We all know that planet Earth is multinational and, of course, each country has its own religion, and some even have several. Some people have chosen the path without faith and call themselves atheists. In this article we will try to list various religions and show their main differences from each other. So, religions of different countries of the world.

Religions around the world

• Christianity is the largest world religion in terms of number of believers. This religion is based on the teachings Jesus Christ. In addition, since 1054, the Christian Church split into the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, and even later (in the 16th century) another piece broke away from the Catholic Church (as a result of the Reformation movement) and the new movement began to be called Protestantism. Thus Christianity includes three religions -Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. Protestantism includes several more branches, such as Baptism, Anabaptism, Calvinism, Lutheranism, Mormons and, of course, Jehovah's Witnesses.

The main book of Christianity is the Bible. Christians believe in one God who exists in three forms - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The main sacred symbol is the cross. Every religion has its own place where you can communicate with the Almighty. In Christianity, all prayers and services take place in the Houses of God, i.e. Churches, Cathedrals, Temples, Chapels.

• Islam is the second largest religion. The adherents of this religion are called Muslims who believe in a single creator - Allah(Allah is translated as “He Who is Worshiped”). This religion appeared in the 7th century in Arabia. The founder of this religion is considered prophet muhammed, and the main holy book is the Koran. The Muslim Church is called a Mosque.

• Buddhism is one of the world's oldest religions, which originated in the 6th century BC. This religion was founded by a prince Siddhartha Gautama, who later received a new name - Buddha, which means “Enlightened One”. The main teaching is Karma, i.e. all your actions will be credited to you in your next life when you are reborn, so a Buddhist should be in a state of peace and not do harm to anyone. When a Buddhist achieves complete peace, i.e. Nirvana, then he merges with Buddha. The main difference between Buddhism and other religions is that they don't have God.

• Judaism is considered primarily a Jewish religion. They believe in one God and in the immortality of the soul. The main holy book of the Jews is considered Talmud, and their church is called Synagogue.

OM is a sacred, “eternal syllable” used in Hinduism and Buddhism during religious ceremonies, when reading prayers, and at the beginning of texts with religious content. OM is the symbol of the highest holiness, Brahman - the Absolute of Indian philosophy and the God of the Hindu religion.

• Hinduism is a purely Indian religion, which in fact is not integral, but simply includes many small Indian religious movements, therefore there are no unified teachings or any systematicity in this religion. There is a common key concept - Dharma, which means “Eternal order and integrity of the world.”

Symbol of Confucianism

• Confucianism is not just a religion, but a philosophical religion. Appeared in China in the 6th century BC, and it was created by the wandering teacher Confucius. Religion is common only in China. The basic principle is “Do not wish for others what you would not wish for yourself,” and the main concept of this religion is ideal relationships in family and society.

• Atheism - Our list of religions is completed by anti-religion. Atheism is translated as “Godlessness,” i.e. atheists are people who deny the existence of God, or another higher power. They adhere to the worldview that nothing supernatural can exist.

In the article we will examine the question of what religion is, define this concept, learn its history, and also briefly describe the known religions of the world.

Religion is a type of human consciousness that believes that the world is ruled by some kind of supernatural force. And this power is sacred, it is worshiped.

The main thing in any religion is belief in God. Since ancient times, people have been in great need of faith, salvation and consolation. And they hypothesize that there is some inexplicable force that helps, guides, does something contrary to the laws of the Earth. And this power is God. This is the high beginning of the world, the laws of morality.

Forms, characteristics, structure and types of religions

There are a lot of religions in the world, more than a hundred. Their origins began several thousand years ago.

It all started with simple types and forms of beliefs. Archaeological excavations confirm that ancient tribes worshiped someone, they had rituals and sacraments. They had gods.

Main forms of religions:

1. Recognition of totems - sacred objects, animals, plants.
2. Magic - a person with supernatural abilities could somehow influence people's events.
3. Choosing a talisman that could bring good luck and protect from accidents.
4. Belief in shamans, people who are endowed with sacred power.
5. A form of religion in which all objects and plants have a soul, they are alive.

To understand religions, it is necessary to identify its structure. This includes religious consciousness, activities, and organizations.

Organizations are a system that unites all people belonging to a particular religion. An example of religious activity is wearing crosses, lighting candles, and bowing.

Each religion has its own characteristics that distinguish it from others. Without these signs, it would have been destroyed, transforming into the occult and shamanism.

First of all, this is the primary source of the ideal to which we must strive – this is God. Apart from this, people believe in various spirits. They can be both good and evil, they help, you can communicate with them.

Another sign is that man is a higher, spiritual being. He must take care of his inner soul first of all. All religions believe that the soul lives forever and can exist even after death. Through faith you can be spiritually isolated with God.

Religion is primarily moral in nature. There are rules for how a person should behave, what values ​​he should pursue in life, and how to take care of his soul. The material world is insignificant, but the spiritual world is the most important.

Another main feature is that it is a cult with its own rules and regulations. These are certain actions that are performed to express the worship of a particular religion.

List and brief history of the world's major religions

There are three famous world religions. These are Christianity, Islam and Buddhism.

Christianity first appeared in the Roman Empire in the first century. From there came all the writings about the life of Jesus, who at a young age was crucified on the cross so that all the sins of people would be forgiven.

After this, he was resurrected and incarnated as the son of God, a supernatural force.

The Holy Scripture, which preserves the teachings of Christianity, is called the Bible. Consists of two collections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. People who believe in Christianity go to church, pray, fast, celebrate holidays, and perform various sacraments.

