One unique feature of Catholicism is its saints. Thousands of people have been sainted by the Catholic Church, meaning they are officially recognized as exemplars of Christian faith, having exhibited the power of God in their lives in remarkable ways....

In the three hundred or so years after Jesus lived and died, Christianity changed from a form of Judaism into a separate faith. During this time, people who lived in the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea held many different ideas about the nature of Jesus, God, and humanity....

This chart shows the beliefs held by mainstream adherents of each of the Abrahamic religions. There are many variations in beliefs, in each of these faiths....

Data is from a now-defunct website (adherents.com) compiled and managed by Preston Hunter; updated 2007. 

1. Which is the third largest religion (in number of adherents) in the world? a. Atheism/Agnosticism 2. True. Unitarian Universalism resulted from the merger of two religions—Unitarianism and Universalism—that were each more than 200 years old. 3. Abraham is considered the founder of which...

The Islamic faith is in the news almost every day, yet it is widely misunderstood. Approximately 1.8 billion people, nearly one in four people on Earth, are Muslim, so it is important for non-Muslims to better understand this faith and its followers. Surrender and Peace. The name of the faith,...

Lawyer, butcher, trash collector, thief, corporate executive, full-time parent, lobbyist, hair stylist or barber, grocer, graphic artist, hardware store clerk, baker or chef, computer programmer, stockbroker, animal trainer, jeweler, actor, rapper, stunt-car driver, college professor, engineer, c...

Before Beginning the Eightfold Path: Right Association Since we are influenced by our companions, it is very important to have people around us who are supportive of our spiritual goals and on spiritual paths themselves. They do not need to be doing exactly what we are doing, but they have to...

Buddhism is a religion based on rationality, objectivity, personal experience, and practice. It does not say anything about God. In fact, whether a person believes in any divine power at all is immaterial to Buddhism. What does matter? The mind. Delusions of the mind are what Buddhism seeks to...

Taoism is a faith practiced by more than 20 million people around the world. The name comes from the word "Tao," which means "the Way." In this case, "the Way" means a way of living in balance and at peace with all that is. Taoism is very old. We know that it existed before 550 BCE and that it...

In Iran... Beginning in 653 BCE, the Assyrian Empire to the east conquered part of the region, the Median Empire was overrun by Scythians, and a new Persian ruler took advantage of the mayhem to seize control....

A B C D E Zoroastrianism Jainism Taoism Buddhism Confucianism Founded: 600 BCE Founded: 556 BCE Founded: 550 BCE Founded: 531 BCE Founded: 500 BCE Iran India China India China Founder: Zoroaster (Zarathustra) Founder: Mahavira Founder: Lao Tzu Founder: Siddhartha Gautama Founder: K'ung-fu-tzu...

Adapted from Hebrew scripture, 1 Kings 3:16-28. Narrator: Now the guard brought two women to King Solomon. They stood before him. Guard: These women bring a dispute before you, my Lord. First Woman: My Lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me....

Category: Daniel Was carried off to Babylon at a young age Served as a dream interpreter in the royal court of King Nebuchadnezzar; predicted Armageddon Interpreted the "handwriting on the wall" which foretold the destruction of King Belshazzar's kingdom: "God has numbered the days of your kingdo...

In our previous workshop on Judaism, we learned that Judaism is monotheistic (believes there is one God), covenantal (based on a covenant of faith and practice between its believers and God), varied in its expressions, and geared to raise awareness and gratitude for every aspect of life. We also...

Holy Day/Holiday: Rosh Hashanah Celebrates: New Year (Rosh Hashanah, two days), beginning of High Holy Days period Observed by: Two-day period of worship including sounding the shofar (ram's horn trumpet); dipping apples in honey; abstaining from work; tashlich ceremony, or symbolically casting o...

Although ancient, Judaism is not considered an indigenous religion; it is based on the revelation of religious wisdom and law to the people, not on an understanding that grows from personal experience or intuition. Revelation is believed to be a direct interaction between God and a human being.

The earliest human beings developed the four aspects of human societies: language, music, a social order, and religion. For more than three million years, human beings have practiced religion. Some of the earliest places we know human beings have lived are the southernmost tip of Africa (South...

Speak the text while performing the gestures described in italics. We light this chalice to celebrate Unitarian Universalism. When saying "Unitarian," cup your right hand in a U shape. When saying "Universalism," cup your left hand in a U shape. This is the church of the open mind....

In this workshop, we explore a faith so ancient it is considered indigenous, yet it has grown through the millennia to attain a high level of complexity and sophistication. Furthermore, it is followed by more than 900 million people—nearly a billion human beings—around the world. This religion...