Tikkun Olam Summary

Religion Study Notes:

Judaism:
The 1st monotheistic religion
Before Judaism people were polytheistic and believed in many gods and goddesses
Jews Islam and Christianity believe that god is the creator.
God created him and in his image and likeness/ this becomes the basis of social justice:
Being fruitful
Creating artist
Creating something
Abraham is the following father of Judaism
Prophetic vision and Tikkun Olam:
Fulfill the covenant
Encourage people to work towards a just and moral society in communion with God
People who can distinguish between justice and injustice
Although it hasn’t been fulfilled, it is a powerful vision where peace and justice paramount
Repair/ Re-Building of the world
Fellowship of all Jewish people
Based on care rather than power
The core ethical teachings of Judaism are based on the Torah and 10 commandments alongside their prophetic vision and the concept of Tikkun Olam.
(Definition - Repair/transformation of the world.
Tikkun Olam is the notion that if a person saves another human being it is as if that person had saved the whole world.
The aim of Tikkun Olam is to achieve a perfected world
The 10 Commandments set the ethical standards by which all Jews must live. In living these commandments they achieve the 2 basic concepts which are:
The proper conduct between the individual and God
The proper conduct between individuals
Jews are the living the “halaches” which translates to the way of life. This is what the Judaic core ethical teaching is all about. The first precept deals with the religious aspect of the Jew in relation to God. The second precept deals with creating a moral and just society. This is the basis of the Jewish prophet vision and the concept of Tikkun Olam
This Suggests Gods:
Omnipotence: All Powerful
Omnipresence: Everywhere at all times
Omniscience: All knowing
Divinely inspired Moral Laws, As their sacred texts is divinely inspired, therefore they are also
inspired
Doesn’t expect all people to live according to the 613 Mitzvoth (Commandments) but some apply to all people.
These are known as the Noahiacle laws:
Prohibition of idols
Murder
Theft
Promising
Blasphemy
Cruelty to animals
Requirements for just laws

Core ethical teachings in Judaism: (Actions speak louder than words)
Based on 2 precepts

Both derive 1. Conduct between individuals and God Beatification
From the Halache 2. Conduct between 2 or more people (1st 5 commandments) 2nd 5 Commandments caters for a just and moral society
Means the way of life

Jewish Concept: Jewish ethical systems based on the Torah and the 10 Commandments
The prophetic vision of Jews although it has not been yet achieved with each other, it to strive and create a peaceful and just society.

Christianity:
Is a monotheistic religion that has its roots in Judaism, the central figure of Jesus of Nazareth (preacher) was recognized by John the Baptist as the messiah, the one for who Jews have been waiting.
To Christians Jesus is the son of God, who came to speak about the kingdom of God and to teach humanity how to live. Jesus death and resurrection was there to bring about salvation from sin, and his return would bring everlasting life to those who choose to follow him.
First the Babylonians then the Assyrians then the Greeks and finally the romans took over their land and controlled the lives of the Jewish people. They began to look for a Messiah to lead them out of slavery and into freedom.
Pharisees were a lay group of Jews who provided themselves on a strict observance of the Jewish law.
Sadducees were priests who came from the wealthy families of Jerusalem, they were concerned with the running of the temple and its religious ceremonies, and they did not believe in life after death.
Sanhedrin was the Jewish religious council in Jerusalem. It had 71 members and met twice a week in the temple, they enacted laws and regulated religious life, it was presided by high priests.
High priests were always a Sadducee although the council would pass a death sentence, under Roman occupation
Samaritans were Jews who split from mainstream Judaism. Samaritans were hauled by Jesus
Romans were at the time of Jesus, Israel was occupied and controlled by the Roman Empire. Governors and soldiers were posted there to maintain order and put down uprisings
Tax-Collectors were Jews who worked for the Romans by collecting taxes from their fellow Jews.
Poor and sick were usually seen as a punishment from God
Temple was the centre of the Jewish worship
Jesus associated with the people at the bottom of the ladder was criticized continually by the people at the top of the ladder.

