This list is Sourced from the Encylopaedia Britannica, Wikipedia, Beliefnet, and Adherents.com (a collection of 43,870 adherent statistics and religious geography citations). The list is based on number of members. For a complete list (which also includes atheism and agnosticism, see the Wikipedia article or the Encylopaedia Britannica chart).
1. Christianity [Abrahamic, 27 AD] 2.1 billion adherents [Wikipedia | Britannica | Beliefnet]
Christianity is a monotheistic religion which is based on the teachings of the Old Testament and Jesus of Nazareth. Christians believe that Jesus, as the Son of God is part of the Trinity (God as three persons in one), the others being God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Christians believe that Christianity fulfils Judaism. Most Christians believe that the death and resurrection of Jesus to be the cornerstone of their faith. Protestant ofshoots of Christianity believe that salvation comes from the belief in God alone, whereas Catholic and Orthodox Christians belief that faith, combined with good works is required for salvation.
The Christian scriptures are called the Bible – comprising two books, the Old Testament (based on the Septuagint) and the New Testament. Protestants and Catholics have the same books in the New Testament, but Martin Luther removed 7 books from the Old Testament during the Protestant reformation, considering them to be apocryphal. He also removed four books from the New Testament but was later persuaded to put them back – they were Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation.
Christians believe in Sacraments (Catholics and Orthodox and some Anglicans believe in 7: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, Confession, Last Rites, Holy Orders, and Matrimony; some Protestants (following Martin Luther) believe in the sacramental nature of Baptism and Holy Communion, while others reject outright the concept of sacramental theology.
Christianity is generally broken into three branches: Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. Catholicism is the largest with over 1 billion adherents. The Orthodox and Catholic Churches split in the 11th century in an event called the Great Schism. Protestantism split from Roman Catholicism in in the 16th century in an event called the Protestant Reformation.
2. Islam [Abrahamic, 610 AD] 1.3 billion adherents [Wikipedia | Britannica | Beliefnet]
Islam is a monotheistic religion originating with the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th-century Arab religious and political figure. Muslims believe that God revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad, God’s final prophet, and regard the Qur’an and the Sunnah (the words and deeds of Muhammad) as the fundamental sources of Islam. They do not regard Muhammad as the founder of a new religion, but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. Islamic tradition holds that Judaism and Christianity distorted the messages of these prophets over time either in interpretation, in text, or both.
Almost all Muslims belong to one of two major denominations, the Sunni and Shi’a. The schism developed in the late 7th century following disagreements over the religious and political leadership of the Muslim community. Roughly 85 percent of Muslims are Sunni and 15 percent are Shi’a. Muslims consider the Qur’an to be the literal word of God; it is the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe that the verses of the Qur’an were revealed to Muhammad by God through the angel Gabriel on many occasions between the years 610 and his death on July 6, 632.
Islam considers itself to be the supreme religion and therefore Muslims must not place themselves in a position inferior to that of the followers of other religions. Pursuant to this principle, Muslim women may not marry non-Muslim men, non-Muslims may not inherit from their Muslim relatives, and a testimony of a non-Muslim is inadmissible against a Muslim. A non-Muslim who insults Islam must be put to death, according to most schools of Islamic jurisprudence, or flogged and imprisoned, according to others.
This item has caused some debate in the comments below. See here for the complaint, and here for the reply.
3. Hinduism [Dharmic, 1500 BC] 1 billion adherents [Wikipedia | Britannica | Beliefnet]
Hinduism has no founder, being itself a conglomerate of diverse beliefs and traditions. It is the world’s oldest existent religion, and has approximately a billion adherents, of whom about 905 million live in India and Nepal. Hinduism contains a vast body of scriptures. Divided as revealed and remembered and developed over millennia, these scriptures expound on theology, philosophy and mythology, providing spiritual insights and guidance on the practice of dharma (religious living). Among such texts, the Vedas and the Upanishads are the foremost in authority, importance and antiquity. Other major scriptures include the Tantras, the sectarian Agamas, the Purāṇas and the epics Mahābhārata and Rāmāyaṇa. The Bhagavad Gītā, a treatise excerpted from the Mahābhārata, is sometimes called a summary of the spiritual teachings of the Vedas.
Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs include Dharma (ethics/duties), Samsāra (The continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth), Karma (action and subsequent reaction), Moksha (liberation from samsara), and the various yogas (paths or practices). Hinduism is a diverse system of thought with beliefs spanning monotheism, polytheism, pantheism, monism and even atheism. It is sometimes considered as henotheistic (devotion to a single “God” while accepting the existence of other gods), but such a view may be considered an oversimplification of the complexities and variations of belief.
4. Buddhism [Dharmic, 600 BC] 376 million adherents [Wikipedia | Britannica | Beliefnet]
Buddhism is also known as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means roughly the “teachings of the Awakened One” in Sanskrit and Pali, languages of ancient Buddhist texts. Buddhism was founded around the fifth century BCE by Siddhartha Gautama – most commonly referred to as The Buddha. In Buddhism, any person who has awakened from the “sleep of ignorance” (by directly realizing the true nature of reality), without instruction, and teaches it to others is called a buddha. All traditional Buddhists agree that Shakyamuni or Gotama Buddha was not the only Buddha: it is generally taught that there have been many past Buddhas and that there will be future Buddhas too.
While there are now many sects of Buddhism, they all hold to four fundamental points: 1, All accept the Buddha as their teacher; 2, all accept the Middle Way (non-extremism), Dependant Origination, the Four Noble Truths, and the Noble Eightfold Path; 3, all accept that both monks and the laity can pursue the path to englightenment; and 4, all consider Buddahood to be the highest attainment.
5. Sikhism [Dharmic, 1469 AD] 23 million adherents [Wikipedia | Britannica | Beliefnet]
Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak (1469-1539 AD) who was the first of Sikhism’s 10 Gurus, a lineage of holy teachers that continued until the end of the 17th century. The Gurus are understood to be the mediators of divine grace. Sikhism originated in the Punjab region of northwest India, where it drew on elements from Bhakti Hinduism and Islamic Sufism to develop into a distinctive religious tradition in its own right. Sikhs believe that liberation from the karmic cycle of rebirths occurs in the merging of the human spirit with the all-embracing spirit of God. Sikh males are recognisable by their long beards and turbans – worn to cover the hair that traditional says they should not cut.
Their religious worship involves contemplation of the divine Name. The ultimate deity is known by several names: Sat (truth), Sat Guru (true Guru), Akal Purakh (timeless being), Kartar (creator), and Wahi-Guru (“praise to the Guru”). By concentrating on God’s Name (or many titles), Sikhs believe that one conquers the ego and unites with God.
The compilation of the Sikh scriptures, the Adi Granth, was begun in 1604 by the Fifth Guru. The last of the ten Gurus, Guru Gobind Singh, announced that he would be the last personal Guru and that thereafter, Sikhs were to regard the Adi Granth (Guru Granth Sahib) as their teacher. This sacred book is considered the living embodiment of all ten Gurus and is therefore the focus of worship in all Sikh temples and local gurudwaras, or sanctuaries.
6. Judaism [Abrahamic, 1300 BC] 14 million adherents [Wikipedia | Britannica | Beliefnet]
Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people, based on principles and ethics embodied in the Bible (Tanakh) and the Talmud (Rabbinical discussions on ethics, customs, and law). According to Jewish tradition, the history of Judaism begins with the Covenant between God and Abraham, the patriarch and progenitor of the Jewish people. Judaism is among the oldest religious traditions still in practice today.
Throughout the ages, Judaism has clung to a number of religious principles, the most important of which is the belief in a single, omniscient, omnipotent, benevolent, transcendent God, who created the universe and continues to govern it. Originally Judaism had priests and a temple in which sacrifices were made to God. The priesthood is an inherited position, and although priests no longer have any but ceremonial duties, they are still honored in many Jewish communities. Many Orthodox Jewish communities believe that they will be needed again for a future Third Temple and need to remain in readiness for future duty.
Following the destruction of Jerusalem and the expulsion of the Jews, Jewish worship stopped being centrally organized around the Temple, prayer took the place of sacrifice, and worship was rebuilt around rabbis who acted as teachers and leaders of individual communities. Modern Judaism is generally split into three groups: Orthodox, Conservative, and Liberal.
