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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.
The Formation of the Khalsa
What would you die for? A report from the Punjab in India where the Sikh leader, Guru Gobind Singh, is asking people to stand up for their faith with an unusual question: “Who will give their head to my sword?” 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 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices - Sikhism - The Festival of Vaisakhi (Baisakhi) - This covers the what, how, why, who, when of the festival.
Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teaching and practices - Sikhism - The Sikh initiation ceremony (Amrit Sanskar) - This includes the meaning and importance of the Khalsa and the five Ks, and the different perspectives of sahajdhari and amritdhari Sikhs.The use and significance of Singh and Kaur can be covered too.
Edexcel
Area of Study 1 - Sikhism - Section 3: Living the Sikh Life - Birth and naming rituals and ceremonies: the celebration and significance of Naam Karan and Hukamnama; the significance of Amrit sanskar (the initiation ceremony) for Sikh families, including reference to the Rahit Maryada Chapters 11 and 13; divergent understandings of these ceremonies between khalsa and non-khalsa Sikhs; the significance of the names Singh and Kaur in the naming and Amrit ceremonies, and for Sikh identity today.
WJEC
2.1 Unit 1 PART A - Part A Sikhism- Core beliefs, teachings and practices –Practices -Ceremonies Naming a Sikh child – meaning and significance The significance and use of the names Singh and Kaur Sikh initiation ceremony (Amrit Sanskar) – importance and significance in a Sikh’s life and consideration given to the perspective of non-khalsa Sikhs Meaning of the main features of the initiation ceremony Wearing of the 5k’s and their symbolism and significance – kesh, kangha, kirpan, kara, kacch.
Eduqas
Option 5: Sikhism: Beliefs and teachings: The sangat:Basis for acts of sewa (selfless service), nihangs, khalsa. Practices: 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. Component 1 (Route A) Religious, Philosophical and Ethical Studies in the Modern World :Theme 4: Issues of Human Rights: Prejudice and discrimination: Sikh beliefs, teachings and attitudes towards racial prejudice and discrimination, including Guru Gobind Singh's formation of the Khalsa
The Formation of the Khalsa
Anandpur in the Punjab and the scene today of extraordinary events. Sikhs have come here from far and wide to celebrate the harvest festival of Besakih. There has been particular interest this year as Guru Gobind Rai, the Sikh leader, asked people to make a special effort to come.
All very intriguing. In front of the castle, a tent had been put up on a specially built stage, and tens of thousands of Sikhs gathered in expectations of the Guru's arrival, no doubt hoping that he would have some words of inspiration for them, in these troubled times when so many have faced persecution for their faith. Then the crowd was on its feet, cheering and waving as the guru walked out and took centre stage. He made an impressive sight, waving a sword above his head that flashed in the sunlight. He waited for the crowds to fall silent and then said: Who among you is willing to die for God and for their guru? Who will give their head to my sword? Certainly an unusual way to start a speech, and there was some confusion in the crowd.
But then a man got to his feet and made his way to the stage. This was Dharam, a young man from a well to do family. The guru welcomed him like a brother and took him into the tent. People were muttering to each other, wondering what was going on. Then the guru emerged alone from the tent and waved the bloodied blade above his head. Shock ran through the crowd like a wave. Had the guru beheaded Dharam? But the guru was speaking again. Who else is willing to give their life for God and for me? This time everyone remained absolutely still, frightened even to move. But finally another man stood up and walked calmly to the front, a farmer called Dharam Das. Again, the volunteer was welcomed by the guru and led inside the tent. I, like everyone else in the crowd, held my breath.
This time we distinctly heard the swish of a sword and a sickening thud. The guru came out and brandished his sword for all to see and fresh blood splattered over the crowd. A woman near to me screamed and panic began to spread. But above the noise I heard Guru Gobind Rai's words. My sword is still hungry. Who else is willing to give their head to serve me? Unbelievably, three more men pushed their way to the front. The tailor called Mokham Chand, a barber called Sahib Chand, and a humble water carrier called Himmat Rai. Some of the crowd were crying, some were angry. Some even tried to stop the men from reaching the stage. But one at a time the guru took them into the tent, and each time he came out alone, his sword sticky with congealing blood. The guru appealed for calm and threw back the flaps of the tent.
