Types of Religions
Introduction
Religion defines who you are, what you are, and your views about the world around you. You must understand, a religion is much more than deity worshiping. Religion is the philosophy of life and a belief system. There are as many as four thousand and two religions in this world. Surprisingly, people know only a handful of religion.
Religion, sacred engagement with that which is believed to be a spiritual reality. Religion is a worldwide phenomenon that has played a part in all human culture and so is a much broader, more complex category than the set of beliefs or practices found in any single religious tradition. An adequate understanding of religion must take into account its distinctive qualities and patterns as a form of human experience, as well as the similarities and differences in religions across human cultures.
Christianity
With well over two billion followers throughout the world, Christianity is an Abrahamic religion centered on God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. One of the big issues surrounding Christianity is that some people question the existence of the Trinity. Other points of debate are the Christian beliefs in Immaculate Conception, the original sin, the existence of the Devil, and the coming of the apocalypse. Like the Judaism and Islam, Christianity as a religion believes in the concept of one God. Hence, Islam, Judaism and Christianity are known as "ethical monotheism".
Islam
One of the terms used by the Qur'an during the early Makkan period to describe Islam was Al-Yusraa, or 'The Easy Way'. This is simply because Islam was, and is the natural way of life. Indeed, whatever is natural for human beings should be easy for them in every way, hence cause them to gravitate towards it easily, and consequently bring harmony, peace and tranquillity to their lives. Since the Quran is the book upon which the Islamic way of life is built, then the Quran has to be easy to understand and follow-it is 'The Easy Way'. More than one billion people in the world follow Islam, worship Allah, believe in angels, and consider Muhammad as the latest prophet. The Five Pillars guide Muslim life, as do the Qur'an, the Hadith, and the fatwas which contribute to the Sharia.
Buddhism
Buddhism is a way of life that is based on the teachings of Sidduhartha Gautama (Gautama Buddha or just Buddha) or “Enlightened One,” to achieve Enlightenment (the final liberation from the cycle of birth and death). Buddhism is the faith that developed as a result of the realisation that all beings possess enlightenment, but most do not yet realise this. Buddhism provides guidance and teachings to achieve enlightenment through meditation, wisdom and self-control. Learn about the quest for Enlightenment that intrigued people throughout history and learn about the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism.
Hinduism
Hinduism is a way of life and a philosophy where Hindus endeavour to seek the Divinity within, this divine essence is known as Atman. Hindus call their religion Sanatana dharma meaning “eternal spiritual path”. Hindus believe in one Supreme Being, Brahman, who is the source of all existence. God is present in all creation and God can be manifest in many ways. Numerous gods and goddesses are often chosen to represent the different aspects of God. Some Hindus believe that God is represented by Lord Shiva or by Lord Vishnu and that the other gods are lesser divinities. Hindus receive their religion through revelations, as in the Vedas, meaning knowledge. The Vedas are the accumulated knowledge of spiritual revelations discovered by different seers, known as rishis, at different times and are recorded or remembered in Sanskrit. Hindus hold that the Vedas are without beginning and without end, as creation is without beginning and without end. The Vedas teach that the soul is divine and include hymns, prayers and incantations
Atheism
Among the more controversial belief systems, Atheism appeals to people who do not believe the concept of supernatural beings and do not rely on scriptures that rule life. The history of Atheism is rich and involves the work of many philosophers and writers, including Thomas Hobbes, Charles Darwin, and George Eliot. Atheism is an intellectual position. What reasons do they have for holding that position? They say their reasons are based upon logic, or evidence, or lack of evidence.
Judaism
Considered a faith of action, Judaism is based on the covenant relationship between God and the chosen Jewish people: Jews follow God's laws, and God rewards and supports them. The oldest of the Abrahamic religions, Judaism has gone through a series of ups and downs through its history. As a rich and complex religious tradition, Judaism has never been monolithic. Its various historical forms nonetheless have shared certain characteristic features. The most essential of these is a radical monotheism, that is, the belief that a single, transcendent God created the universe and continues providentially to govern it. Undergirding this monotheism is the teleological conviction that the world is both intelligible and purposive, because a single divine intelligence stands behind it. Nothing that humanity experiences is capricious; everything ultimately has meaning. The mind of God is manifest to the traditional Jew in both the natural order, through creation, and the social-historical order, through revelation.
Bahai
One of the world's youngest religions, Bahai grew out of Islam. Bahai is tolerant of different religions, saying that they worship a single God in different ways.World unity and world peace are the goals of the Baha’i Faith. Baha’is believe that humanity is currently living at a demarcation line between the last throes of an epoch marked by violent conflict and war and the early dawning of a golden era where humanity as a whole will commit itself to the common project of learning to live together in peace. Baha’is believe this process of individual and societal transformation is occurring through the dual forces of both cataclysmic events and the practical efforts of individuals and groups inspired by spiritual principles.
Candomble
The Candomblé is a religion developed in Brazil by enslaved Africans who attempted to recreate their culture on the other side of the ocean. It incorporates several cultures and religions: mainly African tribal religions and Catholicism, but also some European and Indiamerican. In the past when Candomblé was isolated to poorer areas, generally with a higher concentration of Afro-Brazilians. Today, many upper-class Brazilians, including politicians, artists, and intellectuals, attend Catholic mass in the morning, and also attend a Candomblé ceremony in a terreiro that evening. There are five fundamental themes to Candomblé: belief in God, belief in Deities, belief in Spirits, belief in Ancestors, and belief in Mysterious Powers. Together, these five themes combine to express the Candomblé ode to life through dance, vibrant colors, and sacramental foods. Like many other religions, there are two worlds. The one we live in, Aiye, is parallel to the world the Orixás live in, Orun
Jainism
Jainism believes that universe and all its substances or entities are eternal. It has no beginning or end with respect to time. Universe runs own its own accord by its own cosmic laws. All the substances change or modify their forms continuously. Nothing can be destroyed or created in the universe. There is no need of some one to create or manage the affairs of the universe. Hence Jainism does not believe in God as a creator, survivor, and destroyer of the universe. However Jainism does believe in God, not as a creator, but as a perfect being. When a person destroys all his karmas, he becomes a liberated soul. He lives in a perfect blissful state forever in Moksha. The liberated soul possesses infinite knowledge, infinite vision, infinite power, and infinite bliss.
Jehovah's Witnesses
Known for their door-to-door missionary work, Jehovah's Witnesses print their own translation of the Bible in 70 languages. They prefer to stay within their own communities, pointing parallels between themselves and Jesus. According to the teachings of the Jehovah's Witnesses reality is black and white. Churches and governments are servants of Satan. That also goes for religions, armies and administrative systems. Therefore the Witnesses as far as possible withdraw from public life and form their own community, which is exactly the opposite: An anti-community, directly governed by God himself through his elected servants in The Watchtower Society.
Mormons
Mormons believe that they are the only Christian sect that is modeled after the guidelines set by Jesus. Mormons believe that God has a body and a family. While Mormons are often accused of practicing polygamy, the tradition has been banned by the Mormon Church for over a century
Sikhism
With its holy book as its current guru, Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that promotes living a good life of prayer, participating in community initiatives and working honestly toward liberation from the karmic cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Sikhs show that they have been initiated into the community by wearing a specific bracelet and underwear, carrying a specific comb and sword, and leaving their hair uncut.