I need to learn about religion?

Question

The only religions i know about are the Christian, and Jewish religions. But i want to know more about other famous religions. Oh and if you post an answer DO NOT post a link.

Answer 1

The Bahá'í Faith is the religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia (Iran). There are around six million Bahá'ís in more than 200 countries around the world.

According to Bahá'í teachings, religious history is seen as an evolving educational process for mankind, through God's messengers, which are termed Manifestations of God. Bahá'u'lláh is seen as the most recent, pivotal, but not final of these individuals. He claimed to be the expected redeemer and teacher prophesied in Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and other religions and that his mission was to establish a firm basis for unity throughout the world, and inaugurate an age of peace and justice, which Bahá'ís expect will inevitably arise.

"Bahá'í" can be an adjective referring to the Bahá'í Faith, or used as term for a follower of Bahá'u'lláh. (Bahá'í is not a noun meaning the religion as a whole.) The word comes from the Arabic word Bahá’ (بهاء), meaning "glory" or "splendor". "Bahaism" (or "Baha'ism") has been used in the past but is fading from use.

Beliefs

Three core principles of Bahá'í teachings are often referred to simply as follows: the unity of God, the unity of religion, and the unity of mankind. Many Bahá'í beliefs and practices are rooted in these priorities; but taken alone these would be an over-simplification of Bahá'í teachings.

God

The Bahá'í writings describe a single, imperishable God, the creator of all things, including all the creatures and forces in the universe. The existence of God is thought to be eternal, without a beginning or end, and is described as "a personal God, unknowable, inaccessible, the source of all Revelation, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and almighty." Though inaccessible directly, God is nevertheless seen as conscious of his creation, with a will and purpose. In Bahá'í belief, God expresses this will in many ways, including through a series of divine messengers referred to as Manifestations of God or sometimes divine educators. In expressing God's intent, these manifestations are seen to establish religion in the world.

Bahá'í teachings state that God is too great for humans to fully comprehend, or to create a complete and accurate image. In the Bahá'í religion God is often referred to by titles (e.g. the All-Powerful, or the All-Loving), and there is a substantial emphasis on monotheism, and an interpretation of such doctrines as the Trinity in a symbolic rather than literal sense.

Religion

Bahá'í notions of progressive religious revelation result in their accepting the validity of most of the world's religions, whose founders and central figures are seen as Manifestations of God. Religious history is interpreted as a series of dispensations, where each manifestation brings a somewhat broader and more advanced revelation, suited for the time and place in which it was expressed. Specific religious social teachings (e.g. the direction of prayer, or dietary restrictions) may be revoked by a subsequent manifestation so that a more appropriate requirement for the time and place may be established. Conversely, certain general principles (e.g. neighborliness or charity) are seen to be universal and consistent. In Bahá'í belief, this process of progressive revelation will not end; however, it is believed to be cyclical. Bahá'ís do not expect a new manifestation of God to appear prior to 1000 years after Bahá'u'lláh's revelation.

Bahá'í beliefs are sometimes described as syncretic combinations of earlier religions' beliefs. Bahá'ís, however, assert that their religion is a distinct tradition with its own scriptures, teachings, laws, and history. Its religious background in Shi'a Islam is seen as analogous to the Jewish context in which Christianity was established. Bahá'ís describe their faith as an independent world religion, differing from the other traditions only in its relative age and in the appropriateness of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings to the modern context. Bahá'u'lláh is believed to have fulfilled the messianic expectations of these precursor faiths.

Reactions

Bernard Lewis (the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University) states that the Muslim laity and Islamic authorities have always had great difficulty in accommodating post-Islamic monotheistic religions such as the Bahá'í Faith, since the followers of such religions cannot be dismissed either as benighted heathens, like the polytheists of Asia and the animists of Africa, nor as outdated precursors, like the Jews and Christians. Moreover, their very existence presents a challenge to the Islamic doctrine of the perfection and finality of Muhammad's revelation.

