World religions characteristics and examples. Three major religions of the world

Religion has existed as long as humanity has existed. Throughout their lives, people encounter it in one way or another. IN modern world there is no single religion. They differ from each other in dogma and cult, peculiarities of doctrine and church structure, in the number of flocks, time and place of origin of the most important conquest of the 20th century. became the principle of freedom of conscience, according to which each person decides whether to profess a religion or remain an unbeliever.

Currently, most religious scholars talk about such established faiths as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Jainism, Taoism and Baha'iism. Not a single world religion has been able to maintain internal unity during its coexistence. Each has undergone numerous splits and consists of different branches with a single historical foundation.

The most ancient religion is Hinduism is the fruit of five thousand years of development of religious thought in India. It has no founder or prophet, no spiritual hierarchy and unified canons. It is more of a way of life or culture than an ordered religious tradition. Hinduism is a conglomerate of different trends, trends, religious schools and sects, and is a kind of “parliament of religions”. In Hinduism there is no dualistic (dual coexistence of two different states not inherent in unity, for example God and the devil, spirit and matter, etc.) perception of the world. Truth appears to the Hindu as a hierarchical system of small truths. Moreover, in this hierarchy there is no place for lies, since even delusion is only a state of a lower order.

There are no heretical forms in Hinduism, since there is no orthodoxy.

Origin of Hinduism in public sphere is the caste system. According to its regulations, the entire society is divided into Brahmins-priests, Kshatriyas-rulers and warriors, Vaishyas-farmers and traders, Shudras-artisans and hired workers. The untouchables do the dirtiest work. A person's caste status is assigned to him for life. Each caste has its own truth, its own duty, according to which its life is built. An attempt to change one's social status, according to Hinduism, is meaningless, since it is the objective result of karma - the sum of all actions and their consequences committed by a living being.

Karma is a person's destiny. Therefore, India does not know the peasant wars or workers' uprisings that are well known to us from the history of other countries; there were no revolutions in India. Even the Indian struggle for independence became non-violent.

Hinduism is a religion of polytheism. In the beginning, Hindus worshiped gods who personified the forces of nature. The main carriers of Hinduism in the ancient period - the nomadic tribes of the Aryans - invaded the territory of Hindustan at the end of the 3rd millennium BC. The ancient Aryans did not know the temple cult, so the main ritual of Hinduism of that period was the fire ritual. Later, with the transition of the Aryans to sedentary life and with the formation of the first Hindu states, Hinduism also changed. This stage of its development is called Brahmanism. The trinity is put forward as the supreme gods: Brahma the creator; Vishnu is the protector; Shiva is the destroyer of the world. Therefore, Hindus can be divided into several directions: Vaishnavites, who revere Vishnu (these also include the Hare Krishnas, famous in Russia); Shaivites - they worshiped Shiva, as well as Shoktis, who worshiped female deities.

In the IV-VI centuries. Brahmanism undergoes some transformation under the influence of Buddhism. The methods of achieving the spiritual ideal and Hinduism are also changing. If earlier, in order to achieve unity with a brahman, it was necessary to meditate, study scriptures, and be an ascetic, then in modern Hinduism, in order to achieve unity with Krishna, one must be a bhakta (loving), i.e. love god. This path is much more accessible and suitable for both a brahman and a shudra - the lower class.

Hinduism is contradictory: the heights of religious thought are combined in it with absurd (in our opinion) prejudices and the most primitive magic, worldview tolerance - with inertia in ritual and social life.

At the beginning of this century, the number of Hindus exceeded 900 million people. Of these, more than 90% are in South Asia. The largest number of Hindus live in India - 850 million people, or 80% of the country's population.

Buddhism younger than Hinduism and genetically related to it. It arose in the VI-V centuries. BC. as a protest against the norms of the caste system, Brahmanical rituals and the dominance of the priesthood. The founder of Buddhism was a real historical figure - Prince Sizdhartka Gautama, nicknamed Buddha (“enlightened one”). Buddha considered the goal of his religion to be the liberation of man from suffering. According to the teachings of Buddhism, human life in the world is an endless stream of rebirths (samsara), determined by the combination of immaterial particles (drachmas). Buddhists do not believe in transmigration of souls and reincarnation, rejecting the very existence of an immortal soul. The goal of Buddhism is to interrupt the flow of rebirths. Buddhism states that the essence of life is suffering, the cause of suffering is desire and attachment. Therefore, its most important principle is non-resistance to evil through violence. Any resistance to injustice, according to the social teachings of Buddhism, is meaningless, since it arouses passions leading to suffering.

Buddha called on his followers (adepts) to uproot all their desires and attachments, thereby internally freeing themselves from the shackles that they carry within themselves. human life. A state of holiness in which there is no place for greed, intrigue, hatred, i.e. complete inner freedom is called nirvana.

The basic idea of ​​Buddhism was formulated in the Buddha's sermons on the "four noble truths." The first truth says that existence is suffering, which every living being experiences and is eternally doomed to. The second truth states that the cause of suffering is desires, hatred, envy, etc. The third noble truth says that if the causes of worry are removed, suffering will cease. The fourth truth indicates the so-called middle path, which avoids both extreme self-restraint and endless pleasure.

Following this path (the path of the Buddha) leads to the achievement inner peace when a person can control his thoughts and feelings, when he is friendly, full of compassion and sympathy for all living beings.

Even during the life of Buddha (Buddha ended his earthly life in the 80th year, in the 44th year of his teaching, near the city of Kushinagar in Nepal), a community of followers - monks - formed around him. For laypeople who have not taken monastic vows, five commandments were defined: do not kill, do not lie, do not steal, do not commit adultery, and do not drink alcohol. Most Buddhists are vegetarians, or abstain from eating meat if possible. There are five vegetables that are not eaten because their smell is believed to attract evil, namely: garlic, onions, leeks, spring onions, and chives.

By the beginning of our era, two main directions emerged in Buddhism, which exist to this day. These are Hinayama (“narrow path”) and Mahayama (“broad path”). Proponents of Hinayama scrupulously follow the principles of early Buddhism, consider Buddha to be a historical figure, and believe that only monks can achieve Nirvana. The rituals in Hinayama are quite simple. This direction is followed by a third of the world's Buddhists (Sri Lanka, Miami, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia).

About two-thirds of Buddhists adhere to the Mahayama direction (China, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, etc.). Lamaism is considered a variety of Mahayama, distinguished by a developed cult, complex rituals, and the deification of Buddha. Here, great importance is attached to rituals, black and white magic, with the help of which one can achieve nirvana. On the territory of Russia - in Buryatia, Tyva, Kalmykia, the majority of Buddhist believers belong to Lamaism.

Jainism- contemporary of Buddhism of the 6th-5th centuries. to yae. Its emergence is another attempt to reform Hinduism, making it more democratic. Jainism rejects the caste system and gender discrimination, does not recognize the authority of the Vedas (the sacred scriptures of Hinduism), opposes the worship of gods, and does not recognize the existence of God the Creator. Most (95%) of them live in India.

Confucianism and Taoism originated in China in the 5th-6th centuries. BC. as philosophical and ethical teachings, which over time were transformed into religion. Confucianism pays its main attention to the formation of norms of human behavior in the family and society, requiring unconditional obedience from the younger to the elder, from the student to the teacher, and from the subordinate to the boss. Confucianism cultivates respect for rank.

The supreme deity of the Confucian pantheon is Heaven (Tian). The ruler of China is perceived as the son of Heaven, the father of the nation. An ideal society, according to Confucius, consists of two layers - the top and the bottom: the first think and govern, the second work and obey. The system of Confucian virtues includes philanthropy, piety for sons, respect for learning, etc. as a result, the desire to get an education.

The founder of Taoism is Lao Tzu. Taoism requires its adherents to obediently follow the general flow of life, without offering resistance to it. Taoist priests practice numerous magical rituals, fortune telling, and are engaged in healing. Taoism places particular importance on achieving physical immortality. It is realized through harmonization internal forces the body with the help of proper nutrition, special gymnastics (qigong), regulation of sexual energy.

Most Chinese are not limited to just one of these religions. The Chinese religion is a combination of three teachings: Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Their fusion is called the Chinese traditional religion - San Jiao. Total number Adherents of Confucianism, Taoism and the Chinese form of Buddhism are estimated at approximately 300 million people, making up about a quarter of China's population. Confucianism is also practiced by approximately 5 million Koreans in the Republic of Korea.