Types of Christianity: Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism.

Orthodoxy strictly follows the faith and recognizes all 7 sacraments: baptism, communion, confirmation, priesthood, repentance, wedding and unction. Catholicism is somewhat similar.

Protestantism does not recognize the Pope as its head, considers faith to be independent, and is against church policy.

Islam is the religion of Muslims. It appeared among Arab tribes at the beginning of the 7th century. It was founded by the prophet Muhammad. He was a hermit, a loner, and often thought and philosophized about morality and piety.

According to legend, on his fortieth birthday, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to him and left an inscription on his heart. God in Islam is called Allah. The religion is very different from Christianity.

Buddhism originated in the 6th century BC. This is the most ancient religion. The origins come from India, then it began to spread to China and the Far East.

The main founder is Buddha Gautama. At first he was an ordinary person. His parents once had a dream that their child would be a great man, a mentor. He was always very lonely, prone to thoughts, only religion and philosophy were important to him.

In Buddhism there is no specific God that everyone worships. Buddha is just an ideal of what one should become. Bright, pure, kind, highly moral. The goal of religion is to achieve a blissful state, achieve insight, free yourself from shackles, find yourself, find peace and tranquility.

In addition to the main three religions, there are others. This is very ancient Judaism.

It is based on the Ten Commandments that God prophesied to Moses.

This is also Taoism, which has teachings that all things appear from nowhere and go to nowhere, the main thing is harmony with nature.

It was founded by a philosopher who lived in the 4th century.

Other known religions are Confucianism, Jainism, and Sikhism.

Conclusion

Everyone chooses for themselves which religion they will worship. Different religions have one goal: increasing the spiritual morality of people.

The differences are only in words and terminology. I studied Suffism, Buddhism, Taoism, Tengrism, Hinduism and realized that the ultimate goal for everyone is the same - knowledge of the truth and reunification with a certain Absolute.
It’s just that all religions were sent to certain cultures and peoples in their “language”

Buddhism - founded by a man, Buddha, real name Siddhartha Gautama
salvation in Buddhism - through one's own efforts
founder of Buddhism - died
Islam was founded by a man, Muhammad, real name Ubu il-Qassim
salvation in Islam - through one's own efforts
founder of Islam - died
Christianity - the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Son of God
salvation is given by God through the death of Jesus Christ by faith
Jesus died but was RISEN

In fact, in these three religions, only Buddhism is very different. It was founded by a man called the “enlightened one,” Buddha. Oddly enough, there is God in Buddhism. As Buddhists say, there is only suffering in the world caused by our desires. To get rid of suffering, you need to get rid of desires. This is what Buddhists essentially do all their lives.

Islam and Christianity have common roots. But there are several differences: Muslims consider Jesus to be a prophet (Isa), and no son of God came to earth. In addition, Christians have God in three persons, while Muslims have only one.

World religions traditionally include Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. According to the latest data, in the modern world there are about 1,400 million Christians, about 900 million adherents of Islam, and about 300 million Buddhists.
In Buddhism, unlike Christianity and Islam, there is no church, but there is a community of believers - the sangha.
The cardinal difference between Christianity and other religions is that the founders of the latter acted not as an object of faith, but as its intermediaries. It was not the personalities of Buddha, Mohammed or Moses that were the real content of the new faith, but their teaching. The Gospel of Christ reveals itself as the Gospel about Christ; it is a message about a Person, not a concept.
Another difference between Christianity is that any ethical and religious system is a path, following which people come to a certain goal. And Christ begins precisely with this goal. He speaks of life flowing from God to men, and not of human efforts that can lift them up to God.
The dogma of Islam is very simple. A Muslim must firmly believe that there is only one god - Allah; that Muhammad was his messenger-prophet; that before him, God sent other prophets to people - these are the biblical Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Christian Jesus, but Muhammad is higher than them; that there are angels and evil spirits (jinn), however, these latter, who converted to Islam from ancient Arabic beliefs, are not always evil, they are also in the power of God and carry out his will; that on the last day of the world the dead will rise and everyone will receive rewards for their deeds: the righteous who honor God will enjoy in paradise, sinners and infidels will burn in hell; finally, that there is divine predestination, for Allah has predetermined each person’s destiny.

If we are talking about directions originating in Judaism (Christianity, Islam), then the differences are very superficial.
If we consider exactly the three largest streams - Vedic (Hinduism, Buddhism), Taoist (Taoism, synthetic Lamaism) and Jewish - then the differences are very significant.
Briefly -
the Vedic stream is based on knowledge
Taoist flow is harmony
the Jewish stream is faith
As you can see, the differences are quite dramatic.

These 3 world religions are Christianity. Islam and Buddhism differ in that they find the path to God in different ways.
Christianity is the path to God through Jesus Christ
Islam is the path to God through submission
Buddhism - through enlightenment

Conception and birth of Buddha

Below are translations from Jah

Revelation of the Qur'an

According to tradition, what was the first revelation given to Muhammad? Scholars of Islam usually agree that these were the first five verses of the 96th sura "al Alyak", or "Clot [of blood]", which begins with the words (Prh):

Read and shout!
In the name of your God, Who created -
Who created man from a clot.
Read! Your Lord is the most generous!
He is the One who gave man a pen and taught him to write,
And also taught him what he didn’t know.

