Geographic Distributions of RELIGION in , the US, & World

Judaism/ / Muslim Jewish

Buddhist Hindu Sikh Bahá'í Faith Learning Objectives, 109 slides • Overview of religious characteristics • Global and US distribution of religious people; Houston Interfaith Unity Council 3 • General demographic characteristics by religion: income, education 7 • / Jewish 26 • Islam / Muslims 49 • Hindus 80 • Sikhism 96 • Buddhist 103 Summary of Major Holidays & Celebrations by Religion FLDS Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints polygamy Christianity Christmas, Easter, Lent Buddhist Chinese New Year (lunar calendar) Hindu Holi – festival of colors (youth) Diwali – similar to Christmas Janmashtami – Goddess Lord Krishna (children)

Jewish / Judaism Hanukah – similar to Christmas Passover – similar to Easter Rosh Hashanha – Jewish New Year Muslim / Islam Ramadan – month long fast with no food/water in daylight hours EID al Fitr – feast to break the fast Pilgrimage to The Hajj

Major Religions of the World

Folk Folk

Christian Islam Buddhist & Chinese Hindu Christian Judaism Christian (Israel) Christian Sects within Major Religions

Orthodox

Christian Sunni Buddhist & Chinese Muslim

Catholic Judaism (Israel) Orthodox

Buddhist & Chinese Sunni Hindu Muslim Shia Muslim Catholic

Christian Understanding the distribution of Catholics can help to predict location of the new Pope. Non-Religious

% There are many parallels between religion and other social variables, in this case wealth and religiosity.

more religious

less religious

Greater wealth / country more religiousmore Greater wealth Greater education more educated

less educated more educated Educational Attainment by Religious Group

more educated

less educated more educated

less educated Religions by Size • # Christianity: 2.1 billion • # Islam/Muslim: 1.5 billion • # Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion • # : 900 million • # Chinese traditional religion: 394 million • # : 376 million • # primal-indigenous: 300 million • # African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million • # Sikhism: 23 million • # Juche: 19 million • # Spiritism: 15 million • # Judaism: 14 million • # Baha'i: 7 million • # Jainism: 4.2 million • # Shinto: 4 million • # Cao Dai: 4 million • # : 2.6 million • # Tenrikyo: 2 million • # Neo-Paganism: 1 million • # Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand • # Rastafarianism: 600 thousand • # Scientology: 500 thousand World Regions by Size Religious Body Number of Adherents ** 1,100,000,000 Sunni Islam* 1,000,000,000 * 225,000,000 World Church Jinja Honcho* 83,000,000 Anglican Communion* 77,000,000 Assemblies of God* 50,000,000 Size Ethiopian Orthodox Church 35,000,000 Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD)* 27,400,000 Iglesia ni Cristo (based in the Philippines) 27,000,000 Sikhism 23,000,000 Juche (North Korea) 19,000,000 Seventh-day Adventist Church 16,811,519 Jehovah's Witnesses** 16,500,000 Southern Baptist Convention* 16,000,000 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 12,275,822 United Methodist Church* 11,708,887 Soka Gakkai 11,000,000 New Apostolic Church 10,260,000 Ahmadiyya * 10,000,000 Veerashaivas (Lingayats) 10,000,000 Coptic Orthodox 10,000,000 Sathya Sai Baba 10,000,000 Top Ten Largest Religious Bodies in the US

Rank Religious Body Membership 1 Catholic Church 66,407,105 2 Southern Baptist Convention 16,400,000 3 United Methodist Church 8,251,042 4 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 5,599,177 5 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 4,984,925 6 Church of God in Christ * 4,500,000 7 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 3,595,259 8 National Baptist Convention of America 3,500,000 9 Assemblies of God 2,687,366 10 Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 2,512,714 Major US Religions by Percent

16%

78% Religious Self-Identification by Political Party

Back Any Religion Lutheran Catholic Mormon Methodist Baptist Catholic Catholics Jews Muslims Interfaith Unity Council Houston

