Religion - Christianity ,Buddhism, Islam
Buddhism I Christianity I Islam
Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life.
Buddhism teaches that all life is interconnected, so compassion is natural and important.
* Buddhism is 2,500 years old
* There are currently 376 million followers worldwide
* Buddhism arose as a result of Siddhartha Gautama's quest for Enlightenment in around the 6th Century BCE
* There is no belief in a personal God. It is not centred on the relationship between humanity and God
* Buddhists believe that nothing is fixed or permanent - change is always possible
*The two main Buddhist sects are Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism, but there are many more
* Buddhism is a very colourful faith with many festivals throughout the year
Christianity is the most popular religion in the world with over 2 billion adherents.
* Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament.
* Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
* One of the most important concepts in Christianity is that of Jesus giving his life on the Cross (the Crucifixion) and rising from the dead on the third day (the Resurrection).
* Christians believe that there is only one God, but that there are three elements to this one God:
* God the Father
* God the Son
* The Holy Spirit
* Christians worship in churches
* Their spiritual leaders are called priests or ministers.
* The Christian holy book is the Bible, and consists of the Old and New Testaments.
Islam. The word Islam means 'submission to the will of God'.
Islam is the second largest religion in the world with over 1 billion followers. Muslims believe that Islam was revealed over 1400 years ago in Mecca, Arabia.
* Followers of Islam are called Muslims.
* Muslims believe that there is only One God.
* The Arabic word for God is Allah.
* Jesus, Moses and Abraham are respected as prophets of God.
* They believe that the final Prophet was Muhammad.
* Muslims believe that Islam has always existed, but for practical purposes, date their religion from the time of the migration of Muhammad.
* Muslims base their laws on their holy book the Qur'an.
* Pillars of faith are praying five times a day, giving money to charity, fasting and a pilgrimage to Mecca.
