THE COMPACT GUIDE TO WORLD RELIGIONS

THE COMPACT GUIDE TO WORLD RELIGIONS

By:  Dean C. Halverson

ANIMISM – By:  Dean C. Halverson

Animism – the religion that sees the physical world as interpenetrated by spiritual forces-both personal and impersonal-to the extent that objects carry spiritual significance and events have spiritual causes.

We need to understand the religion of animism because it is both pervasive (to spread throughout) and attractive to people.  The New Age movement is like that, through this movement you channel-contact one’s personal spirit-guide.  You move from an abstract concept of God-the divine oneness-to filling the void with personal spirit-beings.  Animism is the form of religion to which people gravitate.  They are pulled into it.

Animism attracts people.  “First, it is popular for some because it infuses the sacred into a reality that has been emptied of anything spiritual by the scientific/evolutionary perspective.  Animism puts the mystery back into the secularized, matter only world.  Second animism holds an attraction because it offers people a way to cope with one’s everyday needs and problems.”

God gives us what we need when He wants, in other words, on His time.  This sometimes makes us feel that God isn’t listening to us.  We feel alone, abandon and this feeling lead us to grab for something that works, something that will give us power.  “Animism promises such power.”  Only when we serve and worship God only for who He is-and not for what He can do for us-is our worship pure and free of animistic inclinations.

The people that practice the Animist Religion is not concerned about offending the supreme God, his concern is being afraid of offending the local spirits.  He knows that if he offends a spirit the spirit will inevitably exact retribution in the form of injury, sickness, failure, or interpersonal strife.

The way to evangelize a person of the Animist Religion is to be sensitive to his perspective.  We have to refrain from scoffing at the views of the world.  “We as Western Christian, need to be aware of how naturalistic, empirical thinking has influenced our worldview to the extent that we have dismissed the influence of the spirit world altogether.  Such a worldview, moreover, is not biblical.”

“We as Christians need to encourage the Animist to let go of whatever he or she is clutching for protection or prosperity and to cling instead to the only true and secure source of our protection and prosperity.”  GOD.  “We need to turn the Animist’s heart so he or she can see his or her need for such a relationship with God.”

 “Satan’s plans moreover, are not for our good, but for our destruction (John 8:44; 10:10; Hebrews 2:14); and he will use the appearance of beauty and the promise of power to lure us

into that destruction (Genesis 3:6, 2 Corinthians 11:14).  Satan will not let go of those in his kingdom without a struggle.  So, be prepared in your own life to do spiritual battle when witnessing to an Animist.  Have others pray for and with you.”

BUDDHISM – By:  Dean C. Halverson

“Buddha’s life can be divided into three periods:  enjoyment, enquiry and enlightenment.”

Siddhartha is Buddha.  Bodh Gaya is the site of the holiest shrine in the Buddhist world.  “Buddha called his path the enlightenment the MiddleWay, because it avoided the extremes of both affluence and asceticism, both of which had only caused him to suffer.

“Mahayana” (the greater vehicle) – enlightenment is accessible to everyone.

“Hinayana” (the lesser vehicle) – enlightenment is accessible to only the committed few (for instance, monks).  They began to refer to themselves as Theravada Buddhists, which means “the teaching of the elders.”

Ch’an Buddhism is a technique for meditating on the “Vast Emptiness” within oneself.

“Vajrayana” means “the diamond vehicle,” and the metaphor refers to the purity of the spiritual power being tapped into and the ability of the techniques to cut through illusions quickly so as to gain enlightenment.

The Dalai Lama is Tibet’s exiled spiritual and political leader.

There are two versions of Buddhism and they are very different from each other, “official” and “folk.”

“Folk Buddhism” is Animistic in that they believe spirits influence and control people’s lives.  They believe that people must appease the spirits in order to have success, and that they should seek the guidance of the spirits through various forms of divination.

The Four Noble Truths are contained in the most basic of Buddhist teachings:

The First Noble Truth:  Life consists of suffering (dukkha).  This concept of suffering includes the experience of pain, misery, sorrow, and unfulfillment.

The Second Noble Truth:  Everything is impermanent and ever-changing (the doctrine of anicca).  We suffer because we desire those things that are impermanent.

BUDDHISM – By:  Dean C. Halverson – (continued)

The Four Noble Truths are contained in the most basic of Buddhist teachings:

The Third Noble Truth:  The way to liberate oneself from suffering is by eliminating all desire.  We must stop craving that which is impermanent.

