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Women and Religion

All of the major world religions deprecate women to some degree. This page archives texts which relate specifically to women and religion from a female perspective. This includes historic feminist texts on the topic, texts about Goddess-oriented sprituality and Amazons, as well as texts from otherwise male-dominated religions in the same vein. As might be expected, there are far fewer of these than might be desired.

Feminism

Vindication of the Rights Of Woman
by Mary Wollstonecraft [1792]
The Subjection of Women
by John Stuart Mill [1869]
Clothed With The Sun
by Anna Kingsford [1889]
The mystical visions of a pioneering woman occultist.
The Garden of Eden; or The Paradise Lost & Found
by Victoria Claflin Woodhull [1890]
A radical reinterpretation of Eden as an allegory for the human body.
Woman, Church, and State
by Matilda Joslyn Gage [1893]
One of the earliest feminist historians.
The Woman's Bible
by Elizabeth Cady Stanton [1895]
19th Century feminists critique the Bible.
Woman and the New Race
by Margaret Sanger [1920]
The pioneering birth control activist.
Roe v. Wade
US Supreme Court Decision [1973]
The highest court in the US affirms a woman's right to control her body.
Abortion in the Bible
by J.B. Hare [2008]
Suprisingly, there is no mention of medical abortion in the Bible.

Women Warriors and Heroines

The Amazons
by Guy Cadogan Rothery [1910]
Behind the global myths of woman warriors.
Religious Cults Associated with the Amazons
by Florence Mary Bennett [1912]
Evidence for the Amazons and ancient goddess worship in Greece and Asia Minor.
Lives of the Greek Heroines
by Louisa Menzies [1880]
The Authoress of the Odyssey, by Samuel Butler [1922]
Did a woman write one of the greatest epic poems of all time?
The Ancient Irish Goddess of War
by WM Hennessey, Revue Celtique, Vol. 1, pp. 27-55 [1870]

Goddesses
The Syrian Goddess
Lucian of Samosata, tr. by Herbert A. Strong [1913]
Lucian's hair-raising description of ancient Goddess worship. Ancient Near East
The Burden of Isis
by James Teackle Dennis [1910]
Hymns to Isis, a primary Ancient Egyptian Goddess. Ancient Egyptian
Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes
by W.D. Westervelt [1916]
Read about the powerful Hawaiian Fire Goddess Pele, who lives in a volcano and surfs on lava. A old Hawaiian saying: "never mistreat an old woman, she might be Pele in disguise". Polynesian

Hymn to Demeter
Homer, tr. Hugh G. Evelyn-White [1914]
A central Goddess myth, the canonical hymn of the Eleusinian initiatory mysteries. Classical Pagan
The Poems of Sappho
Classical Pagan; particularly her Hymn to Aphrodite
Descent of Ishtar into the Lower World.
Ancient Near East
Aradia, Gospel of the Witches
tr. by Charles G. Leland [1899]
The sole written evidence for Dianic worship into modern times. Of controversial authorship. Late European Wiccan
Hymn to the All-Mother
from Rig Veda Americanus (Aztec Hymns), by Daniel G. Brinton [1890]
Aztec
Hymns to the Goddess
by Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) [1913]
A collection of Hindu devotional hymns to the Goddess. India
Hymn to Kâlî: Karpûrâdi-Stotra
by Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) [1922]
A Tantric hymn to the Hindu Goddess Kali. India
Lalita Sahasranama; The 1000 Names of the Goddess
tr. Rishi Singh Gherwal [1930]
A well-loved Hindu chant extolling the thousand attributes of the Goddess. Hindu

The Devî Gita (excerpt from)
The S'rîmad Devî Bhâgawatam
tr. by Swami Vijnanananda (Hari Prasanna Chatterji) [1921]
The Hindu religion is one of the only major world religions other than Neopaganism which today worships Goddesses. In this insightful text the Goddess (the Devî) describes her nature and means of devotion to her. Hindu
Hymn to the Goddess of Dawn
Rig Veda, Book 6, Hymn 64. Hindu
The Hopi Origin Myth
from The Traditions of the Hopi, by H.R. Voth [1905]
The Goddess Huruing Wuhti co-creates the world with the Sun God. Hopi
Myths of Crete and Pre-Hellenic Europe
by Donald A. Mackenzie [1917]
The ancient Minoans of Crete are believed by many to have been Goddess worshippers. Ancient Crete
The Book of the Goddess
by Anna Livia Plurabelle [2002]
The Korana of Mother Goddess
by JoAnne Marie [2006]

Feminist Utopian Fiction

Unveiling a Parallel
by Alice Ilgenfritz Jones and Ella Merchant [1893]
A trip to Mars, to a strange society which practices equality of the sexes.
Herland
by Charlotte Perkins Stetson Gilman [1906]
Visit a land where women are the only gender, reproduce asexually, and worship a goddess. Classic of feminist scifi.

Other Religions
Folk-Lore of Women
by Thomas Firminger Thiselton-Dyer [1906]
A droll Victorian review of folklore about women around the world.
Thanks to Eliza Yetter of sacredspiral.com.
Shaker Documents
The Shakers, a unique 19th Century American Christian group founded by Ann Lee, believed that God has both male and female aspects.
The Kabbalah Unveiled
tr. by S.L. MacGregor Mathers [1912]
Jewish mysticism is much more balanced in its treatment of male/female dualities than 'mainstream' Judeo-Christian thought. For instance, see this chapter. This translation of the Zohar by S.L. MacGregor Mathers is dedicated to Anna Kingsford and Edward Maitland, the author and editor respectively of Clothed with the Sun (above).
Baha'i religion: Women

http://sacred-texts.com/wmn/index.htm
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Friday 23 January 2015

The Church of England doesn’t like to get its hands dirty by touching women – even though we’re the ones who most keep up the faith

More women than men now believe in God or the afterlife, so why is the Church so reluctant to reach out to us?

Janet Street-Porter

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/the-church-of-england-doesnt-like-to-get-its-hands-dirty-by-touching-women--even-though-were-the-ones-who-most-keep-up-the-faith-9999368.html

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'It is unacceptable to offer deep condolences for a man who flogged women': Former Tory MP in furious outburst as tributes paid to Saudi king

Columnist Louise Mensch expressed anger about Saudi human rights in irate posts on Twitter

MPs criticise decision to fly flags at half-mast at Government buildings for Saudi monarch

Prince Charles to fly to Saudi Arabia to pay respects

Oil prices jump as death of Saudi king fuels market uncertainty

Obituary: A shrewd ruler who was popular with his subjects

http://www.independent.co.uk/

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"Walk A Mile In My Shoes"
(As recorded by Joe South)
If I could be you and you could be me for just one hour
If we could find a way to get inside each other's mind
If you could see me through your eyes instead of your ego
I believe you'd be surprised to see that you'd been blind.
Walk a mile in my shoes, walk a mile in my shoes
And before you abuse, criticize and accuse
Walk a mile in my shoes.
Now your whole world you see around you is just a reflection
And the law of common says you reap just what you sow
So unless you've lived a life of total perfection
You'd better be careful of every stone that you throw.
Walk a mile in my shoes, walk a mile in my shoes
And before you abuse, criticize and accuse
Walk a mile in my shoes.
And yet we spend the day throwing stones at one another
'Cause I don't think or wear my hair the same way you do
Well I may be common people but I'm your brother
And when you strike out and try to hurt me its a-hurtin' you.
Walk a mile in my shoes, walk a mile in my shoes
And before you abuse, criticize and accuse
Walk a mile in my shoes.
There are people on reservations and out in the ghettos
And brother there but for the grace of God go you and I
If I only had the wings of a little angel
Don't you know I'd fly to the top of the mountain, and then I'd cry.
Walk a mile in my shoes, walk a mile in my shoes
And before you abuse, criticize and accuse
Walk a mile in my shoes.
JOE SOUTH- " WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES "

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoznjbKVnmw

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Canadian Special Forces

Captain Nicola Goddard- Afghanistan- we miss u darlin

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ONE BILLION RISING- no more excuses- St. Mary's University- Halifax, Nova Scotia CANADA

World Population by Religion

According to a recent study (based on the 2010 world population of 6.9 billion) by The Pew Forum, there are:

2,173,180,000 Christians (31% of world population), of which 50% are Catholic, 37% Protestant, 12% Orthodox, and 1% other.
1,598,510,000 Muslims (23%), of which 87-90% are Sunnis, 10-13% Shia.
1,126,500,000 No Religion affiliation (16%): atheists, agnostics and people who do not identify with any particular religion. One-in-five people (20%) in the United States are religiously unaffiliated.
1,033,080,000 Hindus (15%), the overwhelming majority (94%) of which live in India.
487,540,000 Buddhists (7%), of which half live in China.
405,120,000 Folk Religionists (6%): faiths that are closely associated with a particular group of people, ethnicity or tribe.
58,110,000 Other Religions (1%): Baha’i faith, Taoism, Jainism, Shintoism, Sikhism, Tenrikyo, Wicca, Zoroastrianism and many others.
13,850,000 Jews (0.2%), four-fifths of which live in two countries: United States (41%) and Israel (41%).