Catholic: (Split in 1054) Orthodox: (Split from Catholics in 1500) Protestant:
Latin Maronite Greek, Russian, Anglican, Methodists, Melkite Syrian, Armenian Coptic. Lutheran, Uniting Church
Catholic orthodox split in 1054 the was west Schism occurred, the Greek speaking church retired in Constantinople split from the Latin church centered in Rome.
There was a further split in 1500 beginning with the protest movement of Martin Luther
Council of Trent held in 1545 aimed to counter the devastating effects of the reformation
Second Vatican council aimed to open the church to dialogue with other Christian denominations, other religions and the world.
Catholics VS Protestants:
Hated each other, killed and fought each other, argued,
Core ethical teachings are based on Gospel teachings but focus on 2 key relationships:
Relationship with God
Relationship with humanity
Non-Violence
Love your enemies etc.
Golden Rule:
Love the lord your God with all you mind and all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.
The second is like it love your neighbor as yourself, in everything you do to others as you would have them do to you.
Contemplation is a prayer beyond words. Meditation is thinking about God, Contemplation is being with God
Lecto Divina is a form of meditation

Religion pre-1945:
The early Catholic Church in Australia was Irish that’s why so many churches and schools are named after Saint Patrick.
Methodists:
Arrived in Australia in the early part of the 19th century, there were active in the establishment of schools colleges, hospitals and churches.
Admiral Arthur Philip RN (Royal Navy) was the 1st governor of NSW an founder of the settlement which became Sydney, he needed grow crops for 1000 convicts, so he started farms in Parramatta,
Religious traditions other than Christianity
The 1st Buddhist to come to Australia during the gold rushes in the 1850s Victoria had 27,000 Buddhists in 1857 and in 1891 Buddhists made up 1.3% of the population.
Hinduism: Hindu Indians first came to Australia with British families had employed them in India. Many came in the 195th century to work as hawkers and laborers in 1880 there were 3000 Indians in Australia.
The 1st Muslims came to Australia before the white Europeans, Muslims from Makassar (Indonesia) came as fisherman to northern Australia, and this is known from graves and aboriginal paintings.
Afghan camel riders began to work in inland Australia in 1800s they accompanied Burk and wills on their expedition.
The Adelaide mosques were built in 190888, there were at least 8 Jewish convicts on the 1st fleet when transportation was ended in 1853 there were 1000 Jews in the colonies.
The 1st Jews had no synagogue services or rabies when they died they were not buried according to Jewish customs.
1st synagogue was built in 1884 in George Street Sydney on the sight were the great synagogue is built. For the 1st part of this history (C.150 Yrs.) the Australian population certain was by far the majority white, English speaking and
Christian.
Britain was seen as the mother country
Sectarianism:
Sectarianism is the climate of mistrust and bad feelings amongst the different Christian denominations, it existed between the different protestant churches. Example Methodists, Baptists and Quakers and did not like how they were treated by the dominant and established church of England.
All the protestant denominations were kept apart from the Irish Catholics
Irish Catholics spoke a different language (Gaelic’s)
They were loyal to the pope not England
Resent English occupation of Irelands
Were associated with the convict class and there was still animosity caused by the reformation
It was believed by Protestants that catholic school children were taught hatred of England, lies about history and loyalty to the church only
The Lutheran church was established by German settlers in South Australia
Education: Another area which saw people divided along sectarian lines was education. When the government in the middle half of the nineteenth century make the education free compulsory and secular (non-religious). The Catholics fought to have their own separate school.
The church and school act 1826
This was an attempt to endow the Anglican Church as the established church in the Australian colonies and to place all public education under its control (this act failed)
Mary Mackillop
Mary Mackillop founded the sisters of St Joseph to take care of poor children who live in poverty.
Church act 1836
Money was allocated to the major denominators according to their numbers. One pound was promised for each pound raised by the congregation for the building of churches this act assured greater equality among the denominators.
NSW public instruction act 1880
