3.Non-Christian Religions in America

Judaism

Judaism is the largest non-Christian religious family in the US.Judaism was founded by Abraham，who made an agreement with God that he and his offspring would spread the doctrine that there was only one God.In return，God promised Abraham the land of Canaan（Israel）for his descendants.The basic beliefs of Judaism are a love of learning；the worship of God out of love，not out of fear；and the performing of heartfelt good deeds without concern about rewards.Jews recognize Jesus as a religious teacher but do not acknowledge him as the Messiah or Son of God.Jews still await the coming of the Messiah as fore told by the prophets.

A handful of Jews arrived in North America in the 1600s.In the 1800s，Jews from Germany arrived with other immigrants.Then between 1890and 1920，several million Jews arrived from Eastern Europe，fleeing persecution and hard times in Russia and Poland.In the 1930s and 1940s，Jews reached America as refugees from the Nazi extermination campaigns.The slaughter of some six million Jews by the Germans，called the Holocaust，is one of two central facts of modern Jewish experience.The second is the establishment of Israel as an independent state in 1948.Today more Jews live in Israel than in any other country except the United States.There are three main branches of religious Judaism in the US：Orthodox，Reform，and Conservative.

Orthodox Judaism is by far the most religious and the smallest of the three branches，with an estimated 400，000adherents.Orthodox Jews may keep entirely separate kitchens for milk and meat，refuse to operate electric and mechanical devices on the Sabbath，and often attend temple service or hold prayer sessions every day.Their services are conducted in Hebrew，and require men and women to pray separately，even when not in temple.Many orthodox communities impose strict dress codes，dictating not only the clothes，but also the hairstyles of their members.

Reform Judaism is the least strict branch.This group of Jews do not generally wear yarmulkes，do not usually observe the kosher dietary laws，and conduct their religious services primarily in English，though most of the prayers are recited in Hebrew.About 1.4million Jews are affiliated with Reform temples.

Conservative Judaism rose in response to the Reform movement.It sought to preserve more of the ancient observances of the old orthodoxy，but without losing touch with American culture and behavior.As a middle road between Reform and Orthodox Judaism，Conservative Judaism has gained many adherents.About two million Jews are affiliated with Conservative institutions.

Islam

The Islamic faith，whose followers are called Muslims or Moslems，is the third of the great theistic world religions along with Judaism and Christianity.Each of these religions worships the same God，for whom the Muslim name is Allah，and each has its holiest places in the Middle East.Jerusalem is a holy city for all the three faiths.Mohammed（c.570-632），the founder of Islam，was born in Mecca.He was a well-to-do merchant of 40when he had a vision in which the archangel Gabriel revealed to him that he had been selected to be the prophet and teacher of the Worship of one god，Allah.Other revelations followed，which were later set down in the Qur’an⁴（Koran），the sacred book of Islam.In 630Mohammed led his followers against Mecca，which surrendered to him；battles and treaties with other cities and tribes made him supreme in Arabia.

The first sizable group of Muslims arrived in the US from Lebanon in the early 1900s.Later waves of immigration have brought Pakistanis，Indians，Arabs，and Iranians，among others.Some have been refugees from political or religious persecution.Some came as students and remained.There are about 600Islamic centers in the US，many of which include a mosque for worship.The largest concentrations of Muslims are in cities in the Northeast and industrial Midwest.Observances may vary from one center to another，depending on the nationality of its adherents and their length of residence in the US.In general recent immigrants are more conservative and follow the Islamic ritual and custom more closely.

Buddhism

The founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama（c.563-483BC），who came to be known as Buddha.According to Buddhist scriptures，Siddhartha Gautama was born into a princely family in southern Nepal.At the age of 29，he had a series of visions that persuaded him to leave his wife and young son.He wandered for some years seeking enlightenment.The scripture of Buddhism is the Tripitika，or“three baskets，”a collection of sayings and rules for conduct collected by Buddha’s early followers.Buddhists share with Hinduism a belief in the cycle of reincarnation.When a person’s body dies，the soul is reborn in another person or animal.Buddha believed there was a way to end this cycle of death and rebirth.He taught that a person should seek a state of detachment from worldly things and dersires.Achieving this

state，called nirvana，could bring contentment and would be the end of the reincarnation cycle for the soul.Buddha rejected extreme asceticism and extreme self-indulgence.He recommended a Middle Way.The Buddhist discipline is summarized in the Eightfold Path，which consists of“right knowledge，right thought，right action，right livelihood，right effort，right mindfulness，right concentration，and right speech”.

