Judaism
Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people, based on principles and ethics embodied in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and the Talmud. According to Jewish tradition, the history of Judaism begins with the Covenant between God and Abraham (ca. 2000 BCE), the patriarch and progenitor of the Jewish people. Judaism is among the oldest religious traditions still in practice today. Jewish history and doctrines have influenced other religions such as Christianity, Islam and the Bahá’í Faith.
While Judaism has seldom, if ever, been monolithic in practice, it has always been monotheistic in theology. It differs from many religions in that central authority is not vested in a person or group, but in sacred texts and traditions. 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. According to traditional Jewish belief, the God who created the world established a covenant with the Israelites, and revealed his laws and commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai in the form of the Torah, and the Jewish people are the descendants of the Israelites.
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Buddhism
Buddhism is a set of teachings often described as a religion. Many recent scholars regard it as a plurality rather than a single entity. As with other religions, some Buddhists claim that Buddhism is not a religion. Some say it is a body of philosophies influenced by the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known as Gautama Buddha. Others say it is teachings to guide one to directly experiencing reality. 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 began around 5th century BC with the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in Ancient India, and is hereafter referred to as "the Buddha."
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Islam
Islam
(Arabic: al-’islām) is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion
originating with the
teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. The word
Islam means "submission", or the total surrender of oneself to God (Arabic: Allāh).
An adherent of Islam is known as a Muslim, meaning "one who submits (to God)".
There are approximately 1.61 billion Muslims, making Islam the second-largest
religion in the world, after Christianity.
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teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. The word
Islam means "submission", or the total surrender of oneself to God (Arabic: Allāh).
An adherent of Islam is known as a Muslim, meaning "one who submits (to God)".
There are approximately 1.61 billion Muslims, making Islam the second-largest
religion in the world, after Christianity.
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Hinduism
The
origins of Hinduism can be traced to the Indus Valley civilization
sometime between 4000 and 2500 BCE. Though believed by many to be a
polytheistic religion, the basis of Hinduism is the belief in the unity
of everything. This totality is called Brahman. The purpose of life is
to realize that we are part of God and by doing so we can leave this
plane of existance and rejoin with God. This enlightenment can only be
achieved by going through cycles of birth, life and death known as
samsara. One's progress towards enlightenment is measured by his karma.
This is the accumulation of all one's good and bad deeds and this
determines the person's next reincarnation. Selfless acts and thoughts
as well as devotion to God help one to be reborn at a higher level. Bad
acts and thoughts will cause one to be born at a lower level, as a
person or even an animal.
Hindus follow a strict caste system which determines the standing of each person. The caste one is born into is the result of the karma from their previous life. Only members of the highest caste, the brahmins, may perform the Hindu religious rituals and hold positions of authority within the temples.
Hindus follow a strict caste system which determines the standing of each person. The caste one is born into is the result of the karma from their previous life. Only members of the highest caste, the brahmins, may perform the Hindu religious rituals and hold positions of authority within the temples.
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Christianity
Christianity started out as a breakaway sect of Judaism nearly 2000 years ago. Jesus, the son of the Virgin Mary and her husband Joseph, but conceived through the Holy Spirit, was bothered by some of the practices within his native Jewish faith and began preaching a different message of God and religion. During his travels he was joined by twelve disciples who followed him in his journeys and learned from him. He performed many miracles during this time and related many of his teachings in the form of parables. Among his best known sayings are to "love thy neighbor" and "turn the other cheek." At one point he revealed that he was the Son of God sent to Earth to save humanity from our sins. This he did by being crucified on the cross for his teachings. He then rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples and told them to go forth and spread his message.
Since Christianity and Judaism share the same history up to the time of Jesus Christ, they are very similar in many of their core beliefs. There are two primary differences. One is that Christians believe in original sin and that Jesus died in our place to save us from that sin. The other is that Jesus was fully human and fully God and as the Son of God is part of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. All Christians believe in heaven and that those who sincerely repent their sins before God will be saved and join Him in heaven. Belief in hell and satan varies among groups and individuals.
There are a multitude of forms of Christianity which have developed either because of disagreements on dogma, adaptation to different cultures, or simply personal taste. For this reason there can be a great difference between the various forms of Christianity they may seem like different religions to some people.
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