explain some religions for me please!?

Question

i want some info on every religion out there,

ie.pagan wiccan fsm......etc..!

please facts and history, and cork its called yahoo ANSWERS not yahoo go put it in the search bar

i mainly want to know on
wiccan, pagen and buddisim

Answer 1

Well, when you're looking for the Answer To Everything, and you're dealing with the limited space of Y!A, the best thing I can suggest is this:

http://www.religioustolerance.org

ReligiousTolerance.org - information on the world's religions. History, beliefs, practices, etc.

Answer 2

Ask 10 Pagans or Wiccans to describe their beliefs, and you'll get at least 15 different answers, because we're as independent-minded and ornery as cats (g)...see the links provided by other users for lots of fancy details, but here's a REAL rough generic thumbnail sketch:

A quite common shared ethical principal: "Do what you wish, but don't hurt people. Whatever you do will come back to you, at least three times as much as you gave out to others...." Another one summarizes as "Be nice, and be respectful of the gifts of the Earth and Universe that you've been given."

Most Pagans I know tend to talk to at least one Deity (often a Goddess and a God---many like the female-male polarity), but don't get really fussy about names. Many believe in some sort of afterlife and a judgment/retraining period, but very few seem to believe in a deity that uses everlasting Hell.

SOME folk use "spells", or "magic" (think of it as a really focussed prayer, with a lot of toys and doodads to help you **really** get into it) to try and "encourage" things to happen. This does not always work, is easiest when you are following along with the "natural order" of how things really DO work in science, and should NOT be "cast" on someone without their permission--that's coercive. (Yes, that means we don't even cast healing spells without an OK.) Given that, I think you can imagine why Pagans/Wiccans generally get so enraged by the question "so you guys sacrifice animals and stuff, right?"

Answer 3

All religions are very complex and subject to interpretation by the individual practitioner. I was raised Asatru, and I still learn something new every time I "fellowship" with other Kindreds. I would simply tell you to do the same thing I do. Study. Always and all things. You never know what you will learn and how it will impact your life.

But for a primer on my religion, you can go to http://www.asatru-u.org/beginner/asau-beginner-outline.htm

Most people take about 4 months to get through the whole thing. It just gives the basics, really, but it's a start.

ETA: Don't listen to people about religions not their own. Especially not that Maurice guy ^ up there ^. If you have a specific question about a religion, ask someone who practices it.

~Morg~

Answer 4

Chistianity is based on principles that you rarely hear about. First, when God said in the Bible that "I give my only begotten son," God gives him so that Jesus can teach and then suffer and die like a human being which he is until his death, just like all of us. Jesus was a Human Being.
Many fundamentalist churches think otherwise, which makes a very big difference in what is called Chirstianity. Jesus dies and becomes again a God, but only after he lives like a human being, in fact he is a human being and suffers, enjoys and witness's the burden of being human and living in the human environment that we live in with good and bad and crooked and loving and money and so forth.
But, the key is that when Jesus is reborn, returns from the dead, He is no longer a human being, but he fully understands humans and can speak for and to them directly.
It is the rebirth in really terms that makes Chistianity what it truly is.....forgiving and loving. But it is not figuritively speaking, it is real first and then it can be symbolic.

Answer 5

Christianity-Believes Jesus Christ died for our sins so that anyone who accepts His word and Him as God in their heart would be saved.

John 3:16-For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

If your looking for the true and living God; this is the one I would recommend

Catholicism-Believes Mary, the mother of Jesus when he came to earth, believes mary is god, and that only priest can take your request to God

Satanism-Believes and prays to Satan (the evil oppisition to Jesus

Bhudism & Hinduism-Believes there are multiple Gods

Again I recommend Christianity; The main contension between all the religions is....is Jesus God or not?Christians say yes He is, others foolishly say no.

Wiccans-Are people who practice witchcraft.

John 14:6-Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Trust me you'll be much much much better off with christianity than any other religion
Yes there might be some stuff you dont understand at first, but let that not discourage you; ask a minister,preacher or any man or woman of God to explain your questions to you.

Christianity all the way. Others are just false posers

Praise Jesus!!!! :-)


eagleswing.org

Answer 6

Below is a link that describes basic Christian doctrine. You can also read about it in a very good book called "Essential Truths of the Christian Faith" by RC Sproul and "Mere Christianity" by CS Lewis.

At its core, Christianity is a monotheistic religion that is a continuation of Judeism, accepting Jesus as the Messiah the Jews had been waiting for. Christians believe that Jesus was God Incarnate and took upon himself the sin of the world, thereby freeing mankind of its rightful punishment. If you need more detail, please just ask.

Answer 7

Paganism is very hard to pin down to an origin. most of them simply did not keep many records in writing. so we only have some tools that they used and some carvings that they made to go by. Paganism is definatly the oldest form of religion as it is defined today.
today's definition of paganism would be..
(paganism= belief in multiple gods.)


Wiccan is a hodgepodge of pagan traditions that was started by Gearld Gardner in the early 19th century. it seems to be very geared twards small gatherings and private covens or circles.

there are many pagan traditions that are literaly too numerous to count or to list here. but i have done what i can to give you a basic idea.

