World religions

World religions

Christianity

Islam

Hinduism Judaism

Buddhism

ChristianityChristianity is the world's

biggest religion, with about 2.1 billion followers worldwide. It is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ who lived in the Holy Land 2,000 years ago.

For ease of navigation, we include as Christian any group that sincerely regards itself as Christian, and whose beliefs are based on the teaching of Jesus.

ChristianityChristians believe that Jesus was the Messiah

promised in the Old Testament.Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of

God.Christians believe that God sent his Son to earth

to save humanity from the consequences of its sins.

One of the most important concepts in Christianity is that of Jesus giving his life on the Cross (the Crucifixion) and rising from the dead on the third day (the Resurrection).

Christians believe that there is only one God, but that there are three elements to this one God: God the FatherGod the SonThe Holy Spirit

ChristianityChristians worship in

churches.Their spiritual leaders are

called priests or ministers.The Christian holy book is

the Bible, and consists of the Old and New Testaments.

ChristianityParadoxically a symbol of

suffering and defeat but also of triumph and salvation, the cross is the universal Christian symbol, acknowledged by all denominations as the single visual identifier of their faith.

All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day The Feast of the Annunciation Ascension Day The Christian year Candlemas Christmas Corpus Christi Easter Epiphany Guardian Angels All Hallows' Eve Holy Week Lent Mothering Sunday Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Pentecost

Holy days

Christmas

The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world the healing medicine of love which has transformed all manner of hearts for almost two thousand years...

EasterEaster or Pascha is a Christian festival and

holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion at Calvary as described in the New Testament.Easter is the culmination of the Passion of Christ, preceded by Lent, a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance.

Christian PhilosophyGod is the Creator of the universe. There

is one God, Who is Three  Persons-      Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Jesus is both fully man and fully God.  He was born of the Virgin Mary  Crucified, resurrected from the dead, and ascended to the Father.

Christian PhilosophySin and Evil are realities in our existence. The Bible is the Holy Book that records God's

revelation. All believers are promised life everlasting. The leader of Christianity was Jesus, and the

followers was his 12 disciples.

Buddhism

Buddhism is a tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development. Buddhists strive for a deep insight into the true nature of life and do not worship gods or deities.

Buddhism

Founding person of Buddhism is Guatama, the Buddha

The Dalai Lama is a Buddhist monk who remains the leader of the Tibetans.

Buddhism is a major religion in China, Japan, India, and Tibet.

The Major Philosophy of BuddhismLove: without conditions Compassion: or feeling at one with the

person who is suffering Sympathetic Joy:Celebrate the happiness

of others, and do not resent their good fortune.

Impartiality: Treat everyone equally, and do not use others for personal gain or to win approval.

The Major Philosophy of BuddhismBuddhism states that existence is a continuing cycle

of death and rebirth called reincarnation. Each person's position in life is determined by his

or her behavior in the previous life. This is known as their "karma" (also a Hindu belief).

Buddhism Buddhism is the world's oldest universal religion

and it is the second fastest growing religion.    

Holy Days

Dharma Day Kathina Losar Parinirvana Sangha Day Wesak

Islam

Islam began in Arabia and was revealed to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad. Those who follow Islam are called Muslims.

Muslims believe that there is only one God. The Arabic word for God is Allah.

IslamHoly daysMuslim holy daysAl-HijraAshuraEid ul AdhaEid ul FitrLailat al MirajLailat al QadrLailat ul Bara'hMilad un NabiRamadan

Islamic PhilosophyMuslims learn that life on earth is a period of

testing and preparation for the life to come. Angels record good and bad deeds.People should behave themselves and help

others, trusting in Allah's justice and mercy for their reward.

IslamMuslims pray five times daily in their mosques

(churches). While praying, they face the holy city of Mecca (in Saudi-

Arabia) and sometimes kneel with faces to the ground.All Muslims are required to make a pilgrimage (trip to a

sacred place) to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.

IslamThe Qur'an is the holy book for Muslims, revealed in

stages to the Prophet Muhammad over 23 years.Qur'anic revelations are regarded by Muslims as the

sacred word of God, intended to correct any errors in previous holy books such as the Old and New Testaments.