Interfaith Ministries for brings people of diverse faith traditions together for dialogue, collaboration and service, as a demonstration of our shared beliefs. IM works with 10 communities of faith, including Bahá'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Unitarian Universalist and Zoroastrian. Their goal is to promote tolerance and acceptance. Jewish /Jidaism/Judaism

Symbolized by the “Star of David” and the Menorah candelabra. Israel: A divided Country because of Religion Arab-Israeli Conflict

• Palestinians as stateless nation • West Bank and Jewish settlements • Golan Heights • The Security Barrier • The Gaza Strip (turned over to Palestinian Authority)

• Core of the city is divided similar to Berlin, but by The Struggle for faith rather than political ideology Jerusalem • Sacred to Judaism, Christianity, Islam • Judaism: Ancient capital • Christianity: Jesus’ Arab crucifixion, resurrection • Islam: Ascension of Prophet Muhammad to heaven Jewish

fig07_16 Jerusalem is a city divided with a wall to segregate the Protestants, Muslims, and Jews.

photoun_07_03 Rosh Hoshanna – Jewish New Year

The blue-and-white Star of David flag flies outside the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles Monday, Sept. 29. Consul General Jacob Dayan says the ceremony marked NICK UT: AP the first time the Israeli flag was raised outside a Ori Leizer of the Israeli consulate raises the Star of David flag outside the consulate in Los Angeles on Monday, Sept. 29. The flag-raising consulate's front doors in the United States and was only ceremony commemorated the Jewish state's 60th anniversary and the second time an Israeli consulate had flown its flag came on the eve of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. Consul General Jacob Dayan says the ceremony marked the first time the openly in this country. He adds one reason offices do Israeli flag was raised outside a consulate's front doors in the United States. not fly the Israeli flag, except at the consulate in New York City, is concern of violence. Ultra-Orthodox Jews walk past Israeli border policeman before the start the holiday of Rosh Hashana near Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, Monday, Sept. 29. Jews marked the two-day holiday of Rosh Hashana, or the Jewish New Year at sundown Monday.

An Ultra-Orthodox Jew walks past mirrors outside a shop before the start the holiday of Rosh Hashana in the Old City of Jerusalem, Monday, Sept. 29. Jews began celebrating the two-day holiday of Rosh Hashana, or the Jewish New Year, at sundown Monday. Hasidic & Haredi Judaism ORTHODOX are ultra conservative believers. Ultra-Orthodox Jews pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, before the start the holiday of Rosh Hashana, Monday, Sept. 29. Jews began celebrating the two-day holiday of Rosh Hashana, or the Jewish New Year, at sundown Monday. An Ultra-Orthodox Jew prays at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, before the start the holiday of Rosh Hashana, Monday, Sept. 29. Jews began celebrating the two- day holiday of Rosh Hashana, or the Jewish New Year, at sundown Monday. Ultra-Orthodox Jews pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, before the start the holiday of Rosh Hashana. Israelis pray at the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site in Jerusalem, ahead of the upcoming Jewish new year holiday of Rosh Hashana. The two-day festival of Rosh Hashana that marks the beginning of the Jewish new year started at sunset Monday. Thousands of Jews are expected to visit the holy sites in the Old City during the holiday period.