7. Baha’i Faith [Abrahamic, 1900 AD] 7 million adherents [Wikipedia | Britannica | Beliefnet]
Baha’i was founded in Iran in the mid-nineteenth century by Mirza Husayn Ali (1817-1892). Better known as Baha’ullah, he believed that he was the prophet foretold by the Bab, a religious leader who was believed to be a direct descendent of the prophet Muhammad. Baha’ullah was persecuted and banished several times during his life, and he died as a prisoner in Palestine. Babism (from which Baha’i originates) was a breakaway from shi’a Islam.
Important Baha’i prophets include Adam, the Jewish prophets, Jesus, and Muhammed, all of whom have been succeeded by Baha’ullah. The closest thing to a religious text the Baha’i have is Baha’ullah’s Kitab al-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book) which contains detailed instructions for Baha’i living.
The Baha’i believe that all religions teach the same truth. They therefore reject prejudice–racial, political, or otherwise–and stress ethical teachings such as world peace, education, and sexual equality. Although they believe that God is completely unknowable, they hold that God’s presence and works are evident in the creation of the world and the existence of the prophets, among other things.
8. Confucianism [Taoic, 600 BC] 6.4 million adherents [Wikipedia | Britannica | Beliefnet]
Confucianism is a Chinese set of philosphical and ethical beliefs that were taught by the sage Confucius. It has had a tremendous effect on East Asia right up to the 21st century. Debated during the Warring States Period and forbidden during the short-lived Qin Dynasty, Confucianism was chosen by Emperor Wu of Han for use as a political system to govern the Chinese state. There is a large body of Confucian texts which includes the I Ching (a series of divinations) and a series of books on poetry, rituals, music, and more. You can view a complete list of these texts on Wikipedia.
Confucianist doctrine remained a mainstream Chinese orthodoxy for two millennia until the 20th century, when it was attacked by radical Chinese thinkers as a vanguard of a pre-modern system and an obstacle to China’s modernization, eventually culminating in its repression during the Cultural Revolution in the People’s Republic of China.
Confucianism aims at making not simply the man of virtue, but the man of learning and of good manners. The perfect man must combine the qualities of saint, scholar, and gentleman. Confucianism is a religion without positive revelation, with a minimum of dogmatic teaching, whose popular worship is centered in offerings to the dead, in which the notion of duty is extended beyond the sphere of morals proper so as to embrace almost every detail of daily life.
9. Jainism [Dharmic, 600 BC] 4.2 million adherents [Wikipedia | Britannica | Beliefnet]
Jainism is one of the oldest religions in India and it has co-existed alongside Hinduism despite being a minority of less than 1% of the population. The religion was founded by Mahavira (“The Great Hero”) who is considered to be the most recent in a long line of 24 teachers who have brought Jainism to the world during various epochs. These teachers preach a belief in enlightenment through austerity and rejection of the world. Jains do not believe in a god and they seek release from endless reincarnations through strict self-denial.
Jainism also places a great emphasis on non-harm of living things and will often have their mouths covered with muslin to prevent accidentally swallowing insects. Many Jains also use a small brush to sweep the ground in front of them while travelling so they don’t accidentally step on a creature.
The main religious text of Jainism is called Agamas. An agama is an ancient Jain textbook. There were many agamas in ancient times, but as time passed, many of them were lost or destroyed. At present, 45 agamas are available. Agamas are written in the Prakrit language. These are read and studied by Jain monks (sadhus) only. The sacred literature was not written down until 500 AD.
There are two main types of Jain, the Digambaras and the Shvetambaras. The Digambaras have much simpler rituals and disdain earthly belongings to a point that the male monks live completely naked.
10. Shinto [Taoic, 300 BC] 4 million adherents [Wikipedia | Britannica | Beliefnet]
Shinto is a religious system that originates in Japan which has influences from Buddhism and other Chinese religions. Shinto recognizes no all-powerful deity and is a diverse set of traditional rituals and ceremonies, rather than a system of dogmatic beliefs or ethics. Shinto recognises a variety of gods (kami) which are the powers of nature primarily associated with such things as animals, trees, mountains, springs, boulders, the sun, and sometimes ancestors. Offerings are made to these gods and they are later eaten.
