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Resource Type: Films

Alien Abduction: Sikhism – Orbiting Earth at this very moment, the alien survey ship “Pantheon” is abducting people to collect data about their belief systems. Baldeep is beamed into the interrogation chamber to answer questions about Sikhism.

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

AQA 

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices - Sikhism - Introduction to Sikhism - General facts about the religion Introduction to Sikh festivals - The bigger festivals of Vaisakhi and Divali will be covered later. As the gurpurbs link to the Gurus they are covered now. The nature of God linked with the worship of God in Sikhism. - The Mool Mantra and how Sikhs pray and meditate mainly at home.

Worship in the gurdwara is included but there will be more about the gurdwara later.
God as Creator -The different aspects of God's relationship with the creation. The examples of treating others equally (fairly) in the stories of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh.
Teachings and examples of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh and the importance of equality in Sikhism.
Human life as part of the cycle of reincarnation and governed by the law of karma - The Sikh beliefs about the human condition and why we need liberating. The Festival of Vaisakhi (Baisakhi) - The what, how, why, who, when of the festival.

Edexcel 

Area of Study 2 – Sikhism - Section 1: Sikh Beliefs - The nature of God: how the characteristics of God are shown in the Mool Mantar, Guru Granth Sahib 1, and why the characteristics are important and why the Mool Mantar is significant for Sikhs.
God as Creator: the nature and importance of God as creator (Karta Purakh) for Sikhs; Sikh teachings on God as creator, including Guru Granth Sahib 12 and 94. Sikh beliefs about life after death: the nature of karma, rebirth and mukti (liberation); how they are shown in the Guru Granth Sahib, including reference to Guru Granth Sahib 2, 11 and 78; divergent understandings of how and why karma, rebirth and mukti are important for Sikh life today.
Gurpurbs and commemorations: divergent understandings of the nature, history and purpose of gurpurbs and commemorations; why they are important for Sikhs today; the origins and meaning gurpurbs, including Guru Nanak’s birthday, Vaisakhi, including reference to the account of the events found in Gurbilas Patshahi 10, Divali: the origins and meaning of commemorations, including the martyrdom of Guru Arjan and Guru Tagh Bahadur Ji.

OCR 

No link to GCSE spec

WJEC 

PART B - Theme 2: Issues of Good and Evil – Christianity - Crime and Punishment  What makes an act 'wrong'?  Religious and ethical responses: relative and absolute morality, conscience, virtues, sin  Beliefs and attitudes about the causes of crime and the aims of punishment: justice, retribution, deterrence and reformation  The treatment of criminals and the work of prison reformers and prison chaplains  Varied Christian responses to the Death Penalty, including interpretations of Christian teaching: Exodus 20:13, Matthew 5:38-39, 43-47

Eduqas

Component 3 (Route A) - Option 5: Sikhism - Beliefs and teachings - The Nature of God ➢ Beliefs and teachings about the nature of God as expressed in the Mool Mantra: Guru Granth Sahib 1 ➢ God as Creator: GGS 294 ➢ God's relationship with human life: Guru Granth Sahib : 921 The Oneness of Humanity ➢ Beliefs and teachings about the equality of all human beings, including equality of men and women: GGS 349 ➢ Examples of equality in the lives of the Gurus and in Sikhism today, including practice of the Langar, Guru Amar Das appoints women preachers ➢ The priority of service to others: Daswandh (Guru Amar Das) Gurmukh (Godcentred) ➢ The importance of being God-centred (gurmurkh): GGS125, 1054-55; ➢ The elimination of haumai (pride/ego): GGS 226, 538, 466 The sangat ➢ The role of the sangat (community) in spiritual edification and progress of an individual: Guru Nanak - GGS 72, GGS 1098, ➢ As a centre of religious and ethical training: Guru Arjan - GGS 266 ➢ Basis for acts of sewa (selfless service), nihangs, khalsa The Afterlife ➢ Teachings and beliefs about karma and rebirth: GGS 2, 78. Practices: The gurdwara: practices in Britain and elsewhere ➢ The importance and the role of Bhatra and Ramgarhia gurdwaras in Britain as places of worship, social and community functions ➢ Religious features: artefacts, Guru Granth Sahib, langar (as an expression of sewa - selfless service to others) and associated practices Worship ➢ The role and importance of prayer in the home ➢ Significance of the practice of meditating on the name of God ➢ The importance of the Akand Path Ceremonies ➢ The meaning and significance of birth and naming ceremonies ➢ The significance of Amrit Sanskar: (the initiation ceremony): Bhai Gurdas Var 3.11. The significance and use of the names Singh and Kaur ➢ The different views of khalsa and non-khalsa (sahaj-dhari) Sikhs towards Khalsa and the Five K's Amritsar ➢ The importance and significance of Amritsar as a place of Sikh pilgrimage; the spiritual centre of Sikhism ➢ The Harmander Sahib in Amritsar (Golden Temple): features and practices of pilgrimage to the Golden Temple Festivals: practices in Britain and elsewhere ➢ The origins and practices of gurpurbs and melas and how these are celebrated by different Sikh communities in Britain. ➢ Guru Nanak’s birthday, commemorations of the martyrdoms of Guru Arjan and Guru Tagh Bahadur Ji ➢ Vaisakhi ➢ Divali

Alien Abduction: Sikhism

Robot       Survey ship Pantheon orbiting planet: Earth. Dominant life form: Human. Belief system: Various. More information required. Scanning for samples. Welcome to survey ship Pantheon, our mission is to investigate the culture of your planet, and you have been selected to represent your belief system. Please state your name.

Baldeep Kaur  Baldeep Kaur

Robot       Religion.

Baldeep Kaur  Sikh.

Robot       Holy book.

Baldeep Kaur  Guru Granth Sahib.

Robot       Holy building.

Baldeep Kaur  The gurdwara, but some people call it the Sikh temple.

Robot       Symbol.

Baldeep Kaur  The Kunda.

