Despite the development of modern technology and science, the inhabitants of the planet continue to consider themselves one of the many beliefs. Hope in a higher power allows you to survive difficult life situations. Religion statistics show how many denominations exist and how many people consider themselves to be members of them.

Origin theory

There is one general theory of the origin of beliefs on earth. As soon as inequality appeared in human society, the need for some kind of highest value rewarding people for their actions. The possessor of superpower must be endowed by a superbeing whose role is played by a specific deity.

What it is

When starting to get acquainted with beliefs, it is worth studying the very concept of religion. There are quite a lot of definitions of faith today. R religion is a form of view on the world which is based on belief in the supernatural.

Existing classifications

WITH how many religions are there in the world? Today there are more than 5 thousand official religious associations. This includes the world's largest religions. Beliefs can be very different from each other. Much depends on the customs and traditions of the country. There are also similarities between religions. They all involve faith in a higher power.

Today there are several classifications of religions according to various criteria. For example, the types of religions based on the number of gods are monotheistic and polytheistic. The latter are represented in countries of the African continent that have a tribal way of life. These peoples have not yet left paganism.

According to Hegel, the history of religion represents the path of the Spirit coming to full self-consciousness. Each of them is a step in awareness leading to the absolute goal of history. The structure of the classification according to Hegel is as follows:

1. Natural religions(lowest level) based on sensory perception. To these he included all magical beliefs, the religions of China and India, as well as the ancient Persians, Syrians and Egyptians.
2. Spiritual and individual religions(intermediate bar) – religion of the Jews (Judaism), beliefs Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.
3. Absolute spirituality– Christianity.

The experience of studying the problem led to the creation of other classifications - according to the degree of prevalence or the number of followers. Here we distinguish local (within one clan-tribe), national (influencing the culture of one people, for example, Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, China with Shintoism, India with Hinduism). How do local movements differ from national religions? Greater prevalence among many, outstripping them in terms of the number of followers. Religious centers are present throughout the world.

What did ancient civilizations profess?

IN Ancient Egypt totemism flourished, this is evidenced by the half-animal image Egyptian gods. Statistics of religions claim that during this period of time the idea of ​​an afterlife and the connection between earthly life and posthumous. The idea of ​​resurrection also arose (Osiris, the sun god, dies in the evening and is reborn in the morning). The belief dates back long before Jesus and Christianity.

Buddhism

The founder is considered to be Siddhartha Gautama Shakyamuni, later Buddha (5th–6th century BC). The main point is that a person can escape the cycle of life and achieve nirvana. This is done by achieving bliss through own experience, but not taking it on faith. Religion statistics show that Buddhism is widespread in many countries far from each other. culturally. This includes Vietnam (79%), Laos (60%), Mongolia (96%), Thailand (93%), Sri Lanka (70%).

Statistics of religions in South Korea shows that in the state 47% of believers profess Buddhism.

National religions

There are national and traditional religious movements, also with their own directions. They arose or became particularly widespread in certain countries, in contrast to the world. On this basis they distinguish the following types beliefs (enlarged list of religions):

• Hinduism is the religion of India;
• Confucianism and Taoism – China;
• Shintoism is the religion of Japan;
• paganism - Indian tribes, peoples of the North and Oceania.

Statistics of religions in Israel highlight Judaism as the main religion of the state, which is also included in the above list.

Classification by country

Beliefs are a factor in the formation of statehood. They lay down the attitude towards a woman and towards life in general. Statistics of religions by country will help you understand the diversity of world religions. Of course, beliefs changed over time. However, the main religions have survived to this day.

Russia

Statistics of religions in Russia show that the bulk of the country professes Orthodoxy (41%). They consider themselves believers, but have not decided on a religious movement (25%). People who consider themselves atheists (13%). The number of Muslims in the Russian Federation is 4.1%.

Belarus

The religion of Belarus is Christianity. 94.5% adhere to it. The ratio of believers and atheists shows the quantitative superiority of the former. Statistics of religions in Belarus show that 58.9% believe in God.

Kazakhstan

Statistics of religions in Kazakhstan report that the majority of the country's residents profess Islam (70%). Next comes Orthodoxy (26%). Only 3% of the country's population deny the existence of higher powers. Here it is even closely connected with religion.

Ukraine

What are the statistics of religions in Ukraine? Orthodoxy predominates in the country (74%). It is followed by Catholicism and Protestantism. Religion in Ukraine is very widespread. Less than 10% of residents identify themselves.