Shinto rituals involve dance and Shinto priests bless the offerings to the gods with branches from the sacred sakaki tree dipped in holy water. In some parts of Japan, women Shamans fall into a trance and speak for the gods.
Shinto does not have a founder or canon of religious texts, but a written Shinto mythology appears in the early sections of the eighth-century books “Kojiki” (“Records of Ancient Matters,” completed in 712 AD) and “Nihon Shoki” (“Chronicles of Japan,” completed in 720 AD), which record the role of the kami in creating Japan and the Japanese imperial lineage
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I dont mean to be rude but if religion is suposed to be serious and sacred then why do people just pull out parts of it so it can suit them ie martin luther and the old testament, which is what JESUS and his prophets used. come on with that kind of mind set anyone could just say ehhh i dont like that iam just gonna change it and say it is gods word.. again i dont mean to start a huge theological debat this is just a third persons view, and i do respect others beliefs.
Monteze: I quite agree and that has been the bone of contention for many people – religious and non-religious for virtually all of human history!
I very strongly agree with Monteze and jfrater
right now im not sure what i am God in my eyes is powerful but my belief is there is someone/something more powerfull
I also agree. We should also be able to make these comments and not be called disrespectful. I myself am Christian and have had my questions deemed “blasphemous” when they are just harmless observations. In my opinion, the ones who are afraid of asking questions are the ones who are really losing faith.
Actually Martin Luther didnt “just pull out parts of it so it can suit them”. His 98 Thesis was his way of addressing certain abuses by the church. Namely the commercialization of the granting of penance for sin. His purpose was to return the church to a more biblical point of view esspecialy the idea that sin is forgiven by grace through faith.
We need a new Martin Luther. The self styled leaders of today have once again corrupted the church and used peoples faith for their own personal gain.
As for the rest of the list. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Most of these religons I was unaware of the beliefs held by their followers. Some of them I didnt even know existed
Which books constituted The Old Testament (well, Tanakh really) was hardly even firm in Jesus’ time, and today even the Catholic OT and The Tanakh (Jewish bible) disagree on which books to include (Judith and 1 & 2 Maccabees, for instance, are in the Catholic and Orthodox bibles but not in the Protestant or Jewish).
The problem of Apocrophal books is a big one- Revelation was highly suspect for a long time and there were those who were quite upset with Luther for putting it back in. These books are not the stable canon we take them to be.
Biblical canon has been established by numerous people, who recognized separate books as divinely inspired. Then, the Councils of Laodicea, Hippo and Carthage, one after another, decided the 27 we know today to be accurate.
Luther was Catholic. And I’m not sure, but I think when Luther translated it, he included some of the Apocrypha… just, like, off to one side.
I may be wrong ._.
Jesus and the apostles used the Septuagint old testament – that is what the Catholic canon is based on. Effectively, Luther removed books that were in the very bible Jesus used. I guess Luther knew more than God.
Hi.
I’m a Muslim, and what was said about Islam is not far from the truth.
… edited by moderator
sufian: thanks for your comment – I enjoyed reading it. I have had to remove some parts of it, however, because this site is not an avenue for proselytism.
the one about Judaism is pretty accurate. kudos
Shlomo: Thanks – I tried to verify all my information from various sources.
Hi to all;
jfrater: I was disappionted of what happened, I always feel that people should know about these sort of things then make their own decision, a lot of truth is being hidden from us, by people who make the same desision as you did to remove my comment (i’m sorry to say), but then again you are in cotrol and have the right to CONTROL what appears on this site.
I keep looking for somewhere where I can freely explain what is meant by religion and the difference with MAN-MADE beliefs that keep being changed to suite the one who doesn’t like what he reads…
sufian: I can understand your disappointment, but I am sure you realise that if everyone were to do the same thing we would end up with the site becoming a huge religious flame war rather than pleasant chatter about the lists – which is the main focus
Ok cheers…
Nice list by the way… did I forget to mention that? lol
i was intrigued by all of your top ten coundown but dude, wtf is up with
” and a testimony of a non-Muslim is inadmissible against a Muslim. A non-Muslim who insults Islam must be put to death, according to most schools of Islamic jurisprudence, or flogged and imprisoned, according to others.”