According to the first chapter of the Sahih, Muhammad replied: “I cannot read!” Therefore, he had to memorize the revelations and repeat them from memory. The Arabs were very good at memorizing texts, and Muhammad was no exception. How long did it take for him to receive the revelations that made up the Koran? It is believed that they descended on him over a period of 20-23 years, starting around 610 until his death in 632 AD. e.

According to Muslim sources, having received a revelation, Muhammad immediately repeated it to those who were next to him. And those people, in turn, kept the revelations in their memory, repeating them periodically so as not to forget. Since the Arabs had not yet learned how to make paper, Muhammad's revelations were written down on simple available means: camel shoulder bones, palm leaves, wood or parchment. It was only after the death of the prophet, under the leadership of his companions and successors, that the Quran took on the form we are familiar with today. This was during the reign of three caliphs, the spiritual leaders of Muslims.

Translator Muhammad Pickthall writes: “All the suras of the Koran were written down during the lifetime of Muhammad, and many Muslims stored the entire text of the Koran in their memory. The records of individual suras were kept by different people, and when during wars... many of those who knew the Koran by heart died, the entire text was again completely collected and written down.”

The norms of Muslim life are regulated by three authoritative sources - the Koran, Hadith and Sharia. Muslims believe that the Koran in Arabic is the revelation of God in its purest form, since, according to legend, it was in this language that God spoke through the angel Jibril. Surah 43:2 says: “We have written it in Arabic so that you may understand.” Therefore, any translation, according to Muslims, detracts from the value of the Koran and its purity is lost. Some Islamic theologians even refuse to translate the Koran, believing that “translation is always treason.” Therefore, according to Islamic history teacher John Williams, “Muslims have historically rejected the idea of ​​​​translating the Koran, and sometimes even prohibited any attempt to convey its contents in another language.”

Spread of Islam

Muhammad's new religion met fierce resistance. The people of Mecca, even his own people, rejected him. After 13 years of hostility and persecution, he moved the center of his activities north of Mecca, to the city of Yathrib, later called al-Madina (Medina), or “city of the prophet.” Is this relocation, or hee

The life of Christ shows the way

According to the Bible, Jesus was raised in an ordinary Jewish family, went to the local synagogue and the Temple in Jerusalem (Luke 2:41-52). When he turned 30, he began his ministry. First of all, he came to his second cousin John, who dipped the Jews into the waters of the Jordan as a sign of repentance. Luke writes: “While all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized; and as he prayed, the heavens were opened, and the holy spirit in bodily form, like a dove, descended upon him, and a voice was heard from heaven: “You are my beloved Son, I approve of you”” (Luke 3:21-23; John 1:32-34).

Now, as the anointed Son of God, Jesus entered into ministry. He walked throughout Galilee and Judea, preaching about the Kingdom of God, healing the sick and performing other miracles. He served freely, without seeking to become rich or exalt himself. On the contrary, Jesus said that he who gives is happier than he who receives. He also taught his followers the work of preaching (Matthew 8:20; 10:7-13; Acts 20:35).

If you pay attention to the message of Jesus and the way he presented it, you will see how different it is from the style of many preachers in Christian churches. He did not try to captivate the masses on a wave of emotions and did not scare people into hellish torments. On the contrary, Jesus appealed to the mind through parables and illustrations from everyday life, which were permanently imprinted on the minds and hearts of his listeners. His Sermon on the Mount is a prime example of what and how he taught. In this sermon, Jesus gave a pattern of prayer. By mentioning first of all the sanctification of God's name, he clearly showed what should be the main thing in the life of a Christian (Matthew 5:1-7:29; 13:3-53; Luke 6:17-49; see box on pages 258- 259).

Jesus showed love and compassion in his dealings with his disciples and others (Mark 6:30-34). While he preached God's Kingdom, he also exemplified love and humility. Therefore, in the last hours of his life, he could say to his disciples: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another; so that as I have loved you, so you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if there is love among you” (John 13:34, 35). So the essence of true Christianity is self-sacrificing love based on Divine morality (Matthew 22:37-40). In practice, this means that a Christian should love even his enemies, even though he hates their evil deeds (Luke 6:27-31). Just think how much the world would change if every person showed such love! (Romans 12:17-21; 13:8-10).

The teachings of Jesus cannot be compared to the ethics or philosophy taught by Confucius and Lao Tzu. In addition, he, unlike the Buddha, did not teach that a person can independently achieve salvation through knowledge and enlightenment. On the contrary, Christ argued that it is God who gives salvation to people: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever exercises faith in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16, 17).

By reflecting the Father's love in both word and deed, Jesus encouraged people to draw closer to God. It was not for nothing that he said to one of the apostles: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. [...] Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say: “Show us the Father”? Or do you not believe that I am in unity with the Father and the Father is in unity with me? The words that I speak to you, I do not speak from myself, but the Father, who is in unity with me, performs his works. [...] You heard what I said to you: I am leaving and will come to you again. If you loved me, you would be glad that I go to the Father, because the Father is greater than I” (John 14:6-28). It is Jesus who is “the way, the truth, and the life,” because he helped the Jewish people return to the Father, the true God, Jehovah. The fact that God, out of His love, sent this light of truth to earth opened up a special opportunity for people to find a way to Jehovah (John 1:9-14; 6:44; 8:31, 32).

