I need to do a compare and contrast paper about two religious marriage rituals.?

Question

I need the paper to be 7-10 pages and what I want to know is which two religions would give me more resources and would be easier for me to write atleast 7 pages. The religions i can pick from are: hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity, and Islam. Please also list why or something

Answer 1

Sticking with similar religions might make for a more interesting paper. That might be Buddhisms (and there are many sects within Buddhism) and Taoism or Confuscianism--or Judaism (again many sects) and Christianity.

Answer 2

Christianity is by far, the most loose definition to write about. There will be millions of articles out there on how to plan a wedding. My other choice would be Taoism other than, I know nothing about it and I would learn so much more, while doing the report.

Answer 3

I'll give you info on each religion and you decide which ones to use.

Hinduism:

Hinduism (known as Hindū Dharma in modern Indian languages)[1] is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. In contemporary usage Hinduism is also sometimes referred to as Sanātana Dharma (सनातन धर्म), a Sanskrit phrase meaning "eternal law".[3]

Hinduism is the world's oldest major extant religion,[4][5] whose earliest origins can be traced to the ancient Vedic civilization.[6] A conglomerate of diverse beliefs and traditions, Hinduism has no single founder.[7][8] It is the world's third largest religion following Christianity and Islam, with approximately a billion adherents, of whom about 905 million live in India and Nepal.[9] Other countries with large Hindu populations include Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.

Hinduism contains a vast body of scriptures. Divided as revealed and remembered and developed over millennia, these scriptures expound on theology, philosophy and mythology, and provide spiritual insights and guidance on the practice of dharma (religious living). In the orthodox view, among such texts, the Vedas and the Upanishads are the foremost in authority, importance and antiquity. Other major scriptures include the Tantras, the sectarian Agamas, the Purāṇas and the epics Mahābhārata and Rāmāyaṇa. The Bhagavad Gītā, a treatise excerpted from the Mahābhārata, is sometimes called a summary of the spiritual teachings of the Vedas.[10]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism

Buddhism:

Buddhism is a set of teachings often described as a non-theistic [1][2] religion[3] and a body of philosophies influenced by the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known as Gautama Buddha.[4] To many, however, Buddhism is not a religion, nor a philosophy or a set of doctrines, but rather teachings to guide one to directly experiencing reality.[5][6] Buddhism is also known as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means roughly the "teachings of the Awakened One" in Sanskrit and Pali, languages of ancient Buddhist texts. Buddhism began around 5th century BCE with the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in Ancient India, and is hereafter referred to as "the Buddha."[7]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism

Judaism:

Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people, based on principles and ethics embodied in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and the Talmud. According to Jewish tradition, the history of Judaism begins with the Covenant between God and Abraham (ca. 2000 BCE), the patriarch and progenitor of the Jewish people. Judaism is among the oldest religious traditions still in practice today. Jewish history and doctrines have influenced other religions such as Christianity, Islam and the Bahá'í Faith.

While Judaism has seldom, if ever, been monolithic in practice, it has always been monotheistic in theology. It differs from many religions in that central authority is not vested in a person or group, but in sacred texts and traditions. Throughout the ages, Judaism has clung to a number of religious principles, the most important of which is the belief in a single, omniscient, omnipotent, benevolent, transcendent God, who created the universe and continues to govern it. According to traditional Jewish belief, the God who created the world established a covenant with the Israelites, and revealed his laws and commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai in the form of the Torah, and the Jewish people are the descendants of the Israelites. The traditional practice of Judaism revolves around study and the observance of God's laws and commandments as written in the Torah and expounded in the Talmud.

With an estimated 14 million adherents in 2006,[1][2] Judaism is approximately the world's eleventh-largest religious group.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism

Taoism:





Taoism (or Daoism) is the English name referring to a variety of related Chinese philosophical traditions and concepts. These traditions influenced East Asia for over two thousand years and some have spread internationally. [1] Taoist propriety and ethics emphasize the Three Jewels of the Tao; namely, compassion, moderation, and humility. Taoist thought focuses on wu wei (" action that does not involve struggle or excessive effort" ) spontaneity, humanism, and emptiness. Wu wei is often incorrectly translated as ("non-action") and this error has propagated widely as a result of translations made by academics who are non practising Taoists. An emphasis is placed on the link between people and nature. Taoism teaches that this link lessened the need for rules and order, and leads one to a better understanding of the world.

