Major world Religions

Author : Peter Vredeveld

Jesus, Lord Buddha, Lord Krishna - Religion

Religion is a belief, tradition, view, and cultural practice believed to hold humanity together. There are various mysteries in this world, and religion has always been the center of humanity. And religion has always aimed to explain the meanings of these mysteries, as well as the origin of the universe.

"Religion is part of human make-up. It's also part of our cultural and intellectual history. Religion was our first attempt at literature, the texts, our first attempt at cosmology, making sense of where we are in the universe, our first attempt at health care, believing in healing, and our first attempt at philosophy."

Religion is a way to relate humankind with spirituality and various moral and cultural values. In ancient India, it was believed that religious people were the first teachers of humanity. They provide moral values of life, death, the afterlife, and Gods and bind people to various practices. Most of the children seek education with these religious people. Many religions have their moral values, behaviors, scripture, and practices. These practices include rituals, sacrifices to a deity, God, goddess, set of duties, feasts, festivals, music, dance, and art.

There is various definition of religion in the world. One popular definition of religion is "belief in or the worship of a god or gods." It is also defined as a relatively bound system of beliefs and practices that show the world's existence. Some people estimate that there are actually around 4200 religions that exist in the world. Some study of religion shows that religion can be categorized into three types which are:

1. World Religions

It refers to international and trans-cultural belief

2. Indigenous Religions

It refers to specific religions related to the country's culture.

3. New Religious Movements

It refers to newly developed religions and faiths.

Hinduism

"Perform all thy actions with mind concentrated on the Divine, renouncing attachment and looking upon success and failure with an equal eye. Spirituality implies equanimity."

Quote in 700-verse Hindu scripture The Bhagavad Gita.

Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world. It is very much dominant in India and Nepal. Over 900 million significant people around the globe support and follow Hinduism. Unlike other prevalent religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Muslim, Hinduism has no single founder, no single creature. People believe that Hinduism is a collection of various cultures and traditions in many regions of India and Nepal. There has always been a debate about the history of Hinduism. Since there is no evidence of the origin of Hinduism, the traditions, culture, scripture, practices, and artifacts related to Hinduism go back several thousands of years. According to various artifacts and scripture, Hinduism can be categorized into periods like The Indus Valley civilization and the Vedic period. The existence of The Indus Valley Civilization dates back to before 2000 BCE.

Christianity

According to the current Census, Christianity is the most dominant religion in the world. Around 2.2 billion people around the globe support and believe in Christianity. Jesus of Nazareth, son of God, is the founder of Christianity. The religion is based on the teachings and life of Jesus, also known as Christ.

"And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time" – Jesus Christ.

Christian people believe that following Jesus Christ will lead you to heaven. Even the most heinous sins will be forgiven by Jesus Christ.

According to Christianity, Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary. According to the New Testament, the most sacred scripture of Christianity, God exists in three persons: The Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Buddhism and Christianity can understand each other, and each figure has left behind their wisdom to help and shape the lives of billions of people to end their suffering.

Buddhism

One of the most dominant religions that covers most of East Asia, Buddhism is based on the teachings and life of Lord Buddha. Gautama Buddha is Buddhism's founder and creator, dating back to around 2500 years ago. Approximately 500 million people around the globe follow the belief of Buddhism and walk on the path shown by Lord Buddha.

Buddhism is a tradition that mainly focuses on personal spiritual development and freeing people from suffering, greed, and hatred by the light of wisdom left behind by Lord Buddha. The ultimate aim of the wisdom of Buddha is the attainment of a state of Nirvana, also known as "Enlightenment." The primary Buddhist scripture practices the Noble Eightfold Path, which can also be referred to as the Middle Way.

Islam

The second dominant religion in the world is Islam. Islam began in Arabia. Around 1.6 billion people around the globe follow Islam religion, and those who follow Islam are called Muslims. Unlike other religions like Hinduism and Christianity, Muslims believe that only one God exists. He is incomparable, and they exist to follow the will of God and worship God.

"There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." Quoted in The Quran

The Quran is the Islamic holy book, and Muslim people consider it as the word of Allah. According to Islam, Allah is the Almighty God, and Prophet Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. In 632 CE, the prophet revealed Islam to humanity. In Islam, God knows and controls all that is happening, as explained in the Qur'anic verse.

"Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us: He is our protector…"

Unlike Christian art, Islamic art is limited to religious work, including all Muslim culture's artistic traditions. Islam is integral to every part of a Muslim's life, and Islamic art should be used to make life more beautiful.