Judaism- the first monotheistic (recognizing monotheism) religion in human history, which arose in the Middle East in the 2nd millennium BC. Judaism arose and developed among the pastoral tribes of the Jewish people. Jews believe in one God - the creator of the Universe and man, in the immortality of the human soul, posthumous reward, paradise and the kingdom of the dead, and the chosenness of their people. According to the views of Judaism, God entered into a covenant (agreement) with the Jews, according to which he delivered them from Egyptian slavery and settled them in Palestine (the Promised Land). In turn, Jews are obliged to honor God and fulfill his commandments. Therefore, Judaism is a religion of law, and Jews must observe numerous religious precepts. First of all, ethical - the famous ten commandments (do not make yourself an idol, do not kill, do not steal, do not covet your neighbor’s wife and property, etc.). In addition, for them there are complex norms of everyday behavior, marriage regulations, and food prohibitions. Judaizers await the coming of the heavenly deliverer - the Messiah, who will carry out righteous judgment on the living and the dead. The righteous are promised eternal life in heaven, while sinners are doomed to suffer in the afterlife.

The sacred scripture of Judaism is the Tanakh, consisting of three parts: the Torah (Pentateuch of Moses), Nebiima (Prophets) and Ketubim (Scripture). The Talmud, a collection of treatises on cultic and religious-legal issues, also plays a major role in Judaism. The precepts of the Talmud almost completely replaced the ritual practice that existed before 70, when the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem, built by Solomon, and removed the Jews from Palestine. Since it was impossible to restore the Temple, the Jews abandoned the complex temple ritual and began to build synagogues - houses of religious meetings, and the place of priests was taken by rabbis - teachers of religious law, who also performed judicial functions.

Currently, more than 14 million Jews live around the world, most of them in the USA, Israel (more than 80% of the population) and the CIS.

Another religion that emerged in the Middle East around the same time as Judaism was Zoroastrianism, the founder of which, who gave it its name, was the prophet Zarathushtra. Zoroastrianism is a dualistic religion, which is based on the idea of ​​confrontation in the world between Good and Evil principles. The world, according to the Zoroastrians, is a battlefield between Good and Evil, and a person must choose which side he is on. After the decisive battle, which, according to the Zoroastrians, is already approaching, the righteous will go to heaven, and evil and its minions will be cast into hell. Important role In the Zoroastrian cult, fire plays, which is credited with a purifying power, hence the second name for Zoroastrians - fire worshipers.

In the VI-VII centuries. Zoroastrianism was the state religion of Iran; there were many adherents of this teaching on the territory of today's Azerbaijan. The invasion of Islam changed everything. Now there are about 300 thousand Zoroastrians, the majority live in India and Iran. However, this doctrine had a noticeable influence on the spiritual life of many peoples. Elements of Zoroastrianism can be identified in both Christianity and Islam.

About a third of the world's population is Christians. Christianity originated at the beginning of the 1st century. in the Middle East. Its place in the fate of humanity can be judged by the fact that the countdown of the new era began from the Nativity of Christ, from the time of the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of this religion.

Christianity arose among the Jewish people and is genetically related to Judaism. Christians recognize the God of Judaism (for them this is God the Father), the authority of the Tanakh (Old Testament), and believe in the immortality of the soul, heaven and hell. This is where the similarities end.

If the Jews are still waiting for the coming of the Messiah, then Christians believe that he has already come to them: he was Jesus Christ,

God's Son. The God of Christians is one in three persons: Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit. Most followers of Christianity revere Jesus Christ as the God-man, combining two natures: divine and human. They recognize the virgin birth of the Virgin Mary from the Holy Spirit. Thus, Christianity belongs to the idea of ​​incarnation, i.e. combination of the ideal, spiritual, divine principle and the physical in the image of Jesus Christ.

With his martyrdom on the cross, he atoned for the sins of people. God in Christianity is not a dead idol or an unattainable ideal, he was a living person who chose suffering, abuse and gave his life for all people in the world. Unlike other religions that call to come to God, in Christianity God came to man. The main commandment of Christ to people is the commandment of love for others, patience and forgiveness.

Christianity has now split into a large number of competing directions. The first major church schism occurred in 1054 and led to the formation of Orthodoxy and Catholicism, which differ from each other in terms of doctrine, cult and organization. For example, Catholics are organizationally united, the head of their church is the Pope. In turn, Orthodoxy is divided into 15 autocephalous (independent) churches: Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Russian, Cyprus, Georgian, Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Polish, Czechoslovak, Hellenic, Albanian, American. There is no complete unity between Orthodox and Catholics on the calendar issue. There are differences in the dogmatic area.

In Catholicism, all the clergy are celibate, but in Orthodoxy only monks adhere to it.

Catholicism became the spiritual basis of Western civilization, and Orthodoxy - Eastern, Slavic. If Catholicism is a supranational church, then Orthodoxy, on the contrary, has managed to closely merge with each of the peoples that converted it to Christianity. Among Russians, Greeks, Serbs, the church and the national idea, the church and the state are inseparable, one is perceived as a continuation of the other. A special branch of Orthodoxy is the Old Believers. Disagreements with the official church concern mainly the ritual side.

Currently, there are more than five times fewer Orthodox Christians than Catholics. They make up about 9% of all Christians and 3% of the world's population. Followers of Catholicism unite 50% of Christians in the world - this is more than 17% of the planet's population.

In the 16th century As a result of the Reformation, Protestantism broke away from Catholicism. Protestants prioritize the direct communication of believers with Christ through the Bible, without the mediation of priests. The cult in Protestantism is extremely simplified and cheapened; there is no worship of the Mother of God and saints, no veneration of relics and icons. Salvation, as Protestantism teaches, is achieved by personal faith, and not by performing rituals and good deeds. There is no institution of monasticism in Protestantism; it does not represent a single whole either dogmatically or organizationally and is divided into many movements. The earliest Protestant movements are Anglicanism, Lutheranism and Calvinism.

In Anglicanism, the head of the church is the King of England, and in matters of doctrine the decisive role belongs to Parliament, the upper house of which includes Anglican bishops. Lutheranism got its name from its founder Martin Luther (1483-1546). In Lutheran churches - kirches - there are no paintings or images, but the crucifix has been preserved. Pastors and bishops are elected. There is no sharp boundary between the clergy and the laity, since the principle of a universal priesthood is recognized. The centers of Lutheranism are Germany and the Scandinavian countries, as well as the USA.

Calvinism (reformism) occupies the most radical positions in Protestantism. Founded by the French theologian John Calvin (1509-1564). Calvinism completely eliminated church hierarchy. The Calvinist Church consists of communities independent from each other - congregations governed by councils. Images are not allowed in churches, the cross has ceased to be an attribute of cult, there are no sacred vestments, there is no altar. Calvinism adopts a dogma in which the main criterion for a person’s salvation is the role he occupies in society. Therefore, to save the soul, it is not faith or good works that is needed, but work. Thus, if a person is rich, pious and respected, his salvation is already provided. Most Calvinists live in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Scotland, Germany, France (Huguenots), USA, South Africa and Indonesia.

Islam, a religion influenced by Judaism, arose at the beginning of the 7th century. in Hijaz among the tribes of Western Arabia and during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (570-632) became a famous and influential spiritual achievement of the era.

If Christianity began its history as a sect of Judaism, then Islam appeared immediately as a separate religion, and there were no Jews among its followers. Muhammad did not believe that he was preaching a new religion, he believed that he was restoring the original, pure religion, which had been distorted by Jews and Christians. Islam shares with Judaism and Christianity the basic concepts of God the Creator.

In Islam, God Allah is one. For Muslims, he is incomprehensible and great; all that is known about him is that he is merciful and merciful.

In this religion there is no abundance of strict prohibitions and petty regulations of Judaism and the asceticism and moralism of Christianity. Every Muslim must believe in Allah as the only God and recognize Muhammad as his Prophet. Islam does not know the priesthood - all Muslims are equal before Allah. Clergymen - mullahs are simply experts in the doctrine and are usually chosen by the believers themselves.

Islam is not only a religion and a way of life, but also politics. He does not know the division into secular and spiritual. In an Islamic state, Allah himself must rule. Islam is an integral system of values ​​that shape ideology, psychology, certain forms of culture, way of life and thinking of both each believer and the entire Muslim community.

The holy book of Islam is the Koran, which contains the beliefs of this religion. Based on the meaning of existence - this is faith and worship of Allah - the main dogmas of faith are formed: faith in Allah, faith in the Day of Judgment; belief in predestination; faith in scriptures; faith in the messengers of Allah.

Currently, the number of Muslims exceeds 1 billion people, this is the majority of the population in 35 countries of the world. Islam is the most dynamically developing religion in the world. Over the past 100 years, the share of Muslims in the world's population has increased from 13 to 19%.

