Main beliefs
Christians believe in one God and that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah (Christ) prophesied in the Old Testament (the part of scripture common to Christianity and Judaism). To Christians, Jesus Christ suffered, died, and was resurrected to bring about salvation from sin.
Lifestyle
Each person has a decision to take - to live for God in Christ or to live without God in sin. This is practised by
- Repentance – the acknowledgement before God of individual sin, a request for forgiveness and an acceptance that Jesus as Lord through his death and resurrection for each person’s sin.
- Baptism – an outward and visible ceremony that symbolises the conversion from life without God to life with Him. Water is used to symbolise passing through death and being washed perfectly clean.
- Worship – in the presence of God, Christians worship Him in small groups or larger services or at major festivals
- Prayer – listening and speaking to God for personal guidance and requests for others.
- C5. Communion – a regular ceremony that recreates Jesus’ last supper with his disciples when he shared bread and wine as His blood and body to remind them of the death he was going to and its meaning, that because of it they would be sustained and brought into intimate relationship with God.
Main festivals
Christianity has three main festivals during the year.
- Easter – commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
- Pentecost – commemorating the coming of the Holy Spirit to the believers in Jerusalem and the beginnings of the modern church.
- Christmas – commemorating the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
Holy Scriptures
The Christian holy book is the Bible. It is God’s word, collected through many writers and divided into two Testaments, meaning promises. The Old Testament is the common scripture with Judaism. The New Testament recounts the ministry and teachings of Jesus from the 1st century CE and the accounts and teaching of His eye-witnesses and followers who establish the Church.
Activities for Young People
Churches may run all age or family services which welcome young people. Sunday school groups are also provided with a focus on Bible study, prayer and worship. Youth alpha programmes run and these offer young people the chance to explore their questions about Christianity. Baptism and confirmation courses may be run – and Catholic churches will have courses leading upto first communion. Smaller churches may link to larger ones so that young people in the congregation have a chance to meet with others of the same age.
Click here for a list of Chrsitian activites held in Barnet
Main beliefs
Hinduism is a diverse faith because it generally refers to any tradition that can be traced to the religion and culture of ancient India.The following nine beliefs, though not exhaustive, offer a simple summary of Hindu spirituality:
- A belief in the divinity of the Vedas, the world’s most ancient scriptures originally written in Sanskrit. These primordial hymns and prayers are God’s word and the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion/ duty of mankind.
- Belief in a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is transcendent and the origin of all Creation. The Supreme Being is known as possessing form and personality, but also without form (depending on the specific tradition).
- Belief that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.
- Belief in karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.
- Belief that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all of one’s karma have been resolved, and moksha, spiritual knowledge and liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be eternally deprived of this destiny sooner or later.
- Belief that divine beings exist in unseen realms and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments as well as personal devotionals create a communion with these devas (demigods).
- Belief that a spiritually awakened master, or sat-guru, is essential to know the Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry and meditation.
- Belief that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practice ahimsa (non-violence).
- Belief that no particular religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all genuine religious paths are facets of God ’s pure Love and Light, deserving tolerance and understanding.
Lifestyle
The Sanskrit term Sadhana translates as "means to attainment." For Hindu traditions, what is to be attained is moksha, or liberation from illusion that causes the cycle of rebirth. Sadhana is Puja (worship), Japa Yoga (mantra meditation), devotion, works, fasting and other austerities. Specifically, there are thousands of Sadhanas which one can perform.
Main festivals
Hinduism has many festivals throughout the year. The Hindu calendar usually prescribes their dates. The festivals typically celebrate events from the scriptures, often coinciding with seasonal changes. There are festivals which are primarily celebrated by specific sects or in certain regions of the Indian subcontinent. Some of the most widely observed Hindu festivals include Diwali, Krishna Janmastami, Maha Shivaratri, Holi, Rama Navami, , Gita Jayanti, Ganesh Chaturthi, Dussera and Durga Puja.
Holy Scriptures
The Bhagavad Gita or the Gita is considered the Holiest Book of the Hindus and consists of philosophical exchanges between the Lord Krishna and the warrior prince – Arjuna. In fact it an excerpt of the great Epic- Mahabharata and elaborates on devotion, duty, meditation, selflessness and other subjects of Hindu philosophy. Ramayana is another famous Epic in Hindu religion. Other Holy books include The Vedas, The Upanishads and The Puranas.
Click here for a list of Hindu activites held in Barnet
Main beliefs
Muslims believe in one God, Allah, who created mankind, the universe and all living things. Muslims believe that Allah sent many prophets including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammed with messages from Him.
Muslims also believe in a life after death in which the good will be rewarded with Paradise and the bad people will be punished. The Islamic belief is that what happens to a person in the hereafter depends upon their actions in this life.
Lifestyle
Islam is based on five principles. These are known as the ‘Five Pillars of Islam’. They are:
- Shahadah – The declaration of Faith. The verbal testimony of belief in Allah as one God and Muhammed as His last messenger.
- Salah – Prayer. There are many different types of prayer. This one is the obligatory prayer performed 5 times a day at specific times.
- Sawm – Fasting. Muslims are required to fast from dawn until sunset for one month of the year. This month is Ramadan and is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar.
