Major Religions of the World
By: Ruhi Deshmukh
Christianity
Christianity was first founded during the 1st century AD in Jerusalem. Christianity became common in Europe during the Middle Ages. Started off from a Jewish following and grew to a whole new religion. It is a monotheistic religion that believes in Jesus Christ. Their Holy book is The Bible. Their major holidays are Christmas which celebrates the day Christ was born. They also acknowledge Good Friday which was the day Christ was hung on the Cross. They rejoice Easter which was the day Jesus rose from the dead.
A Short History of Christianity
Hinduism
Hinduism has no definite starting point. The start of the religion is greatly debated among Historians. It is intertwined with the Medieval ages when the Kings and Queens ruled. They have had a rough history with Muslims or Islamic followers. Hindus believe in Karma which means that everything you do has a consequence. If you are good you will be rewarded if you are bad you will be punished. They also believe in Reincarnation and life after death. Hinduism is Polytheistic. The major gods of Hinduism are Brahma, Shiva, Lakshmi, Vishnu, and Ganesh. The main Hindu scripture is the Vedas which are hymns on the Gods. The major holidays are Diwali which is the Festival of Lights. This is the biggest celebration of the year.
Hindu creation story
Buddhism
Buddhism was formed around the 5th Century B.C.E. In India. This religion is traced back to Siddhartha who is often referred to as Buddha. There are currently 3 branches of the religion. The Theravada, the Mahayana, and the Vajrayana. There are many different texts and scriptures consisting in the Buddhist Canon (the Buddhist holy book). Buddhist followers don't believe in a certain god or gods instead they believe in spiritual enlightenment or Nirvana. They also believe Buddha to be the enlightenened so he is sort of a role model for them. The major holidays are Vesakha (Buddha's birthday), Uposatha, and many more. They also believe in prayer every evening while sitting in a certain chair.
Buddhism a short explanation.m4v
Judaism
Judaism is credited to being the oldest religion known. It was traced to have been created in what is now Jerusalem in 2000 B.C.E. Jews are monotheistic and believe in God. The sacred texts are Torah, Tanakh, and Talmud which are section of the Hebrew Bible. The rimary figures are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. The major holidays are Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and of course Hanukkah. Christianity is derived from the Jewish practices.
The Story of Judaism
Islam
Islam was known to have started in 622 CE. Islamic people worship Allah. Islam directly translated means "surrender or submission". Their sacred text is the Quran which contains all their Scriptures and teachings of the Prophet Muhammed. There are five fundamental practices of Islam. The ritual profession of faith, ritual prayer, charity, fasting, and the hajj which is journey to Mecca where one directly worships Allah.
Islam Adopted, Borrowed or Copied Traditions.