Given short review the main religions of the modern world testifies that the dogmas of each of them prioritize kindness, non-violence, the desire to protect their followers from vices (thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, etc.), belief in love for one's neighbor, etc. At the same time Almost from the moment of the emergence of religions, intolerance towards people of other faiths appeared. Intolerance has been the cause of many wars, conflicts, various types of persecution of religious and national character. The intolerance of a society is a component of the intolerance of its citizens. Bigotry, stereotypes, racial slurs are specific examples expressions of intolerance that take place in people's lives every day. This phenomenon only leads to counter intolerance; it forces people subject to it to look for ways out, and often such manifestations are aggressive, even cruel acts. The idea of ​​tolerance has a long history. Moses (12th century BC, Middle East): “do not kill; You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, nor his servant... anything that is your neighbor’s.” Confucius (VI-V centuries BC, China): “Do not do to others what you do not wish for yourself, then there will be no dissatisfied people either in the state or in the family.” Socrates (V-IV centuries BC, Greece): How many arguments there were, but all were overthrown, and only one stands firm: that it is more dangerous to commit injustice than to endure, and that it should not seem a good man, but to be good both in private and public affairs is the main concern in life.” The moral commandments of the Gospel are imbued with universal human values, respect and a sense of compassion for man, without which there can be no tolerance for all living things. The spiritual emancipation of man, along with his economic and political freedom, was defended by the best thinkers of the past; they are preached by the progressive minds of the present.

The most important task today should be to protect people, primarily the younger generation, from the negative impact of national and religious extremism. The experience of the historical past must be in demand. The structure of Russia before the October revolution can in many ways serve as an example. It is important to maintain unity and stability in our multinational state, strengthening peace and harmony. We make a mistake by repeating the patterns of Western countries when national traditions are eroded. The trend towards integration of developed countries reveals that they are being corroded from within by the rust of separatism, extremism and terrorism. Countering extremism in Russia is about strengthening the national and religious foundations of life. The peaceful coexistence of various faiths with the seniority of the Russian state-forming people must be ensured.

The concept of “world religions” refers to three religious movements that are professed by the people of different continents and countries. Currently, these include three main religions: Christianity, Buddhism and Islam. It is interesting that Hinduism, Confucianism and Judaism, although they have gained enormous popularity in many countries, are not considered by world theologians. They are considered national religions.

Let's take a closer look at the three world religions.

Christianity: God is the Holy Trinity

Christianity arose in the first century AD in Palestine, among the Jews, and spread throughout the then Mediterranean. Three centuries later it became the state religion of the Roman Empire, and after another nine, all of Europe was Christianized. In our area, on the territory of what was then Rus', Christianity appeared in the 10th century. In 1054, the church split into two - Orthodoxy and Catholicism, and Protestantism emerged from the second during the Reformation. At the moment these are the three main branches of Christianity. Today the total number of believers is 1 billion.

Basic tenets of Christianity:

• God is one, but He is a Trinity, He has three “persons”, three hypostases: Son, Father and Holy Spirit. All together they form the image of one God, who created the entire universe in seven days.
• God made the atoning sacrifice in the guise of God the Son, Jesus Christ. This is a god-man, he has two natures: human and divine.
• There is divine grace - this is the power that God sends in order to free an ordinary person from sin.
• Exists afterlife, life after death. For everything you have done in this life, you will be rewarded in the next.
• There are kind and evil spirits, angels and demons.

The holy book of Christians is the Bible.

Islam: There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet

This youngest world religion arose in the seventh century AD on the Arabian Peninsula, among the Arab tribes. Islam was founded by Muhammad - a specific historical figure, a man born in 570 in Mecca. At the age of 40, he announced that God (Allah) had chosen him as his prophet, and therefore began to act as a preacher. Of course, the local authorities did not like this approach, and therefore Muhammad had to move to Yathrib (Medina), where he continued to tell people about God.

The holy book of Muslims is the Koran. It is a collection of Muhammad's sermons, created after his death. During his life, his words were perceived as the direct speech of God, and therefore were transmitted exclusively orally.

The Sunnah (a collection of stories about Muhammad) and the Sharia (a set of principles and rules of conduct for Muslims) also play an important role. The main rituals of Islam are important:

• daily prayer five times a day (namaz);
• universal observance of strict fasting during the month (Ramadan);
• alms;
• performing hajj (pilgrimage) to the holy land in Mecca.

Buddhism: You need to strive for Nirvana, and life is suffering

Buddhism is the oldest of the world's religions, which originated in the sixth century BC in India. She has over 800 million followers.

It is based on the story of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who lived in joy and ignorance until he met an old man, a man with leprosy, and then a funeral procession. So he learned everything that had previously been hidden from him: old age, illness and death - in a word, everything that awaits every person. At the age of 29, he left his family, became a hermit and began to search for the meaning of life. At the age of 35, he became Buddha - an enlightened one who created his own teaching about life.

According to Buddhism, life is suffering, and its cause is passions and desires. To get rid of suffering, you need to renounce desires and passions and try to achieve the state of nirvana - a state of complete peace. And after death, any creature is reborn in the form of a completely different creature. Which one depends on your behavior in this and past lives.

This is the most general information about the three world religions, as far as the format of the article allows. But in each of them you can find a lot of interesting and important things for yourself.

And here we have prepared even more interesting materials for you!

Faith in God surrounds a person from infancy. In childhood, this still unconscious choice is associated with family traditions existing in every home. But later a person can consciously change his religion. How are they similar and how are they different from each other?

The concept of religion and the prerequisites for its appearance

The word “religion” comes from the Latin religio (piety, sacredness). This is an attitude, behavior, actions based on faith in something that surpasses human understanding and is supernatural, that is, sacred. The beginning and meaning of any religion is faith in God, regardless of whether he is personified or impersonal.

There are several known preconditions for the emergence of religion. Firstly, from time immemorial man has been trying to go beyond the boundaries of this world. He strives to find salvation and consolation beyond his borders and sincerely needs faith.

Secondly, a person wants to give an objective assessment of the world. And then, when he cannot explain the origin of earthly life only by natural laws, he makes the assumption that a supernatural force is attached to all this.

Thirdly, a person believes that various events and incidents of a religious nature confirm the existence of God. The list of religions for believers already serves as real proof of the existence of God. They explain this very simply. If God did not exist, there would be no religion.

The most ancient types, forms of religion

The origin of religion occurred 40 thousand years ago. It was then that the emergence of the simplest forms of religious beliefs was noted. It was possible to learn about them thanks to the discovered burials, as well as rock and cave paintings.

In accordance with this, they distinguish the following types ancient religions:

• Totemism. A totem is a plant, animal or object that was considered sacred by one or another group of people, tribe, clan. The basis of this ancient religion was the belief in the supernatural power of the amulet (totem).

• Magic. This form of religion based on belief in magical abilities person. With the help of symbolic actions, a magician is able to influence the behavior of other people, natural phenomena and objects from a positive and negative side.
• Fetishism. From among any objects (an animal or human skull, a stone or a piece of wood, for example), one was selected to which supernatural properties were attributed. It was supposed to bring good luck and protect from danger.
• Animism. All natural phenomena, objects and people have a soul. She is immortal and continues to live outside the body even after its death. All modern views Religions are based on the belief in the existence of souls and spirits.
• Shamanism. The tribal leader or priest was believed to have supernatural powers. He entered into conversation with the spirits, listened to their advice and fulfilled their demands. Belief in the power of the shaman is at the core of this form of religion.

List of religions

There are more than a hundred different religious movements in the world, including ancient forms and modern movements. They have their own time of occurrence and differ in the number of followers. But at the heart of this large list are the three most numerous world religions: Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Each of them has different directions.

World religions in the form of a list can be presented as follows:

1. Christianity (almost 1.5 billion people):

• Orthodoxy (Russia, Greece, Georgia, Bulgaria, Serbia);
• Catholicism (states Western Europe, Poland Czech Republic, Lithuania and others);
• Protestantism (USA, UK, Canada, South Africa, Australia).

2. Islam (about 1.3 billion people):

• Sunnism (Africa, Central and South Asia);
• Shiism (Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan).

3. Buddhism (300 million people):

• Hinayana (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand);
• Mahayana (Tibet, Mongolia, Korea, Vietnam).

National religions

In addition, in every corner of the world there are national and traditional religions, also with their own directions. They originated or became particularly widespread in certain countries. On this basis, the following types of religions are distinguished:

• Hinduism (India);
• Confucianism (China);
• Taoism (China);
• Judaism (Israel);
• Sikhism (Punjab state in India);
• Shintoism (Japan);
• paganism (Indian tribes, peoples of the North and Oceania).