Robot       You will now be asked a series of questions from the categories on screen. You have 30 of your Earth seconds to provide a satisfactory answer to each one. Failure to comply will result in matter dispersal. Are you ready?

Baldeep Kaur  Yes.

Robot       Stand by. Choose the first category.

Baldeep Kaur  Uh, God.

Robot       What do you believe about God?

Baldeep Kaur  Uh, we believe there is one God, and he is known by different names. Most Sikhs would often refer to him as Waheguru, the glorious Guru, the one that will help you to understand the world. Others would refer to him as Satguru or Rab. Um, we learn about him and his qualities through the beginning of the Guru Granth Sahib in something called the Mool Mantar. Um, I'm referring to him as a him, but he has no gender, he has no form, he created the whole world, he's within us, um, he's everywhere.

Baldeep Kaur  Um, life after death.

Robot       What do you believe will happen to humans after death?

Baldeep Kaur  Um, all Sikhs believe that we have a soul called the atman that originated from Waheguru, and the aim of our life is for that, for that soul to merge back with Waheguru. Um, how that happens is based on our actions. We call them karam, and often we understand it as karma. Um, this basically means if you do lots of good actions, then in your next life, your soul will be reborn into a new body which will have less challenges than you had in this life, but if you did bad things, then you have more challenges in the next life.

Baldeep Kaur  Uh. Beginnings.

Robot       How did your religion begin?

Baldeep Kaur  The religion began in the Punjab region, which is in Pakistan and India today, by someone called Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the early 1500s. He was born into a Hindu family, but he had friends from lots of different walks of life and different religions, and he really preached about equality and bringing people together. One day he went to have his normal bath in the river, but disappeared for three days, and when he re-emerged, he said, there is no Hindu or Muslim, basically saying there's no difference between us and we should treat each other nicely, and all the other gurus followed on the same message until he went into the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib.

Baldeep Kaur  Uh, everyday life.

Robot       How does your religion affect everyday life?

Baldeep Kaur  There are three main principles. One is Naam Japna. So that's reciting God's name and appreciating him in everything, and there are five daily prayers which most Sikhs do. There is also kirat karna, earning a living by honest means, so no cheating, no lying. There is also vand Chhakna which is sharing everything you have, Sikhs believe in equality and that everyone is equal. You can see this in the Gurudwara where there is the Lungar which is the free community kitchen that everyone can go to eat. In all the food there is vegetarian. A lot of Sikhs are vegetarian like me, but you don't have to. It's personal choice.

Baldeep Kaur  Uh, festivals.

Robot       What is the most important festival in your religion?

Baldeep Kaur  Uh, Vaisakhi, this was started by the 10th and the final guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Um, it was at time of harvest, so there was a festival then anyway, a lot of Sikhs had congregated at this time. Guru Gobind Singh had given everyone the opportunity to stand up for their faith and to become committed to it, because there was a lot of persecution at the time. Five Sikhs took this opportunity, and today you can see that in gurdwaras as well, where other people decide to become initiated into the religion, it is known as the birth of the Khalsa, the community of the pure.

Baldeep Kaur  Uh, rites of passage.

Robot       What is the Amrit ceremony?

Baldeep Kaur  Um, the Amrit ceremony is where Sikhs who want to show that they are committed to the faith, would take the sugary sweet water which is called Amrit. It was started by Guru Gobind Singh at the birth of the Khalsa in 1699. Um, Sikhs would go to the Gurudwara and take part in this ceremony to show they, they belong to the faith, after which they would make sure they keep the five KS, the kesh, the uncut hair, the kachera, the shorts, the kirpan, the small sword, the kangha, the small comb, the kara, the steel bangle, and they may also take the surname Singh or Kaur depending if they are male or female.

Baldeep Kaur  Uh, random.

Robot       Why do Sikhs carry a knife?

Baldeep Kaur  Um, only those Sikhs that have been initiated into the Khalsa, would carry the knife, which is known as the kirpan. Um, it symbolises fighting all types of injustices. At that time, in 1699, and in that era, a lot of Sikhs and non-Sikhs were being persecuted for their various beliefs. So Sikhs were defending not only themselves but everyone else, especially those that could not defend themselves. Today it will be used as a sign to fight all types of injustices, um, whether they're social, political or violent.

Robot       Thank you. Your answers are satisfactory. Matter dispersal beams powering down. You will now be returned to Earth, human. Goodbye.

Baldeep Kaur  Thank you. Bye!

Alien Abduction: Sikhism

Video length - 6.01
Published date - Jul 2013
Keystage(s) - 3

Alien Abduction: Islam – Orbiting Earth at this very moment, the alien survey ship “Pantheon” is abducting people to collect data about their belief systems. Ajmal is beamed into the interrogation chamber to answer questions about Islam.

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

 

AQA

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices – Beliefs and teachings - Key Beliefs - Islam -

Tawhid - (the Oneness of God), Qur’an Surah 112.

Akhirah (life after death), human responsibility and accountability, resurrection, heaven and hell.
Risalah (Prophethood) including the role and importance of Adam, Ibrahim and Muhammad

Angels, their nature and role, including Jibril and Mika’il.

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teachings and practices- Islam -Practices and Duties - Five Pillars of Sunni Islam

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teachings and practices- Islam - Practices, Duties and Festivals. -Festivals and commemorations and their importance for Muslims in Great Britain today, including the origins and meanings of Id-ul-Adha, Id-ul-Fitr.

 

Edexcel

Area of Study 1 - Section 1: Muslim Beliefs -The nature of Allah: how the characteristics of Allah are shown in the Qur’an and why they are important. Tawhid (oneness), including Surah 16: 35–36, immanence, transcendence, omnipotence, beneficence, mercy, fairness and justice, Adalat in Shi’a Islam.

Akhirah: Muslim teachings about life after death; the nature of judgement, paradise and hell; how they are shown in the Qur’an, including Surah 17: 49–72; divergent ways in which Muslims teachings about life after death affect the life of a Muslim today.

