3 types of religion. List of different religions of the peoples of the earth

comparison table

Characteristics of religions

Names of religions

Orthodoxy

Islam

Buddhism

Judaism

The concept of religion

Orthodoxy is literally “correct judgment”, “correct teaching” or “correct glorification”.

A direction in Christianity that took shape in the east of the Roman Empire during the 1st millennium from the birth of Christ.

It developed as an eastern branch of Christianity after the division of the Roman Empire (395 a.d.) and took shape after the division of the churches (1054

the meaning of the Old Testament is salvation through the fulfillment of the law, and the meaning of the New Testament is salvation by grace - through the acceptance and recognition of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who washed away the sins of mankind with His blood.

Islam (Arabic “submission [to the will of God]”) is a monotheistic religion that recognizes Muhammad as a prophet, the messenger of Allah for all mankind. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims (from the word Arabic Muslimuna, "submissive").

Islam is one of the world's religions, otherwise - Islam. Islam originated among the Arab tribes of Western Arabia at the beginning of the 7th century. This was the period of the collapse of the very foundations of the ancient society (including paganism) and the rise of commercial cultural centers (Mecca, Medina).

Islam is not a single religious organization. Already in the second half of the 7th c. Three branches of Islam arose: Kharijitism, Sunnism and Shiism. The immediate impetus for this division was the dispute over the principles of inheritance of religious and secular authorities.

The youth of Islam. The Muslim religion arose much later than other religious systems and, unlike them, has not exhausted its possibilities. Islam is in its prime, playing an active role in the modern world.

Buddhism is the oldest world religion. It originated in the 6th century BC. e. in India. Having experienced an era of formation and flourishing in this country, Buddhism has become a world religion due to its spread to the countries of South, Southeast, Central Asia and the Far East.

Judaism is the monotheistic national religion of the Jews. Followers of Judaism call themselves Jews.

The word "Judaism" comes from the Greek ioudaismos, introduced by Greek-speaking Jews c. 100 BC to distinguish their religion from the Greek. It goes back to the name of the fourth son of Jacob - Judah (Yehuda), whose descendants, together with the descendants of Benjamin, formed the southern - Judaic - kingdom with its capital in Jerusalem. After the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel and the scattering of the tribes that inhabited it, the people of Judah (later known as Yehudim, Jews or Jews) became the main carrier of Jewish culture and remained so even after the destruction of their state.

Judaism was an important ideological source for the two largest religions in the world - for Christianity and Islam. The two main sacred books of Judaism - the Torah and the Tanakh - have also become sacred to Christians. Many of the ideas of these books were repeated in the holy book of Muslims - the Quran. Torah and Tanakh gave impetus to the development of world artistic culture, so a cultured person should know what Judaism is.

holy book

The Bible is the holy book of Christians. It consists of the Old and New Testaments, the core of which is the Gospel. Most of the books of the Old Testament were written in Hebrew, with the exception of a few later books written in Aramaic. The books of the New Testament were written in Greek.

The Bible consists of individual works written by different authors at different times over 16 centuries. These works are called: "books of the New Testament" or "books of the Old Testament" and have come down to us only in translations and lists.

Orthodox Christians, speaking of the Bible, often use the term Scripture (necessarily with a capital letter) or Holy Scripture, which is part of the Holy Tradition of the Church. This fact emphasizes the importance of a correct understanding of biblical texts.

The holy book of Islam is the Quran, but Taurat Musa, Zabur Daud and Injil Isa are also recognized as divinely inspired. Therefore, Jews and Christians are not considered pagans, but people of the Scriptures.

Consists of 114 chapters, called suras.

The Quran (Arabic “reading aloud, by heart”; under the influence of the Syrian “Keriana” - “reading the sacred text”, “edification”) is the main holy book of Muslims, a record of sermons delivered by Muhammad in the form of “prophetic revelations”. The Qur'an consists of 114 chapters (suras) divided into 6204 verses (verses). Most of these verses are mythological in nature, and only about 500 verses contain instructions relating to the rules of conduct for Muslims. Another authoritative and obligatory source of law for all Muslims is the Sunnah (“Holy Tradition”), which consists of numerous stories (hadiths) about the judgments and actions of Muhammad himself.

There is a fundamental difference between the Quran and the Sunnah. The Quran is the word of Allah. He was never created, like Allah himself, he exists forever. The Quran was sent down to the Prophet Muhammad through the Archangel Jabrail. Hadiths, on the other hand, are statements of the prophet (that is, a person) that were uttered at a certain moment, that is, they have their own “beginning”. At the same time, in all cases, the hadeeth must not be confused with the word of Allah. Hadith has only an explanatory status. The Qur'an is the foundation, the basis of faith.

Sharia (Muslim law) is organically linked with Islam and its teachings. This is a set of religious and legal norms, compiled on the basis of the Koran and the Sunnah, containing the norms of state, inheritance, criminal and marriage and family law. Islam considers legal institutions as part of a single law and order. Hence, the commandments and prohibitions that make up the norms of Shariah are also attributed divine significance.

The Buddha himself did not write anything. A monk named Upali recounted everything he had heard about discipline: the rules for admission to and exclusion from the sangha (monastic community), the rules governing the way of life of monks and nuns and their relationship with society. All this was combined into a body of texts called the Pali Canon (Tipitaka)

The Tipitaka consists of three parts:

The Sutta Pitaka is a collection of sutras attributed to the Buddha and several of his closest disciples, containing all the major teachings of Theravada Buddhism.

The Vinaya Pitaka is a collection of texts concerning the rules of conduct in the daily life of the Sangha - the community of bhikkhus (ordained monks) and bhikkhunis (ordained nuns). Vinaya Pitaka is far from being limited to listing the rules, it also includes the history of the origin of each rule, a detailed description of how the Buddha solved the issue of maintaining overall harmony in a large and diverse spiritual community.

The Abhidhamma Pitaka is a collection of texts in which the fundamental principles of the teachings presented in the Sutta Pitaka are reworked and organized into a system that can be applied to the study of the nature of mind and matter.

For more than 500 years, the teachings of the Buddha existed in the oral tradition, and only at the end of the 1st century. BC e. It was written in the Pali language on the island of Lanka (the modern island of Sri Lanka). The Pali canon was created in its entirety in the 5th century BC. n. e.

The next work is the Dhammapada, which collects 423 of the most important sayings from various texts of the Pali canon. According to tradition, the Dhammapada contains all the teachings and is understood primarily by the heart and not by the mind. Dhammapada is a Buddhist handbook. Udana contains 80 important sayings of the Buddha in both verse and prose. Itivuttaka includes 112 suttas devoted to explaining the essence of anger, passion, pride, lust and other negative states, which are opposed to friendliness, mercy, modesty, justice, etc. The sutta-nipata, containing 71 teachings, describes episodes of the life of the Buddha, his overcoming egocentrism, greed, hatred, delusions leading to the creation of unfavorable karma.

The holy books of Judaism can be divided into three groups.

The first group includes one book-volume, which is called the word Torah (translated from Hebrew - “Law”).

The second group again includes only one book-volume: Tanakh.

The third group includes a certain number of books-volumes (and each volume contains a certain number of works). This collection of sacred books is called the Talmud (“Study”).

Key person

Orthodoxy proceeds from the recognition of the triune God, the creator and ruler of the universe, the afterlife, posthumous retribution.

Trinity is a theological term reflecting the Christian doctrine of the trinity (triunity) of the One God.

All the Persons of the Divine Being are inseparable, inseparable, unchanging. The doctrine of the Trinity is the fruit of Christology, and therefore it can be considered only in connection with the doctrine of the person of Jesus Christ.

