Everyone wants to live a successful life and feel that they did everything correctly. What about the biggest religions of the world? Do they include anything that could give our lives more meaning and depth?
The primary world religions are examined in the sections that follow: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and New Age Spirituality. Each religion is briefly described, along with how they see God and what benefits one can expect from practicing it. The conclusion clarifies how Jesus’ message differs from that of the mainstream religions.
*Sects with various beliefs exist within each of these religions. The focus of this description is on the essential tenets of each religion. Although we could discuss other significant religions, like Judaism, we have decided against it for the sake of brevity.
HINDUISM AND ITS BELIEF
The majority of Hindus worship Brahman, the ultimate Being of Oneness, through an unlimited number of goddesses and gods. These numerous deities take the form of idols, buildings, gurus, rivers, creatures, etc.
Hindus think their status in this life is a result of their choices made in a previous one. Hinduism thus offers a potential justification for pain and evil in this world. If someone has a history of bad behavior, they may rightly face extreme difficulties in this life. That person has earned pain, disease, poverty, or a catastrophe like a flood due to their evil deeds, typically from a prior lifetime.
Being unrestrained from the law of karma and endless reincarnations is a Hindu’s ultimate goal. The only thing that counts is the soul, which will one day be at peace and liberated from the cycle of rebirths.
Hinduism gives everyone the freedom to select their path to spiritual excellence. There are three ways to break the karmic cycle: 1. Have a deep devotion to one or more Hindu gods; 3. Dedicate oneself to numerous religious rites and ceremonies; 2. advance in knowledge by meditation on Brahman (oneness)…to understand that life’s circumstances are unreal, that one’s ego is an illusion, and that only Brahman is real.
BUDDHISM AND ITS BELIEF
Buddhists don’t believe in God or other deities. Outsiders frequently believe that Buddhists adore the Buddha. However, (Siddhartha Gautama) the Buddha never claimed to be divine; rather, Buddhists view him as having attained spiritual enlightenment and, with it, freedom from the unending cycle of life and death, which is what they themselves are striving to achieve.
The majority of Buddhists think everyone undergoes innumerable rebirths, all of which include pain. Buddhists aim to put an end to these rebirths. Buddhists contend that these rebirths are brought on by a person’s desires, aversions, and delusions. Therefore, Buddhist’s main objective is to purify their heart and let go of all attachments to themselves as well as yearnings for sensual desires.
Buddhists adhere to a set of moral precepts, including self-control, fasting, and intense meditation. Buddhist meditation is more of a kind of self-discipline than prayer or concentration on a deity. A person can achieve Nirvana—”the blowing out” of the flame of desire—through diligent meditation.
Buddhism offers practices, principles, and rules that one could choose to live by, which is true of most major religions.
ISLAM AND ITS BELIEF
Muslims hold that there is a single, all-powerful deity called Allah who is vastly greater than and transcendent of humankind. According to Islam, Allah is the origin of all good and evil and the creator of the universe. Everything that occurs is by the will of Allah. He is a strong and rigorous judge who will show mercy to followers if their life’s good deeds and religious piety are sufficient. The relationship between an adherent and Allah is that of a servant.
Although a Muslim reveres several prophets, Muhammad is regarded as the final prophet, and as such, his words and way of life are considered to be the standard. Muslims are required to uphold five religious obligations: Recite a creed about Muhammad and Allah five times a day, say specific prayers in Arabic, and give to the poor. 4. Fasting from food, alcohol, sexual activity, and tobacco for one month every year from sunrise to sunset; 5. Making a pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime to perform worship. A Musliwantant to join Paradise when they die, based on their adherence to certain obligations. If not, they will suffer in torment for all eternity.
Islam meets the expectations of many individuals regarding religion and god. Islam holds that there is only one supreme deity, who must be worshipped via moral behavior and orderly religious practices. A person’s reward or punishment after death depends on their level of religious piety. According to Muslims, dedicating one’s life to Allah is a surefire method to reach Paradise.
CHRISTIANITY AND ITS BELIEF
Christians consider there to be a single, everlasting God who created everything. He is regarded as a loving God who extends an intimate relationship to everyone right now.
Jesus Christ never claimed to be a teacher of enlightenment or a visionary pointing to God during his time on Earth. Jesus, on the other hand, asserted to be God in the flesh. He worked miracles, absolved sinners of their transgressions, and said that anyone who placed their faith in him would have endless life.
Christians view the Bible as God’s composed letter to humanity. The Bible not only provides a historical account of Jesus’ life and miracles, but also provides insight into who he was as a person, his truth and love, and how one could get to know and relate to God as one might to a friend.
Christians hold that everyone, including themselves, is guilty of sin. They regard Jesus as their Saviour and the Messiah who was foretold by every Old Testament prophet in the Bible. They hold the view that Jesus Christ died on the cross to atone for the sin of the entire human race out of love for us. He fulfilled his vow to rise from the grave three days later, demonstrating his divinity.
How different are these big faiths?
When we examine these main religions and their conceptions of God, we discover a wide range of perspectives:
Hindus recognize a large number of deities.
Buddhists assert that there is no god.
People who are practice spiritual qualities think they are God.
Muslims hold a powerful but mysterious God in high esteem.
Christians believe in a loving God who made us so that we could know him.
Are there common deities among all religions? Let’s think about that. According to New Age spirituality, everyone should learn to center themselves on a cosmic awareness, but doing so would necessitate that all three major religions—Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam—renounce their respective pantheons of deities in order for this to be possible.
What are the demands of each religion?
The needs of the major religions of the world (Hinduism, New Age Spirituality, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity) are likewise highly distinctive.
An image of a happy young man is used to demonstrate how Christians are not required to work hard to earn God’s favor. The majority of world religions emphasize the importance of the person in their quest for spiritual perfection.
In Hinduism, an individual works alone to overcome their karma. In the New Age, everyone strives to become divine. Being unrestricted from desire is an individual pursuit in Buddhism. And in Islam, people observe Islamic commandments to enter paradise after death.