Religion statistics

The number of religious denominations and non-religious groups in human society exceeds 27 thousand. This includes official religions, unrecognized religious movements, sects and associations, as well as followers of philosophical agnosticism. The age of religions is enormous. Their history dates back hundreds of years. People began to believe in higher powers even before Babylon and Assyria.

Everyone makes their own choice of religion. Not everyone comes to faith right away. Some begin to identify themselves with a particular denomination after 40 years of age. Not always clear to a child character traits and basic religious approaches. The parents' task is to give short description the chosen denomination and explain its tenets in a simple and age-appropriate form. Religion in school can help you figure out which faith to choose and how to abandon the imposed worldview.

However, despite so many existing beliefs, religion statistics show competition within groups.

Those who lived thousands of years ago had their own beliefs, deities and religion. With the development of human civilization, religion also developed, new beliefs and movements appeared, and it is impossible to unambiguously conclude whether religion depended on the level of development of civilization or, on the contrary, it was people’s beliefs that were one of the keys to progress. IN modern world There are thousands of beliefs and religions, some of which have millions of adherents, while others have only a few thousand or even hundreds of believers.

Religion is one of the forms of awareness of the world, which is based on faith in a higher power. As a rule, each religion includes a number of moral and ethical norms and rules of conduct, religious rituals and ceremonies, and also unites a group of believers into an organization. All religions rely on human belief in supernatural forces, as well as on the relationship of believers with their deity(s). Despite the apparent difference between religions, many postulates and dogmas of various beliefs are very similar, and this is especially noticeable in the comparison of the world's major religions.

Major world religions

Modern researchers of religions identify three main religions of the world, the adherents of which are the vast majority of all believers on the planet. These religions are Buddhism, Christianity and Islam, as well as numerous movements, branches and based on these beliefs. Each of the world's religions has more than thousand-year history, scripture and a number of cults and traditions that should be observed by believers. As for the geography of the spread of these beliefs, if less than 100 years ago it was possible to draw more or less clear boundaries and recognize Europe, America, south africa and Australia - “Christian” parts of the world, northern Africa and the Middle East - Muslim, and states located in the south-eastern part of Eurasia - Buddhist, now every year this division becomes more and more arbitrary, since on the streets of European cities more and more you can meet Buddhists and Muslims, and in secular states Central Asia on the same street there may be christian temple and a mosque.

The founders of world religions are known to every person: the founder of Christianity is considered to be Jesus Christ, Islam - the prophet Magomed, Buddhism - Siddhartha Gautama, who later received the name Buddha (enlightened). However, it should be noted that Christianity and Islam have common roots in Judaism, since Islam also has the prophet Isa ibn Mariyam (Jesus) and other apostles and prophets whose teachings are recorded in the Bible, but Islamists believe that the fundamental teachings are still the teachings of the prophet Magomed, who was sent to earth after Jesus.

Buddhism

Buddhism is the oldest of the world's major religions, its history goes back more than two and a half thousand years. This religion originated in the southeast of India, its founder is considered to be Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who through contemplation and meditation achieved enlightenment and began to share the truth revealed to him with other people. Based on the teachings of the Buddha, his followers wrote the Pali Canon (Tripitaka), which is considered a sacred book by followers of most movements of Buddhism. The main currents of Buddhism today are Hinayama (Theravada Buddhism - " narrow path to liberation"), Mahayana ("The Broad Path to Liberation") and Vajrayana ("The Diamond Path").

Despite some differences between the orthodox and new movements of Buddhism, the basis of this religion is the belief in reincarnation, karma and the search for the path of enlightenment, through which one can be freed from the endless chain of rebirths and achieve enlightenment (nirvana). The difference between Buddhism and other major religions of the world is the Buddhist belief that a person’s karma depends on his actions, and everyone goes through their own path of enlightenment and is responsible for their own salvation, and the gods, whose existence Buddhism recognizes, do not play a key role in the fate of a person, since they are also subject to the laws of karma.

Christianity

The birth of Christianity is considered to be the first century AD; The first Christians appeared in Palestine. However, taking into account the fact that Old Testament The Bible, the holy book of Christians, was written much earlier than the birth of Jesus Christ; it is safe to say that the roots of this religion are in Judaism, which arose almost a millennium before Christianity. Today there are three main directions of Christianity - Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodoxy, branches of these directions, as well as those who also consider themselves Christians.

The basis of Christian beliefs is faith in the Triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, in angels and demons and in afterlife. The difference between the three main directions of Christianity is that Orthodox Christians, unlike Catholics and Protestants, do not believe in the existence of purgatory, and Protestants consider inner faith to be the key to the salvation of the soul, and not the observance of many sacraments and rituals, therefore the churches of Protestant Christians are more more modest than the churches of Catholics and Orthodox, as well as the number church sacraments Protestants have less than Christians who adhere to other movements of this religion.

