These pages summarise the main features of the 12 largest world religions, which together are followed by almost 80% of the world's population. These beliefs are described without passing any judgment on their truth or otherwise. Not included here are so-called "tribal" and African religions (6%), spiritism, the Eastern religions Cao Dai and Juche (less than 1% in total) and non religious (16%). Source for numbers is www.adherents.com.
| Baha'i | Buddhism | Christianity | Confucianism | Hinduism | Islam | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founder |
Baha'u'llah | The Buddha | Jesus (Yeshua) | K'ung Fu-tzu (Confucius) | Brahmins - the priestly class of the invading Aryans | Muhammed |
| Place & time | Middle East (Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria), 1860s CE | Nepal, 500 BCE | Palestine, 30 CE | China 500 BCE | India, about 1500 BCE | Arabia, 620 CE |
| Local religion at the time | Islam | Hinduism | Judaism & Roman polytheism | - | Evolved from more primitive beliefs | Tribal polytheism |
| Written sources | Writings of Baha'u'llah & others - principally Kitab-l-Aqdas | Teachings of the Buddha written down much later & not treated as revelation | Bible, especially the New Testament | K'ung Fu-tzu's writings | Many writings, mainly the Vedas (1000 BCE) & Upanishads (500 BCE) | Qur'an, written down by Muhammed |
| No. of adherents worldwide | 2 million | 376 million | 2,100 million | 400 million (combined with Taoism) | 850 million | 1,200 million |
| Nature of religion | Monotheism with revealed teachings - fulfils Judaism, Christianity and Islam | Dharmic. Way of life to achieve enlightenment | Monotheism with revealed teachings - fulfils Judaism | Taoic. Social & political ethics | Dharmic. Devotional rituals & tradition to achieve release from cycle of rebirth. | Monotheism with revealed beliefs - mixture of corporate & personal worship and ethics |
| Nature of God(s) | Monotheistic, ethical | Distant, unclear | Monotheistic, ethical, personal | - | Pantheistic & impersonal - life force (Brahmin) and many gods/aspects | Monotheistic, personal, ethical |
| How to please God(s) | Ethical living | Eightfold Path between extremes of asceticism & materialism | Repentance & faith in Jesus | - | Devotion, good works, knowledge & yoga to reduce karma (caused by bad behaviour) & maya (illusion) | Five Pillars - profession of faith, prayer/worshp, alms, fasting, pilgrimage to Mecca |
| Rewards & punishments | Life is a preparation for the next life (does this mean everyone enters afterlife?) | Life of acceptance & Nirvana | Life with God in this world and the next (or not) | Social harmony | Cycle of rebirth until karma dissolved & released. | Paradise for believers |
| Practices | Prayer & meditation leading to action - little emphasis on ritual (no churches or priests). Informal meeting every 19 days + festivals | Meditation, disciplined living to reduce suffering (recognising "impermanence, suffering & no-self") | Weekly meetings, sharing faith & serving others | Respect for ancestors | Temples as homes to deities & shrines, priests & rituals, individual holy men |
Five Pillars, Friday prayers at mosque, ritual washing and prayers |
| Distinctive ethics | Rational behaviour, peace, equality, tolerance, justice | Detachment, acceptance, meditation | Love your neighbour, humility, peace, justice | Cohesion of society. Living in harmony with environment | Do right, acquire wealth, enjoy pleasure, achieve release | Five Pillars, Jihad (holy struggle) |
| Jainism | Judaism | Zoroastrianism | Shinto | Sikhism | Taoism | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founder |
Mahavira ("great hero") | Abraham & Moses | Zarathustra (not sure if he was a real person) | Evolved | Guru Nanak | Lao-Tzu (& Chuang Tzu) |
| Place & time | India, 550 BCE | Iraq, 2000 BCE | Iran, date unclear, 1200 or 600 BCE? | Japan, 0-1000 CE | India, 1500 CE | China 300-600 BCE |
| Local religion at the time | Hinduism | Polytheism | Local | - | Hinduism & Islam | Less refined version of same ideas |
| Written sources | Scriptures, written 100 years after Mahavira | The Law (Torah given by God) & the prophets. The Talmud | Avesta (Zarathustra's teachings, written centuries later) | - | Guru Granth Sahib (Nanak's & other Gurus' teachings, written down later) | Writings of Lao-Tzu (Tao Te Ching) & Chuang Tzu |
| No. of adherents worldwide | 3 million |
14 million | 2.6 million | 4 million | 23 million |
400 million (combined with Confucianism) |
| Nature of religion | Dharmic. Soul is imprisoned in matter - cycle of rebirth until achieve release, at length, by intense discipline. | Monotheism with revealed beliefs - mixture of corporate & personal worship and ethics | Monotheism but dualistic. Ethical, personal. | Taoic. Shinto = "the way of the gods". Mixture of polytheistic mythology & practical living. Little dogma. Co-exists happily with Buddhism | Dharmic. Practical religion about living in this world (not ascetic like some other eastern religions). Cycle of rebirth. | Taoic. Tao = "the way". Mythical religion with strong ethical component, yin & yang. A way to live with little dogma. |
| Nature of God(s) | Distant, unclear - close to atheism | Monotheistic, personal, ethical | Ahura Mazda (all powerful God) is oposed by Angra Mainyu & supporteed by 7 created immortals. | Spiritual force manifested in "Kami" (nature, many gods or spirits, or ancestors) | Present everywhere in creation, unknowable, without form, beyond dogma, found in the heart. merciful. | Spiritual force (ther eis some polytheism in popular Taoism) |
| How to please God(s) | Ascetic life as a monk. Lay people can only hope to achieve being a monk in the next life | Obey Law - sacrifices for forgiveness of sins | Ethical living | Worship at shrines | Grace enables recognition of God's word & hence ability to live ethically & devotionally and so earn salvation. | - |
| Rewards & punishments | Salvation = release from karma & cycle, then union with one's true self | Pleasing or displeasing God | Life after death | A peaceful pure life? | Mystical union with God (on earth and in afterlife?) | Personal peace? |
| Practices | Fasting & extreme asceticism. Temples & images to assist meditation. | Worship & sacrifices in temple (but not since temple destroyed in 70 CE) & meetings in Synagogues | Ritual prayer & washings, fire ceremonies (fire is the symbol of God's truth) | Worship, prayer & offerings at shrines to various Kami | Egalitarian, respect for other religions | Meditation, exercise (tai chi & Kung fu), detachment, festivals |
| Distinctive ethics | Do no harm (non violent & vegetarian), abstain from sex & worldly goods | 10 Commandments, plus many detailed laws in Law and writings | Education, devotion, righteousness, non-violence, cleanliness | Purity & cleanliness | Love your neighbour, humility, peace, justice | Sensitivity, peacefulness, live in harmony with nature. |
For more information on the terms "monotheistic", "darmic" and "taoic", see the different types of religions.
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