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Religion Summaries

Religions Summary -
Compares Major Religions

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by Vaughn Aubuchon

This major religion comparison table includes Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
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The chart below compares selected religion characteristics such as prophets, adherents, founders, origination date, deity names, afterlife, path to redemption, place of worship, holy book name, and main sects.
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     Summary of Major Religions Chart
        (or, where were you born?)

Religion
Millions of Adherents

ONE God
The Monotheistic Religions
(Also called the "bloody" religions)

MANY
Gods
NO
God
Judaism
13
Christianity
1,955
Islam
1,126
Hinduism
793
Buddhism
325

Origination

Egypt - Israel
Israel - Rome
Arabia
India
India

When

586 B.C.
32 A.D.
622 A.D.
1500 B.C.
500 B.C.

Prophets

Adam, Noah, Abraham
No prophets

Adherent

Jew
Christian
Moslem
Hindu
Buddhist

Founder

Abraham/ Moses
Jesus
Mohammed
Many
Siddhartha Gotama

God

Yahweh, Elohim
Christ, Jehovah
Allah
Many: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
none

Devil

No (adversary)
Devil, Satan
Satan
Iblis, Shaitan
Mara

This Life's Purpose

Now, plus test
Just a test
Just a test
One-of-many
This is it!

Afterlife

Eden, Gehenna
Heaven-Hell
Heaven-Hell
Reincarnation
Nirvana

Redemption

Prayer, Study
Confession
Repentance
Faith, Works
Pray 5 times/ day
Karma
Eliminate passions
Enlightenment
Eliminate passions

Place of Worship

Synagogue
Church
Mosque
Temple
Temple

Holy Book(s)

Tanakh (Torah),
Talmud
Bible
Quran plus
Sunna (sayings)
Bhagavad Gita
Tipitaka

Seeks Converts?

No
Yes
Yes
No
No

Main Sects
(worldwide est.)

8% Ortho.
34% Conserv.
23% Reformed
35% Secular

52% Catholic
17% Protest.
19% Ortho.
 2% Anglican

83% Sunni
16% Shiite

70% Vaishnait.
25% Shiavites
2% neo-Hind.

56% Mahay.
38% Hinay.
  6% Tantray.

Labels - Criticism

Worldly
Up tight
Extremist

Backward
Is that it?

Characteristics

Judaism
Christianity
Islam

Hinduism
.
Buddhism

Circumcision

Required
Abraham introduced
Traditional
Traditional1
No
No

Capitol Punishment

Murder
Murder
Murder, Adultery
No
No

Kill for God

Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No

Kill for Honor

No
No
Yes
No
No

Kill Unbelievers

No
Yes2
Yes3
No
No

Kill Homosexuals

Sect dependent
Yes4
Yes5
No
No

Race Equality

Chosen by God
Equal
Equal
4 Castes
Equal

Original Sin

No
Yes - Baptism
No
"saddled with past"
No

Alcohol

OK
No - Yes
No
No
No

Women's Status

Far Improved
Not Bad6
Supressed7
Poor8
Ambivalent

Notes:
1 Although the majority of clitoridectomies in the world are performed on Muslim women in Africa, female circumcision (genital mutilation) is NOT a part of Islam. It is a cultural practice, and not a Muslim practice. To western culture, this practice is repugnant, disgusting, unjustifiable and SICK.

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2 "Stone them with stones until they die."
Consider the crusades - for over 300 years, christians KILLED people who would not convert to Christianity.

3 Kill the infidels -
"I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, Therefore, strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them."
KORAN 8:12

4 "It is an abomination" Leviticus 18:22

"They must be put to death" Leviticus 20:13

5 Homosexuality Punishable by death

6 "Let your women be silent in your churches: for it is not permitted for them to speak: but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law."
      ... 1 Corinthians 14:34

7 Regarding the official status of women -
"Men have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them. Then if they obey you, take no further action against them. Surely God is high, supreme." ... QURAN 4:34

A female is worth half as much as a man -
"A male shall inherit twice as much as a female"
KORAN 4:11

8 Although India has outlawed the practice, it still occurs - Sati - The burning of the widow, when the husband dies.

Author's thoughts -
1. Geography determines most people's religion - not some divine revelation.
2. Stated another way, "You do what you are told".
3. You do not "get" religion, it is given to you. Your spirituality does not come from inside you, but rather, is thrust upon you, by your culture. Whatever religion you are, is not determined by rational deliberation and choice, but primarily by geographic location. In most cases, what you are, is determined by where you are from.

185 - 700

100

100

100

15

100

100

Below is the same religion comparison chart,
but in a graphic format (.GIF)


Religion Comparison Summary Chart

top of page

     Main Religion Books
     Comparison

Religion

Sacred Book Name

Rough Equivalence

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Judaism
Judaism
Judaism


Torah (Moses)
Hebrew Tanakh
Talmud


Pentateuch Books - 5
Old Test. Books - 39
Talmud Tractates - 63


Catholic
Protestant


Rheims Bible
King James Bible


Books (46 + 27)
Books (39 + 27)


Islam


Qur'an (Koran)


Koran Suras - 114


Hinduism


Bhagavad Gita


Bhag. G. Chapters - 18


Buddhism


Tipitaka


Canonization

Books of the Bible Summary - The books and chapters of the Jewish Bible, the Catholic Bible, and the Protestant Bible compared.

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80

140

200 - 450

30



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     Vaughn's Other
     RELIGION-Related Pages

* Angeles Temple

* Bible Word Count

* Books of the Bible

* Christian Denominations

* Religion Followers

* Religions Summary

* Seven Deadly Sins
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This Vaughns Major Religion Summary
page was last updated on 2019-11-07.