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CATHOLICS- ISLAM-HINDUISM-BUDDHISM- THE RELIGIONS OF MEN- women are 64% of the world population in 2015 – yet billions of us still follow our religions dominated 4 and by men.... interesting

Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism

Printable PDF Version

Islam

I. Introduction

1. Today we live together with people whose customs and ways are, at first glance, strange to us. One reason for this is because these people do not belong to Christendom, but were brought up in a religion strange to us.

2. If we want to understand our Asian immigrants we first have to find out about their religion. In Pakistan and in large parts of the Orient, Islam is predominant; it was founded in the 6th century by a man called Mohammed.

II. Who was Mohammed?

1. In 570 A.D., Mohammed was born in Mecca (in Arabia), the son of an esteemed family. At that time Mecca was a thriving city of trade upon the 'spice route' between Syria and India, and was therefore the centre-point for many different religious trends, e.g. Jews, Christians, and the Bedouinic religions. Mohammed, therefore, had the opportunity to get to know many different religions.

2. Mohammed was of a very contemplative nature. He often went alone into the mountains and became absorbed with religious problems (=meditation). He was most impressed by the 'One God belief' of the Jews and Christians, in contrast to the belief in many gods of the Bedouins. One day, during these meditations, the archangel Gabriel supposedly appeared unto him, and told him to write down all these revelations. They are now written down in the Koran, the holy book of the Muslims.

Mohammed Starts to Preach

Encouraged by his wife Chadidscha, Mohammed soon started to announce the revelations of the archangel Gabriel in Mecca. He was soon to find disciples there.

But as Mohammed condemned idolatry which was common amongst traders, he was forced to flee to the city of Medina which was 35O kms away. This happened in the year 622 A.D. In Medina, Mohammed was soon accepted as a political and religious leader. The date of migration, July the 16th, 622 A.D. was declared the beginning of Islamic Chronology.

Mohammed's Fight For Acceptance

The disciples Mohammed found in Medina, organised themselves into a military group which marched back into Mecca with Mohammed. In 630 A.D. Mohammed finally entered Mecca triumphantly after a short battle. He destroyed the idols, but pronounced the Kaaba, which according to heathen legends fell from the heavens as a black meteorite, as his main relic. Mohammed increasingly developed from being just a prophet to a general and politician.

Mohammed died in 632 A.D. There was heavy fighting for his succession. The Kalif Abu Bekr became the victor of this struggle. From this time, Mohammed's successors have been called Kalifs (Arabic for successor).

The Teachings of Islam

a. Islam stands for subjection, i.e. the Muslim believer is subject to Allah. Mohammed declared that Allah was the highest and the only God and that Mohammed's words were the last divine revelation to mankind. They were written down in the Koran to complement the Bible. According to Mohammed, the Bible also declares the revelations of God, but not completely. Mohammed sees himself as the last and greatest of the prophets. He also recognised Jesus, but only as one of many prophets and not as the Son of God.

b. Mohammed declared Mecca as the Holy City. Today, it is the spiritual centre of Islam. To go on a pilgrimage to Allah is a special privilege. It is the duty of every Muslim to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his life-time, if the way is safe. The Kaaba, the main symbol of Islam, is also in Mecca.

c. The teaching of Islam is simple, clear and life-accepting. In Islam the human is imperfect, and needs to be redeemed. Through faith and good works he will be saved. There is a resurrection and judgment. The fate of the people is decided by Allah (=Kismet).

The Commandments of Islam

The demands Mohammed put to the people were minimal. Every Muslim (the followers of Islam) has to keep to the most important ones:

a. Confession to the only God.

b. Praying to Mecca five times a day.

c. Giving offerings.

d. Fasting in the month of Ramadan.

e. One pilgrimage in their life to Mecca.

In addition to these, there are some complementary demands in the Koran (e.g. the abstention from every unclean thing: pork, alcohol). The fasting in the month of Ramadan lasts from dawn until dusk. The law of Islam depends principally on the Koran.

The Koran

The holy book of Islam is the Koran, which the believing Muslim reads only in the Arabic language. The Koran includes many biblical and Arabic traditions.

The Koran describes Allah as the highest god who, as the judge on judgment day, rewards the good and punishes the bad. Paradise and hell are vividly represented in countless colourful pictures.

The Role of the Woman

Mohammed accepted the Arabic customs, but introduced some improvements to the benefit of women. For example, he limited the number of wives to four. However, after the death of his wife Chadidscha, he himself had nine wives who he was allowed through a particular revelation. The fact that Islamic women had absolutely no rights for a long time, cannot be traced back to Mohammed's time, but to later Islamic legislators.

Today, women are breaking away more and more from the shadow of the men. They succeed in stepping out in public in many Islamic countries, in the professions of science and politics. Often women can attend schools of further education, can take part in elections, and for economic reasons, monogamy prevails more and more in the Orient.

In Islam, the husband can divorce his wife at any time, with or without her consent. He can forbid her to leave the house without his permission. If the husband is a Muslim, the children born in the marriage will automatically be Muslims. In court, the statement of one man is equal to that of two women.

According to Islam, men should have more privileges than women (as they are responsible for them), because Allah endowed some people with advantages and these people were men. Righteous women should be obedient, faithful and discrete, so that Allah protects them. However, women whose attitude upsets men are to be withdrawn from, locked in their rooms and punished.

Hinduism

The Origins of Hinduism

Hinduism is the oldest of all the major religions. Around 4000 - 3000 B.C. near the river Ganges in India, a collection of religious songs and proverbs were developed called the Vedes.

The holy book of the Hindu is therefore called the Veda. Within the Veda many gods are praised and worshipped.

India's gods of today evolved from an immense number of gods of nature; family and tribal gods. The highest god of the Hindus is an impersonal IT, called the Brahman. This highest of the Hindu gods always appears as different creatures, gods, humans and animals. This continual rebirth is known as reincarnation. Therefore, Hinduism has an incredible number of gods numbering about 330 million.

The most important forms, Brahman appears as, are:

· Brahman : THE WORLD CREATOR

· Vishnu : THE WORLD PRESERVER

· Siva : THE WORLD DESTROYER

The Worship of the Gods (Cults)

In all things, especially in all living things - humans, animals, and plants, the Hindu sees the Brahman, the highest god. From this the deep worship of animals, especially the cow, originates. For centuries the cow has rendered good services of an inestimable value to the people: as a draught animal to plough the fields, as a supplier of milk and combustible materials (today, dried cow dung is India's major fuel).

The most widespread cults are that of Vishnu and Shiva. The high number of gods and the infinite ways of worship have not brought about any rigid commandments: there are no guidelines such as the Ten Commandments.

This led to the development of many sects (=religious splinter groups). These sects practice a great tolerance towards other sects and religions. Due to this, Hinduism also includes elements of Buddhism, Christianity and Islamic faith.

The Teachings of Hinduism

The Hindu believes that all soulful life is subject to the becoming, the passing away, and the steady change to a higher form of being. The soul always enters into a new form of being whether it be a plant, animal, human, or god. Every deed a person does has either a positive or a negative influence upon his soul: good or bad Karma. These deeds are decisive for their next life. The Hindu hopes for final redemption and the merging with Brahman.

Therefore, death is the greatest event for every Hindu, because it could be his redemption from reincarnation if he becomes one with the Brahman. At the end of their life every Hindu tries to journey to the holy city of Benares, which cleanses them and leads them at last to the Brahman.

The structure of Hinduism is the simplest of all religions. In contrast to Christianity, Hinduism misses out on some essential points which often make our Christian belief difficult.

a. One highest God (Brahman is not a central authority).

b. Direct revelations from God (e.g. Christ, Bible).

c. Set commandments.

The Religious Life of the Hindu

1. The aim:

The aim of the Hindu is to become one with the Brahman as often and as long as possible. This unity with the Brahman could be the redemption form rebirth for the Hindu. There is an ideal for a Hindu, which is asceticism, i.e. abstinence.

2. The way:

Through yoga the Hindu tries to cut out all impressions of the mind, and to reach unity with the Brahman (yoga = physical exercises).

The people who do yoga are called yogi. The faithful yogi relaxes in these old and often very difficult exercises; he frees himself from caste and family, he ignores all outward things in order to get closer to God. This is called meditation. Meditation is an important part in the life of a faithful Hindu.