The Chinese character 道, Tao (or Dao, depending on the romanisation scheme) means "path" or "way", but in Chinese religion and philosophy it has taken on more abstract meanings. Tao is rarely an object of worship, being treated more like the Indian concepts of atman and dharma.[2] The word "Taoism" is used to translate different Chinese terms. Daojiao/Taochiao (道教 "teachings/religion of the Dao") refers to Daoism as a religion. Daojia/Taochia (道家 "school of the Dao") refers to the studies of scholars, or "philosophical" Daoism. However, most scholars have abandoned the dichotomy of "religious" and "philosophical" Daoism.[3]

Most traditional Chinese Taoists are polytheistic. Nature and ancestor spirits are also common in popular Taoism. Organized Taoism distinguishes its ritual activity from that of the folk religion, which some professional Taoists (Daoshi) view as debased. This sort of shamanism is eschewed for an emphasis on internal alchemy among the "elite" Taoists.

Chinese alchemy, astrology, cuisine, several Chinese martial arts, Chinese traditional medicine, fengshui, and many styles of qigong breath training disciplines are intertwined with Taoism throughout history.

There is debate over how, and whether, Taoism should be subdivided. Some scholars have divided it into the following three categories:[4]

1. "Philosophical Taoism". (Daojia). A philosophical school based on the texts Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi;
2. "Religious Taoism". (Daojiao). A family of organized Chinese religious movements originating from the Celestial Masters movement during the late Han Dynasty and later including the "Orthodox" (Zhengyi) and "Complete Reality" (Quanzhen) sects, which trace back to Lao Zi or Zhang Daoling in the late Han Dynasty;
3."Folk Taoism". The Chinese folk religion.[5]
This distinction is complicated by hermeneutic difficulty. The categorization of Taoist sects and movements is very controversial.[6] Many scholars believe that there is no distinction between Daojia and Daojiao, and that the distinction is propagated by people who are not familiar with Taoism.[7]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism

Confucianism:

Confucianism (Chinese: 儒家; pinyin: rú jiā) is an ancient Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the early Chinese sage and philosopher Confucius. Its focus is primarily on secular ethics and morality, as well as the cultivation of the civilized individual which in turn would contribute to the establishment of a civilized society and ultimately world peace. Confucianism is a complex system of moral, social, political, philosophical, and quasi-religious thought which has had tremendous influence on the culture and history of East Asia. Some consider it to be the state religion of East Asian countries because of governmental promotion of Confucian values.

The cultures most strongly influenced by Confucianism include those of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Vietnam, as well as various territories settled predominantly by Chinese people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism

Christianity:

Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centred on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as depicted in the New Testament.[2] Christianity teaches that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament, and that the New Testament records the Gospel that was revealed by Jesus.

Christianity began as a sect within Judaism,[3] and includes the Hebrew Bible (known to Christians as the Old Testament) as well as the New Testament as its canonical scriptures.[4] Like Judaism and Islam, Christianity is classified as an Abrahamic religion (see also, Judeo-Christian).[5][6]

The name "Christian" (Greek Χριστιανός Strong's G5546), meaning "belonging to Christ" or "partisan of Christ",[7] was first applied to the disciples in Antioch, as recorded in Acts 11:26.[8] The earliest recorded use of the term "Christianity" (Greek Χριστιανισμός) is by Ignatius of Antioch.[9]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity

Islam:

Islam (Arabic: الإسلام; al-'islām (help·info)) is a monotheistic religion originating with the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. The word Islam means "submission", or the total surrender of oneself to God (Arabic: الله, Allāh). An adherent of Islam is known as a Muslim, meaning "one who submits (to God)".[1][2] There are between 1.2 billion and 1.5 billion Muslims, making Islam the second-largest religion in the world, after Christianity.[3]

Muslims believe that God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad, God's final prophet, and regard the Qur'an and the Sunnah (words and deeds of Muhammad) as the fundamental sources of Islam.[4] They do not regard Muhammad as the founder of a new religion, but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. Islamic tradition holds that Judaism and Christianity distorted the messages of these prophets over time either in interpretation, in text, or both.[5]

Islam includes many religious practices. Adherents are generally required to observe the Five Pillars of Islam, which are five duties that unite Muslims into a community.[6] In addition to the Five Pillars, Islamic law (sharia) has developed a tradition of rulings that touch on virtually all aspects of life and society. This tradition encompasses everything from practical matters like dietary laws and banking to warfare.[7]

Almost all Muslims belong to one of two major denominations, the Sunni and Shi'a. The schism developed in the late 7th century following disagreements over the religious and political leadership of the Muslim community. Roughly 85 percent of Muslims are Sunni and 15 percent are Shi'a. Islam is the predominant religion throughout the Middle East, as well as in parts of Africa and Asia. Large communities are also found in China, the Balkan Peninsula in Eastern Europe and Russia. There are also large Muslim immigrant communities in wealthier and more developed parts of the world such as Western Europe. About 20 percent of Muslims live in Arab countries.[8]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic