Things You Should Know as a Safe Zone Ally

Not everyone who considers themselves a follower of a particular religion believes all of the dogma of the religion. There are many different levels of observance within each religion. Below are the basics of a few religions/faiths.

The Baha'i Faith: Baha'i believe in the unity of all humankind, and therefore the unity of all religions. This means that Baha'i adherents believe that all religions teach the same truth. They therefore reject all prejudice--racial, political, or otherwise--and stress ethical teachings such as world peace, education, and sexual equality. Although they believe that God is completely unknowable, they hold that God's presence and works are evident in the creation of the world and the existence of the prophets, among other things. Important Baha'i prophets include Adam, the Jewish prophets, Jesus, and Muhammed, all of whom have been succeeded by Baha'ullah, the founder of Baha'i.

Buddhism: The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama led an extravagant life through early adulthood. But when he bored of the indulgences of royal life, Gautama wandered into the world in search of understanding. Gautama became convinced that suffering lay at the end of all existence. He became a monk, depriving himself of worldly possessions in the hope of comprehending the truth of the world around him. The culmination of his search came when he finally understood how to be free from suffering, and ultimately, to achieve salvation. Following this epiphany, Gautama was known as the Buddha, meaning the "Enlightened One." The Four Noble Truths comprise the essence of Buddha's teachings, though they leave much left unexplained. They are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering. More simply put, suffering exists; it has a cause; it has an end; and it has a cause to bring about its end. The notion of suffering is not intended to convey a negative world view, but rather, a pragmatic perspective that deals with the world as it is, and attempts to rectify it. The concept of pleasure is not denied, but acknowledged as fleeting. In the end, only aging, sickness, and death are certain and unavoidable.

Christianity: Christians believe that there is one God, who is without beginning or end, beyond human comprehension yet revealed through His word, who exists as three unique yet equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They say the Son came to earth incarnate in Jesus Christ who was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin according to prophesy. He lived and experienced temptation but remained perfect and righteous, suffered and died of His own free will on the cross as the ultimate and final atonement for human sins, became the only means of salvation from the eternal separation from God, and was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven. Christians believe he will return again one day. They also believe that the Bible, consisting of both the Old and New Testaments, is the word of God, written down by men of God through divine inspiration, and as such is the infallible revelation of His will, and the final authority on all matters on which it bears, as relevant today as when it was written. Christians believe that all humans are born into sin and a spirit of rebellion, and may be saved only with God's grace, through repentance and acceptance of Christ's atonement.

Falun Gong: Falun Gong refers to five sets of movements, which include physical exercise and meditation that practitioners believe heighten their physical well-being, spirituality, and moral awareness. Falun Gong motions are done to rotate the falun, a spinning body of energy said to be located at the lower abdomen. Followers believe that performing the exercises stimulates energy within the body and absorbs energy from the universe, which releases negative elements from the body and remedies abnormal conditions within the body.

Hindu: Hindus believe in a supreme spiritual force called Brahman with which an individual will become one after cleansing his or her karma through a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The goal of Hinduism is liberation from the cycle and the suffering brought about by one’s own actions. In life, Hindus follow the laws of dharma, or spiritual teachings.

Islam: Muslims believe in One, Unique, Incomparable God; in the Angels created by Him; in the prophets through whom His revelations were brought to mankind; in the Day of Judgment and individual accountability for actions; in God's complete authority over human destiny and in life after death. Muslims believe in a chain of prophets starting with Adam and including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Elias, Jonah, John the Baptist, and Jesus. However, God's final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message and a summing-up of all that has gone before was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through Gabriel.

Jainism: Jains reject belief in a creator god and seek release from endless reincarnation through a life of strict self-denial. As all human activity accumulates karma, the force that perpetuates reincarnation, the only way to free one's jiva, or soul, from the bondage of material existence is by reducing this activity through ascetic practice. In addition, Jainism places a special emphasis on ahimsa ("non-injury") to all living beings. The concern for life is extended to all creatures, even minute microbes that are not visible. The Jain ideal is a mendicant ascetic who takes extreme measures to avoid injuring all creatures.

Jehovah’s Witness: Witnesses believe that God is a single being, not a Trinity. God is not omniscient or omnipresent. Michael the Archangel became human, in the form of Jesus Christ. They say that Jesus was sinless and kept all the laws of God. He died on a "torture stake," where he bore the sins of all mankind, except for Adam. Witnesses believe Jesus rose from the dead in spirit, but not in physical form. Jehovah's Witnesses who faithfully follow God's organization on earth, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (WBTS), will be saved from eternal annihilation and live forever on Paradise Earth. Heaven is a place reserved for a special group of 144,000 Jehovah's Witnesses, who have been deemed "born again" by the WBTS and are allowed to take annual communion.