Christianity

This religion originated in Palestine in the Eastern part of the Roman Empire in the 1st century AD. Its appearance is associated with faith in the birth of Jesus Christ. At the age of 33, he suffered martyrdom on the cross to atone for human sins, after which he was resurrected and ascended to heaven. Thus, the son of God, who embodied supernatural and human nature, became the founder of Christianity.

The documentary basis of the doctrine is the Bible (or Holy Scripture), consisting of two independent collections of the Old and New Testaments. The writing of the first of them is closely related to Judaism, from which Christianity originates. The New Testament was written after the birth of religion.

Symbols of Christianity are the Orthodox and Catholic cross. The main provisions of faith are defined in dogmas, which are based on faith in God, who created the world and man himself. Objects of worship are God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit.

Islam

Islam, or Islam, originated among the Arab tribes of Western Arabia at the beginning of the 7th century in Mecca. The founder of the religion was the Prophet Muhammad. This man was prone to loneliness from childhood and often indulged in pious reflections. According to the teachings of Islam, at the age of 40, the heavenly messenger Jabrail (Archangel Gabriel) appeared to him on Mount Hira, who left an inscription in his heart. Like many other world religions, Islam is based on belief in one God, but in Islam he is called Allah.

Holy Scripture - Koran. The symbols of Islam are the star and crescent. The main provisions of the Muslim faith are contained in dogmas. They must be recognized and unquestioningly implemented by all believers.

The main types of religion are Sunnism and Shiism. Their appearance is associated with political disagreements between believers. Thus, Shiites to this day believe that only the direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad carry the truth, while Sunnis think that this should be a chosen member of the Muslim community.

Buddhism

Buddhism originated in the 6th century BC. The homeland is India, after which the teaching spread to the countries of Southeast, South, Central Asia and to Far East. Considering how many other most numerous types of religions exist, we can safely say that Buddhism is the most ancient of them.

The founder of the spiritual tradition is Buddha Gautama. This was an ordinary person, whose parents were awarded the vision that their son would grow up to be a Great Teacher. The Buddha was also lonely and brooding, and very quickly turned to religion.

There is no object of worship in this religion. The goal of all believers is to achieve nirvana, a blissful state of insight, to free themselves from their own shackles. Buddha for them represents a certain ideal that should be equaled.

At the heart of Buddhism is the teaching of the Four Noble Truths: about suffering, about the origin and causes of suffering, about the true cessation of suffering and the elimination of its sources, about the true path to the cessation of suffering. This path consists of several steps and is divided into three stages: wisdom, morality and concentration.

New religious movements

In addition to those religions that originated a long time ago, new faiths still continue to appear in the modern world. They are still based on faith in God.

The following types of modern religions can be noted:

• Scientology;
• neo-shamanism;
• neopaganism;
• Burkhanism;
• neo-Hinduism;
• Raelites;
• oomoto;
• and other currents.

This list is constantly modified and supplemented. Some types of religions are especially popular among show business stars. For example, Tom Cruise, Will Smith, and John Travolta are seriously interested in Scientology.

This religion arose in 1950 thanks to science fiction writer L. R. Hubbard. Scientologists believe that every person is inherently good, his success and peace of mind depend on himself. According to the fundamental principles of this religion, people are immortal beings. Their experience lasts longer than one human life, and their abilities are unlimited.

But everything is not so simple in this religion. In many countries it is believed that Scientology is a sect, a pseudo-religion with a lot of capital. Despite this, the trend is very popular, especially in Hollywood.

Ancient people, when creating their religions, cared about purely ethnic needs and counted on the “compatriotic” help of their own gods. Some of the religions tied to a certain area and people faded into oblivion, sometimes together with the peoples who gave birth to them, while others, with all their territorial limitations, live to this day.
But there were religions that corresponded to the dreams and aspirations of not only the people from which came the prophet who once announced the divine will. For these faiths, national boundaries turned out to be narrow. They captured the minds and souls of people inhabiting different states, different continents: Christianity, Islam and Buddhism became world religions.

Christianity.
The most widespread and one of the most developed religious systems in the world is Christianity, which appeared in the 1st century AD in Judea, the eastern province of the Roman Empire. At the heart of Christianity is the teaching about the God-man Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to people with good deeds and commanded them the laws of righteous life. This is a religion based on the belief that two thousand years ago God came into the world. He was born, received the name Jesus, lived in Judea, preached and accepted great suffering and martyrdom on the cross to atone for the sins of people. His death and subsequent resurrection from the dead changed the fate of all mankind. His preaching marked the beginning of a new, European civilization. For Christians, the main miracle was not the word of Jesus, but He Himself. The main work of Jesus was His being: being with people, being on the cross.
The Christian religion proclaims the principle of monotheism. At the same time, the main directions of Christianity adhere to the position of the divine trinity. According to this position, although God is one, he nevertheless appears in three hypostases (persons): God the father, God the son and God the holy spirit.
Christians believe that the world was created by one eternal God, and created without evil. The resurrection of Christ marks for Christians victory over death and newfound opportunity eternal life with God blessing. This is where the story of the New Testament with God begins for Christians. This is the Testament of Love. Its most important difference from the Old (i.e., old, former) Testament lies in the very understanding of God, Who “is Love.” Throughout the Old Testament, the basis of the relationship between God and man is the law. Christ says: “I give you a new commandment: love one another, as I have loved you.” Christians believe that it is God the Son in the form of Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary through the virgin birth, who is the savior of people mired in their sins.
One of the main sacraments of Christianity is communion, based on the Eucharist (the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ), and the communion of believers with God through the partaking of these divine gifts.
The main principles of Christianity are set out in the “holy scripture” - the Bible. The Bible is divided into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The first part is taken from Judaism and is identical to the Tanakh. The second part - the New Testament - is specific to Christianity. It consists of 27 books: the four books of the Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), which narrate the life of Christ and set out the foundations of his teaching, the book “Acts of the Apostles,” which reports on the preaching activities of Christ’s disciples, the 21st letter of the apostles , which are letters written by Paul and other disciples of Christ and addressed to early Christian communities, and “Revelations of John the Theologian” (Apocalypse), in which the author sets out the prophecy communicated to him by God about the future fate of the world and humanity.
The main idea of ​​Christianity is the idea of ​​sin and human salvation. People are sinners before God, and this is what makes them equal: Greeks and Jews, Romans and barbarians, slaves and free, rich and poor - all sinners, all “servants of God.”
Christianity attracted people by exposing the corruption of the world and justice. They were promised the kingdom of God: those who are first here will be last there, and those who are last here will be first there. Evil will be punished, and virtue will be rewarded, the highest judgment will be completed and everyone will be rewarded according to their deeds. The preaching of the Evangelical Christ called not for political resistance, but for moral improvement.
Christianity has long ceased to be a monolithic religion. Political reasons and internal contradictions that had been accumulating since the 4th century led to the 11th century. to a tragic split. And before this, there were differences in worship and understanding of God in different local churches. With the division of the Roman Empire into two independent states, two centers of Christianity were formed - in Rome and in Constantinople (Byzantium). Local churches began to form around each of them. The tradition that has developed in the West has led in Rome to a very special role of the Pope and High Priest - the head of the Universal Church, the vicar of Jesus Christ. The Church in the East did not agree with this. Two Christian denominations were formed - Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Over time, another direction separated from Catholicism - Protestantism.
Protestantism is a collection of numerous and
independent churches and sects, connected only by their origin. The emergence of Protestantism is associated with the Reformation, a powerful anti-Catholic movement in the 16th century in Europe. In 1526, the Speyer Reichstag, at the request of the German Lutheran princes, adopted a resolution on the right of everyone to choose a religion for themselves and their subjects. The Second Reichstag of Speyr in 1529 overturned this decree. In response, there was a protest from the five princes and a number of imperial cities, from which the term “Protestantism” comes.
Protestantism shares common Christian ideas about the existence of God, his trinity, the immortality of the soul, hell and heaven, however, rejecting the Catholic idea of ​​purgatory. At the same time, Protestantism put forward three new principles: salvation by personal faith, the priesthood of all believers, and the exclusive authority of the Holy Scriptures.
Protestantism categorically rejects the Holy Tradition as unreliable and concentrates all dogma in the Holy Scripture, which is considered the only holy book in the world. Protestantism requires believers to read the Bible daily.
In Protestantism, the fundamental difference between priest and layman has been removed, and the church hierarchy has been abolished. The clergyman is deprived of the right to confess and absolve sins; he is accountable to the Protestant community.
In Protestantism, many sacraments have been abolished (with the exception of baptism and communion), and celibacy is absent. Prayer for the dead, worship of saints and holidays in honor of saints, veneration of relics and icons are rejected. Houses of worship have been cleared of altars, icons, statues, and bells. There are no monasteries or monasticism.
Worship in Protestantism is simplified as much as possible and reduced to preaching, prayer and singing psalms and hymns in the native language. The Bible is recognized as the only source of doctrine, and sacred tradition is rejected.
The formation of most movements of Protestantism took place under the idea of ​​religious revival.

