World religions

 Millions of people around the world worship a greater power that gives meaning to their lives. For many, religion is an intrinsic part of their very existence. 

A religion is a set of beliefs that deal with every aspect of life, from birth to death,joy and sorrow, good and evil. Some people worship a god or gods, others follow a religious teacher. Religion includes not just beliefs themselves, but the religious rituals and ceremonies that are the outward expression of those beliefs. Religion can bind a small community, or offer people membership of a huge global organization. There are six major religions in the world: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. These account for 85 per cent of all the world's believers. Millions of others belong to religions old and new, making religion a rich, diverse, and sometimes controversial aspect of human history. 

World religions

Apart from the followers of the six largest religions, about 12 per cent of people belong to other faiths, sects, and cults. Pagans, for example, including witches and druids, revere nature. All religions share a quest to understand the world and make sense of our existence. 

Judaism

The religion of Jewish people, Judaism centres on the first Jew, Abraham, who taught Jews to worship one God. There are more than 14 million believers today, but there are different forms of Judaism, including Orthodox and Liberal. Jews worship in synagogues, observe many rites of passage, and have a day of rest, called the Shabbat (Sabbath). They have struggled against hatred - in World War ll, more than 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. Most Jews now live in the United States and Israel. 

Torah scroll

The most holy Jewish book is the Torah, which contains the rules for everyday life. In the synagogue, the Torah is read from precious scrolls. 

Islam

Followers of Islam are called Muslims. There are more than 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, divided into Sunni and Shi'a. Their faith is based upon the Five Pillars: belief, worship, fasting, alms-giving, and pilgrimage. They follow a Holy Scripture known as the Qur'an, the word of God as told to the Prophet Muhammad. 

Mosque

Many Muslims visit a mosque daily to say their prayers, but on Fridays all attend to listen to the Imam (teacher). Larger mosques have libraries and classrooms. 

Christianity

Christians follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, believing he was the Son of God. There are more than 2.1 billion Christians worldwide, and they are united in the belief in one God, the Bible as a holy text, and the use of prayer in worship. However, different branches of Christianity - Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox - have different ideas about how their faith should be practised. 

Protestant	Catholic	Orthodox
No official leader	Led by the Pope in Vatican City	Led by Patriarchs
Began with Martin Luther, a 16th century scholar who rejected Catholic teaching	Believe that popes inherit their authority from Saint Peter, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus	Formed in 451 CE after Christians in Rome and Constantinople disagreed over the Church's teachings
Found across the world, but chiefly in Northern Europe, North America, New Zealand, Australia, and parts of Africa	Found across the world, but especially in Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, and South America	Found mainly in Greece, the Balkans, Russia, the Middle East, and North Africa
Emphasize simple worship in language everyone can understand	Use elaborate ceremonies, sometimes in Latin, to glorify God	Use elaborate ceremonies in different languages, including Greek and Syriac, to glorify God
Do not generally have monasteries, but use churches or cathedrals	Have monasteries for men and women	Have monasteries for men and women
Believe everyone can speak directly to God through prayer	Believe most people can speak to God only through the help of a priest or saints	Believe most people can speak to God only through the help of a priest or saints

Hinduism

To the 1 billion Hindus worldwide, Hinduism is a very varied religion. Hindus believe in a great spirit called Brahman who cannot be seen, but is present everywhere. They worship a wide range of gods and goddesses, each depicting a different aspect of Brahman's power. The three most important gods are Brahma, the creator; Shiva, the destroyer; and Vishnu, the protector. According to Hinduism, every person has a soul, which lives on after a person dies. The soul takes on a new form and begins a new life and this cycle continues. This is known as "reincarnation". For Hindus, the aim is to escape this cycle and gain freedom to be with Brahman. Each good deed takes them a step closer. A bad deed takes them further away. This is the law of karma. 

Brahma

The creative aspect of Brahman, Brahma is depicted with four arms, and four faces each reciting one of four holy texts. 

Shiva

The force of destruction and transformation, Shiva can be both kindly and fearsome. As Nataraja, he dances inside a ring of flames. 

Vishnu

Blue-skinned Vishnu is charged with upholding the Dharma - the law that maintains the Universe. 

Lakshmi

The goddess of luck and wealth, Lakshmi is one of the most widely worshipped Hindu deities. She is often seen sitting on a lotus. 

Hanuman

A monkey-like being (or vanara), Hanuman is best known for aiding the hero Rama in his war against the demons. 

Ganesh

Elephant-headed Ganesh is the patron of wisdom, writing, art and science, and new endeavours. 

Buddhism

Buddhism originated in India 2,500 years ago when a man called Siddhartha Gautama gained enlightenment and became the Buddha ("the Enlightened one"). Buddhism gradually spread from India to other countries. Today, more than 376 million people across the world follow the teachings of the Buddha - the dharma, which seeks to end suffering (dukkha) and find answers to the true meaning of life. By respecting the Eightfold Path, including right thoughts and deeds, keeping Five Promises, and repeating three prayers (Three Jewels), Buddhists hope to attain a state of peaceful enlightenment called nirvana. 

Statue of Buddha meditating

Buddhists worship by meditation (dhyana), trying to clear their minds of earthly distractions in order to perceive the Universe more clearly. 

"WE ARE WHAT WE 

THINK. ALL THAT WE ARE

ARISES WITH OUR THOUGHTS. 

WITH OUR THOUGHTS, WE MAKE

THE WORLD."

      

                 BUDDHA