According to Orthodox teaching, Jesus Christ has a dual nature: divine and human. He was born (and not created) by God the Father before the creation of the world. In his earthly life, Jesus Christ was born as a result of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary from the Holy Spirit.

Islam requires faith in a single almighty and merciful master - Allah, in the divine destiny of the destinies and actions of people, in the afterlife after physical death.

The founder of Islam was the prophet Muhammad (c. 570-632) from the family of one of the large tribes of the Quraysh. Prone to loneliness, Muhammad indulges in pious reflections.

According to legend, in his youth, angels cut open the chest of Muhammad and washed his heart, and in 610, at the age of 40, he received the Revelation on Mount Hira during a 40-day fast, and the words of the heavenly messenger Jabrail (Archangel Gabriel) were imprinted in the heart of the Prophet as "inscription". Muhammad, with a small group of followers, suffers persecution and moves in 622 from his native Mecca to Medina. Muhammad's struggle for the establishment of a new religion - belief in one God (Allah) - ended with a victory over pagan Mecca in 630.

The founder of Buddhism is Buddha (“Enlightened One”). At birth, the Buddha received the name Siddhartha, and the name of his clan or family was Gautama. The biography of Siddhartha Gautama is known only as presented by his followers.

These traditional accounts, originally transmitted orally, were not written down until several centuries after his death. The biography of Buddha reflects the fate of a real person framed by myths and legends, which over time almost completely pushed aside the historical figure of the founder of Buddhism. According to legend, at the birth of a child, his parents were predicted that he would become either a great Ruler or Teacher of the Universe. Being a man prone to reflection, he soon tired of an idle life and turned to religion.

Moses is a prophet who brought the Jews out of Egypt, where they were in slavery; through Moses, God communicated his law containing the terms of God's covenant-covenant with Israel, concluded at Mount Sinai. Moses is a key figure in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Basic ideas, provisions, laws

As a religion, the answer to Divine love, through faith in Christ and fellowship with Him

Like a creed - Supernatural Divine Revelation

As a way of life - Imitation of Christ, a look at all the circumstances of life through the prism of future eternity

Islam contains the following main tenets:

1. Faith in Allah. In contrast to the Christian doctrine of the divine Trinity, Islam claims that God is one. In Islam, the principle of monotheism is carried out more consistently than in other religions.

2. Belief in angels and demons. In the view of Muslims, these are natural beings who carry out the will of Allah. These include Jabrail, Mikail, Asrafil, Azrael. Muslims also believe in the existence of the angels of death - Nakir and Munkara, the guardian of paradise - Ridwin, the guardian of hell - Malik. According to Islamic doctrine, every Muslim during his lifetime has two angels who record his good and evil (sinful) deeds, which determine his afterlife in heaven or hell.

3. Belief in the holiness of the Qur'an. It is considered the Word of God, the Divine "Revelation, which Allah transmitted in the form of a vision to Muhammad for 22 years, that is, until the end of his life. Therefore, in Muslim theology, the dogma of the uncreated, eternity of the Koran is accepted.

4. Faith in the prophets and in the messenger of Muhammad. The Quran contains many biblical characters from Adam to Jesus Christ. The names of the prophets are given: Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (My-tear), Isa (Jesus), Nuh (Noah), etc. Among all the prophets, preference is given to the "messenger of Allah", the "seal of the prophets" Muhammad.

5. Belief in heaven and hell. Muslims imagined paradise as a wonderful place where everything is in abundance: excellent food, clean cool water, rivers of milk, honey and wine, all kinds of pleasures, etc. And in hell - endless torture and torment.

6. Belief in divine predestination. This is one of the most important dogmas, according to which there is nothing that does not depend on the will of Allah.

7. Belief in the immortality of the soul, leaving the body at the time of death, in the resurrection from the dead on the day of the Last Judgment.

Islam relies on five "pillars of faith" (lasso ad-din), indicating the most important duties of a Muslim.

Buddhism is based on four basic truths:

1. Duhka (suffering). 2. Cause of suffering. 3. Suffering can be ended. 4. There is a path leading to the cessation of suffering. Thus, suffering is the main idea contained in Buddhism. The main provisions of this religion say that suffering can be not only physical, but also spiritual. Already birth is suffering. And illness, and death, and even unsatisfied desire. Suffering is a constant component of human life and, rather, even a form of human existence. However, suffering is unnatural, and therefore it is necessary to get rid of it.

Buddhism, whose main ideas are the desire for enlightenment and self-knowledge, believes that the cause of suffering is ignorance. It is ignorance that triggers the chain of events that lead to suffering. And ignorance consists in a misconception about one's own "I". One of the key theories of Buddhism is the denial of the individual self.

The so-called “middle path” leads to knowledge, and therefore liberation from suffering (nirvana). The essence of the "middle way" is to avoid any extremes, to rise above opposites, to look at the problem as a whole. Thus, a person achieves liberation by giving up any opinions and inclinations, giving up his "I

A person who seeks to prolong his life (i.e., suffering) is an ignoramus. In order to avoid ignorance, it is necessary to destroy any desire, and this is possible only through the destruction of ignorance, which consists in the isolation of one's "I". So, we come to the conclusion that the essence of Buddhism is the rejection of one's "I

According to the main idea of ​​Judaism, believers should honor the prophets.

Prophets are people to whom God has given the task and opportunity to proclaim the truth to people. And the truth that they proclaimed had two main parts: the truth about the right religion (how to believe in God) and the truth about the right life (how to live). In the truth about right religion, a particularly important element (part by part) was the story of what awaits people in the future. The Tanakh mentions 78 prophets and 7 prophetesses. The veneration of the prophets in Judaism is expressed in the form of a respectful conversation about them in sermons and in everyday life. Among all the prophets, two great ones stand out: Elijah and Moses. These prophets are also honored in the form of special ritual actions during the religious holiday of Pesach.

The Jewish faith is based on the following principles.

1. The concept of God as absolutely perfect, absolute reason and omnipotence, the source of goodness, love and justice, which acts in relation to man not only as a creator, but also as a father.

2. The concept of life as a dialogue between God and man, conducted both at the level of the individual, and at the level of the people and at the level of all mankind as a whole.

3. The doctrine of the absolute value of a person (as an individual, as well as peoples, and also of all mankind as a whole) - as an immortal spiritual being created by God in his own image and likeness, the doctrine of the ideal purpose of a person, which consists in endless, comprehensive, spiritual improvement.

4. The doctrine of the equality of all people in their relationship to God: each person is a son of God, the road to improvement in the direction of union with God is open to everyone, all people are given the means to achieve this destiny - free will and divine help.

5. The doctrine of the complete dominance of the spiritual principle over matter, but at the same time the spiritual value of the material world as well: God is the unconditional Lord of matter, as its creator, and he handed over to man domination over the material world in order to realize his own through the material body and in the material world ideal appointment.

6. The doctrine of the coming of the Messiah (mashiach), when "they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into sickles; the people will not lift a sword against the people, and they will no longer learn to fight, and the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord" (Is.2:4 ). Mashiach is a king, a direct descendant of King David, and should be anointed to the kingdom by the prophet Elijah (Eliyahu), who was taken to heaven alive.

7. The doctrine of the resurrection from the dead at the end of days, that is, the belief that at a certain time the dead will be revived in the flesh and will live again on earth.

Articles of Faith

The symbols of Orthodoxy are the cross. The religious symbol of Orthodox believers is the cross, and four, and six, and the eight-pointed cross are recognized.

