Definitions
People who only believe in one God are...
Monotheistic
When did deception begin?
The Garden of Eden
What do most cult leaders often claim to have?
Special knowledge and/or wisdom
Who founded Mormonism?
Joseph Smith Jr.
What is the Book of Mormon?
A pre-Christ account written by the prophet Mormon of the migration of the Jaredites and Lamanites
What does LDS stand for?
Latter Day Saint
What does it mean to be Muslim?
Means one who submits and believes in One God (Allah) and Muhammad, who is God's messenger that received revelations
What language is the Quran written in?
Arabic
What is the New Age?
grown to over 20 million members worldwide
What does Buddha mean?
The Enlightened One
Who is Buddha?
An Indian prince named Siddhartha Gautama, who renounced his wealth and social position after becoming 'enlightened'
Define Polytheism
people who believe in more than one God
Galatians 1:8
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God's curse!
A cause, principle, or system of beliefs
What are religions
When was the Book of Mormon written and which continent did it originate from?
2247 BC and the American Continent
What is not considered to be a translation like the other sacred texts but are still direct revelations about the doctrines?
Doctrine and Covenants, written by Joseph Smith. This text also contains Lectures on Faith.
Why were the Nephites blessed and who was the commanding warrior prophet of the tribe?
God did not curse them and they migrated to Central America. Mormon was the commanding warrior prophet of the tribe
Where are Muhammad's revelations recorded?
In the Holy Quran
Name a misconception Muslims have about Christianity
They think Christians believe in three Gods because of the Holy Trinity
Name some theological differences between Christianity and the New Age
They believe the bible contains secrets or inner meanings, especially the words of Jesus. Teaches All is One, all is God, Man is God. According to Norman Geisler, all is everything (pantheism). They think Jesus was an enlightened teacher on the same level as Buddha and Krishna. Not God Unitarism
Who founded Jehovah Witness and what is it?
A religious cult started by Charles Taze Russell in 1870. Syncretized the teachings of the Seventh-Day Adventists and Christadelphanism with scripture
What is Buddhism and what is their main belief?
Not considered a cult but is a religion of eastern and central Asia growing out of the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. Believe that suffering is inherent in life and that one can be freed from it by mental and moral self-purification
The Fourth Noble Truth
Is the Ethic that the Buddhist lives by. It provides practical steps that will help reach the goal of nirvana. The sacred noble eightfold path (Marga)
What is the combination of different forms of belief or practices?
Syncretism
The Third Noble Truth
Sensation: The only way out of suffering lies in the ability to disengage one self completely from false desires of the temporary self (illusions)
Name the four defining characteristics of a cult
Exclusive, deceptive, secretive, authoritarian
Why did God curse the Lamanites? And who discovered them?
They disobeyed God and were given dark skin becoming the American Indians. They were discovered by Christopher Columbus.
Name the three LDS sacred texts
The Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and the Doctrine of Covenants are examples of what
Who are the Lamanites?
Decedents from Jerusalem who landed in South America. Two sons fought each other (Laman and Nephi). God cursed them because they disobeyed Him and were given dark skin becoming the pagan Native Americans
What is Islam and who founded it?
Islam is the second largest religion in the world today, with over 1 billion followers. The religion was founded by Muhammad
What do Muslims believe about the Bible?
Believe that Allah inspired the Bible and Muslims are commanded to observe the Torah and The Gospel (1st 5 books). Muslims believe Christians and Jews corrupted the Bible and that the Quran is the literal word of God without any error.
What is the premise for the New Age?
It is an elusive movement. Acts as a canopy, shadowing a diverse and shifting culture in constant change.
What is the Watchtower Society?
Structured group of men who serve over with supreme authority. A president with absolute control governs the Society since inceptions with only four presidents
What is Nirvana?
A state of complete deliverance from pain and sorrow, a state of bliss equivalent to heaven
The first Noble Truth
A bone twisted out of his joints: believe life is full of sorrow and pain
What is Monism?
The premise for the new age meaning: All is One
What do Jehovah Witness believe about the second coming of Christ?
They believe the second coming already happened in 1914 and since then he has been an invisible spiritual presence
Who was Charles Russell and why was he discredited?
wrote the new bible, studies in scripture. Believed Bible came from God through enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. Bible only understood by reading his studies in scriptures. Considered himself the divine interpreter. Committed prudery and stole money schemes. The Watchtower no longer views his interpretations as authoritative
Who gave Joseph Smith the golden tablets?