ive never heard of these parts and ive been going to islamic schools since i was 3. ive heard the most stupid laws tried to be influenced by incoherant excuses for teachers and ive heard the best reasons for most of the seemingly unfair issues in islam. (such as a woman cannot marry a non muslim.) however, i have never once, ever, ever, ever, in my 18 years of attwending islamic conferances, classes, meeting and general discussions, say that someone who insults islam should die or be even harmed. where ever u got that info, it was wrong. however, if soeone should insult the prophet we are supposed to do somehting about it, and even then it does not imply violence.
as for taking the word of a muslim over a non muslim, in that day and age everyone was an enemy of islam and the arab people tried many dirtbag ways to destory the religion. now a days it seems almost the same however the arab poeple has been replaced by the u.s government. however, ive never heard of having to believe what a muslim says over a non muslim. that lacks common sense. of course i will listen to a muslim over someone like bill o reily, but im not going to listen to a random muslim over my good irish friend who’ve ive known for years. the fact of listneing to only muslims would spread ignorance and this is somehitng NOT in the quran at all. why would anyone do that? its plain dumb and regardless of where u got that info, it is false.
the rest of your summary of islam is basically correct, although i notice some negative bias as the end of everything islam related in ur posts ends on a negative note. what if a girl is doing everything right and right be4 u got some action she kicked u in the balls and called you a ***** be4 setting ur hair on fire? u sure as hell wouldnt remember the good stuff wehen u thought about her. even though u read some good stuff on islam u dont need to end it in a negative way. its actually kind of *****ed up. i dont see u doing that with any other religion, including shinto ism. AND I KNO shintoism isnt easy to get. i studied in japan.
Just to comment on source material…I get the feeling that a lot of the info and posts here get their info from Wikipedia. Now, I like Wikipedia but let’s not forget…Wikipedia is open to ANYONE. As a member, you can freely edit any entry or post virtually any entry. Generally speaking, Wikipedia is a good secondary source for info, but I would not take too seriously any info or post that uses it as a primary source. This is not to say that the person who does this is somehow bad..it’s simply that with the way Wikipedia is structured, the possibility of information being distorted is high. With that in mind, relying on it as a primary source of info isn’t a good idea.
Dane: I usually put links to related wikipedia articles at the end of each item, but I have recently started cross-referencing with Encyclopaedia Britannica as well (and other sources if appropriate). I definitely agree that Wikipedia is not always a safe source.
ammar: the section you dislike is taken from a book “The Jews of Islam” by Bernard Lewis (Amazon
) written in 1974. Lewis (the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University) is one of the most widely-read scholars of the Middle East.
I hope that at least lets you know that I am not posting with a bias against Islam. I have posted links to your comment and this reply in the original item.
I firmly believe that someday far in the future, libraries will have books on “Christian Mythology” right along with those of Egyptian, Roman and Greek Mythology. I study most major religions and find most of them do contain some truths, but I do not believe any religion is the “one, true religion”. In my opinion, Reform Judaism is the most sensible and realistic faith. However, all the ones you mention here have something positive about them.
At 13 million strong, Mormonism (or the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints) is the 7th largest faith in the world, and the fastest-growing. It is neither Catholic, Orthodox, nor Protestant. It is sometimes grouped together as part of a fourth branch of Christianity known as the Restorationist movement. Mormons do not believe in the Trinity as defined in traditional Christian creeds, acknowledge the existence of more than one god, and believe their faith to be the Restoration of the original faith established by Jesus. Inclusion of LDS in the “Christian” group, as defined above, is inaccurate as it does not share the characteristics you describe. Mormons firmly believe they are Christians, though some “Christian” faiths do not.
finvandam: if Mormons believe they are Christians do we not owe them the respect to include them in that list?
Also, according to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the World Christian Database as of 2007 estimated the six fastest growing religions of the world to be Islam (1.84%), the Bahá’í Faith (1.7%), Sikhism (1.62%), Jainism (1.57%), Hinduism (1.52%), and Christianity (1.32%). If Mormonism is included in Christianity that makes it a tiny percentage of the 6th fastest growing religion in the world, certainly not the first.
