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
Monotheism Polytheism Monism Atheism    
Concept of
God
One transcendant
God
Many gods
An impersonal
oneness
No god    
Primary Example
Christianity, Judaism
Islam
So called tribal
religions,folk,
voodoo
Hinduism,Buddhism,
New Age Movement
Secular Humanism,
Marxism, Confucionism
   
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
   
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
   
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
   
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
 
 
Definition of religion:
 
Definition of sect:
 
Definition of cult:
 
 
Atheism
Animism
Islam
Buddhism
Hinduism
Taoism
Judaism
Secularism
New Age
Taoism
 

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