Part is reserved for other religions Orthodox Jewish women pray as Israeli municipality workers remove notes from the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site in Jerusalem, ahead of the upcoming Jewish new year holiday of Rosh Hashana. The two-day festival of Rosh Hashana that marks the beginning of the Jewish new year started Monday evening. Thousands of Jews are expected to visit the holy sites in the Old City during the holiday period. Janice Jucker, a co-ower of Three Ziggy Gruber (cq) hands a loaf of Challah Brothers Bakery on the 4000 block bread for a customer at Kenny & Ziggy's Deli of S. Braeswood Blvd., walks past Sunday, Sept. 28, in Houston. Challah, a her shop's bent sign. The business will be closed for up to three months traditional bread baked for Jewish High Holy because of damage sustained after days beginning with Rosh Hashana, is Hurricane Ike pulled part of the roof in short supply in Houston since Hurricane Ike off the building. The missing roof temporarily closed Three Brothers Bakery, a caused water to get into the bakery. major supplier of the bread in the city. Kenny & "This couldn't have happened at a worse time," Jucker said with Rosh Ziggy's is one of the few places with the bread Hashanah, the first of the High available. Holidays starting on Monday. Ernesto Efrain Aquila, left, and Bobby Jucker dump raw challah bread dough out on the table to rise at Three Brothers Bakery, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011. The shop working 24 hours a day baking the traditional Rosh hashanah challah bread to fill orders, as they expect to fill 1,000 orders Wednesday alone. They'll bake up to 5,000 loaves through Yom Kippur. Three Brothers challah recipe dates back 200 years. Photo: , Karen Warren / © 2011 Houston Chronicle Honey and honey products are seen on sale at an open-air market in Jerusalem. Jews around the world dipped an apple in honey on the evening of Sept. 29 to mark the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashana, honoring a tradition meant to symbolize a sweet new beginning. 2012 Passover coincides with Easter and the opening for baseball. But since the Holiday begins at sunset, Jewish worshipers do not stray from the Sabbath to participate in other activities.

Local Jewish leader Lisa Klein, a devoted Astros fan, will miss the season opener because of Passover. She plans to make up for missing the season opener by being in attendance for Tuesday's game against Atlanta. Photo: Brett Coomer / © 2012 Houston Chronicle A Houston Jewish high school was willing to forfeit its chance to play in state finals because the game was scheduled on the evening of their Yamaka Sabbath. Public outrage forced officials to re-schedule to an afternoon time.

Yiddish is the language of Judaism or of Jewish people. It is more conversational and less religious than Hebrew.

Senior Isaac Mirwis, 18, practices three pointers during basketball practice. Robert M. Beren Academy (Houston) is a Jewish school that won a chance at 2012 state playoffs, although the final game was scheduled on a Jewish holiday. As a result, the school chose to forfeit the game and NOT to play on a Sabbath. After public outrage, a ruling came to re-schedule the game, thus allowing Beren Academy to play in the state semifinals. Photo: Mayra Beltran / © 2012 Houston Chronicle Yamaka, it's a Yarmulke, but when pronounced sounds like Yamaka. It is also known as a Kippah.

• The sources for wearing a kippah are found in the Talmud. In tractate Shabbat 156b it states: Cover your head in order that the fear of heaven may be upon you. It is a hemispherical or platter-shaped head cover, usually made of cloth, often worn by Orthodox Jewish men to fulfill the customary requirement that their head be covered at all times, and sometimes worn by both men and, less frequently, women in Conservative and Reform communities at times of prayer. Kosher Kosher foods are those that conform to the regulations of the Jewish Halakhic law framework, kosher meaning fit or allowed to be eaten. A list of some kosher foods are found in the book of Leviticus 11:1-47. There are also certain kosher rules found there. Reasons for food not being kosher include the presence of ingredients derived from non-kosher animals or from kosher animals that were not properly slaughtered, a mixture of meat and milk, wine or grape juice (or their derivatives) produced without supervision, the use of produce from Israel that has not been tithed, or the use of nonkosher cooking utensils and machinery. One of the main biblical food laws forbids eating blood on account of "the life [being] in the blood". Cattle are required to have split hooves and chew their cud. Animals that fit this description include cows and lambs. Out at this stage are camels, hares, and (shocker) pigs. Fish are required to have fins and scales, and only the birds listed in the text are allowed. Bugs and shellfish are prohibited. Symbols of kosher acceptability, some written in Hebrew. Certificate of Kosher Authenticity • The animal must be kosher (i.e., mammals that chew their cud and have cloven hooves, or birds that are not birds of prey and for which there is an established tradition that the bird is kosher or similar to one that is). • Before slaughtering, the animal must be healthy, uninjured and viable. The animal cannot be stunned by electronarcosis, captive-bolt shot to the brain, or gas, as is common practice in modern animal slaughter, for this would inflict such injuries to the animal rendering the shechita invalid. After shechita the shochet may feel the area around the lungs, for scabbing or lesions, which would render the animal not kosher. • Only acceptable means of slaughter are • slitting the throat to drain the blood. • The comparable practice in Islam is halal. Religion=Islam Followers = Muslims

