5 major world religions - Godsyou

 

While there are thousands of different religions in the world, the five oldest religions are commonly referred to as the world's major religions.

Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism are among these religions.

Discover some fundamental facts about these religions and gain an understanding of their core beliefs.

Christianity

With over 2 billion followers worldwide, Christianity is the world's largest religion.

Although the United States has the most Christians, Christianity is practised in many other countries, including Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, several African nations, many European countries, and numerous Caribbean islands.

There are numerous versions of Christianity, including Catholicism and various protestant denominations, all of which differ in many ways while remaining fundamentally similar in their teachings.

Islam

With an estimated 1.8 billion adherents, Islam is the world's second largest religion.

Muslim refers to adherents of the Islamic religion.

This religion is thought to have begun in what is now Saudi Arabia in the 7th century B.C.

While Muslims are present in many countries around the world, they constitute the majority of the population in a number of them.

There are seven countries where Muslims constitute more than 90 percent of the population (Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Pakistan).

Hinduism

Hinduism originated in India around 2300 B.C. and is still widely practised on the subcontinent.

As of 2018, India was home to approximately 94 percent of Hindus.

It is the world's third largest religion, with fewer adherents than only Christianity and Islam.

As with all religions, there are various sects of Hinduism, each with their own set of practises.

Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama, later known as the Buddha, founded Buddhism in the fifth century B.C.

After giving up an extravagant life of excess, the man who became known as the Buddha attained enlightenment by renunciating his wealth and position in order to live a simple life as a monk.

His efforts to teach others how to do the same formed the basis of Buddhism.

The vast majority of Buddhists reside in Asia's eastern and southeastern regions.

Buddhism is divided into many traditions, each with its own set of practises.

Though it is present in some Buddhist traditions, theism is not fundamental to Buddhism.

Judaism

Judaism is the least popular of the top five religions.

The global Jewish population is estimated to be around 14 million people.

About 41% of the Jewish population lives in Israel, 41% in the United States, with the majority of the remainder concentrated in Europe and other parts of North America. Judaism is divided into several denominations, including orthodox, conservative, and reform.

The faithful make up 83 percent of the world's population, with the vast majority belonging to one of the twelve classical religions: Buddhism, Christianity,  Hinduism, Islam, Judaism. These 5 religions represent the most important spiritual traditions that still exist today. There are numerous smaller or less expensive options.