Five Major World Religions

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Religion is a guiding moral force in millions of people’s lives, but it also creates divisions between people of different faiths. The five major world religions are Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. These religions can be classified in two groups: the Abrahamic Religions and the Dharmic Religions. The Abrahamic Religions are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All three of these religions share the story of Abraham as one of their major beliefs. This story is especially important to the Jewish people because Abraham is the patriarch of their religion. Another similarity between the Abrahamic Religions is that they are all monotheistic religions, meaning that they believe in only one God. In addition, the Abrahamic Religions …show more content…

Dharma is the personal duty of living beings and the moral force of the universe. The Dharmic Religions are not monotheistic like the Abrahamic Religions. Hinduism is considered to be polytheistic and Buddhism does not have a God. Hinduism and Buddhism also believe in the concept of karma, which is the concept that a person’s actions determine their fate in life. People with good karma are able to escape the process of reincarnation and find Enlightenment. Reincarnation is the process of being reborn repeatedly, which is considered great suffering in Hinduism. Escape from reincarnation is found by reaching moksha or nirvana, which are words that refer to spiritual bliss and liberation from pain. A difference between Hinduism and Buddhism is that Hinduism is based upon the caste system and in Buddhism all people are equal. In Hinduism, low beings suffer from being at the bottom of their social caste and are forced to do the worst jobs. Buddhists believe that anyone can find Enlightenment and that desire causes human suffering. In conclusion, despite the many differences between the five major world religions, they are all centered upon moral principles that help guide people to find spiritual significance in their

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