Allah means God in Arabic Diffusion of Muslim Religion, 630-1600 AD from the Holy City of Mecca

fig_07_04 Muslim Rule includes many nationalities of people including Arabs, African Blacks, and Asians in Indonesia/Malaysia

Arabics Asians Blacks Divisions within Islam • Sunnis versus Shi’ites – Split over issue of successor to Muhammad –85% of Muslims are Sunni – Shi’ites are dominant in: • Iran • Iraq • Azerbaijan • Religious revivalism – Iranian revolution (1979) – Wahhabism (Saudi Arabia) – Al Qaeda and Usama Bin Laden

Judaism (Israel) Orthodox

Buddhist & Chinese Sunni Hindu Muslim Shia Muslim Catholic

Christian Shia

Distribution of Sunni and Shia factions of Islam Basic Tenets of Islam • Muhammad (571–632 A.D.) is the final and greatest prophet • Quran (Koran) is the holy book • Five Pillars of Faith – 1 The Shahada, also spelled shahadah, (Arabic: aš-šahāda as- shahadah.ogg audio (help·info) from the verb šahida "to testify") is the Islamic creed. The Shahada is the Muslim declaration of belief in the oneness of God and acceptance of Muhammad as his prophet. – 2 Frequent prayer; face the holy city of Mecca (5 times per day) – 3 Most holy of all celebrations is Ramadan, a month of daytime fasting; no food or water during daylight hours for the month; culminated with the Feast; usually occurs in Nov. – Dec.; dates are set by the lunar calendar (as are Jewish, Chinese, and Hindu holidays) which is 11 days shorter (than the Gregorian calendar used in the western world) so the dates vary by year. – 3 Alms-giving to the poor; – 4 Lifetime goal is a pilgrimage to the Hajj in Mecca, the most sacred place Thousands of Muslims circle the Kabaa inside and outside the Grand Mosque during Eid al-Fitr morning prayers in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims perform the early morning Eid Al-Fitr prayers at the al-Haram Grand Mosque in the Saudi holy city of Mecca. The three-day festival marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Tens of thousands of Muslim pilgrims pray inside the Grand Mosque, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Nov. 4, 2011. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws three million visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. The Hajj will begin on November 5. Photo: Associated Press, Hassan Ammar / Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. Egyptian kindergarten children of the Degla Azharian language school in Cairo, Egypt, stamp their mock passports Nov. 3, 2011, as they wear white robes to simulate a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia to attend the Hajj. Photo: Associated Press, Amr Nabil / AP A crowd of Muslim pilgrims make their way to throw cast stones at a pillar, symbolizing the stoning of Satan, in a ritual called "Jamarat," the last rite of the annual hajj, in Mina near the Saudi holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 8, 2011. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws 2.5 million visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world. Photo: Associated Press, Hassan Ammar / AP Aug 2 2011 HAMAD OLAYAN / Getty Asian and Arabs workers crowd a food distribution counter at a local mosque, as they ready to break their fast on the second day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Riyadh. During the month devout Muslims must abstain from food, drink and sex from dawn until sunset, when they break the fast with the meal known as "Iftar".

Aug 12 2011 Pavel Rahman / Associated Press BANGLADESHI MUSLIMS ATTEND FRIDAY PRAYER AT BAITUL MUKARRAM NATIONAL MOSQUE IN DHAKA. MUSLIMS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD ARE MARKING THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN, WHERE OBSERVANTS FAST FROM DAWN TILL DUSK. A curtain separates men from women during prayer ceremonies.

In nearly two-thirds of American mosques, female worshipers are required to pray behind a partition, or in balconies or rooms that are separate from the main congregation hall. The walls that segregate Muslim men from women inside many American mosques took a long time to go up, and it could be a long time before they come down. Muslims at GRB Convention Ctr Newly constructed Mosques in Houston and at GRB Convention Ctr. Surrounded by his family Kamil Abood, 57, prays as the Iraqi refugee prepares to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, a three-day festival marking the end of Ramadan, in their southwest apartment. Muslim families in Houston celebrate their holidays with food and fellowship just as any other American family.