RiSalah: the nature and importance of prophethood for Muslims, including Surah 2: 136; what the roles of prophets teach Muslims, exemplified in the lives Adam, Ibrahim, Isma’il, Musa, Dawud, Isa, Muhammad.

"Malaikah: the nature and importance of angels for Muslims; how angels Jibril,
Izra’il and Mika’il are shown in the Quran, including Surah 19, 32: 11 and 2: 97–
98, and their significance for Muslims today."
Section 3: Living the Muslim Life - The nature, origins, activities, meaning and significance of the celebration/ commemoration of Id-ul-Adha, with reference to Surah 37: 77–111, and Id-ul-Fitr
in Sunni Islam.

 

OCR

Componet Group 2–Religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a religious perspective - the existence of God, gods and ultimate reality, and ways in which God, gods or ultimate reality might be understood; through revelation, visions, miracles or enlightenment. Component Group 1–Practices - Islam - Public acts of worship - Salah as direct communication with Allah. The importance of practices - Islam as a way of life, lived in total submission to Allah • The importance of the Five Pillars of Islam to Sunni Muslims • The meaning of the Five Pillars: •• Shahadah: sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith •• Salat: performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day •• Zakat/Zakah: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit the poor and the needy •• Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan •• Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca • The analogy of the house and pillars

 

WJEC

2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Part A Islam - Core beliefs, teachings and practices - Practices - The Five Pillars of Sunni Islam -Prayer/ Salat  Adhan call to prayer, praying at mosque and Friday Jummah prayer (Qur'an 15:9899, 29:45)  Praying at home, private prayer (Du'ah)  The preparations and intention for prayer: wudu and niyyah  The significance and symbolism of the different prayer positions that make a rakat (sequence of prayer) Obligatory Acts  Shahadah: the Muslim profession of faith in Allah and the prophet Muhammad; occasions when the Shahadah is recited, e.g. aqiqah ceremony, conversion to Islam  Zakat: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit others, what zakat tax may be used for, and additional charity (saddaqah)  Sawm: Fasting during the month of Ramadan. How and why Muslims fast during Ramadan and rules about halal and haram diet (Qur'an 2:183)

 

Eduqas

Component 3 (Route A): Study of a World Faith: Option 3: Islam:Beliefs and teachings: The Nature of Allah ➢ The teaching about the nature of Allah: the belief in the oneness of Allah (Tawhid): Qur'an 3:18 ➢ Nature of Allah: immanence, transcendence, omnipotence, beneficence, mercy, fairness and justice: Qur'an 46:33 ➢ Adalat in Shi'a Islam Prophet hood (Risalah) ➢ The nature of prophet hood; why are prophets important? Qur'an 2:136 ➢ The importance of Adam as the first prophet ➢ Ibrahim as father of Isaac and Ishma'il and his significance for the Muslim religion ➢ Isa as a prophet for Muslims: Qur'an 2:87 ➢ Muhammad as the seal of the Prophets Angels (Malaikah) ➢ The significance of angels in Islam: Qur’an 2:97-98,Qur’an 2:285 ➢ Diversity in belief between Shi’a and Sunni Muslims regarding angels and free will ➢ The significance of Jibril's revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad: Qur’an 2:97-98 ➢ The significance of Mika'il placed in charge of plants and rain ➢ The significance of Israfil to announce the Day of Resurrection Akhirah (Afterlife) ➢ Al-Qadr (Predestination):Implications for human freedom ➢ Akhirah: Human responsibility and accountability; Muslim beliefs and teachings about the afterlife ➢ Human Freedom and its relationship to Day of Judgement ➢ Heaven; Muslim beliefs about the nature, stages and purpose of heaven ➢ Hell; Muslim beliefs about the nature and purpose of hell

Alien Abduction: Islam

Robot      Survey ship Pantheon. Orbiting planet: Earth. Dominant life form: Human. Belief system: various. More information required. Scanning for samples.

Robot      Welcome to survey ship pantheon. Our mission is to investigate the culture of your planet, and you have been selected to represent your belief system. Please state your name.

Ajmal       Ajmal Masroor.

Robot      Religion.

Ajmal       Islam, and therefore I'm a Muslim.

Robot      Holy book.

Ajmal       the Qur'an.

Robot      Holy building.

Ajmal       The Ka'bah that is in Makkah, mosques as well as masjids.

Robot      Symbol.

Ajmal       People associate Crescent and the star with Islam.

Robot      You will now be asked a series of questions from the categories on screen. You have 30 of your Earth seconds to provide a satisfactory answer to each one. Failure to comply will result in matter dispersal. Are you ready?

Ajmal       Yes.

Robot      Standby. Choose the first category.

Ajmal       God.

Robot      What do you believe about God?

Ajmal       God in Islam is known as Allah. He is one and the only, he has no partners, in other words, there is nobody else like him. He does not have a father or a mother. He is absolute, he is most powerful, his most kind, most merciful, most loving. He is present everywhere. He is in control of the whole universe. He decides on our future and he, out of his love and mercy, has created everything for us. We must have a good relationship with him and that relationship must be direct without anyone else.

Ajmal       Okay, life after death.

Robot      What do you believe will happen to humans after death?

Ajmal       We will all die, but will be raised again in our flesh and blood with a soul and all our actions, good and bad, to be present in front of God. We'll be asked questions about what we did on this Earth with our time, with our good looks, with our youth, with our money, with our family and everything that we had. If we were good, we would be given heaven as a return, and if we were wicked and bad, we would be sent to hell. Hell is a place where people will be punished and tormented. Whereas heaven is a place where people will live forever in happiness and bliss.

Ajmal       Beginnings.

Robot      How did your religion begin?