Islam.
Islam is the second world religion after Christianity in terms of the number of followers, a religion of humility and complete submission to the Almighty will. It was founded in the 7th century on the basis of Arab tribal religions by the Prophet Muhammad. He proclaimed that there is only one great Allah and that everyone should be obedient to his will. It was a call to unite the Arabs under the banner of one god. Muhammad called on the Arabs to believe in and serve one God in anticipation of the end of the world, the day of judgment and the establishment of a “kingdom of justice and peace” on Earth.
In the Islamic religion, Allah is the only god, faceless, supreme and omnipotent, wise, all-merciful, the creator of all things and its supreme judge. Next to him there are no gods, no independent creatures of any kind. There is no Christian trinity here with its intricate relationship between God the Father, his son Jesus and the mystical figure of God the Holy Spirit. In Islam there is a teaching about heaven and hell, about rewarding a person in the afterlife for his deeds. At the Last Judgment, Allah himself will interrogate each of the living and the dead, and they, naked, with a book in which their deeds are recorded, will wait in fear for his decision. Sinners will go to hell, the righteous will go to heaven.
The holy book of Muslims is the Koran. It records the basic ideas and beliefs of Muhammad. According to the generally accepted tradition in Islam, the text of the Koran was revealed to the prophet by Allah himself through the medium of Jabrail. Allah has repeatedly conveyed his sacred commandments through various prophets - Moses, Jesus, and finally Muhammad. This is how Islamic theology explains the numerous coincidences between the texts of the Koran and the Bible: the sacred text transmitted through earlier prophets was distorted by Jews and Christians, who did not understand much of it, missed something, distorted it, therefore only in the latest version, authorized by the great prophet Muhammad, true believers can have the highest and indisputable divine truth.
This legend of the Koran, if purified of divine intervention, is close to the truth. The main content of the Koran is as closely related to the Bible as Islam itself is close to Judeo-Christianity.
Islam has five main duties for a Muslim - confession, prayer, fasting, almsgiving and hajj.
The principle of confession is central to Islam. To become a Muslim, it is enough to solemnly pronounce the phrase that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet. Thus, a person becomes submissive to Allah, a Muslim. But, having become one, he had to observe the remaining duties of a true believer.
Prayer is a mandatory daily five-fold ritual. Those who do not pray five times a day are infidels. On Fridays and holidays, solemn services are held, led by imams (“standing in front”). Before prayer, the faithful must perform ablution, a rite of purification (small - washing hands, feet, face; and large, in case of serious uncleanness - complete washing of the whole body). If there is no water, it is replaced with sand.
Fast. Muslims have only one main and obligatory post-Ramadan, it lasts a month, during which from dawn to sunset the faithful, except for small children and the sick, have no right to eat, drink, smoke, or have fun. In addition to Ramadan, Muslims also fast at other times - by vow, in case of drought, as compensation for missed days of Ramadan.
Alms. Every property owner is obliged to share his income once a year, allocating part of it as alms in favor of the poor. Mandatory almsgiving - zakat - was perceived as a cleansing ritual for the wealthy and was usually calculated at several percent of their annual income.
Hajj. It is believed that every healthy Muslim should visit the holy places in Mecca and worship the Kaaba once in his life. Pilgrims who complete the ritual receive an honorary name - Khoja. To these five, another pillar of faith is often added, the sixth - the holy war against the infidels (jihad or ghazavat). Participation in the war freed from all sins and provided the faithful who fell on the battlefield with a place in heaven.

Buddhism.

Buddhism also belongs to the world religions. Buddhism is a religion of overcoming suffering.
Buddhism arose in India in the 6th-5th centuries. BC, five centuries earlier than Christianity and twelve centuries before Islam. Buddhism arose as a contrast to Brahmanism. If Brahmanism followed the class system, then Buddhism categorically rejected caste distinctions. All people, according to Buddhism, have the same chance of “salvation.”
Orthodox Buddhism does not recognize the deities who created the world and govern it. The highest spiritual principle, according to Buddhists, is dispersed throughout the world and is in a state of constant peace, called the Buddha in itself.
Buddhism considers any life to be worth suffering. This suffering, Buddhists believe, is caused by people's desire to exist. It is necessary to suppress the desire for life - only then will life and the suffering that accompanies it cease.
However, suppression of the desire to be is achieved by a person with great difficulty. It will happen only if a person steadily follows the path indicated by the Buddha. Thus, only by living in accordance with the ethical precepts of Buddhism, improving morally, can a believer count on the complete cessation of suffering and immersion in nirvana (non-existence). Otherwise, a person will face a new chain of rebirths (samsara) and suffering associated with the continuation of life.
Birth and aging, illness and death, separation from a loved one and union with an unloved one, an unachieved goal and an unsatisfied desire - all this is suffering. Suffering comes from the thirst for existence, pleasure, creation, power, eternal life. To destroy this insatiable thirst, to renounce desires, to renounce earthly vanity - this is the path to the destruction of suffering. To avoid suffering, a person must suppress all attachment, all desire, and become indifferent to the joys and sorrows of life, to death itself. It is beyond this path that lies complete liberation, nirvana.

Eight Paramitas (Eightfold Path).
Developing his teachings, the Buddha developed a detailed so-called eight-fold path, a method of comprehending the truth and approaching nirvana.
Righteous faith (one should believe the Buddha that the world is full of sorrow and suffering and that it is necessary to suppress passions within oneself).
Righteous determination (you should firmly determine your path, limit your passions and aspirations. Righteous speech (you should watch your words so that they do not lead to evil - speech should be truthful, benevolent).
Righteous deeds (one should avoid unvirtuous actions, restrain oneself and do good deeds).
Righteous life (one should lead a worthy life without causing harm to living things).
Righteous thought (you should monitor the direction of your thoughts, drive away everything evil and tune in to the good).
Righteous thoughts (you should understand that evil is from your flesh).
Righteous contemplation (one should constantly and patiently train, achieve the ability to concentrate, contemplate, go deeper in search of truth).
The idea of ​​rebirth was borrowed by Buddhism from Brahmanism.
In accordance with the principle of karma (retribution), also borrowed from Brahmanism, the human soul appears at a new birth in one or another bodily shell. Buddhists associate rebirth with a person's fulfillment of the ethical precepts of religion.
The Buddhist view of the human soul is also very unique. Buddhists do not consider it a single whole. The soul of a person (like his body) is a combination of various particles of the spiritual principle - dharmas. With the death of a person, these dharmas disintegrate, only to later be united in a new combination in accordance with karma.
A devout Buddhist must follow special rules. A very important moral precept of Buddhism is the prohibition against killing any living being. Particularly religious Buddhists, like Jains, who strive to achieve nirvana, carefully filter the water before drinking it. A Buddhist must be very abstinent in food, observe chastity and a number of other restrictions, i.e. actually lead a monastic life.
A very important ethical norm of Buddhism is the principle of non-resistance to evil. According to Buddhist teachings, evil and injustice cannot be fought, since any violence causes retaliatory violence. A devout Buddhist should calmly look at the evil being committed, without taking any measures to prevent it.
The Buddhist "holy scripture" is called the Tripitaka. The Tripitaka consists of three parts. The first of these, the Vinaya Pitaka, talks about the rules that must be observed in Buddhist communities. The second part - the Sutta Pitaka talks about the conversations that the Buddha had with his disciples. In the third part - Abidarma - Pitaka, an interpretation of the main tenets of Buddhism is given. The books Sutta-Nipata (a collection of poems about Buddha and his teachings) and Jataka (a collection of stories about the rebirth of Buddha) are also considered canonical.

Buddhism is divided into two main schools: Hinayana and Mahayana.
Hinayana, or Theravada, preserves the basic tenets of early Buddhism and requires its adherents to strictly adhere to the rules. The literal translation of the word “hinayana” is “small vehicle” (narrow path of salvation).
Hinayanists believe that only monastic life can provide nirvana. And Buddha in Hinayana is not considered as a deity, but is revered as a great teacher.
There are a number of sects in Hinayana: Dhammayut, Mahankaya, Malvatta, Azgiriya, etc.

