Religious Studies

Question 1

What is a Theist?

Answer 1

Someone who believes in a God or Gods

Question 2

What is an Agnostic?

Answer 2

Someone who isn’t sure if they believe in a God or Gods

Question 3

What is an Atheist?

Answer 3

Someone who does not believe in a God or Gods

Question 4

What is the word that means something has always existed and will last forever?

Answer 4

Eternal

Question 5

What do you call the study of the mind?

Answer 5

Psychology

Question 6

What do you call the study of God?

Answer 6

Theology

Question 7

What do you call the study of society

Answer 7

Sociology

Question 8

What is faith?

Answer 8

Believing in something even though you can’t see it or prove it exists

Question 9

What do you call someone or something who is omniscient?

Answer 9

All knowing

Question 10

What is another word for all powerful?

Answer 10

Omnipotent

Question 11

Where does the word ‘Theist’ come from?

Answer 11

The Greek word for God ‘Theos’

Question 12

What do you call religions that believe there is only one God?

Answer 12

Monotheistic
The monotheistic religions are Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhi

Question 13

How do theists describe God?

Answer 13

Omnibenevolent, invisible, immortal, omnipotent, omniscient, creator, saviour, faithful, judge

Question 14

Who started Sikhism?

Answer 14

Guru Nanak

Question 15

What does ‘guru’ mean?

Answer 15

Teacher

Question 16

Where did it start?

Answer 16

Punjab, in north west India

Question 17

What was the message Guru Nanak received from God?

Answer 17

•God has made everything
•God loves everyone equally

Question 18

The caste system:

Answer 18

People were divided into different castes. These groups were forbidden from mixing or interacting with each other. ‘Higher’ castes were seen as ‘better’ than the lower castes

Question 19

What happens at the gurdwara?

Answer 19

•Sikhs read the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib
•Pray
•Meet and eat together

Question 20

What is the Divan hall? What happens there?

Answer 20

•Prayer hall and main room of worship
•Listen to the granthi read the Guru Granth Sahib

Question 21

What is the Sach Khand?

Answer 21

The bedroom of the Guru Granth Sahib

Question 22

What is the langar?

Answer 22

•Free kitchen
•Shared meal
•Everyone is welcome
•Staffed by volunteers
•Equality

Question 23

Who was Guru Angad (Lehna)?

Answer 23

Guru Nanak gave Lehna three tasks to test whether he would be a worthy successor. These were:
•Hay task: wealth and material goods do not matter
•Wall task: obedience
•Food task: put others before yourself

Question 24

Who was Guru Arjan?

Answer 24

Built the golden temple in Amritsar and was tortured to death. Compiled the holy book, the Adi Granth

Question 25

Who was Guru Hargobind?

Answer 25

•Had two swords, Miri and Piri: Miri-to represent the duty to engage with the world and fulfil one’s duties in society •Piri-to devote oneself to god and behave ethically •He believed that sometimes fighting and war in self defence are unavoidable •Was imprisoned with political prisoners •Sikhs celebrate his release on Bandi Chaur Divas •They attend the gurdwara, pray, discuss politics, eat together and light fireworks

Question 26

Who was Guru Gobind Singh?

Answer 26

Tenth guru and founder of the Khalsa

Question 27

Who were the Panj Pyare?

Answer 27

•The five people who volunteered to give up their lives for their faith •They were the first members of the Khalsa

Question 28

What are the five k’s? What do they symbolise?

Answer 28

•Kesh (long hair: respect for God’s creation) •Kangha (comb: clean body, clean mind) •Kara (steel bangle: God has no beginning or end; symbol for being part of the Sikh community) •Kirpan (short dagger: defence of the weak; defence of good) •Kachera (underwear: purity)

Question 29

What surnames do members of the Khalsa take?

Answer 29

•Singh (means lion) •Kaur (means princess)

Question 30

What three things do Sikhs do to help them fulfil their duties?

Answer 30

•Nam Japna: meditate on God’s name •Kirat Karna: hard work; earn a livelihood through honest means and effort •Vand Chakna: share charitably, in a spirit of love and service