Ajmal       It began a long time ago, in fact, with Adam, but Muhammad, specifically, the prophet of God being the final messenger, who was born in Makkah. In the year 610, when he was around 40 years old, he was meditating in a cave near his home, wondering, what should I do with life? Suddenly, God sent his archangel Gabriel, Jibra'il, with message, message of reading, writing and enlightening people, becoming better, being good to God and being good to human being. Having the right to live on this earth freely and without any fear.

Ajmal       Everyday life.

Robot      How does your religion affect everyday life?

Ajmal       It's about being aware of good and bad. It's being aware of God's presence in your life. It's being about, leading a good life, eating halal food, eating organic food is probably most close to halal food, actually. Being good to your fellow human beings, being kind, sharing, caring with your neighbours, praying five times a day, giving charity, fasting in the month of Ramadan, going to Hajj once in your lifetime, but most importantly, being decent with your fellow human beings and being good and loyal to God.

Ajmal       Festival.

Robot      What is the most important festival in your religion?

Ajmal       Most important festival in Islam is Eid ul-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr, those two. Eid ul-Fitr follows Ramadan 30 days of fasting. You have not eaten, you have not drunk whole day for 30 days, and that's an achievement that you celebrate by joining your friends and families eating, celebrating, and that's called Eid-ul-fitr. Eid-ul-adha follows Hajj people who have gone to Hajj once in a lifetime opportunity for them. That achievement is marked by you and I in our own home by celebrating, enjoying and doing the same thing.

Ajmal       Rites of passage.

Robot      How does a Muslim family celebrate the birth of a baby?

Ajmal       As soon as the baby is born, we do call to prayer into the ear of the baby, it's called the adhan. We believe every child is born a Muslim in their natural state, we would like to reconnect them with God. We celebrate also by shaving their hair, weighing their hair against gold or silver, and giving that money to the poor and the needy, the first act of charity for this baby. Some babies, boys especially, would have circumcision done in the earlier days or later. We also do aqiqah, where we slaughter an animal and eat the meat and celebrate with friends and family.

Ajmal       Random.

Robot      Why do Muslim women cover themselves up?

Ajmal       In the Quran, God says men and women must dress up modestly. Part of modesty for a woman is to cover her entire body except her face and her hands. Some don't, but that's their choice. Most do, to keep themselves within the lines and teachings of Islam, of modesty. Shyness and bashfulness is a good trait Islam celebrates.

Robot      Thank you. Your answers are satisfactory. Matter dispersal beams powering down. You will now be returned to Earth, human. Goodbye.

 

Alien Abduction: Islam

Video length - 5.48
Published date - Jun 2013
Keystage(s) - 3
Downloadable resources

Alien Abduction: Judaism – Orbiting Earth at this very moment, the alien survey ship “Pantheon” is abducting people to collect data about their belief systems. Rabbi David is beamed into the interrogation chamber to answer questions about Judaism.

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

AQA

Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices - Judaism - Introduction to Judaism - Introduction to the idea of common and divergent views within Judaism. Key beliefs: The nature of God - God as one. Key beliefs: Beliefs about life after death - Beliefs about life after death, including judgement and resurrection. The origins and value of the universe - Religious teachings about the use and abuse of animals, including animal experimentation and the use of animals for food. Family life and festivals - Festivals and their importance for Jews in Great Britain today, including the origins and meaning of Pesach. The synagogue and worship - Shabbat in the home and synagogue and its significance. Worship in the home and private prayer.

Edexcel

Area of Study 1 – Judaism - Section 1: Jewish Beliefs - The nature of the Almighty: how the characteristics of the Almighty are shown in the Torah, and why they are important in Jewish life today, including One, Creator, Law-Giver and Judge. Jewish beliefs about life after death: divergent Jewish understandings of the nature and significance of life after death including reference to different forms of Orthodox and Reform Judaism; Jewish teachings about life after death including interpretations of Ecclesiastes 12; the nature of resurrection and judgement; why belief in life after death may be important for Jews today. Section 3: Living the Jewish Life -The nature and purpose of Jewish public acts of worship: the nature, features and purpose of Jewish public worship, including interpretations of Psalms 116:12–19; the nature, features and importance of synagogue services for the Jewish community and the individual. Jewish festivals: the nature, history, purpose and significance of Jewish festivals; the origins and meaning of specific festivals, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, including interpretations of Leviticus 23 (Rosh Hashanah); divergent understandings of why festivals are important to different forms of Orthodox and Reform Judaism today. Section 4: Matters of Life and Death - Jewish teachings about life after death: Jewish teachings and beliefs that support the existence of a life after death 

