What are the most common world religions?

Answer

There are numerous religions worldwide, each with various sects. In general, all religions aim to help individuals understand their purpose and existence, explain the afterlife, and address the existence of a deity and our relationship with it. The seven major world religions listed below encompass more than 95% of the world’s religious followers. Each world religion is accompanied by a link to a detailed discussion of its beliefs and practices.

Roman Catholicism and Christianity

There are around 1.2 billion Roman Catholics globally. While the Roman Catholic Church is closely associated with Christianity, there are distinct differences between the two. Roman Catholics consider themselves Christians, but to differentiate between the two branches of the Christian faith, followers of Roman Catholicism are known as Catholics, while non-Catholic Christian followers are referred to as Christians. Globally, there are about 900 million people who identify as non-Catholic Christians. The term “Christian” originates from the early followers of Jesus of Nazareth being called Christians “and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”, (Acts 11:26), which literally means “little Christs.” “Christ” is the Greek term for the Hebrew Messiah, the “anointed one.” While Christians often align with specific denominations like Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Pentecostals, and Nazarenes, they collectively identify as “Christians.”

Christianity

Christianity is a religion that followers often refer to as “the Church.” This term is broad because it is used to describe both local congregations and buildings, as well as specific denominations.

Islam

The term Islam translates to “submission,” and a Muslim is someone who submits to God. Islam is primarily based on the teachings of Mohammad, as recorded in the Qur’an. There are approximately 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide, with significant populations in Asia, particularly in Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India.

Hinduism

Hinduism is the predominant religious and social system in India. Followers of Hinduism traditionally refer to their faith as dharma, meaning “the way” or “the religion.” There are an estimated 900 million Hindus globally, with the majority residing in India. Due to Indian diaspora, Hindu communities can be found in various countries. The total number of Hindus in India is debated due to the inclusion of up to 300 million “untouchables” (dalits) in the Hindu social structure, who face restrictions in fully practicing Hinduism.

Buddhism

Buddhism is founded on the teachings of the Buddha, which translates to “enlightened one.” While Buddhism has diverse branches, followers universally identify as Buddhists. With approximately 360 million adherents, Buddhism ranks fourth in global religions after Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Originating in India, Buddhism is prevalent in traditional forms in Sri Lanka and much of Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia.Cambodia). Additionally, it has taken on various forms in many other Asian countries, most notably Tibet, Korea, China, and Japan. Today, Buddhism is frequently adapted and adopted by Westerners, although often at the expense of faithfulness to the traditional forms of this religion.

Judaism

The word Judaism comes from the name of the tribe of Judah, one of the twelve ancient tribes of Israel. So, literally, it is the religion of those who come from the tribe of Judah, who are (in English) called the Jews. However, being Jewish refers to an ethnic identity as well as a faith, and nowadays there are many Jews who do not practice the Jewish faith, even though they are happy to be known as Jews ethnically and culturally. It is estimated that there are about 15 million religious Jews in the world today, but many others do not practice any religion.

Baha’i

The term Baha’i literally means a “follower of Baha,” referring to Baha’ullah, the founder of the religion. Baha’i has more than seven million members. Originating in Iran, Baha’i is represented in over 200 countries worldwide, following only Christianity and Islam.