- Zakah – Charity. Muslims have to pay 2.5% of any excess wealth they have accumulated from one year to the next. It is paid to the poor and the needy and is a way of distributing wealth around society. If you haven’t any extra wealth throughout the year you don’t have to pay Zakah.
- Hajj – Pilgrimage. Muslims have to perform this pilgrimage to visit the Ka’bah in Makkah, Saudi Arabia once in their lifetimes if they are financially and physically able to do so. During this time they perform specific rituals which originate from the prophet Abraham.
Main festivals
Islam has two main festivals during the year.
- Eid-ul-fitr – This is the day of celebration to mark the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting.
- Eid-ul-Adha – this is the day of celebration which marks the end of the rituals of Hajj.
Holy Scriptures
The Muslim holy book is the Quran which was revealed to Muhammed over 1400 years ago. The language of the Quran is Arabic.
Click here for a list of Islamic activites held in Barnet
Who are the Jews and how many are there?
Jews are members of a people, a culture and a world religion. Jews come from all ethnic groups and national backgrounds. There are 13 million Jews in the world and 270,000 in the UK. About 65,000 Jews live in the London Borough of Barnet. Jewish communities exist in most countries.
What is the Jewish belief in God
Judaism is a monotheistic religion. Essentially, Jews believe that there is one God who created the world. God is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing) and omnipresent (in all places at all times). The Jewish God is believed to be both just and merciful. Judaism asserts that people have free will, possess an intellectual ability to distinguish between right and wrong and are ultimately responsible for their choices..
What is the Torah?
The Torah consists of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (which is known to Christians as the “Old Testament”) and constitutes the primary document of Judaism. As well as containing a narrative about the origins of mankind and of the Jewish people, the Torah contains laws and ideas that form the basis of the Jewish faith and God’s relationship with the Jewish people. The Torah contains 613 divine commandments. Of these, the Ten Commandments are considered the most important.
Does Judaism seek converts?
Judaism positively discourages conversion. Conversion is possible but often takes many years of studies. Jewish teaching states that everyone (not just Jews) must observe seven basic rules known as the Noachide Laws. These include prohibitions on murder, theft, adultery, idolatry and blasphemy as well as the setting up of justice system and the provision of basic animal welfare.
Do Jews believe in social responsibility?
Judaism is an ethical religion. The Torah teaches that Jews must be just towards the stranger and the needy in society. The Biblical narrative of a people freed from slavery and more contemporary experiences of persecution, such as the Holocaust, compel Jews to reach out to others who are oppressed or in need throughout the world. The Torah teaches that humans were created “in the image of God”. It follows that every person must be treated with dignity and respect.
Do Jews believe in civic responsibility?
Respect and obedience of the law of the land is a fundamental facet of Judaism. Many synagogues will include a prayer for the well-being of the Head of State and the Government as part of Sabbath and festival services.
What is the Jewish belief in Messiah?
Jewish people believe that the Messiah promised by the Hebrew Bible is yet to come. They await a Messianic era which will include an end to all wars.
Do Jews all believe in the same way?
Jews, like people from all other faiths and none, have different ways of looking at life and religious practice. Orthodox Jews believe that the Torah is God-given, with an oral interpretation revealed at the same time and handed down through the generations. Non-Orthodox Jews challenge some or all of this view. Chasidic -Orthodox, modern-Orthodox, conservative (or ‘Masorti’), Reform, Liberal, and other communities are to be found in the UK.
What happens in the Synagogue?
The Synagogue is the Jewish ‘House of Prayer’. The Synagogue also serves as a focal point of communal activity, providing educational, social and cultural services, as well as welfare. Jewish communal institutions exist outside of the Synagogue including arts, education and welfare organisations.
What is Kosher?
Judaism has a set of dietary laws regarding the fitness of certain foods. Some animals are forbidden e.g. pigs. Animals must be killed in a humane fashion known as Shehitah. Jews are forbidden to eat milk and meat together. Food that is permitted to Jews is designated as “Kosher”.
When are the Sabbath & Jewish festivals?
‘Shabbat’ (the Sabbath) is the weekly day of rest, commencing just before sundown on Friday and terminating Saturday at nightfall. The Jewish calendar is based on the lunar system, rather than solar. Therefore, although the Jewish date of a festival is constant, the date in the civil calendar changes each year. Similarly, Jewish Festivals begin just before sundown. In practical terms, many Jews will need to leave school or work in order to be home in good time to prepare for the Sabbath and festivals.
Observant Jews follow Jewish laws which prohibit work on Shabbat and festivals. For many Jews, the interpretation of ‘work’ includes writing, spending or handling money, cooking, operating equipment (even a telephone), travelling (other than on foot), engaging in commercial transactions, and many other things which may not be considered as ‘work’ in ordinary parlance
Activities for young people
Many synagogues run weekly childrens’ and youth services on the Sabbath and Festivals. The age divides will vary from synagogue to synagogue. Most synagogues also offer a range of classes and learning programmes for youth including Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah classes and courses. Many orthodox synagogues offer “avot abonim” (fathers and sons) and “imot abonos” (mothers and daughters) programmes throughout the winter months. Family education programmes, including away trips, may also be offered. “Drop in” clubs may run once or more a week with a range of things to do. Youth club activities may be run in conjunction with or separate to the synagogue body.
Click here for a list of Judeo activites held in Barnet