Judaism: There are 3 main movements in Judaism. The Orthodox believe that Jewish law comes from G-d and cannot be changed. The Conservative movement believes that these laws and traditions can change to suit the times, and Reform/Liberal/Progressive movements believe that individuals can make choices about what traditions to follow. Judaism has no formal set of beliefs that one must hold to be a Jew. In Judaism, actions are far more important than beliefs, although there is certainly a place for belief within Judaism. The closest that anyone has ever come to creating a widely-accepted list of Jewish beliefs is Rambam's principles of faith, which are G-d exists; G-d is one, unique, incorporeal, and eternal; prayer is to be directed to G-d alone and to no other; the words of the prophets are true, especially those of Moses, who is believed to be the greatest of the prophets; the Written Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) and Oral Torah (teachings now contained in the Talmud and other writings) were given to Moses, and there will be no other Torah; G-d knows the thoughts and deeds of men and will reward the good and punish the wicked; the Messiah will come, and the dead will be resurrected. These are very basic and general principles. Yet as basic as these principles are, the necessity of believing each one of these has been disputed, and the liberal movements of Judaism dispute many of these principles.

Mormon: Mormons are officially referred to as Latter-day Saints. The name Latter-day stems from the belief that after the death of the early apostles the Christian church fell into apostasy. The church needed to be restored in the latter days, which Mormons believe began in 1820. Latter-day Saints believe the Bible is sacred. They also include in their canon two lost books of the Bible, a translation of the Gospel of Matthew, and the 13 Articles of Faith, a group of 138 revelations from God and two other official documents, and The Book of Mormon. Latter-day Saints believe that fallen men and women need redemption. Good works are a necessary condition, but they are insufficient for salvation. Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon church, said the idea of "plural marriage" was revealed to him by God. LDS president Wilford Woodruff announced an official end to the practice of polygamy in 1890.

Nation of Islam: The Nation of Islam's declared aim is the raising of the moral, social, and economic standing of non-whites. This has included the vilification of the group, white Caucasians, even to the point of calling whites the personification of evil and maintaining that the white race is an aberration, the human race having originally been black. Therefore, according to this theory, blacks must pursue separate development. By turning racist ideas around to oppose whites, the movement has attracted many adherents and has had particularly good success in converting prisoners, criminals, and drug users.

Paganism: Paganism is a collection of diverse religions which are rooted in or inspired by indigenous traditions worldwide. Pagan religions are characterized by belief in the interconnection of all life, personal autonomy, and immanent divinities. These faiths are often nature-centered and supportive of gender equity. Contemporary Pagan culture values diversity, respect, good works, living lightly on the earth, individual freedom, and personal responsibility. They cherish their children, elders, and communities, and believe that religious liberty is an inalienable human right which must not be abridged.

Scientology: The name Scientology means "knowing how to know” and it maintains that it "constitutes man's first real application of scientific methodology to spiritual questions." Scientology asserts it is not merely a belief system but a mode of action. Its basic postulate is that experience, in this or in previous lives, is recorded in the brain as a series of "engrams." These engrams are revived and reinforced by recurring similar situations and always cause inappropriate and self-defeating behavior. One's goal of Scientology is to "process" or clear these engrams and become more self-determining. By erasing these accretions from one's present and past lives, one releases the essential, spiritual self or soul called the "thetan." Scientology has ministers who perform some religious rites and sacraments, but their main function is individual counseling.

Shinto: Shinto (or kami no michi, "way of the gods") is a prehistoric religious tradition indigenous to Japan, which has been influenced by Buddhism and Chinese religions. Shinto recognizes no all-powerful deity and is a diverse set of traditional rituals and ceremonies, rather than a system of dogmatic beliefs or ethics. The kami are the powers of nature primarily associated with such things as animals, trees, mountains, the sun, and so forth. They also sometimes include the earliest ancestors of the Japanese, as well as the souls of the dead, and are revered in matsuri, or celebrations that seek to ensure continued order in the cosmos. Offerings such as fish, rice and vegetables are presented to the kami and later eaten. Music, dancing, and praise are also offered, and Shinto priests bless all with the branch of the sacred sakaki tree dipped in holy water. Another, shamanistic type of Shinto ritual exists in rural areas, in which miko (women shamans) speak for the kami by falling into a trance.