OCR 

Component Group 1 - Judaism - Practices- Rituals • The meaning and importance of rites of passage • The form and meaning of Jewish birth ceremonies including: •• The welcoming of a baby girl •• The connection between Brit Milah and the covenant with Abraham •• The circumcision •• The roles of the father •• Mohel and Sandek •• The importance of birth rituals for the community • The form and meaning of Bar/Bat Mitzvah including: •• The preparation •• The nature of the service •• Subsequent preparations •• The meaning and nature of Bat Chayil The meaning and importance of burial rites including: •• The nature of burial •• The tearing of clothes •• The Kaddish Dietary laws • The origin and nature of dietary laws •The mitzvoth and traditions regarding the slaughter and consumption of animals •The mitzvot and traditions regarding the consumption of poultry, fish, fruit and vegetables •The mitzvot and traditions regarding the consumption of meat and milk together • The importance and impact of dietary laws on Jewish lifestyle • The meaning of the terms Kosher and Terefah • Issues related to the dietary laws, including pikuach nefesh and breaking the laws of kashrut • Common and divergent emphases placed on the dietary laws by different Jewish groups, including the preparation of food by non-Jews
Festivals • The origins and importance of Rosh Hashanah, including Teshuva, the Shofar, symbolic foods, the synagogue service and Tashlich • The origins and importance of Yom Kippur, including the connection to Rosh Hashanah, the Book of Life, Kapparah, the rules of Yom Kippur, the importance and nature of fasting, the synagogue services and Neilah •The origins and importance of the Pilgrim Festivals, including the story of the Exodus, the importance of chametz and the Seder meal • The origins and importance of Sukkot, including the building of sukkah and the four species • The origins and importance of Hanukkah • The origins and importance of Pesach
Law• The form and content of the Tenakh (the Written Law) • The Chumash and the Sefer Torah • The nature of the Talmud (the Oral Law) •The relationship between the Talmud and the Torah, including the ways in which the Talmud is used in relation to the Torah • The use of the Torah in the synagogue • The use of the Tenakh in private worship • The way that the Torah provides structure to the life of a Jew, including the use of the Neviim and Ketuvim in public and private worship •The significance of the use in daily life of the Tenakh and the Talmud •Issues related to the law, including the different views held amongst religious Jews regarding the nature of the Torah and the Talmud • Common and divergent emphases placed on the Tenakh and Talmud by different Jewish groups •Different interpretations and emphases given to sources of wisdom and authority by different Jewish groups Beliefs and Teachings - Sanctity of life• The meaning and concept of sanctity of life •The siginifcance that Judaism places on the sanctity of human life • The concept and meaning of Pikuach Nefesh (the obligation to save life) •The significance of Pikuach Nefeshin Jewish personal, social and community life •Issues related to the sanctity of life, including what kinds of life are sacred • Common and divergent emphases placed on the concept of the sanctity of life by different Jewish groups, including the difference between human and non-human lives • Common and divergent emphases placed on the concept of Pikuach Nefesh by different Jewish groups, including whether the principle extends to relieving suffering/illness Nature of G-d• The meaning of the terms G-d as One, Creator, Law-Giver, Judge and Eternal •The signifa nce of the following characteristics for Jews: •• All-powerful •• All-good •• All-knowing •• Everywhere •• Beyond time and space •• Concerned with humanity •• Intervening in the world •• Transcendent and immanent • Issues related to the nature of G-d, including the problem of evil and suffering • Common and divergent emphases placed on these characteristics by different Jewish groups, including beliefs about the Last Day of the world as Judgement day and the judgements made by G-d on Rosh Hashannah Promised Land • The concept of the Promised Land: to whom was it promised and in return for what? • The origins of a belief in the Promised Land in the Covenant with Abraham •The significance of the Covenant with Abraham • The role of Abraham and his importance in Judaism • Issues related to the Promised Land, including whether this concept is equally important for all religious Jews
WJEC

2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Part A Christianity - Core beliefs, teachings and practices – Practices - Church  Diversity of Christianity: Catholic, Anglican, Church in Wales, non-conformist churches and chapels  Role of the local church  Diverse features of churches and chapels and diversity of worship practices.  Importance of prayer, communal and private - Matthew 6:5-13, Matthew 18:20  Social and community functions of churches, examples in Wales: food banks, the work of the Salvation Army, the work of Shelter Cymru  Christian groups working for Social justice, Reconciliation, Inter-faith dialogue e.g. Interfaith Council for Wales, World Council of Churches, Christian-Muslim Forum, Council of Christians and Jews  Persecution of Christians in the modern world (Matthew 10:22)

EDUQAS

Component 3: Study of a World Faith - Option 4:Judaism - Beliefs and teachings - The nature of God ➢ Issues of God as: One, Creator: Genesis 1: 3-5; 1: 26-28, The Shema ➢ Law-Giver and Judge: Exodus 20:1-15 ➢ The nature and significance of shekhinah (the divine presence) Messiah (Mashiach) ➢ Different views within Orthodox and Reform Judaism about the nature and role of the Mashiach (Messiah); special person who brings an age of peace, ourselves, his arrival as signaling the end of the world, praying for his coming, concerned more with living life according to the mitzvot Covenant ➢ The meaning and significance of the Abrahamic Covenant: Genesis 12:1-3, 17:6-8, 17:11-14 including the importance of the ‘Promised Land’ ➢ The meaning and significance of the Covenant with Moses at Sinai: Exodus 3:11-15 including the continuing importance of the idea of a ‘Promised Land’ ➢ Importance of the Ten Commandments: Exodus 20:2-14 The afterlife ➢ Orthodox and Reform beliefs and teachings about life after death, judgement and resurrection; spiritual and/or bodily resurrection, immortality of the soul and the belief that we must focus on this life in preparation for whatever happens in the next. Practices - Worship: practices in Britain and elsewhere ➢ The nature and importance of Orthodox and Reform synagogue services; Shabbat service, the significance of prayer including the standing prayer (Amidah) ➢ Worship in the home; siddur, recitation of Shema and Modeh Ani, display of mezuzah. The importance of preparing for and celebrating Shabbat: Exodus 20:8-10 ➢ Items worn for worship; tallith, tefillin and kippah The Synagogue ➢ Features of different synagogues in Britain: significance of bimah, aron hakodesh, Torah scrolls, ner tamid, seating, minyan; Exodus 20:4-5 ➢ Worship, social and community functions of Orthodox and Reform synagogues serving Jewish communities in Britain. Rituals ➢ The role and importance of Brit Milah: Covenant, identity, features of the ceremony ➢ Bar Mitzvah: Law and personal responsibility, features of the ceremony ➢ Orthodox and Reform views regarding Bat Mitzvah and Bat Chayil and features of the ceremonies ➢ Marriage: Genesis 2: 24, features of the ceremony ➢ Mourning rituals: onan, kaddish, sheva, yarzheit. Role of chevra kaddisha Daily life ➢ Significance of use of the Tenakh and the Talmud in daily life; ➢ Dietary laws: kosher/treyfah, parev, the prohibition of milk with meat, requirements of a kosher kitchen: Leviticus 11:1-23 ➢ Keeping kosher in Britain: benefits and challenges Festivals: practices in Britain and elsewhere ➢ The origin, meaning and celebration of the following festivals among different Jewish communities in Britain ➢ Rosh Hashanah ➢ Yom Kippur ➢ Pesach: Exodus 12:14 

Alien Abduction: Judaism

Robot          Survey ship Pantheon orbiting planet: Earth. Dominant life form: Human. Belief system: Various. More information required. Scanning for samples. Welcome to survey ship Pantheon, our mission is to investigate the culture of your planet, and you have been selected to represent your belief system. Please state your name.

