Religious signs and symbols - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Religious signs and symbolsSlide2

JudaismSlide3

Star of davidSlide4

Judaism

Judaism

The structure of the star, with two overlapping triangles, has also been thought to represent the relationship between God and the Jewish people. The star that points up symbolizes God and the star that points down symbolizes the Jews here on earth.

Appears on the Flag of Israel.Slide5

Israeli FlagSlide6

The origins of the Star of David are unclear. We do know that the symbol hasn't always been associated exclusively with Judaism, but was used by Christians and Muslims at various points in history

.

The Star of David was eventually cemented as a Jewish symbol when it became a favorite architectural decoration on Jewish buildings and then during World War II, when Hitler forced Jews to wear a yellow Star of David as a "badge of shame." Slide7

One of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith is the menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum used in the 

Temple.

It

has been said that the menorah is a symbol of the nation of Israel and our mission to be "a light unto the nations

.“

The lamp stand in today's synagogues, called the

ner

tamid

,

symbolizes the menorah. Slide8
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BuddhismSlide10

The Dharma wheelSlide11

Buddhism

The Dharma wheel

 is one of the oldest symbols of Buddhism. Around the globe it is used to represent Buddhism in the same way that a cross represents Christianity or a Star of David represents Judaism

.

 The circle, the round shape of the wheel, represents the perfection of the 

dharma,

the Buddha's teaching.

The rim of the wheel represents

meditative concentration

 and 

mindfulness,

which hold practice together.Slide12

The hub represents moral discipline. The three swirls often seen on the hub are sometimes said to represent the Three Treasures or Three Jewels -- Buddha, dharma,

sangha

. They may also represent joy.

When a wheel has eight spokes, the spokes represent the Eightfold Path. An eight-spoke wheel is most commonly used to represent Buddhism.Slide13

Buddha statueSlide14

Buddha symbolizes self-perfection and often people keep Buddha statues as a reminder of what they are trying to attain.

Buddhas

statues symbolize the Eightfold Path. This path requires that one have the right views, the right speech, the right aspirations, the right livelihood, the right conduct, the right effort,

the

right mindfulness as well as the right contemplation.Slide15

HinduismSlide16

AumSlide17

Hinduism

Traditionally, the

bindi

is worn on the forehead of married Hindu women. It symbolizes female energy and is believed to protect women and their husbands.

Bindis

are traditionally a simple mark made with the paste of colored sandalwood,

sindoor

or turmeric. The

bindi

is most commonly a red dot made with vermilion

.Slide18

BindiSlide19

More recently, the

bindi

has

become primarily a decorative accessory and is worn by unmarried girls and non-Hindu women. It is also no longer restricted in color or shape, and self-adhesive

bindis

made from felt in various designs and colors are common.

Bindi

styles often vary by the area of India in which they are worn.Slide20
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IslamSlide22

Islam

The star and crescent moon

is the best-known symbol used to represent Islam. It features prominently on the flags of many countries in the Islamic world, notably Turkey and Pakistan.

Surprisingly, the symbol is not Muslim in origin. Rather, it was a polytheistic icon adopted during the spread of Islam, and its use today is sometimes controversial in the Muslim world. The crescent and star are often said to

beIslamic

symbols, but historians say that they were the insignia of the Ottoman Empire, not of Islam as a whole.Slide23

Crescent moon and starSlide24

Pakistani Flag and Turkish Flag