We stood spellbound as all five men, alive and well, walked out onto the stage. They were wearing saffron robes like the guru and smiling. Then the crowd was cheering and clapping, and the men stepped forward to acknowledge the applause. Five men from very different backgrounds standing shoulder to shoulder with the guru. Five men who were willing to stand up for what they believed, and the guru announced they would be known as the Panj Pyara, the Beloved Five, the first members of the Khalsa. The Pure Ones, a group of Sikhs who are truly committed to the guru. They will be given new names. Singh, that means lion, for men and Kore, meaning princess, for women. So goodbye Guru Gobind Rai, from today we'll be calling you Guru Gobind Singh. The people surged forward, all wanting to join the Khalsa.
I suspect there are some in the Emperor's court who will not be pleased. This is Abu Turani reporting for the Emperor Aurangzeb. Anandpur.
Great British Ramadan
Young women and men talk about the practicalities of taking part in Ramadan in the UK.
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 –Islam - Sawm: the role and significance of fasting during the month of Ramadan including origins, duties, benefits of fasting, the exceptions and their reasons, and the Night of Power, Qur’an 96:1-5.
Edexcel
Section 3: Living the Muslim Life - Islam - Sawm as one of the Five Pillars: the nature, role, significance and purpose of fasting during Ramadan, including Surah 2: 183–185; those who are excused from fasting and why; the significance of the Night of Power: the nature, history and purpose of the Night of Power; why Laylat al-Qadr is important for Muslims today.
OCR
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: Practices: The Five Pillars of Sunni Islam: practices in Britain and elsewhere: Sawm: How Sunni Muslims fast during Ramadan: Qur'an 2:184. Issues relating to Muslims fasting in Britain. Festivals and commemorations: practices in Britain and elsewhere:Id-ul-Fitr: The festival of fast-breaking following Ramadan. How Muslims celebrate Id-ul-Fitr in Britain and worldwide
Great British Ramadan
Of course, I enjoy Ramadan here, because, you know what, I make Ramadan.
You create your own scene, get together with your Muslim friends, go eat somewhere.
Every single Muslim around the world is doing the exact same thing.
It's just fun. Sometimes it's fun, like to be a part of everyone. What everyone's doing.
Ramadan is a time once in the year where you come, where you can fill up on spirituality and then use that spirituality throughout the year.
(Music)
The hardest thing about fasting would probably be, um, no food or drink.
Look at the food, I'm so hungry. Oh, that's my weak point, surrounded by food, pastries, sandwiches, biscuits.
Thinking about people who don't have food. That's really what we're meant to be doing. Thinking about the poor.
People are constantly consuming food, whether it's, even me, like, personally, I always snack. It's quite scary because when you go on the streets, everybody's just eating. When I fast, I realise that I don't really need to be eating constantly.
You're so hungry by the end of it, that people, I think you'll find more ways to be excited, it's like, you know, when you believe it, you buy it, buy it, and then you just eat more. Just hearing that it's Ramadan, you just want to be good.
It's really useful to me. Like, because it's not just fasting from food, it's fasting from a lot of stuff. I tend to swear quite a lot. I mean, Ramadan, like I make a conscious effort to not do it.
I start like backbiting about people.
Oh, so you backbite
You don't, if you don't live up to to being that good, I don't know, I feel a sense of guilt.
Yeah.
You have, you have no excuse. The devil's locked up and you know nothing can whisper in your ear, and this is you. When I come to, like, like gossip or just do something like innocent like that, I feel like, wow, this is really me, and I'm such a bad gossip.
The point is that, like, humans sin by nature, you can't help it. You're like, if you fall and you do it, then you do it. And then Ramadan is a time to repent. It's tiring. It's, it's fun and not fun at the same time.
There's a word called Jihad, which is often misused a lot, and jihad is any struggle for God. You're hungry, you're thirsty, and you're still trying to, you know, concentrate on telling the truth, worshipping, not, like, backbiting, it's like, you know, you've got no fuel in your body.
