The Top Ten Religions Around The World
We write about the top ten Religions to show how we live in a world that seems to be searching for more. We may find God in different ways, but we are mostly looking for the same thing. It is urgent at this time in life that we all understand and respect how each of us finds union with the Divine. There is more than one way to God, the Divine, or to connect with the Universe. There are many paths to get to where we are going. Thank you for honoring each and every way of getting there.
1. Christianity
The first on the list is Christianity with over 2.2 billion individual members, this makes around 30% of the the worlds population. Approximately 50% of these are Roman Catholic and around 240 million are Orthodox Christians.
The religion is based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that Jesus, by dying and rising from the dead, made up for the sin of Adam and thus redeemed the world, allowing all who believe in him to enter heaven. Christians rely on the Bible as the inspired word of God. The basic beliefs of Christianity are: the belief to a supreme God who created everything, the belief in Christ, and that we are all brothers and sister.
2. Islam
Islam is a religion, founded by Muhammad, whose members worship the one God of the Jews and Christians, called Allah in Arabic and follow the teachings of Koran. Islam means submission to the will of God"; adherents of Islam are called Muslims. The fundamental belief of Islam is "There is only one God, and Muhammad is his prophet."
Muslims are obliged to pray five times a day, to fast in the daytime during the holy month of Ramadan, to abstain from pork and alcohol, and to make gifts to the poor. All of them are expected to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, Muhammad's birthplace, at least once in their lives. Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims make up the two main branches of Islam.
The heart of Islam is enduring values for humanity.
3. Hinduism
Hinduism is the oldest religion on earth to date. It probably originated from the prehistoric time. Around 80% of India's population practice Hinduism. Hindus make up 14% of the worlds population. That is 900 million people around the world. There is no 'one' creed that binds the Hindus together, for they are syncretic, which means that they incorporate other beliefs into the already existing one. This religion emphasizes freedom from the material world through purification of desire and elimination of personal identity. Hindus believe in reincarnation and it's sacred writings include the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita.
5. Sikhism
Sikhism is another religion from India. The followers of Sikhism are called Sikhs and there are approximately 23 million Sikhs in the world's population. They use temples as there place of worship and their object of devotion is the Adi Granth.
6. Judaism
The religion of Judaism is from the Isrealites of the Bible. The Jewish people of today follow the teachings of the Torah. Judaism believes in one God, whose chosen people are the Jews. The founder of Judaism is considered Abraham even though it was Moses who delivered the laws of God to the Isrealites. The Star of David, a six-pointed star, is the symbol of Judaism.
7. Bahaism
Bahaism also known as the Bahai faith has 7 million memberships all over the globe. The Bahai faith teaches that God is manifested to man through the various stages of the human progression. For example Abraham, Moses, Muhammed, the Bab and Jesus are the manifestations of God. The Bahai faith gives heavy emphasis and importance to simple living. It also teaches the importance of service to lessen suffering.
8. Confucianism
Confucianism is the religion established by Confucius, a Chinese philosopher well known teacher of his time. He believes that education is a means of transforming oneself to a better individual. Confucianism focuses on good conduct, stressing love for humanity, ancestor worship, reverence for parents, and harmony in thought and conduct with other humans in this sphere. The present membership population of Confucianism is 6.3 million. This accounts to roughly 0.1% of the world’s population. Most of its members are of the Chinese race.
9. Jainism
A dualistic religion founded in the 6th century b.c. as a revolt against current Hinduism and emphasizing the perfectibility of human nature and liberation of the soul, especially through asceticism and nonviolence toward all living creatures.
10. Shintoism
Shintoism has its origins in the country of Japan. It has 4 million members. This is less than 0.1 percent of the world’s population. Shintoism is composed of ideas and practices unique to the Japanese people. Ancient Shintoism gave heavy emphasis in the worship of kami. This religion has no holy book. The present Shintoism has its Confucianism and Buddhism influences. Shinto means, "way of the Gods," from Shin "God, Gods, Spirit" plus Tao "Way, Path, Doctrine.
Again, these are the world's top ten religions. We are simply writing about them, respecting them all. Hoping that the world can come together as human beings living consciously, honoring all. Amen.