name that faith seven spiritual truths of god created by: claudette coleman

NameThatFaith

SevenSpiritual

Truths of God

Created by:

Claudette Coleman

WITH SYMBOLS: The Game…………...... (3) The Golden Rule...... (39) No Other Way…….... (40) Unity of God……...... (41) Forgiveness of Sins. (42) Salvation………….… (43) Unknowable God…. (44) Everlasting Life….... (45)

WITHOUT SYMBOLS: The Golden Rule…… (46) No Other Way……… (47) Unity of God……….. (48) Forgiveness of Sin… (49) Salvation………..….. (50) Unknowable God.... (51) Everlasting Life….... (52)

Eight World Faiths:Baha’i…....................(53)Buddhism…………….(54)Christianity…………..(55)Confucianism…….….(56)Hinduism…………….(57)Islam………………….(58)Judaism……………...(59)Zoroastrianism….…..(60)

Table of Contents:

Golden Rule

UnityOf

God

Forgiveness of

Sins

No Other Way

Salvation An Unknowable God

Everlasting Life

10 10 10 10 10 10 10

20 20 20 20 20 20 20

30 30 30 30 30 30 30

40 40 40 40 40 40 40

50 50 50 50 50 50 50

Name That Faith

Seven Spiritual Truths of God

Return to Table of Contents

Golden Rule

"Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful."

Buddhism - 500 BC

Return to Scoreboard

Go to “Golden Rule”

Golden Rule

"This is the sum of all true righteousness: deal with others as thou wouldst thyself be dealt by. Do nothing to thy neighbor which thou wouldst not have

him do to thee after."

Hinduism 800 ~ 1400 BC



Golden Rule

"Surely it is the maxim of loving-kindness: Do not unto

others that you would not have them do unto you.“

Confucianism - 500 BC



Golden Rule

"No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother

that which he desires for himself.“


Islam - 600 AD


Golden Rule

"Blessed is he who prefereth his brother before himself."


Baha'i - 1850 AD


No Other Way

"This is the path. There is no other that leads

to vision."

Buddhism - 500 BC


Go to “No Other Way”

No Other Way

"He that hath Me not is bereft of all things. Turn ye away

from all that is on earth and seek none else but Me.“

Baha'i - 1850 AD



No Other Way

"There is only one religious way. This one way is that of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds,

the way of heaven, of light and of purity, of the infinite

Creator."



Zoroastrian

No Other Way

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No

one comes to the Father except through

Me."

Christianity



No Other Way

"Whoso seeks guidance elsewhere, God will lead him astray."

Islam - 600 AD



Unity of God


ChristianityGo to “Unity of God”

"The Lord our God is one Lord."

Unity of God

"But just how many Gods are there? One.“



Go to “Unity of God”

Unity of God

"I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me."

Judaism



Unity of God

"Bear thou witness that verily He is God and there

is no God but Him, the King, the Protector; the

Incomparable, the Omnipotent.“

Baha'i - 1850 AD



Unity of God

"He is God alone: God the eternal ... and

there is none like unto Him."

Islam - 600 AD



Forgiveness of Sins

"Despair not of God's mercy, for all sins doth God forgive.

Gracious, merciful is He. And return ye to your Lord, and to

Him resign yourselves..."


Go to “Forgiveness of Sins”

Islam - 600 AD

Forgiveness of Sins

"I will make thee free from the bondage of sins. Fear no more."




Forgiveness of Sins

"Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of

men ..."

Christianity



Forgiveness of Sins

"Return ye to God and repent, that He, through His grace, may

have mercy upon you, may wash away your sins, and forgive your trespasses.“

Baha'i - 1850 AD



Forgiveness of Sins

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his

thoughts, let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy

upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."

Judaism



Salvation

"To those who believe and work

righteousness ... for them will be gardens of

eternity."

Islam - 600 AD


Go to “Salvation”

Salvation


"The Lord has made known His salvation ...

all the ends of the earth have seen the

salvation of our Lord."

JudaismGo to “Salvation”

Salvation

"I was born into the world as the king of

truth for the Salvation of the world."

Buddhism - 500 BC



Salvation

"We, verily, have come for your sakes, and have borne the

misfortunes of the world for your salvation.“

Baha'i - 1850 AD



Salvation

"The longsuffering of our Lord is salvation ... for the grace of

God that brings salvation has appeared to all men."

Christianity



An Unknowable God

"For as the heavens are higher than the

earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than

your thoughts."