Mahayana, founded by the Buddhist theologian Nagarjuna, moved significantly away from classical Buddhism. The very name “Mahayana” means “great vehicle” (broad path of salvation). According to this broad path, not only a monk, but also a layman can be saved.
Unlike Hinayana, Mahayana recognizes the existence of a large number of deities. Buddha is considered as God. In addition, the legendary founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, is considered only one of the Buddhas - Buddha Sakyamuni. There are hundreds of other Buddhas: Buddha Amitaba (lord of heaven), Adibuddha (creator of the world), Buddha Maitreya (Buddha of the future), etc.
In addition to Buddhas, in the Mahayanist pantheon there are also bodisattvas, who are considered as beings who have achieved the right to immerse themselves in nirvana, but who decided to stay on Earth for some time to save people. The Bodisattvas are followed by the Arhats - the saints. Mahayanists also believe in evil spirits and other supernatural beings.
Mahayana is also characterized by the idea of ​​heaven and hell, unknown in Hinayana.

Many Buddhist centers, temples and monasteries arose in India, but Buddhism did not become widespread in world religion developed beyond its borders - in China, Japan, Central Asia, Korea, Vietnam and a number of other countries, having long ago lost its position in its homeland. The rejection occurred because Buddhism rejected caste and religious ritualism, and therefore did not fit into the social structure and culture of Indian society, based on the tradition rejected by Buddhism.

Hinduism.
Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world. The peoples of the Indus Valley civilization professed diverse cults of the mother goddess, worshiping sacred trees and phallic-shaped columns. A number of stone tablets discovered during excavations depict a god in a yogic pose, who is a prototype of Shiva.
In the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. this civilization was destroyed by conquerors who invaded the Indus Valley from the northwest. The conquerors, called Aryans, spoke an Indo-European language close to ancient Iranian. These were patriarchal tribes who worshiped mainly gods who personified the forces of nature. Among the gods were Indra - the god of storms and war, Vayu - the god of the wind, the mountain god Rudra, the god of fire - Agni, the god of the sun - Surya. The Aryan priests, the Brahmins, performed sacrifices and composed hymns that form the basis of the Vedas.
By the 9th–8th centuries. BC. Brahmins occupied dominant positions in Indian society, and sacrificial rituals became very complicated. Already in the 7th century. BC e. a reaction began to excessive ritualism and the ever-increasing power of the brahmanas. Texts such as the Aranyakas began to explore the meaning of sacrifice, while the Upanishads questioned the fundamental cosmological beliefs of the ancient Aryans. The earliest Aryan hymns say that after death the soul goes to the underworld. New thinkers put forward the concept of transmigration of souls, which over time was reinforced by the law of karma.
By the 6th century BC. e. There was the formation of a number of religions that completely rejected Vedic sacrifices. We are talking about followers not only of the Upanishads, but also of many new sects, including Jains and Buddhists. They all prioritized liberation from endless births and agreed that liberation is achieved not through sacrifice, but through meditation. The rivalry between various sects lasted for almost a millennium. By 500 AD Hinduism won, incorporating many of the tenets of Buddhism and Jainism, including the doctrine of non-violence, vegetarianism and abstinence from alcohol, as well as a number of new elements of worship. Buddha was introduced into the Hindu pantheon.
The rise of Hinduism and its victory over Buddhism and Jainism coincided with a period of intense philosophical quest. Between 6th century BC. and 5th century AD, at least a dozen competing doctrines emerged. They all agreed that moksha is the main goal of man, but they differed on many theological and metaphysical subtleties. Six philosophical schools (the “six darshans”) came to prominence: Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta. Each of them was believed to offer an effective way of liberation, but only Vedanta gained the greatest popularity.
Hinduism is the main religion of India and one of the world religions. Hinduism originated in the Indian subcontinent, with over 90% of the approximately 500 million people who practice this religion living in the Republic of India, which occupies most of the subcontinent. Hindu communities also exist in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kenya, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana.
Hinduism embraces a wide variety of beliefs and practices. Hinduism's tolerance for diversity of religious forms is perhaps unique among world religions. Hinduism has no church hierarchy or supreme authority; it is a completely decentralized religion. Unlike Christianity or Islam, Hinduism did not have a founder whose teachings were spread by followers. Most of the fundamental tenets of Hinduism were formulated during the time of Christ, but the roots of this religion are even older; Some of the gods that Hindus worship today were worshiped by their ancestors almost 4,000 years ago. Hinduism developed constantly, absorbing and interpreting beliefs and rituals in its own way different nations with whom he came into contact.
Despite the contradictions between the various variants of Hinduism, they all are based on a few certain fundamental principles.
Beyond the ever-changing physical world there is one universal, unchanging, eternal spirit called Brahman. The soul (atman) of every creature in the Universe, including the gods, is a particle of this spirit. When the flesh dies, the soul does not die, but passes into another body, where it continues a new life.
The fate of the soul in each new life depends on its behavior in previous incarnations. The law of karma says: no sin remains without punishment, no virtue goes without reward; if a person has not received a well-deserved punishment or reward in this life, he will receive it in one of the next. A person’s behavior determines the higher or lower status of the subsequent incarnation; it depends on him whether he will be born in the future as a man, a god, or, say, an insignificant insect.
For most Hindus, an important element of religious beliefs is the host of gods. There are hundreds of deities in Hinduism, from small gods of local significance to great gods whose deeds are known in every Indian family. The most famous are Vishnu; Rama and Krishna, two forms or incarnations of Vishnu; Siva (Shiva); and the creator god Brahma.
Holy books play a large role in all varieties of Hinduism. "Philosophical Hinduism" gives special meaning such classical Sanskrit texts as the Vedas and Upanishads. Folk Hinduism, which reveres both the Vedas and the Upanishads, uses the epic poems Ramayana and Mahabharata as sacred texts, often translated from Sanskrit into local languages. Part of the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita, is known to almost every Hindu. The Bhagavad Gita is closest to what could be called the general scripture of Hinduism.
The complex religious system of Hinduism flexibly combines the most seemingly opposite extremes and skillfully adapts to the most diverse social and political conditions, maintaining extraordinary diversity, brightness and vitality. Knowing how to combine the incompatible and take on bizarre forms, Hinduism has an amazing ability to constantly give birth to new schools and movements. All this vast diversity exists within a single general framework, which allows us to speak of Hinduism as an independent and integral religious system with common ideological principles. For all its apparent amorphousness, Hinduism has always remained extremely stable.