Islam

Islam is the youngest of the world's major religions, originating in the 7th century in Arabia. The holy book of Muslims is the Koran, which records the teachings and instructions of the prophet Muhammad. On this moment There are three main sects of Islam - Sunnis, Shiites and Kharijites. The main difference between the first and other branches of Islam is that the Sunnis consider the first four caliphs to be the legal successors of Magomed, and also, in addition to the Koran, recognize the Sunnas telling about the Prophet Magomed as sacred books, and the Shiites believe that only his direct blood relatives can be the successors of the Prophet descendants. The Kharijites are the most radical branch of Islam; the beliefs of the supporters of this movement are similar to the beliefs of the Sunnis, however, the Kharijites recognize only the first two caliphs as the successors of the Prophet.

Muslims believe in one God, Allah and his prophet Magomed, in the existence of the soul and in the afterlife. In Islam, great attention is paid to the observance of traditions and religious rituals - every Muslim must perform salat (daily five times prayer), fast in Ramadan and make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his life.

What is common in the three major world religions

Despite the differences in rituals, beliefs and certain dogmas of Buddhism, Christianity and Islam, all these beliefs have some common features, and the similarities between Islam and Christianity are especially noticeable. Belief in one God, in the existence of the soul, in the afterlife, in fate and in the possibility of help from higher powers - these are the dogmas that are inherent in both Islam and Christianity. The beliefs of Buddhists differ significantly from the religions of Christians and Muslims, but the similarities between all world religions are clearly visible in the moral and behavioral norms that believers must observe.

10 biblical commandments, which Christians are obliged to observe, the laws prescribed in the Koran, and the Noble Eightfold Path contain moral norms and rules of conduct prescribed for believers. And these rules are the same everywhere - all the major religions of the world prohibit believers from committing atrocities, harming other living beings, lying, behaving loosely, rudely or disrespectfully towards other people and encourage them to treat other people with respect, care and development in character positive traits.

An adequate religious worldview does not in any way cancel the process scientific knowledge peace. If only because an adequate person understands the essence and does not chase the form. Lives according to the covenants, and does not concentrate on. It's not about the religion itself, but about the people. The very idea of ​​loving your neighbor does not become bad just because terrible crimes were once committed under its cover. So the site will try to tell you a little about the fundamental differences between the main religions of the world.

Let's clarify right away. We do not believe that some religion is correct and some is not. Each person chooses for himself what to believe in and by what principles to live. Therefore, we will try to describe everything as neutrally as possible. So.

Abrahamic religions

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Judaism, Christianity and Islam have common roots, a common history and even many common holy books. To greatly simplify, each of them can be considered a superstructure on the existing foundation laid by its predecessors. With some changes, simplifications, etc. But their cosmogony is almost identical, right down to the angelic hierarchy and description of hell.

To simplify to the point of impossibility, Jews, in principle, do not believe in anything that happened after the final design of the Pentateuch, and Muslims, although they revere Jesus, do not consider him the son of God. For them, he is something like Abraham, Moses and other Old Testament figures - just the predecessor of the prophet Muhammad. This is the main difference, not whether someone can eat pork or not. Each Abrahamic religion has its own prophet and his own teachings.

Buddhism

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This is not exactly a religion, but rather a religious-philosophical teaching. The essence of Buddhism is that a person must make every effort to achieve full awareness of his existence, so that he can leave the series of endless rebirths and merge with the absolute. But this is by no means a dogma or a rule.

Moreover, the founder of Buddhism, Sithardha Gautama himself, called on all followers to critically check everything that he told them. Pass everything through personal experience. But in practice, everything went completely wrong. Buddhism has absorbed many pagan traditions, including the worship of various minor gods, the concept of hell and demons, the worship of the Buddha himself and his ideological followers. Nowadays, few people remember about mindfulness - except perhaps the followers of very classical Buddhism. And the site team and journalist Artyom Kostin remind you that this very awareness is a key thing in many schools of modern psychology.

Hinduism

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Polytheism plus the concept of endless rebirths is a strange thing. A Hindu can accept the existence of a bunch of different gods, but completely devote his life to only one of them. And if he succeeds, then at the end of his path he will be able to dissolve in the divine essence, forever getting rid of rebirths. Or, according to some concepts, get into the world of this god, where everything happens according to the will of this god. And, of course, without rebirth. A kind of paradise. And yes, since there are many gods, there are also many ways to achieve the goal.

