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Hinduism means the religions of India, its not a single religion but rather a variety of related

beliefs and spiritual practices. It dates back 5 millenia to the time of Krishna. A man of such virtue that he
became known as an avatar of Vishnu, an incarnation of the god in human form. He thought that all life
follows karma, the law of cause and effect and our job is to do our duty or dharma according to our place
in society without worrying how things turn out. When we die, we are reincarnated into a new body. If
we followed our dharma and did our proper duty in our past life, we get good karma. Which sends our
soul upward in the social scale. Our rebirth I the next life is thus determined by what we do in this one.
The wheel of rebirths is called samsara. Its possible for a very holy person to lead a life with enough good
karma to escape the wheel. This escape is called moksha. Hinduism teaches that everything is one. The
whole universe is one transcendent reality called Brahman, and theres just one Brahman but any gods
within it and their roles, aspects and forms differ according to various traditions. Brahma is the creator,
Vishnu is the preserver who sometimes takes on human form and Shiva is the transformer or Lord of the
dance. Durga is the fiercely protective divine mother. Ganesha has an elephant head and is the wise
patron of success. Hinduism is the third largest religion on the world.

Confucianism is the philosophy based on the teachings of Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC), who was
an important Chinese philosopher. Confucianism has a complete system of moral, social, political, and
religious thought, and has had a large influence on the history of Chinese civilization. However, there
remains some controversy over whether or not it should be considered a religion. Confucianism was made
to stop the fall of Chinese society. After the Zhou Dynasty fell, people cared only for themselves and did
not have any respect for others. Confucianism became a social order for China, teaching that social
relationships are the most important. People slowly started to believe in it, because they wanted to have
peace, but they had to care for themselves too. As a result, Confucianism brought the people love,
harmony, and respect for one another. Confucianism was started in Ch'u-fu, Confucius's birthplace.
Today, Confucianism has spread all the way around the world, but is still more pronounced in China. The
teachings of Confucius focus largely on the respect of one's parents, elders, and ancestors. He also taught
that humans 'can never stop learning'; meaning that knowledge is infinite, therefore we will always learn,
never stopping. For example, he once asked a seven-year-old child to be his teacher, because the child
knew something that he did not.
About 4,000 years ago, Judaism began with God calling Abraham and Sarah to leave
Mesopotamia and migrate to the land of Canaan. In return for their faith in one true God, a revolutionary
concept in a polytheistic world of that time, they would have land and many descendants. From this
promise came the land of Israel and the chosen people, but staying in that land and keeping those people
together was going to be very difficult. The Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, but god freed them with the
help of the prophet Moses, who received the Ten Commandments, and later hundreds more. They
conquered the Promised Land, but could only keep it for a few hundred years. Israel seats at a crossroads
through which many armies marched over the centuries. In the year 70, the Romans destroyed the temple
in their capital, Jerusalem. So the religion transformed itself from a temple religion witch sacrifices and
priest to a religion of the book. Because of this, Judaism is a faith, of symbolism, reverence and deep
meanings tied to the literature of its history. The many sacred scriptures make up the Hebrew bible or
Tanakh and hundreds of written discussions and interpretations are contained in an expansive
compendium of deeper meanings, called the Talmud. Jew find rich, symbolic meaning in daily life. At the
Passover meal, every item on the menu symbolizes an aspect of the escape from slavery. The importance
of growing up is emphasized when young people reach the age of bar and bat mitzvah, ceremonies during
which they assume responsibility for their actions and celebrate the weaving of their own lives into the
faith, history and texts of the Jewish people. There are 14.5 million Jews in the world today, 6 million on
Israel which became independent following the horrors of genocide in World War II which killed 6 million
Jews, and 5 million in the U.S.

