Religions
and Beliefs
By Rachel, Jiyu, Addy, and Bennett
This page is about the religions of the world. As you saw on the FrontPage, this project is based on the book If The World Were A Village by David J. Smith. In this book, the world is reduced to a village of 100 people, with one person equalling about 64 million people. This is done to make numbers easier to comprehend, and make percentages easier to understand. Therefore, with so many people in the real world, compared to the Global Village, the numbers have to be rounded, to make them work in the Global Village. In this Wiki, we aim to go over and above the data in the book.
This graph shows the different religions and percentages of people in religions of the global village. We think that this graph shows a lot of things that many people don't know, such as the amount of non-Christians. People who live in a predominately Christian country or region might not know that there are many different religions. But many people who live in the eastern part of the world are Muslim or other global religions.
Here are the definitions of some religions that you may not know:
Folk Religions: consists of beliefs, superstitions and rituals transmitted from generation to generation in a specific culture.
Global Religions: such as the Baha'i faith, Confucianism, Shintoism, Sikhism, and Jainism
Here are the 6 most common religions in the world:
1. Christianity: 2.1 billion believers
2. Islam: 1.3 billion believers
3. Hinduism: 900 million believers
4. Buddhism: 376 million believers
5. Sikhism: 23 million believers
6. Judaism: 14 million believers
Here is a larger key if you cannot read it:
Religion:
The Driver of Life
By Bennett
Wars and conflicts break out because of it. People spend entire lives studying it. It drives peoples’ lives. It is religion, a curious subject and is very difficult to completely understand.
Religion is different between different people. Some people may practice the same religion but each of them may believe it in a different way. While many people have the right to believe and practice their own religion in their own way, in some countries they are forced by their government to practice a certain religion or none at all.
You may be wondering what religion is, for it has a different meaning for each person. Religion is a way of explaining the mysteries of life such as how the world was created, why it was created, why there is life and death, etc. It is usually written in sacred documents and there is usually one or more gods that are worshiped. There are also holidays and celebrations unique to each religion. This is just some of the many aspects of religion.
Back to top
The Christian Religion
The Christian religion is followed by 32% of all the people of the global village. People of the Christian religion believe in three beings in one God: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They believe that the Son of God, or Jesus, appeared human on earth and was sent to help make peace among the people. They also believe that we should live to love God, make peace, and love each other. Most Christians go to a weekly mass on Sunday, called Church, or the day of rest according to God. In Church, Christians sing songs, pray, go to Sunday school, and listen to scriptures and sermons. The Bible, which is the sacred text, is divided into two main sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. They both tell how God wants us to do well but only the New Testament tells about Jesus. This idea of Jesus being God’s son was wrong to a lot of Jews, even though Jesus was Jewish. However, two thousand years ago, many people thought that he was God’s son and so they became the first followers of the Christian religion.
There are two main holidays in the Christian religion: Christmas and Easter. Christmas is a celebration Jesus’ birth. This is an important day because Christians believe that Jesus was God’s own son and that the Virgin Mary gave birth to him. There are many traditions that go along with Christmas too. One example of the reason that we give presents is because the Three Wise Men gave presents to the baby Jesus when he was born. There are many others as well. Easter is the most important holiday in the Christian religion. In the New Testament, it says that Jesus was crucified by the Romans. The miracle of Easter is that he rose up from the dead and returned human to his disciples. Christians celebrate it on a day in spring because many think of spring as new life.
(Jesus Christ)
Back to top
Islam
Islam is a fascinating religion! The followers of this religion are called Muslims. They believe in one God: Allah. The holy scripture is the Holy Quran. There are over one billion believers of this religion in the world! Muslims pray five times a day. Muslims turn to face the most holy city: Makkah (Mecca), Saudi Arabia. They gather at a Mosque to worship.
Each Muslim must complete the Five Pillars of Faith by the end of their lives. Here are the Five Pillars of Faith:
- Shahadah: profession of faith. In this, they must recite creed “There is no God but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.”
- Salah: a prayer. The world’s Muslims turn in the direction of Makkah, Islam’s holiest city to say five daily prayers.
- Zakat: social responsibility is considered part of one’s service to god. The act of Zakat enshrines that duty.
- Sawm: fasting during holy month of Ramadan. Ordained in Holy Quran.
- Hajj: the pilgrimage to Makkah. This is the most important pillar. Two million Muslims from all over world go on a journey to Makkah.