Rabbi David Lister      Rabbi David Lister.

Robot          Religion.

Rabbi David Lister      Judaism.

Robot          Holy book.

Rabbi David Lister      Torah.

Robot          Holy building.

Rabbi David Lister      Synagogue, sometimes referred to as a shul.

Robot          Symbol.

Rabbi David Lister      The Star of David or a seven branched lamp called a menorah.

Robot          You will now be asked a series of questions from the categories on screen. You have 30 of your Earth seconds to provide a satisfactory answer to each one. Failure to comply will result in matter dispersal. Are you ready?

Rabbi David Lister      Yes.

Robot          Standby. Choose the first category.

Rabbi David Lister      God.

Robot          What do you believe about God?

Rabbi David Lister      We believe that God is a creator, just the one, and he made everything in the universe, and he looks after people in this world by giving them a spiritual job to do. If they do that job very well, then they will develop themselves, and after death they will be able to enjoy a special closeness to God.

Rabbi David Lister      Life after death.

Robot          What do you believe will happen to humans after death?

Rabbi David Lister      A person's body is put in the ground, their soul is released from the body and returns to God. The better we have worked in this life on doing the things that God has asked us to do, the more we will be able to understand and appreciate what it's like to be with him after we die. We don't understand much about what it's like after death, but we know that it is a good thing to be in that state.

Rabbi David Lister      Beginnings.

Robot          How did your religion begin?

Rabbi David Lister      It started when God spoke to Abraham, nearly 4000 years ago. Abraham had a family that went down to Egypt, and their descendants came out of the slavery in Egypt after 210 years there. We went to Mount Sinai in the Sinai desert. God came down on the mountain, spoke to us, said the Ten Commandments, and then we received the Torah from Moses.

Rabbi David Lister      Everyday life.

Robot          How does your religion affect everyday life?

Rabbi David Lister 2   In lots of different ways. We have rules about what we eat so all our food must be kosher. We have rules about what we wear. We're not allowed to wear a garment that has both wool and linen in it. Jewish men are supposed to wear a kippah on their heads. We have to pray. We have to behave to each other in a kind and gentle way, and most of all, I think, we're supposed to think about ourselves and the world in a cheerful and positive way. Festivals.

Rabbi David Lister      In lots of different ways. We have rules about what we eat so all our food must be kosher. We have rules about what we wear. We're not allowed to wear a garment that has both wool and linen in it. Jewish men are supposed to wear a kippah on their heads. We have to pray. We have to behave to each other in a kind and gentle way, and most of all, I think, we're supposed to think about ourselves and the world in a cheerful and positive way.

Rabbi David Lister      Festivals.

Robot          What is the most important festival in your religion?

Rabbi David Lister      There are many important times in our year. There's Pesach or Passover when we remember and relive the Exodus from Egypt. And there's Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which is a big new start for everybody. My favourite festival, if you can call it that, is Shabbat, which happens every single week. That's our Sabbath starts on Friday afternoon and finishes Saturday night. It's a time when we can't do lots of things, and we have to calm down and listen to each other.

Rabbi David Lister      Rites of passage.

Robot          What is a bar mitzvah?

Rabbi David Lister      Bar mitzvah means son of commandment. It's a time when a boy turns 13, and we celebrate the fact that he's now obliged to keep the commandments like every other Jewish adult. He will normally celebrate this by going to the synagogue and reading a portion of the Torah, and having a party afterwards. A girl will have a bat mitzvah, which means daughter of the commandment, when she turns 12, and she will also celebrate this by going to the synagogue and perhaps reading a speech.

Rabbi David Lister      Random.

Rabbi David Lister      What's so bad about pigs?

Rabbi David Lister      Um, pigs aren't such a big deal in Judaism. They're part of a non-kosher group of animals, like the horse, the rabbit, um, any animal that doesn't have both split hooves and many stomachs is not kosher, and we may not, we may not eat it. We're a bit worried about the symbolism of the pig, because on the outside it looks kosher, because it has split hooves, but inside it only has the one stomach, so it's regarded as a faker.

Robot          Thank you. Your answers are satisfactory. Matter dispersal beams powering down. You will now be returned to Earth, human. Goodbye.

Alien Abduction: Judaism

Video length - 5.44
Published date - Jun 2013
Keystage(s) - 3

Alien Abduction: Christianity – Orbiting Earth at this very moment, the alien survey ship “Pantheon” is abducting people to collect data about their belief systems. Reverend Harry is beamed into the interrogation chamber to answer questions about Christianity.

Alien Abduction: Christianity

Robot      Survey ship Pantheon orbiting planet: Earth. Dominant life form: Human. Belief system: Various. More information required. Scanning for samples. Welcome to survey ship Pantheon. Our mission is to investigate the culture of your planet, and you have been selected to represent your belief system. Please state your name.

Harry       Harry.

Robot      Religion.

Harry       Christian.

Robot      Holy book.

Harry       The Bible.

Robot      Holy building.

Harry       The church.

Robot      Symbol.

Harry       Um, that would be the cross or a crucifix.

Robot      You will now be asked a series of questions from the categories on screen. You have 30 of your Earth seconds to provide a satisfactory answer to each one. Failure to comply will result in matter dispersal. Are you ready?

Harry       Yep.

Robot      Stand by. Choose the first category.

Harry       God.

Robot      What do you believe about God?

Harry       I believe that God created the whole world, the universe and everything in it. That God created humanity for a purpose and a reason, and that God wants to know us and wants us to know him. God revealed himself to us through the Trinity. There is one God, but there are three parts of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and God lives through us through the Holy Spirit, he's with us in the power of the spirit always.

Harry       Life after death.

Robot      What do you believe will happen to humans after death?

