Most people cannot do without faith at certain points in their lives. Into a single omnipotent being, or into powerful forces that control all aspects of human life, or simply into something mystical - it does not matter. All world religions understand this. They offer experienced mentors and literature so that people can better understand their faith. Depending on the region and cultural traditions, the main world religions have formed.
How religion was born
For one and a half million years during the Paleolithic (Stone Age), the process of the social formation of mankind took place. About forty million years ago, it ended. By that time, Cro-Magnons and Neanderthals (the ancestors of modern people) had learned to make fire, they had the concept of family and clan, their own language developed.
The culture of mankind at that time also managed to develop enough. People knew how to draw, invented their rituals. Society began to control certain aspects of each participant’s life related to instincts, including sexual ones. The concepts of prohibition and taboo were developed. People began to make totems - figurines of animal patrons, whose image was intended to protect them. There were also magical rites, with which you could achieve the desired result.
When about 9-11 thousand years ago, mankind came up with agriculture, inequality became more and more noticeable in society. A common value system, recognized by all, regardless of the situation in society, helped to smooth out the conflicts that arose. So religion, with its concept of a unified, governing all power, united the people.
Religions of the Ancient World
The very first ones that arose even in the days of ancient civilizations of religion are the founders of all those beliefs that we know now. Over time, they changed beyond recognition, however, archaeologists find traces of cults of those times even now.
Thus, the civilization of ancient Egypt built its religion on a totem basis. Their gods were hybrids of man and various animals and birds. It was believed that after death, a person continues life, only in another world, and therefore dear to them things were sent to the grave of the dead.
Thanks to the religious ideas of the inhabitants of ancient Mesopotamia (Sumerians), legends about the creation of the world appeared, which have come down to us in the form of the Old Testament. The Sumerians became the founders of astrology, observing the planets and stars, and in general they were quite free-thinking in religious terms.
The mythology of ancient Greece considered the gods as powerful creatures with whom you can fight and argue, cause their love or hatred. The gods of ancient Rome were the embodiment of abstract concepts.
In China, preaching Taoism, the clergy played the role of officials and helped to achieve the well-being of the people. Their religious dogmas are true philosophical teachings, as is the case with the surviving Hinduism.
National religions
At one time, the division into world and national religions was widespread. However, modern scientists do not consider it correct. The fact is that when these religious beliefs were born, societies were not yet divided into certain nations, but consisted of several groups, ethnically connected by societies.
The concept of national religions appeared in the nineteenth century to denote such beliefs that were accepted within a certain people, but did not spread beyond it.
Typically, this type of cult includes those that originated at the dawn of civilization. The religions of the ancient Romans and Greeks, Sumerians, Egyptians, Incas, are examples of national ones.
Nevertheless, some ethnic beliefs have survived to this day, and almost unchanged over time. Judaism in Israel, Hinduism in India, Confucianism and Taoism in China, Shintoism in Japan are still practiced.
In contrast to national religions, world religions are cults that have spread throughout the Earth, whose ethnicity cannot be determined.
Christianity
There are only three world religions, one of which is Christianity. Its main distinguishing feature is the description of the world in historical integrity. According to his dogmas, our world was created by a single powerful God. And since then it has been constantly governed until the coming of the Messiah and the Last Judgment.
The central figure in Christianity was Jesus Christ, the God-man who gave people the teaching of how to live in this world.
In addition to the Old Testament, which came almost completely from Judaism, the Bible (a book holy to Christians) also includes the New Testament. It tells about the period of Christ's earthly life, outlines his teachings and the deeds of his disciples.
According to the beliefs of Christians, one day the earthly life of mankind will end with the end of the World, after which all people will have the Last Judgment. Just then, according to the actions of each person, his further fate will be determined.
Orthodoxy and its branches
World religions include not only Christianity itself, but also its main trends. The name "Orthodoxy" comes from the Greek word ortodoxia, which means "right glory." This direction became independent in the XI century. Regarding the rites and canons of Orthodoxy in different countries there is no single opinion. Services are in the national language of the country where they are held.
Separately distinguish Russian, Georgian, Armenian and Greek Orthodox churches, each of which is headed by its own patriarch.
In the seventeenth century, clergymen who did not agree with the reforms of Nikon formed their own current - the Old Believers, which retained the old rituals and canons. At the beginning of the twentieth century, an underground catacomb church stood out, not wishing to cooperate with the authorities.