Answer 2

Islam
Buddjism
Hinduism
Shinto
Jainism
Mormonism
Scientology
Rastafarianism
Paganism
Wiccan
African Traditional
Sikhism
Spiritism
Baha'i
Zoroastrianism
Tenrikyo
Taoism
Eastern Othodox
Confucianism
Catholicsm

Many sociologist also recognise some forms of atheism/agnosticism as a religion due ot the evangelizing by members of those groups.

There are too many religions to explain but I am sure if you are interested you can look it up online. I didn't post any links at your request.

Answer 3

James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Answer 4

Qaf. By the glorious Qur'an, (1) Nay, but they marvel that a warner of their own hath come unto them; and the disbelievers say: This is a strange thing: (2) When we are dead and have become dust (shall we be brought back again)? That would be a far return! (3) We know that which the earth taketh of them, and with Us is a recording Book. (4) Nay, but they have denied the truth when it came unto them, therefor they are now in troubled case. (5) Have they not then observed the sky above them, how We have constructed it and beautified it, and how there are no rifts therein? (6) And the earth have We spread out, and have flung firm hills therein, and have caused of every lovely kind to grow thereon, (7) A vision and a reminder for every penitent slave. (8) And We send down from the sky blessed water whereby We give growth unto gardens and the grain of crops, (9) And lofty date-palms with ranged clusters, (10) Provision (made) for men; and therewith We quicken a dead land. Even so will be the resurrection of the dead. (11) The folk of Noah denied (the truth) before them, and (so did) the dwellers at Ar-Rass and (the tribe of) Thamud, (12) And (the tribe of) A'ad, and Pharaoh, and the brethren of Lot, (13) And the dwellers in the wood, and the folk of Tubb'a: every one denied their messengers, therefor My threat took effect. (14) Were We then worn out by the first creation? Yet they are in doubt about a new creation. (15) We verily created man and We know what his soul whispereth to him, and We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. (16) When the two Receivers receive (him), seated on the right hand and on the left, (17) He uttereth no word but there is with him an observer ready. (18) And the agony of death cometh in truth. (And it is said unto him): This is that which thou wast wont to shun. (19) And the trumpet is blown. This is the threatened Day. (20) And every soul cometh, along with it a driver and a witness. (21) (And unto the evil-doer it is said): Thou wast in heedlessness of this. Now We have removed from thee thy covering, and piercing is thy sight this day. (22) And (unto the evil-doer) his comrade saith: This is that which I have ready (as testimony). (23) (And it is said): Do ye twain hurl to hell each rebel ingrate, (24) Hinderer of good, transgressor, doubter, (25) Who setteth up another god along with Allah. Do ye twain hurl him to the dreadful doom. (26) His comrade saith: Our Lord! I did not cause him to rebel, but he was (himself) far gone in error. (27) He saith: Contend not in My presence, when I had already proffered unto you the warning. (28) The sentence that cometh from Me cannot be changed, and I am in no wise a tyrant unto the slaves. (29) On the day when We say unto hell: Art thou filled? and it saith: Can there be more to come? (30) And the Garden is brought nigh for those who kept from evil, no longer distant. (31) (And it is said): This is that which ye were promised. (It is) for every penitent and heedful one, (32) Who feareth the Beneficent in secret and cometh with a contrite heart. (33) Enter it in peace. This is the day of immortality. (34) There they have all that they desire, and there is more with Us. (35) And how many a generation We destroyed before them, who were mightier than these in prowess so that they overran the lands! Had they any place of refuge (when the judgment came)? (36) Lo! therein verily is a reminder for him who hath a heart, or giveth ear with full intelligence. (37) And verily We created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, in six Days, and naught of weariness touched Us. (38) Therefor (O Muhammad) bear with what they say, and hymn the praise of thy Lord before the rising and before the setting of the sun; (39) And in the night-time hymn His praise, and after the (prescribed) prostrations. (40) And listen on the day when the crier crieth from a near place, (41) The day when they will hear the (Awful) Cry in truth. That is the day of coming forth (from the graves). (42) Lo! We it is Who quicken and give death, and unto Us is the journeying. (43) On the day when the earth splitteth asunder from them, hastening forth (they come). That is a gathering easy for Us (to make). (44) We are best aware of what they say, and thou (O Muhammad) art in no wise a compeller over them. But warn by the Qur'an him who feareth My threat. (45)

Answer 5

Islam

Wiccan

...it'll give u a headache...