The creed is a prayer in which the basic truths of the Orthodox faith are stated in brief and precise words.

12 symbols of the Orthodox faith.

The entire Creed consists of twelve members, and each of them contains a special truth, or, as they also call it, the dogma of our Orthodox faith.

The 1st member speaks of God the Father, the 2nd to 7th members speak of God the Son, the 8th - of God the Holy Spirit, the 9th - of the Church, the 10th - of baptism, the 11th and 12 th - about the resurrection of the dead and about eternal life.

The main emblem of the youngest world religion, Islam, founded by the prophet of Allah, Muhammad (570-632), is a crescent with a star inside. The emblem denotes divine patronage, growth, rebirth, and, together with the star, paradise.

Wheel of law, Dharma - the main symbol of Buddhism.

The two main symbols of Buddhism are the image of the Buddha himself, sitting in the lotus position, and the Dharma chakra (wheel of law). Other common symbols in Buddhism are the Buddhist flag, the Bhwachakra (Wheel of Life) and the color orange.

One of the external symbols of Judaism since the 19th century is the six-pointed Star of David. He is also the most recognizable.

A more ancient symbol of Judaism is the menorah, which stood in the tabernacle in the Jerusalem temple.

Another symbol of Judaism is two rectangular tablets located side by side with a rounded top edge. Sometimes 10 commandments are engraved on the tablets in full or abbreviated form, or the first 10 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which serve for the symbolic numbering of the commandments.

Sacred rites: list and reveal each

Orthodoxy recognizes seven sacraments (sacred rites):

1. Baptism - the introduction of a person to the church. It is performed by three times immersion in water in the name of the Holy Trinity. In Orthodoxy, baptism is performed both on adults who have undergone "announcement" (conscious acceptance of the pores), and on infants according to the faith of the godparents. Orthodoxy recognizes valid baptism in any Christian denomination, performed in the name of the Holy Trinity. Unlike other sacraments, it can be performed in exceptional cases (absence of a priest, illness of a child) by any lay Christian. But at the first opportunity, the baptized, thus, the person and the person who performed the baptism, must go to the temple to the priest, who will check the correctness of the perfect rite and "complete" it.

2. Confirmation - a ceremony performed immediately after baptism. It is performed by anointing parts of the body (forehead, palms, feet) with holy ointment - a special aromatic oil consecrated by the Council of Bishops. Means the introduction to the title of a layman - a member of the church.

3. Repentance - confession of sins before a priest - a spiritual father. In Orthodoxy, repentance, combined with the absolution of sins (confession), occurs both according to the conscious will of the penitent, and in the absence of his will, for example, in relation to a seriously ill person, in an unconscious state - the so-called "deaf confession".

4. Communion (Eucharist) - the communion of the believer to Christ. It is performed during the main Orthodox service - the liturgy - by eating small portions of bread and wine, embodying the body and blood of Christ.

According to Holy Scripture, the first Eucharist was celebrated by Christ himself during the evening meal on the eve of his betrayal into the hands of enemies. He gave the apostles bread and wine, which, having blessed, he called his body and blood. According to Orthodox doctrine, the Eucharist has the meaning of a bloodless sacrifice, as an expression of the Savior's sacrifice on the Cross.

5. Priesthood (consecration to the clergy) - an expression of the apostolic succession of the church hierarchy through the transmission of the gifts of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. The meaning of the priesthood is to give the recipient the opportunity to perform the sacraments. In Orthodoxy, the priesthood has three degrees (episcopate, presbyternate, diaconate), which make up the church hierarchy - the clergy. The powers of the hierarchy include the priesthood (administering the sacraments), pastoring (care for the spiritual life of church members), and teaching (preaching the Word of God).

A bishop possesses the entirety of sacramental function, including the ordination of presbyters and deacons. In Orthodox churches, patriarchs, metropolitans, all bishops (regardless of differences, but in power and in part), archbishops are equal in grace, while in Catholicism the highest bishop (the Pope of Rome) constitutes a special highest degree of priesthood - the primate.

The ordination of bishops is carried out both by the senior bishop of any of the Orthodox churches, and by the Council of Bishops (Bishops). Unlike bishops, presbyters (priests, archpriests) have limited occult action - the right to perform all the sacraments, except for ordination. Deacons have only the right to assist the presbyters in the secret service.

6. Marriage is the grace-filled consecration of the union of a man and a woman who are members of the church for a common Christian life and childbearing. The Orthodox Church, unlike the Catholic Church, recognizes the possibility of de sacralization of the sacrament of marriage - its dissolution, but within limited limits, with many reservations and restrictions (infertility of any of the spouses, proven adultery, committing a serious crime, excommunication of one of the spouses from the church).

7. Unction (unction) - a special rite performed over the sick or dying, informing the healing of the soul and giving strength to accept Christian death.

Icons are a special object of worship for the Orthodox.

The Orthodox Church also attaches great importance to holidays and fasts.

Reading the Quran.

Namaz (prayer).

Circumcision of the foreskin.

Alms.

Hajj (pilgrimage). Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina (the places where Muhammad's activity took place) is not an indispensable obligation, but every adult Muslim should strive to perform the Hajj at least once in his life.

Dzul-khural

This is the name of the "holy rite" performed in late autumn. It combines the Buddhist teaching of rebirth with the primitive cult of animals and the cult of ancestors. Datsan temples are illuminated from the outside and from the inside with many candles, by the light of which believers repent for cases of mistreatment of domestic animals in front of the image of the gods.

Naydani Khural

A rite dedicated to hermits (naidans) elevated to the rank of deities. It also takes place in autumn. Hanging images of naidans, emphasizing their decrepitude, indifference to everything around them, the lamas tell believers that the naidans were once worldly people, but, having gone into hermitage, they deserved salvation. The Naidani Khural emphasizes the danger of any attachment to life, for this attachment leads to bad rebirths.

Obo

Obo is a rite adopted by Lamaism from shamanism. In Buryatia, for example, it usually takes place in the summer, before the start of haymaking. Near a heap of stones piled on a hilltop, a mountainside, on a pass, lamas and believers read prayers in which they ask for help from the spirits - the "masters of the area." A sacrifice is left on the stones - food, coins, silk scarves (hadak). They pray especially hard near the obo during a drought, because, according to the assurance of the lamas, the rain is sent by the "masters of the area." During the obo, cattle are often slaughtered.

There are also obos dedicated to the deities of the lamaist pantheon.

Usu tyalgn

In Kalmykia, a rite close to ritual is occasionally observed, usu tyalgn, i.e., sacrifices to the spirit - "the owner of the water." To increase the catch of fish, a goat kid is slaughtered on a specially constructed raft driven into the sea, whose blood flows into a cauldron with freshly boiled fish soup under the spells.