The Castes

The classification of the Indian society into castes has two reasons:

a) Historical:

In 2000 B.C., white-skinned people marched through the Indu valley and forced the dark skinned population of India to submit to their rule and to be divided into four social groups.

b) Religious:

The castes are the result of the rebirth. Only through his death can the Hindu belong to another caste. His way of life decides whether he will rise or fall in caste in his next life.

The main divisions of castes are as follows:

1. Priests = Brahman.

2. Aristocrats and Warriors.

3. Farmers, Craftsmen and Tradesmen.

4. Labourers.

The rest do not belong to castes and are cast out of normal society. These are outcasts, called the parias.

Today, the castes have developed a great social meaning. The individual castes live in their own residential areas, strictly separated from the other castes. It is almost impossible for the outcasts to be promoted in their jobs, even though any discrimination of castes is, by law, strictly forbidden.

Buddhism

I. Who is Buddha?

a) His origin

Many stories about his origin are legend. The following course of his life might be true. He was born Siddharta Gautama in 560 B.C. in what is now Nepal. With regard to his religion, Gautama was a Hindu. As the son of a chief he belonged to the Aristocrat cast and was brought up in prosperity and wealth.

Gautama: "I owned three palaces; one for autumn, one for winter, and one for summer. I spent the four autumn months at the autumn palace, surrounded by invisible music and I did not descend from my balcony."

b) Discontent with his life

Gautama was not satisfied with all his prosperity at home and left the palace against his father's will. During his journey he was confronted with human suffering for the first time in his life. He saw sick and old people as well as the dead. After this he returned home again, but from then on he had constant unrest within him. Therefore, one day he left his family and started life as a begging monk. At this time, Gautama was 29 years of age. (One can still recognise these begging monks today by their appearance: they have close-cropped hair and wear a saffron-coloured garment.)

c) His aim

Gautama wanted to discover the meaning of life and find out about the so-called 'world mystery'. That 'world mystery', which all religions try to resolve, involves the question about suffering in the world: Where does the suffering and misery come from? Why is there good and evil? Gautama practised strict asceticism together with five Hindu saints to the point of near starvation. Because he did not receive an answer to his questions, he abandoned asceticism, and in revolt the five saints left him.

Gautama now searched for the middle way between asceticism and the luxurious life. Through meditation he waited for the so-called 'illumination'. First of all he had to resist many temptations, but then he received the enlightenment he had hoped for and since then has been called Buddha, which means the 'Enlightened'.

Buddha then moved to Benares, the largest Indian place of pilgrimage and there he met the five saints. He told them of his enlightenment and won them over as his first disciples. Together with these saints he founded a monastic order at the beginning of his work. For fifteen years Buddha travelled throughout India, preaching the redemption of man through enlightenment. Then, after he explained to his pupils once again about the passing away of all earthly things, Buddha died as a result of food poisoning.

"Avoid every evil; multiply the seed of good works; continually purify the spirit; this is the way, which Buddha shows."

II. The Message of Buddhism

Buddhism was a rebellion against the ancient religion of Hinduism (India's main religion). Buddha wanted to help mankind that was longing for redemption from the suffering and misery of this world.

He also refused to accept the classification of castes as well as total abstinence (=asceticism). To him all people were equal.

a) The doctrine of the four noble truths

Here Buddha shows the cause and cure for human passion. To remove this passion is Buddha's main task:

1. Passion is everywhere.

2. The cause for passion is egoism.

3. The elimination of passion through the elimination of egoism.

4. The way to achieve this is shown in the eight-fold path.

b) The doctrine of the eight-fold path

These paths show the Buddhist practical directions for their correct behaviour in life:

1. The right faith.

2. The right will.

3. The right speech.

4. The right performance.

5. The right life.

6. The right aim.

7. The right remembrance (memory).

8. The right meditation.

Parts of these directions will be better illustrated later. The supreme principle is love towards humans and animals alike. No living creature should suffer. Strong emphasis to love your enemy!

III. Nirvana - The Aim of the Believers

a. To break the wheel of reincarnation and to reach 'Nirvana' is the aim of every faithful Buddhist. He has to exert himself and go through many lives until he achieves that aim. All earthly things are subject to change, and so Buddhists renounce most bonds to this world.

b. 'Nirvana' is not equal to 'Heaven' in Christianity. The Christian understands that heaven is personal fellowship with God, while Nirvana is only an impersonal state without pain and suffering; a state of rest and peace.

IV. Buddha - Man or God?

Buddha is rarely honoured as God. For most Buddhists he is a common man who entered into Nirvana and due to this became an idol. They do not honour his person but an impersonal principle, which became reality. Therefore, you will not find any natural representations of Buddha. Buddha became the saviour of mankind only to some. Many relics are worshipped in Buddhist sanctuaries. To be allowed to pray and sacrifice is a special honour. These temples are kept and looked after by monks.

V. The Monk - The Ideal Man

The monk lives an exemplary life. He can do without all the luxuries of life, which shows that only the way of salvation is of importance, and therefore spends all his life in the seclusion of the cloister. Besides the common directions are three special commandments:

a. He has to be pure.

b. He is not allowed to harm any creature.

c. He has to remain unmarried.

The monk has only one garment and is not allowed to buy food. His income is what he receives from people. To give alms to a monk is a great honour. In some countries (Thailand, Burma) almost all young men spend time in cloisters for several weeks. It is part of their education.

http://www.cai.org/bible-studies/islam-hinduism-and-buddhism

Summary: A brief summary of various world religions from a Christian perspective.

A few Catholic quotes . . .

All the major world religions express a certain perception of that hidden power which hovers over . . . the events of human history. (Vatican II)

The Catholic Church . . .

1. Recognizes in other religions, that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near;

2. Acknowledges that there is goodness and truth found in these religions; (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 843)

3. Affirms that they often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men; and

4. Rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. (Vatican II)

We cannot truly call on God, the Father of all, if we refuse to treat in a brotherly way any man, created as he is in the image of God. (Vatican II).

At the end of each section, I include the Catholic view of the "goodness and truth" expressed by each religion.

I have had personal experience with some of the religions I discuss in this article — read about it here (Short Testimony) or here (The Way).

Hinduism

Hinduism is an ancient religion originating in India. Since the 1960's (and even before that) Hindu spiritual thought has influenced Western culture, especially in the form of the New Age Movement.

Hindus believe in reincarnation, the idea that after death each person will be reborn again as a human or even as an animal. The kind of creature we become in a future life depends on our actions while in this life. Thus, each successive life builds in some way upon our past lives.

I have a nagging question about this. Upon reflection, it seems we can't remember our past lives. As a consequence of this, the lessons we learned in previous lives can not be applied to this life. What is the point of continually being reborn over and over if we can't remember and learn from the mistakes we made in our past lives?

Hindus believe in karma, the idea that good actions beget good, and bad actions beget bad. When we do a good action we get good karma, and when we do a bad action we get bad karma.

I have a nagging question about this. There is a curious circularity to all this. According to Hindu teaching, the reason we do good actions is because of the good karma we were born with, and the reason we do bad actions is because of the bad karma we were born with. Thus, our actions in this life are predetermined by our actions in a previous life. Where did it all begin? And what hope can we have of ever improving?

Hindus believe we are reborn into a form of life which expresses the karma from our past lives. If we have a lot of bad karma, we will be reborn as a bad person, or even as an animal. But if we have a lot of good karma, we will be born as a person in one of the higher castes. Hinduism has a caste system in which people are consigned to a caste, or role, in society for their entire lives based on the caste into which they were born. In recent decades, the caste system is in the process of being abolished.

Hinduism has many flavors and varieties. Thus, Hinduism is simultaneously monotheistic (one personal God), polytheistic (many gods), and pantheistic (all is God). (I should note that Hindus probably wouldn't express their religious beliefs in these Western terms).

Some Hindus are polytheistic and worship many gods. These gods are often thought of as personified expressions of the one reality. Hindus often have altars to a variety of gods in their homes, and each family has its favorite gods which they worship. Typically, polytheistic Hindus also acknowledge some sort of Supreme Being which is above these gods. This Supreme Being is by nature unknowable, and so they must instead relate to the lower gods, which are more accessible to humans.

Some Hindus are pantheistic, which means that they believe that all is God; that God is within all things; that God is inseparable from the universe. It is this aspect of Hinduism which has strongly influenced the New Age Movement.

There are a variety of sects in Hinduism. One of these is the Hari Krishna movement which was made popular in the west by the involvement of George Harrison, a member of the famous rock band, the Beatles. There are also ascetic groups of yogis who practice extreme forms of yoga. Their goal is to "short circuit" the normal process of rebirth after rebirth by energizing the spiritual energy circuits of the body. In so doing they believe they will become "liberated" or "enlightened." Yoga has become popular in the west and there are many varieties of pop yoga.