Judaism


Go to “An Unknowable God”

An Unknowable God

"Far, far from Thy glory be what mortal man can affirm of Thee, or attribute unto Thee."

Baha'i - 1850 AD



An Unknowable God

"There is, O monks, an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed."

Buddhism



An Unknowable God

"No one has seen God at any time ... You

have neither heard His voice at any time, nor

seen His form."

Christianity



An Unknowable God

"There is no likeness of Him Whose glory is

infinite.“

Hinduism



Everlasting Life

"Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die ... I give

them eternal life, and they shall never perish."

Christianity


Go to “Everlasting Life”

Everlasting Life

"All the favors of God have been sent down, as a token of His

grace. The waters of everlasting life have, in their fullness, been

profered unto men."


Baha'i - 1850 AD


Everlasting Life

"To one that is born death is certain, and

birth is certain for one that has died."


Hinduism


Everlasting Life

"Witness the reddening sunset, witness the chariot of night as it drives on, witness the moon as it waxes, verily, ye too shall pass from stage

to stage."



Islam - 600 AD

Everlasting Life

"Your gift is the life never-dying and

continuous health your possession."



Zoroastrian

Golden Rule


Buddhism - 500 BC

"This is the sum of all true righteousness: deal with others as thou wouldst thyself be dealt by. Do nothing to thy neighbor which thou wouldst not have him do to thee after." Hinduism 800 ~ 1400 BC

"Surely it is the maxim of loving-kindness: Do not unto others that you would not have them do unto you.“Confucianism - 500 BC

"No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.“Islam - 600 AD

"Blessed is he who prefereth his brother before himself." Baha'i - 1850 AD



No Other Way

"This is the path. There is no other that leads to vision.“ Buddhism - 500 BC

"He that hath Me not is bereft of all things. Turn ye away from all that is on earth and seek none else but Me.“Baha'i - 1850 AD

"There is only one religious way. This one way is that of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, the way of heaven, of light and of purity, of the infinite Creator." Zoroastrian

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Christianity

"Whoso seeks guidance elsewhere, God will lead him astray." Islam - 600 AD



Unity of God

"The Lord our God is one Lord.“Christianity

"But just how many Gods are there? One.“Hinduism 800 ~ 1400 BC

"I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me." Judaism

"Bear thou witness that verily He is God and there is no God but Him, the King, the Protector; the Incomparable, the Omnipotent.“Baha'i - 1850 AD

"He is God alone: God the eternal ... and there is none like unto Him.“Islam - 600 AD



Forgiveness of Sins

"Despair not of God's mercy, for all sins doth God forgive. Gracious, merciful is He. And return ye to your Lord, and to Him resign yourselves..." Islam - 600 AD

"I will make thee free from the bondage of sins. Fear no more.“Hinduism 800 ~ 1400 BC

"Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men ..." Christianity

"Return ye to God and repent, that He, through His grace, may have mercy upon you, may wash away your sins, and forgive your trespasses.“Baha'i - 1850 AD

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." Judaism



Salvation

"To those who believe and work righteousness ... for them will be gardens of eternity.“Islam - 600 AD

"The Lord has made known His salvation ... all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our Lord." Judaism

"I was born into the world as the king of truth for the Salvation of the world." Buddhism - 500 BC

"We, verily, have come for your sakes, and have borne the misfortunes of the world for your salvation.“Baha'i - 1850 AD

"The longsuffering of our Lord is salvation ... for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men." Christianity



An Unknowable God

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." Judaism

"Far, far from Thy glory be what mortal man can affirm of Thee, or attribute unto Thee." Baha'i - 1850 AD

"There is, O monks, an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed." Buddhism

"No one has seen God at any time ... You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form." Christianity

"There is no likeness of Him Whose glory is infinite.“ Hinduism



Everlasting Life

"Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die ... I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish." Christianity

"All the favors of God have been sent down, as a token of His grace. The waters of everlasting life have, in their fullness, been profered unto men." Baha'i - 1850 AD

"To one that is born death is certain, and birth is certain for one that has died." Hinduism

"Witness the reddening sunset, witness the chariot of night as it drives on, witness the moon as it waxes, verily, ye too shall pass from stage to stage.“Islam - 600 AD

"Your gift is the life never-dying and continuous health your possession.“Zoroastrian



Golden Rule


"This is the sum of all true righteousness: deal with others as thou wouldst thyself be dealt by. Do nothing to thy neighbor which thou wouldst not have him do to thee after."

"Surely it is the maxim of loving-kindness: Do not unto others that you would not have them do unto you.“

"No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.“

"Blessed is he who prefereth his brother before himself."


