Getting to Know the Basics of World Religion

At its core, a religion is a belief in divine (superhuman or spiritual) being(s) and the practices (rituals) and moral code (ethics) that result from that belief. Beliefs give religion its mind, rituals give religion its shape, and ethics give religion its heart. Of the three elements that make something a religion (beliefs, rituals, and ethics), beliefs are the most important because they give rise to and shape the ethics and the rituals of a faith.

A religion's theology (its religious teachings, or doctrine) and its stories connect the beliefs. A religion's theology is its handbook of beliefs (although many theologies are not even written down). Theology is important because it puts a religion's beliefs in an order that people can understand.

The beliefs of Western religions: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are the religions that many call Western religions. People sometimes call the beliefs of these three religions the Judeo-Christian tradition, but that term leaves out Islam. Because all three religions trace their roots to Abraham, the terms Abrahamic tradition or Abrahamic religions fit better. (Abraham is considered the patriarch of the ancient Hebrew families and, through his descendents, patriarch of the followers of Islam and Christianity).

The beliefs they share

Islam, Judaism, and Christianity share many beliefs:

• All three religions believe that one single, all-powerful, all-knowing God (called Allah by Muslims) created the world out of nothing. This God made everything in the world and gave living things a special blessing. Human life was not only blessed by God but also made in the image of God, which gave it special sanctity.

• Abrahamic faiths — such as many Christian sects, Judaism, and Islam — believe that God gave human beings free will to decide how they would live and a code of moral laws and commandments for life that would set a path for living a good and holy life.

• Abrahamic religions believe that God will eventually redeem the world from all its sins and imperfections and usher in an age of universal peace, although this messianic age may be preceded by terrible wars.

• The three religions believe that God has worked and continues to work through the events of history and has commanded people to do his will in the world.

God revealed all this to humanity through prophets and, according to Christianity, through a Messiah, or savior, named Jesus. The written records of this revelation form the sacred texts of the Abrahamic religions:

• Hebrew Bible (called the Old Testament by some, but not by Jews)

• New Testament (for Christians)

• Qur'an (for Muslims)

Where they differ

These religions differ in important areas, however, and some of the main differences focus on the Christian idea of the Trinity and Christians' belief in Jesus as Messiah and Son of God.

• The Trinity: Christians believe in one God, as do Jews and Muslims, but they describe God as being made up of three persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. To the Jewish community, this idea of the Trinity looked like a belief in three separate gods, and it enlarged the break between early Christianity and Judaism. Muslims have the same problem with the concept of the Trinity: They believe the Trinity compromises Christianity's belief in one God.

• Jesus as Messiah: To Christians, Jesus is the Messiah (savior). Judaism, however, required that the Messiah bring world peace and a gathering of all Jewish exiles. Because Jesus didn't do this, another break occurred between Judaism and Christianity as the result of debate regarding whether Jesus actually was the Messiah the Jews hoped for. Muslims regard Jesus as one of the great prophets (those, like Moses, Abraham, and Muhammad, to whom miracles are attributed), but they believe that he was unable to complete his mission; therefore, another, final teaching — the Qur'an — was necessary.

• Jesus as the Son of God: The Christian belief that Jesus is the Son of God (and therefore is both God and man) differs from the Jewish and Muslim belief that God could never become human. To Muslims, Jesus was a prophet but not the Son of God.

The beliefs of Eastern religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, and others

Several religions and sects make up what are considered the Eastern religions. Chief among these religions are Hinduism and Buddhism, but this category also includes Taoism and Confucianism (the primary religions of China), and Shinto (a primary belief system of Japan). The Eastern religions have rich and ancient traditions, dating back, in some instances, thousands of years.

Following is a brief look at the main tenets of some of these religions:

• Taoism: Founded more than 2,000 years ago in China by Lao-Tzu, the person credited as author of the Tao Te Ching (the book of Taoist philosophy), this religion advocates simplicity and selflessness in conformity with the Tao, the central or organizing principle of the universe. According to the law of Tao (literally, the Way), everything reverts to its starting point, and the whole is contained in its parts. Through the Tao, everything moves from a state of nonbeing to being to nonbeing. By allowing the Tao to flow unchallenged, the world becomes a tranquil place.

• Confucianism: A renowned teacher with thousands of students and 72 close disciples, Confucius (551–479 B.C.E.) believed in the perfectibility of humanity through the cultivation of the mind. His teachings emphasized devotion to parents and rituals, learning, self-control, and just social activity. Although more a worldview for living a just and moral life than an organized religion in itself, Confucius' ideas became the standard in Chinese politics and scholarship and were eventually recognized as the Imperial ideology.

• Hinduism: Hinduism is the main religious tradition of India. Hindus believe in the Brahman, an eternal, infinite principle that had no beginning and has no end and is the source and substance of all existence. Hindus believe in transmigration (the soul passing into another body at death) and reincarnation (a cycle of death and rebirth). Hindus also believe in karma, the idea that your actions in one life have a direct effect on the events in your next life. To Hindus, salvation comes when they are finally released from the cycle of death and rebirth.

• Buddhism: Buddhism, an offshoot of Hinduism, is the primary religion of central and eastern Asia. For Buddhists, the world is a prison of suffering and illusion that keeps people from reaching freedom and enlightenment. Buddhists believe that the purpose of life is to learn that nothing lasts and that suffering comes from being attached to the things of ordinary existence. Until people learn this, they are destined to repeat the cycle of death and rebirth. Only by freeing themselves from desire and giving up their sense of self can people be free of this cycle.

• Shinto: The indigenous religion of Japan, Shinto emphasizes the worship of nature, ancestors, and ancient heroes. The religion stresses the virtue of living with a "true heart" — that is, with sincerity and uprightness — a state that is possible only by being aware of the divine.