Another aspect of Hinduism is the belief that once in a while an "avatar," or incarnation, of God comes into the world to teach fallen humanity the path of enlightenment. There are many historical and mythical characters who are considered to be avatars. Even Jesus is considered by some Hindus to be one of these avatars (but they reject and change his teachings to suit their worldview.)

Some sects of Hinduism use mantras as an aid to spiritual advancement. Mantras are words and phrases spoken or chanted over and over again. These words and phrases are considered to have spiritual power.

The goal of Hinduism is to attain "enlightenment." This final state of being is similar to that of Buddhism.

Much of the New Age spiritual practice of modern western society is based on the worldview of Hinduism.

I should note that many New Age devotees do not seem to consider the paradoxes in this worldview. These include (1) contradictory concepts of God (already noted above), and (2) the low regard for human life. Regarding point (2), humans are given no special consideration over animals, since animals will some day become humans, and humans could one day become animals. Thus, the cattle which roam the villages could be your ancestors.

Hindus who know about Jesus Christ generally regard him as either (1) a myth; (2) a great teacher (but they reject the Christian view of his teachings); or (3) an avatar. In any case, they would not consider him to be what he claimed to be; "the way, the truth, and the life."

According to Vatican II, the most recent Council of the Catholic Church, in Hinduism, men contemplate the divine mystery and express it through an inexhaustible abundance of myths and through searching philosophical inquiry. They seek freedom from the anguish of our human condition either through ascetical practices or profound meditation or a flight to God with love and trust.

Hari Krishna Movement

The Hari Krishna Movement is sect of Hinduism in which Krishna is considered to be an "avatar." Through devotion to Krishna, the devotee can attain enlightenment. Those with perfect devotion to Krishna will attain enlightenment in this life (but this is rare). Most devotees of Krishna expect to be reborn again in a higher state of life, as a result of the good karma which results from their devotion.

Devotees of Krishna sing mantras, dance, and eat food which has been offered to various Hindu gods and to Krishna. They have altars in their temples with various statues and images of these gods.

Islam (Muslim)

Centuries after the time of Jesus, a visionary from Arabia named Mohammad had visions prompting him to establish the religion of Islam. He considered himself a prophet of Allah (God). Islam has elements in common with the tribal religions of Arabia, with Judaism, and with Christianity.

In our current era of peace and tolerance, most followers of Islam would claim that Islam is a religion of peace. But unfortunately, in our modern era, there are radical Islamic groups that practice violence in their attempt to forcibly convert the world to Islam. It should be noted that these radical Islamic fundamentalists claim to base their violence on passages in the Islamic scriptures (Koran) which speak of jihad and violence. But in reviewing these many passages, I can not find a single passage in which unprovoked violence is taught. The passages all seem to be in the context of defending one's life and religion after being attacked by others. The two most incriminating passages I could find in the Koran are: All who are not Islamic are enemies of God and should be killed in jihads and Fight those who do not believe in Allah . . . nor follow the religion of truth. But these passages do not say that the fighting and jihads are justified when unprovoked.

Allah is the God of Islam. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all monotheistic (one God) religions, but there are significant differences. Typically, Muslims don't know for sure if they will be allowed into heaven after they die. The best they can do is to increase their chances by faithfully reciting their daily prayers, by living as good Muslims, and by making a pilgrimage to Mecca. In Christianity, however, God is merciful and will forgive those who are truly repentant.

There are mystical sects of Islam such as Sufism (Sufi). The modern New Age Movement has incorporated some of these mystical ideas.

Islam regards Jesus as a prophet of God, but is not true to the historical account of Abraham and his lineage given in the Bible. In the Bible, Abraham's son Isaac received the promise that the Messiah would come through his lineage, and Abraham's other son, Ishmael, would also become a great nation (but a contentious nation). However, Islam switches this around and makes Ishmael the son who received the blessing. But both religions agree that Ishmael left home as a young man and traveled east to Arabia to become the progenitor of the Islamic peoples.

According to Vatican II, the most recent Council of the Catholic Church, Muslims "adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all-powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to men; they take pains to submit wholeheartedly to even His inscrutable decrees. . . . Though they do not acknowledge Jesus as God, . . . they await the day of judgment when God will render their deserts to all [, and] . . . they value the moral life and worship God especially through prayer, almsgiving and fasting."

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 841, the plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us [Catholics] they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day.

Sikhism

If you are a Sikh please read my open letter to Sikhs.

Sikhism is a very beautiful and inspiring religion. The Sikh scripture (Siri Guru Granth Sahib) contains devotional and inspirational writings by many holy men.

Sikhism contains elements of Hinduism and Islam (but it is not Hinduism or Islam). A simple search of the following words from the Sikh scripture (Siri Guru Granth Sahib) highlights these elements — Vishnu, Brahma, Vedas, Shiva, Krishna, Karma, Reincarnation, Allah, Mullah, Koran, Mosque; and many more.

Sikhs have endured severe persecution at various stages of their history (as have Christians and Muslims) and there have been many courageous heroes of the faith. Many Sikhs have given their lives for others, even those of different faiths. Sikhs feed the poor in their community meals (langar).

Sikhism was founded by a succession of 10 men (called Gurus). The 10th Guru declared the Sikh scripture (Siri Guru Granth Sahib) as the final Guru and that there would be no more human Sikh Gurus.

Sikhs bow before their scripture in reverence; they read it during church services (Gurdwara) and at other times; and they memorize sections which they recite daily, much as Muslims recite their daily prayers. The Sikh scripture contains writings by the founders of Sikhism as well as a few Muslim holy men.

Sikhism teaches that a person can become "liberated" by following the teaching of the Gurus in the company of the holy. The goal of Sikhism is for the Sikh to ultimately end the cycle of death and rebirth, much the same as in Hinduism. The way to accomplish this is unclear — there are many references in the Sikh scripture to reciting the name of God and to living in the company of the saints.

I should note that the Sikh scripture contains contradictory ideas about the nature of God. For example, it seems to teach simultaneously (1) that there is One God, a personal God; (2) that there are many Gods; (3) that all is God (pantheism); and (4) that the Self within each one of us is God. Quotations from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib:

· Many Gods: The Gods like Brahma and Sanak yearn for Him.

· Pantheism: You are the One, pervading in all; You are contained in all. You are diffused throughout and permeating all places and interspaces; You are known to be deep within the hearts of all beings.

· Pantheism: We shall merge into the One from whom we came. The True One is pervading each and every heart.

· We are each God: The soul is the Lord, and the Lord is the soul; contemplating the Shabad, the Lord is found.

That being said, I should note that there is a strong emphasis on the One, Holy, True, Creator-God.

Some Sikhs believe that the concepts of God, faith, salvation, etc. in other religions are compatible with Sikhism; that different religions merely have different names for the same concepts. However, the concept of God and his attributes in Sikhism, Islam, and Christianity are quite different. Would a Sikh agree that God is a Trinity (as in Christianity) and that Jesus Christ is deity and the one unique savior of the world?

Sikhs who know about Jesus Christ regard him as merely another prophet much as Muslims do. However, the Sikh scripture (Siri Guru Granth Sahib) states that the Bible is true:

Do not say that the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran are false.

Practice within your heart the teachings of the Koran and the Bible.

However, the teachings of the Bible contradict the teachings of Sikhism. How can two contradictory teachings both be true?

Open Letter to Sikhs

I have been to Gurdwara many times and have always felt welcomed. I have read the entire Siri Guru Granth Sahib several times. I regularly listen to Gurbani Kirtan. I can recite Jap Ji in Gurmukhi from memory.

My passion is to know and follow the Truth wherever it leads. I have been involved with eastern religious teaching (Hinduism, Buddhism) as well as Sikhism. But several things about these systems troubled me:

· The problem of evil.

· The nature of the ultimate, final goal.

· Whether contradictory teachings can simultaneously be true, or whether contradictions imply that some of the teachings are false.

In resolving these difficulties I ultimately became a Christian. As a Christian I believe that the teachings of Jesus and his apostles are trustworthy and true and that these teachings (when followed in faith) lead to ultimate eternal union with God. However, I believe that many non-Christians will also enjoy this eternal union with God.

Many non-Christians claim to believe and accept the teachings of Jesus and the Bible but in spite of this they misrepresent these teachings. They typically teach that Jesus taught that all faiths are equal and that all religious systems lead to God. But these claims are simply false; Jesus did not teach these things. He clearly taught that he is uniquely deity in a way no other person ever was or ever will be; that our sin nature and resulting sins require his intervention; and that certain concepts about reality are simply false.

It is not my goal to convert Sikhs to Christianity, merely to present Truth. If I have made errors in my articles I will correct them.

