Comparative Religion
An Analysis of the Similarities of Religions
Major world religions may have different belief systems but they also have a lot of things in common. A good example would be Islam, Christianity and Judaism. These religions believe in one God but have different doctrines. Even these major religious groups are subdivided into many sects. These sects may have evolved through time or for some reason, other members of one sect decided to separate from their mother religion.
Perhaps the similarities between sects are not surprising but the similarities between major world religions would be.
Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam have similarities in their religious texts. They believe in one human being: Buddha for Buddhists, Jesus Christ for Christians, and Muhammad for Muslims. They may have varying degrees of describing or giving these people attribute, the concept is still the same. These human beings serve as the guide, the blueprint for their life to follow. Buddhists want to be enlightened by following Gautama Buddha’s path, Christians want to follow Christ’s sinless life, and Muslims devote their life to follow Muhammad’s example.
Confucianism, Judaism, and Hinduism also have some similarities. For one, these religions have sets of texts that they strictly follow. Confucianism adheres to the teachings of Confucius, Hinduism has major scriptures such as the Tantras, and Judaism has the Bible, particular the Torah. They emphasize on living customs according to the laws written on their texts. These religions do differ a lot. Their major difference is that Judaism believes in one, ultimate God, while Confucianism is a way of life which is normally integrated with other religions (i.e. Buddhism). Hinduism has many Gods and deities. They are most popular because of their belief in reincarnation that is, being reincarnated into other life forms depending on how one lived his or her past life.
Work Cited:
“Major Religions of the World Ranked by Number of Adherents.” 8 May 2008. <http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html>
“The Similarities in All Major World Religions – Closer Than You Think.” 8 May 2008. <http://bahaisonline.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=567&Itemid=2>
“Major Faiths of the World and their Sacred Writings.” 8 May 2008. <http://www.worldreligionday.org/world_faiths.html>