Shintoism

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The main concept is the need to accept one's place in the world. Yes, there are tons of gods, spirits, demons and ancestral souls. Yes, there are endless rebirths. But you don't have to do anything about it. Just live in harmony with all this - and you will be happy. There is no hell, no salvation, no torment. There is some karma, but it doesn’t matter. The world, in the understanding of Shintoists, is initially a good thing, and all the problems in it are only because someone desperately does not want to seek harmony.

Confucianism

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More of an ethical and philosophical doctrine than a religion. Even more ideology than philosophy. Yes, there is some kind of cult of ancestors. Yes, there is the deification of the Emperor. But there are no miracles, there is no mysticism. There are principles according to which every person can become better, more useful and more useful to the whole society. That is, Confucianism is aimed at making life better here and now, and not somewhere in an abstract paradise or the next life. This is why many do not consider it a religion as such.

In general, there are a lot of interesting things to tell about each of the religions. History, cosmology, psychology, unique philosophy, and the evolution of religious thought - all this is very interesting. If, of course, you want to understand this. Alas, too often people prefer to put a label on themselves instead of really trying to understand the essence of religion.

A very long time ago, such a wonderful feeling arose in man as faith in God and higher powers, which determine the destinies of people and what they will do in the future. Exists great amount, each of which has its own laws, orders, memorable dates calendar, prohibitions. How old are the world's religions? - a question to which it is difficult to give an exact answer.

Ancient signs of the birth of religions

It is known that they began to exist in various forms a huge number of years ago. Previously, people tended to sacredly and blindly believe that life could be given by 4 elements: air, water, earth and sun. By the way, such a religion exists to this day and it is called polytheism. How many religions are there in the world, at least the main ones? Today there are no prohibitions on one religion or another. That's why religious movements More and more are being created, but the main ones still exist, and there are not so many of them.

Religion - what is it?

It is customary to include a certain sequence of rituals, rites and customs in the concept of religion, performed either daily (an example here is daily prayer), either periodically, and sometimes even once. This may include wedding, confession, communion, baptism. Any religion, in principle, is aimed at uniting completely different people in large groups. Despite some cultural differences, many religions are similar in the message they convey to believers. The difference lies only in the external design of the rituals. How many major religions are there in the world? This question will be answered in this article.

You can consider Christianity, Buddhism and Islam. The latter religion is practiced more in Eastern countries, while Buddhism is practiced in Asian countries. Each of the listed religious branches has a history that lasts more than several thousand years, as well as a number of unbreakable traditions that are observed by all deeply religious people.

Geography of religious movements

As for geographical fragmentation, here about 100 years ago it was possible to trace the predominance of any confession, but now there is no trace of this. For example, previously more convinced Christians lived in Africa, Europe, South America, and the Australian continent.

Residents of North Africa and the Middle East could be called Muslims, and people who settled in the territory of the South-Eastern part of Eurasia were considered believers in Buddha. On the streets of Central Asian towns, now more and more often you can see standing almost side by side Muslim mosques and churches of Christian denomination.

How many major religions are there in the world?

Regarding the question of knowledge of the founders of world religions, most of them are known to all believers. For example, the founder of Christianity was Jesus Christ (according to another opinion, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit), the founder of Buddhism is considered to be Siddhartha Guatama, whose other name is Buddha, and, finally, the foundations of Islam, as many believers believe, were laid by the Prophet Muhammad.

An interesting fact is that both Islam and Christianity conventionally come from the same faith, which is called Judaism. Isa Ibn Mariyama is considered the successor of Jesus in this faith. Other famous prophets who were mentioned in the Holy Scriptures are also related to this branch of faith. Many believers believe that the Prophet Muhammad appeared on earth even earlier than people saw Jesus.

Buddhism

As for Buddhism, this religious denomination is rightfully recognized as the most ancient among all that are known to the human mind. The history of this faith averages about two and a half millennia, perhaps even much more. The origin of a religious movement called Buddhism began in India, and the founder was Siddhartha Guatama. Buddha himself achieved faith gradually, step by step moving towards the miracle of enlightenment, which Buddha then began to generously share with sinners like himself. The Buddha's teachings became the basis for writing a sacred book called Tripitaka. Today, the most common stages of the Buddhist faith are considered to be Hinayama, Mahayama and Vajayama. Adherents of the faith in Buddhism believe that the main thing in a person’s life is a good state of karma, which is achieved only by doing good deeds. Every Buddhist himself goes through the path to purifying karma through hardship and pain.