With this role of Christ in mind, Paul addressed the Greeks in Athens with the words: “From one man he [God] created every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having established certain times and limits for the habitation of people, so that they should seek God, if they would not feel and whether they will find him, although he is not far from each of us. For by it we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:26-28). Finding God is possible if you strive and put in the effort (Matthew 7:7, 8). The Earth, the beautiful home he created for a huge variety of living beings, testifies to God and his love. Out of love, he sends both the righteous and the unrighteous everything they need for life. In addition, Jehovah gave the people his Word, the Bible, and also his Son as an atoning sacrifice for them. In this way, God helps people find the way to him (Matthew 5:43-45; Acts 14:16, 17; Romans 3:23-26).

Of course, Christian love should be manifested not only in words, but, more importantly, in deeds. The Apostle Paul wrote: “Love is slow to anger and kind. Love is not jealous, not boastful, it does not boast, it does not behave indecently, it does not seek its own, it is not irritated, it does not count insults, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; endures everything, believes everything, hopes for everything, endures everything with steadfastness. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Jesus Christ also emphasized the importance of proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven—God's government over obedient humanity (Matthew 10:7; Mark 13:10).

Islam is a religion of peace, and its values ​​should serve to solve the problems of consolidating society, maintaining unity and stability, overcoming separatism, strengthening peace and harmony. It is important to achieve the unification of efforts of the state and religious Muslim organizations.

The Islamic worldview in the most difficult times helped bring together and cooperate all Dagestan peoples. The revived Islam in Dagestan should serve these goals today.

Currently, Islam is under massive attack through the media.

One of the most exploited is the idea that Islam is anti-scientific, archaic and drags society into the Middle Ages. However, the famous theoretical physicist Abdu-Salam, director of the International Institute of Theoretical Physics, Nobel Prize winner, claims that he became a physicist thanks to the call and instructions of the Koran. The Koran directly states that the duty of a Muslim is to be educated, literate and, therefore, useful to society.

Muslim scientists made many discoveries in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, optics and many other areas of human knowledge. Moreover, these discoveries were made under the direct influence of the study of the Koran. In the field of mathematics, Muslims invented algebra. Arabic numerals were transformed into European ones and are still used today.

Long before others, Muslims attempted to measure the thickness of the atmosphere in order to determine the time of the first glimmer of dawn. The first scientist to make these measurements was ibn Myad, and this happened in the 11th century. In the field of anatomy, Ibn al-Nafis was the first to describe the circulatory system. In the field of astronomy, using unusually precise mathematical calculations, Sanad Ali proved in the 12th century that the Earth is smaller than the Sun, but larger than the Moon.

Every year the number of adherents of Islam around the world increases. It is noteworthy that in Europe and America this is happening mainly due to the scientific and creative intelligentsia. The media have repeatedly reported about the adoption of Islam by a number of outstanding scientists and luminaries of science.

The great French oceanographer, pioneer of deep sea exploration, inventor of scuba gear, underwater houses, author of many popular books and films, Jacques Cousteau, is known throughout the world. But few people know that the scientific research he conducted and the fact that many scientific signs were reflected in the Quran led him to accept Islam and he died a Muslim. The world-famous researcher said that choosing Islam was the most correct decision in his life.

Roger Garaudy - French writer and philosopher, former member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of France and editor-in-chief of the newspaper L'Humanité, on Friday, July 3, 1982, in the month of Ramadan, converted to Islam and thereby shocked the public in the West.

Wilfried Hoffmann - Master of Laws from Harvard University, Doctor of Laws from the University of Munich, a high-ranking official of the German state apparatus, who rose to the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, accepted Islam and additionally took a new name for himself - Islam.

Professor Tasazha Tasajon, one of the greatest scientists in the field of anatomy, said: “In the last 4 years, I have been attracted by the Holy Quran, which was given to me. I believe that what was mentioned in the Qur'an 1400 years ago is a truth that can be proven by scientific method."

Professor Schrader from Greece said: “Indeed, what is said in the Quran is the truth that scientists are discovering today. I think it is very important to communicate this to scientists around the world.”

Professor Alfred Korner from the USA, one of the world's leading biologists, said: “Man 1400 years ago, not knowing anything about nuclear physics, could not comprehend with his mind the truth that the Earth and other planets were created in the same way. “I believe that if we collect the information contained in the Koran, including about the Earth and its origin and about science in general, then we can say that this information is reliable and true, and this can be proven by scientific methods.”

The famous French scientist Maurice Bucaille, who converted to Islam, wrote: “If I had known the Koran before, I would not have walked blindly in search of a scientific solution, I would have had a guiding thread.”

This is what the Turkish scientist Odnan Oktar writes in his book “The Deception of Evolution”:

“Religion encourages scientific research. And if these studies are conducted based on the truths revealed by religion, they very soon achieve the most accurate results. The fact is that religion is the only source that gives a true and accurate answer to the question of how the Universe and life arose. Therefore, research for which the correct starting point is chosen will reveal the secrets of the existence of life and the Universe in the shortest possible time and with the least expenditure of labor and energy.”

Scientists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Cuvier (father of paleontology), Linnaeus (leader of botany and zoology), Isaac Newton, who is remembered as “the greatest scientist,” believed in (One Creator) and improved science, believing that the Universe and all living organisms were created by Him. Albert Einstein wrote:

“I can’t imagine a scientist without firm faith. This can be expressed this way: it is impossible to believe in science that is not based on religion.”

In one of his works entitled “Principles of Mathematics,” Newton writes: “We, being weak slaves, in need of God given under reason, must know the Greatness and Power of God and submit to him.”