Islam is a very interesting religion to study. I hope you learned a lot about the Islam religion!
(The huge Mosque in Makkah)
Back to top
Hinduism
Hinduism is the fourth most followed religion. It originated in India in about two thousand B.C. There are hundreds of gods in the Hindu religion but there are three main ones. They are Brahman, the creator, Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer. They believe that all of their gods are aspects of Brahman. The Hindu people also believe that after they die, their soul will be reborn in a new animal or person’s body. The better behaved they are in their lifetime then, the better body they will get in their next. To fulfill this, during their lives, the Hindu people pray and make offerings at a temple of shrine. A temple can be as simple as a cabinet in your house to as exquisite as a huge building. In these places the Hindu pray to their Gods to try and make their lives better. Hindu people can pray when ever they want to. Some pray every day while some only pray over the holidays.
There are three main celebrations in the Hindu religion. They are Holi, Diwali and Dussehra. Holi is the festival marking the end of winter. People celebrate by pouring water and colored powder on others. It also marks the death of the old witch Holika. Diwali is the festival of lights and is celebrated to welcome home the God Rama who had gone to rescue his wife Sita. The people celebrate with fireworks and small lamps all over their homes for five days. The last main festival is Dussehra which also celebrates the God Rama. It is celebrated for ten days with plays and huge statues celebrating him.
(The Hindu God Shiva)
Back to top
Buddhism
By Addy
Siddhartha Gautama, born in about 566 B.C., was the Buddha. While he was growing up as a prince of Skya tribe of Nepal, he saw many people suffer, and, when 29 years old, left his luxurious home to look for the reason of all the suffering. Siddhartha Gautama went through 6 years of hard excercises that he practiced to attain control of the body and mind. Finally, he stopped causing physical pain to himself, and meditated under a bodhi tree.
Then, while the morning star rose, on the full moon of May, Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha, meaning the enlightened one. The Buddha died in 486 B.C., when he was 80 years old. He had been wandering for 45 years through northeast India teaching The Path, of enlightment, and a community of monks and nuns had developed around him.
There are many Buddhist holidays. Here are some of them:
• Buddhist New Year – This holiday is celebrated at different times depending on what country it is, and the ethnic background of the people. Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese people celebrate late January or early February according to the lunar calendar. Tibetans usually celebrate about one month later, and in Theravadin countries, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Laos, the Buddhist New Year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April.
• Vesak or Visakah Puja (Buddha Day) – This holiday is the Buddha’s birthday, traditionally known as Vesak or Visakah Puja, which means Buddha’s Birthday Celebrations. It is called Vesak because this is the name of the month in the Indian calendar. It is the major Buddhist festival of the year because it celebrates the birth, enlightenment, and the death of the Buddha on the the first full moon day in May, except in a leap year when the festival is held in June.
• Bodhi Day (Enlightment Day) – This holiday honors the enlightment of the Buddha. It is celebrated usually on the eighth of December.
• The Elephant Festival – The Buddha used the example of a wild elephant which, when caught, is harnessed to a tame one to train. Following that story, he said, a person new to Buddhism should have a special friendship with an older Buddhist. To remember this saying, Thai people hold this festival on the third Saturday in November
Sikhism
By Addy
Sikhism is a 500 year old religion. In the Sikh religion there are gurus. A guru is a ‘wise teacher’. The first guru was Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak was born in Panjab. Today Panjab stretches across part of northeast India, and into east Pakistan. At the time of Guru Nanak’s birth, most people believed in one of two religions: Hinduism and Islam. Guru Nanak was born into a Hindu family. He was disturbed by the violence and anger between Hindus and Muslims. God sent messages to Guru Nanak, asking him to travel and teach people to follow a simple faith. So Guru Nanak went out, giving the message of God.
Guru Nanak hoped if people concentrated on living the way God wanted them to, their differences would disappear, and the Hindus and Muslims would live in peace. Those who followed the faith were called ‘Sikhs’. This means ‘learner’ in the Panjabi language.
The most important holidays are Gurpurbs, which are festivals that mark the birthday or martyrdom of a Guru.The other holidays are fairs. Here are some of the most important Sikh holidays:
• Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday (January 5) – The tenth Guru’s birthday, born in 1666. This holiday can be celebrated in January of December.
• Vaisakhi (April 14) - This holiday began as a Hindu holiday of Thanksgiving, but for Sikhs.
• Martydom of Guru Arjan (June 16) – The fifth Guru was tortured and killed by the Mughal emperor in 1606.
