i e r Power Bel i e f There are many people in the world who believe in a god or gods a n Hig h Others do not use the word god but still believe that there are other greater forces at work in their lives The way groups of people worship these forces or their gods forms what we call a religion Many different religions are practiced around the world Major religions today include Christianity Islam Judaism Hinduism DID YOU KNOW India is the birthplace of several world religions Buddhism Hinduism Jainism and Sikhism all began there Daoism Sikhism and Buddhism Most religions try to answer the same basic questions How was the world created What is the meaning of human life Why do people die and what happens afterward Why is there evil How should people behave Many religions have buildings set aside for worship In these temples cathedrals mosques and churches activities such as prayer sacrifice and other forms of worship take place At different times in history followers of one religion have tried to make others believe in that Worshipers in Nepal celebrate Buddha Jayanti honoring the Buddha’s birth death and Enlightenment Macduff Everton Corbis religion Sometimes this was done by peaceful means Often however it was done by force sometimes by holy wars For instance between 1095 and 1292 European Christians led a number of crusades against Muslims Christians tried to take control of the holy city of Jerusalem and other places they associated with the life of Jesus Christ Muslims also carried out holy wars or jihads At various times they spread into much of the Middle East and parts of Europe and Asia Most religions however encourage their followers to live peacefully with people of other religions And in fact they share many aspects in common These include rituals to perform prayers to recite places to visit or avoid days that are holy holy books to read and study and leaders to follow LEARN MORE READ THESE ARTICLES BUDDHISM ISLAM JUDAISM Roman Catholics worship together in a service called a mass Here the mass is being held in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome Italy Vittoriano Rastelli Corbis 6
RELIGION S EA R C H LIG H T True or false a single god All religions have many gods and some have no god at all Answer FALSE Some religions have one god But others have
O n e World ManyBelief s How did the universe come to be How did life on Earth begin For thousands of years people have searched for the answers to such questions Some look to science to solve these mysteries But in the earliest times science could not explain natural events such as earthquakes and storms day and night and life and death People believed these things consider their god to be merciful and kind But all gods play a part in helping people understand their world LEARN MORE READ THESE ARTICLES HINDUISM ISLAM JUDAISM D I D YO U K N O W Not only did the ancient Egyptians ly of gods but large fami ieved that their pharaoh in a ieve bel they also bel or king was a god 8 were the work of beings greater and more powerful than humans the gods Today many people still seek an understanding of life through the worship of a god or gods They often feel that their faith also helps them live better lives Some religions such as Judaism Christianity and Islam teach that there is only one God a supreme being who made the universe and controls the world This is Stained-glass image showing a Christian artist’s idea of God the Father with angels Royalty-Free Corbis called monotheism from the Greek words for one and God The worship of several powerful gods is called polytheism because poly means many Ancient Greeks and Romans believed in many gods whom we know today from ancient myths and art People from different places and cultures have their own names for their gods The God of the ancient Jews was called Yahweh Muslims use the Arabic word for God Allah Hindus believe in a large number of gods and goddesses female gods Each has a different personality and controls a different aspect of life They believe these gods are forms of one supreme god One popular Hindu god is the elephant-headed Ganesha Many Hindus appeal to Ganesha when they begin an important new project The behavior of a god can vary from religion to religion Some religions may see their god or gods as unforgiving and cruel Others
S EA R C H LIG H T GOD Fill in the blank The Hindu god of successful beginnings is __________ In many world religions worshipers like this woman in Hong Kong burn incense to honor their gods Royalty-Free Corbis Answer The Hindu god of successful beginnings is Ganesha 9
