MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS
MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS BY SIZE
What percent of the
33%
world is Christian?
What percent of the
16%
world does not
practice any religion?
Which 2 religions are
practiced by most
people of the world?
Christian, Islam
What is the difference
between agnostic and
atheist?
Atheist = NO GOD
Agnostic = Believe
there’s a God but don’t
worship him
WORLD RELIGIONS
Christianity
Judaism
Hinduism
Buddhism
Islam
CHRISTIANITY… FAST FACTS
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Date founded: c. 33 AD
Place founded: Palestine
Founder: Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish carpenter
Adherents: Approx 2 billion, US adherents: 159 million in 2001
Main locations: Europe, North America, South America
Sacred texts: The Bible, comprised of the Old Testament and
New Testament
Afterlife: Resurrection of body and soul, purgatory (Catholic
and Orthodox), and eternal heaven or hell
Symbols: Cross, dove, anchor, fish, alpha and omega
CHRISTIANITY
There are approximately 2 billion Christians in
the world.
 Christians are monotheistic. This means they
believe in only one God. He and his son, Jesus,
are the main focus of this religion.
 Christians’ believe that God sent his only son,
Jesus, to be born on earth to Mary, a virgin
mother. He was to live on earth and share the
word of his father, then die to save the sins of
man.
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CHRISTIANITY
Most Christians celebrate Christmas as Jesus’
birthday. Other major Christian holiday’s revolve
around Jesus’ the death and resurrection (Easter
for instance, is celebrated as the day Jesus rose
from the grave and returned to a life with his
father in heaven).
 Jesus was crucified on a cross, died, was buried,
and rose from the dead 3 days later to ascend to
heaven. Christians believe this was God’s way of
saving humans from inevitable sin.
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CHRISTIANITY
To gain this salvation, one must simply put their
faith in Jesus, name him as God’s son, and ask
for God’s forgiveness. Your sins are wiped
away and you can look forward to an eternal life
in heaven after your earthly life ends.
 Christians are to live good lives, following the
teachings of Jesus. These teachings can be
found in the Bible, the Christian holy book.
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CHRISTIANITY
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There are many forms of Christianity, some
being very similar, and others very different.
Often people considered these branches of
Christianity to be different religions. Most of
them share core beliefs.
Catholic
 Protestant (Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, etc.)
 Pentecostal
 Mormon
 Jehovah's Witness
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CHRISTIANITY
Christianity started as a break away sect of
Judaism, and share the same history up to the
time of Jesus. Christians and Jews, therefore,
have similar beliefs as well.
 Two major differences between Christians and
Jews:
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 Christians
believe in original sin and that Jesus died
in their place to save them from that sin.
 Christians believe Jesus was divine and part of the
holy trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit
CHRISTIANITY
JUDAISM… FAST FACTS
Date founded: 1300 BC
 Place founded: Mesopotamia
 Founder: Abraham
 Adherents: 14 million
 Sacred text: Tanakh (This consists of the same
books as the Christian Old Testament, although
in a slightly different order and with other minor
differences.)
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JUDAISM
Judaism boasts approximately 14 million
followers around the world.
 Judaism is a monotheistic religion, meaning
Jews believe in only one creator who is to be
worshiped as absolute ruler of the universe.
 Jewish people acknowledge Jesus as a prophet,
but do not believe he was the one true
messiah. They believe the messiah is yet to
come.
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JUDAISM
Jewish people believe they are God’s chosen
people, and therefore they do not need a savior
to save them from Sin.
 They believe the Messiah will arrive in the
future to gather His people (Jews) in Israel. The
Temple of Jerusalem will be rebuilt and the
dead will rise to worship there.
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JUDAISM
Jews believe in the Torah, or the ten
commandments, that were divined to Moses by
God on Mt. Sinai.
 They believe these were God’s will for human
behavior, and therefore these commandments
should regulate human behavior… giving
humans a chance to live by Gods will.
 Jews believe God monitors peoples behavior,
rewarding good deeds and punishing evil.
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JUDAISM
HINDUISM… FAST FACTS
Hindus call their religion sanatama
dharma…"eternal religion" or "eternal truth."
 Date founded: Earliest forms date to 1500 BC or
earlier
 Place founded: India
 Adherents: 900 million, third largest in the world
 Main location India, also found in the United
Kingdom and United States
 Afterlife if karma unresolved, soul is born into a
new body; if karma resolved, attain moksa
(liberation)
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HINDUISM
There are about 900 million Hindus in the
world today, but most Hindu’s are found in
India.
