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Religion
Literature
Protestant, Holy Bible
Christianity
(Old and New
(e.g.,
Testament; New
Lutheran,
Testament
Baptist,
contains the
Methodist, four books of
Presbyteria the Holy
n)
Gospel)
Key Players
God, Jesus
Christ, Holy
Spirit, Moses,
Noah, David,
Paul, Abraham,
12 Disciples,
Adam & Eve,
John the
Baptist,
Devil/Satan
Tenets
Creationism; Christ
was Son of God and
was made flesh, born
of a virgin, died for
our sins on the cross;
rose from the dead
and ascended into
Heaven; 10% tithing;
Holy Trinity;
salvation comes from
grace; Holy
Sacraments; Second
Coming; Apocalypse;
sola scriptura
Roman
Holy Bible plus Same as
Much similarity with
Catholic,
Sacred
Protestant but
Protestant but also:
Christianity Tradition,
with additional Church interprets
canons, Church emphasis on
scripture; Catholic
Councils, and
Peter and Mary, Church is official
Apocrypha
Saints, and
church formed on the
addition of
rock of Peter and
Vatican and
supreme to scripture;
Pope/papacy
apostolic succession;
(Rome, Italy)
transubstantiation;
penance from mortal
and venial sin;
sanctification by
works; purgatory;
indulgences
Eastern
Similar to
Similar to
Church supreme to
Orthodox
Roman Catholic Roman Catholic scripture; Orthodox
Catholic,
but include
but parted from baptism; Divine
Christianity Nicea and
Rome in 1054;
Liturgy of the
Constantinople there are 13
Eucharist; theosis
Creeds, Decrees Autocephalous
(deification to attain
of the 7
(Constantinople salvation); pray to
Ecumenical
has primacy of
Mary and the Saints;
Councils,
honor); bishops icons; man fell off the
writings of the
are of equal
path with Adam
Fathers, icons
power
Adherents
2.1 billion
(approximate
ly 1/3 of
world’s
believers fall
into Christian
category)
200 million
Religion
Judaism
(Jewish)
Literature
Old Testament
only (Hebrew
Bible); in
(e.g.,
particular, the
Orthodox,
Torah, which is
Conservati the first 5
ve, Reform, books); also the
and
Mishnah (1000
Messianic) pages on daily
living) and
Talmud (36
volumes) which
are rabbi
writings
Islam
Qur’an (or
(followers
Koran) also
are called
supplemented
Muslims)
by the Hadith
and Shariah
Also given
prominence are:
the Torah,
Zabur (Psalms
of David), and
the Gospel of
Jesus.
Key Players
Israel (Jewish
homeland since
1948); Jews are
descended from
the ancient
Hebrews;
emphasize the
biblical
prophets of the
Old Testament
Tenets
Focus on Old
Testament Law and
moral living; Sabbath
Day and Passover
very important; Rosh
Hashanah, Yom
Kippur, and
Hanukkah; except for
Messianic Jews,
Jesus (Yeshua) was
not the Messiah and
no Holy Trinity; man
is free to choose
good/evil
Mohammed
One God (Allah);
(prophet from
End times where
Mecca, Saudi
dead are resurrected
Arabia 570
by Allah to sensual
A.D.); angel
pleasure of heaven or
Gabriel; Shaitan hell; predestination
(Satan); jinns;
(kismet); pray 5 times
28 prophets of
a day by kneel/bow
Allah; Malcolm towards Mecca; 2.5%
X and Louis
tithing; fast during
Farrakhan in
Ramadan; must make
America
the Hajj (pilgrimage
to Mecca); Jesus was
only a prophet taken
to heaven by Allah
before crucifixion;
political Muslims of
the East believe all
must conform to
Islamic law; man is
born a clean slate and
must earn his
salvation
Adherents
14 million
1.3 billion
Religion
Hinduism
Literature
Vedic writings
from a variety
of ancient
(formed of
eastern
multiple
religions
religions with around
no official
Pakistan and
founder or
India allowing
authority
for one or
allowing for
more gods;
up to 330
poems of
million gods, Ramayana
goddesses,
and
and
Mahbharata
demigods)
and Puranas
folktales;
Hinduism is
Vedanta is a
as much a
common
philosophy as
movement
a religious
movement
Buddhism
(e.g.,
Hinayana or
Theravada,
Mahayana or
Zen,
Tantrism
Key Players
Brahma (the
formless,
impersonal
absolute) and
four castes (or
Varna):
Brahmins,
Kshatriyas,
Vaisyas, and
Shudras plus
the
Untouchables;
favored gods
and avatars are
Vishnu,
Krishna, and
Shiva
Tenets
Adherents
God is the world, has 880 million
become incarnate
often, and all reality
is “one”; all men are
a god (or part of one);
reincarnation is a
core belief where one
must experience
thousands or millions
of suffered lives