American geneticists have proven the existence of prehistoric Adam - a man and a single proto-Eve. Researchers argue that the concept of race is illusory, and these differences between people are recent. The genetic codes of modern humans are strikingly similar. “The four different types of African gorillas are less similar to each other in their genetic makeup than I am and an Alaskan Eskimo or an Australian aborigine,” writes English scientist Christopher Stringer. Thus, it has been scientifically proven that the prophets were right.
Great Book - Koran

American doctor, scientist, Muslim Ahmad al-Qadi in a medical clinic in Panama (Florida) conducted a special study to study the healing effects of Quranic verses read aloud on patients who have experienced stress, with heart disease and some other diseases.

Men and women who had no idea about the Koran and did not know Arabic were selected for the research. The Arabic text of the Koran was read to them.

The results of the impact of the Koranic verses on patients were recorded with the most modern devices and computers. The study was conducted year-round, and the results were announced at the North American Islamic Medical Congress (Missouri, August 1984). They turned out to be impressive - 97% of patients who listened to the Quran got rid of stress, and this was recorded by special devices that recorded the changes occurring in the listeners. The presented materials aroused interest among medical scientists and received great resonance in the media.

According to Doctor of Medical Sciences B.S. Alyakrinsky, more than 400 functions of the human body are subject to the biological clock. During the day, 500 small and 5 large periods of biorhythms change. The change of 5 large periods of biorhythms is associated with the corresponding influence of the planets of the solar system. The most interesting thing: the time of change of these large periods coincides with the time of daily Muslim prayers (namaz). When changing each of the 5 periods of biorhythms, biologically active points (BAT) first open. They remain in this state for 15 minutes, after which a gradual closure begins, which lasts about two hours.

If we remember that according to the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the most valuable prayer is the one performed immediately after the onset of its time, and that as a last resort, if someone did not have time to perform the prayer on time, it can be performed within 1.5-2 hours , then it becomes obvious that all this is connected with the BAT mode.

An American, professor at Harvard University, Benson, provided a scientific basis for the fact that prayer helps health. As a result of many years of research involving thousands of people, he found that regular prayers reduce the rate of breathing, heartbeat and normalize brain wave fluctuations, which, it turns out, contribute to the body’s self-healing. In addition, according to the observation of Professor Benson, believers are 36% less likely to get sick.

There is research data from English scientists proving that the five-fold prayer of a Muslim, when performed correctly, has a healing effect no less than yoga orders.

An analysis of statistical data and research by scientists in recent years, during which professional athletes and physical educators were examined, showed that gymnastic exercises performed at the same time, constantly and without overload have the greatest health benefits.

These are the actions in prayer. Namaz is unique in that when it is performed, literally all articular plexuses are set in motion, which is very important for the prevention of arthrosis and osteochondrosis.

This is confirmed by the results of research by English scientists. The effect of prayer on human health has not yet been fully studied. This is a topic for scientific dissertations.

It must be said that not only many outstanding scientists of the past and present, but also writers and poets treated and treat Islam with deep reverence and respect.

The brilliant Russian writer Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy wrote: “...look at me as a good Mohammedan, then everything will be fine...”.

In 1995, in Weimar, a group of researchers led by Sheikh Abdulkadir al-Murabin studied numerous works of Goethe, which gave al-Murabin grounds to recognize the great poet Goethe as a Muslim.

Here are some of Goethe's statements about Islam:

“How stupid it is to chant like that

Your opinions about this and that!

After all, if Islam means submission to God,

We all live and die in Islam."

“...We must remain in Islam... I can’t add anything to this.”

“Most holy Jesus was submissive only to God alone,

It was an insult to God that Jesus was exalted as God.

Let the truth shine forth, which was conveyed to us by Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), Who, through the comprehension of the One, inclined the whole world to submission.”

In the cycle of poems by the great poet A.S. Pushkin “Imitations of the Koran” there are the following lines:

“Pray to the Creator, he is mighty,

He rules the wind on a hot day

Clouds are pouring into the sky

Gives the earth tree shade

He is merciful, he is to Mohammed,

He opened the shining Koran.

May we also flow towards the light,

And let the fog fall from your eyes."

Humanity faces two possible paths: the path of development - true and erroneous.

These paths have always collided and fought with each other. If you look at the problem from the point of view of the development of social relations, man rejected the true path, choosing different paths from existing situations in life, developing and improving various systems - from totemism, feudalism, capitalism to communism.

However, in none of them did I find happiness and peace and what I was really looking for. As a result, not getting what he wanted, he continued his search, not realizing that all these paths lead to a dead end. Until people turn towards the Creator and Creator of all things and trust spiritual guides, this search will not stop.

An analysis of world history convincingly demonstrates that any state, no matter what economic and political power it achieves, departing from the principles of Monotheism, from faith in the One Creator, faces inevitable decline and ultimately collapse.

Smoke36, there are more Muslims than Christians.
The most important difference is Islam for One God - Allah.