 The core of Hinduism is the belief in Brahman,
the life force that embodies existence.
 Hindu’s believe that until you become one with
your Brahman then you will be trapped in an
eternal cycle of death and reincarnation.
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HINDUISM
The highest goal of Hinduism is freedom from
the karmic cycle of death and rebirth.
 For the millions of people who practice this
religion, it is a way of life that encompasses
family, society, politics, business, art, and
health behaviors.
 Hindu’s believe in Karma, that your behavior in
this life will impact your next life. The better
you are, the closer you get to reaching nirvana,
a break from the cycle of reincarnation.
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HINDUISM
BUDDHISM… FAST FACTS
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Date founded: c. 520 BCE
Place founded: Northeastern India
Founder: Siddharta Gautama ("the Buddha"), an Indian prince
Adherents: 360 million, fourth largest world religion
Main locations: China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia
Sacred texts: Pali Canon (Tripitaka), numerous Mahayana sutras
Ultimate reality: None. Nothing is permanent.
Purpose of life: Theravada - escape the cycle of rebirth, and attain
nirvana.
Afterlife: Rebirth or nirvana. Nirvana is seen simply as the cessation
of suffering by some and as a heavenly paradise by others.
SIDDHARTHA
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India had a rich spiritual heritage. It had been prophesized there
would be an ascetic (kind of like a monk) who would realize the
ultimate truth and become the greatest teacher.
Buddha was born Prince Siddhartha Gotama in India, on the May Full
Moon day in 623 B.C. His parents, King Suddhodana and Queen
Maya, had waited for a child for a long time. Everyone in the
kingdom rejoiced at his birth. 5 days after his birth seven Brahmin
priests came to the temple to name the baby using astrology and
forecast his future by reading his body signs. The Brahmins said this
baby would become a universal monarch or leave his princely life to
become a world spiritual leader. The youngest priest was so
confident that this was the future Buddha that he left the priesthood
to wait in the forest for his future teacher.
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When Siddhartha was 6, King Suddhodana held a festival that the whole
royal family had to attend. Everyone was celebrating, having a great
time. Siddhartha felt that it was all meaningless. He wandered off by
himself & sat under a beautiful tree. Instinctively, he began to watch his
breath & to everyone’s surprise he started to levitate. It is said that he’d
developed this ability by practicing meditation over previous lifetimes.
King Suddhodana loved his son & desperately wanted him to become a
great king. He was given the education of a prince. He married Princess
Yasodhara and was given the deputy kingship by his father.
When Siddhartha was 29 he became curious about what was outside of
the city walls, but his father forbid him to go out. Curiosity got the best
of him and he snuck out. For the first time, Siddhartha saw a sick man,
an old man, & a corpse. He realized deep within himself that this was
the fate of all human beings.
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When Siddhatha went back to the palace, he complained to his
father that he did not love his own people if he could allow
them to suffer so much. At the same time, he was informed
that his first son had been born. He realized that the bond
between him and his son would be so strong that he would
never leave the palace if he did not leave that night. He felt
that if he really loved his wife and child, he should find a
solution for this bad life that all beings experience. He took one
last look at his wife and son before he left.Yasodhara was not
surprised when she found out that her husband had left. She
had observed his spiritual yearnings and vowed to follow him
and support him in whatever he did.
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Siddhartha cut off his hair and took on the life of an ascetic. He
found one teacher and learned all he had to teach. Then he found a
second teacher. Before long, Siddhartha had surpassed the abilities
of this teacher as well. Still, he had emotional attachments and
pain. He left his teacher to practice by himself.
For six years Siddhartha practiced the most extreme form of
ascetism. He consumed only one meager meal per week, he looked
like a skeleton. He could control his breath for up to one hour. When
he realized that he was no closer to his goal, he began to eat
again. From this point on, he advocated the Middle Way: avoiding the
extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification.
The day before his 35th birthday, again the Full Moon of May,
Siddhartha sat down under the Bodhi tree. He was determined not
to get up from that spot until he had become fully awakened, even if
he should die in the process. By the next morning he had attained
nibbana.
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For 7 weeks he stayed there paying respect to the Bodhi Tree and
reviewing what he had understood. He tried to think of someone
else who could understand what he had realized. He thought of his
two teachers and realized that they had both died.
Then he thought of the four other ascetics that he had stayed with
during his extreme asceticism. When they saw the Buddha
approaching, they were determined to ignore him. They though he
had given up his practice when he started to eat regularly.