Page with Symbols

No Other Way

"This is the path. There is no other that leads to vision.“

"He that hath Me not is bereft of all things. Turn ye away from all that is on earth and seek none else but Me.“

"There is only one religious way. This one way is that of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, the way of heaven, of light and of purity, of the infinite Creator."

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

"Whoso seeks guidance elsewhere, God will lead him astray."


Page with Symbols

Unity of God

"The Lord our God is one Lord.“

"But just how many Gods are there? One.“

"I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me."

"Bear thou witness that verily He is God and there is no God but Him, the King, the Protector; the Incomparable, the Omnipotent.“

"He is God alone: God the eternal ... and there is none like unto Him.“


Page with Symbols

Forgiveness of Sins

"Despair not of God's mercy, for all sins doth God forgive. Gracious, merciful is He. And return ye to your Lord, and to Him resign yourselves..."

"I will make thee free from the bondage of sins. Fear no more.“

"Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men ..."

"Return ye to God and repent, that He, through His grace, may have mercy upon you, may wash away your sins, and forgive your trespasses.“

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."


Page with Symbols

Salvation

"To those who believe and work righteousness ... for them will be gardens of eternity.“

"The Lord has made known His salvation ... all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our Lord."

"I was born into the world as the king of truth for the Salvation of the world."

"We, verily, have come for your sakes, and have borne the misfortunes of the world for your salvation.“

"The longsuffering of our Lord is salvation ... for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men."


Page with Symbols

An Unknowable God

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

"Far, far from Thy glory be what mortal man can affirm of Thee, or attribute unto Thee."

"There is, O monks, an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed."

"No one has seen God at any time ... You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form."

"There is no likeness of Him Whose glory is infinite.“


Page with Symbols

Everlasting Life

"Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die ... I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish."

"All the favors of God have been sent down, as a token of His grace. The waters of everlasting life have, in their fullness, been profered unto men."

"To one that is born death is certain, and birth is certain for one that has died."

"Witness the reddening sunset, witness the chariot of night as it drives on, witness the moon as it waxes, verily, ye too shall pass from stage to stage.“

"Your gift is the life never-dying and continuous health your possession.“


Page with Symbols

Baha’i FaithReturn to Table of Contents

Aug - Nov 1852 In the Síyáh-Chál, in October, Bahá'u'lláh (Mirzá Husayn 'Ali Nurí ), like the experience Jesus had with the Dove, receives His Intimation that He is the Messenger of God for this Day. He leads the prisoners in song so loud that the Sháh hears the singing from his palace. One by one, most of the other Bábís chained with Him are executed. By now, an approximate total of 20,000 Bábís had been martyred. Bahá'u'lláh is poisoned, but survives. Bahá'u'lláh's family and Russian Minister Prince Dolgorouki demonstrate the complete innocence of Bahá'u'lláh in the matter of the assassination attempt. Bahá'u'lláh is released after four months of imprisonment, carrying the deep marks of the chains throughout the remainder of His days. 'Abdu'l-Bahá recognizes the full impact of the station of His Father. Bahá'u'lláh bestows upon His Son the designation "Mystery of God". 12 Jan 1853 Bahá'u'lláh is banished, chooses Baghdád for His place of exile. This may be likened to the exodus of Moses and the exile of Abraham. His wealth is confiscated and properties pillaged. His youngest son is left behind with relatives because of the lack of provisions and the harsh winter travel. The journey included 'Abdu'l-Bahá age 9 and Bahíyyih Khánum age 7, and two brothers Mírzá Musa and Mírzá Muhammad Quli. 8 Apr 1853 Bahá'u'lláh arrives in Baghdád. Mírzá Aqá Ján is the first to recognize Him as the Promised One. Bahá'u'lláh achieves great fame because of the love He shows the people and because of the great Writings He reveals. He is shown veneration by the populace….

The principle of the oneness of humankind is the pivot around which all the teachings of Baha'u'llah revolve.Baha'u'llah taught that humanity, after a long and turbulent adolescence, is at last reaching a stage of maturity in which unity in a global and just society finally can be established.To this end, the Baha'i Faith prescribes laws of personal morality and behavior, as well as social laws and principles, to establish the oneness of humanity.