Life cycle rituals are to varying degrees decorated with Buddhist symbolism: specific Buddhist rites dedicated to birth or marriage are practically absent, while initiation rites and funeral rites are of great importance. The main rite of initiation is performed at the initiation into novices, and then (usually at the age of at least 20 years) into full monasticism. During these rites, the head is completely shaved, and the neophyte changes the secular clothes for the yellow monastic robe donated by the laity; then he pronounces the usual formula containing the acceptance of the patronage of the "three jewels" - the Buddha, the dharma (teaching) and the sangha; this is followed by a test ceremony, when the head monk or abbot of the monastery asks the neophyte a series of questions about his readiness for initiation. In Mahayana Buddhism, special rites are provided for when taking "bodhisattva vows", expressing the neophyte's desire to achieve enlightenment and devote himself to liberation from the suffering of all living beings, including people. In Vajrayana (tantric Buddhism), complex rituals are added to enter different stages of perfection; these rituals include the recitation of mantras (magic formulas), meditation, the use of sacred objects (such as the vajra) and other elements. Funeral rites are important because for Buddhists, the periods immediately before death and after it are of great importance for the further rebirth of the dying person. On his deathbed, the monks read texts that speak of the frailty of being and the transitory nature of death; a similar recitation continues over the body of the deceased (usually for three days). These practices are common in most Buddhist countries, but have reached a special intensity in Tibetan Buddhism, where there is a special sacred book - "guide" of the soul in the afterlife world - the bardo (a transitional state between death and a new birth). A number of Buddhist rites are directly related to the main goal - achieving enlightenment: such are, for example, meditative and yogic practices, ritual manipulation with sacred objects (vajras and bells in Vajrayana), chanting mantras (especially in Amidaism, the Nichiren school, Tibetan Buddhism), singing sacred texts or formulas, etc. At the same time, a large number of folk rites are associated with the protection and acquisition of good power, many of which date back to pre-Buddhist local beliefs: a set of rituals for appeasing “hungry spirits” (preta), reading protective spells (paritta ), magical "charging" of amulets, binding oneself with a special thread with the image of the Buddha, rites of expelling evil forces and healing (for example, , preserved in Tibet from the local Bon religion). In China, the ritual of releasing animals into the wild was very common, which was supposed to bring a huge amount of karmic merit to those who perform it.

The most common rite in Judaism is prayer. The power of prayer, according to believers, is so great that any miracle can be performed with its help.

Mezuzah and Dicit. Judaism requires the believer to hang a mezuzah and wear tzitzit without fail. Mezuzah - a piece of parchment on which verses from Deuteronomy are written; the rolled scroll is placed in a wooden or metal case and attached to the door frame. Tzitzit - brushes made of woolen threads attached to the edges of the arbakanfot, i.e. to a quadrangular piece of cloth worn by religious Jews under outerwear.

Calores. The magical rite of kapores is performed on the night before the Day of Judgment and consists in the fact that a man twirls a rooster three times over his head (a woman - a chicken), saying a special prayer three times. Then the bird is slaughtered and the meat is eaten on the night of the end of the day of judgment.

Lulav. The ancient ritual of Lulav is performed during prayer during the days of the autumn Jewish feast of tabernacles (Sukkot). The worshiper should hold a lulav in one hand, consisting of a palm branch tied with three myrtle and two willow branches, and in the other an esrog, a special kind of lemon, and shake the air with them, which supposedly serves as a magical means to cause wind and rain.

Tashlich. On the day of the Jewish New Year (rosh hashanah), believers gather by the river, read passages from the Old Testament book of Micah and sing religious hymns. While reading prayers, believers shake out their pockets and throw crumbs of bread into the water, believing that in this way they are freed from sins.

Kosher and clubs. According to Jewish doctrine, food is divided into permitted (kosher) and unlawful (tref). You can eat the meat of ruminants, poultry, slaughtered according to the rules of shehita (ritual slaughter). It is forbidden to eat meat and dairy food at the same time. Pork is a taboo food.

Circumcision. Judaism attaches special importance to the fulfillment of this rite: the fulfillment of this “great covenant” by Yahweh is considered a guarantee of the religious exclusivity of the Jewish people.

Ablution. The believer is prescribed on the eve of Saturday and other religious holidays to take a bath in a mikveh - a specially equipped pool with rain or spring water, preceding each prayer with the washing of hands.

Holidays

The most revered common Christian holiday is Easter.

Easter is "holidays". Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring equinox.

Easter is the main event of the year for Orthodox Christians and the biggest Orthodox holiday. The word "Easter" came to us from the Greek language and means "transition", "deliverance".

Adjacent to it are the twelfth holidays - the 12 most significant holidays of Orthodoxy: Baptism of the Lord, Candlemas, Annunciation, Transfiguration, Nativity of the Virgin, Entry into the Temple of the Virgin, Assumption of the Virgin, Trinity (Pentecost), Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Ascension of the Lord, Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord and Christmas Christ.

There are twelve major holidays. The liturgical year in Orthodoxy begins in the fall, from September, and in this regard, the location of the holidays is as follows: the Nativity of the Virgin (Sept. 821), the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Sept. 1427), the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos (November 21, December 4), the Nativity of Christ ( December 25, January 7), Baptism of the Lord (Theophany) (Jan 619), Annunciation (March 25, April 7), Transfiguration of the Lord (Aug 619), Assumption of the Mother of God (Aug 1528).

Easter, the Feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, occupies a special place among Christian holidays. The Church established that Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring equinox and full moon. Thus, Easter in Orthodoxy is celebrated between March 22 and April 25, according to the old style.

Two great holidays:

Eid ul-Fitr (Ramadan Bairam - the feast of breaking the fast)

Eid ul-Adha (Kurban Bayram - the feast of sacrifice).

A special place was given to such days as Juma (Friday), the Day of Arafat, the Day of Ashura and the Night of Predestination. They were defined as a time of diligent worship of Allah, and not as a time for celebration and fun.

There are relatively few holidays in modern Lamaism.

However, they are celebrated with great pomp, accompanied by complex rituals.

Tsagalgan

Tsagalgan (tsagansara, i.e. white month) is one of the most famous and still observed holidays of Lamaism. It is timed to coincide with the beginning of the new year, according to the old Mongolian (lunar) calendar. During the 16 days of this holiday, a whole series of ceremonies dedicated to the "twelve miracles of the Buddha" are held.

The Maidari cycle

The Maidari cycle, or Maidri-khural, is the most magnificent of the holidays held now in datsans. Usually it takes place with a large gathering of believers; the holding of this holiday should hasten the coming of the coming Buddha to earth and the establishment of a happy and joyful life for him.

The holiday is held in the summer months, in the midst of agricultural work.

There are three main holidays that are important for any Buddhist:

Vesak, Donchog, Buddha's day is the most sacred day for all Buddhists, because it is a thrice blessed day, marked by the birth, enlightenment and passing of the Buddha. Vesak Day coincides with the full moon in the lunar month of Visakha (May).

Asalha, the Dharma day, indicates how the first five followers, following the instructions of the Buddha, became members of the Fellowship. It was in the lunar month of Asalha (July), on the day of the full moon. On the day of Asalhi, the secluded period begins - Vaso, which coincides with the beginning of the rainy season in Asia. This is the period during which the members of the Sangha do not wander and remain in one place.

Kathin, the Sangha day, is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Kathin (October) and ends the vaso period.

Other Buddhist holidays:

Sagaalgan, New Year. The Chinese, Tibetans, Mongols, Vietnamese, Buryats and Tuvans celebrate the arrival of the New Year on the first spring new moon according to the lunar calendar. Since the lunar year is shorter than the solar year by about a month, the onset of the New Year does not have a fixed date and can fluctuate within one and a half months (from the end of January to the first decade of March). Calculate this date in advance according to astrological tables.

Duinhor is celebrated in May. The holiday is associated with the beginning of the preaching of Kalachakra - one of the important components of the Vajrayana philosophy. Those who are familiar with the philosophical depths of Buddhism gather in the temple on a holiday.

Dzul is a holiday dedicated to the memory (day of entering nirvana) of the founder of the Tibetan Gelug school - Tsongkhava. The feast of lamps is the second name of this day, because. on this day, at nightfall, thousands of oil lamps are lit inside and outside the monasteries. They are extinguished only at dawn. Monks read prayers, believing lay people make offerings to the temple. Dzul is celebrated annually on December 25th.