These are three varieties of opium =))) In general, they must be destroyed to hell, otherwise people will destroy the Planet! Ideally, the states will also be united into one - Planetland. And there must be different marriages so that there is one nation - the Earthlings. and religion - Christianity is the main (correct) one based on love [you still won’t understand], Islam is based on fear [Allah will punish] and cohesion, Buddhism is based on wisdom and experience. (Judaism - Jewish Islam)
In short, don’t sleep, don’t you see that these are PARTS of the unreal universe, that is, we must have one KNOWLEDGE! In general, I went to create the First Universal Faith of the United Religions))) Otherwise we will live arguing for another millennium

"About Tisha and Irisha (parable)

Once upon a time there lived two twins - brother and sister, Tisha and Irisha. And then one day, when they were one and a half years old, the twins’ father went on a long business trip. He left clean-shaven, wearing gray trousers and a white shirt. And he returned - as it happened - unshaven, in black jeans and a red sweater. Tisha was tense at first... but then he realized that this “unfamiliar” uncle at first glance was still his dad, so there was nothing to be afraid of. And Irisha...
Irisha screamed wildly, hid under her cot, and cried bitterly, bitterly. Her parents tried for a long time to calm her down and lure her out from under the bed. But the little girl was terribly afraid of the scary bearded uncle, and did not want to get out of there. The father even had to lift the crib... And only when he hastily shaved and put on that same white shirt did the girl calm down. But she calmed down, as it soon became clear, not completely, and not for long...
Years passed, the twins grew up... Tisha grew up as a normal, healthy, cheerful boy. But Irisha constantly remembered the scary “unfamiliar bearded man,” and always began to shake with horror and indignation. All the relatives tried many times to explain to the girl that that same “bearded man” is her own dad, who loves her, takes care of her and protects her... But Irisha did not want to listen to anyone. She called everyone who told her this “obsessed,” “fraudsters,” and “blasphemers.” It seemed to the girl that those who think so are thereby INSULTING her “REAL”, “TRUE”, beloved dad. And when the father himself tried to talk to his daughter about this topic, Ira simply began to squeal loudly and plugged her ears with her fingers...
Doctors - psychiatrists and psychotherapists - were even invited to see her several times. But the girl immediately declared them the most terrible enemies, as she said - “apostates.” And she even rushed at the doctors with scissors, kitchen knives, and other sharp objects...
Having matured, Irina completely withdrawn into herself, hung a large photograph of her clean-shaven father in a white shirt over her bed, and began to talk to her for a long time. At the same time, the girl wrote articles on her blog entitled “Why the bearded man in a red sweater is not my dad”, “The bearded man in jeans cannot be my father”, “Down with the unshaven in red!”, etc.
It seemed to Ira that she acted and behaved in life very wisely, that this was the only way she should always act (and to behave differently was wrong, and even simply stupid). And this made the girl so happy that one day she shaved her head and began running around the area, dressed all in white... Ira ran, rejoiced and laughed. Periodically attacking unshaven men in red...
They say she still runs like that... Runs, rejoices... and laughs...

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In the same way, some of us are sometimes afraid of people of other faiths. And they don’t want to understand that the “ALIER” God is actually the SAME, the One Lord Almighty. It’s just that followers of different Faiths call and perceive Him differently...”

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> He who does not have the Son does not have the Father.
It looks like some kind of nonsense, memorized in a backward TsPSh.
There is no such statement in any of the four Gospels.

And whoever does not have a Daughter does not have a Mother?

The fact is that Christianity and Islam are looking for people to join them, Judaism is not.

The difference lies in Jesus Christ. He who does not have the Son does not have the Father.

Religion is a certain worldview that seeks to understand the higher mind, which is the root cause of everything that exists. Any belief reveals to a person the meaning of life, his purpose in the world, which helps him find a goal, and not an impersonal animal existence. There have always been and will be many different worldviews. Thanks to the eternal human search for the root cause, the religions of the world were formed, the list of which is classified according to two main criteria:

How many religions are there in the world?

The main world religions are Islam and Buddhism, each of which is divided into numerous large and small branches and sects. It is difficult to say how many religions, beliefs and convictions there are in the world, due to the regular creation of new groups, but according to some information, there are thousands of religious movements at the present stage.

World religions are called so because they have gone far beyond the borders of the nation, country, and have spread to a huge number of nationalities. Those who are not worldly confess within a smaller number of people. The monotheistic view is based on the belief in one God, while the pagan view assumes the existence of several deities.

The world's largest religion, which arose 2,000 years ago in Palestine. It has about 2.3 billion believers. In the 11th century there was a division into Catholicism and Orthodoxy, and in the 16th century Protestantism also separated from Catholicism. These are three large branches, there are more than a thousand other small ones.

The basic essence of Christianity and its distinctive features from other religions are as follows:

Orthodox Christianity has adhered to a tradition of faith since apostolic times. Its foundations were formulated by the Ecumenical Councils and dogmatically enshrined in the Creed. The teaching is based on Holy Scripture (mainly the New Testament) and Holy Tradition. Divine services are performed in four circles, depending on the main holiday - Easter:

• Daily.
• Sedmichny.
• Mobile annual.
• Fixed annual.

In Orthodoxy there are seven main Sacraments:

• Baptism.
• Confirmation.
• Eucharist (Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ).
• Confession.
• Unction.
• Wedding.
• Priesthood.

In the Orthodox understanding, God is one in three persons: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The Ruler of the world is interpreted not as an angry avenger for the misdeeds of people, but as a Loving Heavenly Father, caring for his creation and bestowing the grace of the Holy Spirit in the Sacraments.

Man is recognized as the image and likeness of God, with free will, but fallen into the abyss of sin. The Lord helps those who want to restore their former holiness and get rid of passions on this path.

Catholic teaching is a major movement in Christianity, widespread mainly in Europe, Latin America and the USA. This doctrine has much in common with Orthodoxy in its understanding of God and the relationship between the Lord and man, but there are fundamental and important differences:

• the infallibility of the head of the church, the Pope;
• The Holy Tradition is formed from 21 Ecumenical Councils (the first 7 are recognized in Orthodoxy);
• the distinction between the clergy and the laity: people in the rank are endowed with Divine Grace, they are assigned the role of shepherds, and the laity - the herd;
• the doctrine of indulgences as a treasury of good deeds performed by Christ and the Saints, and the Pope, as the vicar of the Savior on earth, distributes forgiveness of sins to whomever wants and who needs it;
• adding your understanding to the dogma of the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son;
• introducing dogmas about the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary and Her bodily ascension;
• the doctrine of purgatory as the average state of the human soul, cleansed of sins as a result of difficult trials.

