Christianity
The Faith with the Most Followers in the World
The World of Christianity
Christianity is the most widespread of the world’s major faiths. About a third of the world’s people are followers of the Christianity known as Christians. According to Christian Bible, Jesus was the founder of this religion. He was born in about 6 B.C.E. Christianity is a diverse religion with over thirty thousand separate denominations worldwide. Christians believe in one God. They also believe that the God is the creator of the universe. The Christian Bible gives information about the life and teaching of Jesus. The Roman rulers crucified Jesus as they feared that he might lead a revolt. Thus, the cross became a lasting symbol of Christianity. After his execution and burial, Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples. This miracle is known as Resurrection. Christians also believe in salvation. It means God can save people from sins and grant them everlasting life. They consider Jerusalem city as a holy city where Jesus Christ was crucified and also Bethlehem as a holy site where Jesus was born. The most widely practiced Christian sacraments are Baptism and Holy Communion. Baptism marks a person’s entry into the Christian church where as Holy Communion involves sharing bread and wine/grape juice that has been specially blessed. Christians believe that Jesus began this sacrament at his last Supper. Christian places of worship are called churches. All churches display the cross, the universal symbol of Christianity. Most churches hold their worship services on Sunday which combine praying hymns and reading from the Bible by a Priest, Pastor, Reverend, Father, Minister, or Preacher. The most widely celebrated Christian holidays are Christmas that celebrates the birth of Jesus and Easter that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. Prior to Easter, many Christian observe a season known as Lent. The three major sects of Christianity are Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have much in common. The followers of these religions are monotheists, which mean that they believe in one God. All three faiths trace their origins to Abraham. Their sacred writings all include Biblical figures as Noah, Moses, and Adam.