Mayra Beltran: Houston Chronicle Hamed Meegel, 41, embraces son Natheer Suied, 2, as the Iraqi refugee family with seven children prepares to celebrate their first Eid al-Fitr, a three-day festival marking the end of Ramadan, in America. Mayra Beltran: Houston Chronicle Safa Suied, 10, father Hamed Meegel, 41, and daughter Marwa Suied, 12, eat lunch at neighbors apartment as the Iraqi refugee family with seven children prepares to celebrate their first Eid al-Fitr in America at their southwest. Mayra Beltran: Houston Chronicle Zahraa Awda and Safa Suied eat lunch at neighbors' apartment as the Iraqi refugee familiy prepares to celebrate their first Eid al-Fitr, a three-day festival marking the end of Ramadan, in America at their southwest apartment. Zahraa Awda, 8, and sister Safaa Awda, 17, pray as the Iraqi refugee family with six children prepares to celebrate Eid al- Fitr, a three-day festival marking the end of Ramadan. Ala is the Turkish equivalent of Vogue Magazine featuring fashion for veiled women of Muslim faith.

Daniel Etter for The New York Times: The magazine Ala (A Fashion Magazine Unshy About Baring a Bit of Piety) uses Eastern European models, including this woman from Ukraine and Moldovia, partly because their pay is relatively low. After Winning The Vote, A Saudi Princess Fights For Women's Right To Drive •By Assaad Abboud From: AFP September 26, 2011 • Saudi Arabia‟s King Abdullah ruled that the nation‟s women would be allowed, for the first time, to vote and run in local elections beginning in 2015. • Call it a pre emptive „Arab Autumn‟ strike by Saudi Arabia‟s ruler King Abdullah to stave off any potential protests, call it what you like but what is distinctly poignant about this new vote is that for the first time women in the Kingdom will Princess be able to vote and run in municipal elections. Ameerah Al-Taweel • However, Saudi women are still denied the basic rights to drive and to leave the country without permission. • Women must also be chaperoned by a male (husband or oldest son) for almost any type of public activity. • “Arab Spring” in other countries has pressured leaders to make landmark reforms in all areas. St. Thomas grad faces whipping for driving in Saudi Arabia By LINDSAY WISE, HOUSTON CHRONICLE December 6, 2011

Her driving violation and inevitable arrest was deliberate to help promote rights for women. After living in Houston for 10 years, she recognized the value of basic civil rights and the repression others suffer. In countries where there are laws, it is driving the practice underground and across borders, says UNIFEM (United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women). West African nationals don’t need passports and visas to travel in the region, so the families can easily take the girls across the border. People deny that the practice continues and group excisions are no longer announced in the market. But it still happens, and it travels wherever people think it will not be punished or noted. "We think it is getting worse," said a specialist in sexual violence with UNIFEM in Burkina Faso. “The ideal situation to excise their daughters in plain view“ says the study. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a dangerous and irreversible practice which has severe repercussions on the physical, mental and psychosocial health of the girls affected.

Despite being recognized across the world as a form of violence against women, because the tradition is deeply rooted within certain cultures it is still a widespread practice.