Baha'is believe:the purpose of life is to know and worship God, to acquire virtues, to promote the oneness of humankind and to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization all humanity was created by one God and is part of one human race work performed in the spirit of service is a form of worship the soul, created at the moment of conception, is destined by God to reach the afterlife, where it will continue to progress until it attains the presence of God

Baha'is practice:daily prayer and communion with God high moral principles, including trustworthiness, chastity and honesty independent investigation of truth a life dedicated to the service of humanity fellowship with the followers of all religions avoidance of excessive materialism, partisan politics, backbiting, alcohol, drugs and gambling http://www.bahai.us or http://www.bahai.org/

BuddhismReturn to Table of ContentsBuddha’s Birth: The Buddha who is the founder of the Buddhist religion is called

Buddha Shakyamuni “Shakya” is the name of the royal family into which he was born, and “Muni” means “Able One.” Buddha Skakyamuni was born as a royal prince in 624 BC in a place called Lumbini, which was originally in northern India but is now part of Nepal. His mother’s name was Queen Mayadevi and his father’s name was King Shuddhodana.The Queens Dream: One night, Queen Mayadevi dreamed that a white elephant descended from heaven and entered her womb. The white elephant entering her womb indicated that on that very night she had conceived a child who was a pure and powerful being. The elephant’s descending from heaven indicated that her child came from Tushita heaven, the Pure Land of Buddha Maitreya. Later, when she gave birth to the child, instead of experiencing pain the queen experienced a special, pure vision in which she stood holding the branch of a tree with her right hand while the gods Brahma and Indra took the child painlessly from her side. They then proceeded to honor the infant by offering him ritual ablutions.Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha (Pāli/Sanskrit "the awakened one"). Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. He is recognized by adherents as an awakened teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings end suffering, achieve nirvana, and escape what is seen as a cycle of suffering and rebirth. Two major branches of Buddhism are recognized: Theravada ("The School of the Elders") and Mahayana ("The Great Vehicle"). Theravada—the oldest surviving branch—has a widespread following in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, and Mahayana is found throughout East Asia and includes the traditions of Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Shingon, Tendai and Shinnyo-en. In some classifications Vajrayana, a subcategory of Mahayana, is recognized as a third branch. While Buddhism remains most popular within Asia, both branches are now found throughout the world. Various sources put the number of Buddhists in the world at between 230 million and 500 million, making it the world's fourth-largest religion.

Principles Of BuddhismAn understanding of the Principles of Buddhism is a basic requirement for a person who desires to understand Buddhism on the whole. These Principles include the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, Refuge in Three Jewels, the Five Precepts and the Three Marks of Conditioned Existence.

The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism teach that life is a suffering, there is a cause of this suffering, it is possible to put an end to this suffering and the Noble Eightfold Path is the means to end this suffering. Refuge in Three Jewels are the three components of Buddhism which protect a person from the unstable world as he progresses on the path to become a Buddhist. The Five Precepts lay down the moral conduct to make human world a better place to live. These precepts prevent Buddhists from indulging in deeds that restrict spiritual growth and cause harm to others. The Three Marks of Conditioned Existence explain that everything in this world is impermanent, without substance and full of suffering.

http://www.aboutbuddha.org/, http://www.sgi.org/, http://www.dalailama.com/, http://www.drikung.org/

ChristianityReturn to Table of Contents

Yeshua is the original Hebrew proper name for Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish Rabbi (and more) who lived from about 6 B.C.E. to 27 C.E. (A.D.) In other words, Yeshua was the name His mother called Him when shl called Him for supper. Jesus is a mis-transliteration of the Greek mis-transliteration, Yeysu. (Some say the name Jesus probably developed from the name of the pagan god Zeus, but there is little or no evidence for this.) It is true that Emporer Constatine mistook Jesus for the Greek god Apollo, but that is another story. It is the most proper to call Him Yeshua, since only in the Hebrew does His name have any meaning. In Hebrew Yeshua means both "Salvation," and the concatenated form of Yahoshua, the "L-RD who is Salvation." The name Jesus has no intrinsic meaning in English, except as it is known as His name in English. (Therefore, we cannot deny the name Jesus, since this name commonly identifies the Messiah to English speaking people.) Many people of the world believe Yeshua to be the promised Lamb of G-d, who was chosen to be sacrificed for all mankind's sin. The Bible declares that mankind must have a blood sacrifice to substitute punishment for their sins by placing them on the sacrifice, figuratively speaking. The sacrifice has to be blameless, else the punishment could not be substituted, since the thing sacrificed would be dying for its own sins. Clean and spotless animals were once sacrificed as a temporal measure until a fully qualified sacrifice could be supplied at the proper time. Followers of Yeshua believe He was that perfect sacrifice. He is a man, who could be properly substituted for mankind, yet G-d in the flesh, for only G-d is sinless. Only G-d Himself is a pure enough sacrifice to satisfy His holy justice, for all men have sinned. Yeshua came speaking the Torah Word of G-d with absolute authority. He made no mistake in regards to all G-d's commands. Only G-d Himself could act this way. For this reason people accept Yeshua as G-d in the flesh. Not that G-d is consigned or limited to flesh, but that He can manifest Himself in whatever form He pleases to fulfill His task. Yeshua of Nazareth was and is the form of flesh that G-d was manifest in. In this form, Yeshua is the Son of G-d and the Son of Man. Because Yeshua presented Himself with this absolute authority it is only logical to conclude He either is G-d or He is the world's greatest pretender, thus a liar and definitely a lunatic. If Yeshua is G-d then He is the greatest Jew who ever lived, and an honor to the Jewish people. If He is not G-d then He is the worst Jew who ever lived and a disgrace to Jewishness. Messianic Jews believe Yeshua to be the Messiah of Israel and G-d in the flesh, who will come again to deliver Israel from their persecutors. Amen. Copyright 1996 - 2008 David M. Hargis. All rights reserved. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_denominations