Moroni, son of the commanding warrior of the Nephites Tribe
What is the Pearl of Great Price?
a sacred canonical book that discusses various aspects of the LDS faith and doctrine
Name the main differences between Mormons and Christians
Mormons believe in many Gods, they believe God has a physical body, Jesus is a spirit Child, and brother to Satan. They don't think Jesus' blood atoned for his sins and they believe Adam was Jesus' father
Name three religious duties required by all Muslims (Pillar of Religion)
Recite the Creed of Islam, There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet, Must pray 5 times a day from a tower (minaret) inside mosque, a Muslim crier (muezzin) sounds the call to prayer. Face Mecca. Must observe a month of fasting to commemorate first revelation of Muhammad in 610 AD. Fast all day but can eat at night. Must five Alams: 2.5% of money earned. Pilgrimage of Mecca, every Muslim who is capable needs to make a trip to Mecca
Name some main theological differences between Muslims and Christians
Allah only loves those who do good deeds (no sinners), Allah is the creator of both good and evil, Allah is unknowable and doesn't involve himself in human affairs. While Jesus is considered a sinless prophet, if you believe he is the son of God then you are a blasphemer and called a shirk. They don't believe Jesus was crucified on the cross and they think Muhammad was above Jesus
What is the New Age curriculum? (there are four things to name)
Meditation, Centering (relaxation exercises), Guided Imagery (visualization), Spiritism (communication with departed spirits)
Name the four presidents of the Watchtower Society
Russel, Rutherford, Knorr, Franz
What is the Gautama birth?
said while in heaven, perceived that the time had come down for him to descend on Earth and preach to man the saving doctrine. Therefore he became incarnated in the womb of Queen Maya to fulfill purpose of becoming Buddha
The Eightfold path
Right View (understanding)
Right Expressions (ambition) Commit body, mind
Right Speech (communication, words kind and free)
Right Conduct (action)
Right Livelihood (vocation, not inflict pain or suffering)
Right Effort (endeavor)
Right Mindfulness (mind control)
Right Concentration (Deep meditation)
What is Dharma?
What all Buddha's teachings are called, which deal with one basic concept: how to escape Samsara which leads to "Nirvana"
Theological beliefs of Jehovah Witness
God is a single person but not a triune being. Believe God is not omnipresent or omniscient. Believe the trinity was made up by Satan. Believe God's first creation was Michael and that Jesus was a created being. Do not believe in the physical resurrection of Christ because God made him an immortal angel. Believe Jesus received immortality as a reward for his faithfulness on Earth
What do Mormons believe about Jesus' birth?
they think he was born naturally and not by the Virgin Mary
What is written on the golden tablets?
The history of the migration and wars of the Nephites Tribe
Name the five sections of the Pearl of Great Price
Book of Moses
Book of Abraham
Joseph Smith- Matthew
Joseph Smith- History
Articles of Faith
What is Pioneer Day?
Mormon holiday that celebrates when the Mormons first entered Salt Lake City
1) Faith in Allah
2) Must believe in Angels
3) Must accept the holy books, Old/New testaments and the Quran (however the Quran supersedes all others and is the final revelation
4) Must believe in the Prophets
5) Must believe that everything that happens (both good and evil) is predestined by Allah's sovereign will
6) Believe on judgement day that the good and evil deeds of mankind will be judged on a scale. Good will go to heaven, evil to hell
Iman is not blind belief, but is accompanied by reason. It is the belief in the six articles of faith
Characteristics of the New Age
Self Deification, Monism (one force controlling everything), Pantheism (All is God and God is all), Syncretism (all combined), Transformation (personal and planetary, born again oneness with God), Coming Utopia (Peace on Earth/ Global Socialisms), New Age Ethics (no distinctions between good and evil), No moral absolutes, all is relative (Shirley MacLaine) New Age Education: Your truth..
Describe the Three Classes of Salvation
The first class: 144,000 will receive all the benefits and blessing mentioned in the Bible
The second class: "The other sheep" cannot be justified in the life or be born again. They will be recreated with physical bodies and live on Earth
Third class: made up of good people (non-witness) who have lived decent lives here on Earth (you based on works)
Wheel of Doctrine
Name the paths of Four noble truths to reach Nirvana (Pati- vedhanana)
The Universality of Suffering, The Origin of suffering, The Overcoming of Suffering, the Supressing of suffering
The second Noble Truth
Attachment: All suffering that is encountered is due to false desires of the senses that have been deceived into clinging to the impermanent of world
Name the top three monotheistic religions in order
Christianity, Islam, Judaism
How do Mormons indoctrinate their young members?
With youth camps, mission trips and often early marriage
What did God tell Joseph Smith to do in his first vision?
Not to join any of the churches because they "were all wrong"
Who founded Salt Lake City, Utah?
Brigham Young
Who appeared to Joseph Smith in his first vision in 1820?
The Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ
When are Muslims required to fast?
Ramadan
Who is the final prophet?
Muhammad
What does the New Age not have that most other religions do?
lack any single unifying creed or doctrine. No holy text, no central organization, no formal leadership
Basic beliefs of Jehovah Witness
1. Diving guidance comes only through the Watchtower Society
2. Jehovah's Witness alone have the truth of God and are exclusively the people of God
3. Witness believe that all Orthodox, Protestant, and Catholic Christians are controlled and influenced by Satan
Siddhartha's path to Enlightenment
Inner discontent with luxury, spiritual Quest, Asceticism (group of monks), Mediation (saw visions under a tree) once enlightened understood how to obtain freedom from Samsara: the cycle of rebirths
Theological beliefs of Buddhism
Suffering is a major theme, something to escape and avoid. Reincarnation through accumulation of Karma and good works. Believe one will escape by denying the false desires of the world. He did not recognize a personal God, believed in many Gods. Worship of God only caused obstruction of one reaching nirvana