When he approached they could not resist offering him food and
water. Despite their doubt, they agreed to listen to what he had to
say. The Buddha preached all night. This famous sermon is known
as the “Wheel of Dhamma.” Over the next few days, each of the
ascetics became enlightened.
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Buddha continued to teach for the next
45 years. During that time he helped
thousands of monks and nuns reach
enlightenment, including his wife and his son,
Rahula.
 The Buddha died (released from the cycle of
life and death) on the Full Moon of May at the
age of 81. He was cremated and his relics
have been divided and enshrined in Buddhist
temples around the globe.
BUDDHISM
Approximately 360 million people adhere to the
teachings of Buddhism.
 Most Buddhist don’t actually believe in a god…
they don’t see a need for a savior, prayer, or
believe in an eternal life after death.
 Buddhist believe in reincarnation, that one must
go through cycles of birth, life, and death. The
goal is to eventually release their attachment to
desire and self and reach nirvana.
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BUDDHISM
ISLAM… FAST FACTS
Date founded: 622 CE
 Place founded: Mecca, Saudi Arabia
 Founder: Muhammad (born c.570), a trade
merchant from Arabia
 Adherents 1.3 billion, second largest in the world
 Main location: Middle East and North Africa
 Sacred text: Qur'an (Koran)
 Purpose of life: Submit to the will of Allah and
attain paradise after death
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ISLAM
Muhammad was the founder of Islam. Sometimes
you’ll see his name spelled Mohammed.
 He was born in 570 AD in Makkah (Mecca). He
became an orphan & was raised by his uncle.
 When he was 25, he married Khadija- wealthy
business lady.
 Muhammad was known for truthfulness,
generosity, sincerity. He was troubled by the greed
of wealthy, worship of idols, and mistreatment of
poor.
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ISLAM
 Muhammad
meditated in Cave of Hira
near the “Mountain of Light”. At the age
of 40, received revelations from Angel
Gabriel which were placed in the Quran!
 Muhammad's mission:
 1st: Be an apostle for the one true God, Allah
 2nd: Rise and warn people of divine judgment
ISLAM
Wealthy Makkans believed that a belief in one
God would ruin economic activities of Makkah
 Muhammad was forced to flee to Yathrib
(Medina) to escape persecution. Later he
returned to Makkah (Mecca) and defeated their
army… at which point they accept his
teachings! (Nothing like winning a war to make
friends)
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LISTEN FOR THE 5 PILLARS OF ISLAM!
ISLAM
The 5 Pillars of Islam…
1) Shahadah, the Testimony of Faith
2) Salāt, Ritual Prayer
3) Zakāt, The Paying of Alms
4) Sawm, Fasting on Ramadan
5) Hajj, The Pilgrimage to Mecca
SHAHADAH
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Declaration of faith.
La ilaha illa’Llah - Muhammadun rusulu’Llah…
translation: “There is no God but God and
Muhammad is his messenger.”
SALAT
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Pray 5 times a day while facing Mecca. Early
morning, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, &
evening.
SALAT
Prayers are in Arabic and may be set or personal…
 Friday: Men go to the mosque to pray at noon,
women may go but are not required
 Iman: holy man who may give guidance or speech
at mosque
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SALAT
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Women and men pray separately. Women are
at the back of the mosque or in a separate
room.
ZAKAT
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Everything belongs to God, so wealth is held in
trust. Each Muslim should give 2 ½ percent of
their capital to charity.
SWAM
Fast during the month of Ramadan. Fasting
means they do not eat from sunup till sun down.
 Sick, elderly, people on a journey, women who are
pregnant or nursing a baby are permitted to break
the fast and make it up later in the year or feed a
needy person for every day missed.
 This allows the fasting person to gain true
sympathy for those who go hungry as well as a
chance to grow spiritually.
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HAJJ
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Make a pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in
their lifetime. The Kaaba at Mecca is the
holiest mosque.
THE KABBA (BLACK BUILDING) WAS BUILT BY
ABRAHAM AND ISHMAEL. UNTIL MUHAMMAD
CLEARED IT, IT WAS USED TO WORSHIP IDOLS.
Arabs believe that Abraham and his first born son,
Ishmael, built the Kaaba when Abraham was called to
sacrifice his son to God. The tall minarets are where
a muezzin goes to issue the call the worship. People
circle the Kaaba 7 times, getting closer each time.
During Hajj,
everyone wears
white to symbolize
equality before
God, Allah. People
will paint a scene
on their house to
show that they
have made the
pilgrimage.
HAJJ
THE END