Who Believes What?: Exploring the World’s Major Religions
Anna Wills Nora Tomm Who Believes What Exploring the World’s Major Religions Translated by Shelley Tanaka OWLKIDS BOOKS
3 Many people try with the help of a religion to find answers to life’s big questions What happens after death How should we live How will I live What is right and what is wrong What is the meaning of life Each religion offers its own path and its own answers The five major world religions Hinduism Judaism Buddhism Christianity and Islam are very old And in addition to these five there are many other faiths and denominations Not everyone belongs to a religion Some people leave their religion or move from one faith to another Other people were not brought up in religious families and have never believed In some religions there is only one god Others have several gods or none at all Some religions have a book where the rules and stories of that religion are written down Others place more value on beliefs shared by word of mouth called oral tradition This can include storytelling and jokes songs and dance and other cultural customs passed from generation to generation Religion has a lot to do with community celebrating with others following rituals practicing a common lifestyle perhaps even dressing a certain way Rituals and community provide everyday life with structure and give people support through difficult times Religions also have rules about for example how you should behave toward other people or what you’re allowed to eat And many religions have beliefs in common such as the belief that it is wrong to kill or to steal What you believe is a deeply personal decision The freedom to choose whether to believe and what to believe is so important that it is even embedded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights one of the core documents of the United Nations In many countries freedom of religion is written into the highest levels of law including the US Constitution and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Religion is an important part of the lives of people of faith It is also part of every culture and influences the lives of those who belong to no religion at all So let’s take some time to explore the beliefs and customs of people around the world Knowing more about others helps us to better understand one another find ideas we share and live side by side in community WHAT IS RELIGION
HINDUISM Hinduism is the third-largest religion in the world It originated in India and today is still mostly practiced in South Asia Most Hindus are born into the religion and people debate whether it is even possible to convert to it 4
Hinduism is made up of various traditions that have overlapped and sometimes joined together It has many different gods and goddesses and they are worshipped in their own particular ways Even today new gods are being added Some Hindus worship a singular divinity behind all of them As a whole Hinduism has no leader no fixed set of teachings or laws no central institution and no single book It relies on oral as much as written tradition Hindus are connected by a common way of life and a social order that can be divided into many units The smallest unit is the extended family The largest units are the four classes of society called varnas These can again be divided into a vast number of groups called castes or jati Each person is born into a caste and can leave it only upon death Each caste has its own principles and duties There are rules governing everything from meals to marriage One must follow these rules to be considered pure in both body and behavior Hindus believe that a new life begins after death This is called reincarnation They also believe that every living being whether human animal or plant has a soul Your behavior in your previous life will determine which caste you’re reborn into and whether you’re reborn as an animal a plant or a human This is called karma For many Hindus the goal is to eventually be free from the cycle of reincarnation One way to achieve this is through self-denial and giving up earthly possessions Other Hindus focus on developing a loving relationship with God 5
