COMPARISON OF WORLD RELIGIONS

One of the things that ties mankind together is their universal belief in a power higher than themselves.  One of the things that separates us is the belief that one religion is superior to another, or that one religion contains the moral truth while  all the others do not.  This article is an attempt to show that all the major world religions stem from the same source, and are thus connected, thus no one religion is any better than any other; different religions are merely different ways to explain and celebrate the same universal truths.

There are many common elements found among the world's major religions, for example, the belief in an absolute deity, a recognized founder, a sacred text, among other things.  Other common threads found in many world religions are a sacred trinity, places of revelation, commandments, the Golden Rule or its equivalent, a Coming One, an evil one, and special festivals and holidays.  Below is a synopsis of seven of the world's major religions.  After the synopsis presentation, we will look at the similarities and common threads between them.

HINDUISM

Hinduism is one of the oldest of the world religions.  Although Hinduism is a synthesis of religions, it is believed to have been promoted as a religion by Lord Krishna, and it is his return as a world savior that is expected by Hindus.  Hinduism is believed to have started around 1500 BC.  Hinduism purports the doctrine of karma, that the individual reaps the results of his good and bad actions through a series of lifetimes, or reincarnation.  Hindus believe that a person's reincarnation continues until he or she achieves spiritual perfection.  The soul then enters a new level of existence, called moksha. 

Hinduism has many sacred writings, including the Vedas, which contain prayers, rituals, theology and philosophy, the Puranas, which includes stories about Hindu gods and goddesses, and The Bhagavad-Gita, a philosophical work in which the god Krishna and Arjuna discuss the meaning of existence.    

The gods Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma represent the three aspects of divinity, god the destroyer, god the preserver and god the creator. 

BUDDHISM

Buddhism was founded in India around 525 BC by Siddhartha Guatama, known as the Buddha.  Buddha preached the message of how to overcome suffering.  The basic doctrine or dharma of Buddhism is that there are four noble truths, existence is suffering (dukhka); the cause of suffering is desire and attachment to material things (trishna); the cessation of suffering is nirvana, a state of complete happiness and peace; and the way to nirvana is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path.   

The Noble Eightfold Path consists of (1) knowledge of the truth; (2) the intention to resist evil; (3) saying nothing to hurt others; (4) respecting life, morality, and property; (5) holding a job that does not injure others; (6) striving to free one's mind of evil; (7) controlling one's feelings and thoughts; and (8) practicing proper forms of concentration.

TAOISM

Taoism as a religion began in China around 100 BC.  Its founder was Lao Tsu.  The Taoist philosophy is based on the hypothesis of the oneness of man and the surrounding cosmos.  It espouses a simple, spontaneous, meditative life close to nature.  It celebrates the way the universe functions, natural events and spontaneous creativity.  Effortless action is the ideal state, attained by simplicity and freedom from desire. Taoists believe that there are two basic forces in nature, Yin (female) and Yang (male), the complementary pairs of opposites. 

The text of Taoism is the Tao-te-ching.  It uses poetic language in pointing out the futility of struggling against universal processes. 

ZOROASTERISM

Zoroasterism is a religion founded between 1400 and 100 BC by a Persian prophet named Zoroaster.  Zoroastriansim teaches that there is one god, whom they call Ahura Mazda, who created all things.  The basic belief of Zoroastrianism is that there is a constant battle between the spirit of good and the spirit of evil, and that the earth is the battleground.  Everyone should therefore be dedicated to fighting for good thoughts, good words and good deeds, and we will be judged on how well we fought when we die.

JUDAISM

The Jewish religion is considered to have been founded by Abraham.  Its basic teaching is that there is one God and that we are to serve God by studying the scriptures and practicing what they teach. 

Judaism has two sacred writings, the Bible (the Old Testament) and the Talmud.  The Old Testament contains the basic laws of Judaism and describes the history of the Jews.  The Talmud is a collection of legal and ethical writings, as well as Jewish history and folklore. 

CHRISTIANITY

Christianity developed from Judaism and its earliest followers were Jews.  It was founded in Palestine by Jesus and grew from a tiny sect in the first century into one of the world's largest religions. 

Christians believe that Jesus was both God and Man, the son of God, and that he came to redeem the human race.  In living out their faith, they look forward to redemption and resurrection though Jesus.  They believe that good will prevail over evil, and that it is necessary to live out the gospel message in their daily lives. 

The Bible is accepted as the inspired word of God.  The Christian Bible includes 39 sacred Hebrew and Aramaic books, called the Old Testament, as well as 27 books from the years following the ministry of Jesus, called the New Testament. 

ISLAM

Like Christianity, Islam also developed from Judaism.  Islam was founded by the prophet Mohammad around 600 AD.  An adherent to Islam is a Muslim meaning one who submits.

The holy book of Islam is the Koran.  The Koran teaches the absolute unity and power of God, the creator of the whole universe.  It also teaches that God is just and merciful, and wishes people to repent and purify themselves so that they can attain Paradise after death.  Parts of the Koran resemble the Bible and the Talmud, and it contains many stories about the prophets that appear in the Old and New Testament.  The Muslims believe Muhammad was the last of the prophets.  Jesus and the Old Testament prophets were his predecessors. 

Islam teaches that life on earth is a period of testing and preparation for the life to come. 

REFERENCES:

Columbia University Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2001.

World Book Encyclopedia, 2000.