There are also differences in the understanding and performance of some Sacraments:

It arose as a result of the Reformation in Germany and spread throughout Western Europe as a protest and desire to transform the Christian Church, getting rid of medieval ideas.

Protestants agree with Christian ideas about God as the Creator of the world, about human sinfulness, about the eternity of the soul and salvation. They share the understanding of hell and heaven, while rejecting Catholic purgatory.

Distinctive features of Protestantism from Catholicism and Orthodoxy:

• minimizing church sacraments - until Baptism and Communion;
• there is no division between clergy and laity, every well-prepared person in matters of Holy Scripture can be a priest for himself and for others;
• the service is held in the native language and is based on joint prayer, reading psalms, and sermons;
• there is no veneration of saints, icons, relics;
• monasticism and the hierarchical structure of the church are not recognized;
• salvation is understood only by faith, and good works will not help to justify oneself before God;
• recognition of the exclusive authority of the Bible, and each believer interprets the words of Scripture at his own discretion, the criterion being the point of view of the founder of the church organization.

The main directions of Protestantism: Quakers, Methodists, Mennonites, Baptists, Adventists, Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons.

The world's youngest monotheistic religion. The number of believers is about 1.5 billion people. The founder is the prophet Muhammad. Holy book - Koran. For Muslims, the main thing is to live according to the prescribed rules:

• pray five times a day;
• observe the fast of Ramadan;
• give alms 2.5% per year of income;
• make a pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj).

Some researchers add a sixth duty of Muslims - jihad, which manifests itself in the struggle for faith, zeal, and diligence. There are five types of jihad:

• internal self-improvement on the path to God;
• armed struggle against non-believers;
• struggle with your passions;
• separation of good and evil;
• taking action against criminals.

Currently, extremist groups use jihad of the sword as an ideology to justify their murderous activities.

A world pagan religion that denies the existence of the Divine. Founded in India by Prince Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha). Briefly summarized by the teaching of the Four Noble Truths:

1. All human life is suffering.
2. Desire is the cause of suffering.
3. To overcome suffering, you need to get rid of desire with the help of a specific state - nirvana.
4. To free yourself from desire, you need to follow eight basic rules.

According to the teachings of the Buddha, acquiring a calm state and intuition and clearing the mind will help:

• a correct understanding of the world as a lot of suffering and sorrow;
• acquiring a firm intention to curtail your wishes and aspirations;
• control of speech, which should be friendly;
• performing virtuous actions;
• trying not to harm living beings;
• expulsion of evil thoughts and a positive attitude;
• the realization that human flesh is evil;
• perseverance and patience in achieving the goal.

The main branches of Buddhism are Hinayana and Mahayana. Along with it, there are other religions in India, widespread to varying degrees: Hinduism, Vedism, Brahmanism, Jainism, Shaivism.

What is the oldest religion in the world?

The ancient world was characterized by polytheism (polytheism). For example, Sumerian, ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman religions, Druidism, Asatru, Zoroastrianism.

One of the ancient monotheistic beliefs is Judaism - the national religion of the Jews, based on the 10 commandments given to Moses. The main book is the Old Testament.

Judaism has several branches:

• Litvaks;
• Hasidism;
• Zionism;
• orthodox modernism.

There are also different types of Judaism: Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Humanistic and Renovationist.

Today it is difficult to give a definite answer to the question “What is the oldest religion in the world?”, since archaeologists regularly find new data to confirm the emergence of different worldviews. We can say that beliefs in the supernatural have been inherent in humanity at all times.

The huge diversity of worldviews and philosophical beliefs since the emergence of mankind does not make it possible to list all the religions of the world, the list of which is regularly updated with both new movements and branches from already existing world and other beliefs.

Hello, dear schoolchildren!

Today we have a rather complex topic. In elementary school, it is studied as part of the course “Fundamentals of Religious Culture and Secular Ethics,” and it is quite possible that the teacher will ask you to prepare a report or message for the class on the topic “Major World Religions.”

Today I propose to consider them in more detail and give them a brief description in order to have a little idea of ​​what the believing people breathe. I will try to write in simple words so that everything is clear to everyone. Well, if it’s still not clear, you can always ask a question in the comments.

Lesson plan:

What is religion?

There were many of them, and each saint was responsible for his own sphere.

• They turned to some gods to make it rain.
• To others - to help in the fight against enemies.
• Still others were asked for help in trouble and illness.

This is how religion was born - belief in a supernatural helper called God, and the ability to contact him through prayer.

Time passed, people's beliefs changed, matured and united into groups. Today there are many religious movements, the supporters of which may be hundreds, or perhaps billions, of people.

Every religious belief includes:

• standards of morality and ethics;
• behavior rules;
• a set of rituals and rites with the help of which one turns to shrines, asking for help in daily matters.

Today there are three main religions in the world. All other beliefs are just branches from them with their own small subtleties. The most important tenets of life are preserved in any religion.

The oldest religion is Buddhism

The Buddhist religious movement arose in the 6th century BC in India.

History associates the emergence of Buddhism with the name of Siddhartha Gautama.