Lhabab duisen, the descent of the Buddha from the sky Tushita is a common Buddhist holiday. Time of its carrying out: the end of October - November. The essence of the holiday is in the decision of the Buddha to gain the last earthly birth and open the "way of the Buddha" to everyone.

The festival in honor of the Tooth of the Buddha is celebrated only by followers of Theravada (the southern and earliest branch of Buddhism). The holiday is held only on the island of Sri Lanka in the city of Kandy in the Dalada Maligawa temple, where this main relic of Buddhism is kept. The time of the holiday: the end of July - the beginning of August, and its duration is two weeks.

I would like to note that this is not a complete list of Buddhist holidays. There are a lot of them: each country and each temple has its own holidays, but those presented here, perhaps, can be considered the most important.

Easter is a spring holiday, celebrated in honor of the "exodus" of the Jews from Egypt. The idea of ​​waiting for the Messiah is introduced into the celebration of Easter.

Shebuot is a holiday in memory of the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai to the prophet Moses seven days after the exodus. It is celebrated on the fiftieth day after the second day of Easter.

Sukkot, kushi - a holiday in memory of wandering in the wilderness, "when the sons of Israel lived in tents." The last day of Sukkot is called Simchat Torah (Joy of the Torah). On this day, solemn processions are made in the synagogues with Torah scrolls in their hands and with the singing of laudatory psalms addressed to Yahweh. Simchat Torah was established due to the fact that on this day the annual cycle of public (in synagogues) reading of the Pentateuch ends and its repeated annual reading begins.

New Year (rosh-hashana) and judgment day (nom-kippur) are holidays on which, according to Jewish doctrine, all the inhabitants of the world, as it were, pass before Yahweh, and he, delving into all the affairs of people, pronounces a sentence on each person individually " merit."

Territories where believers live

Greece,

Cyprus,

Bulgaria,

Romania,

Macedonia,

Montenegro,

Serbia,

Bosnia,

Belarus,

Ukraine,

Russia,

Syria,

Ethiopia,

Eritrea,

Egypt (Coptic Orthodox Church, Egyptian Orthodox Church),

Georgia,

Armenia,

Japan (partial)..

Albania

Algeria

Afghanistan

Bangladesh Kingdom of Bahrain Brunei Darussalam

Burkina Faso

Republic of the Gambia

Guinea

Djibouti

Arab Republic of Egypt

Indonesia Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Iraq

Iran

Yemen

Kazakhstan Qatar

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Kyrgyzstan

Islamic Republic of Comoros

Republic of Kosovo

Ivory Coast

State of Kuwait Lebanon

Libya

Mauritania Federation of Malaya Republic of Mali

Kingdom of Morocco

Niger

Nigeria

UAE

Sultanate of Oman

Pakistan

Kingdom of Palestine Saudi Arabia Republic of Senegal Republic of Sierra Leone

Syrian Arab Republic

Somalia

Sudanese Republic

Tajikistan

Tunisia

Turkmenistan

Turkey

Uzbekistan

Chad

Eritrea

Buddhism is most widespread in Tibet, Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Vietnam, Korea, China and Japan. On the territory of Russia, Buddhism is represented primarily as the main religion in Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia.

The largest ethnic groups among the Jews are the Ashkenazim (from Central and Eastern Europe, in particular, almost all the Jews of Russia) and the Sephardi (originally from Spain and Portugal, then scattered throughout the Mediterranean).

And also Jews live in more than 50 countries of the world, on different continents.

Faith in God surrounds a person from infancy. In childhood, this still unconscious choice is associated with family traditions that exist in every home. But later a person can consciously change his confession. How are they similar and how do they differ from one another?

The concept of religion and the prerequisites for its appearance

The word "religion" comes from the Latin religio (piety, shrine). This is a worldview, behavior, actions based on faith in something that surpasses human understanding and supernatural, that is, sacred. The beginning and meaning of any religion is faith in God, regardless of whether he is personified or impersonal.

There are several prerequisites for the emergence of religion. First, from time immemorial, man has been trying to go beyond the boundaries of this world. He seeks to find salvation and consolation outside of it, sincerely needs faith.

Secondly, a person wants to give an objective assessment of the world. And then, when he cannot explain the origin of earthly life only by natural laws, he makes the assumption that a supernatural force is applied to all this.

Thirdly, a person believes that various events and occurrences of a religious nature confirm the existence of God. The list of religions for believers is already a real proof of the existence of God. They explain it very simply. If there were no God, there would be no religion.

The oldest types, forms of religion

The birth of religion took place 40 thousand years ago. It was then that the emergence of the simplest forms of religious beliefs was noted. It was possible to learn about them thanks to the discovered burials, as well as rock and cave art.

In accordance with this, the following types of ancient religions are distinguished:

• Totemism. A totem is a plant, animal or object that was considered sacred by a particular group of people, tribe, clan. At the heart of this ancient religion was belief in the supernatural power of the amulet (totem).

• Magic. This form of religion is based on the belief in the magical abilities of man. The magician with the help of symbolic actions is able to influence the behavior of other people, natural phenomena and objects from a positive and negative side.
• Fetishism. From among any objects (the skull of an animal or a person, a stone or a piece of wood, for example), one was chosen to which supernatural properties were attributed. He was supposed to bring good luck and protect from danger.
• Animism. All natural phenomena, objects and people have a soul. She is immortal and continues to live outside the body even after his death. All modern types of religions are based on the belief in the existence of the soul and spirits.
• Shamanism. It was believed that the head of the tribe or the clergyman had supernatural powers. He entered into conversation with the spirits, listened to their advice and fulfilled the requirements. Belief in the power of the shaman is at the heart of this form of religion.

List of religions

There are more than a hundred different religious trends in the world, including the most ancient forms and modern trends. They have their own time of occurrence and differ in the number of followers. But at the heart of this long list are the three most numerous world religions: Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Each of them has different directions.

World religions in the form of a list can be represented as follows:

1. Christianity (almost 1.5 billion people):

• Orthodoxy (Russia, Greece, Georgia, Bulgaria, Serbia);
• Catholicism (the states of Western Europe, Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania and others);
• Protestantism (USA, Great Britain, Canada, South Africa, Australia).

2. Islam (about 1.3 billion people):

• Sunnism (Africa, Central and South Asia);
• Shiism (Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan).

3. Buddhism (300 million people):

• Hinayana (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand);
• Mahayana (Tibet, Mongolia, Korea, Vietnam).

National religions

In addition, in every corner of the world there are national and traditional religions, also with their own directions. They originated or gained special distribution in certain countries. On this basis, the following types of religions are distinguished:

• Hinduism (India);
• Confucianism (China);
• Taoism (China);
• Judaism (Israel);
• Sikhism (Punjab state in India);
• Shinto (Japan);
• paganism (Indian tribes, peoples of the North and Oceania).

Christianity

This religion originated in Palestine in the Eastern part of the Roman Empire in the 1st century AD. Its appearance is associated with faith in the birth of Jesus Christ. At the age of 33, he was martyred on the cross to atone for the sins of the people, after which he resurrected and ascended to heaven. Thus, the son of God, who embodied supernatural and human nature, became the founder of Christianity.

The documentary basis of the doctrine is the Bible (or Holy Scripture), which consists of two independent collections of the Old and New Testaments. The writing of the first of them is closely connected with Judaism, from which Christianity originates. The New Testament was written after the birth of religion.

