In conclusion, my extensive simile is trying to say that if we're going to study religion, we need to have a basic knowledge of the different kinds we're going to encounter on our way. And there're two big words you've gotta know:
1. vedic
2. abrahamic
The two basic religious/philosophical families are Vedic (philosophy of the east) and Abrahamic (philosophy of the west). No matter what your beliefs are, they came from one of these two families, guaranteed. Crazy, right? Due to my sucky drawing skills and lack of a good religion tree on google image search, I found this amazing video to help you out. Complete with Rush soundtrack. Thanks, Neil Pert. You too, Rush.
Vedic Faiths (Eastern Philosophy)
The Vedic thought system is the most ancient of religious philosophy. Vedic beliefs originated in the Indus Valley over 5,000 years ago and have since branched off into 2 of the 5 major world religions as well as many other important philosophical sects. The tree goes something like this:
Hinduism > Buddhism > Jainism > Sikhism > Daoism > Confucianism > Shinto
Vedic faiths hold predominately to the theories of atman (a spiritual Self), samsara (reincarnation), karma (consequences of action, the consequences being called karmaphala) and perhaps most importantly, moksha (spiritual liberation from suffering)
In general, time is considered circular (repeated again and again) Philosophies center around all existence, no matter human, animal, or plant. All life is equally important. Purpose of life is to achieve higher levels of consciousness through reincarnation.
Of course, every Vedic faith may not include all of the following beliefs, but this is a basic generalization so you can catch the jive. Vedic faiths tend to be more ethereal - more grounded on cosmic philosophy and the mystical nature of the spirit. So mystical you have to learn a new language to understand anything. Vedic faiths are going to be a doosey for us Amuricans, but I promise you, they are beyond worth it. It's okay, you can make flash cards.
Abrahamic Faiths (Western Philosophy)
If you were raised in most any Western nation, this is going to be cake for you. The Abrahamic faiths are, well, based on Abraham. Or, in more general terms, The Torah (Old Testament). You got it:
Judaism > Christianity > Islam
Abrahamic faiths are fundamentally based on the moral principles of the 10 commandments, philosophies of a destination afterlife (Heaven/Hell) and prophets (leaders who communicate directly with God). Although God is, in many of these religions, anywhere and everywhere, time is general considered linear (never repeated).
It is typically more centered around human existence. Humans are God's children, inherited the earth, and are superior to other creatures. The purpose of life is to be free from sin through forgiveness.
Wow, I don't know about you, but my head hurts. You could compare these two families until kingdom come, but the main point here is to give you all a birds-eye view of these 2 different philosophical systems. But guess what? Your foundation is built! You now know the very basics of every religion there is! Yay! On to Zoroastrianism!
Quiz Question: answer in the comment box.
- Is Zoroastrianism a Vedic or Abrahamic faith?
First right answer gets a pony!
Love you all!
Sources:
Vedic and Abrahamic Thought.
Heyer, Megan. (2008, December 12). The vedic faith: an overview. Retrieved from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1269432/the_vedic_faith_an_overview.html?cat=34
Bobby, Standridge (Videographer). (n.d.). Religion family tree[Web]. Available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUaE0UlGYxE
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