The Fourth Noble Truth:  Desire can be eliminated by following the Eight-fold Path, which consists, or eight points:

WISDOM (Panna)

1.      Right Understanding

2.      Right Thought

ETHICAL CONDUCT (Sila)

3.      Right Speech

4.      Right Action

5.      Right Livelihood

MENTAL DISCIPLINE (Samadhi)

6.      Right Effort

7.      Right Awareness

8.      Right Meditation

These eight points are attitudes and actions that are to be developed simultaneously with each other.

***”Buddha’s immediate goal was to eliminate the cause of suffering.”***

[Review pages 62-63 on (a) “Many Paths to God” and (b) “Jesus Is Not Unique”]

Suggestions for Evangelism [Pages 64-67]

1.       Acknowledge and Affirm Your Common Ground

2.      Pick Up on the Issue of Desire

3.      Be Open About Your Faith in a Personal God

4.      Point to God’s Permanence

5.      Be Clear about the Matter of Sin and the Opportunity for forgiveness.

6.      Us Bridges to the Good News

CONFUCIANISM – By:  Thomas I. S. Leung

Confucian deals with a strong commitment to the family.  There is a strong moral ethic of practicing virtues, giving words of wisdom, doing good works and having the attitudes of loyalty, trustworthiness, and respect.  It also leads in the belief of being “eternal” not in a transcendent sense like life in heaven but in the sense of the continuation of the person’s ethical influence on the thoughts and values of his or her descendant.  As Chan writes, the ancestors “influence [is] exerted not through their power but through their moral example and inspiration” (Chan, 4).

***”What is the foundation of virtue and goodness in an age of confusion?***

Confucius went to the moral level but this level collapsed because it was used in the Ritual Music Culture.  But the foundation for such moral responsibility still existed in the moral consciousness of the individual, specifically in the jen.  The jen was “humanity” which refers to the ideal goodness-or “good nature”- that lives in each of us.  In the “good nature” the source of virtues flow.  “Through jen each individual has the potential to actualize his or her  ‘good nature’ and thereby to realize an ideal state of life.”

Hsin (“heart-mind” – hsing (“human nature”)

Hsin-hsing (:heart-mind nature”) – the original goodness that resides within all humans

“Instead of the western way of proving the existence of an external and transcendent God, Mencius provided an inward way of knowing “heaven”.  If human beings continue to extend and to nourish this goodness, “heaven” can be served and peace can be achieved on earth.”

“The Neo-Confucianists developed the concept of Tien-li (“the Heavenly Principle”).  Tien-li is the innate moral nature and the source of moral goodness in hsin-hsing (“heart-mind nature.”).  The Neo Confucianists were saying that the being of humanity and the world is not empty, but it is, instead, a world of creativity with the principle of goodness as its foundation.”

There was a total of thirteen classics, or thirteen scriptures that constitutes the canon of Confucian scripture (Page 75).

Suggestions for Evangelism:  (Pages 76-81)

1)      Humanity’s Moral Goodness

2)      The Transcendent Root of Humanity’s Goodness

3)      Evidence of God Being Personal

4)      The Nature of Humanity was Originally Good

5)      The Silent God

6)      Humanity Is Not Only Good

7)      Humanity’s Core Problem

8)      The need for Reconciliation

9)      The Speaking God

“Objections to Christianity Raised by East Asian People” (Pages 81-83)

“Considering the Issue of Ancestor Worship” (Pages 83-84)

“The only true mediator between God and mankind is Jesus Christ (I Timothy 2:5).  Through Him, we can become children of God.

HINDUISM – By:  Dean C. Halverson

Hinduism began as a polytheistic and ritualistic religion.  At first the rituals were easy to the point the head of the household was able to perform them.  As time passed they became complex.  Now you need a priest to perform the rituals the right way.  Vedas were written only for the priest so they would have the right instructions on how to perform the rituals.  It was only through the priest that the gods would be appeased.  This gave the priest power and control over the people’s lives.  The people revolted and now Hinduism focuses on the internal meditation as opposed to the external rituals.

The years “between 800 to 300 B.C. the Upanishads were written.  The Upanishads also called Vedanta (“the end or conclusion of the Vedas, are the Hindu equivalent to the New Testament.  The Upanishads expound the idea that behind the many gods stands a Reality which is called Brahman.  Brahman is an impersonal, monistic (“all in one”) force.  The highest form of Brahman is called nirguna, which means “without attributes or qualities.”

***It is estimated that there are 330 million other gods in Hinduism.***

“Besides the religion’s various concepts of God, Hinduism can also be divided along the lines of whether the physical universe is considered to be real or illusory (maya).

Through history Hinduism have developed three other religious movements which are now world religions:  Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism.

The Beliefs of Hinduism – (Pages 89-91)

1.      The Impersonal Nature of Brahman

Hindus see ultimate Reality, Brahman, as being an impersonal oneness that is beyond all distinctions, including personal and moral distinction.

