Tap to Read ➤

Facts About Religions

Mukta Gaikwad
The mystique around religions have since time immemorial captivated many thinkers. Here are a few interesting facts about religions, to help you see the cornerstones of various religions.
Religion does not have a definite description or a definition. To put it very generally, religion is a set of rules that a certain sect of a society abides by. It has evolved through time as theories based on empirical laws of our ancestors. A religion is a human quest for fundamental answers.
The human race across the planet, has been divided by various religions. The difficulty in defining, has led many of us on different ways in exploring what religion is.
Despite the ambiguity in its definition, religion does teach the followers obedience, humility, self-denial, forgiveness, and resilience. Let's try to see what are some of the world religion facts, that imbibe these virtues.

Facts about Christianity

✦ The Christians believe in one Godly figure, the Jesus Christ, who was born to Virgin Mary.
✦ Jesus Christ was killed at the age of 33 by the Romans for claiming to be God's son. He was tortured, first by the Jews and then by the Romans, by long unending beatings.
✦ It was after the death of this sinless man, that the world started believing in him. Christianity says, his act of sacrifice has paid for all the sins of mankind.

✦ 
His resurrection is celebrated as Easter, as the eternal presence of God on Earth.

Facts about Buddhism

✦ Buddhism was founded in north-eastern India (now Nepal) about 2500 years ago and continues to be the fourth largest religion in the world.

✦ Interestingly it follows no form of idol worship.
✦ There are four noble truths, which are the basis of religious facts of Buddhism. These facts are: Life is filled with suffering (Dukha). Suffering is a cause of human desires and attachments (Samudaya). These sufferings can be ended (Dukha Nirodh) and the way (Magga) to end these sufferings is the eightfold path.
✦ The religion is based eightfold path of, right beliefs, right aspirations, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditative attainment.
✦ While following this path Buddha has laid down four reminders for the followers. These reminders are: Human life is priceless, death is an avoidable finality, the laws of karma are inevitable, and suffering permeates all existence.

Facts about Hinduism

✦ Hinduism is the Fourth largest religion in the world.
✦ Hinduism is a fusion of many philosophical schools of thoughts, beliefs, mythological epics, and commonly practiced traditions

✦ Religious facts about Hinduism are, it believes is pure idol worship, which is a reflection of nature.
✦ The Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda are the four scripts, guiding the basis of this religion. Bhagwad Gita is the holy scripture of Hindusim, which is known to have the answers to every problem in this universe.

✦ Hindus, followers of Hinduism believe in non-violence (ahimsa) and respect for every living soul.
✦ Hindus believe in worshiping a lot of symbols and icons. 'Om' is one such symbol and a sound, which they also believed to be the beginning of life.

Facts about Islam

✦ The word Islam means, 'peace through submission to God'. The followers of Islam are Muslims.
✦ Islam is based on five pillars, namely, A)Shahadah - declaration of faith in the oneness of God and that Muhammad is the last prophet of God. B) Praying with diligence five times a day.
C) Fasting during the daylight in the month of Ramadan.
D) Zakat - which is donating 2.5% of your earnings to the poor at the end of each year.
E) Hajj - A pilgrimage to Ka'bah in Mecca, at least once in a lifetime,
if you have the means and the physical capacity.
✦ Muslims believe in one God, who is addressed as Allah.

✦ Islam prohibits any sort of terrorist activity, violence, and killings of the innocent.
A religion is a starting point of life. These unusual facts about religion and strange facts about religion, may provide you with information. However, it is your perception that will help you educate yourself. At the end of it, no matter what the religion facts, the truth remains, that every soul reaches out to find a meaning of life.
In a journey to find the meaning, a religion is not important and neither is it the answer. It's the desire to find the purpose and the meaning that leads you on the path, and set towards your goal. Eventually, the facts hold little meaning in life, it is the quest that matter, which is to each his own.