THE MAJOR RELIGIONS WORLDWIDE

The eight major religions with the majority of the people following.

CHRISTIANITY

Christianity is the world's largest religion. Christianity is an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Christians believe that Jesus is the Christ whose coming as the Messiah was prophesied in the Hebrew Bible (Called the Old Testament) and chronicled in the New Testament.

Christians remain culturally diverse in western and eastern branches as well as in their doctrines. The creeds of various Christian denominations generally hold in common the gospel (good news), Jesus was the son of God who ministered, suffered, and died on the cross, but rose from the dead for the salvation of mankind. Practices include baptism and sacrament. Christians believe in a final day of judgement and afterlife of reward or punishment. Christians consider the way to salvation is believing in Jesus and living a life worthy of a calling.

ISLAM

Islam - "Submission [to God]", is the world's second largest religion. Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion teaching that Muhammad is a messenger of God. Islam teaches that God is merciful, all-powerful and unique and has guided humanity through prophets, revealed scriptures, and natural signs. The primary scriptures of Islam are the Quran as well as the teachings and normative examples of Muhammad (composed accounts called Hadith).

Muslims believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith. Muslims consider the Quran in Arabic to be the unaltered and final revelation of God (verbatim word of God). Like other Abrahamic religions, Islam also teaches a final judgement with the righteous rewarded in paradise and the unrighteous punished in hell. Religious concepts and practices include the 'five pillars of Islam', obligatory acts of worship as well as following sharia law. The cities of Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are home to the three holies sites in Islam.

HINDUISM

Hinduism is the world's oldest and third largest religion. Many Hindu's refer to their religion as "The Eternal Dharma" which refers to the idea that it's origins lie beyond human history, as revealed in the Hindu texts.

Hindu's believe in the doctrine of samsara (cycle of death and rebirth) and karma (action, intent and consequences). One of the key thoughts of Hinduism is "atman", or the belief in soul. This philosophy holds that living creatures have a soul, and they're all part of the supreme soul. Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs include the four Purusarthas, the proper goals or aims of human life namely; dharma (ethics / duties) ; artha (prosperity / work); kama (desires / passions); and moksha (liberation and freedom from the passions of death and rebirth). Hindu texts are classified as "heard" and "remembered", the major scriptures of which are the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas, the Mahaonarata, the Ramayana, and the Agamas.

BUDDHISM

Buddhism is the world's forth largest religion it originated 2500 years ago in India. Buddhism is based on a series or original teachings (The Dharma) accredited to Gautama Buddha, born Siddhartha Gautama in the 5th or 4th century BCE. Buddhist's believe that human life is one of suffering which is caused by attachment or desire and ignorance of the true nature of reality. That meditation, observance of moral precepts, monasticism, taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the community and the cultivation of perfections or virtues are ways to achieve enlightenment, or nirvana. Ending the cycle of death and rebirth.

SIKHISM

Sikhism (Sikh - 'Disciple', 'Seeker' or 'learner') is the world's fifth largest organised religion that originated in the Punjab of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. Sikhism was established from the

spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak which subsequently led a succession of nine other Gurus.

Guru Nanak taught that living an "active, creative and practical life" of "truthfulness, fidelity self-control" and purity is above metaphysical truth and that the ideal man "establishes union with God knows His will and carries out that will." Guru Hargobind; the sixth Sikh guru, established the concept of mutual co-existence of the miri ("political/temporal") and piri ("spiritual") realms.

The core beliefs of Sikhism articulated in the Guru Granth Sahib, include faith and meditation on the name of one creator, divine unity and equality of all humankind, engaging in seva ('selfless service'); striving for justice for the benefit and prosperity of all; and honest conduct and livelihood while living a householder's life. Following this standard Sikhism rejects any claims that any particular religious tradition has a monopoly on absolute truth.

JUDAISM

Judaism is the world's oldest monotheistic religion, it is an Abrahamic and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural and legal tradition of the Jewish people also sometimes called the Israelites. Followers of Judaism believe in one God who revealed Himself through ancient prophets. The most important teachings of Judaism is that there is one God who wants people to do what is just and compassionate. Judaism is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the covenant that God established with the children of Israel. Within Judaism there are a variety of religious movements most of which originated from Rabbinic Judaism. Judaism's texts traditions and values strongly influenced later Abrahamic religions, including Christianity and Islam. Judaism encompasses a wide body of texts, practices, theological positions and forms of organization. The Torah, The Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), The Zohar, The Midrash and The Talmud are main texts.

TAOISM

Taoism is a religion and a philosophy from ancient China. Taoism holds that humans and animals should live in balance with the Tao; the source, pattern and substance of everything that exists. Taoism teaches about the various disciplines for achieving "perfection" by becoming one with the unplanned rhythms of the all, called " The Way" or "Tao." Taoists believe in spiritual immortality, where the spirit of the body joins the universe after death.

Taoism was deeply influenced by one of the oldest texts in Chinese culture the I Ching which expounds a philosophical system about how to keep human behaviour in accordance with the alternating cycles of nature. The Tao Te Ching, a compact book containing teachings attributed to Lao Tzu is widely considering the keystone work of Taoist tradition, Together with the later writings of Zhuangzi.

JAINISM

Jainism traditionally known as Jain dharma is an ancient Indian religion that teaches that the way to liberation and bliss is to live lives of harmlessness and renunciation. The three main pillars of Jainism, or the 'three jewels' are ahisma (non-violence), anekantavada (non-absolutism) and aparigraha (non-attachment), relating to; right belief, right knowledge and right conduct.

Jains five main vows ahisma (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (not stealing), brahmacharya (sexual continence) and aparigraha (non-possessiveness). These principals have affected Jain culture in many ways, such as leading to predominantly vegetarian lifestyle. Parasparopagraho (the function of souls to help one another) is the faith's motto and the Namokara mantra is its most common and basic prayer.

Jainism places its spiritual ideas and history through a succession of twenty-four leaders or Tirthankaras. Jainism is considered to be an eternal dharma with the 'Tirthankaras' guiding every cycle of cosmology.