Answer 6

You will last longer with Jesus.

Answer 7

Learn about Christ Jesus .

Answer 8

Uniqueness of the Name

The name for the religion of Islam is much more than just a name because it expresses a deep spiritual meaning as well as an overall outlook on life and concept of worship. The word "Islam" is an Arabic word which means "complete submission to the will of Almighty God".




Other religions are named after their founders, such as Christianity and Buddhism; after a tribe or ethnic group, such as Judaism; or after a specific geographical region, such as Hinduism. Islam, however, is unique because its name represents its outlook on life and reflects its universal nature. Additionally, the name "Islam" was not thought up by its followers or applied by other people, as is the case with the names of other religions, but was revealed by Almighty God. This name expressed nothing new, because submission to the will of God, i.e. "Islam", has always been the true religion of God. Due to this fact, and since the teachings of Islam are straightforward, profound and logical, Islam is the "Natural Religion" of all human beings. The name of no other religion carries any significant message, or conveys the true sense of its outlook on life, as does the name "Islam".


Universality & Continuity of the Message

The command to worship none other than Almighty God and to submit to His will has been revealed by God to all of His prophets throughout mankind's long history. The pure essence of the beliefs and teachings that were revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad are the same as God taught to Abraham, who was one of the earliest and greatest prophets. So actually, Muhammad is the final prophet of Islam -- not the first. Additionally, Islam is the true "religion of Abraham", because Abraham completely submitted himself to the revealed will of Almighty God. Islam is truly unique among the religions of the world because it is addressed to all of mankind. The scripture of Islam, called the Qur'an, repeatedly addresses all human beings by saying: "O mankind!" Additionally, in the Qur'an, Almighty God is never addressed as the God of a particular people or nation. From the very beginning of the mission of Prophet Muhammad, his followers came from a wide spectrum of individuals -- there was Bilal, the African slave; Suhaib, the Byzantine Roman; Ibn Sailam, the Jewish Rabbi; and Salman, the Persian. Since religious truth is eternal and unchanging, and mankind is one universal brotherhood, God's revelations to man have always been consistent and universal. Submission to the will of God, and worshipping Him alone without intermediaries, has always been the only religion acceptable to Almighty God.


A Straightforward Concept of God

Unique among the religions of the world, the concept of God in Islam is completely based upon Divine Revelation. Not only is the concept of God in Islam characterized by purity and clarity, but it is also not marred by myths, superstitions or man-made philosophical ideas. In the pure and straightforward teachings of Islam, Almighty God has clearly revealed His unique nature and qualities to man in the way which He wants them to be understood. While other religions have either mixed man-made doctrines with divine revelation, or ignored the divine revelation almost completely, Islam's concept of God is based totally on what God has said about Himself. Islam's concept of God can be called pure and straightforward because there is a clear distinction made between the Creator and the created. As such, there is no ambiguity in divinity -- it is made clear that there is nothing divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Almighty God. In Islam, calling someone other than Almighty God "Lord" or "Savior" is completely prohibited because such terms compromise God's uniqueness and because all of our trust should be put in Almighty God -- who is the Most Merciful and the Controller of all affairs. The only Creator -- Almighty God -- is Unique, Eternal and Transcendent above His Creation. Everything else besides Almighty God -- meaning anything that you can see or even imagine -- is part of God's creation, and thus not worthy of worship. Almighty God, as He has described Himself in the Qur'an, is Absolutely One and "the Most Merciful of those who show mercy". Even though God is transcendent above His creation, due to His infinite Mercy He is constantly involved with the affairs of His creatures. Even though God is infinite, unique and incomprehensible, in the Holy Qur'an He has revealed Himself in a way suitable to the finite and limited human mind. By reaching out to man and sending revelations through all of His prophets, God has allowed Himself to be known through His unique and most-beautiful attributes. Because the concept of God in Islam was sent by God specifically for mankind, it appeals to the innate nature of the human being. Due to this fact, Islam does not ask man to accept irrational, ludicrous or man-made doctrines about God. The Islamic concept of God strikes a unique balance between various religions an because is avoids reducing God to just being some remote and impersonal "First Cause" or "Higher Power", while on the other hand it also teaches that a direct and personal relationship with God can be maintained without believing God to be like His creation or incarnate in it.