2,500 years ago, back in India where Buddhism began with a young prince named Siddhartha. On
the night he was conceived, on the night he was conceived, his mother Queen Maya is said to have been
visited in her sleep by a white elephant who entered her side. Ten months later, Prince Siddhartha was
born into a life of luxury. Venturing forth from his sheltered experience, as a young man, he witnessed
the human suffering that had been hidden from him and immediately set out to investigate its sources.
Why must people endure suffering? Must we reincarnate through hundreds of lives? At first he thought
the problem was attachment to material things so he gave up his possessions. He became a wandering
beggar which he discovered certainly made him no happier. Then he overheard a music teacher telling a
student, Dont tighten the string too much, it will break. But dont let it go too slack or it will not sound.
In a flash, he realized that looking for answers at the extremes was a mistake. The middle way between
luxury and poverty seemed wisest. While meditating under a Bodhi tree, the rest of the answer came to
him. All life abounds with suffering. It is caused by selfish craving for ones own fulfilment at the expense
of others. Following an eight step plan can teach us to reduce that craving and thus reduce the suffering.
On that day, Siddharta became Buddha. Buddhism teaches people how to end their suffering by cutting
out greed, hatred and ignorance. When people do bad things, they will get bad consequences. When
people do good things, they will get good consequences. Good and bad things do not cancel out.
This cause-and-effect chain is reflected in the endless cycles of life, death and rebirth. Buddhism believes
in reincarnation (rebirth). The ultimate goal of a Buddhist is to reach the state of enlightenment (Nirvana)
and liberate oneself from endless reincarnation and suffering.
Christianity is one of the most popular religions through the western world. It is an Abrahamic
religion. Members of the religion are called Christians (Greek ). It is a monotheistic religion,
meaning it has only one God. It is the largest religion in the world and is based on the life and teachings
of Jesus of Nazareth. In the eyes of the world, Jesus was a preacher, teacher, healer, and prophet from
ancient Judea. However, his disciples knew him to be much more than that - they knew that Jesus was
God's one and only son. His nominal father (Joseph) was a carpenter. Jesus was executed by being nailed
to a cross (or crucified) under Pontius Pilate, the local Roman governor at the time. His life and followers
are written about in the New Testament, part of the Bible. Christians consider the Bible, both the Old
Testament and New Testament, as sacred. The Gospels or "The Good News" are the first four books of
the New Testament and are about the life of Jesus, his death, and him rising from the dead. Christians
needed to come up with an explanation why the Bible mentions God the Father, God the Son, and the
Holy Spirit, and yet there should only be one god. This idea, called Trinity, was started at the First Council
of Nicaea, in 325, and developed during several church meetings or councils. Today, many Christian groups
agree with it. Some that do not are the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the biggest of which is the Coptic
Orthodox Church. The Oriental Orthodox Churches agree with the ideas in the First Council of Nicea, but
they disagree with other councils. There are also smaller groups who do not believe in the Trinity at all.
God created the world. Jesus is the name of God the Son. Christians believe Him to be the Son of God.
They believe that He was the human son of the Virgin Mary and the divine Son of God. They believe
He suffered and died to free humans from their sin and was later raised from the dead. He then went
up into Heaven. At the end of time, Jesus will come back to Earth to judge all mankind, both alive and
dead, giving everlasting life to those who believe in him. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of God on the Earth
that spoke through prophets. The prophets foretold in the Old Testament of Jesus as the Savior. Christians
think of Jesus Christ as a teacher, a role model, and someone who revealed who the Christian God was.
Just like Judaism and Islam, Christianity is an Abrahamic religion. Christianity started out as
a Jewish sect in the eastern Mediterranean. It quickly grew in number of believers and influence over a
few decades, and by the 4th Century it had become the dominant religion in the Roman Empire.
The Kingdom of Aksum became the first empire to adopt Christianity. During the Middle Ages, the rest
of Europe mostly was Christianized. At that time, Christians were mostly a religious minority in the Middle
East, North Africa, and parts of India. Following the Age of Discovery, through missionary
work and colonization, Christianity spread to Africa, the Americas, and the rest of the world. Christianity
has been an important part of the shaping of the world. As of the early 21st century, Christianity has
approximately 2.2 billion followers.
Islam (Arabic: , Al-Islam) is a religion that believes in one god. All of its teachings and beliefs
are written out in the Qur'an (also spelled Quran or Koran). People who follow Islam are called Muslims.
They believe that the Qur'an was spoken to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel, and that it is the word of
Allah. They view Muhammad as a prophet. Other beliefs and rules about what Muslims should do come
from reports of what Muhammad taught and did. Muslims believe Muhammad was Allah's last prophet.
Muslims believe that there were many other prophets before Muhammad,
including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. They believe that all these prophets were given
messages by God of the oneness of God to their communities at different times in history of mankind,
but Satan, made the past communities deviate from the message of oneness and other social codes.
Muslims believe that the content of the Qur'an (written in Arabic) is protected by Allah as mentioned in
the Quran and is the final message of God for all of mankind until the day of judgment. Most Muslims
belong to one of two groups. The most common is Sunni Islam (7590% of all Muslims are Sunni Muslims).
The second is Shia Islam (1020% of all Muslims are Shias also called Shiites). With about 1.8 billion
followers (24% of the world's population), Islam is the second-largest religion in the world. Islam is also
the fastest-growing religion in the world. The country in the world where the most people are Muslim
is Indonesia.
According to Islamic Tradition, there are five basic things that Muslims should do. They are called "The
Five Pillars of Islam":

1. Tawhid: The Testimony (faith in English) is the Muslim belief that there is no god but Allah himself,
and that Muhammad is his last messenger.
2. Sallah: Muslims pray five times a day, at special times of the day. When they pray, they face
the holy city of Mecca. Salat is namaz in Persian, Turkish and Urdu. Shia Muslims can pray the
afternoon and evening prayers right after each other.[2]
3. Zakah: Muslims who have money must give 1/40th of their money (charity in English) to help
people who do not have money or need help.
4. Sawm or Siyam: Fasting during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic year. Muslims do not eat
or drink from dawn till sunset for one lunar month. After Ramadan, there is a holiday called Eid
al-Fitr (which means "festival of end-fast" in English). On Eid al-Fitr, Muslims usually go to
the mosque in the morning for a special religious service, and then have a party with families and
friends.
5. Hajj (Pilgrimage in English): During the pilgrimage season, many Muslims go to Mecca, the holiest
city of Islam. If a Muslim cannot make the hajj because they do not have the money or are not
healthy enough, they do not have to.

Religious Freedom

The separation of church and state which is constitutionally established in the country gives its citizens
the freedom of worship without discrimination. Religion is also incorporated into the school curriculum
for pupils and students in various forms, including literature and religious activities. There is also no
explicit ban on religious dress. For instance, the Hijab may be worn by Muslim girls, and the Rosary by
Catholic Christian women.

Religious Tolerance

All religions are protected by the law, and no one religious belief is given priority over any other. Religious
tolerance here entails that the rights of followers of any religion is respected. The focus in
the Philippines is not on religious differences, but rather on commonalities. This is referred to as
ecumenism, and takes place through religious dialogues and conferences. However, there have been
reports regarding conflicts between Christians and Muslims, particularly in the workplace and other public
places. Issues that arise usually pertain to religious dress and names.

Belief Systems in the Philippines


Roman Catholic Christianity

Roman Catholicism has the largest religious following in the Philippines. This religion was first introduced
to the Filipino peoples through the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the early 1500's. Magellan,
whose original destination was Spice Island, arrived on Cebu Island in Philippines due to a missed route.
He then proceeded to make Roman Catholicism a state religion by first converting the Chief of Cebu, and
several hundreds of his followers. Roman Catholics believe in a supreme deity or God, who exists in three
forms. These are God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, commonly referred to as the Holy Trinity.
Catholics believe that God sent his son, Jesus to the world through a virgin to die for the sins of the world.
There are also three main sacraments of initiation kept by Roman Catholics, which include Water Baptism,
Confirmation, and Eucharist. Conversion and acceptance of the religion precedes these three sacraments.
In terms of influence, the Catholic Church historically has impacted decision making in such areas as
marriage, reproduction and family life in general. However, that influence seems to be waning. For
instance, divorce which was previously unacceptable due to the country's predominant Catholic beliefs,
is now being accepted or tolerated by many. Family planning through the use of contraceptives or
abortion which was also frowned upon by the Church seems to have been adopted by those who consider
themselves "liberal" Catholics. As expected, these have not resonated well with the Catholic church.

Islam

Islam is the second largest religion in the Philippines after Roman Catholic Christianity. The religion existed
in the region for around a century before the spread of Christianity. Islam first spread to Simunul Island in
the Philippines through foreign trade with countries such as India. Specifically, it was the Islamic cleric-
Karim ul' Makhdum who first introduced the religion to the area. Subsequently, he established the first
mosque on the same Island, which is today, the oldest mosque in the country. Muslims, similar to
Christians, believe in a single supreme God, or Allah in Arabic, but not in Jesus as the ultimate prophet
and Messiah. They believe that Allah revealed his messages through the Prophet Mohammed, the
founding figure of Islam. There are five principles which all Muslims generally adhere to. These principles
include the Shahada or declaration of faith, Salat or prayer, Zakat or alms-giving/charity, Ramadan or ritual
fast, and the Hajj or Pilgrimage. Islam has not had that much of an influence on the general society in the
country, since it is not the dominant religion. However, one significant impact is in the area of Islamic
dietary laws. Halal provisions which previously were non-existent or very scarce, are now gaining influence
in the country. Influences are most felt in the Southern part of the country which is home to the majority
of Muslims. Wearing of religious dress which historically was required and is still required, is however a
bit flexible today. Muslims now incorporate Western styles into dressing, while still maintaining the
standard which is modesty.

Evangelical Protestant Christians (affiliated with the PCEC)


Evangelical Protestantism was introduced into the Philippines by American missionaries after the Spanish-
American War between the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. Some Protestant groups which are
affiliated with the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC), however were established locally,
without any foreign influence. This religion though similar to other forms of Christianity, arose as a
counter-religion to Roman Catholicism. The main beliefs include spreading the message of Salvation
through scriptural teaching, faith in the finished work of the Cross, which is the death and resurrection of
Jesus, and, most importantly, a personal and willing conversion which is known as being "born-again."
Influence of this sect on Filipino society has been predominantly in the area of education. Protestant
Churches have established several schools at different levels, and incorporated most of these beliefs in
the curriculum, even for students or pupils who are not part of the religion.

Iglesia ni Cristo (Philippine Church of Christ)

Unlike other religions in the Philippines which spread through external influences, the Philippine Church
of Christ originated from within the country itself in the early 19th Century. The religion was founded by
Felix Manalo Ysagun, who claimed that this sect was the true religion of Christ, and all other Christian
groups were not. This Church believes in the power of scripture and a supreme God in a fashion similar to
other Christian denominations, but rejects the doctrine of Trinitarianism which is common among other
groups. The sect ascribes instead to the doctrine of Unitarianism, which holds that God is a singular entity,
and not triple as described by adherents of Trinitarianism. The religion is rigid, especially to Protestants
and Catholics, who are viewed by the Iglesias as apostates. Influence of the Philippine Church has largely
been political. To encourage solidarity and unity in the religion, followers are required to vote only leaders
endorsed by the Ministers or Church authorities. Hence, freedom of thought and opinion pertaining to
political issues is absent in this religion. Any opposition from the State or any other group is usually met
with large protest rallies. This rigidity has really made people, especially "outsiders" to the religion to
question the supposed Church and State separation which is constitutional.

Buddhists

The time Buddhism first spread into the Philippines is unknown for the most part, although archaeological
records point towards the 6th or 7th Century. Through sea trade with the Srivijaya Empire of India which
was predominantly Buddhist, Vajrayana, a form of Buddhism became introduced in the Philippines. The
adherents of this religion are primarily Chinese, Filipino-Chinese, Japanese, and other Asian or Middle-
East groups residing in the country. Buddhists do not believe in a creator God in the same fashion
Christians do. The main beliefs include suffering which is inherent in human existence, impermanence of
everything in the world, and the absence of a permanent soul. Buddhism has had linguistic influences on
Filipino culture as the origin of some words can be traced to Sanskrit and Pali which are Buddhist
languages.

Indigenous Beliefs

Indigenous traditions predate the colonial religions of Islam and Christianity in the Philippines. The most
predominant views are that of animism, which is the belief that even non-living entities such trees and
plants have spirits. Indigenous religions are characterized by worship of various deities, as opposed to the
monotheistic religions. With regards to influence, other religions, even the predominant Roman Catholic,
have adopted animism in combination with their own beliefs. This blending is known as religious
syncretism.

Other Christians

Other Christian groups in the country include Jehovah's witnesses, Latter Day Saints, Assemblies of God,
Seventh-day Adventists, and numerous others. These groups were started either locally, or introduced by
international Missionaries. Some beliefs are common to mainstream Christianity, but there are also a host
of differences. For instance, Jehovah's witnesses also reject Trinitarianism, and the Latter day Saints
believe in Salvation for the dead. Influences of these religions are mainly not on the wider society, but
adherents of these religions. For instance, Jehovah's witnesses do not receive blood transfusions no
matter how critical their health is.
Atheism

Atheists do not follow any form of religion, and therefore disbelieve the existence of God or gods of any
sort. They are constantly involved in humanitarian activities, although not following any religion, as well
as scientific advocacy.
Other minor religions in the country include Hinduism, Judaism, and the Baha'i Faith.

Religious Beliefs in The Philippines


Rank Belief System Share of Filipino Population
1 Roman Catholic Christianity 80.6%
2 Islam 5.6%
3 Evangelical Protestant Christians affiliated with the PCEC 2.7%
4 Iglesia ni Cristo (Philippine Church of Christ) 2.5%
5 Buddhists, Indigenous Beliefs, Other Christians, Atheists, 8.6%
and Others

SOURCE: http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/religious-beliefs-in-the-philippines.html

https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-five-major-world-religions-john-bellaimey

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