April Diversity Quiz: "In God We Trust": How many gods do we trust? By Jennifer Kreger Questions: True or False: According to Jewish tradition, Yom Kippur celebrates completion of world creation. This two-day holiday occurs each year between September 5 and October 5. It celebrates the coming of the New Year, and is a day of judgment by God based on the merit of individual's deeds. Means of celebration include; a special mitzvah, blowing of the shofar (a ram's horn) and reciting the Tashlikh on the afternoon of the first day. True False Followers of Islam are required to fulfill each of the five pillars. Which of the following is NOT one of the duties? Shahadah - sincere profession of faith Hajj - One pilgrimage to Mecca Zakat - paying alms Hadith - reciting deeds of Prophet Muhammad Sawm - fasting during the month of Ramadan Salat - properly performing ritual prayers five times daily Approximately 80 percent of India's one billion people regard themselves as Hindu, with another 30 million Hindus dispersed across the globe. What is the term used by followers Hinduism to describe the soul? Yoga Tman Darma Karma Moka Christianity is the world's largest religion with over 2 billion followers. Holidays have long been a part of tradition as a method of observance for important spiritual events. Which Christian holiday is the oldest? Easter Palm Sunday Christmas Halloween Buddhism is 2,500 years old, and is a spiritual tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life. Within this religion there are four noble truths. What are the truths related to? Life Giving to others Suffering Prayer Communal Worship Answers: False. The holiday described is Rosh Hashanah. Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement. It is considered the holiest and most solemn day of the year. Fasting begins at sundown and ends at nightfall the following day. Evening services begin with the prayer, Kol Neidrei, and specific garments are worn for the occasion, including a four cornered prayer shawl called the Tallit, and white robes, or kittle, for married men. Specific prayers such as the musaf, mincha, ne'ilah are recited during morning services. The holiday concludes with a recitation of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shema_Yisrael \o "Shema Yisrael" Shema Yisrael and the blowing of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shofar \o "Shofar" shofar, which also signifies the end of the fast. D. Reciting deeds performed by the prophet Muhammad is not one of the five pillars of Islam. It is necessary to comply with the five pillars in order to live a good and responsible life following Islam. Muslims intertwine their beliefs and obligations of the pillars into everyday activities making life one of continual religious devotion. Importance is placed on the five pillars as life is viewed to be pointless if one does not live in a manner that is pleasing to Allah. The fact that Allah is omniscient and able to punish individuals whose greatest priority is not their faith encourages Muslims to follow the five pillars. B. Tman is the term describing the soul, or underlying body, which continually exists through the process of living and dying that includes the ensuing changes of bodily appearance. Rebirth, or sasra, occurs in heavens and hells as well as in the forms of animals and humans. The outcome of form is governed by karma, a natural moral law. Birth as a human is rare. As a human one is given the opportunity to advance toward moka, which is release from the cycle of rebirth. Multiple versions of how to obtain moka exist, but each is congruent in that the end is advaita, which foresees a reunion of undifferentiated reality. A. Easter is the oldest Christian holiday, and most important day of the church year. Evidence supports that Easter was originally celebrated each Sunday, but during the first two centuries it became customary to celebrate on a specific day once a year. All movable feasts and the liturgical year of worship are centered on Easter, which occurs between March 22 and April 25. The holiday is a celebration of the resurrection of Christ three days after his death by crucifixion. Observance often includes; baptisms, Eucharist, feasts, processions, lighting of candles and greetings of "Christ has risen!" C. The four noble truths of Buddhism are related to suffering. The first truth states that all existence is unsatisfactory and filled with suffering. The second truth is the root of suffering can be defined as a craving or clinging to the wrong things, and searching to find stability in a changing world in the wrong manner. The third noble truth gives hope stating it is possible to find an end to suffering. The fourth truth defined the Nobel Eightfold Path which is the way to find the solution and bring an end to suffering. Buddha sought to obtain the truth for achieving happiness, and defined these four truths as the method for accomplishing that goal. Sources: "Hinduism" The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Ed. John Bowker. Oxford University Press, 2000. March 12, 2008. "Jewish holidays." http://en.wikipedia.org March 17, 2008. "Religion and Ethics: Buddhism" http://www.bbc.co.uk October 2, 2002. "The five pillars of Islam." http://www.bbc.co.uk "Religion Facts: Easter." http://www.religionfacts.com/ Read more: Learn about religion in the workplace! Read "Diversity Dilemma: A matter of faith" By Luby Ismail. (.pdf) Continue to learn about women in the workplace! Read, "Theory F": A Leadership Style for the Future: Are Women Better Leaders for Diverse People? For more information check out: "Righting" a Cultural Faux Pas: University President agrees to take class back to top

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