Oh, I'm so excited! So excited.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
I wanna thank you Allah for the food, for giving us good health.
Pro-life Vs Pro-choice
Jessica Melly, who believes that abortion should be illegal, pitches her perspective against some members of the public, showing that there are two sides to the story and asking viewers to decide how they feel about this issue.
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 B - Religion and life - The origins and value of human life The concepts of sanctity of life and the quality of life. Religious teachings, beliefs and attitudes about abortion, including situations when the mother’s life is at risk.
Edexcel
Area of Study 1 - Section 4: Matters of Life and Death- All religions - Implications of religious teachings about value and sanctity of life for the issue of abortion: the nature of abortion.
OCR
Componet Group 2 -Religion,philosophy and ethics in the modern world:Freedom of expression • Freedom of practice • Equality in society • The value of human life •Self-determination - Potential clashes between religious teachings and scientific development in medical ethics, including: • Abortion
WJEC
PART B -Theme 1: Issues of Life and Death --The origin and value of human life
Eduqas
Component 1 (Route A):Religious, Philosophical and Ethical Studies in the Modern World: Theme 2: Issues of Life and Death: The origin and value of human life.
Pro-Life vs Pro-Choice
And In the Blue Corner. Life supporter Jessica argues the case against abortion and in the red corner, the word on the street.
I think the problem with the freedom of choice and the right to choose is that it doesn't actually take into account everybody's right to choose, and the father is overlooked completely, and the embryo and foetus itself, that baby doesn't have a right to choose, and it doesn't encourage women to take responsibility for their sexual habits.
Since the woman really she has to go through it all.
Because ultimately it's me that would be carrying the baby and would be left with a baby. So I think that I would always take responsibility myself.
What if the baby would be disabled?
You can't put a measure on somebody's potential. Every aborted foetus has potential, and whether it's disabled or whether it's completely normal, in inverted commas.
True that it's terminating a possible life, but at the same time, it's a life that wouldn't survive without you looking after it anyway.
What if the pregnancy is the result of rape?
Two wrongs don't make a right, and I don't believe that aborting the baby is the best step forward. I think maybe, um, mothers in that circumstance should look at adoption.
The person that's been raped. You know, I totally sympathise with the person who don't want to carry a baby, you know, where that's just caused so much trauma.
Does the bundle of cells count as a baby?
For every single embryo, foetus, cluster of cells has the potential to be a human life, and I don't think it's okay to, um, manipulate that.
It's a potential life, but it's not a life yet, so, I mean, I do agree with stem cell testing.
So what if you have sex for fun and accidentally get pregnant?
I think if you are sexually active, you need to take on the responsibilities that come with it.
Now there have to be other ways, um, for young people to be more careful. I don't know if you go to bed with someone thinking, oh yeah, it's all fine, I'll have an abortion. Um, I think that's a kind of an attitude thing or a culture thing.
What if you can't afford to look after the baby?
I think there are all sorts of ways and means. All sorts of child benefits, all sorts of support networks, um, churches, social centres, governments, all sorts of things like that, councils. There are people willing left, right and centre to support you.
If the mother can't afford to bring up a child. But like because giving a child away, like if you're going to adopt a child, it's going to be hard for the mother as well. You know.
What if the woman's health is at risk?
I think when the mother's health is at risk, it makes it more complicated. But I think there's also an element of letting nature take its course sometimes.
If the woman was at risk for having a baby, like if she was like, I don't know, going to die or something, then obviously it's her life that comes first rather than the baby's because it's not been born yet, so it doesn't have a future as yet, but the woman, she has a future in front of her.
So should abortion be illegal?
I have no doubt that even if abortion was not legal right now, that it would still go ahead. You'd get a lot of bodged abortions, and obviously there are serious health implications for the women that go through all of that.
I think definitely abortion should stay legal. I think that it gave great emancipation to women, being able to make the decision whether to have a child or not, and so I think to make abortion illegal would be taking a backward step.
In my opinion, yes, abortion should be illegal. I think it's taken far too much as a get out clause, um, and it's not the way nature was meant to work.
The fight for reproductive rights is getting messy. What do you think?
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