(samsara) to achieve
moksha (union with
the infinite) which
just a matter of time;
karma is another core
belief which attaches
to your soul (atman)
based on how you
live and influences
your next life; utilizes
yoga; 3 paths to
follow: dharma,
inana, and bhakti; all
paths and faiths lead
to God
Buddha’s
Siddhartha
Rejected many of
380 million
Teachings
Gautama (born Hinduist concepts but
such as the
a Hindu of
accepted karma,
Middle Way
Nepal in 560
reincarnation, and
and the Noble B.C.) later
yoga; Four Noble
Eightfold Path became
Truths of the Middle
Gautama
Way (path to
Buddha; wife
salvation); man is an
was Yasodhara; endless cycle of death
sought
and rebirth because
enlightenment
of selfish desires; life
from monks and is suffering; nirvana
self-denial,
can be achieved by
found it after 40 eliminating cravings
days/nights
via self-effort;
under a tree;
Sangha
(Buddha’s order
of monks);
Religion
Jehovah’s
Witnesses
(also The
Watchtower
Bible and
Tract
Society)
Mormonism
(also known
as The
Church of
Jesus Christ
of Latter Day
Saints)
Literature
JW Bible
(The New
World
Translation of
the Holy
Scriptures);
Awake
magazine;
The
WatchTower
magazine;
Millenium
and the Final
Judgment
doctrine
Key Players
Charles Taze
Russell (born in
U.S. in 1852)
was founder;
Joseph F.
Rutherford took
helms in 1917
followed by
Nathan Knorr in
1942, Frederick
Franz in 1977,
and Milton
Henschel in
1992
Book of
Mormon (and
seer stones);
Book of
Commandme
nts (65
chapters);
Doctrine and
Covenants;
Pearl of Great
Price; some
aspects of the
Holy Bible
(when
properly
translated); all
literature is
subject to
change and
revision with
modern
revelations
Founded by
Joseph Smith,
Jr. in 1830;
Brigham Young
settled main
clan in Salt
Lake City in
1847.
Tenets
Adherents
Jehovah is Almighty 2.25 million
God; WatchTower
HQ (Brooklyn, NY)
interprets ALL
scripture which is
their own version of
the Holy Bible;
aggressive door-todoor preaching; no
Holy Trinity;
predicted
Armageddon 5 times
in last century;
Christ’s spirit was
resurrected but not
his body; heaven is
no longer attainable
but an earthly
paradise with Christ
is; second Coming
happened in 1914
Support plural
12 million
marriage (polygamy)
and polytheism; God
is an exalted man
begotten by other
gods; Lucifer/Satan is
Christ’s brother;
eternal progression;
eight steps to
salvation; God
physically had
intercourse with
Mary; Christ had
multiple wives and
had children; no Holy
Trinity but rather 3
separate men; three
different levels of
heaven with celestial
reserved for
Mormons
Religion
“New Age”
movement
(also known
as Spiritism
back in the
1850s)
Christian
Science
(also known
as Religious
Science and
the Unity
School of
Christianity)
Literature
No core
material;
often borrows
elements from
Hinduism,
astrology,
Taoism
(Chinese
philosophy
that every
thing is in a
constant state
of change),
Buddhism,
Gnosticism
(esoteric
knowledge),
extraterrestrial
phenomena,
and parapsychology
Key Players
Writings of
Alice Bayley,
James Redfield,
and Helen
Schucman;
Became very
popular in
1960’s U.S.
counterculture;
transcendental
meditation via
the Beatles;
musical/movie
“Hair”. Actress
Shirley
McLaine.
Experts are
called “gurus”.
Tenets
Goal is to achieve a
new state of
awareness or
enlightenment and
unlock the divine self
within us all; uses
lots of meditation;
“all truth is relative,
there are no
absolutes”; do
whatever feels good
to you; uses
“channeling” and
contact with spirit
world to gain
knowledge of a
higher source. You
can create your own
reality. Advocates
progressive reincarnation.
Endorses syncretism
(all religions are one
and lead to the same
path); The Great
Invocation plan
Science and
Asa Eddy, Mary God is not a person
Health with
Baker (Eddy),
but a principle
Key to the
and Phineas
(impersonal mind).
Scriptures is
Parkhurst
There is no life, truth,
the key book. Quimby.
intelligence, or
Elements are
Founded in
substance to matter;
also taken
1879.
thus there is no
from
reality to the physical
Hinduism,
world, we are all
transcendental
spiritual. As such
ism,
disease and illness
mesmerism,
are illusions. Reject
occult
medical science in
metaphysics,
lieu of prayer for
mental
illnesses.
healing and
channeling.