Harry       Um, Christians believe that death is really the beginning, not the end, so when we die, we can go to be with God in heaven. The Bible teaches that there's some kind of judgement, God wants to judge sin and remove sin from his ultimate creation, so all of us will stand before God and will be judged. The good news is, is that Jesus takes that judgement for us, so the Bible says that if we turn to Jesus, then he will bear that judgement for us. So that's what I believe.

Harry       Beginnings.

Robot      How did your religion begin?

Harry       The beginnings of Christianity are in Judaism. Jesus, the founder of Christianity, was a Jew, he lived as a Jew, but he developed Judaism and taught his own message. So Jesus lived his life in a in a provocative way, he performed miracles, he taught different teachings. But ultimately the beginnings of Christianity, certainly the beginnings of the church, are in the death and resurrection of Jesus, that's when our religion began and broke away from Judaism, and that's where we are today.

Harry       Everyday life.

Robot      How does your religion affect everyday life?

Harry       Um, as a Christian, I try and read my Bible and pray every day, but also as a Christian we have to try and live the teachings of Jesus. So everything that Jesus taught, we have to put into action. That means we need to love people, we need to show justice, we need to seek to change the wrongs that are in the world and really demonstrate the love of God to everyone we meet. That's not always easy, but every day we need to be trying to do that, to demonstrate the love of God for his creation. Festivals.

Robot      What is the most important festival in your religion?

Harry       The biggest festival in our religion is probably Christmas, that's the one that most people know, but I don't think it's the most important. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus and Jesus had to be born, but the central message of what Christians believe is that Jesus died and rose again, and we celebrate that at Easter. At Easter we remember that Jesus died, he was crucified, nailed to a cross, but he rose again three days later. The festival of Easter celebrates that, his death, his coming back to life, his rising again.

Harry       Rites of passage.

Robot      What is a baptism?

Harry       Oh, good question, baptism. There's two kinds of baptism. Sometimes we baptise babies, and often that's with a sprinkling of water, sometimes when we baptise adults, it's by a full immersion, fully underwater. Baptism marks a new life, so the sprinkling of water is washing away our old life and our old sins, or even in a full immersion, we're kind of buried under the water, and then we come back out into new life. It's a symbol of new life, new beginnings and starting again.

Harry       Random.

Robot      Why are there so many different types of Christian?

Harry       Oh gosh, good question. There are different kinds of Christians, like, there are Roman Catholics, Church of England, Pentecostals, Baptists, Methodists. Not because they believe different things, largely we believe the same thing, but because people express themselves in different ways. So we all like different types of music or different food or things like that, and so the different types of Christians emerged, because we want to talk to God in different ways, and we hear from God in different ways, and that's why different types of Christians emerged today.

Robot      Thank you. Your answers are satisfactory. Matter dispersal beams powering down. You will now be returned to Earth, human. Goodbye.

Alien Abduction: Christianity

Video length - 6.05
Published date - Jun 2013
Keystage(s) - 3

Paul’s Conversion – Religious conversion is a powerful experience that can change someone’s beliefs entirely. David Suchet takes a close look at Christianity’s most famous conversion story: St Paul on the road to Damascus.

Paul’s Conversion

Video length - 3.16
Published date - May 2013
Keystage(s) - 4 and 5

Juliet’s Story – From child soldier to global campaigner. This is Juliet’s story.

Film courtesy of  War Child.

Juliet’s Story

Video length - 4.41
Published date - May 2013
Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Proving God Exists – For most people who believe in God, their faith is enough to know that he is real. But is there a way for them to prove to non-believers that God exists? This film takes a look at the various arguments for the existence of God, and wonders how convincing they are… Animation by Ceiren Bell

TrueTube films are designed for use in a number of ways. Some ideas of where this film could link to your curriculum are below:

 

AQA

Component 2 - Religious, philosophical and ethical studies in the modern world: Theme C - The existence of God and Revelation: The Design Argument:The Design Argument, including its strengths and weaknesses.

The First Cause Argument: The First Cause Argument, including its strengths and weaknesses.

 

Edexcel

Area of Study 3 - Section 2: Philosophy of Religion: religious experience: Cosmological argument: the cosmological argument for the existence of God and its use by religions as a philosophical argument for the existence of God, including reference to Thomas Aquinas' First Three Ways of showing God's existence; divergent understandings of the nature and importance of what the cosmological argument shows about the nature of God ; religious responses to nonreligious (including atheist and Humanist) arguments against the cosmological argument as evidence for the existence of God.

Design argument: the classical design argument for the existence of God and its use byreligions as a philosophical argument for the existence of God; divergent understandings about what the design argument may show about the nature of God for people of faith, religious responses to non-religious (including atheist and Humanist) arguments against the design argument as evidence for the existence of God.

 

OCR

Component Group 2–Religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a religious perspective - the existence of God, gods and ultimate reality, and ways in which God, gods or ultimate reality might be understood; through revelation, visions, miracles or enlightenment.

 

WJEC

Component Group 2 - Religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a Christian perspective- The existence of God - The nature of reality - Key philosophical concepts: • Arguments about the existence of God • Ideas about the purpose of the world • Ethical living •Christian philosophical views on the nature of reality and the reasons for belief in God, including: •• The world as designed and the argument from the evidence of design and purpose •• The world as requiring a cause and the argument from the concept of first cause •• The world as formed for humanity, as expressed in Genesis by the Anthropic principle •• The world and moral consequence, soul-making and judgement • The value and importance of arguments for the existence of God

Proving God Exists

Is it possible to prove that God exists? Well, probably not, but it hasn't stopped people trying over the years. You see, it's not enough for some people to believe there's a God just because it says so in a holy book. How do I know the Holy book is true, they say. And the answer, because God wrote it, doesn't seem to satisfy them. Ah, but what about religious experiences? Say the believers Surely, they prove that God exists? Well, not necessarily. People who say they've had religious experiences could be mistaken, or making it up, or mad. Sorry. Science and coincidence can often explain the rest. So where does our sense of right and wrong come from, say the believers? It must come from God. Well, again, not necessarily. Humans could have worked it out for themselves. For example, if a man is living in a small community. it's not going to work if he steals someone's food, sleeps with someone's wife, or shoots someone's brother. And if he did, the rest of the community would have something to say about it. Probably along the lines of don't do that, it's wrong.