The symbols of Christianity are the Orthodox and Catholic crosses. The main provisions of faith are defined in dogmas, which are based on faith in God, who created the world and man himself. The objects of worship are God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit.

Islam

Islam, or Moslemism, originated among the Arab tribes of Western Arabia at the beginning of the 7th century in Mecca. The founder of the religion was the prophet Muhammad. This man from childhood was prone to loneliness and often indulged in pious reflections. According to the teachings of Islam, at the age of 40, on Mount Hira, the heavenly messenger Jabrail (Archangel Gabriel) appeared to him, who left an inscription in his heart. Like many other world religions, Islam is based on the belief in one God, but in Islam it is called Allah.

Holy Scripture - Koran. The symbols of Islam are the star and the crescent. The main provisions of the Muslim faith are contained in dogmas. They must be recognized and unquestioningly fulfilled by all believers.

The main types of religion are Sunnism and Shiism. Their appearance is connected with political disagreements between believers. Thus, the Shiites to this day believe that only the direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad carry the truth, while the Sunnis think that it should be an elected member of the Muslim community.

Buddhism

Buddhism originated in the 6th century BC. Homeland - India, after which the teaching spread to the countries of Southeast, South, Central Asia and the Far East. Considering how many other most numerous types of religions exist, we can safely say that Buddhism is the most ancient of them.

The founder of the spiritual tradition is Buddha Gautama. He was an ordinary man, whose parents were granted a vision that their son would grow up to be a Great Teacher. The Buddha was also lonely and contemplative, and turned to religion very quickly.

There is no object of worship in this religion. The goal of all believers is to reach nirvana, the blissful state of insight, to be freed from their own fetters. Buddha for them is a kind of ideal, which should be equal.

Buddhism is based on the doctrine of the four Noble Truths: on suffering, on the origin and causes of suffering, on the true cessation of suffering and the elimination of its sources, on the true path to the cessation of suffering. This path consists of several stages and is divided into three stages: wisdom, morality and concentration.

New religious currents

In addition to those religions that originated a very long time ago, new creeds still continue to appear in the modern world. They are still based on faith in God.

The following types of modern religions can be noted:

• scientology;
• neo-shamanism;
• neopaganism;
• Burkhanism;
• neo-Hinduism;
• raelites;
• oomoto;
• and other currents.

This list is constantly being modified and supplemented. Some types of religions are especially popular among show business stars. For example, Tom Cruise, Will Smith, John Travolta are seriously passionate about Scientology.

This religion originated in 1950 thanks to science fiction writer L. R. Hubbard. Scientologists believe that any person is inherently good, his success and peace of mind depend on himself. According to the fundamental principles of this religion, humans are immortal beings. Their experience is longer than one human life, and their abilities are unlimited.

But everything is not so clear in this religion. In many countries, it is believed that Scientology is a sect, a pseudo-religion with a lot of capital. Despite this trend is very popular, especially in Hollywood.

Hello dear friends!

Currently, there are a huge number of religions in the world that give people strength and faith in the future. In today's article, I would like to tell you about what faiths and religions are?

A lot of wars and disagreements occurred due to the fact that a person, having decided on his faith and finding the source of beliefs, ceases to respect other points of view and religions. But does it make sense to find out who is right or more accurate in the context of such an individual approach to the issue?

It doesn't matter what a person believes in, the main thing is that he finds the light and strives for it! Living in harmony with themselves and bringing creative energy to the masses, people can be called people. And it doesn't matter which name of religion is the basis of his deeds.

The classification into types occurred due to the desire of religious studies to separate modern and ancient trends. Today, religions can be distinguished into several types: tribal, world and national.

Many peoples of the world called God by different names. And every belief has its own truth. For some, the Easter Bunny could act as the highest power of being and the universe, while others had the right to consider pagan rites true, which sometimes contradicted most of the canons of the religious system of Christianity.

Atheism acquired the rights for its formation relatively recently. Totemness and self-acceptance as a person similarly took place within the framework of self-expression. If earlier man was on Earth, and the Gods were in heaven, today agnosticism, as faith “between faith”, projects completely different charters of thinking and understanding the world.

I would like to talk about some of the religions in more detail. I want to bring to your attention a list of different religions of the peoples of the world. Of course, you will be familiar with some of them, but you will encounter some for the first time.

Buddhism

Buddhism is one of the oldest religions in the world, originating in India. Thanks to its founder Siddhartha Gautama, known to us as the Great Buddha, people all over the planet are still striving to find solace in the true understanding of the words "awakened" or "enlightened".

Buddhist philosophy is based on the teachings of "noble truths". There are only four of them. The first explains the existence of suffering, the second talks about its causes, the third calls for liberation, and the fourth teaches how to come to it.

The tenets of Buddhism and the very understanding of life can be called a river or a stream of non-material particles. It is their combination that determines the existence of what exists on Earth and in the Universe.

The laws of karma bring rebirth behind them and therefore, it is worth respecting what deeds a person performed in a past life. The ideal of Buddhism can safely be called moral. Its essence is dressed in the motto " Do no harm. Nobody!».

And the main goal is to achieve the state of Nirvana - that is, complete peace and tranquility.

Brahmanism

This religion also has its roots in India. It was developed thanks to Vedism. What is she teaching about? The most important thing is the realization of the divine principle of everything vital and tangible, called revelations about Brahman.

And also about the Atman - a unique and personal spirit. Experts in the Vedas played an invaluable role in the development of Brahminism as a free flow. In the religious system, the original role was assigned to them.

The main idea was based on the belief and propaganda that people are unique and it is impossible to find a second identical one. That is, from childhood, a person has his own unique strength, mission and task.

Brahminists were distinguished by complex and cult rites. And rituals occupied the main part of their lives and were strictly controlled.

Taoism

This religion was revealed to the masses thanks to China and its founder, the sage Lao Tzu. Thanks to the philosophy that resulted in the work of the founder's life - "Tao Te Ching", religion is dedicated to 2 concepts.

The word "Tao", which can be interpreted as a tool or method, and the letters "De", which means grace, prompted the thinker to deeply rethink the model of this world.

According to his thoughts, it can be concluded that the universe is controlled by an even more powerful force. The essence of its occurrence is full of secrets and mysteries, and at the same time, its influence leads life to harmony.

The main goal of religion is to bring man closer to immortality. According to the adherents of the Taoist, it is this that helps the individual to reveal the full power of religious contemplation of the naked beauty of the world. And breathing and gymnastic trainings, alchemy, hygiene of soul and body help to achieve such a state of eternal life.

Jainism

Jainism is a religion that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Vardahaman is the great founder of religion. And it is thanks to his vision that Jains are convinced that no one created our world. He has existed forever and will continue on his way no matter what.

What's important? The most valuable and true is the desire for self-improvement of one's own soul, strengthening its strength. The teaching says that it is precisely because of such work on oneself that the soul is liberated from everything worldly.

Also, religion is not free from the belief in the transmigration of souls. Jains believe that the success of living this life is directly related to how you behaved in the previous one.

It is worth mentioning that the practice of asceticism is very significant in understanding religion as such. The ultimate goal of the individual is to break the cycle of rebirth. That is, to reach Nirvana and find harmony. And this can only be done by an ascetic.

Hinduism

Hinduism is a whole system of beliefs or laws of the Hindus. It differs in that it does not carry certain and well-established dogmas. The characteristic features or signs of the followers of Hinduism is the authoritarian recognition of the Vedic teachings and, consequently, the brahminical foundation of the worldview.

I want to note that only the person who can boast of at least one Indian parent has the right to profess Hinduism.