Direct Relationship with God

In other religions, even the ones which claim belief in "One God", people often approach God through an intermediary, such as a saint, an angel, the Virgin Mary or Jesus. However, it is only in Islam that a person is required only to pray to God. Some people also nullify a truly proper and direct relationship with Almighty God by mistakenly believing that they have a special relationship with Him simply because they are members of a certain ethnic group, tribe or "chosen people". Additionally, in Islam there are no priests or clergy -- each worshipper, man or woman, has a direct relationship with their Merciful Creator -- Almighty God. Since God is the Owner and Sustainer of everything, as well as the only one who can provide true and complete forgiveness, it is completely futile to try to approach Him through anyone else. According to the teachings of Islam, praying to or worshipping anything or anyone besides Almighty God is the greatest sin a person can commit. Even though other religions believe in God, they nullify this belief by making the grave mistake of not always approaching Him directly. Some religions even go so far as to say that human beings, due to their sinfulness, cannot approach God without an intermediary -- which mistakenly implies that God is unable or unwilling to forgive human-beings directly. Islam teaches that Almighty God has the power to do all things and that no one should ever despair of His mercy. According to the teachings of Islam, God is always ready to bestow His abundant Grace and Mercy on anyone who turns to Him in repentance. Even people who used to commit the worst sin of worshipping others besides God will be forgiven if they realize what they are doing is wrong and repent. Having a direct relationship with God, and understanding that He alone deserves worship and praise, goes hand-in-hand with the Islamic concept of God. This is because once a proper concept of God is established in the heart and mind, submission to God and complete reliance on Him alone comes naturally.


Unique Concept of Worship

According to the teachings of Islam, everything that a human being does with the pure intention of pleasing God is an act of worship. Due to this, Islam has an all encompassing concept of worship unlike any other religion. Almighty God has revealed in the Holy Qur'an that His purpose for creating human beings was to worship Him and Him alone. Like other religions, Islam has required acts of worship, however worship in Islam is not limited to rituals. Since Islam is an all-encompassing religion with guidance for all aspects of life. almost every action in a Muslim's life becomes an act of worship if it is done to build a better relationship with God. Since man's purpose in life is to worship and submit to God, worship in Islam has been defined by God Himself in an all-encompassing way. This is special uniqueness can also be seen in the fact that most other religions only require formal worship once per week, while Islam requires it five times a day. Even more importantly, all rites of formal worship in Islam are based on Divine revelation, while the modes of worship in other religions are a mixture of Divine revelation, man-made traditions, opinions of clergymen and religious councils. Additionally, in Islam acts of worship such as prayer and fasting have been described by God and His Prophet in such detail that it gives human beings a feeling of assurance that the way they are worshipping God is pleasing to Him.