In Mali, where there are NO laws to protect women, an estimated 89-94% of girls still suffer genital mutilation. 6/6/2003 Muslim woman cannot wear veil in US driver's license photo ORLANDO (AP) — A Florida judge ruled Friday that a Muslim woman cannot wear a veil in her driver's license photo, agreeing with state authorities that the practice could help terrorists conceal their identities. Anti-Muslim sentiment has grown dramatically in America despite the Constitution's guarantee of freedom of religion and separation of church and state. Thanksgiving dinner or stealth jihad? A blogger is calling for a Butterball boycott since its turkeys are halal and certified for American Muslims to eat. November 24, 2011 • Pamela Geller, anti-Muslim blogger extraordinaire, sounded the alarm today over the latest “Islamization of America” outrage. She discovered that Butterball whole turkeys are certified halal, and in this she sees the latest example of “stealth” infiltration of Islam into all things American (read: non-Muslim). This Thanks- giving, she frets, the jihad starts with what’s on your table. • Boycott Butterball, she wrote, because: Turkeys that are halal certified — who wants that, especially on a day on which we are giving thanks to God for our freedom? • [This author is promoting fear, prejudice, and hate because Muslims can eat the same foods as .] What is Halal Food? By Saad Fayed, About.com Guide In Arabic, the word halal means permitted or lawful. Halal foods are foods that are allowed under Islamic dietary guidelines. Halal is one of the most humane methods of animal slaughter. Muslims are taught through the Qu'ran that all animals should be treated with respect and well cared for. The goal is to slaughter the animal, limiting the amount of pain the animal will endure. When an animal is slaughtered, the jugular vein is cut and the blood is allowed to drain from the animal. Remember, Muslims are prohibited from consuming animal blood.

These prohibited foods and ingredients are called haram, meaning forbidden in Arabic. Muslims are taught through the Qu'ran that all animals should be treated with respect and well cared for. The goal is to slaughter the animal, limiting the amount of pain the animal will endure. When an animal is slaughtered, the jugular vein is cut and the blood is allowed to drain from the animal. Remember, Muslims are prohibited from consuming animal blood. According to these guidelines gathered from the Qu'ran, Muslim followers cannot consume the following: •pork or pork by products •animals that were dead prior to slaughtering •animals not slaughtered properly or not slaughtered in the name of Allah •blood and blood by products •alcohol •carnivorous animals •birds of prey •land animals without external ears (snakes, reptiles, worms, insects) HINDUISM:

• The world’s oldest religion • Diffused south and east down the Ganges • Absorbed and eventually supplanted earlier native religions and customs • More than just a religion, but a complete way of life – Intricate web of religious, philosophical, social, economic, and artistic elements – No common creed – No single doctrine – No direct divine revelation – No rigid narrow moral code RELIGIOUS CONTRASTS

• ISLAM • HINDUISM – Monotheistic – Polytheistic – No idols – Many idols – One sacred book (Koran) – Various sacred writings – Uniform dogma - 5 pillars – Varying beliefs – Intolerant (of other religions) – Absorbed other religions – Eat beef/Sacrifice cows – Venerate cows – Bury Dead – Burn dead – Social Equality (in theory) – Caste system – Theocratic society – “State” of secondary importance Buddhist & Chinese Hindu MAJOR TENETS OF HINDUISM

• Three main ideas are important in understanding the Hindu religion and the caste system –Reincarnation –Karma –Dharma REINCARNATION • Every living thing has a soul. • When a living thing dies, its soul moves into another living creature. • Souls are reborn in a newly created life. KARMA • Every action brings about certain results. • There is no escaping the consequences of one’s actions. • Good behavior is rewarded when the soul is reborn into a higher-ranking living creature. DHARMA

• A set of “rules” that must be followed by all living things if they wish to work their way up the ladder of reincarnation. • Each person’s dharma is different. THREE BASIC PRACTICES

• or worship • Cremation of the dead • Regulations of the caste system Caste System • Castes are hereditary systems of occupation, endogamy, social culture, social class, and political power., the assignment of individuals to places in the social hierarchy is determined by social group and cultural heritage. Although India is often now associated with the word "caste", it was first used by the Portuguese to describe inherited class status in their own European society.

• Discrimination based on caste is prevalent mainly in parts of Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, ) and Africa. UNICEF estimates that discrimination based on caste affects 250 million people worldwide. HINDU DEVOTEES ARRIVE AT THE RIVER GANGES TO TAKE A BATH DURING THE KUMBH MELA FESTIVAL IN HARIDWAR. THE KUMBH MELA, WORLD'S LARGEST RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL, WHICH IS HELD EVERY THREE YEARS AND ROTATES AMONG FOUR INDIAN CITIES, ATTRACTS HUGE CROWDS OF DEVOTEES WHO BELIEVE A DIP IN THE RIVER CLEANSES THEM OF SIN AND FREES THEM FROM THE CYCLE OF LIFE AND REBIRTH. Himalayan Mountains & Ganges River Valley Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years occurs. Millions bathe in the sacred waters of the Ganges River at Allahabad. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh) A Hindu devotee takes a holy bath at "Sangam," the meeting point of Indian holy rivers of Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, on occasion of "Paush Purnima," considered to be very auspicious according to Hindu calendars, during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013.