Aestiva: I am not sure what you are getting at. Do you think I should paste a link to the Mormon comments here as well?
muslims are wacked out.
there is no excuse for killing people, and anyone or any religion that says different is wacked out too.
Thanks for a great list! Very informative with excellent synopis’. Regardless of what autocratic “leaders” have to say, knowledge is power and the more each of know about others beliefs the more we learn to respect our inherent differences. I personally agree with the Bahai’s: many paths one truth. We can learn much from all the great prophets. Let’s emphasize our commonalities not our differences. Regardless of your path to the divine our creator is loving and benevolent and doesn’t want us to kill each other.
Steve T. You are welcome.
I dispute the Shinto entry: I will not pretend to have an extensive background in Japanese culture, but the little time I’ve spent in the country, and moderate amount of time spent with Japanese people and learning about the culture, I’m relatively sure that Shintoism is much older than Hinduism and Buddhism in Japan. As such, it was influenced by neither.
@jfrater and @finvandam I think the issue is that a number of Christian faiths are shrinking and that Mormons (and probably some other evangelical faiths) are more than making up for that shrinkage.
Post about Islam is really bias. Why not add to Judaism: In Judaism, gentile are considered inferior to Jews. Plenty of source available for it.
“The post about islam is biased” … *ahem* it seems not :
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives2/2007/11/019157.php
It doesn’t help that the paedophile prophet (anyone who *****s a 9 year old girl against her will is a paedophile, it does not matter ***** that he founded a religion) was not just a mass murderer but …
The prophet ADMIRED a scumbag muslim that stabbed a Jewish mother in the night while her BABY WAS LYING ON HER CHEST. Google for “Asma bint Marwan”.
The list of the paedophile prophet’s despicable depravity is just too absurd too believe, but unfortunately, it’s true :
http://www.faithfreedom.org/challenge.htm
Allow me to finalize this post with a quote from the islamofascist manifesto (the quran) :
“There can never be peace. War is good. Every muslim who thinks differently must know allah knows better.” – quran 2:216
There is only One Lord, One Faith, and One Baptism!!!!
Hi TOM, if you want to know more about islam why dont you just consult an Islamic scholar rather than making your own conclusions, I am a muslim and I never heard that war is good and neither you can insult our Prophet Mohammad(PBUH). And please be sure you do not read the Holy Quran on web, just go to any Islamic Scholar and you will come to know the truth.
If Islam would have been wrong it should not have been spread this much…
May ALLAH forgive you and give you some sane so that you can understand what islam is.
Thank you and please atleast you dont insult any religion if you cant respect them……..
That translation is very inaccurate.
Please Dude when you bring something bring it right and search for it, also you can’t read one verse and stop read it all to understand, i just give example here for couple versses. sorry not ment to be rude, just make ur brain more acheiver.
with all do respect to the readers no offends mean to you,
2.214. Or do ye think that ye shall enter the Garden (of bliss) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? they encountered suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spirit that even the Messenger and those of faith who were with him cried: “When (will come) the help of Allah.” Ah! Verily, the help of Allah is (always) near!
2.215. They ask thee what they should spend (In charity). Say: Whatever ye spend that is good, is for parents and kindred and orphans and those in want and for wayfarers. And whatever ye do that is good, -(Allah) knoweth it well.
2.216. Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not.
2.217. They ask thee concerning fighting in the Prohibited Month. Say: “Fighting therein is a grave (offence); but graver is it in the sight of Allah to prevent access to the path of Allah, to deny Him, to prevent access to the Sacred Mosque, and drive out its members.” Tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter. Nor will they cease fighting you until they turn you back from your faith if they can. And if any of you Turn back from their faith and die in unbelief, their works will bear no fruit in this life and in the Hereafter; they will be companions of the Fire and will abide therein.
2.218. Those who believed and those who suffered exile and fought (and strove and struggled) in the path of Allah,- they have the hope of the Mercy of Allah. And Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
2.219. They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: “In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit.” They ask thee how much they are to spend; Say: “What is beyond your needs.” Thus doth Allah Make clear to you His Signs: In order that ye may consider-
***** you idiot. ^^^^^
1. What, No Taoism?
2. I think Mormonism should be included (and I’m no mormon). The LDS believe that they are the correct branch of the teachings of Christ, and that the Christians are a corruption of the original truth. The Muslims believe the same thing, and they get their own branch.