Adherents
10,000
organziations
/networks
200,000
Religion
Wicca
(also known
as Old
Religion,
Druidism,
Magick,
Witchcraft,
the Craft and
the
Mysteries)
Literature
No core
material but
elements are
taken from
NeoPaganism,
ancient
Celtic/Druidic
/Egyptian/Gre
ek/Roman/Su
merian nature
or fertility
cults,
Gnosticism,
occult
writings,
Freemasonry,
Native
American
religions,
shamanism,
spiritism, and
science fiction
Key Players
Gerald Gardner,
who wrote High
Magic’s Aid
and Witchcraft
Today in the
1950s. Mother
Goddess or
Great Mother.
Full Moon and
lunar cycles.
Teen Witch:
Wicca for a
New Generation
by Silver
Ravenwolf is a
more recent
text. Harry
Potter series
influence?
Tenets
Anti-authoritarian
(oppose central
authority and
religious dogma);
some groups are very
anti-Christian;
emphasize personal
experience and truth
is relative and known
through feeling and
intuition; promote
full tolerance in
Wiccan Rede “do
what thou will, but
harm none”; many
believe in “animism”
(the earth is a living
organism) and some
believe that inanimate
material is also alive;
witch covens meet
(esbats) and celebrate
sabbats (lunar
holidays); divination,
magic, sorcery, and
spiritism are
practiced; some
Wiccans also
emphasize sexual
pleasure (via the God
Pan) as a gift to be
fully embraced in all
forms.
Adherents
Estimates
range from
50,000 to
400,000
(Popular with
feminists,
teen-agers,
and women
of high
school and
college-age)
Religion
Freemasonry
(largest
international
fraternal
order in the
world)
Secular
Humanism
movement
(also referred
to as
Modernism
or Atheism)
Literature
No core
literature
exists but
legend,
symbols,
rituals, and
oaths are
passed down
in secret
society
fashion under
pain of death
if broken;
claim to have
ties back to
stonemasons
of ancient
biblical times;
practices are
similar to
Mormon and
Gnostic and
occult
spiritism.
Heavily
influenced by
works of Karl
Marx, Charles
Darwin,
Sigmund
Freud, and
19th century
German
writers who
argued that
Bible is just
an ancient
mythological
book.
Humanist
Manifesto I
from 1933.
Key Players
James
Anderson,
George Payne,
and Theopolis
Desaguliers
founded first
Masonic Lodge
in 1717
England. In
1800s, William
Morgan broke
the oath and
was found dead.
Famous
freemasons of
the past:
George
Washington,
John Wayne,
Henry Ford,
Gen. Douglas
MacArthur
No individual
founder but
gain
prominence in
first half of 20th
century;
Darwin’s theory
of natural
selection and
naturalistic
evolution and
American
Humanist
Association
were key
elements.
Tenets
Adherents
Emphasize
2.4 million
brotherhood, charity, (in U.S.)
and mutual aid.
Claim that all
religions
acknowledge the
same God. Used as a
networking
arrangement for
businessmen, with
service to humanity
(e.g., Shriner
Hospitals); use Bible
but is it NOT the
unique Word of God;
delete Jesus’ name
from Bible and don’t
speak it as he was
just a man of the past,
human perfection is
attainable from
within;
There is no God nor
was the universe
“created”;
humankind’s purpose
is to better ourselves
through personality
development;
morality is relative
and thus there are no
moral absolutes or
absolute truths, thus
there are no right and
wrongs per se;
humankind is
inherently good and
society can be fixed
by logic, reason, and
science so that “evil”
disappears; very antiChristian (opposites)
140 million
(shared by
PostModernism
movement)
Religion
PostModernism
movement
(a more
recent
extension of
Secular
Humanism;
some
consider this
a type of
Agnosticism)
Literature
Various
Philosophy,
Theologian,
Literary
Critic,
Scientific
Theory,
Historians,
and
Architectural
sources from
latter half of
20th century
Key Players
No individual
founder; mass
media (TV,
movies, books,
news),
universities,
internet, U.S.
culture
Tenets
Everyone is biased by
our own culture to
think in certain ways,
therefore, you cannot
judge anyone else in
terms of right or
wrong just because
they are different
because; all truth is
“manufactured”; each
person’s reality is
their own mind;
NOTHING can be
proven, there are no
absolute truths or
facts anywhere; have
a complete dedication
to tolerance “respect
everyone, everything,
every act”. Do or
pray whatever feels
right. All values,
lifestyles, truths, and
beliefs are equal and
anyone that opposes
this is unenlightened,
intolerant, bigoted, or
prejudiced, or a
hatemonger; God
might exist but that’s
personal preference.
Adherents
140 million
(shared by
Secular
Humanism
movement)
Year 2000 Surveys/Gallup Polls
67% of Americans do not believe in absolute truth
57% of churched youth do not believe in absolute truth
53% of Bible-believing conservative Christian adults do not believe in absolute
truth
84% of first year Christian college students find it difficult to adequately defend
or explain their religious beliefs.
70% of Americans say its important to follow biblical teachings