Buddhism

A visionary named Gautama Buddha who was the son of a rich nobleman was sheltered by his parents from seeing any of life's hardships such as poverty, disease, and human suffering. One day he wandered away and observed these things, and was deeply moved. He developed a program of "right living" and traveled around teaching. He taught reincarnation and karma and developed a way for humans to escape the cycle of death and rebirth. Those who manage to do this become "Buddhas" and become "enlightened." This means that upon death, they lose their individuality and become absorbed in the "One Mind." However, Buddhas can somehow choose to defer this final merging and instead live in a spiritual realm where they assist others in their quest of becoming Buddhas.

Since Buddhism is an oriental religion, most Buddhists don't really have any exposure to Christianity. Those who do would consider Jesus Christ to be either a teacher or a Buddha. Jesus, however, did not teach that the goal of life is to lose our identity and merge into the "One Mind." If Jesus was a Buddha, he certainly was not a very good one since he got the teachings all wrong. Jesus Christ taught that after death we retain our individual identity and that, in addition, we will all one day receive a resurrected body (the same kind of body Jesus received when he was raised from the dead).

In contrasting the teachings of the Buddha with the teachings of Jesus Christ it is clear that either Buddha is wrong or Jesus is wrong — they can not both be simultaneously true. I believe Buddha was wrong and Jesus is who he claimed to be — the One God incarnate who died on the cross to save a fallen world. The Buddha died from eating poisonous mushrooms and he's still physically dead, but Jesus sacrificed his life in our place on the cross and was raised from the dead in a resurrected body three days later.

The modern New Age Movement borrows heavily from Buddhist teaching and philosophy.

According to Vatican II, the most recent Council of the Catholic Church, Buddhism, in its various forms, realizes the radical insufficiency of this changeable world; it teaches a way by which men, in a devout and confident spirit, may be able either to acquire the state of perfect liberation, or attain, by their own efforts or through higher help, supreme illumination.

Zen Buddhism

Zen Buddhism is a sect of Buddhism focusing on a strict ascetic lifestyle and long, intense periods of motionless meditation. The objective of Zen meditation is to still the mind. Zen Buddhists believe that the thoughts of the mind disrupt the experience of "One Mind." During meditation, the practitioner attempts to cause thoughts to cease.

An obvious problem with all of this is that the human mind wasn't designed to cease thinking, so Zen Buddhists have resorted to pondering clever paradoxical questions such as "what is the sound of one hand clapping." The Zen practitioner is supposed to respond with a spiritual-sounding, clever, and deeply intuitive response. The TV series "Kung Fu" illustrated this idea in practice. In emphasizing these verbal gymnastics, some modern self improvement movements, such as EST (now called the Forum) emphasize (1) students should never be intimidated in any situation, but (2) should always have a spiritual-sounding verbal comeback for every situation.

There have been various western philosophical systems by such men as Alan Watts and Werner Erhard (EST, the Forum) inspired by Zen Buddhism.

Zen Buddhism is thought by many to be a beneficial spiritual path, but few would want to submit themselves to the ascetic lifestyle and meditation of a Zen monastery. In spite of this, Zen philosophy has had a strong influence on the modern New Age Movement.

Taoism

The principle of duality, of opposites, of the Yin and Yang (male and female) comes from Taoism. It is fashionable to use the word "Tao" (pronounced daow) to refer to the interconnectedness of all things. The book "The Tao of Physics" tries to take some of the oddities which have been discovered in the science of physics and quantum mechanics and to super-spiritualize it by attaching metaphysical-sounding descriptions of these physical phenomena.

Transcendental Meditation

A Hindu Guru named Maharishi Mahesh Yogi came to America teaching a form of meditation he called Transcendental Meditation (TM). To each of his followers he gave out a "secret" mantra which they would mentally repeat for 20 minutes a day. But it turns out that many people got the same secret mantra.

Transcendental meditation is a variety of Hinduism packaged for use by Westerners.

False Jesus Movements

It is common for devotees of various spiritual movements to claim Jesus taught whatever it is that they believe. Some have even fabricated the story that Jesus went to India and the Himalayas, and became a yoga master. However, everybody who claims Jesus is their great teacher makes the same error — they ignore, twist, and distort the teachings Jesus handed down to his disciples.

For example, some people claim Jesus taught he is merely one way of many ways, but Jesus actually taught "no man comes to the Father but by me [Jesus]." Some people claim Jesus was a mere man who merely possessed the "Christ consciousness," and that many before and after him also possessed this "Christ consciousness," and that we can also possess this "Christ consciousness." However, Jesus did not teach this. He was a Jew, and his teaching was based on Old Testament Jewish concepts of God and salvation. In fact, the Greek word "Christ" is the Hebrew word "Messiah," and there is only one Messiah. We can't become Messiahs. Only God can become incarnated as the Messiah.

People who make Jesus out to be something that he isn't are fooling themselves and those they teach.

Astrology

The daily horoscope in the newspaper is the tip of the iceberg of this religious system. People who are deeply involved with astrology figure out their astrological chart for the moment and the location of their birth, then they can figure out for any day of their life what kinds of spiritual and life challenges they will face.

The worldview of astrology makes some anti-Biblical assumptions. It claims spirituality is merely a personality trait, and that some people, because of when and where they were born, are interested in spiritual things while other people aren't inclined to be spiritual. However, according to the Bible, all people are equally spiritual. Also, astrology assumes the position of the planets, the sun, and the moon at the moment of birth determine a person's personality. Astrology assumes the future can be predicted by merely calculating the position of the sun, moon, and stars in relation to the earth. However, the Bible teaches that the Lord is sovereign and controls all events on earth.

Trance Channeling

In New Age circles today there is a phenomena called trace channeling. The channeler goes into a trance state and another being possesses his or her body and speaks through it. I've been to a couple of trance channeling sessions and I must say they were eerie. The channeler's personality changed as well as their voice and mannerisms.

Trance Channelers claim they are allowing some "higher" being from the past, from another dimension, or even from another galaxy to speak through them. Some channelers write in a trance instead of speaking; the Seth books and the Urantia books were written this way. Edgar Casey was a trance channeler.

The Bible clearly condemns allowing spirits to possess you. This is because the beings who possess you are fallen, demonic spirits.

Shamanism

Native American Indians have a spirituality called Shamanism. A "priest" (the Shaman) obtains spiritual powers through drugs or through spiritual practices which are often physically demanding. Common drugs used are peyote and magic mushrooms. Through the use of drugs the Shaman makes contact with "spirit" guides who impart spiritual power. I should mention that not all Shamans utilize drugs.

One of the spiritual practices used to gain spiritual powers is the "vision quest." The Shaman digs a hole in the ground and sits in it without food or water for weeks until he has an encounter with his spirit guide. Another practice involves being speared through the muscles near the clavicles and being hung in the air until the flesh rips out. Shamans often go into trances similar to those who do Trance Channeling.

The whole focus of life for a Shaman is to encounter spirit guides. But these spirit guides are not all holy; rather some may be what the Bible calls "demons." Shamanism is really just a form of Sorcery and this is condemned by the Bible.

Mormonism

The church of the Mormons is named the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). They claim (1) the Bible is incomplete with many errors, and (2) their founder Joseph Smith was supernaturally given the "true" gospel which he wrote down. Thus, Mormons consider their church to be "true" Christianity with "true" Christian doctrine and belief. They believe we have no trustworthy historical record of what Jesus and the apostles taught and that the historical Christian church was corrupted before anything was written down so that all the writings of the early church fathers and the New Testament are untrustworthy (unless properly interpreted via the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints).

It is clear that the doctrines and practices of the historical Christian church have little in common with Mormonism. Many of the key terms used in Christianity have different meanings when used by Mormons. In addition, the key Christian doctrines are radically modified in Mormonism. Because of this, many Christians think Mormonism is not a Christian church at all because it does not have historical, dogmatic, or traditional continuity with the historical Christian church. I suppose the question of whether Mormonism is Christian at all depends on your definition of the word "Christian".

I applaud the high moral standards emphasized in Mormonism.

Mormon evangelists often speak using words and phrases from the Bible, but they give them different meanings than the commonly accepted meanings of Christians.

Mormonism cannot easily be proven as untrue because it is disconnected from historical and archaeological facts. In other words, there is no archaeological discovery which could ever be made which would disprove Mormonism; there is an explanation given for every objection put forth against Mormonism. Mormonism reminds me of Scientology in a way: Scientology is based on a science-fiction story from L. Ron Hubbard which is believed as "true" and Mormonism is based on a story presented by its founder Joseph Smith. Neither of these stories can be proved or disproved; they are not grounded in verifiable, historical fact.

Mormonism reminds me of Islam in that both are based exclusively on the writings of their founders and both claim to be based on the proper understanding of the Bible (assuming, of course, they have the true and correct interpretation of the Bible). Both Islam and Mormonism have concepts of God and the afterlife radically different than those of the historical Christian church.

