The Religions Book

326

DIRECTORY

D

espite the apparent prevalence of atheism in the West, the

number of people professing some kind of religious belief is

increasing worldwide. Christianity and Islam, both proselytizing

religions, are now espoused by more than half of the world’s total

population. Other faiths, such as Hinduism, have also continued to attract

followers into the 21st century. Religions spread for all kinds of reasons,

such as the missionary activities of their adherents, population increases,

and the need to fill “belief vacuums” that occur when primal or other local

religions go into decline. So, while many people in Africa have left behind

traditional beliefs to embrace new Christian churches, in Europe

dissatisfaction with Christianity and interest in ideas from the East has

led to a modest growth in Buddhism and other Eastern religions.

MAJOR WORLD FAITHS

NAME

Baha’i Faith

Buddhism

Cao Ðài

Christianity

Church of
Christ (Scientist)

Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-
day Saints
(Mormons)

Confucianism

FOUNDED

Tehran, Persia,

1863

Northeastern

India, c.520 BCE

Vietnam,

1926

Judea,

c.30 CE

Massachusetts,

1879

New York,

1830

China, 6th–5th

centuries BCE

FOUNDER

Baha’u’llah

Siddhartha

Gautama,

or Buddha

Ngô Van Chiêu

Jesus Christ

Mary Baker

Eddy

Joseph Smith,

Jr.

Confucius

GOD

One God, revealed through

various religions

Theravada is nontheistic;

Mahayana involves devotion to

the Buddha and bodhisattvas

One God, and reverence for founders

of other faiths (including Buddhism,

Daoism, and Christianity)

One God, in the form of the Holy

Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

One God, no Holy Trinity

Three separate beings: God the

Father; Jesus Christ the Son;

and the Holy Spirit

None, although Confucius believed

in the Great Ultimate, or dao

ADHERENTS

5–7 million

376 million

8 million

2,000 million

400,000

13 million

5–6 million