Many people, especially today, wonder how many religions are there in the world? It is difficult to name the number of all directions, because new ones appear almost every day. In our article we will talk about the main ones. The following religious trend is one of them.

Christianity

Christianity is a faith that was founded thousands of years ago by Jesus Christ. According to scientists, the religion of Christianity was founded in the 1st century BC. This religious movement appeared in Palestine, and the eternal flame descended to Jerusalem, where it still burns. Nevertheless, there is an opinion that people learned about this faith even earlier, almost a thousand years ago. There is also an opinion that for the first time people became acquainted not with Christ, but with the founder of Judaism. Among Christians one can distinguish Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants. In addition, there are huge groups of people who call themselves Christians, but believe in completely different dogmas and attend other social organizations.

Postulates of Christianity

The main inviolable postulates of Christianity are the belief that God has three faces (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), belief in saving death and the phenomenon of reincarnation. In addition, followers of Christianity practice belief in evil and good, represented by angelic and devilish forms.

Unlike Protestants and Catholics, Christians do not believe in the existence of a so-called “purgatory”, where the souls of sinners are selected for heaven or hell. Protestants believe that if faith in salvation remains in the soul, then the person is guaranteed to go to heaven. Protestants believe that the meaning of rituals is not beauty, but sincerity, which is why the rituals are not distinguished by pomp, and their number is much smaller than in Christianity.

Islam

As for Islam, this religion is considered relatively new, as it appeared only in the 7th century BC. The place of origin is the Arabian Peninsula, where the Turks and Greeks lived. The Orthodox Bible takes the place of holy quran, which contains all the basic laws of religion. In Islam, as in Christianity, there are several directions: Sunitism, Shiiteism and Kharijiteism. The difference between these directions from each other is that Sunnis recognize “ right hand"of the Prophet Mohammed of four caliphs, and besides the Koran, the sacred book for them is considered to be a collection of instructions of the prophet.

Shiites believe that only blood heirs can continue the work of the prophet. The Kharijites believe almost the same thing, only they believe that only blood descendants or close associates can inherit the rights of a prophet.

The Muslim faith recognizes the existence of Allah and the Prophet Mohammed, and also holds the opinion that life after death exists, and a person can be reborn at any time. Living being or even an object. Any Muslim firmly believes in the power of holy customs, and therefore annually makes a pilgrimage to holy places. Jerusalem is truly the holy city for all Muslims. Salat is a mandatory ritual for every adherent of the Muslim faith, and its main meaning is prayer in the mornings and evenings. The prayer is repeated 5 times, after which believers try to observe fasting according to all the rules.

In this faith, during the month of Ramadan, believers are prohibited from having fun, but are allowed to devote themselves only to prayer to Allah. Mecca is considered the main city of pilgrims.

We have discussed the main directions. To summarize, we note: as many religions in the world as there are so many opinions. Unfortunately, representatives of not all religious movements fully accept the existence of another direction. Often this even led to wars. In the modern world, some aggressive figures use the image of a “sectarian” or “totalitarian sect” as a bogeyman, promoting intolerance towards any non-traditional religiosity. However, no matter how different they are religious directions, they usually have something in common.

Unity and differences of major religions

The commonality of all religious faiths is hidden and at the same time simple in that they all teach tolerance, love of God in all manifestations, mercy and kindness towards people. Both Islam and Christian faith They promote resurrection after earthly death, followed by rebirth. In addition, Islam and Christianity jointly believe that fate is predetermined by heaven, and only Allah or, as Christians call him, the Lord God, can correct it. Although the teachings of Buddhists are strikingly different from Christianity and Islam, these “branches” are united by the fact that they glorify a certain morality, which no one is allowed to stumble upon.

The instructions given by the Almighty to sinful people also have common features. For Buddhists these are dogmas, for Christians these are commandments, and for adherents of Islam these are excerpts from the Koran. It doesn't matter how many world religions there are in the world. The main thing is that they all bring a person closer to the Lord. The commandments for each faith are the same, they just have a different syllable of retelling. Everywhere it is forbidden to lie, kill, steal, and everywhere they call for mercy and tranquility, for mutual respect and love for one’s neighbor.

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

How many religions are there in the world?

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Orthodoxy there are seven main Sacraments:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Distinctive features of Protestantism from Catholicism and Orthodoxy:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is the oldest religion in the world?

For Ancient world polytheism (polytheism) was characteristic. For example, Sumerian, ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman religions, Druidism, Asatru, Zoroastrianism.

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

Judaism has several branches:

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

Also available different kinds Judaism: conservative, reformist, reconstructionist, humanistic and renovationist.

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

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

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