According to ancient legend, at the age of 29 he left his luxurious home when he saw the “truth of life”:

• old age in the form of a decrepit old man who caught his eye;
• illness through meeting a seriously ill person;
• death from a collision with a funeral procession.

In search of truth, he reflected and meditated, realizing the inevitability of putting up with the obligatory moments in life. As a result, he found the meaning of existence of everything that surrounds us, and, as Buddhists say, he became enlightened, therefore he was called Buddha.

The truth about the fate of man, found in the depths of his consciousness, Buddha began to share with others - this is how the sacred book Tipitaka arose.

It lists all the main religious ideas of Buddhism:

• suffering in life is inevitable; to get rid of them, you need to renounce earthly desires, striving to achieve nirvana - the highest state of the soul;
• a person himself determines his future destiny by his actions, being reborn in another life into a new living being, who you will be later depends on how you behave in this life;
• good behavior is kindness and the ability to have compassion for others;
• the right path in life is honesty;
• correct speech is the absence of lies;
• the correct action is not to harm anything living, not to steal and not to have bad habits;
• proper training is the understanding that anything can be achieved if you put in the effort.

Today, Buddhism is supported by more than 500 million people in different countries.

Buddhists in Asia, the Far East, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Cambodia devote all their free time to meditation in monasteries, trying to achieve this highest state and free themselves from the shackles of life.

The Buddhist headquarters is located in Bangkok. Representatives of this religion choose divine statues as shrines, to which they lay flowers.

Cultural scientists believe that without understanding Buddhism, it is impossible to understand the great culture of the eastern peoples of India, China, Tibet and Mongolia. Buddhism is also present in Russia; you can communicate with its fans in Kalmykia or Buryatia.

This is interesting! The name of the Buddhist canons "Tipitaka" means "triple basket", which is usually interpreted as "three baskets of the law." Scientists believe that perhaps the sacred texts of the rules, written in ancient times on palm leaves, were kept in wicker baskets.

Christian religion

The birthplace of Christianity is Palestine, the former east of the Roman Empire.

The religious movement that appeared in the 1st century appealed to all the humiliated who were looking for justice, with an offer to turn to God for help in the hope of getting rid of everything bad. The emergence of the Christian religion is associated with the preaching of Jesus Christ, whose birth was predicted to the Virgin Mary.

When he was 30 years old, the messenger of God went out to the people to preach the holy word, conveying to the people the ideas of hard work, peace and brotherhood, condemning wealth and exalting the spiritual over the material. The Hebrew name of Jesus is Yeshua, which translates as “savior” who was destined to suffer for the sins of all Christians.

The basis of the Christian religion is belief in angels and demons, an afterlife, the Last Judgment and the end of the World.

The holy book of the Christian religion is the Bible, which contains all the basic ten rules - commandments, observance of them for every Christian believer is the goal in life.

The most important of them is to love God as yourself. There are also rules here: not to steal or lie, to work and to honor your parents.

In 1054, the Christian Church split into Orthodox (East) and Catholics (West), and later, in the 16th century, Protestants appeared.

Most Orthodox Christians live in Russia, Belarus, Greece, Moldova, and there are Canadians and Americans. Catholicism is widespread in Portugal, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany.

Today there are about 2 billion believers in the Christian religion.

This is the largest religion in the world in terms of the number of followers and geography - in every country there is, even a small, Christian community.

All Christians, both Orthodox and Catholics, attend church churches, undergo the baptism procedure and atone for their sins through prayers and fasting.

The youngest religion is Islam

The youngest world religion in terms of age appeared among the Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century and is translated as “submission.”

But being young does not mean that there are few believers in it - today there are about 1.5 billion people from almost 120 countries of the world among the followers of Islam. The ideas of Islam were brought to the people by Mohamed, who was born in Mecca, declaring that he was the chosen one of Allah (the god of Islamists) to carry out his sermons.

The holy scripture of Muslims - this is the name given to those who have chosen Islam as their religion - is the Koran, which includes all the sermons of Muhammad.

An Islamic shrine is a mosque where believers come to pray 5 times a day. Many researchers believe that young Islam took its entire basis from the Christian Bible, adding Arabic traditions: here, too, there is God’s terrible judgment and demons, paradise and Satan.

According to the Muslim Koran, a person lives to pass all life's tests, serving Allah and preparing for the afterlife. The most serious sins in Islam are gambling and drunkenness, as well as usury (this is when you give a loan and demand to return it in a larger amount, charging interest).

And true Muslims never eat pork. Muslims are especially attentive to fasting during the month of Ramadan, when even a crumb of food is not allowed during daylight hours.

Islam has a religious law called Sharia, the judgment of which sometimes does not fit into modern conditions - for serious sins and violations of the Koran, Muslims are stoned to death, for minor offenses they are beaten with sticks. Such punishments are still preserved in some areas of Islamic states.

What unites the three world religions?

Whatever the names of the three religions, the characteristics of which we have given today, no matter how they differ in rituals, shrines and faith, all of them, taken together, establish human moral standards and rules of behavior, prohibiting causing pain and harm to all living things, resorting to deceit, behave disrespectfully towards others.

Any of the world's religions teaches tolerance, calls to be merciful and treat people with kindness.

By sharing goodness, no one will become a beggar,

Everything will come back a hundredfold.

Who makes our world brighter and cleaner,

He himself will become rich from kindness.

That's all for today. I say goodbye to you with wishes to be kinder to each other.

Good luck in your studies!

Evgenia Klimkovich.