Devotees wash themselves in the waters of the Ganges believing that it washes away their sins and ends the process of reincarnation. Up to 50 million Hindus will make the pilgrimage to the Indian city of Haridwar where, during the course of the three-month-long Kumbh Mela festival, the faithful will take a spiritually cleansing bath in the heaadwaters of the Ganges River. (Arden Farhi/CBS) Hindu Temple, Stafford, TX Hindu Temple Pearland, TX 17130 McLean Rd

Hinduism 17130 McLean Rd. Pearland, TX 77584 Phone: 281-489-0358 Website: www.meenakshi.org Sri Meenakshi Devasthanam Pearland, TX Sri Meenakshi Devasthanam Pearland, TX Sikhism, was established in the 15th C. and is more progressive than Hinduism:

• Equality of races • Equality of genders • Rejection of image-worship • Rejection of the caste system. A turban or Dastaar is a mandatory headgear for the religious order of Sikhs. They are almost exclusively from the area of India and are not to be confused with Muslims or Arabs.

Among the Sikhs, the turban is an article of faith that represents honor, self-respect, courage, spirituality, and piety. Some Sikhs wear the turban partly to cover their long, uncut hair. The turban is mostly identified with the Sikh males, although some Sikh women also wear turban. There are approximately 30M Sikhs in the world and 2/3 are in India. The turban represents total commitment to the religion which emphasizes the union of the soul with God. Punjab A Sikh disciplines his thoughts and actions so that the five obstacles — lust, anger, greed, attachment, and ego — are dispelled and the soul is united with God. Sikhs believe that the cycle of reincarnation is escaped by this union. Indian Sikh schoolgirls laugh during a Sikh religious procession in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011. The procession was held to mark the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh guru, who was executed in 1675 in Delhi. Photo: Associated Press, Kevin Frayer / AP OAK CREEK, Wis. (AP) — Shortly after the 2012 massacre in Aurora, an unidentified gunman killed six people at a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee in a rampage that left terrified congregants hiding in closets and others texting friends outside for help. The suspect was killed outside the temple in a shootout with police officers. Sikhs are a branch of Hindus, very passive, and often mistaken for Muslims. Sikhs, who joined U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, are calling for more scrutiny of hate crimes. They say Houston is unusually tolerant. Members of the Sikh community came together with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee to discuss her letter to Attorney General Holder which asked for among other things a Federal Task Force to study recent and past attacks on the Sikh community and how these attacks can be stopped. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) Photo: Cody Duty / © 2011 Houston Chronicle A devotee takes a ritual bath at the water tank of the illuminated Bangla Sahib Sikh temple on the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in New Delhi, India, Nov. 10, 2011. Sikhism was founded in the 15th century by Guru Nanak, who broke away from Hinduism, India's dominant religion. He preached the equality of races and genders, and the rejection of image-worship and the caste system. Photo: Associated Press, Gurinder Osan / AP There are 7 sites for Sikh worship in the Houston area. http://www.houstonsikhs.org

Gurdwara: (Gurmukhi: ) literally Guru's portal/ abode / House or Door or the place or worship. Sikhism, has no room for symbolism or ritualism; Sikhs have neither idols nor altars in their Gurdwara. They have no sacraments and no priestly order.

Gurdwara Sahib South West Houston Sugar Land Congressman Ted Poe spoke in 2008 at the Sikh Center 8819 Prairie Dr. Houston, TX 77064 ORIGINS AND SPREAD OF BUDDHISM • Siddhartha Gautama (563 - 483 B.C.) • Emperor Aśoka (3rd Century B.C.)