ConfucianismReturn to Table of ContentsConfucius (Chinese: 孔子; pinyin: Kǒng zǐ; Wade-Giles: K'ung-tzu, or Chinese: 孔夫子 ;

pinyin: Kǒng Fūzǐ; Wade-Giles: K'ung-fu-tzu), literally "Master Kong,"[1] (traditionally September 28, 551 BCE – 479 BCE)[2][3] was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher, whose teachings and philosophy have deeply influenced Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese and Vietnamese thought and life.His philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. These values gained prominence in China over other doctrines, such as Legalism ( 法家 ) or Taoism ( 道家 ) during the Han Dynasty[4][5][6] (206 BCE – 220 CE). Confucius' thoughts have been developed into a system of philosophy known as Confucianism ( 儒家 ). It was introduced to Europe by the Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci, who was the first to Latinise the name as "Confucius."His teachings may be found in the Analects of Confucius ( 論語 ), a collection of "brief aphoristic fragments", which was compiled many years after his death. For nearly 2,000 years he was thought to be the editor or author of all the Five Classics ( 五經 )[7][8] such as the Classic of Rites ( 禮記 ) (editor), and the Spring and Autumn Annals ( 春秋 ) (author).Kong Qiu ( 孔丘 ), as Confucius is commonly known, is a combination of his surname ( 孔 ) and his given name ( 丘 ), and he was also known as Zhong Ni ( 仲尼 ), which is his courtesy name. He was born in 551 BCE in the Lu state[9] (This state was in the south of modern-day Shandong Province) in the later days of the Spring and Autumn Period. Confucius was from a warrior family. His father Shulianghe ( 叔梁紇 ) was a famous warrior who had military exploits in two battles and owned a fiefdom. Confucius lost his father when he was three years old, and then his mother Yan Zhengzai ( 顏徵在 ) took him and left the fiefdom because as a concubine ( 妾 ), she wanted to avoid mistreatment from Shulianghe's formal wife. Thus, Confucius lived in poverty with his mother since childhood. With the support and encouragement of his mother, Confucius was very diligent in his studies. When Confucius was seventeen years old, his mother died as a result of illness and overwork. Three years later, Confucius married a young woman who was from the Qiguan family ( 亓官氏 ) of the Song state (宋). Though he had a mild tempered wife who loved him, he left his family to strive for his ideals. Confucius sought to revive the perfect virtue of Huaxia (Chinese civilization) and the classical properties of the Western Zhou Dynasty to build a great, harmonious and humanistic society.Confucius was introduced for the first time to the West as: Chinese philosopher, who flourished about five hundred years before the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Confucius' teachings have exercised such a molding influence that if the Oriental way of life were to be characterized in one word it would be "Confucian" Confucius was human, all-too-human, and the sagest of the sages. He did not pretend to be a prophet, but dedicated his whole life to save the mankind as a heavenly missionary. Confucius promised those who followed him no great riches, no secrets for worldly power or fame. Instead of gold or glory, he spoke only of a dream. Confucius spoke and lived and dreamed of a world where happiness, good, and peace would replace misery, evil, and war. His dream was not merely of a world as it had been or might be; his was a dream of a world as it should be. Confucius was a man who never led an army, ruled a kingdom, or conquered a nation, but shaped the flow of human history and established a system of ideas that has lasted over twenty five hundred years.[Bennett Sims] When I began to read Confucius, I found him to be a prosaic and parochial moralizer; his collected sayings, the Analects, seemed to me an archaic irrelevance. Later, and with increasing force, I found him a thinker with profound insight and with an imaginative vision of man equal in its grandeur to any I know. Increasingly, I have become convinced that Confucius can be a teacher to us today--a major teacher, not one who merely gives us a slightly exotic perspective on the idea already current. He tells us things not being said elsewhere; things needing to be said. He has a new lesson to teach. http://www.confucius.org/main01.htm