Separate religious instructions by visiting clergy in public schools with compulsory attendance reduction of fees and the removal of state aid to non-government schoo.ls.
Catholics would rather not send their children to school then send them to a secular school, Catholics wanted a religious atmosphere at school which included. Mass reconciliation, prayers, retreats, sisters, Holy Scriptures etc.
This eventually led to the establishment of a catholic education system entirely separate from government schools. These were run by order by orders of sisters and brothers who were paid very little.
Social Welfare:
.One of the core ethical teachings of Christianity is the need to care for the poor, sick outcast, down trodden oppressed and suffered
Christians are raised on stories like the Good Samaritan and the final judgment where Jews say that “what you do for the least of my brothers you do for me”.
It is no surprise then that Christianity had a big influence in the development of Australian society in the area of health care and social welfare
St Vincent Hospital
In 1838 the nuns from the order of the sister of charity in Dublin arrived in Australia at the request of bishop john Bede Polding. They were the 1st religious community of women to arrive in the new colony, their mission was to care for the poor and needy within the sisters of charity framework of care and compassion.
Their easy work included helping convict women and children of Parramatta at what was then known as the female factory assisting families during the `844 influenza epidemic and carry for prisoners and their families at inner-city darling Hurst gaol.
Social welfare organizations:
In 1817 the benevolent society of NSW was formed and was the first charitable organization to receive government funding.
In 1856 the Anglican home mission society was formed to care for homeless women and children, the employed and the poor. It later was called anglicare.
The st Vincent de Paul society is a catholic based organization. It was founded in France in 1833 and by 1895 there were 26 branches of SDVP society in Sydney alone.
Central Methodist mission was founded in 1884 to help the poor and preach the word. Wesley mission is the name today for welfare services that come under the banner of uniting care Australia.
The Salvation Army the (Salvos) believed that the Christian message had to be put into practical action by helping these in reach. They came to Australia in 1880s During the great depression of the 1930s the churches provided same help and support for the unemployed and poor. However they did not question the economic system that led to that poverty.
Contributions of religious to Australia
Since the arrival of the first fleet in Australia in 1788 Christianity has contributed much too Australian society this can be seen in the past 150 years of its history.
Because of Australia’s vast size this ignited a special type ministry to people who lived in remote areas of Australia’s outback.
The bush brotherhood were Anglican clergy which could preach like the apostles and ride like cowboys they ministered to Anglican outback Australia through preaching counselling of visiting.
The brotherhood movement began with the establishment of st Andrews mission house in Queensland in 1897 with rev George halford.
Catholic priests, brothers and nuns went where the Irish went and many of those went to the rural areas of Australia
Presbyterian minister john Flynn founded the Australian inland mission in 1912 which bought a range of religious pastoral health and other services of European living in outback Australia.
Flynn used the modern inventions of the wireless and the aero plane to establish the flying doctor service and the school of the air.
Secular: the effect of religion isn’t dramatic
Flynn’s motto was “for Christ and the continent” this is still the motto of the uniting churches charity frontier services.
The Bush Church Aid society was an attempt by the evangelical Sydney Anglicans to from the bush brotherhood and their strongly Anglo-Catholic stance
THE BCA society was launched on the 26th of May 1919 The BCA developed the reputation for health care, hostiles for young people and innovative use of aero plane
Public Morality
Religion in the early colony was seen as a tool to be used against the evil convicts to help control their behavior.
The influence of Christianity can be seen by the laws made before 1950 criminal adultery liquor licensing and anti-gambling laws as well as laws to protect women and children are all evidence of the influence of the Christian morality over the law maker. Christians were often labelled as “wowsers” a derogatory term to denote someone who was against all fun and pleasure example drinking music dancing and gambling.

Christianity and Judaism: Done!!!
Islam and Aborigines