In Mormon teaching, the only people who can attain (via exaltation) to the highest heaven (called the "celestial kingdom"), are those (1) who are members of the Mormon church in good standing, and (2) who tithe 10 percent of their gross income.

Another troubling teaching of Mormonism is that Mormons hope to reach a state of "exaltation" in which they become a God. They teach Jesus Christ is merely a man who became "exalted" and became a God. Once they become exalted beings, Mormons believe they become the God of their own planet. This is certainly not what the Bible teaches.

Some Mormons send their kids off for 2 years to become missionaries when they are 19. They go around the neighborhoods 2-by-2 wearing white shirts and a tie. They call themselves elder so and so, and often travel on bicycles. They are usually sent far away from home as missionaries. But to their credit, these missionaries, and Mormons in general, come across as being very clean-cut and polite, and have high moral standards.

A serious problem with Mormonism is the historical and archaeological contradictions. Mormons claim their religion has a basis in history. But, according to the Smithsonian Institute and the National Geographic Society, there is not a single bit of historical evidence that the accounts of the events contained in the book of Mormon ever happened. For example, the Mormon history includes references to steel swords but a steel sword has never been discovered.

Mormon claims and my comments...

Mormons say...	The truth...
Apostolic teaching became corrupted in the first generation after the apostles died	This is false. From studying the New Testament, the writings of the early church fathers, and secular historians we see a continuity of essential Christian teaching which, by the way, doesn't match Mormon teaching at all
The Bible has been corrupted and mistranslated. The LDS church has corrected the errors	This is false. The writings of the early church fathers contain large quantities of biblical quotations which match the modern New Testament translations
The book of Mormon is historically accurate	This is false. There is no evidence of the events described
LDS is the church Jesus established	This is false. Why would Jesus come to earth, establish a church via apostolic teaching and the supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost only to have it fall into apostacy for 1,900 years?

Unitarianism

Some people think this church is a Christian church. But most Unitarians don't believe the Bible and they don't believe what the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ.

Jehovah's Witnesses

The Watchtower organization of Jehovah's Witnesses claims to be a Christian movement. While they claim to believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, they have rejected the teachings of the historic Christian church. Individual Jehovah's Witnesses typically do not read and study the Bible themselves. Instead, they read materials published by the Watchtower organization.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that only a select group of "prophets" who run the Watchtower organization are capable of understanding and interpreting the Bible. These prophets publish several magazines which Jehovah's Witnesses read and which are passed out by evangelists. I must say that these magazines have some very un-Biblical teachings.

Jehovah's Witnesses must earn their way into heaven by going from door to door as evangelists as they try to convert people. These evangelists have to pay out of their own pockets for the magazines they hand out.

Christian Science

The Christian Science religion is neither Christian nor is it science. Christian Scientists deny the existence of the physical world and deny the reality of sickness. Because of this, they don't go to doctors when they are sick. These views can be deadly.

Christian Scientists have an unbiblical worldview. Their concept of God is totally different than that of Christianity.

Judaism

Judaism can mean different things depending on which period of history we are discussing. In our modern era, there are Jews who are faithful to the Torah (the Old Testament books written by Moses), as well Jews which are atheists, and everything in between. There are even some Jews who recognize that Jesus Christ was the Messiah (but these are more properly designated as Christians).

Even during the lengthy period in which the Old Testament was being written (up to about 250 BC) there were various Jewish sects. Some of these were the object of rebuke by the various Old Testament prophets. But it was those Jews who recognized the Old Testament as the inerrant, inspired word of God who provided the foundations for Christianity. At the time of Jesus and the early Christian Church, some Jewish sects were rebuked by Jesus (and the writers of the New Testament) for their failure to properly follow God's revealed plan.

The Old Testament records the history of the Jewish people (the Israelites) who at various times became unfaithful to God, and even followed after idols and false gods. On one occasion, God's response to this was to send the Israelites into captivity in Babylon. But they later returned from captivity and again occupied the land that was given to them by God. However, they again turned away from their God and began to follow a religion devised by the rabbis instead of following the traditions of the Old Testament. By the time of Jesus Christ, many Jews were practicing this corrupted version of Judaism.

Jesus Christ was born in a Jewish culture and he was, himself, Jewish. He was the promised Messiah and he fulfilled hundreds of prophecies in the Old Testament. He attempted to teach the unfaithful Jews the error of their ways, but they rejected him as their long-awaited Messiah which resulted in his death. Soon after this, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple as predicted by the Old Testament and by Jesus himself, and the Jews were dispersed.

Today most Jews are no longer practicing the religion of the Old Testament — they are practicing a religion which has come from various traditions. But some Jews of today are beginning to realize that Jesus Christ was, indeed, the Messiah. These Jews are called Messianic Jews and are really Christians who keep their Jewish culture but who accept the New Testament as God's revealed word. These Messianic Jews, as well as Christians, believe that both the Old and the New Testaments of the Bible are God's revealed word.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 839 & 840, the Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God's revelation in the Old Covenant. . . . When one considers the future, God's People of the Old Covenant and the new People of God [Christians] tend towards similar goals: expectation of the coming (or the return) of the Messiah. But one [the Christian,] awaits the return of the Messiah who died and rose from the dead and is recognized as Lord and Son of God; the other [the Jew,] awaits the coming of a Messiah, whose features remain hidden till the end of time; and the latter waiting [by the Jews] is accompanied by the drama of not knowing or of misunderstanding Christ Jesus.

New Age Movement

Our whole society is immersed in "New Age" ideas and practices. The New Age Movement is a curious blend of Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Zen Buddhism and Shamanism. It ranges from seeking extra-terrestrial contact with super-evolved "space brothers," to involvement with trance channeling, astrology, sorcery, witchcraft and much, much more. Almost anything goes in the New Age Movement. The only thing which is actually excluded is historical Christianity because it is considered too old-fashioned and narrow-minded for the modern spiritual thinker.

New Age practitioners sometimes consider themselves to be as "gods" and they seek some form of enlightenment through self-realization. There is an emphasis on loving one another and of being nonjudgmental. Some even blend in environmental concerns and a few even consider the planet earth to be alive and to be their "mother." The whole universe, and particularly the earth, is considered to be one organic being of which we are all a part and in which we all share.

Catholicism

The books in the New Testament of the Bible tell the story of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, and of the early years of the Christian Church. These events were a continuation of God's plan of redemption which He revealed to His chosen people, the Jews. The books of the Old Testament contain amazing prophecies about a Messiah (Christ) who would come from heaven to earth and redeem all who were willing to repent from their sins.

Jesus selected 12 disciples, later called Apostles, and he commissioned them to start a church on his behalf. After the death and miraculous resurrection of Jesus, the Apostles were empowered by the Holy Spirit to teach the faith boldly, to preserve it from heresy, and to pass it on to subsequent generations. Thus, the Church was born. Within a few decades, this church was referred to as the "Catholic" (universal) Church.

Over time, as the church was plagued by various heretical movements, the church leaders (now called Bishops, Priests, and Deacons) held Church Councils to address these problems. These councils defined and defended the faith which was passed on to them from their predecessors. The various Christian doctrines slowly became more and more clear over the centuries (via Doctrinal Development).

Jesus singled out Peter, the leader of the Apostles, for a special role of leadership which was to be passed on from generation to generation. Over time, this developed into the Papacy (Pope). The Pope was (1) to oversee the Bishops, and (2) to preserve and protect the Christian faith. Over the course of time, the Papacy grew in influence until it was equal in power to the secular rulers. But the power of the Catholic Church over human affairs eventually unraveled.

In the early 1500's A.D. there was a violent schism known as the Protestant Reformation in which various "reformers" including Martin Luther, John Calvin, and King Henry VIII, radically changed Christian doctrine, teaching, and practice. To this day, the Christian religion is divided, but the Catholic Church claims to maintain the fullness of the faith and the continuity from the Apostolic era. In looking at the writings of the Early Church Fathers, we see that the early Church had Catholic elements from the very beginning but there were many developments over time, often in response to heresy.

All of the Catholic doctrines have their roots in the in writings of the Apostles of Jesus (the New Testament). Over several centuries, these writings were determined by the Church in various church councils to be authoritative and inspired by God. The process of determining the Canon of Scripture involved (1) collecting together the various documents which were in circulation, (2) determining which documents accurately taught the faith which had been handed down from Jesus and the Apostles, (3) rejecting those documents which were heretical, and (4) giving this list of books an authoritative stamp of approval. We now call these writings the New Testament canon of scripture.

It took hundreds of years before the canon was finally determined. Before that time, Christians learned their faith from oral tradition, from the liturgy in their weekly church meetings, and from teaching by their leaders, who were often Bishops. Even today, the Catholic Church teaches that it is the Bishops in union with the Pope who have the Holy Spirit-empowered duty to preserve and teach the true Christian faith.