HinduismReturn to Table of ContentsThe Bhagavad Gita (Sanskrit भगवद्गी�ता�, Bhagavad Gītā, "Song of God"), also more simply

known as Gita, is a sacred Hindu scripture,[1][2] considered among the most important texts in the history of literature and philosophy.[3] The Bhagavad Gita comprises roughly 700 verses, and is a part of the Mahabharata. The teacher of the Bhagavad Gita is Krishna, who is revered by Hindus as a manifestation of God himself,[3] and is referred to within as Bhagavan, the Divine One.[4]The content of the Gita is the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna taking place on the battlefield before the start of the Kurukshetra war. Responding to Arjuna's confusion and moral dilemma about fighting his own cousins, Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior and prince and elaborates on different Yogic[5] and Vedantic philosophies, with examples and analogies. This has led to the Gita often being described as a concise guide to Hindu theology and also as a practical, self-contained guide to life. During the discourse, Krishna reveals His identity as the Supreme Being Himself (Svayam Bhagavan), blessing Arjuna with an awe-inspiring vision of His divine universal form.The Bhagavad Gita is also called Gītopaniṣad, implying its having the status of an Upanishad, i.e. a Vedantic scripture.[6] Since the Gita is drawn from the Mahabharata, it is classified as a Smṛiti text. However, those branches of Hinduism that give it the status of an Upanishad also consider it a śruti or "revealed" text.[7][8] As it is taken to represent a summary of the Upanishadic teachings, it is also called "the Upanishad of the Upanishads".[1] Another title is mokṣaśāstra, or "Scripture of Liberation".[9]

Traditional belief based on scriptural details and astrological calculations gives the date of Krishna's birth, known as Janmashtami,[36] as either 18 or 21 July 3228 BCE.[37][38][39] Krishna belonged to the royal family of Mathura, and was the eighth son born to the princess Devaki, and her husband Vasudeva. Mathura was the capital of the Yadavas, to which Krishna's parents Vasudeva and Devaki belonged. The king Kamsa, Devaki's brother,[40] had ascended the throne by imprisoning his father, King Ugrasena. Afraid of a prophecy that predicted his death at the hands of Devaki's eighth son, he had locked the couple into a prison cell. After Kamsa killed the first six children, and Devaki's apparent miscarriage of the seventh, being transferred to Rohini as Balarama, Krishna took birth.Since Vasudeva believed Krishna's life was in danger, Krishna was secretly taken out of the prison cell to be raised by his foster parents, Yasoda [41] and Nanda in Gokula. Two of his other siblings also survived, Balarama (Devaki's seventh child, transferred to the womb of Rohini, Vasudeva's first wife) and Subhadra (daughter of Vasudeva and Rohini, born much later than Balarama and Krishna).[42] According to Bhagavata Purana it is believed that Krishna was born without a sexual union, by "mental transmission" from the mind of Vasudeva into the womb of Devaki. Hindus believe that in that time, this type of union was possible for achieved beings.[36][43][44]

Islamic FaithReturn to Table of Contents

Muhammad (whose name means "highly praised") was born in Mecca in 570 AD. His father died shortly before his birth, and he lost his mother at the age of six. The young orphan was then raised primarily by his uncle, for whom he worked as a shepherd. At age 9 (some sources say 12), he joined his uncle on a caravan to Syria. As a young man, Muhammad worked as a camel driver between Syria and Arabia. Soon he established a career managing caravans on behalf of merchants. Through his travel first with his uncle and later in his career, Muhammad came into contact with people of many nationalities and faiths, including Jews, Christians and pagans. At age 25, Muhammad was employed by Khadija, a wealthy Meccan widow 15 years his senior. The two were married, and by all accounts enjoyed a loving and happy marriage. Early records report that "God comforted him through her, for she made his burden light." Although polygamy was common practice at the time, Muhammad took no other wife than Khadija until her death 24 years later.