Catholicism
Listing the main world religions, one cannot fail to mention such a branch of Christianity as Catholicism. The entire Catholic Church is governed by the Vatican, and its head is considered to be elected by the vote of the cardinals of the Pope. His person is considered infallible.
Catholics venerate saints and especially the Virgin Mary. Among their dogmas there is the concept of purgatory, where the souls of people fall after death. Services are often conducted in Latin, but also in national languages.
Protestantism
The main world religions include such a branch of Christianity as Protestantism. This movement arose in Europe in the 16th century, during the Reformation. It has 3 main tenets, including the recognition of the Bible as true scripture, the recognition of the salvation of the soul only through the acceptance of the atoning sacrifice of Christ and the denial of the primacy of the Pope. For Protestants, any believer can be called a priest, and there is no need for the intercession of saints or the Virgin Mary.
In Protestantism, many different trends developed that can be included in the world religions of the world. This is Adventism, based on faith in the imminent Last Judgment, and Anabaptism, whose followers consider it proper to be baptized as adults, and the Church of England, whose head is the king or queen of England. There are also Baptism, Calvinism, Quakerism, Lutheranism, Methodism, and other religious teachings that emphasize certain aspects of their faith.
Islam
Islam belongs to world religions - a rather young religious doctrine compared to the rest (appeared in the seventh century AD).Its founder is the prophet Muhammad, who made the foundation of faith in one God - Allah, to whom a person must obey implicitly, and not even try to understand his will.
In Islam, Shariah laws operate, which, in essence, are a set of state laws and establish the concepts of law.
Like all major world religions, Islam is a force uniting those who profess it (in this case, mainly Arab peoples). The Holy Book for Muslims was the Koran, which is a quote from the Prophet Muhammad.
The mainstream in Islam is Sunnism, in which the first three caliphs are considered the heirs of Muhammad. Adherents of another Islamic movement - Shiites - are called the successor of the prophet Ali, his son-in-law.
Buddhism
Three world religions include Buddhism. It was born as the opposite of Hinduism, giving the opportunity to get enlightenment not only to representatives of the higher castes, but also to the common people.
Buddhism was founded by a princely son named Siddhartha Gautama Sakyamuni, who later became known as Buddha. He was the first person to achieve enlightenment - nirvana.
The main thing, according to the version of Buddhism, a person should strive for is to find absolute peace and dissolve in eternity, that is, to achieve nirvana. From here follows an important principle of life: one cannot resist evil.
The fundamental concept that distinguishes world religions is the idea of where the human soul goes after death. In Buddhism, the idea of reincarnation, that is, rebirth in a new body, which depends on the acts of a past life (the law of karma), is supported.
Geographical distribution of major religions
First of all, world religions are beliefs that are widespread in many countries throughout the world.
In Europe, as well as in America and even Australia, most often you can meet representatives of Christianity. This religion is the most widespread in the world (it is professed by about two and a half billion people).
If we consider what world religions are declared state religions in the countries of Africa and the Middle East, it turns out that it is mainly Islam (Islam). By the number of believers, he takes the second place in the world (about one and a half billion people).
In the modern world, Islam has begun to exert a great influence on the development of human civilization. More than 50 states can now be considered Islamic, and Muslim diasporas are found in more than half of countries across the planet.
Adherents of Buddhism are most often found in Asian countries (about half a billion people).
Atheism
Judging by the prevalence in modern society, atheism is a new world religion. His concept - the denial of the existence of God, is based not only on faith, but has a solid scientific and philosophical foundation.
Nature - everything that surrounds a person, for an atheist is the only one that exists. According to this worldview, mankind has invented gods for itself during its existence.
Atheism only recognizes what can be proved by science empirically, as opposed to the concept of faith in other religions.
Other modern religious beliefs
There are various modern world religions, some of which have deep roots, while others were created recently, sometimes even for fun.
For example, Hinduism, Shintoism, and Judaism used to be purely national. They were confessed in a narrow circle of people who identified their cultural characteristics. Now, thanks to technological progress, they have become widespread outside their regions.
Just 11 years ago, physicist Bobby Henderson founded his own comic religion - Pastafarianism. It proclaims a belief in a flying pasta monster and was originally intended to show the absurdity of studying the concept of creating the world in schools and universities.However, pastafarianism in some countries has now become regarded as a serious religion. So who knows how the worldview of humanity will change in a hundred years.
