods”
• Shinto gods are called kami
• Shinto gods - They are sacred spirits which take the form of things and concepts important to life
• The Western Frontier: Countries closest to the eastern part or the Mediterranean Sea have experienced religious cataclysms in their existence as nation-states.
• The Levant = Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Syria, and Palestine