In his late 30s Muhammad took to regularly visiting a cave in Mount Hira, on the outskirts of Mecca, to seek solitude and contemplation. In 610, at the age of 40, Muhammad returned from one such visit telling his wife he had either gone mad or become a prophet, for he had been visited by an angel. The initially startled Khadija became his first convert.Muhammad reported that while in a trance-like state, the Angel Gabriel appeared to him and said "Proclaim!" But like Moses, Muhammed was a reluctant prophet. He replied, "I am not a proclaimer." The angel persisted, and the Prophet repeatedly resisted, until the angel finally overwhelmed Muhammad and commanded him: Proclaim in the name of your Lord who created!Created man from a clot of blood.Proclaim: Your Lord is the Most Generous, Who teaches by the pen; Teaches man what he knew not. (Qur'an 96:1-3) After receiving Khadija's support, and additional angelic visits, Muhammad became confident he had indeed been chosen as the messenger of God and began to proclaim as he had been commanded.Muhammad's message to his countrymen was to convert from pagan polytheism, immorality and materialism, repent from evil and worship Allah, the only true God. He was always careful to clarify his role in God's work - he was only a prophet. He was not an angel, he did not know the mind of God, he did not work miracles. He simply preached what he had received.

In Shia Islam, the five pillars are more abstract and inward oriented, which are:Tawhid (monotheism)Ma'ad (Day of judgment)Nubuwwah (Prophecy [Prophet of Islam, Jesus, Jewish Prophets, and other prophets])Imamah (Leadership of the Twelve Imams)Adl (Justice).

http://www.islamic-world.net/

JudaismReturn to Table of Contents

ScriptureThe Tanakh and the Talmud are the main holy books in Judaism. The Tanakh contains the Torah (five books of Moses), the Nevi'im ("prophets"), and the Ketuvim ("writings"). Judaism's oral law is contained in the Mishnah, Tosefta, classical midrashim, and the two Talmuds.[edit] Moses and the TorahOrthodox and Conservative Jews hold that the prophecy of Moses is held to be true; he is held to be the chief of all prophets, even of those who came before and after him. This belief was expressed by Maimonides, who wrote that "Moses was superior to all prophets, whether they preceded him or arose afterwards. Moses attained the highest possible human level. He perceived God to a degree surpassing every human that ever existed....God spoke to all other prophets through an intermediary. Moses alone did not need this; this is what the Torah means when God says "Mouth to mouth, I will speak to him." The great Jewish philosopher Philo understands this type of prophecy to be an extraordinarily high level of philosophical understanding, which had been reached by Moses and which enabled him to write the Torah through his own rational deduction of natural law. Maimonides, in his Commentary to the Mishna (preface to chapter "Chelek", Tractate Sanhedrin), and is his Mishneh Torah, (in the Laws of the foundations of the Torah, ch. 7), describes a similar concept of prophecy, since a voice that did not originate from a body cannot exist, the understanding of Moses was based on his lofty philosophical understandings. However, this does not imply that the text of the Torah should be understood literally, as according to Karaism. Rabbinic tradition maintains that God conveyed not only the words of the Torah, but the meaning of the Torah. God gave rules as to how the laws were to be understood and implemented, and these were passed down as an oral tradition. This oral law was passed down from generation to generation and ultimately written down almost 2,000 years later in the Mishna and the two Talmuds.For Reform Jews, the prophecy of Moses was not the highest degree of prophecy; rather it was the first in a long chain of progressive revelations in which mankind gradually began to understand the will of God better and better. As such, they maintain, that the laws of Moses are no longer binding, and it is today's generation that must assess what God wants of them. (For examples see the works of Rabbis Gunther Plaut or Eugene Borowitz)[citation needed]. This principle is also rejected by most Reconstructionist Jews, but for a different reason; most posit that God is not a being with a will; thus they maintain that no will can be revealed.THIRTEEN PRINCIPLES OF JUDAISM:1. Belief in the existence of the Creator, who is perfect in every manner of existence and is the Primary Cause of all that exists.2. The belief in G-d's absolute and unparalleled unity.3. The belief in G-d's non-corporeality, nor that He will be affected by any physical occurrences, such as movement, or rest, or dwelling.4. The belief in G-d's eternity.5. The imperative to worship G-d exclusively and no foreign false gods.6. The belief that G-d communicates with man through prophecy.7. The belief in the primacy of the prophecy of Moses our teacher.8. The belief in the divine origin of the Torah.9. The belief in the immutability of the Torah.10. The belief in G-d's omniscience and providence.11. The belief in divine reward and retribution.12. The belief in the arrival of the Messiah and the messianic era.13. The belief in the resurrection of the dead.It is the custom of many congregations to recite the Thirteen Articles, in a slightly more poetic form, beginning with the words Ani Maamin--"I believe"--every day after the morning prayers in the synagogue.