E. J. PALKA Buddhist & Chinese Hindu BUDDHISM

• Adherents objected to harsher strictures of Hinduism • Focuses on knowledge, especially self-knowledge • Elimination of worldly desires, determination not to hurt or kill people or animals

E. J. PALKA FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

• Sorrow and suffering are part of all life. • People suffer because they desire things they cannot have. • The way to escape suffering is to end desire, to stop wanting, and to reach a stage of not wanting. • To end desire, follow the “middle path,” i.e., the path that avoids the extremes of too much pleasure and desire. EIGHTFOLD PATH TO “THE MIDDLE WAY” • Right understanding • Right purpose • Right speech • Right conduct • Right means of earning a living • Right effort • Right awareness • Right meditation FALL OF BUDDHISM ON THE SUBCONTINENT

• Hinduism - broad and tolerant, accepting many of the teachings of Buddha • Buddhists in India - willing to compromise with the beliefs and customs of Hinduism • Final blow - 8th century - arrival of Islam -- Destroyed the great Buddhist monasteries -- Burned libraries -- Killed monks • Today - only 1 million Buddhists in India The Dalai Lama is the highest lama of originating in the 14th C. In religious terms, the Dalai Lama is believed by his devotees to be the rebirth of a long line of tulkus who are considered to be manifestations of the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteśvara.

Traditionally, the Dalai Lama is thought The 14th Dalai Lama (in reign of as the latest reincarnation of a series since 1950), Tenzin Gyatso of spiritual leaders who have chosen to lectured at on May 1, 2007. He talked about “The be reborn in order to enlighten others. Meaning of Compassion in He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, Everyday Life” and in another unit and is also well known for his lifelong about “Tolerance and Universal advocacy for Tibetans inside and Responsibility”. outside Tibet. Chinese folk artists perform the lion dance at a temple fair to celebrate the Lunar New Year of Dragon on January 22, 2012 in Beijing, China. Falling on January 23 this year, the Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, which is based on the Lunisolar Chinese calendar, is celebrated from the first day of the first month of the lunar year and ends with Lantern Festival on the Fifteenth day. Photo: Getty Images, Feng Li / 2012 Getty Images Gaelyn Godwin, center, chants as she balances her new robe on her head Saturday before ascending to the teaching seat during a ceremony marking her elevation to abbot of the Houston Zen Center. Photo: Nick De La Torre / © 2012 Houston Chronicle

Houston Zen Center welcomes new abbot

By Joshua Mann April 7, 2012 The Houston Zen Center, at 1605 Heights Boulevard, a 1918 home designed by Alfred C. Finn, will host a series of design workshops. About 100 Buddhists, many of whom wore traditional robes, sat in near-perfect silence outside the Houston Zen Center Saturday to watch Gaelyn Godwin "ascend the mountain" from abiding teacher to the center's abbot. A procession of about 20 people on Heights Boulevard, led by Godwin's grandchildren, walked with the abbot to the newly named Auspicious Cloud Temple on Heights Boulevard amid chimes, gongs, drum beats and the smell of incense. Founded in the late 1980s, the Houston Zen Community was a peer-led Zen Buddhist community until Godwin arrived in 2003 to become the abiding teacher. American Bodhi Center (Buddhist Temple) 29123 Mellman Road, Hempstead, Texas 77445 A big wooden drum is one of several instruments used for chanting services at the Chung-Mei Buddhist Temple. The Temple has scheduled special Dharma functions to be held on January 29, 2012 to pray for world peace, blessings, and good fortune in the coming year. The Homage to Thousand Buddhas Ceremony will also be held and the Light Offering Dharma Service will be February 5th. Photo: Houston Chronicle, Nick De La Torre / © 2012 Houston Chronicle

You Ren, a Buddhist nun, follows chants during the Chung-Mei Buddhist Temple's Chinese New Year Eve Prayer & Peace Lantern Festival, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in Stafford. The Temple has scheduled special Dharma functions to be held on January 29, 2012 to pray for world peace, blessings, and good fortune in the coming year. Photo: Houston Chronicle, Nick De La Torre / © 2012 Houston Chronicle Lunar New Year

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