I should mention the various anti-Catholic views which are held by the many non-Catholic (Protestant) Christian denominations. Although there is a great variety of opinions about the Catholic Church and whether or not it is the church which Jesus established, Protestants generally teach that Catholics have added many things to the faith found in the Bible. But this view has a few problems.

The Catholic teachings actually are in the Bible.
The Apostles did not teach that we are to base our faith solely on the Bible. (In fact, there was no Bible for many centuries). The leaders of the Church are the ones who determined which books should be in the Bible. This process took several hundred years to complete.
The Bible nowhere claims that Christians are to base their faith solely on the Bible (Sola Scriptura). Rather, the Bible instructs Christians to accept the faith which was handed on to them by authorized Church leaders.
As an examination of Protestant doctrine easily demonstrates, looking only to the Bible as the sole rule of faith results in many conflicting and contradictory teachings. That is why there are so many Protestant denominations. They each have their own particular interpretation of the Bible.

Some of the doctrines, teachings, and practices of the Catholic Church which are rejected by most Protestants are:

The authority of the succession of Bishops which has been passed on from the Apostles via ordination.
The Papacy (Pope).
Purgatory. That only the perfect are allowed into heaven and that those whose faith is imperfect when they die must be purified before entering heaven.
Devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Confession before a priest. But the Bible specifies that the church leaders have the power to forgive sins.
That communion (the Eucharist) is more than just a symbol.

Some of the false claims of Protestant anti-Catholics against the Catholic Church are:

That the Catholic Church adopted pagan practices. This is simply false.
That Catholics believe they are saved by works. This is false. Catholics believe they are saved by receiving God's grace in faith. This faith must result in good works or it is not faith.

I should mention that I converted to Catholicism from Protestant fundamentalism.

It has been my observation that many Protestants don't really understand Catholicism and commonly misrepresent its teachings.

There are many Catholics who have a genuine relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and who look to Him as the Savior of their souls. But there are others who, it could be argued, have no such relationship and merely practice their faith out of habit.

Please see the next section (Christianity) for more information.

Christianity

Christianity is based on:

The truths expressed in the Bible, both the Old Testament and the New Testament, and
The doctrines of the historical Christian church.

Christians understand God to be eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, and personal. In Christianity, God is one, but has three centers of personhood (the Trinity). The three persons of the Trinity are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost). Other Christian teachings are:

God created the universe and everything in it.
God created humans that we might serve Him, love Him, and glorify Him.
The first humans, Adam and Eve, were created with free will to obey or to disobey God's commands.
They chose to disobey and as a result, God cursed the universe and gave humans a sin nature.

According to Christian teaching:

God is holy, just and righteous.
God hates sin, but He loves those whom He created even though they are sinners.
Because God is just, He must punish sin, but because He is merciful, He made a way for those who will receive it to return to fellowship with Him.
God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, to earth in a human body to live the perfect life and to take the just punishment for sin upon Himself by dying on the cross (crucifixion) in our place.
If we will receive His gift of salvation in faith, God will forgive our sins and accept us into His family once again.

This is what the Bible teaches, both the Old Testament and the New Testament, and this is what the Christian Church teaches — both Protestant and Catholic. Many people consider that the Bible is just a book of fables and can't be trusted. But there are problems with this idea. For one, the Bible gives a detailed historical account of the time period from the beginning of the earth until just after the time of Jesus. archaeological evidence supports the account given in the Bible in many details. There are no cases in which archaeological evidence contradicts the Bible. In cases where people thought there were contradictions, further research showed that there were no contradictions after all.

Another line of evidence for the Bible is in the area of prophecy. The Bible contains many instances of prophecies of future events. In every case the prophecy has come true. Some of these prophecies are simply amazing. One example is the prophecy in the book of Daniel which gives the exact time from the command to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and the coming of Jesus Christ. It was fulfilled perfectly.

Please see the previous section (Catholicism) for more information.

http://www.northforest.org/ChristianApologetics/worldreligions.html

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1. World Population Clock: 7 Billion People (2015) - Worldometers

www.worldometers.info/world-population/ - Cached - Similar

by Religion; Population Density; Population by Country; Gender, Age, TFR, Migrants ... Top 20 Largest Countries by Population (live) ... 10 Japan 126,918,797.

World Population Statistics

| · Image from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/world

World Statistics – World’s Population by Continents

World = 7,021,836,029
Asia = 4,140,336,501
Africa = 994,527,534
Europe = 738,523,843
North America = 528,720,588
South America = 385,742,554
Oceania (incl. Australia) = 36,102,071
Antarctica = no permanent population

Overall, there are 268 nations, dependent areas, and other entities according to the World Fact-book.

Age Structure

0-14 years: 26.3% (male 944,987,919 / female 884,268,378)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 2,234,860,865 / female 2,187,838,153)
65 years and over: 7.8% (male 227,164,176 / female 289,048,221)

Religions

Christian 33.35% (of which Roman Catholic 16.83%, Protestant 6.08%, Orthodox 4.03%, Anglican 1.26%), Muslim 22.43%, Hindu 13.78%, Buddhist 7.13%, Sikh 0.36%, Jewish 0.21%, Baha’i 0.11%, other religions 11.17%, non-religious 9.42%, atheists 2.04%

Languages

Mandarin Chinese 13.69%, Spanish 5.05%, English 4.84%, Hindi 2.82%, Portuguese 2.77%, Bengali 2.68%, Russian 2.27%, Japanese 1.99%, Standard German 1.49%, Wu Chinese 1.21%
note: percents are for “first language” speakers only and therefore do not add to 100%

Literacy

total population: 83.7%
male: 88.3%
female: 79.2%

NOTE: Over two-thirds of the world’s 793 million illiterate adults are found in only eight countries (India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Egypt); of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women; extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, South and West Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Arab states, where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate.

10 Largest Countries

There are approximately 225 inhabited countries and territories in the world. About half the world’s people live in the first six largest countries listed below.

China = 1,343,239,923
India = 1,205,073,612
United States = 313,847,465
Indonesia = 248,645,008
Brazil = 199,321,413
Pakistan = 190,291,129
Nigeria = 170,123,740
Bangladesh = 161,083,804
Russia = 142,517,670
Japan = 127,368,088

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base

World Birth/Death Rates

Birth Rate:
19.14 births/1,000 population
128.6 million births per year
352,239 births per day
14,677 births each hour
245 births each minute
4.1 births each second of every day

Death Rate:

7.99 deaths/1,000 population
56.7 million souls die each year
155,399 souls die each day
6475 souls die each hour
108 souls die each minute
almost 2 (1.8) souls die each second

Age Structure of World’s Population

1.83 billion people under age 15 years (26.3%)

3.97 billion people age 15-64 years (65.9%)

441 million people are 65 years and over (7.9%)

Average Life Expectancy at Birth is 67.59 years

http://www.30-days.net/muslims/statistics/world-stats/

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U are a child of the universe- no less than the trees and the stars- u have a right 2 be here....

CHILD OF THE UNIVERSE (Lyrics) Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0UEkzFQRS0

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially, do not feign affection.

Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be,

and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann 1927

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Major Religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Judaism

Gaurav Gurung / September 7, 2013

Introducing World Religions

By-Gaurav Gurung
Religions provide platform to the people bringing them to consider their relations to God and supernatural elements. Several elements like sacred, divinity, supernaturalism, holy, godly etc. come across when we are into religion. Religion is the diversely opinionated term which more or less talks about faith and belief system of people.
Malory Nye defines in the book ‘Religion: The Basics’ that “Religion is the term with the wide range of meanings, but it is used on a global scale for a variety of purposes and in many different, often contrasting and conflicting, ways” (18). Sometimes it is also taken as an illusion too in which Sigmund Freud defined in his book New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis saying “Religion is an illusion and it derives its strength from the fact that it falls in with our instinctual desires.”
In this way defining the religion never became someone’s cup of tea. There are variations indeed and those variations have made the way to make them to stand in their own. So, here is the introduction of diverse opinions and thought systems attached with two Indo-European religions and three semiotic religions.
Hinduism
Hinduism is taken as the dominant religion of Indian Sub-continent which began around 3000BCE. It is particularly taken in two Asian countries India and Nepal. Hinduism is taken as the historic Vedic religion of Iron Age India. It’s defined as the oldest living religion with no founder as such.
It has diverse traditions along with distinct philosophical ideas and intellectual stand points. Sue Penney, British author, in her book entitled “Hinduism” said that “Most Hindus don’t call their religion Hinduism. They call it Sanatan Dharma. This means ‘eternal truths’” (6).
All those eternal truths are collected and transferred to generations with their holy books. They consider two books to be highly sacred which are Shruti (revealed-Veda) and Smriti (remembered-Puranas and Upanisadhas). Similarly, Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas are considered main texts of Hinduism. Generally, these texts discuss upon diverse topics like theology, philosophy, mythology, Vedic Vajna, agamic rituals, temple building and other.