Judaism.
Judaism is one of the oldest religions that has survived to this day and has a significant number of adherents mainly among the Jewish population in different countries of the world. In the State of Israel, Judaism is actually the state religion.
The word "Judaism" comes from the Greek ioudaismos, introduced by Greek-speaking Jews around 100 BC to distinguish their religion from the Greek. It goes back to the name of the fourth son of Jacob - Judah (Yehuda), whose descendants, together with the descendants of Benjamin, formed the southern - Judah - kingdom with its capital in Jerusalem. After the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel and the dispersion of the tribes that inhabited it, the people of Judah (later known as “Yehudim,” “Judeans,” or “Jews”) became the main bearer of Jewish culture and remained so even after the destruction of their state.
Judaism as a religion is the most important element of Jewish civilization. Thanks to the awareness of its religious chosenness and the special destiny of its people, Jewry was able to survive in conditions when it more than once lost its national and political identity.
In its primitive form, the Jewish religion existed during the period of the patriarchs (about 2000–1600 BC), an era characterized by the deification of the forces of nature, belief in the power of demons and spirits, taboos, the distinction between clean and unclean animals, and veneration of the dead. The beginnings of some of the important ethical ideas which Moses and the prophets subsequently developed existed already at a very early period.
According to the Bible, Abraham was the first to recognize the spiritual nature of the only God. For Abraham, God is supreme god, to whom a believer can turn, God, he does not need temples and clergy, is omnipotent and omniscient. Abraham left his family, which did not abandon the Assyrian-Babylonian beliefs, and until his death in Canaan he wandered from place to place, preaching faith in the only God. Under Moses (probably 15th century BC), who was brought up in the highly developed Egyptian culture, Judaism took on more complex and refined forms. Moses gave religion the form of exclusive worship of Yahweh (as the Jews called God).
The beliefs, ethics, customs, and social aspects of Judaism are set forth in the Torah, which broadly includes the Oral and Written Law, as well as the entire body of teachings of the Jewish people. In a narrow sense, the term “Torah” refers to the Pentateuch of Moses. According to traditional Jewish views, the Torah, both written and oral, was given by God directly to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai or through Moses. For traditional or Orthodox Jewry, the authority of Revelation is indisputable. Adherents of liberal or Reform Judaism do not believe that the Torah came from Revelation. They recognize that the Torah contains truth, and that the Torah is inspired and reliable to the extent that it is consistent with reason and experience. Since Revelation is given gradually and is not limited by any framework, the truth can be found not only in Jewish sources, but also in nature, science and the teachings of all peoples.
Jewish dogma does not contain dogmas, the acceptance of which would ensure salvation for a Jew. Judaism attaches much more importance to behavior than to religion, and in matters of doctrine it provides a certain freedom. There are, however, certain fundamental principles that all Jews share.
Jews believe in the reality of God, in his uniqueness, and express this belief in the daily recitation of the Shema prayer: “Hear, O Israel. The Lord is our God, the Lord is one.” God is spirit, an absolute being who calls himself “I Am That I Am.” God is the Creator of all things at all times, he is a continuously thinking Mind and a constantly acting Force, he is universal, he rules the whole world, unique, like himself. God established not only natural law, but also moral laws. God, who gives eternal life, is all-good, most holy, just. He is the master of history. He is both transcendental and immanent. God is a helper and friend to people, the father of all humanity. He is the liberator of people and nations; he is a savior who helps people get rid of ignorance, sins and vices - pride, selfishness, hatred and lust. But salvation is not achieved only through the actions of God; man is required to assist in this. God does not recognize the evil principle or the power of evil in the universe. God himself is the creator of both light and darkness. Evil is an incomprehensible mystery, and man accepts it as a challenge that must be answered, fighting evil wherever it is found in the world. In the fight against evil, the Jew is supported by his faith in God.
Judaism maintains that man is created “in the image and likeness of God.” He is not just a living instrument of God. No one can stand between God and man, and there is no need for anyone's mediation or intercession. Therefore, Jews reject the idea of ​​atonement, believing that everyone is responsible directly to God. Although man is bound by the cause-and-effect laws of the universe, as well as by social and political conditions, he still has free will to make moral choices.
Man should not serve God for reward, yet God will reward righteousness in this present or future future life. Judaism recognizes the immortality of the human soul, but there are disagreements among adherents of different movements regarding the resurrection from the dead. Orthodox Judaism believes that it will happen with the coming of the Messiah; reformists completely reject this idea. There are several interpretations of heavenly paradise, where the righteous are blissful, and hell (gehenna), where sinners are punished. The Bible is silent about this, but later literature contains a wide range of ideas about heaven and hell.

Zoroastrianism.

Zoroastrianism. Ancient religion, which arose at the turn of the 1st - 2nd millennium BC. in Central Asia (mainly in Iran) and then spread to Persia, parts of the Middle East and Transcaucasia.

The founder of Zoroastrianism is considered to be the legendary prophet Zarathustra. Before Zarathustra's reform, the religion of Iran was a warlike ritual cult, which at the same time had common features with the Vedic cult of India. Zarathustra's reform was directed against the orgiastic cults that dominated military alliances, and was essentially a Puritan reform of morals. The most important feature of Zoroastrianism is the synthesis of monotheism and pronounced dualism, the idea of ​​the confrontation between good and evil principles.

The supreme deity of Zoroastrianism is Ahuramazda. Acts as the creator of all opposing forces. In the pre-Zoroastrian period (the period of the Indo-Iranian community), devas and ahuras were deities. In Zoroastrianism they evolve, and in a different way than in India: the ahuras become the gods Asha, and the devas become the demons Druj.

Zoroastrianism prescribes the worship of fire, which is seen as a purifying force. It is believed that human bodies cannot be buried or burned, since corpses defile earth and fire. The dead are buried in special “towers of silence.” Zoroastrians believe in the immortality of the soul, the afterlife and the end of the world. Starting from the 7th century AD, after the conquest of the Near and Middle East by the Arabs, Zoroastrianism was gradually ousted from these territories. A significant part of the Zoroastrians emigrated to India, where they formed the Parsi sect. To date, Zoroastrianism has undergone significant changes, mainly towards monotheistic tendencies. Adjacent to the Zoroastrians is the Yezidi sect, which borrowed elements of Islam and Christianity. The main holy book of Zoroastrianism is the Avesta. It is believed that the oldest part of the Avesta - Gathas (Chants) dates back to Zarathustra himself.
In origin, this religion has a very ancient ideology, and in form, it is one of the few codified religions in the history of mankind. It was not a world multi-ethnic religion like Buddhism, Christianity or Islam, but, nevertheless, it is considered on a par with them for reasons of typological similarity, as well as the long-term and deep influence it had on these beliefs.
Today, Zoroastrianism can be called a dying religion, despite the fact that its followers live in different countries and communicate with each other, trying to create a strong group.

Shintoism.
Shintoism is the national religion of Japan, which arose on the basis of totemistic ideas of antiquity, incorporating the cult of ancestors and developing under the influence of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. Many people think that Shinto, the original religion of the Japanese, no longer exists, or that it is quickly dying. They think it has declined since Japan's surrender at the end of World War II. But traditional beliefs and customs remain. It is impossible to abolish a belief by decree or law. Japan's defeat in World War II and the subsequent few years of American occupation undoubtedly changed some religious ceremonies and practices. But there are still things that cannot be changed. This is the deep religious spirit of the Japanese. They call it Shinto - "Way of the Gods."
The objects of Shinto cult are both objects and natural phenomena, and the souls of the deceased, including the souls of ancestors - patrons of families, clans, and individual localities. The supreme deity (“kami”) of Shintoism is considered to be Amaterasu Omikami (Great Sacred Goddess Shining in the Sky), from whom, according to Shinto mythology, the imperial family originates. home specific feature Shintoism is deep nationalism. “Kami” did not give birth to people in general, but specifically to the Japanese. They are intimately connected with the Japanese nation, which is therefore distinguished by its unique character.
The Japanese believe that the same miraculous forces that control nature also operate within them. There is no difference between them, there is no line separating the divine from the human. For this reason, a person's religion and his life are so closely intertwined that it is almost impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins. Those who claim that Shinto is not a religion may be confused by this particular trend. For a thinking Japanese, this is exactly how it should be. Why should religion be some kind of “add-on” to a person’s life?
The Japanese find peace and inspiration in the beauty of everything around them. They built their temples in unusually beautiful places. They try to constantly be attuned to love everything around them.
Japanese people continue to visit temples of various gods and goddesses to pray for good harvest, food or prosperity of the nation. They perform their ablutions in the usual manner and fold their palms as a sign of respect, as Eastern people often do. They then donate money or rice, remove their shoes and enter the temple.
Shintoists do not use images of gods, but their symbols. On their altars are plates or strips of paper with the names of the gods to whom they wish to honor. A lamp is lit there, and the family places flowers, a little wine or rice cake there, if possible every day. Devoted Shintoists try to perform religious rituals in front of the altar every day.
In Japan, there are about 80 thousand Shinto shrines (jinja), in which over 27 thousand clergy (kannushi) perform rites. While large temples are served by dozens of kannusi, several dozen small ones have one priest each. Most kannushi combine service to Shinto with secular pursuits, working as teachers, employees of local municipalities and other institutions. Jinja, as a rule, consists of two parts: a honden, where an object symbolizing the object of worship (shintai) is kept, and a haiden - a hall for worshipers. A mandatory attribute of a jinja is a U-shaped arch, a torii, installed in front of it.

Taoism and Confucianism.
Taoism and Confucianism - This religion is based on philosophy. The founders of this philosophy were Lao Tzu and Confucius. This philosophy is based on the path to harmony between man and nature, as well as general harmony in communication between people.

Taoism called for an organic fusion with nature. The Chinese owe him an artistic and aesthetic practice that to this day amazes humanity. Long before Lao Tzu, the path along which the world develops was called Tao, which simply means “the path” or “the path to follow.” Until now it has been translated as "nature" or "nature's way." This is the path along which the universe moves. Man is part of the universe. When people are at their most natural, they live according to the laws of interaction between different parts of the universe. If Tao were given freedom to act among people, then everything would go the best way, because Tao is the path of perfection: perfect development, perfect harmony, its closeness to nature. Lao Tzu, the “Old Sage,” is considered the creator of Taoism.

Tao is something all-encompassing that fills all space, it stands above everything and reigns in everything. It connects man and the world, removes the limitations and one-dimensionality of human consciousness. The Tao listener does not have the habit of seeing only one side of a thing; he does not have a linear perception, but a three-dimensional one, recording changes. A thing is temporary, the process of its changes is constant, therefore the emphasis in Tao is not on what is, but on what is not, which is at rest, but gives rise to life.