Based on Authentic Sources

The preservation of the scripture of Islam -- the Holy Qur'an -- is unique among world religions. No other religion has a scripture which is both as old and as well-preserved as the one possessed by Muslims today. Even scholars who are hostile to Islam admit that the Qur'an that exists today is exactly the same as the one that existed in the time of the Prophet Muhammad. Even though many people mistakenly assume that the Qu'ran was written by Muhammad, it is actually the literal Word of God. Not only was Muhammad known by his people to be unable to read and write, but the Holy Qur'an clearly and repeatedly exclaims that it is from Almighty God - the Lord of the Universe. Unlike other religions, the followers of Islam have always considered their scripture to be the Word of God in toto. The scriptures of other religions are made up of writings that were not considered to be scripture until many years after they were written - the letters of (St.) Paul are a good example of this. Additionally, the Holy Qur'an has always been in the possession of the common believer, and as such was circulated very widely. In this way, Muslims know that their scripture is authentic, unlike other so-called "scriptures" which are still claimed to be scripture even though their authors are unknown. The Qur'an also remained pure and authentic because unlike other scriptures, it was written down and memorized in the lifetime of the prophet that it was revealed to. Also, its wide circulation prevented scholars, clergy and religious councils from deciding what should and should not be part of the scripture -- since it was already in the hands of the people in its complete form. It has always amazed people to find out that the entire Qur'an was not only memorized word-for-word by hundreds of the companions of Prophet Muhammad, but that it has been memorized verbatim by thousands upon thousands of people until this very day in its original language of Arabic. It was only natural for Almighty God to preserve the scripture revealed to Prophet Muhammad, because he was the last Prophet and Final Messenger of God. In short, the Qu'ran is a unique scripture that has come down to us in its original form and unique language. Due to its pristine teachings and unquestionable authenticity, the Qur'an removes the need for man to wonder for himself how to worship and please God, since God Himself has clearly described these things.


An Eternal Message

Islam has just as much meaning and is just as applicable to people living in today's "modern world" as it did for people living 1400 years ago. Since the message of Islam is eternally true it is also very robust, and as such still has a strong spiritual impact on millions of people living in the world today. The Pure Monotheism of Islam, as well as its universal brotherhood, strong morals and positive outlook on life, is still very relevant and meaningful to modern man. The continued relevance and applicability to both the spiritual and worldly life of human beings from all around the word is just one of the many proofs of the Divine origin of the message of Islam. Unlike the teachings of other religions, the teachings of Islam don't need to be updated or watered-down in order to appeal to a human being living in today's troubled world. Since the teachings of Islam are both spiritually true and eternally practical, they can be lived and implemented in the daily life of a person in order to make their life more fulfilling. In short, unique among world religions, Islam has not had to sacrifice its integrity in order to be both applicable to "modern life" and to have enough spiritual impact to change people's lives.


A Complete Way of Life

Islam not just a "religion" in the traditional sense, because it is not just confined to acts of worship, morality and other aspects of personal piety. The teachings of Islam, even though they do cover religious rituals and morality, also encompass all other aspects of life. The Prophet Muhammad's mission encompassed not only spiritual and religious teachings, but also included guidance for such things as social reform, economics, politics, warfare and family life. Thus due to the diversity and success of Muhammad's mission, Muslims have clear guidance from God and His Final Prophet on all aspects of life. This goes hand-in-hand with the Islamic belief that Almighty God does not leave human beings without guidance in their daily lives -- thus His guidance is all-encompassing. Due to God's wisdom, and because Islam is the final revealed religion, the guidance that God has sent is applicable for all times and for all places. This can be seen in the fact that the guidance for some aspects of life is much more broad and flexible than others. Additionally, in the Qur'an, Almighty God has revealed to mankind that the purpose of our creation is to worship and remember God in all aspects of our life, and to follow His guidance in everything that we do. Thus Islam does not accept a secular view of government and society, but only one based on the Law of God. Nor does Islam leave it to human beings to decide what is right and wrong, good and bad, moral and immoral based on their whims, desires or man-made idea. In short, Islam does not teach people to "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's" because, according to Islam, everything belongs to God. Like all of its other teachings, Islam's view of other religions is balanced, realistic and moderate. Islam doesn't view other religions as being either completely true nor completely false, but believes that all true religions were at one time divinely revealed. However, over time the teachings of the various religions, due to a variety of reasons, have become distorted and mixed with made-man ideas. But nonetheless, Muslims are required to be tolerant of other revealed religions since the Qur'an clearly says: "Let there be no compulsion in religion".


