Religion/Sect/ Belief System |
Origins & History |
Adherents Worldwide (approx.) |
God(s) and Universe |
Human Situation and Life's Purpose |
Afterlife |
Practices |
Texts |
More Info
|
| Buddhism |
Founded by Siddharta Gautama (the Buddha) in c. 520 BC, NE India. | 360 million | Varies: Theravada atheistic; Mahayana more polytheistic. Buddha taught nothing is permanent. | Purpose is to avoid suffering and gain enlightenment and release from cycle of rebirth, or at least attain a better rebirth by gaining merit. | Reincarnation (understood differently than in Hinduism, with no surviving soul) until gain enlightenment | Meditation, mantras, devotion to deities (in some sects), mandalas (Tibetan) | Tripitaka (Pali Canon); Mahayana sutras like the Lotus Sutra; others. | ReligionFacts section BuddhaNet |
| Chinese Religion |
Indigenous folk religion of China. | 394 million | Dualistic yin and yang; mythological beings and folk deities. | Purpose is a favorable life and peaceful afterlife, attained through rituals and honoring of ancestors. | Judgment, then reincarnation or temporary hell until gain a Buddhist-type paradise. | Ancestor worship, prayer, longevity practices , divination, prophecy and astrology, feng shui. | None | ReligionFacts section Chinese Cultural Studies |
| Christianity (Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox) |
Founded by Jesus Christ in c. 30 AD, Israel. | 2 billion | One God who is a Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit | All have sinned and are thereby separated from God. Salvation is through faith in Christ and, for some, sacraments and good works. | Eternal heaven or hell (or temporary purgatory). | Prayer, Bible study, baptism, Eucharist (Communion), church on Sundays, numerous holidays. | The Bible (Old and New Testaments) |
ReligionFacts section Wikipedia BBC Religion |
| Christian Science |
Founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1879, Massachusetts. | 150,000 - 400,000 | One God. No Trinity (in traditional sense). Matter and evil do not exist. | Salvation is "Life, Truth, and Love understood and demonstrated as supreme over all; sin, sickness and death destroyed." | Heaven is "not a locality, but a divine state of Mind in which all the manifestations of Mind are harmonious and immortal." | Spiritual healing through prayer and knowledge, Sunday services, daily Bible and Science & Health reading. | Christian Bible, Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures | ReligionFacts article Official Website |
| Confucianism |
Founded by Confucius (551–479 BC), China | 5-6 million | Not addressed | Purpose of life is to fulfill one's role in society with propriety, honor, and loyalty. | Not addressed | Honesty, politeness, propriety, humaneness, perform correct role in society, loyalty to family, nation | Analects | ReligionFacts article Wikipedia |
| Greek Religion |
Variety of religions of ancient Greeks | ancient form extinct | Olympic pantheon (Zeus, etc.) mixed with eastern deities like Isis and Cybele | Human life is subject to the whim of the gods and to Fate; these can be controlled through sacrifice and divination. | Beliefs varied from no afterlife to shadowy existence in the underworld to a paradise-like afterlife (mainly in mystery religions). | Animal sacrifice, harvest offerings, festivals, games, processions, dance, plays, in honor of the gods. Secret initiations and rituals in mystery religions. | Epic poems of Homer and Hesiod. | ReligionFacts section Wikipedia Ancient Greek Religion |
| Hare Krishna |
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, 1966, USA (with roots in 15th-century Hindu movement) | 250,000-1 million | Krishna is the Supreme God. | Salvation from this Age of Kali is by a return to Godhead, accomplished through Krishna-Consciousness. | Reincarnation until unite with the Godhead. | Chanting, dancing, evangelism, vegetarianism, temple worship, monastic-style living. | The Bhagavad-Gita As It Is | ReligionFacts article ISKCON.com Krishna.com |
| Hinduism |
Indigenous religion of India as developed to present day. | 900 million | One Supreme Reality (Brahman) manifested in many gods and goddesses | Humans are in bondage to ignorance and illusion, but are able to escape. Purpose is to gain release from rebirth, or at least a better rebirth. | Reincarnation until gain enlightenment. | Yoga, meditation, worship (puja), devotion to a god or goddess, pilgrimage to holy cities, live according to one's dharma (purpose/ role). | The Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, etc. | ReligionFacts section BBC Religion |
| Islam |