There are two main schools of Buddhism，Hinayana（“the lesser vehicle”）and Mahayana（“the greater vehicle”）.The Hinayana emphasizes that each individual is responsible for his or her own salvation.Mahayana lays stress on universal salvation，saying that all beings are tied together.Although Buddhism originated in India，today the vast majority of Buddhists are outside India in neighboring countries.There are also some Buddhist organizations in the US.The Buddhist Churches of America is the oldest and largest US Buddhist group.Many of its members are of Japanese descent.About 100，000 Americans subscribe to Buddhist tenet.

Notes

1.Trinity（三位一位）：in the Christian religion，the union of the three forms of God（the Father，the Son，and the Holy Spirit）as one God.

2.95Theses（九十五条信纲）：These Theses were written by Martin Luther first in Latin and later translated into German，in which Luther attacked certain doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church，especially the Church’s corruptive use of indulgences served as a means to gain extra money.The publication of the Ninty-Five Theses in 1517triggered off the Reformation.

3.fundamentalist（“原教旨主义”，又称“基要主义者”）：a Christian who believes that everything in the Bible is completely true.

4.Qur’an（Koran）（《古兰经》亦译《可兰经》）：the Scripture of Muslims，which sets up definite and strict rules for all Muslims to live by and includes guidance for all phases of their lives，such as bathing frequently and not drinking.It also contains a description of heaven and of existence there.Muslims believe the Koran to be the word of the one God，spoken to Muhammad by angels.

Exercises

Ⅰ.Choose the correct answer.

1.The largest Protestant familyin the US is________.

A.Methodist Churches　　　B.Lutheran Churches

C.Baptist Churches　　　　D.Latter-Day Saints

2.The Protestant Churches include the following ones except________.

A.Lutheran Church 　　　B.Methodist Church

C.Orthodox Church 　　　D.Latter-Day Saints

3.The largest single Christian denomination in the US is________.

A.the Protestant Church　　　B.the Roman Catholic Church

C.the Orthodox Church　　　　D.the Baptist Church

4.According to the text，which one in the following opposes abortion and artificial means of birth control？________.

A.The Protestant Church　　　B.The Roman Catholic Church

C.The Orthodox Church　　　　D.The Baptist Church

5.Which one in the following promoted polygamy among its members？

A.Methodist Church　　　B.Lutheran Church

C.Baptist Church　　　　D.Mormon Church

6.The largest non-Christian religious familyin the US is________.

A.Lutheranism　　　　B.Islam

C.Judaism　　　　　　D.Buddhism

7.Mohammed，the founder of Islam，was born in________

A.Nepal　　　B.Jerusalem

C.Mecca　　　D.Canaan

8.The basic beliefs of Judaism include the following ones except________.

A.taking Jesus as the Messiah

B.a love of learning

C.the worship of God out of love，not out of fear

D.the performing of heartfelt good deeds without concern about rewards

Ⅱ.Fill in the blanks.

1.With the conversion of the Emperor Constantine to Christianity in________，the Christian sect was granted ________and freedom to practice its beliefs openly.

2.In________the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Church divided.________hundred years later，the Protestant Reformation，an attempt to reform the________Church，led to a further division.

3.The Scripture of Christianityis the________which consists of________and________.

4.The Protestants，in general，believe that all individuals must stand________before God.If people sinned，they should seek their________directly from God rather than from a________speaking in God’s name.

5.In 1608，agroup of English________seeking to escape persecution，settled in Amsterdam and founded the first________church.In________members of this congregation returned to England and established the first________church there.

6.Most Baptists take a strong stand on the authorityof the________，and many believe that it should be interpreted________.

7.Lutherans regard the Bible as their sole________.They believe that every person is a ________and can ________God directly.They accept the________and the ________birth of Christ.

Ⅲ.Questions for discussion.

1.Why was Jesus Christ sentenced to death by crucifixion in Jerusalem？

2.What are the beliefs of Christians？

3.What do Protestants mean when they say the“priesthood of all believers”？

4.What are the general beliefs of Buddhists？

5.Explain Hinayana and Mahayana.