2.      The Brahman/Atman Unity

Most adherents of Hinduism believe that they are in their true selves (atman) extended from and one with Brahman.

3.      The Law of Karma

We reap what we sow.  The effects of our actions follow us not only in the present lifetime but from lifetime to lifetime, which is why there is reincarnation.

4.      Samsara (Reincarnation)

Samsara refers to the ever-evolving wheel of life, death, and rebirth (Rice, 310).

5.      Moksha (Liberation)

The solution in Hinduism is to be liberated (moksha) from the wheel of life, death and rebirth.

Hindu enlightenment is from humanity to God and is based on our own effort.  Salvation which is biblical is based from God to humanity based on God’s grace which is a gift from God through our faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8-9; I John 4:10).

HINDUISM – By:  Dean C. Halverson (continued)

According to the Upanishads, the goal of enlightenment is for the individual self to lose its separate identity in the universal self.  Salvation is to have an everlasting relationship with God.  It’s all about God not self.

The Hindu Scriptures (Pages 91-92)

The earliest of the Hindu scriptures are the Vedas.  Vedas means “Knowledge,” and it has the same root as the English word “wisdom” and the Greek oida (“to know”) (Noss, 86).

Suggestions for Evangelism (Pages 92-95)

1.      Offer Jesus’ Forgiveness

2.      Keep God’s Personhood in Mind

3.      Ask and Listen

4.      Have a Humble Spirit

5.      Focus on Jesus

6.      Be Aware of Differing Definitions

Responding to Hindrances and Objections (Pages 95-100)

1.      Cultural Barriers

2.      “There Are Many Paths to God”

3.      “Jesus Christ Is Not Unique”

4.      “I Must Pay for My Own Karmic Debt”

5.      “The Crucifixion Goes Against Nonviolence to All life”

ISLAM – By:  Dean C. Halverson

Islam is the second largest religion in the world.

Mecca is a resting place for trading caravans.

The Ka’bah is a cubical structure that contains 360 deities.

Qur’an – “recitations”

Jinn – “demons”

Muhammad’s message was monotheism.  The leaders of his tribe didn’t want him to teach that because it was a threat to their polytheistic religion and a source of their livelihood was being threatened.  He didn’t stop teaching what he believed.

The year of the Muslims calendar started when Muhammad fled Mecca in the year 622.  It’s called Hijrah/Hegira and it means “a series of migrations.”

Muhammad was successful in many sieges, he made treaties with the Quraysh tribe and he and his army took control of Mecca in 630 without any problems.  The tribes became unified and Islam became their religion.  Muhammad died June 8, 632.

ISLAM – By:  Dean C. Halverson – (continued)

There are two sects of Islam, Sunni and Shi’ite.

The Sunnis believe in the authority of the written tradition that consists of not only the Qur’an but also the Sunna.  The Shi’ites’ authority is oriented not consensus.

The Sunnis believe in a separation between civil and religious authorizes.  The Shi’ites believe the religious authorizes should exercise both political and religious power.

Sufism is a mystical third wing of Islam which renounces worldly attachments, to see only God in all things, and to attain assimilation of the self into the vast Being of God.

“The term “Islam” means “submission” to the will of God, and the person who submits is called a “Muslim.”  The religion of Islam can be divided into beliefs (iman) and obligations (deen).

The major beliefs of Islam include:  (Page 106)

1.      God.  The central doctrine of Islam is that God is one and that no partner is to be associated with Him.

2.      Angels.  In the gap between the God of the Qur’an and humankind exists a hierarchy of angels.

3.      The Prophets of God.  According to the Qur’an God has sent a prophet to every nation to preach the message of there being only one God.  [Muhammad is considered to be the “Seal of the Prophets.”

4.      The Holy Books.  Four of the highest-ranking prophets were given books of divine revelation.

5.      The Day of Judgment.  The God of the Qur’an has decreed that there will be a day when all will stand before Him in judgment.

The obligations of Islam include the following:  (Page 106-107)

1.      To Recite the Shahadah.  “I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger.”

2.      To Pray (Salat).  A Muslim is required to say seventeen cycles (rak’a) of prayer each day.

3.      To Fast (Sawm).  Muslims are expected to fast the month of Ramadhan during the daylight hours.

4.      To Give Alms (Zakat).  Muslims are commanded to give one-fortieth (2.5%) of their income primarily to the poor and needy.

5.      To Make the Pilgrimage (Hajj).  Every Muslim must make the trip to Mecca at least once during his or her lifetime, provided he or she is able with respect to health and finances.