Avatars of Hindu God

            Hindu’s philosophy of world view rests upon the cyclical pattern in which every element of this nature keep on moving in cyclical patterns with its endless rebirths and deaths. Similarly, they consider the view of ultimate reality, concept of a man and self, the problem with life, the cause of the problem, solutions etc. Generally in world view, Hinduism has set certain views regarding several topics like Brahman, two selves of man, problems with life: Samsara and karma, the case: Avidya and Maya, the ultimate aim of life: Moksha, three paths to Moksha, common grounds with apologetic thoughts and more.
            William claims that “The ultimate goal of the Hindu believer is release or liberation from the continuous cycle of samsara, which is known as moksha. This is accomplished by the realization of absolute truth, knowing who one really is and knowing the true nature of reality, which is different for the three branches of Vedanta.
The knowledge of the true nature of atman provides liberation from samsara. Moksha is viewed as the liberation from samsara. Although all branches of Hinduism share moksha as their ultimate goal, they differ on the nature of the liberated state. (25)”

            Besides obtaining of MOksha, Hindu wants to get united with Brahma
(The ultimate) ultimately. Hindu followers are taught to follow four ways to obtain Moksha (revelation) which are Gyana (Knowledge), Karma (Action), Bhankti (Devotion) and Raja (Meditation) Yogas.
            They rest their thought more upon the ideas of polytheism and pantheism in which they believe that all the elements in this nature have gods with different forms of them. But scholars are still hooked with the idea of one main God Brahma which tags Hinduism as the monotheistic religion too.
            Hindu believes over several concepts like God as an almighty, devas and avataras, Karma and Samsara, sin and penance, self-control and self-realization, objectives of life: dharma, artha, karma, yoga, moksha; reincarnation and liberation and more. Similarly, they practice Puja (Worship), Bhajan, Symbolism, rituals, pilgrimage, festivals and more.
Buddhism
            Buddhism is the religion which is based on the teachings and lessons by Siddhartha Gautam. It was originated from northern Indian sub-continents. “Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life. There are 376 million followers worldwide.” (BBC religions)
            According to BBC religions, Buddhism started 2,500 year ago with Siddhartha Gautama’s quest for enlightenment in around 6^th century BC. They believe that nothing permanent and fixed, everything is changeable.

Gautam Buddha

            It’s believed that the Buddha started teaching after he got Buddhatva (enlightenment) with his meditation. Later on, his teachings were written and collected in the Buddhism’s main scriptures like Tripitak, Jataka and Pragyaparamita.
            Buddhism’s world views are shaped by the concept of Nirvana (salvation/Moksha) which is achieved with cyclical pattern of time. Through cyclical lives, sufferings, teaching and meditation; you can come to the point of Nirvana.
            The four noble truths through which you can obtain Nirvana is the essence of Buddha’s teachings. Those four noble truths are the truth of suffering (Dukkha), the truth of the cause of the suffering (Samudaya), the truth of the end of suffering (Nirhodha), and the truth of the path that frees us from suffering (Magga). The fourth noble truth came out with the prescription of eightfold path to get released from the suffering.
Buddhism is also taken as the variedly perceived religion along with its variation like Theravada, Mahayana and Hinayana. Buddhism also encompasses several practices and religious beliefs like enlightenment, sangha and other.
Anita states that Buddha spent the next 45 years travelling throughout north-eastern India and teaching people from all walks of life. Many of his followers dedicated their lives to Buddhism. They became monks and nuns and were known as the sangha. For some Buddhists, Sangha also includes laypersons (9).
Buddhism is also taken as the polytheistic religion with the presence of several forms of the gods. Buddhism believes that it hasn’t achieved Buddhatva yet which precisely defines that Buddha is not the God but the path finder only.
Several series of queries about the religion and faiths make you clear enough to follow the religion which removes the rigidity of the religion.
Judaism
Judaism is one of the oldest religions which began as the religion of the small nation of the Hebrews, along with thousands of years of suffering, persecution, dispersion, and occasional victory, has continued to be a profoundly influential religion and culture.
Judaism is the original of the three Abrahamic faiths, which also includes Christianity and Islam. According to information published by The Jewish People Policy Planning Institute, there were around 13.1 million Jewish people in the world in 2007, most residing in the USA and Israel. (BBC Religions)
Judaism is supposed to be started by Mosses before 3500 year ago in the Middle East. The main text of Judaism is Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) which is also known as the Tanakh and the Talmund in later texts. The way to salvation in the Judaism is 10 Commandments and its honest follow leads to salvation in life. Otherwise you are going to bear pain and suffering.

10 Commandments that you follow

Judaism is the monotheistic religion. The Hebrews / Israelites were already referred to as “Jews”. Israel is taken as the country of its origin along with its founder Abraham. They believe in a single God Jebovah. Judaism has the linear worldview and time unlike of two Indo-European religions: Hinduism and Buddhism. It’s doesn’t possess any faith over the next life or rebirths. Thus, they try hard to get salvation in this life.
Judaism has got several belief systems like sacred narratives, ultimate reality and divine beings, Human nature and the purpose of existence, suffering and problems of the evil and after life and salvation.
Christianity
Sharing its roots with Judaism, Christianity began with the life and teaching of Jesus Christ as described in the new testament of Bible. Christianity is said to be the largely followed religions by more than 2.2 billion people. It’s also the monotheistic religion with the existence of only one God. Jesus Christ is considered fully divine, son of the God, the messiah in the old testament of the bible.
It had started as a Jewish sect in the middle of 1^st century originating in the Middle East which quickly spread towards Syria, Mesopotamia and Egypt. Along with colonization and missionary works helped to shape the Christianity throughout the world.
Besides meonotheism, it has lived the idea of holy Trinity as well in which three different elements are included in one God i.e. God the father, God the son and Holy Spirit.

Bowing down to Jesus

The worldview and the concept of the time are governed by linearity in which there are no possibilities of afterlife and rebirths. But there is the presence of purgatory which decides whether you would be sent to hell or heaven.
They highly believe in original sin and getting rid of that sin gives them the true salvation. “ The only way a person can ‘cleanse’ their soul from sin is to accept that Christ’s death on the cross atoned for this sin, accept that only God’s grace can cure this sin, confess their sins and ask for forgiveness and be baptized.” (BBC religions)
The main text of the Christianity is Bible (New testament and old testament) which is altered with two different interpretation of it i.e. protestant and catholic.
Islam
Islam is also one of the Abrahimic and monotheistic religion. It’s founded by Mohammad during first half of 7^th century. Muslims communities have considered Mohammad to be the last prophet of the God. Muslim communities love and care to the god has been the sole purpose of their existence.
Islam’s main text is Quran in which Allah is considered to be the ong God. And, it’s land of origin is considered to be Arabia. Recitation of Quran has remained the integral part of the Muslim living.

This is how they pray

The word Islam means “Submission to the will of God”. Jesus, Prophet and Moses are respected as prophets of God. According to Muslims, God sent a number of pr0phets to mankind to teach them how to live according to his law. There are five basic Pillars of Islam which are declaring of faith, praying five times a day, giving money to charity, fasting and pilgrimage. (BBC Religions)
The linearity with worldview is taken and there is no existence of rebirth and afterlife. But deeds we do decide whether it leads to Jannat (Heaven), or Jahammat (Hell). There is two variations among the Muslims i.e. Shia and Sunni.
Thus all these five dominant religions standing in their own have taught people to get attached with God and accomplish your duties for salvation. They have diverse opinions, thoughts and ideas which make some connections as well as some sort of variations too. But, serving the beliefs systems and elements of supernaturalism have made their own way to define the universe and quest for solutions of sufferings and problems.

Works Cited

BBC Religions. Islam at a glance. 17 November 2009. BBC Religions. 5 Sep. 2013.<http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/ataglance/glance.shtml>
BBC Religions. Original sin. 17 November 2009. BBC Religions. 5 Sep. 2013.<http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/beliefs/originalsin_1.shtml#h4>
BBC Religions. Buddhism at a glance. 17 November 2009. BBC Religions. 5 Sep. 2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/ataglance/glance.shtml>
Hedrick, William P. “Worldviews of Hinduism.” Diss. Liberty University. 2008.
Nye, Malory. Religion: The Basics. London: Routledge. 2003.
Ganeri, Anita. Atlas of World Faiths: Buddhism. Minnesota: Arcturus. 2008.
Penney, Sui. Discovering religion: Hinduism. UK: Heinemann. 1999.

Written by:
Gaurav Gurung
MA-III semester in English
IACER, Pokhara University
Pokhara, Nepal.

https://gaurabgurung.wordpress.com/2013/09/07/major-religions-hinduism-buddhism-christianity-islam-and-judaism/

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