FUN FACTS!

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FUN FACTS!

• About Religions and Belief Systems in the World

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Buddhism currently has about 376 million
followers and is generally listed as the world's
fourth largest religion after Christianity, Islam
and Hinduism. It was founded in Northern India by
Siddhartha Gautama (circa 563 to 460 BCE).
To many, Buddhism goes beyond religion and is
more of a philosophy or 'way of life'. It is a
philosophy because philosophy 'means love of
wisdom' and the Buddhist path can be summed up
as (1) to lead a moral life,(2) to be mindful
and aware of thoughts and actions, and(3) to
develop wisdom and understanding.
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• The three largest groups in the world of
  Christianity are the Roman Catholic Church, the
  Eastern Orthodox churches, and the various
  churches of Protestantism. The Roman Catholic and
  Eastern Orthodox patriarchates split from one
  another in the East-West Schism of 1054 AD, and
  Protestantism came into existence during the
  Protestant Reformation of the 16th century,
  splitting from the Roman Catholic Church.
• As of the early 21st century, Christianity has
  around 2.2 billion adherents. Christianity
  represents about a quarter to a third of the
  world's population and is the worlds largest
  religion.

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The Kaaba, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is the center
of Islam. Muslims from all over the world gather
there to pray in unity.
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• With about 1.57 billion Muslims comprising about
  23 of the worlds population, Islam is the
  second-largest religion and arguably the
  fastest-growing religion in the world.
• Muslims also believe that Islam is the complete
  and universal version of a primordial faith that
  was revealed at many times and places before,
  including through the prophets Abraham, Moses,
  and Jesus.

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• The Five Pillars of Islam are 5 simple rules or
  5 obligations that every Muslim must satisfy.
• 1. The shahadah, which is the basic creed of
  Islam that must be recited wholeheartedly with
  the statement "I testify that there is none
  worthy of worship except God and I testify that
  Muhammad is the Messenger of God." This testament
  is a foundation for all other beliefs and
  practices in Islam. Muslims must repeat the
  shahadah in prayer, and non-Muslims wishing to
  convert to Islam are required to recite the
  creed.

2. Salah (daily prayers) 3. Sawm (fasting during
the month of Ramadan every year) 4. Zakat
(alms-giving) 5. Hajj (once in a lifetime
pilgrimage to Mecca)
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Judaism claims a historical continuity spanning
more than 3000 years. It is one of the oldest
monotheistic religions, and the oldest to survive
into the present day. In 2007, the world Jewish
population was estimated at 13 million, of whom
about 40 reside in Israel and 40 in the United
States. Shabbat, the weekly day of rest lasting
from shortly before sundown on Friday night to
nightfall Saturday night, commemorates God's day
of rest after six days of creation.
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Judaica (clockwise from top) Shabbat
candlesticks, handwashing cup, Chumas and Tanakh,
Torah pointer, shofar, and etrog box.
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• Major religious holidays include Passover, Rosh
  Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Hanukkah, historically a
  minor holiday, has become more prominent in the
  last century for Jews who live in areas that
  celebrate Christmas.
• At the age of 13 (12 for girls), a boy becomes a
  Bar Mitzvah, or "Son of the Commandment" and a
  girl becomes a Bat Mitzvah, "Daughter of the
  Commandment." The occasion is marked by the
  youth's first public reading of the Torah in the
  synagogue (only boys may do this in Orthodox
  congregations), followed by a large and joyous
  celebration.

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The symbols of fourteen religions are shown.
Clockwise from the North Pole, they are Baha'i,
Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism,
Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Shinto, Sikhism, Taoism,
Wicca, Zoroastrianism, and Druidism.
Submitted By Chris Brooks, Ohio Wesleyan
University