The main idea of ​​the faith that is confessed is following certain guidelines of deliverance. Karma, as an act and samsara, as the wheel of being, must be overcome by an individual for complete and true liberation.

Islam

I could not fail to mention this world religion, which originated in Arabia. The Prophet Muhammad, who spoke in Mecca, is considered its founder. According to his convictions, as well as thanks to his statements, after his death, work was created. In the future, it became the holy book of Islam and to this day bears the famous name - the Quran.

What is the point? The main teaching is as follows: There is no god but Allah". And the angels and other entities of the higher worlds are not free, but in complete submission to Him.

Also, Muslims are convinced that their religion is the most correct, since Muhammad is the last prophet whom God sent to Earth. The knowledge and wisdom of previous religions, in the opinion of Muslims, are not reliable due to the fact that people have repeatedly rewritten and deformed sacred knowledge.

Judaism

This is the earliest religion that originated in Palestine. It became widespread mainly among the Jews. Belief in the one God, as well as the immortality of the soul and the afterlife, is closely related to the perception of the Jewish people as the personification of the Messiah and the bearer of Divine revelation.

The sacred books of Judaism include the Torah, a huge number of works of the prophets and interpretations that are collected in the Talmud.

Christianity

It is one of the three most powerful religions in the world. Originated in Palestine, and then spread to the Roman Empire and throughout Europe. She won the hearts of many believers living on planet Earth.

The belief that God sent his son Jesus Christ to Earth, who lived righteously, suffered and died like an ordinary person, is at the heart of the religion.

The main book of religion is the Bible. It preaches the doctrine of the three hypostases of one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Especially Christians relate to the idea of ​​the first sin and the second coming of Christ to Earth.

Polytheism

Polytheism is the belief in many gods. It can be called a certain system of beliefs, a whole worldview or a ground for disagreement. Religion is based on the belief in several deities that are collected in a pantheon of goddesses and, of course, gods.

Polytheism refers to a type of theism and opposes monotheism, that is, belief in one, one God. And at the same time, he also disagrees with the judgments of atheism, where the existence of any higher forces is completely denied.

In fact, such a term was introduced by Philo of Alexandria because it became necessary to create some kind of difference between polytheism and paganism. Since at that time all those who did not profess Judaism were called pagans.

Jediism

More of a philosophical trend than a religion, I couldn't help but mention it! The Jedi believe in the Force, an all-encompassing energy field created by all living beings that surrounds and penetrates all living things, and work to develop their own, much like the Jedi Knights from the movie "". In Jediism there are no cult actions and dogmas, and about half a million followers of this trend have already been registered, especially in America and Great Britain.

And the Jedi Code says:

There are no emotions - there is peace.
There is no ignorance - there is knowledge.
There is no passion - there is serenity.
There is no chaos - there is harmony.
There is no death - there is Power.

So most likely, the Jedi direction in many ways resembles Buddhism.

In conclusion, I will say that, in my opinion, the central idea of ​​all religions is the same: the existence of a higher Power and subtle, invisible worlds, as well as the spiritual perfection of man. All religions in my opinion come from ancient esoteric knowledge. So, it will be joyful when each person believes in what he likes best, and also provides the same freedom to others. After all, the first thing you need to do is stay human!

On this philosophical note, I put an end to it.

See you on the blog, bye bye!

There are more than 7 billion people in our World, in each of which there are different thoughts, feelings, faith. Therefore, a fairly large number of religions have appeared in the World, in connection with this, people choose different religions, most of them have faith in God, but some nations do not believe in him.

When we think about the word "religion", some thoughts appear in our minds, like some kind of gesture, like a belief, a vision about humanity in the whole World and the system of belief to various religious cultures. An interesting fact is that according to various studies and the Guinness Book of Records, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world due to the large number of conversions to Islam every year.

That is why, here we have collected the most popular religions in the world for 2016.

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10

Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world, founded about 3,500 years ago in Canaan (now Israel), the Middle East and Egypt. Judaism is estimated to have about 14.5 million followers worldwide. Judaism is also mentioned in the Holy Book "Bible": Abraham, who gave birth and Moses, who freed Jewish prisoners from Egypt, are the founders of this faith, therefore, this is the most ancient monotheistic religion in the world.

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9

Sikhism is one of the most popular religions in the world, which appeared in the region of South Asia - Punjab about 500 years ago in the 15th century. The beliefs of Sikhism are described in the sacred writings of the Guru Granth Sahib and are called the youngest religion in the world. Guru Nanak, the founder of this religious culture, now rests in the Nankana Sahib region of Pakistan. It is estimated that there are between 25 and 28 million followers of this religion worldwide, and in Punjab, India, about 90 million Sikhs follow the teachings of Guru Nanak and ten successive Gurus.

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8

Religion Anglicanism is included in the Church of England and all other churches that are traditionally attached to it or profess similar worship and church structure. Thus, Anglicanism is based on Christianity and their holy book is the Bible, as well as the Anglican doctrine is based on the Holy Scriptures, the traditions of the Apostolic Church, the historical episcopate, the first four Ecumenical Councils and the teachings of the early Church Fathers. This religion is followed by about 85.5 million people around the world, which also gives it the right to be on our list.

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7

Atheism in the true sense is the faith of people who have no creed. In a broader sense, this religion consists in the rejection of belief in the existence of gods, spirits, the afterlife, otherworldly forces, etc. Atheism is based on the belief in the self-sufficiency of the natural world and not in the supernatural origin of all religions.

According to statistics, this religion is growing every year. About the emergence of Atheism, as its homeland, we can talk about America, however, in 2015, more than 61% of the followers of this religion are from China. For the first time, this religion was recognized in the 16th century in France and today has more than 150 million followers around the world.

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6

Buddhism is another historical religion of the world, founded about 2500 years ago in India, whose followers are based on the teachings of the Buddha. Initially, Buddhism spread throughout Asia, but a few years later, after the advent of Islam, most of it spread only to the territory of India.

According to available data, about 7% of the world's population practice Buddhism, and this is more than 500 million followers, including most of them in Burma, Japan, China and Sri Lanka. The founder of Buddhism is Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) and his teachings.

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5

Agnosticism

Agnosticism is a special religion, because its true beliefs are philosophical. Followers of Agnosticism are constantly looking for an answer to the question: "Is God a divine or supernatural being?". That is why it is the religion of the philosophers. Its followers are always in search of God, and the roots of this religion go far into the past - about the 5th century. BC, so there are now about 640 million religious philosophers around the world.

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4

Another of the oldest religions in the world is Hinduism. According to history, this religion has no beginning, and it exists mainly in India and Nepal. The main Hindu religions are karma, dharma, samsara, maya, moksha and yoga. There are about 1 billion followers of Hinduism worldwide, most of them are in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Malaysia, which is 15% of the total world population.

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3

Catholicism is also one of the most popular and largest religions in the world, characterized by organizational centralization and the largest number of adherents among Christian churches. The head of the Catholic Church is the Pope, who heads the Holy See and the Vatican City State in Rome. Catholicism is a fairly old religion, so there is a large number of followers of this religion around the world - 1.2 billion Catholics.

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2

Christianity is the world's largest monotheistic religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. It has over 2.4 billion followers worldwide who call themselves Christians. According to Christianity, Jesus Christ is the son of God and also the Savior of all mankind. The Holy Scripture of Christianity is the Bible, but despite this, Christianity is the most ancient religion of the world, which is followed by many countries - Europe, North America and Oceania, and it also quickly spread to India, Syria, Ethiopia and even Asia, due to which Hinduism is rapidly declining .