The above garbage posted by Bill and Tom is exactly what the author does not want on this website. Please respect that.
Tom did not post garbage:
http://www.faithfreedom.org/challenge.htm
Go look at the site, it’s quite intellectual in it’s approach unlike Bill’s comment.
The site cited is a garbage. There are plenty of anti-semitic web site. Should article also refer to them.
All religions are equally stupid.
All commentors are equally stupid.
However the antisemitic websites contain lies.
The muslims point of view is simply :
yes the prophet *****ed little girls against their will, this was a good act and “paedophile” is negative so he’s not a paedophile
yes the prophet murdered (a lot of) Jews, however massacre is a negative word, and what he did was good.
yes the quran states all non-muslims are worth less than animals, but they are, what are you, islamophobic ?
ALL OF YOU NEED TO FIND CHRIST JESUS, THE CREATOR OF YOU, AND THE DEVIL THAT HAS YOU DECIEVED IN BELIEVING ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN GOD, THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLYGHOST!!!!
Feel free to answer anyone. Do you think religion has had a positive or negative affect on history?
GForce: That question can’t be answered. You can’t separate religion FROM history, because religion has been the driving force behind so many of the things that have made the world as it is.
If you need an example: empire. Justified because of Kipling’s “white man’s burden.” It’s OK to go and destroy the culture of another, as long as you’re spreading the word of god and brining them civilization.
Thats what I was getting at. Seems like the negative results such as genocide and forced conversions outweigh the positive effects for the common citizens anyway.
@phunniemee
What you don’t seem to understand is just how bad conditions were for indians in america before arrival of “the colonists”.
Indians :
-> constant (if small) wars
-> obviously zero luxeries
-> living in tents made of animal skin
-> obviously regular famines
…
All these things are eradicated today in America. Do you really think this could be eliminated in an “native Indian” type civilization ?
Have you ever lived (for even a week) under these conditions ? If not, please don’t presume to know “what’s better”.
Does religion really have something to do with this ? As evidenced by islam : yes. The Christian North Africa in 500 AD was the richest country on earth. It wasn’t a desert, it was prosperous beyond description, …
700 AD (50 years after arabs attacked) it was the poorest country on earth.
Do you suppose this is coincidence ?
I would just like to add to what Tom said – today in history the Virgin Mary appeared to a Mexican (Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin) – the result is that it lead to the conversion of Mexico to Catholicism, acceptance of the Spanish intruders, and the end of human sacrifice. Regardless of what you think of the first two points – the end of human sacrifice is definitely a positive result of religion.
Tomc: Did you even read what I wrote? I was simply saying how you can’t separate religion from history in a way that you can judge it to have had an overall “good” or “bad” effect. And then I gave an example of how religion was closely tied to something that completely changed the world.
Just because YOU have an agenda doesn’t mean you can appropriate it onto my comment and assume that I don’t know what I’m talking about.
I really liked this! It was nice to learn a bit about some of the different Dharmic and Taoic beliefs. I think it would be really interesting if, in time, you did some studies of ten more, lesser known religions. Zorastrianism? Quaker? Voodoo? I love learning about religions, and again, this was a great setup!
Thanks James B – there are definitely heaps of opportunities to write other religious lists.
In Buddhism, any person who has awakened from the “sleep of ignorance” (by directly realizing the true nature of reality), without instruction, and teaches it to others is called a buddha.
Well actually anyone that reaches Illumination is consider a Buddah, it does not matter if one was instructed or not or even if it stays here to teach others….If you reach Illumination and chooses to leave Earth then your are called an Arhat and if you choose to stay here then you are called a Bodhisativa,Buddah reefers to a state or condition.
Regards!
Most religions are basically tax-free corporations.
Mormonism is a major religion and probably deserves an honorable mention. (i’m not one, but it’s big in my area – SW US)
Paganism (Wicca, Druids, etc.) deserves a mention, as it predates at least a couple of others, and is still practiced today.