The second principle of Chinese culture is Confucianism. Its creator is Kung Fu-tzu, i.e. teacher Kun. He was born around 551 BC. The family belonged to an old but bankrupt aristocratic family.
Thanks to Confucius, medieval China gradually developed and canonized certain norms and stereotypes of behavior for each person, depending on his place in the social and official hierarchy. They are most clearly reflected in what are usually called "Chinese ceremonies."
At any moment in life, for any occasion, there were always and in everything strictly fixed rules of conduct that were binding on everyone. In the Han era, a detailed set of these rules of external courtesy and ceremonial was compiled - the treatise of Li Tzu, a concise, summary statement of Confucian norms that had been binding for more than two thousand years. All the rules written down in this ritual had to be known and applied in practice, and with greater care, the higher the position in society a person occupied.

Based on the social ideal he constructed, Confucius formulated the basic principles of the social order that he would like to see in the Celestial Empire: “Let the father be the father, the son the son, the sovereign the sovereign, the official the official,” i.e. in this world everything will fall into place, everyone will know their rights and do what they are supposed to do.
Confucius and all his followers considered such a social order to be eternal and unchanging, coming from the sages of legendary antiquity. It was therefore a question of bringing all things into conformity with their former meaning. In case of any deviations from the norm, one should return to it.
A society ordered in this way must have a dual structure consisting of a top and a bottom: those who think and rule, and those who work and obey.

Religions can be “primitive” and complex. By primitive we mean, first of all, the religions of people from the primitive era: totemism, magic, belief in the soul, fetishism. Most of these religions have long died (dead religions, archaic - in the terms of the compilers of the Unified State Exam), but some of their elements turned out to be so tenacious that they were included in later, truly complex and deep religions, but as a rule not at the level of teaching , but at the level of practice. For example, elements of magic in Christianity, where some believers regard church rituals as magic wand, by whose wave illnesses disappear, and life becomes rich and prosperous. The depth and meaning of Christian teaching is ignored.

A person who denies any religion for himself is called an atheist. Main question atheist "why is religion needed?"

Functions of religion

Almost every religion exists not only in the form of a worldview, but also in the form of an organization (church) conducting religious activities. The Church is an organization that transmits religious values ​​and unites believers. The concept of church is inseparable from the concept of church sacraments, rituals and rules. They can exist as a direct prescription of the text of the doctrine (the sacrament of the Eucharist (communion) in Christianity is described in the New Testament), or they can be a product of church practice. For example, nowhere in the Bible will we find an injunction to confess. The New Testament contains the idea of ​​repentance, and the idea of ​​confession (as one of the forms of repentance) was born within the Christian church.

In religion, in church, people find ideas and meanings that are important to them. Sometimes faith and church become a person’s way of life (monks, clergy, etc.)

In other words, the church satisfies a number of people’s needs, which allows us to talk about functions of religion:

1. Comforting
2. Communicative
3. Solving existential questions (every person at some point in life thinks about death, loneliness, the meaning of life, and these questions are at the core of religions)
4. Regulatory
5. Worldview

Types of religions

According to the main classification of religions, there are:

• world religions
• national
• archaic

According to another popular classification, religions are divided into polytheistic (polytheism = paganism) and monotheistic (belief in one God, the creator of all things).

There are only three world religions:

• Buddhism (the oldest of the world's religions)
• Christianity
• Islam (latest)

Buddhism appeared in the 6th century. BC e. in India. Its founder is the son of Indian Raja (king) Sidharth Gautama. The Raja was predicted that his son would become either a great king or a great saint. In order for the first possibility to be fulfilled, Sithartha was specially brought up in conditions that seemed to exclude the possibility of awakening deep thoughts in the boy: Sidhartha was surrounded by luxury and only young and happy faces. But one day the servants did not notice, and Sidhartha found himself outside his rich possessions. There, in freedom, he met an old man, a leper and a funeral procession. So, at the age of 30, Sidhartha first learned about the existence of suffering in the world. The news shocked him to such an extent that he left his family and went on a journey in search of the truth. He indulged in austerity, meditated, reflected and finally achieved the state of nirvana and became the first enlightened person (Buddha). He gained followers, and the new religion began to spread throughout the world.

The essence of Buddhist beliefs in a very simplified form is this: human life is full of suffering, the cause of suffering is the person himself, his desires, his passions. Suffering can be overcome through getting rid of desires and achieving a state of complete peace (nirvana). Buddhists believe in rebirth (samsara - an endless chain of rebirths) and karma (retribution). Nirvana breaks the chain of rebirths, which means the chain of endless suffering. There is no concept of God in Buddhism. If a person becomes a Buddhist, he will spend his whole life trying to change his inner world in order to get rid of passions and desires. Here a number of practices come to help him: yoga, meditation, retreats, going to a monastery, etc.

Christianity arose with the birth of Jesus Christ. From this date, humanity now calculates its chronology. Jesus Christ is the same a real man, like Sidharth Gautama. But Christians believe that he was a god-man. That he lived, preached to the twelve disciples (apostles), performed miracles, and then was betrayed by Judas, crucified, and on the third day he was resurrected and later ascended to heaven. It is faith in the above (the death and then resurrection of Christ) that turns a person into a Christian (in addition to baptism).

Christianity presupposes faith in one God, as well as in the Holy Trinity: the unity of the three hypostases of God - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Christians do not believe that the world is full of suffering; on the contrary, Christians talk about the joy of life and peace that are available to a person if he has seen God and rebuilt his mind and soul accordingly. He turned from, for example, an embittered person who condemns everyone and envies everyone into a kind, open person, capable of forgiving and asking for forgiveness from others.

The main book of Christianity is the Bible. It consists of two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is the Holy Scripture for another religion - Judaism, the religion of the Jewish people (Judaism is one of the national religions). For Christians, the New Testament is of primary importance. It contains the teachings of Jesus Christ and the main ideas of Christianity:

• Human freedom (a person must make all life decisions himself, no one has the right to impose his will on another, even if it is for the good),
• Immortality of the soul (Christians believe that after the death of people a Great Judgment awaits, after which the world will be reborn and life will continue, but only for those who have earned heaven).
• Love for your neighbor (love another as yourself)

The story of Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh about how he came to faith

“Until I was fifteen years old, I knew nothing about God: I heard this word, I knew that they were talking about it, that there were people who believed, but He did not play any role in my life and simply did not exist for me. These were the early years of emigration, twenties, life was not easy, and sometimes very scary and difficult. And at some point there came a period of happiness, a period when there was no fear. It was the moment when for the first time (I was 15 years old) my grandmother, mother and I found ourselves under one roof, in one apartment, instead of wandering and not having your own shelter. And the first impression was bliss: this is a miracle, happiness... And after a while I was overcome by fear: happiness turned out to be aimless. While life was difficult, every moment it was necessary to fight with something or for something, every moment there was an immediate goal, but here, it turns out, there is no goal, emptiness. And I was so horrified by happiness that I decided that if within one year I won't find meaning in life, I'll commit suicide. It was absolutely clear. During this year I didn't look for anything special, because I didn't know where to look or how, but something happened to me. Before Lent, I attended a conversation with Father Sergius Bulgakov. He was a wonderful person, a pastor, a theologian, but he could not speak to children. My leader convinced me to go to this conversation, and when I told him that I don’t believe in God or the priest, he told me: “I’m not asking you to listen, just sit.” And I sat down with the intention of not listening, but Father Sergius spoke too loudly and prevented me from thinking; and I had to hear this picture about Christ and about the Christian that he gave: sweet, humble, etc. - that is, everything that is not typical for a boy at 14-15 years old. I became so furious that after the conversation I went home and asked my mother if she had the Gospel, deciding to check whether it was so or not. And I decided that if I discover that the Christ Whom Father Sergius described is the Christ of the Gospel, then I’m done with it. I was a practical boy and, having discovered that there were four Gospels, I decided that one was certainly shorter, and therefore chose to read the Gospel of Mark. And then something happened to me that took away from me any right to be proud of anything. While I was reading the Gospel, between the first and third chapters, it suddenly became absolutely, absolutely clear to me that on the other side of the table in front of which I was sitting was the living Christ. I stopped, looked, saw nothing, heard nothing, smelled nothing - there was no hallucination, it was just inner perfect, clear confidence. I remember that I then leaned back in my chair and thought: If Christ, alive, is in front of me, then everything that is said about His crucifixion and resurrection is true, and that means everything else is true... And this was a turn in my life. life from godlessness to the faith that I have. That’s the only thing I can say: my path was neither intellectual nor noble, but simply for some reason God saved my life.”

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