Evangelistic Do’s and Don’ts With Muslims (Pages 108-109)

ISLAM – By:  Dean C. Halverson – (continued)

Concerning God:  The God of the Qur’an and the God of the Bible (Pages 110-111)

Answering the Objections Commonly Raised by Muslins (Pages 111-118) 

1.      “The Bible Has Been Corrupted”

“Muslims have been taught that the early texts of the Bible were corrupted by the Jews and the Christians.  This in know as the doctrine of tahrif, or alteration.

2.      The Doctrine of the Trinity

“In light of the Muslim sin of ishrak-associating a partner with God-Muslims raised several objections to the doctrine of the Trinity.

Objection No. 1:  “Christians worship three gods.”

Objection No. 2:  “God has no sons.”

Objection No. 3:  “The doctrine of the Trinity contradicts itself.”

The doctrine of the Trinity meets each person’s felt needs:

Love

 Freedom from guilt and sin

 Empathy

 Hope

 Transformation

Communication with God

3.      Muslims believe that the God of the Qur’an would not dishonor His chosen prophet by allowing him to be crucified.

“The word “Islam” means “obedience, submission.”  And it is obedience to God that Jesus demonstrated all the way to the Cross!  Muslims should honor Him for such obedience!

Concerning the issue of God dishonoring one of His chosen prophets, the passage is clear that Christ’s obedience led to God’s exalting Him with the greatest of exaltations (also see Acts 2:29-33; 5:30-31).

Ultimately, the argument concerning the significance of the Cross of Christ must not be a theological one, but a personal one-what Jesus’ death mean to you.

JUDAISM AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE – By:  Richard Robinson

You have Jewish people that don’t practice Judaism even though they are Jewish.  Some are atheists, agnostics or secular.  If they do decide to be religious they’ll stay with their religion

JUDAISM AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE – By:  Richard Robinson – (continued)

instead of practicing a totally different religion.  You do have some Jewish people practicing Christianity.  I guess it’s because it’s close enough to their religion, well at least the Old Testament.  They won’t even consider the New Testament.

Orthodox Judaism – characterized by an emphasis on tradition and strict observance of the Law of Moses as interpreted by the rabbis [heavy emphasis on tradition]

Reform Judaism – emphasizes ethics and the precepts of the prophets [compared with Unitarianism, emphasizing humanism]

Conservation Judaism – This branch developed from nineteenth century German roots as a middle-ground branch [compared to modern liberal Protestantism, emphasizing form over doctrinal content]

Orthodox Judaism deals with tradition not a personal relationship with God as what Christianity deals with.  Judaism deals with deed not creed.  It doesn’t matter what you believe in, it’s how you live your life now on earth.  In Christianity doctrine is taught, but it is not taught in Judaism.  If you want to know what a Jewish person believes in ask, don’t assume.

Judaism teaches the “unity of God.”  Deuteronomy 6:4 – called the Sh’ma-proclaims:  “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

Most of the Jewish people observe some of the Jewish Holidays.  They also have distinctive lifestyle events that characterize their lives.

Britmilah – Circumcision of sons on the eight day,

Barmitzvah (Boys) and Batmitzvah (girls) – Not traditional – The coming-of-age ceremony at age thirteen

Chuppah – Jewish weddings characterized by the ceremony under a canopy.  The smashing of a glass wrapped in a cloth symbolizes the destruction of the Temple

Sitting Shiva – Jewish mourning practices following a funeral, mourning for seven days.

[More on Page 128]

The  Hebrew Bible is what the Jewish people follow.  This is the Old Testament of the Bible.

The Orthodox Jews use the Talmud which to them posses divine authority.  It consists of the Mishnah-various legal rulings, and the Gemara-it elaborates and comments on the discussions in the Mishnah.

They way you can approach a Jewish person with the Gospel is to say “even though you were born a Gentile, you became a Christian by personal faith in Jesus.  A Christian does not mean a follower of a Gentile religion but rather someone who is a follower of the Jewish Messiah-and

JUDAISM AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE – By:  Richard Robinson – (continued)

“Christ” is Greek for “Messiah.”  By believing in Jesus, you came to believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the three patriarchs of the book of Genesis.”

***A Jewish friend needs to be encouraged that in following Jesus, he or she does not abandon Jewish identity.***

[Review Pages 132-135]

We are to show love to our Jewish friends and we are to voice the Gospel to them also.  Simply living a life of love will not convey the saving Gospel.  You can’t love some into the “kingdom”.

Aphikomen – the hidden wafer [Pages 134-135]

“The Gospel is based on the understanding that we are sinners in need of salvation that was accomplished through a savior.  These three concepts – sin, salvation, and savior – are foreign to most Jewish people.”