Sikhism: Sikhs are those who are disciples to the Guru. Sikhism drew on elements from Bhakti Hinduism and Islamic Sufism to develop into a distinctive religious tradition in its own right. Sikhs believe that liberation from the karmic cycle of rebirths occurs in the merging of the human spirit with the all-embracing spirit of God. Their religious worship involves contemplation of the divine Name. The ultimate deity is known by several names: Sat (truth), Sat Guru (true Guru), Akal Purakh (timeless being), Kartar (creator), and Wahi-Guru ("praise to the Guru"). By concentrating on God's Name (or many titles), one conquers the ego and unites with God. Known as the "religion of the householder," Sikhism emphasizes the family and advocates living in the world without being worldly. Moral purity is considered the chief basis of religion. There is no priesthood per se, but there are official readers of scripture.

Taoism: Taoism takes its name from the word "Tao" ("the Way"), the ancient Chinese name for the ordering principle that makes cosmic harmony possible. Not a transcendent ultimate, the Tao is found in the world (especially in nature) and can be encountered directly through mystical experience. It is the ultimate reality as well as the proper natural way of life humans must follow. Taoism prizes naturalness, nonaction, and inwardness. Generally speaking, there are two kinds of Taoism: philosophical and religious. Philosophical Taoism is rational, contemplative, and nonsectarian, and it accepts death as a natural returning to the Tao. Religious Taoism is magical, cultic, esoteric, and sectarian, and it emphasizes health and healing as ways to gain long life or even immortality. T'ai chi and the medical practice of Quigong are modern manifestations of Taoism.

Unitarian Universalist: Unitarian Universalists keep their minds open to the religious questions people have struggled with in all times and places. They believe that personal experience, conscience, and reason should be the final authorities in religion. In the end, religious authority lies not in a book, person, or institution, but in ourselves. They uphold the free search for truth. U.U. is a noncreedal religion. U.U.’s believe that religious wisdom is ever changing. Human understanding of life and death, the world and its mysteries, is never final. They celebrate unfolding truths known to teachers, prophets, and sages throughout the ages. They affirm the worth of all women and men. U.U.’s believe people should be encouraged to think for themselves. They know people differ in their opinions and lifestyles, and they believe these differences generally should be honored. U.U.’s seek to act as a moral force in the world, believing that ethical living is the supreme witness of religion. They believe that our relationships with one another, with diverse peoples, races, and nations, should be governed by justice, equity, and compassion.

Voodoo: Voodoo or Vodun, from the root word spirit, can be traced back to the west coast of Africa. Voodoo has no “devils” as such, but some priests encourage the foul-tempered spirits. For the most part, however, the religion is a highly energized, elaborately ritualized and deeply spiritual set of practices that fosters divinely inspired healing and contact with the gods. Voodoo teaches that there is one God and hundreds of lesser spirits in the form of those exemplary souls who have died and stay nearby. The lines between the living and the dead are thin, and ancestors can be summoned. Many of the rituals are aimed at being possessed by the spirit whose help is sought. Worship features drumming, chanting and dancing one’s way into a trance where the spirit can be present.

Wicca: Wicca is a Pagan religion based on beliefs from tribal Europe. Adherents honor masculine and/or feminine deities, experience the Earth as sacred, and celebrate the cycles of the sun and moon. Wicca, also known as Witchcraft, has nothing to do with Satanism; Wiccans do not believe in Satan or any personification of evil. The central tenet of Wiccan faith is "If it harms none, do what you will." Wicca is an Earth religion -- a re-linking with the life-force of nature, both on this planet and in the stars and space beyond. They honor the old Goddesses and Gods, including the Triple Goddess of the waxing, full, and waning moon, and the Horned God of the sun and animal life, as visualizations of nature. http://members.aol.com/Branwenn/page13.html

Zoroastrianism: Zoroastrian theology is strongly dualistic. Zoroastrianism is a highly ethical religion. Zarathustra taught that humans are free to choose between right and wrong, truth and lie, and light and dark, and that their acts, words, and thoughts would affect their lives after death. He was thus the first to promote a belief in two heavenly judgments: of the individual soul right after death and of all humankind after a general resurrection. His ideas of heaven, hell, and the resurrection of the body profoundly influenced Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Later Zoroastrianism conceived of an opposition between body and soul, though there was no suggestion in its theology that the body was evil and the soul was good. A wandering preacher from Mesopotamia named Mani developed those theories into an extreme form of dualism called Manichaeism.

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