While the search for solid evidence goes on, there are three main arguments that try to prove, from what we already know, that there is without any doubt, a God. So let's start with the cosmological argument or first cause argument, which goes like this. God must exist because who else could have made the universe? Everything has a cause. Nothing just happens. A vase doesn't smash by itself. A ball doesn't bounce by itself. A child doesn't just suddenly appear. They all have causes. And so, the argument goes, the universe must have a cause as well. A first cause. Therefore God exists. And what caused us? We don't have to be here, but we are. So something, or someone, must have had a reason for creating us. Or to put it another way, the universe is big. In fact, the universe is a bigger place than it's comfortable to imagine. Each person is a tiny dot on the planet, which is an even tinier dot in the solar system, which is an even tinier dot in the galaxy, which is an even tinier dot in the universe. If we didn't exist, the cosmos wouldn't even notice, and yet here we are. So there must be a cause, therefore God exists.

But there are problems with this argument. It's all built on the idea that everything has a cause. So who or what caused God? And if the universe is so big, then it's highly likely that in all that space with countless billions of planets to choose from, other life forms exist on some of them. And like our alien friends, we could be here just because we got lucky.

The teleological argument, fortunately also known as the argument from design, states that because the world is the perfect environment for humans to live in, it must have been designed specifically with humans in mind, therefore God exists. In 1802, a man called William Paley had a best seller on his hands when he wrote an explanation of the argument. It goes like this. Say you're walking in the country and you find a stone. You pick it up and look at it. It doesn't do anything, however much you shake it. The stone obviously has no purpose. So you throw it away and you walk on a bit and find a watch. You pick it up and look at it. It ticks. It has numbers. It has hands that go round. Unlike the stone, it's obvious that the watch has a purpose. And so it must have been designed by someone. Now, take a look at the world. It's the perfect environment for human beings. There's air, food and water. It's the right temperature. It has the right amount of gravity, and everything seems to work together to provide humans with a good home. It's obvious that it has a purpose. In fact, it's just the sort of place someone might design for humans to live in.

Well, said, Mr. Paley, it's staring you in the face, isn't it? It was designed. Therefore God exists. For a little while this argument seemed to clinch it. Nice one, Mr. Paley. But then, along came Charles Darwin and turned the whole argument on its head. The world, he said, wasn't made to suit people, people changed to suit the world. The Earth appeared by chance, and as plants and animals grew, they adapted over millions of years to deal with what was already here. And that wasn't the only problem with the argument from design. People pointed out that the design isn't perfect. There are lots of dangerous and nasty things out there diseases, for example, that spread without check, causing suffering and death. So if the world was designed, they said this must be the prototype, and as a parting shot, they added, if God designed us, then who designed God? So that just about wraps it up for the teleological argument.

But there's one more to look at, the ontological argument, and it's a bit of a mind mangler. It goes like this. If God is the greatest being in the universe, then he must exist, because if he doesn't exist, he wouldn't be the greatest being in the universe, therefore, God exists. Or to put it another way, something that exists is greater than something that doesn't exist. So in order for God to be the greatest possible being in the universe, he must exist. The general opinion of this argument is that it's trying to confuse people into believing in God. Eminent philosophers are divided on whether it's brilliant or a bucket full of gibbon dribble, but it's not as mad as it might sound. Describing something in a certain way can sometimes mean that it must exist. For example, the tallest man alive. Even if you had never met the tallest man alive, you would know that he exists. Because somewhere in the world there is a man who's taller than the second tallest man alive, therefore the tallest man alive must exist. Or think of how you'd describe a triangle, a three sided shape. As soon as you start mucking about with the number of sides it has, it stops being a triangle. A three sided shape is always, by definition, a triangle.

So what about the description of God as the greatest possible being? Philosophers have argued that something doesn't have to exist for it to be great. Greatness is so hard to define. Someone could describe the greatest possible chocolate bar, the size of a tower block and full of marshmallow pieces, but that doesn't mean it must exist. But if it doesn't exist, then can it really be called the greatest? And so on, but you can argue about the meaning of words as much as you like. The ontological argument doesn't prove the existence of God.

These arguments have made a lot of theologians, philosophers, and scientists very famous over the years, but they have failed to prove that God exists. But then no one has managed to prove that God doesn't exist either. Some would say that it's pointless to try and prove or disprove the existence of a God who is, if he exists, completely beyond our understanding anyway. In the end, what it comes down to is this. Do you believe in God or not?

Proving God Exists

Video length - 8.32
Published date - Apr 2013
Keystage(s) - 3 and 4
Downloadable resources

It’s a Miracle! – Peter – fisherman, apostle, “The Rock” – shares his memories of Jesus. He talks about their friendship and describes the different kinds of miracle he saw Jesus perform. Animation by Ceiren Bell

This film was a finalist in the “Short Form Video” category of the Jerusalem Awards 2013.

It’s a Miracle!

Video length - 04.17
Published date - Apr 2013
Keystage(s) - 2, 3 and 4
Downloadable resources

Euthanasia: Playing God? – Should terminally ill people have the right to die? Would doctors be “playing God”? Two friends debate the arguments for and against assisted suicide.

Euthanasia: Playing God?

Video length - 2.55
Published date - Mar 2013
Keystage(s) - 4
Downloadable resources

Paranormal Points of View – Is there a spirit world? And if there is, can it be contacted? Members of the public give their opinions on the paranormal.

Paranormal Points of View

Video length - 3.29
Published date - Feb 2013
Keystage(s) - 3 and 4
Downloadable resources
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