Five Main World Religions And Their Basic Beliefs

For centuries, humankind has sought to understand and explain the “meaning of life.” Many philosophers believe this contemplation and the desire to understand our place in the universe are what differentiate humankind from other species. Religion has been found in all human societies since human societies first appeared.

Religion is a unified system of beliefs, values, and practices that a person holds sacred. While there are thousands of different religions in the world, the five oldest religions are generally described as the main world religions. These religions are Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. The five main religions are the oldest religions on earth but not necessarily the ones with the most followers.

They are the most widely recognized and influential religions. Close to three-quarters of the world's population practices one of the five of them. In this video, we will be discussing these five religions to understand the core beliefs of each of them.

First is Christianity. Christianity is the largest religion in the world, with more than 2 billion believers worldwide. It began over 2000 years ago with the birth of Jesus Christ in Israel. The United States is home to the largest Christian population, but Christianity is also widespread in many other places, including Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, Nigeria, South Africa, many European countries, and numerous Caribbean islands. It is broadly split into three branches, catholic, protestants and orthodox.

It is a monotheistic religion which means the adherents believe there is only one God. Despite being monotheistic, Christians describe God through three manifestations called the Holy Trinity, the father (God), the son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit, similar to how water can be in different forms as ice, water, and gas. Another foundation to Christian faith is the Ten Commandments, a set of rules that includes acts considered sinful, such as theft, murder, and adultery. 

Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, sent to earth as a man and a messiah to save people from their sins. He was crucified  and after  being buried for three days, Jesus rose from the dead and then ascended from earth to heaven to be reunited with God. They also believe  there will be a second coming in which Jesus will return to Earth and take Christian believers back to heaven with him.

Christian teachings are grounded in the Holy Bible divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament. There are several editions of the Christian bible; not all denominations use the same version.

Second is Islam. Islam is the second largest religion in the world, with an estimated 1.8 billion followers. People  who follow the religion are called Muslim. The religion began in the 7th century B.C. in what is now Saudi Arabia. While Muslims live in many countries worldwide, they make up the majority of the population in several countries. There are seven countries where more than 90% of the population is Muslim (Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Pakistan). Some places follow Sharia law. 

The Islamic faith is monotheistic, believing in Allah as the one true God. It teaches that the prophet Muhammad is Allah’s final messenger, who continued to receive messages from Allah to share with the people. After Muhammad’s death, other leaders rose in his place under a system called the caliphate, with the individual leaders being referred to as caliphs.

There are two major sects within Islam: Sunnis and Shiites. About 90% of Muslims are Sunnis. Muslims pray at five specific times throughout each day, they are expected to complete a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca at least once in their lives, they are also required to fast during the month of Ramadan. The Quaran is their holy book and their women wear a hijab that covers their hair, while others wear a niquab or burka, which conceals more of their appearance.

Third is Hinduism. Hinduism began in India around 2300 B.C. and remains prevalent on that subcontinent. As of 2018, about 94% of those who follow the Hindu faith live in India. It is third largest religion in the world, with fewer followers than only Christianity and Islam. As with all religions, there are multiple sects of Hinduism, each with some variations in their practices.

In the Hindu faith, god goes by many names and manifests in infinite ways.  Brahman is the recognized supreme God responsible for creating everything in the universe. Brahman has no gender and is all-knowing and all-present. They believe that Brahman manifests himself into small gods like Shiva and Vishnu. They also believe that divine essence known as "atman" dwells within each person. 

Hindus believe in reincarnation, with a constant cycle of being born, living and dying on the path to enlightenment. They believe their position in this present life was determined by their actions in a previous life.  If a person’s behavior before was evil, they might experience tremendous hardships in this life. Pain, disease, poverty or a disaster like a flood is deserved by that person because of their own evil actions, usually from a previous lifetime.

A Hindu's goal is to become free from the law of karma...to be free from continuous reincarnations. Only the soul matters which will one day be free of the cycle of rebirths and be at rest.

Fourth is Buddhism: Buddhism is a philosophy founded by Siddhartha Gautama around 500 B.C.E. Siddhartha is believed to have given up a comfortable, upper-class life to follow a life of poverty and spiritual devotion. At the age of thirty-five, he meditated under a sacred fig tree and vowed not to rise until he achieved enlightenment. After this experience, he became known as Buddha or “enlightened one.” Followers were drawn to Buddha’s teachings and the practice of meditation, and he later established a monastic order.

The vast majority of Buddhists live in China, Hong kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand and other regions in the eastern and southeastern Asia. The primary focus of Buddhists is to seek enlightenment. Buddhists do not worship any gods or God. The Buddha,  Siddhartha Gautama never claimed to be divine, but rather he is viewed by Buddhists as having attained what they are also striving to attain, which is spiritual enlightenment and, with it, freedom from the continuous cycle of life and death.

Buddhists believe in reincarnation and rebirth. In the Buddhist tradition, being reincarnated means coming back as yourself multiple times, while rebirth involves returning as an entirely different entity.  A Buddhist seeks to end these rebirths. Buddhists believe it is a person's cravings, aversion and delusion that cause these rebirths. Therefore, the goal of a Buddhist is to purify one's heart and to let go of all yearnings toward sensual desires and the attachment to oneself.

Buddhists follow a list of religious principles and adhere to personal restraint, fasting and very dedicated meditation, they refrain from killing, stealing, lying, misusing sex, and using drugs or alcohol.

Fifth is Judaism: Judaism is the smallest of the  five main world religions. The worldwide population of Jewish people is estimated to be approximately 14 million. About 41% of the them lives in Israel and 41% lives in the United States, with the majority of the remainder concentrated in Europe, North America and some parts of Africa. There are multiple denominations of Judaism, including orthodox, conservative and reform.

Judaism is a monotheistic religion, with followers recognizing and worshiping only one true God.It is actually the oldest monotheistic religion. The Ten Commandments play an important role in the teachings of Judaism. Israel is an important place in the hearts and minds of the Jewish people, both for its historical significance in relation to their faith and its designation as the promised land in the Tanakh. The Tanakh, is the primary holy text of the Jewish people, it contains the same books as the first five books of the Bible which they refer to as the Torah. The name of the Jewish houses of worship is the Synagogue.

Now you know the five main religions of the world and their basic beliefs. Thanks and God bless.