Answer 8

Hi, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was officially organized on April 6, 1830. I believe that you can learn more at www.lds.org - and some of our basic beliefs include we believe in God the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. We believe that life is meant to help prepare us to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father, and we believe that a true and living prophet exists today to help us learn and grow. We believe the Bible to be the word of God, and we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. We also believe that God has revealed and will yet reveal even more things about the true Gospel and what will lead up to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ prior to the Milennium. We believe that leaders must be called of God, by the laying on of hands, to receive the true Priesthood of God, which is the same power and authority that Jesus Christ had. We believe that families can be forever. We believe that marriage is between ONE man and ONE woman, and that marriage can be for eternity. We believe in being chaste, honest, virtuous and doing good to all people. We practice the law of tithing - that is to give 10% of our increase to building up the Kingdom of God. We also believe in many other things which are too numerous to list here, but that is a start.

Answer 9

Religions are different in the sense that they worship different gods and have different rules. They're the same in the sense that they all attempt to answer some of life's biggest questions, like "Why are we here?", "Where are we going?", and "What is our purpose?"

They're also the same in that they're all wrong. They all fall short of being the "absolute truth."

Answer 10

Christianity - Based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and Saint Paul. Beliefs are that Jesus Christ (Christ is the Greek equivelant for "Messiah") died on the cross, and this death was a blood atonement for all of humanity. Baptism is practiced as the way of removing Original Sin (Original Sin was the sin of Adam and Eve's disobediance to God in the Garden of Eden). There are three main branches, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodoxy.

Judaism - The Jewish faith. Based on the Torah, which is composed of the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, which was written by Moses as dictated by God at Mount Sinai. The Jewish Bible (Tanak'h) is the Protestant "Old Testament", and contains the Writings (Psalms, Proverbs, etc.) and the Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.). The Talmud is a book explaining the meaning of the Laws of the Torah. Sabbath (Shabbat, in Hebrew) is Saturday, as opposed to the Christian Sabbath of Sunday. There are 4-5 sects of Judaism: Orthodox (the oldest, and strictest regarding observance), Conservative (moderate Judaism), Reform (liberal Judaism), Reconstructionist Judaism (ultra-liberal Judaism), and, if considered Judaism, the Society for Humanistic Judaism (atheistic/agnostic Judaism).

Islam - Islam is the religion of Muslims. Islam was founded by the Prophet Muhammed, whose revelations from the Angel Gabriel form the Qur'an, which is the Islamic Bible, in a sense. Also are the Hadiths, which are the sayings and doings of Muhammed. The patriarch of Islam is Ibrahim (Abraham), whose son Ismail (Ishmael) is the father of the Arab race. Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan, and eat only before sunrise and after sunset. Islam is the second largest religion in the world, behind Christianity. Main branches of Islam are Sunni and Shiite.

Hinduism - Largely pantheistic, in that everything we see (the universe) is God, or a part of God. Many manifestations of God. Most Hindus live in India. The Ganges River in India has the power to remove sin, compare to baptism in Christianity. Hinduism teaches reincarnation, in that the soul becomes born again in a different body. Where you are born again depends on your deeds in the previous life. Good deeds=better next life, bad deeds=worse next life. Main branches are Vishnavism, which believes Vishnu is the Ultimate Reality (source of God), and Shaivism, in that Shiva is the Ultimate Reality.

Buddhism - More of a philosophy than a religion. Buddhism was founded by Gautama Buddha, who was the Buddha. Buddhism is based on the Buddha's teachings and writings. Buddhism teaches that suffering is unavoidable, but the way to end that suffering is to release all material goals and possessions. Nirvana is the state of non-existence, which is the ultimate goal for a Buddhist.

Paganism - Ancient polytheistic (many gods) religions. Many have a god for most aspects of nature. Neo-Paganism is the revival of these religions. Most have a reverence for nature. Druidry, Celtic Paganism, Asatru are all examples of paganism and neo-Paganism.

Wicca - A religion based on reverence for nature. Wiccans worship a Father God and Mother Goddess, often referred to as Lord and Lady. Witchcraft and wizardry are a big part of this religion.

Pastafarianism - Parody religion based on the worship of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, who uses his Noodly Appendage to change scientific test results to challenge people's faiths. Pastafarian heaven includes beer volcanoes and at least one stripper factory. In the beginning, the FSM created a mountain, a tree, and a midgit (sic). Pastafarianism was founded in 2005 by Bobby Henderson, who was upset at the Kansas School Board's decision to teach Intelligent Design in public schools.

Raelianism - Founded by Rael, a French journalist. Atheistic religion that holds an aliens have visited us, and created us using DNA. Yahweh Elohim (Hebrew for Lord God, more literally Lord Gods) is an alien that gave this message to Rael.

Jehovah's Witness - Christian denomination, although I gave JW it's own section because most Christian groups condemn JW as non-Christian. God is Jehovah, who should be called God. Jesus was created by God, and prior to his earthly ministry, was Michael the Archangel. No literal hell. 144,000 will go to heaven to rule with Christ, while the rest will remain on earth. Worship is on Saturday.

I'm not sure of any other religions out there, but feel free to email me, or instant message me if you want any more information.