Muhammad, 622 AD, Saudi Arabia | 1.3 billion (Sunni: 940 million) | One God (Allah in Arabic) | Humans must submit (islam) to the will of God to gain Paradise after death. | Paradise or Hell. | Five Pillars: Faith, Prayer, Alms, Pilgrimage, Fasting. Mosque services on Fridays. Ablutions before prayer. No alcohol or pork. Holidays related to the pilgrimage and fast of Ramadan. | Qur'an (Scripture); Hadith (tradition) | ReligionFacts section BBC Religion IslamiCity |
| Jainism |
Mahavira, c. 550 BC, eastern India | 4 million | The universe is eternal; many gods exist. Gods, humans and all living things are classified in a complex hierarchy. | The soul is uncreated and eternal and can attain perfect divinity. Purpose is to gain liberation from cycle of rebirth, by avoiding all bad karma, especially by causing no harm to any sentient being. | Reincarnation until liberation. | Monasticism under the Five Great Vows (Non-Violence, Truth, Celibacy, Non-Stealing, Non-Possessiveness); worship at temples and at home. Meditation and mantras. | The teachings of Mahavira in various collections. | ReligionFacts section BBC Religion Jainworld.com |
| Judaism |
The religion of the Hebrews (c. 1300 BC), especially after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD. | 14 million | One God, Yahweh. | Obey God's commandments, live ethically. Focus is more on this life than the next. | Not historically emphasized. Beliefs vary from no afterlife to shadowy existence to the World to Come (similar to heaven). | Circumcision at birth, bar/bat mitzvah at adulthood. Synagogue services on Saturdays. No pork or other non-kosher foods. Holidays related to historical events. | Bible (Tanakh), Talmud | ReligionFacts section Judaism 101 BBC Religion |
| Mayan Religion |
c.250 AD (rise of the Mayan civilization) | Historically, up to 2 million. Some survival today. | Many gods, including Itzamná, Kukulcán, Bolon Tzacab, and Chac | Appease and nourish the gods; determine luckiest dates for various activities. | The soul journeys through dark and threatening underworld; but sacrificial victims and women who die in childbirth go to heaven. | Astronomy, divination, human sacrifice, elaborate burial for royalty, worship in stone pyramid-temples | Dresden, Madrid, and Paris codices; Books of Chilam Balam; Popol Vuh; The Ritual of the Bacabs | ReligionFacts article |
| Seventh-day Adventists |
Rooted in Millerite movement; Ellen White was main leader; founded 1863 in New England | 10 million [source] | One God who is a Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit | Second Coming of Christ is imminent; salvation is by faith in Christ; emphasis on quality of life both now and in afterlife | A "peaceful pause" after death until the coming of Christ, then resurrection to judgment and eternity in heaven or hell | Sabbath observance on Saturdays; healthful lifestyle; baptism by immersion | Bible only; but later prophets like Ellen White are authoritative when tested against Scriptures | ReligionFacts article Official Website Beliefnet |
| Sikhism |
Guru Nanak, c. 1500 AD, Punjab, India. | 23 million | One God (Ik Onkar, Nam) | Overcome the self, align life with will of God, and become a "saint soldier," fighting for good. | Reincarnation until resolve karma and merge with God. | Prayer and meditation on God's name, services at temple (gurdwara), turban and five Ks. Balance work, worship, and charity. No monasticism or asceticism. | Adi Granth (Sri Guru Granth Sahib) | ReligionFacts section Sikhs.org SikhNet.com |
| Taoism |
Lao-Tzu, c. 550 BC, China. | 20 million (394 million adherents of Chinese religion) |
Pantheism - the Tao pervades all. Yin-yang - opposites make up a unity. | Purpose is inner harmony, peace, and longevity. Acheived by living in accordance with the Tao. | Revert back to state of non-being, which is simply the other side of being. | General attitude of detachment and non-struggle, "go with the flow" of the Tao. Tai-chi, acupuncture, and alchemy to help longevity. | Tao Te Ching, Chuang-Tzu | ReligionFacts section Taopage.org Beliefnet |
| Zoroastrianism |
Zoroaster in c.6th cent. BC, Persia. Official religion of ancient Persia. May have influenced Judaism and Vedic religion. | c. 200,000 | One God, Ahura Mazda, but a dualistic worldview in which an evil spirit, Angra Mainyu, is almost as powerful. | Humans are free to do good or evil, must choose the side of good. | Judgement followed by heaven or hell. Hell is temporary until final purgation and return to Ahura Mazda. | Good deeds, charity, equality, hard work. | Zend Avesta | ReligionFacts article BBC Religion WZO |
Religion/Sect/ Belief System |
Origins & History |
Adherents Worldwide (approx.) |
God(s) and Universe |
Human Situation and Life's Purpose |
Afterlife |
Practices |
Texts |
More Info |