Tom, your comments on Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) only saddens me. Using vulgar words, no matter what may be the subject of discussion and however you may hate a person, only reflects upbringing of a person. Fortunately for us people of your like are not too many among us. Please go through the posted comments to believe me. You are unique ! Just to correct you- yes, our Prophet(Pbuh) married Ayesha, when she was nine years old(under some circumstances) but the marriage was not consummated till she became of age.
Actually he married Ayesha when she was 6 according to standard islamic belief.
married at six, consummated at nine is widely accepted. This is why nine year old girls can be forced into marriage and ***** in the Yemen today
My god can beat up your god.
If Jesus, muhhamed or any other of these con-men were alive today they would be justly improsoned or would have led mass suicides.
Sadd,
Your “prophet” was a con man, with a hardcore halucinogenic drug problem. Yeah, let me base my beliefs around some freak who lived in cave over a thousand years ago! Genius!
@666
Please show me where exactly in the bible Jesus led a genocide ? It’s not because the islamic prophet is a monster that they all are.
Yes muslims want to restart the muslim genocide that was finally ended by the kaliphs defeat at the hands of the british in WWI, and in some parts, they have. That does not mean Christians want to do the same.
Get some perspective. Different religions are (tadaaa) … different. islam (“repression” or “submission” in english) does not expect you to become muslim because of faith or reason, but out of mortal fear.
“You love life and we love death, and that’s why we will win” – the islamic prophet
This is truly a great list!
I was so pleasantly suprised to see Shinto on this list. It is brilliant example of the complex nature of religion and how, in its truest and purest sense, it cannot be removed from its culture of origin.
I mean is Shinto a religion? Or is it an extrapolated part of Japanese culture used in service of Meiji? And since WW2 has it just become cultural heritage?
Fascinating, great list!
FJ
Core ideal of Hinduism is that the entire universe is a manifestation of the divine. Hence, everything is imbibed with the spirit of the divine – everything !
Also, we believe that there are many ways that lead to the divine. As a result, whenever a new sect entered India, we listened patiently to them, believing that they too have found a new route to God.
Though this was often mis-interpreted as compliance and willingness to convert, Hinduism has borne out its inclusive, tolerant strain by accepting all the various religions that came to its shore without loosing its own essential characteristics.
Guys why so much of Hatred??????? This is a really lovely site…pls keep it that way…you are entitled to your opinion but pls be careful how you voice it…you may end up hurting many people…but i guess that was the intention with some of you…
religion is something very personal and it should be kept that way…I am a muslim and i let it guide my life and i have had no problems with it and neither have had any of my friends. Incidentally none of them are muslims.
I live in India and i have seen and heard many cruel things Muslims have done, but Hindus, Christians and proponent of almost every other organized religion have had blood on their hands
Why should we complicate an already volatile issue and let all the ugliness spill over to this site…
Let our arguements be academic and let it not boil down to whoever types in the most expletives wins….
jfrater: Awesome man!!!. perfect cure for boring days at office..all my friends were hooked the moment they visite your site…
keep up the good work
Guys why so much of Hatred???????
“All non-muslims are the filthiest beasts in the eyes of god” – quran 8:55
Hate has a source, you know. And this is just one example.
and what is the source of your hatred????
Tomc .. you are an absolute fool!
i am a muslim girl and every single one of my friends are christian. i love them and i love the religion. You rude remarks about the prophet sickens me! Learn some respect .. do you see any one that has replied to your comments offending your religion???
Islam is a beauiful religion.. just depend on how people interpret it that *****s everything up! The Quran cannot be interpreted into english because if it was the whole initial interpretation would be ruined! For example.. your stupid qutoes that you’ve posted up! At no time in my life have i ever been taught to hate other religions or use violence against non-muslims!
Islam teaches its adherents to love everyone and repect all religions .. so where you got your bullcrap from i have no idea! But don’t you dare use offensive language against islamic prophets and make out like Islam is a disgusting religion because it is anything but!!
You must be in the minority if you werent taught to hate as a muslim. The vast majority of the muslims are taught otherwise.
If the Quran cannot be translated then it is hardly a universal religion. Especially as it may have first been written in Syriac and why do the earliest versions found in Yemen differ from the current standard and why does the Dome of the Rock have quotes inscribed that do not appear in the Quran.