ZoroastrianismReturn to Table of Contents

Good & Evil in Zoroastrianism:According to Zoroastrianism the world is a combination both good and evil. Creation cannot exist without the presence of both. In the beginning of creation, Ahura Mazda, the Supreme God, created two Mainyus or twin spirits called Spenta Mainyu, the good spirit and Angra Mainyu (Ahirman), the evil spirit. Creation is possible only when they both come together.Spenta Mainyu is responsible for all the good works in the creation of God. He exists in all of us and helps us see the light within ourselves. Ahirman is an illusion. He exists in order to make us understand what true existence means. By opposing good, he makes us realize the importance and necessity of good in our lives.In this eternal conflict, Ahirman ultimately loses out to Spenta Mainyu. It is to be noted that neither Ahirman nor Spenta Mainyu are absolute powers. They are the creation of God and work according to His Divine Plan, or Asha.

The three great Commandments:Zarathushtra gave three commandments to his followers to enable them lead perfect lives and work for their own evolution. These are humata (good thought), hukhta (good word), and havarshta (good deeds). Good thoughts are very important in the spiritual journey of man, because all else comes out of out of thoughts only. Without good thoughts, there cannot be progress on the spiritual path. Without good thoughts one cannot subject oneself to Divine will and become qualified to receive boons from Vohu Mano. Thinking good alone is not sufficient. But one must have the courage to speak Truth all the time. One must be truthful to oneself and to others. There is no place for hypocrisy or duplicity in the life a of a true Zoroastrian. Performance of good deeds is equally important. The supreme Power of God, in the aspect of Kshatra Vairya comes to Him who engages himself in good actions. Good actions include Sraosha or service.the Zoroastrians of Iran (pre-Islamic) were members of the Indo-European family known as the Aryans. They called themselves Zoroastrians because they believed in the teachings of the first Aryan prophet, Zarathushtra.Zarathushtra was the first prophet to preach a monotheistic religion, and He was born in Iran about 8000 years BC. He revealed that there was only one God, Ahura Mazda and that life in the physical world was a battle between good and evil. As per man's actions, he would either cross the "Chinvato Peretu" or the sword bridge after death, and reach Heaven, or fall from it and go to the abode of the evil one. In the final days there would be a battle between good and evil, evil would be vanquished and the world would be purified by a bath of molten metal. Mazda would then judge the world, resurrecting the dead and His Kingdom would be established on earth.Zarathushtra's songs are called the "Gathas" which linguistically may be older than the Indian Vedic scriptures. The Gathas are written in an ancient Avestan dialect. This is a sister language to Sanskrit of India, and Greek and Latin of the West. The reason is, the common ancestors (common to the ancient Iranians, Ancient Indians, Greeks, and Europeans) were one and the same - the Indo-European or Aryan peoples.Surprisingly, many so-called Christian concepts actually were derived from Zoroastrian Aryan ideas which thrived in Iran for thousands of years until the Arab invasion of Iran around 1300 years ago. Concepts such as heaven and hell, God and the evil adversary ahriman, the coming of the Saviour or Saoshyant born of a virgin, the end-time purge of the world by Fire followed by the resurrection of the dead (Ristakhiz), the making fresh of the world (Frashogard) and the final battle between good and evil leading to the final defeat of evil. These beliefs filtered down to Judaism during the reign of King Khushru (Cyrus) of Iran.Although proud to be Aryans, Zoroastrians also believe that all races in the world are created by God and are equal - a true sign of the real ancient Aryan's nobility and tolerance. Cyrus, King of Iran who was an Aryan rebuilt the temple of the Jews after freeing the Jews from Babylon - for this, he is still remembered by the Jews and called the "Anointed of the Lord" in the Bible. The Jews still celebrate that act of the true Aryans in a festival. Many Jews then stayed in Iran under Cyrus and his successors such as Darayus, as equal subjects under the King. Books of the Bible written after this stay have taken all these Zoroastrian concepts, from there they came to Christianity and other religions. There are scholars who consider Zoroastrianism as such to be the mother religion of the present day world's faiths.

http://www.zoroastrianism.com/

name that faith seven spiritual truths of god created by: claudette coleman

Documents

way slide

golden rule slide

way zoroastrian slide

ad return

bc return

spiritual truths of

scoreboard bahai

way of heaven