Eid al-AdhaEid al-Adha ("feast of sacrifice"), or Feast of the Sacrifice or Greater Eid, is an

important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to honor the willingness of Ibrāhīm (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismā'īl (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a sheep to sacrifice instead.[The festival is also known as Id-ul-Zuha. The word "id" derived from the Arabic "iwd" means "festival" and "zuha" comes from "uzhaiyya" which translates to "sacrifice".

Eid-ul-Fitr Eid ul-Fitr is festive celebration and a Muslim holiday, which marks the end of the Holy month of Ramadan- the month of fasting and self-denial from worldly enjoyments. It is the time for the Muslims all over the world to express joy and take pleasure in enjoying this great occasion with their loved ones.

HinduismHINDUISM is one of the world's oldest religions.Over 2/3's of the world's Hindus live in India; large numbers

reside in Africa also.

Hindus believe in many gods, numbering into the thousands. They recognize one supreme spirit called Brahman ("the Absolute").

Unlike most other religions, Hinduism has no single founder, no single scripture, and no commonly agreed set of teachings.

Hindu Philosophy Hindus believe in many gods, numbering into the thousands. They recognize one supreme spirit called Brahman (the Absolute). The goal of Hindus is to someday join with Brahman. Until that union takes place, believers are in a continuous process

of rebirth called "reincarnation."

Hindu Philosophy At death, the Hindu's deeds (karma) determine what the next life will be. Followers work to break this cycle--birth, death, re-birth-- (referred to by

writers as the "Wheel of Life") and gain release. The Hindu's soul then merges with Brahman in a condition of spiritual

perfection (moksha).

Holy days Diwali Ganesh Chaturthi Hanuman Jayanti Holi Krishna Janmashtami (Krishna Jayanti) Mahashivratri Makar Sankranti Navaratri (Navratri) Raksha Bandhan Rama Navami Swaminarayan Jayanti Thaipusam Vaisakhi Varsha Pratipada

HinduismHinduism has many sacred books, the oldest

being a series called the "Vedas.“Traditional Hindu society was divided into

groups of four classes (or varnas). This was known as the "caste system."

JudaismJudaism is one of the oldest monotheistic

religions and was founded over 3500 years ago in the Middle East.

Jews believe that God appointed the Jews to be his chosen people in order to set an example of holiness and ethical behaviour to the world.

Jewish faith and God Jews believe that there is a single God who not

only created the universe, but with whom every Jew can have an individual and personal relationship.

They believe that God continues to work in the world, affecting everything that people do.

The Jewish relationship with God is a covenant relationship. In exchange for the many good deeds that God has done and continues to do for the Jewish People...

The Jews keep God's laws The Jews seek to bring holiness into every

aspect of their lives.

Converting to Judaism Converting to Judaism is not easy. It involves

many lifestyle changes and about a year of studying.

Becoming a Jew is not just a religious change: the convert not only accepts the Jewish faith, but becomes a member of the Jewish People and embraces Jewish culture and history.

Major Jewish festivalsDays of Repentance (Days of Awe)Hanukkah PassoverPurim Rosh HashanahSabbathShavuotSukkotTisha B'avTu B'Shevat (Tu Bishvat)Yom HashoahYom Kippur - The Day of Atonement

Holy days

JudaismJUDAISM is a religion of just one people: the Jews. JUDAISM was the first to teach belief in only one

God. Two other important religions developed from Judaism: Christianity and Islam.

JudaismJews think that God will send a Messiah (a

deliverer) to unite them and lead them in His way. Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah. The

Jewish people do not agree; they anticipate His arrival in the future.

Judaism teaches that death is not the end and that there is a world to come.

JudaismThe "Torah," the first five books of the Hebrew

Bible, is the most important Jewish scripture. It contains the basic laws of Judaism. Another important book is the "Talmud," serving

primarily as a guide to the civil and religious laws of Judaism.

JudaismThe Jewish house of worship is called a

synagogue. Rabbis (spiritual leaders) conduct services, act as

interpreters of Jewish laws, and deliver sermons.Today there are over 18 million followers of

Judaism scattered throughout the world. A large number of those people live in the Jewish nation of Israel. Over six million live in the United States.

Jewish PhilosophyGod is one and uniqueGod is the creator God is transcendent God is immanent. God is lawgiver God is personal We have the obligation to worshipThe Torah is God's law God is judge The Messiah will come.