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1

Islam

Islam is the world's other largest religion, and according to the Guinness Book of World Records, Islam is the world's fastest growing religion. Islam was founded about 1,500 years ago, and Muslims around the world follow the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, which is called the Sunnah, and the Holy Book is the Koran.

According to statistics, about 23% of the total population of the globe practice Islam, which is approximately 1.7 billion people. Muslims believe that God is one, and Muhammad is the last prophet of Allah (God). Most Muslims are concentrated in Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and 20% in the Middle East, Europe, Russia, America and China. Despite this, Islam has small communities in every country in the world. We can safely say that Islam is the most popular religion of the early 21st century.

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Conclusion

It was about the most popular religions in the world. We hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for your attention!

From ancient times to the present day, religion has played an invaluable role in human life. Not surprisingly, various currents appear regularly. Some of them take root and spread, some die for lack of adherents. The formation of modern religions and trends is a phenomenon that is unlikely to ever disappear from life, which is why it is easy to get confused in the huge variety of sects and confessions. Only three religions, called world ones, do not lose their importance.

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Features of Christianity

Christianity is rightly considered the most powerful, most multinational and widespread of all types of religions. It is ahead of young Islam and more ancient Buddhism. Supporters of Christianity can be found in various parts of our planet, it is the official religion of eleven countries.

The essence of Christianity is the worship of Jesus, the Son of God, who descended to our earth in order to atone for all the sins of mankind and open the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven for souls. Adherents of this religion believe that Jesus Christ is the only true God and Messiah who will come to our earth again to save the human race.

Origins

Christianity takes its roots from the first century AD. The first mention of it was recorded in Palestine. In the earliest years of its existence, this trend already boasted a huge number of supporters. Historians consider the plight of the inhabitants at that time to be the impetus for its emergence. It is not surprising that the people tried to find support and solace in this way. The world learned about Christianity after the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles. The following regions were the first to learn about religion:

• Jerusalem;
• Roman;
• Constantinople;
• Alexandrian;
• Antioch.

A little later, the above territories began to be called Churches. Among them, the main one is not distinguished, and each is considered equal to the others.

The Jews were the first to adopt Christianity. They also endured terrible persecution and numerous troubles that befell them after the fall of Jerusalem. The Romans worshiped pagan gods, their beliefs had nothing to do with the Christian worldview. If Christianity called to be merciful, humble and believe in one God, then paganism denied all virtues and had countless idols. Until 312, the followers of Christ suffered humiliation, were subjected to numerous tortures, and only during the reign of Emperor Constantine were all prohibitions on preaching this religion lifted, moreover, he made it the state religion.

Christian rules and customs that are familiar to believers at the present time have been questioned and discussed more than once in the past. To resolve especially important issues, Councils were established, membership in which went to bishops and other significant and famous clergymen. For example, at the first Council in history, the “Symbol of Faith” prayer was adopted, which is currently a kind of alphabet for every believer.

It is not surprising that now this religion occupies an honorable first place in terms of prevalence, because it began to strive for its superiority a very long time ago. The Roman Empire, which professed Christianity, became one of the superpowers of that time. Currents supported in it, are widely used throughout the world.

Catholicism and Orthodoxy

1054 is a special year in the history of Christianity, since the current was divided into two parts: the Catholic Church and the Orthodox. Although both churches have the same source, they have a number of differences that have acquired certain traditions and innovations as a result of the change.

The list of main differences is as follows:

Despite multiple differences and some misunderstandings, Catholics and Orthodox profess the same faith, so the main number of dogmas and rules they have is the same.

History of Buddhism

Buddhism is the oldest and most ancient religion that originated in the first millennium BC. This means that Buddhism is even older than Christianity. The first mentions appeared in India, to be more precise, in its northern part. Buddhism is an integral part of Indian philosophy.

The researchers believe that Buddhism owes its origin certain changes that have taken place in the life of the people. In the middle of the sixth century BC, the people of India were shocked by many changes in traditional attitudes, suffered a decline in both culture and economy, and also experienced the emergence of more categorical relations between classes. These events led to the emergence of a huge number of people who decided to lead an ascetic lifestyle. They began to move closer to nature or completely abandoned everything they had and began to travel around India with one bag on their shoulders. At this time, Buddhism arose, which received instant gratitude from the people.

Most scholars agree that the person who gave rise to the new religion was Siddhartha Gautama, better known as Shakyamuni Buddha. He was brought up in a very wealthy family. Parents and relatives protected him from the dangers and disappointments of this world in every possible way. Already quite an adult, the boy did not know about such phenomena as ailments, aging and death.

However, he did not remain in such ignorance for long. One day, leaving the walls of his palace, he became an accidental witness to the funeral procession. Of course, this came as a shock to the young man, and, unable to continue living in luxury and wealth, he went on a journey with a small group of hermits. Siddhartha hopes to find the meaning of life, thinks a lot about the causes of all disasters, as well as how to overcome them.

For six whole years he spent in wanderings, during which he realized that it was impossible to achieve peace with the help of any technique. All that remains for us is meditation and prayer. One day, while meditating once again in the bosom of nature, he suddenly felt an amazing insight and realized that enlightenment had finally come. It was from this moment that Siddhartha began to be called the Buddha. Having achieved enlightenment himself, the Buddha began to preach it to people.

Fundamentals of Religion

If not the main, then the main idea of ​​this trend is to achieve nirvana, that is, such a state of mind when, after self-denial and rejection of things that bring comfort to our lives, a person feels not deprived, but full and can contemplate everything around with calmness. This requires a special method of mind control, mastered for the first time by the Buddha.

The teacher called the main flaws of people the incredible attachment of people to everything worldly, material goods and dependence on what others say. He rightly believed that such behavior not only does not allow us to live peacefully and happily, but also pushes us onto the path of degradation and decay. And just reaching nirvana we can get rid of these bad attachments.

Like any other religion Buddhism is based on four truths:

Interesting and very important is the fact that the Buddha's teaching does not preach an ascetic way of life. It calls on people to find that golden mean between the material and the spiritual, so as not to be dependent on worldly goods and thereby destroy themselves.

Origin of Islam

The roots of this religion, whose name is translated as "submitting to Allah", originate among the endless deserts of the east. Despite the fact that Islam is much younger than both Christianity and Buddhism, it was able to become a world trend. “There is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah” is the main truth for every Muslim.

Adherents of the current believe that Allah passed on his teaching, called the Koran, to the prophet Muhammad. Interesting, that there are certain similarities between the Quran and the Bible, however, Muslims have a rather controversial attitude towards the writings of Christians, since there is no mention of Allah in it. They do not deny the existence of certain similarities, but they believe that the Bible is a distorted version of the Koran.

Today, Islam is divided into two branches:

• Sunnis, which is the majority of believers, follow the set of hadiths adopted by them in antiquity. Sunnis have a special guideline explaining how to lead a Muslim in a given situation. This religious practice is called Sunnah.
• The Shiites do not completely reject the Sunnahs, but they introduce their own rulings into them. Adherents of this variety of Islam believe that power in the party they represent should be in the hands of the descendants of Muhammad, that is, his daughter and cousin.

Pillars of religion

There are only five provisions that must be impeccably carried out by the followers of religion:

One of the main features of Islam from Christianity is the attitude of people towards God. Christians believe that Jesus is love, he is merciful to people, forgives their sins and tries with all his might to grant salvation. Allah, according to Muslims, is not an all-forgiving Lord, but a strict judge who will reward everyone according to their merits. Allah is not merciful to sinners, which is mentioned in the scriptures of Muslims more than 20 times.