World Religions
World Religions Overview - America and the World
**If you lived in the United States of America 50 years ago, you could conceivably have moved from the beginning of the year to its end without encountering someone whose religious traditions differed markedly from the one that was most familiar to you.
***If you live in the United States of America today, you are likely to supervise, be super-
vised by, meet on a social basis, or even suddenly find yourself related to someone who pursues a religious tradition that is different from your own. What's more you're likely to have little or no time to prepare for the new information coming your way.
In addition, as God's mouthpiece in this day, and in order to truly take the Word of God to all nations of the world, we must be filled not only God's love, and a background of good Bible knowledge, but also an understanding of people different from ourselves. It is helpful in evangelism to understand the culture, values and worldview of many who do not know or believe in Jesus Christ. Remember, the Holy Spirit will do the work, you are the vessel. It is advisable to prepare yourself by learning a little something about the ones with whom you are called to serve.
EXAMPLES OF RELIGIONS AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
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Monotheism |
Polytheism |
Monism |
Atheism |
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Concept of
God |
One transcendant
God |
Many gods |
An impersonal
oneness |
No god |
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Primary Example |
Christianity, Judaism
Islam |
So called tribal
religions,folk,
voodoo |
Hinduism,Buddhism,
New Age Movement |
Secular Humanism,
Marxism, Confucionism |
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|
View of
Humanity |
Part of creation, but dif.
in kind from animals |
Can be influenced and
even possessed by evil
spirits |
Caught in the illusion
of separateness, but
identical in essence to
oneness |
A complex form of
matter |
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|
Humanity's Primary
Problem |
Breaking God's law(Judaism)
Rebellion against God(Christianity
Failing to seek God's guidance(Islam) |
Angering the gods |
Ignorance of one's
innate divinity |
Superstition and irra-
tional thinking |
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|
The Solution |
Living according to God's Laws(Judaism)
Being justified by faith based on God's
saving Work (Christianity)
Seeking God's guidance(Islam) |
Appeasing the gods |
Realizing that our essence
is the same as the one-
ness |
Applying rational
thinking to our
problems |
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The Afterlife |
The person continues to exist in either
heaven or hell |
Sometimes the person
advances to the spirit
world |
Either the person is
reincarnated or merges
into the impersonal
oneness |
The person ceases
to exist |
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Definition of religion:
Definition of sect:
Definition of cult:
Atheism
Animism
Islam
Buddhism
Hinduism
Taoism
Judaism
Secularism
New Age
Taoism
Page under construction...
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