• Guru Nanak’s Birthday (November 15) – He was born in 1469, and was the first Guru.
For more holidays, visit http://www.religionfacts.com/sikhism/holidays.htm
(A Sikh follower in traditional dress)
Back to top
Judaism
By Jiyu
Judaism is the oldest of the Monotheistic faiths. Monotheistic followers believe that there is only one God. The Torah is the Pentateuch of the Old Testament. The Torah contains the Five Books of Moses (the Pentateuch); Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Numbers, and Leviticus. Jews go to the Synagogue on Saturdays to worship with family and friends. Many children will go to Sunday school at their Synagogue. Synagogues will have many different rooms for many different purposes. They will also include a kitchen and library. There are four basic types of Judaism: Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Reform, and Conservative. The main holidays are: Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Simchat Torah.
Unlike Christians, Jews believe that the Messiah (savior) is coming while Christians believe that He has already come. Jews do not believe that Jesus is God's son. Jesus was born a Jew. They also think differently about how everyone will die and live peacefully in the afterlife. The Rabbi is the teacher of a Jewish commmunity, or a synagogue. The Rabbi has studied the Jewish laws and the Torah. The Rabbi is important to a Jewish community or Synagogue because he or she interprets and reads the Torah, and they guide the community in how to keep God's law. However, many other people are actively involved in the service, reading, opening the Ark doors, and lifting the scrolls and Torah.
When a boy or girl turns 12 or 13 years old, he or she is considered old enough to become responsible of adult religious responisiblities. This is marked by a ceremony called a Bar Mitzvah or, for a girl, a Bat Mitzvah, which is their path to adulthood. For months before the celebration, the boy or girl will study Hebrew, learn to read in Hebrew, and even sing in Hebrew! They will also learn a part of the Torah and a passage from the Prophets. The ceremony is often followed by a celebration. At the celebration, the girl or boy gets a lot of money from relatives and friends.
(The Torahs in the Ark*)
*A large holding box for the Torahs. It is very sacred, and everyone stands when the ark opens during a service.
Back to top
Here is a funny cartoon about peace:
Comments (15)
Emily said
at 10:26 am on Feb 4, 2008
really cool! lots of easy too read interesting info great job
kelly said
at 10:49 am on Feb 4, 2008
Interesting! Great job on the page!
Ellie said
at 11:09 am on Feb 4, 2008
cool page guys
Ellllie said
at 1:56 pm on Feb 4, 2008
I really like your page. I knew a lot of those religion existed but most of them I didn't know anything about. Thanks for putting it on your page!
Shoshie said
at 12:10 pm on Feb 6, 2008
really, really cool. It has lots of information about things that I never knew about!
Amos said
at 11:20 am on Feb 7, 2008
I like the religions page
Rohan said
at 3:05 pm on Mar 4, 2008
I think it was very good and had a good mix of info and fluff. But half-way into it I kinda lost interest, because your page is very long and it's hard to keep your attention. Aside from that this page is excellent.
Brian said
at 11:39 am on Mar 7, 2008
You should definately change the colors on the "Religions of the Global Village. They are very confusing because three of them look the same.
Ro Han said
at 1:13 pm on Mar 18, 2008
I think that your page is good aside from my earlier comment, but in the map with the big key describing what religions are widely practiced in what areas, you should put more about what the key means, as in I have no idea what the different kinds of Christian religion mean.
may&addy:2mindsthatthinkalike said
at 1:33 pm on Mar 19, 2008
pretty good but we agree with rohan
Ro Han said
at 1:54 pm on Mar 19, 2008
Jiyu, the fluff on this page is enough. The problem is your page is so long, every time you see a Top of Page link you want to click it to escape the text. You must try to make the text very interesting in order to make up for your long page.
Jiyu said
at 11:38 am on Mar 24, 2008
Okie doke... I will try to do that. I mean, some people say they like the Back To Top link, and some people don't!
Qajar said
at 4:22 pm on Apr 23, 2008
I liked how Bennett described the Islam religion. I am an Iranian muslim and my parents have told me a lot about the religion. I never knew that there were other holidays in that religion because my parents never told me.
rebecca said
at 11:00 am on Apr 28, 2008
On the map on religion it seem like that for most of the North American it Protestant, but I never notice about it
mia said
at 12:57 pm on Dec 9, 2008
Sikhism is a religion I've never heard of before, though I've heard about people of different religion have heard god telling them mysterious things:)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.