•Jews • Metropolitan Tel Aviv, with 2.5 million Jews, is the world's largest Jewish city. It is followed by New York, with 1.9 million , Haifa 655,000, Los Angeles 621,000, Jerusalem 570,000, and southeast Florida 514,000.

•Arabs •Somalis • The Detroit metropolitan area is home to the • According to 2010 American Community Survey data, largest concentration of Arab Americans there are approximately 85,700 Somalis in the United (403,445 ), followed by the New York City States, around 25,000 of whom live in Minnesota . They Combined Statistical Area ( 371,233 ), Los Angeles reside throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area and (308,295 ), San Francisco Bay Area ( 250,000 ), the surrounding towns. Many Somalis inhabit Minneapolis' Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, particularly Chicago ( 176,208 ), and the Washington D.C area. newly arrived immigrants.

BUDDHISM

TIMELINE 1ST THINGS 1 st •Because of its emphasis on meditation and , Buddhism is often considered to be a form of psychology rather than a religion.

1ST THINGS 1 st 6TH CENT. BC •Many traditional Buddhists •Shinto 660BC believe in reincarnation and •Zoroastrianism 660BC . Modern Buddhists •Taoism 604 BC believe this idea can be jettisoned without losing any •Jainism 560 BC central value. •Buddhism 560BC

•Confucianism 551 BC 6TH CENT. BC 6TH CENT. BC "It is interesting to note that BIBLICALLY, THE NORTHERN about the sixth century ... NATION of Israel has been there was a period of unusual completely dispersed by the religious creativeness when six Assyrians. The southern kingdom of Judah still remains in Babylon of the world's living religions waiting for Cyrus of Persia to originated." (Hume, The World's Living Religions , 14, 15) destroy the Babylonian kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar. BUDDHISM

6TH CENT. BC WR BY % Zerubbabel will lead the nation of Judah back to Jerusalem in 536BC with Haggai and Zechariah preaching in 520BC.

HISTORY HISTORY •Founder: Siddharta Gautama •Founded Contemplative, ("the Buddha"), an Indian Practical Philosophical, prince “Religious” System •6th Century BCE Prophet •Date founded: @520 BCE •Hindu Reformer •Place founded: Northeastern India

HISTORY HISTORY •Focused on eliminating life’s •Main locations: China, Japan, Suffering. Korea, Southeast Asia •Adherents: 360 million •Spiritual leader: Monk (Dali •Size rank: 4 th largest WR in ) •Place of ritual: Temple,

meditation hall. BUDDHISM

THEOLOGY THEOLOGY •Theism: Varies - •Karma [] is atheistic [retire • from ; conservative; fewer]; •Reincarnation is more •Buddhists believe in NO polytheistic [remain in ; GODS [the Buddha was not normally liberal; broader]. viewed as a god]

THEOLOGY THEOLOGY •Ultimate reality: None. •Nothing in the creation has Nothing is permanent. any intrinsic nature, thus •There is suffering in Life and there is emptiness. there is a way to end it forever.

BUDDHISM

THEOLOGY THEOLOGY •Human nature: There is no •Purpose of life: Theravada - self or soul. Human Become an , escape the is nothing more than a cycle of rebirth , and attain combination of five . impermanent components •Mahayana - Become a (khandas). boddhisatva then help others attain enlightenment .

THEOLOGY NIRVANA •Afterlife: Rebirth or nirvana. •Buddha is one who is Nirvana is seen simply as the perfected and purified and cessation of suffering by has no more cravings and some and as a heavenly thus no more births. paradise by others. • http://aumamen.com/topic/buddhism-interesting-facts

NIRVANA DEPARTURES •Purpose of Life is to attain •Life Goal is NIRVANA liberation from the cycle of •Changing Metaphysics birth and death which is the –No everlasting soul cause of suffering. –Everything is impermanent • http://aumamen.com/topic/buddhism-interesting-facts –Redefinition of reincarnation

BUDDHISM

DEPARTURES AUTOSOTERIC •No necessary belief in God •Self-saving; based on the •No caste system principle of salvation by one's own efforts or character. •Religion becomes intensely http://www.wordnik.com/words/autosoteric therapeutic and practical for the follower • “Jesus saves, but . . .” • “Jesus is necessary, but He is not enough.”

AUTOSOTERIC AUTOSOTERIC •Buddha taught and traveled •. . . “All component things in his entire life until the age of the world are changeable. 80 when he passed away. His They are not lasting. Work final request of his followers hard to gain your own was this: . . . salvation.” • http://blog.sivanaspirit.com/10-facts-about-buddha/

AUTOSOTERIC AUTOSOTERIC •Three Jewels/Three Refuges •Four Reminders •Three Delusions •Four Vows •Three Trainings • •Three Marks of Existence •Five Powers • •Four Immeasurables or Sublime • States •Five Dhyani (Wisdom) Buddhas

BUDDHISM

AUTOSOTERIC 4 NOBLE •Six Perfections 1.Life is tough, you will have •Six Realms of Existence troubles. • 2.Troubles are caused by •Ten Paramita holding on too hard •Twelve Links of Dependent Arising [craving]. •35 Buddhas of Confession

4 NOBLE 4 NOBLE 3.Escaping this trouble is 4. There is a path to do so possible. The cure to craving through “detachment.” The is to overcome the craving. overcoming of craving is achieved through an eight- fold path.

8 PATH

BUDDHISM

CLOSE CLOSE •All of humanity observes the •With little effort, a student of human condition. WR are Scripture could put biblical humanity’s response to the verses supporting the four- problem without noble truths and the eight- biblical/special revelation. fold path.

CLOSE PROBLEM •The Story without JESUS ends •Their answer to “sin” and up being about US and not suffering is not found in the HIM. person and work of Jesus Christ. In Buddha thought, deliverance from such things is only possible through the doing of good works.

PROBLEM PROBLEM •Because Buddhism does not •. . . they are lost and do not have embrace the exclusive nature of their sins atoned and they will be biblical truth and the central separated from God forever and place Jesus Christ has in the experience His absence and feel unfolding of God’s Story , . . . the torment of their rejection of Him forever.

BUDDHISM

Buddhism Buddhism

Buddhism Buddhists “In the West, Buddhism is synonymous with peace, , wisdom, and ecumenical • China is the country with the largest brotherhood. This is true also in the case of its population of Buddhists, most noted figure, the . approximately 244 million or 18.2%

Moreover, Buddhism has a reputation as a of its total population. persecuted religion, and Tibet is the emblem of this. • With more than 117,000 Buddhist

But the latest Report on Religious Liberty in the adherents, the greater area of Los World, released in Rome on June 25, 2004 by Aid Angeles, CA reported the highest to the Church in Need, contains striking evidence number of Buddhist adherents. of a contrary nature.

In almost all of the Asian states in which • Whereas the greater area of Buddhism is the majority religion, there is cruel Birmingham, AL reported the lowest religious repression. And this strikes all of the — only 64 identified as Buddhist non-Buddhist religions. ” adherents. http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/7058%2 6eng%3Dy.html?refresh_ce BUDDHISM Buddhists