The Five Main Religions: A Cheat Sheet

 

Introduction 

For this year's Christmas blog I'm tackling a big topic – religion.  If you want to know the history and intricacies of a particular religion there are much better resources than this blog.  But if you just want a basic understanding of the major religions, then you've come to the right place. 

 

Being agnostic myself, I have no preference toward any of these religions.  I find them all equally fascinating.  I hope you will too. 

 

Summaries 

About 85% of the world population identifies with a religion. Below are summaries of the five main ones, but they certainly aren't the only ones: 

 

Christianity (31%) 

2.4 billion followers, 50% Catholic, 37% Protestant, 12% Orthodox, 1% other.  Christian denominations vary in many ways, but most believe the following: 

• There is only one true God. 
• There is a holy trinity consisting of the Father (God), son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. 
• The Old Testament and New Testament together form the Holy Bible which is the basis of their teachings. 
• The Ten Commandments play an important role in Christian teachings. 
• Jesus Christ is the son of God, sent to earth to save people from their sins. 
• Jesus died on a cross and rose from the dead after three days to be reunited with God in Heaven. 
• There will be a second coming where Jesus will return to earth and take Christian believers back to Heaven with him. 

Islam (24%) 

2 billion followers, there are two major sects, Sunni (90%) and Shiites.  People who follow the Islamic faith are called Muslims.  They observe the following: 

• Allah is the one true God. 
• Islamic places of worship are called mosques. 
• The prophet Muhammad is Allah's final messenger. 
• After Muhammad's death other leaders arose in a system called the caliphate and those individual leaders are called caliphs. 
• Muslims pray at five specific times a day, following a specific ritual. 
• Muslims are required to fast during the month of Ramadan. 
• Muslims are expected to complete a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca at least once in their lives. 
• Many Muslim women wear a hijab that covers their hair while others wear a burka or niquab, which conceals more of their appearance. 
• The Quaran is the holy book of Islam. 

Hinduism (15%) 

1.2 billion followers, 94% of Hindus live in India. There are multiple sects of Hinduism, but the core beliefs include: 

• God's presence exists in all of creation. 
• God goes by many names and manifests in infinite ways. 
• Brahman is the supreme deity (God) responsible for creating everything in the universe.  Brahman has no gender and is all-knowing and all-present. 
• Shiva and Vishnu are the other primary Hindu deities (gods) but there are many others. 
• The divine essence (called atman) dwells within each person. 
• Hindus believe in reincarnation, with a constant cycle of being born, living and dying on the path to enlightenment. 
• A person's karma, which refers to the net of their good and bad deeds in the last life, determines the level into which they'll be reborn. 
• Rather than a single religious book, Hinduism has a number of sacred texts. 
• Yoga practice is an integral component of Hinduism. 
• Cows are viewed as sacred in the Hindu faith; eating beef is prohibited. 

Buddhism (7%) 

500 million followers, half are in China.  Founded by Siddhartha Gautama who later became known as Budda.  He became enlightened by giving up his wealth and position to live a simple life.  There are numerous traditions and practices.  Fundamental beliefs include the following: 

• The primary focus of Buddhism is to seek enlightenment. 
• The Buddha is not worshiped as a god but recognized as a man.  Buddhists don't worship gods. 
• The foundation of Buddhism is based on a set of three universal truths and four noble principles. 
• Buddhists follow a path of moral living, thinking and behavior, as well as seeking wisdom. 
• Buddhists are expected to follow five precepts.  To refrain from killing, stealing, lying, misusing sex, and using drugs or alcohol. 
• Karma is an important factor in Buddhism, focusing on each individual’s responsibility and accountability for their own actions. 
• Buddhists believe in reincarnation and rebirth. In the Buddhist tradition, being reincarnated means coming back as yourself multiple times, while rebirth involves returning as an entirely different entity. 
• The Buddhist religion includes a number of sacred writings, in the form of scriptures and texts, that share the Buddha’s philosophy and teachings. 

Judaism (0.2%) 

14-16 million followers.  41% live in Israel and another 41% in the United States. There are multiple denominations of Judaism, including orthodox, conservative and reform.  Core teachings and practices of the faith include the following: 

• Followers recognize and worship only one true God. It is the oldest monotheistic religion.  
• The Ten Commandments play an important role in the teachings of Judaism, as do righteousness and justice. 
• Israel is important to the Jewish people, both for its historical significance in relation to their faith and its designation as the promised land in the Bible. 
• The Hebrew Bible, which is also referred to as the Tanakh, is the primary holy text of the Jewish faith. It includes the same books as the Old Testament of the Christian bible, though they are in a different order. The first five books of the Hebrew bible form the Torah. 
• The Talmud is another holy text in Judaism. It includes an extensive collection of Jewish laws and various teachings specific to the faith. 
• Synagogue is the name for Jewish houses of worship. 
• Young people in the Jewish faith go through Bar Mitzvah (boys) and Bat Mitzvah (girls) ceremonies to symbolize that they have reached adulthood in terms of their responsibilities to the faith. 

Personal Beliefs 

I don't know if there is a “God” or higher being or energy force or an afterlife.  I like to think there is, but I don't know.  And I’m fine with not knowing.  I'll find out soon enough.  And if there is nothing after death, I'm fine with that too. 

 

What do you believe? 

 

For a more "Christmasy" post, check out my Substack opinion piece, Elder Orphans and Christmas (text or audio version).  

 

Sources 

World Population by Religion: A Global Tapestry of Faith  

5 Main World Religions and Their Basic Beliefs