Moderation

The teachings of Islam, since they are divinely revealed, are balanced in all of their aspects. Even though Islam is an all-encompassing way of life, it preaches moderation and rejects extremism. On the one hand, Islam does not preach complete rejection of all worldly pleasures in view of the life hereafter; and on the other hand it does not teach that earthly life is just for pleasure and enjoyment. In Islam, wealth and worldly pleasures can be partaken of in this life as long as they are enjoyed in a way that is in obedience to God. However, Muslims are taught to keep in mind that the life hereafter is their ultimate goal, and therefore one should be charitable and not become too attached to worldly things. By maintaining a balance between man's spiritual and physical needs, the teachings of Islam are best suited for the needs of human beings in particular and society in general. Since Islam is based on clear guidance from God, it rejects all man-made religious excesses, such as certain forms of monasticism where people try to completely "reject the world" and other forms of extreme self-denial. Islam teaches that human beings have responsibilities at all levels -- to other individuals, to their families and to society as a whole. By maintaining a unique balance between the physical and spiritual, and between the individual and society, Islam maintains a balance in all directions.


A Positive Outlook

Most people will agree that having a strong self-esteem and a positive outlook on life is conducive to achieving happiness and success. Unique among the religions of the world, Islam's view of both the nature of the human being and the purpose of life are extremely positive. Islam's view of the nature of the human being is balanced. On the one hand they are not viewed as being inherently evil, but on the other they are not considered to be perfect - nor are they expected to be so. According to the teachings of Islam, every human being, man or woman, is born with a clean slate and is equally capable of both good and evil. Since God has bestowed limited free-will on human beings, they will ultimately be held responsible for their actions. Believing that "salvation" is based on "faith alone" reduces human life to a near meaningless and fatalistic existence. The teachings of Islam make it clear that human beings, since their nature is basically good, are capable of positive action in this life, and that the best way to achieve a balanced, happy and fulfilled life is complete submission to Almighty God. Certainly, no person can completely submit to God by simply wanting to do so, but by first realizing that none has a right to be worshipped and obeyed except for Almighty God, and then making a reasonable effort to follow God's commands, all human beings can fulfill their reason for existence - which is to worship God alone. . The Holy Qur'an tells us that "man was created weak" and thus falls into sin often. On the other hand, man is not to think of himself as so evil and corrupt so as to despair of God's mercy. As a recourse to this, and since Islam condemns self-righteousness, a pious life can only be lived by trusting in God -- since there is no power or strength except through God. As such, spiritual felicity is achieved by a combination of both faith and action. As such, the most righteous person is not one who thinks that repentance is unnecessary, but the one who admits and realizes his mistakes - and then repents. According to the word of Almighty God as revealed in the Holy Qur'an, mankind is God's trustee on earth; and as such the life of this world is a test, not a punishment. Even before God created the first man, He knew that he would sin, however God created man in spite of this. According to the Qur'an, God has bestowed on human beings a great trust and given them dignity. It is only by worshipping Almighty God, directly and without intermediaries, that a human being can fulfull their true innate nature and purpose of existence. In short, Islam is realistic. It portrays human beings just as they are and the life of the world just as it is. Since the outlook of Islam is divinely revealed is not based on wishful or negative thinking, but simply on reality. Islam also has a positive view of mankind in general, since it teaches that the best person in the sight of God is the one who is most God-conscious. In this way the truth of Islam and the universality of God's message transcends all of the barriers of race, nationality, ethnic group and economic status.