1

Jordan Durham

Shannon Atkinson

RELS 2300 World Religions

10 December 2022

What Connects Us: A Look at World Religion

Humans have been around for quite some time and throughout all of history, we have told

stories that have been passed down for generations. Some of the most long lasting stories have

shaped the major religions we know today. Each religion is filled with rich stories and beliefs

that impact the culture and people. Globally, “some estimate the number [of religions] exceeds

four thousand” (Fairchild, 2021). With so many different religions around the world, it could be

easy to look at the ways these differences divide humanity, but is it possible that we have more in

common than we realize? Is there a common theme among religions? To answer this question,

let’s take a look at the most widely recognized religions.

The Dharmic Religions

There are more than 1.1 billion Hindus in the world which makes up 13.6 percent of the global

population. Hinduism, historically, is an ethnic religion that started in India. Those born into

Hindu families are Hindu, regardless of location, but the majority of Hindus live in Nepal,

Bangladesh, and Indonesia. There are many gods in Hinduism, however, not all Hindus believe

in or worship all of the gods. Some believe Hinduism is polytheistic, while others believe it is

monotheistic. One of the main beliefs they hold is that we are trapped in a cycle of life, a

constant rebirth that comes from the choices made in the previous life. There are three different
 2

disciplines, or yogas, that one can follow in the attempt to break free from this cycle; jnana

(wisdom), bhakti (devotion), and karma (action). Each of these yogas provides a guideline for

what is required to achieve kama, or pleasure, artha, or power and wealth, dharma, or duty, and

finally moksha, or spiritual liberation (Prothero, 2020).

Buddhists make up 7 percent of the world population with an estimated one billion

people. In contrast to Hinduism, Buddhism is a missionary religion that aims to convert others,

however, these missionary efforts are primarily confined to Asia. Buddhists do not believe in

deity, sticking to the belief that the divine is in each of us and that our purpose in life is to

overcome suffering through different practices. Similarly to Hindus, they believe that we are

stuck in a cycle of life and death because of the positive and negative consequences of our

actions, known as karma. Meditation is a key practice that has the purpose of training one to

expand their knowledge and cease cravings, which leads to a stop in suffering. Buddhists have

the Four Noble Truths that were taught by the Buddha. These truths are that suffering is a fact of

life and the main cause of suffering is craving. Since there is a cause, it can be eliminated

through spiritual liberation. The path to spiritual liberation is the balance between extremes and

can be taken through three types of training: morality, concentration, and wisdom (Prothero,

2020).

The third Dharmic religion has much fewer members than the previously mentioned

religions. With around 28 million, Sikhs make up less than 1 percent of the population. In fact,

Sikhism isn’t recognized as an independent religion per the Indian Constitution, rather it is

lumped with Buddhists and Jains under the umbrella of Hinduism. Sikhism shares a lot with

Hinduism and Islam, likely due to shared proximity. Sikhs also believe that we must be liberated
 3

from the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. They believe we are born with divinity in us, like

Buddhists, but we are also plagued with lust, pride, anger, greed, and an attachment to worldly

things. The ultimate goal is to overcome egoism with guidance of the Gurus, and through

meditation become one with God. Some of the key beliefs for Sikhs is to work hard and serve

others to become more in harmony with God (Prothero, 2020).

The Abrahamic Religions

Judaism makes up about 0.2 percent of the world population with about 14.8 million

members. Similarly to Hinduism, it is an ethnic religion where those who are born into Jewish

families are thereby Jews themselves. While the numbers are small, Judaism “started a

monotheistic revolution that gave the world both Christianity and Islam” (Prothero, 2020). The

main belief about this life is that the Jewish people have been exiled from the presence of God

and this life serves the purpose of repairing the world so they may make their way back to God.

An interesting aspect of Judaism is that it welcomes criticism and different interpretations of the

scripture. Additionally, Judaism emphasizes orthopraxy, focusing on following the 613

commandments in action rather than the doctrine of their beliefs.

Christianity has the most members with over 2.2 billion people, accounting for 32 percent

of the global population. There are thousands of different denominations that all fall under the

umbrella of Christianity but have differences based on the interpretation of religious texts. It, like

Buddhism, is considered a missionary religion which very likely accounts for its large

population. To Christians, the main issue in life to overcome is sin, or bad thoughts and deeds.

The solution is salvation which is brought through Jesus Christ who took upon Himself the sins

of the world and died. Christians try to follow the commandments they are given as a sort of
 4

payment for the salvation they are given. Emphasis is put on the need to do good deeds and serve

others (Prothero, 2020).

The final Abrahamic religion is Islam. It is the second largest religion with 1.9 billion

members that add up to 24.3 percent of the world population. Just like the other religions, there is

diversity among Islamic followers on how to practice the religion. Unlike Christians, Muslims

believe that humans are inclined to be good and they are not born with sin. The problem that we

must overcome is pride, similarly to Sikhism. This issue can be resolved through submitting

oneself to God, or Allah, and relying on Him in every possible way, rather than believing that

one can go through life on their own. Muslims also believe that faith and good works are

important for success in this life, leading to success in the life to come (Prothero, 2022).

Drawing Connections

While looking at these six religions, it is easy to begin to make connections between

them. Christians and Hindus are similar in their more polytheistic beliefs, while Sikhs, Jews, and

Muslims are strictly monotheistic. Sikhs and Jews cherish their sacred texts and create special

places for them. Hindus and Muslims both prostrate during their prayers and worship. Hindus,

Buddhists, and Sikhs share the same perspective on life being cyclical, a constant state of birth,

death, and rebirth. Sikhs and Buddhists share the idea of one being born with inherent divinity.

There are numerous ties that can be made but, I believe, there is one belief that seems to be

shared among all of humanity.

In the Torah we read “you shall neither take revenge from nor bear a grudge against the

members of your people; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord” (The Tanakh,

Leviticus 19:18). Similarly we read in the Qur’an that we must “worship Allah alone …and be
 5

kind to parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, near and distant neighbors, close friends, needy

travelers, and those bonds people in your possession” (The Noble Qur’an 4:36). In the Sri Granth

Guru Sahib a line says that “God created light first and from that light he created entire

humanity” (SGGS 1349:19) which has been taken to understand that we are all one, coming from

the same beginning, and this emphasizes the brotherhood of men. In addition to that we have an

excerpt from the Tav Prasad Savaiye that says “he, who is absorbed in True Love, he would

realize the Lord” (Tav Prasad Savaiye 9.29). The Bhagavad Gita states “actions based upon

sacrifice, charity, and penance should never be abandoned; they must certainly be performed.

Indeed, acts of sacrifice, charity, and penance are purifying even for those who are wise”

(Bhagavad Gita 18.05). In the Vyagghapajja Sutta there is a line that says “Herein a householder

dwells at home with heart free from the stain of avarice, devoted to charity, open-handed,

delighting in generosity, attending to the needy, delighting in the distribution of alms. This is

called the accomplishment of charity” (Vyagghapajja Sutta, Conditions of Spiritual Progress).

Lastly, the Bible says “thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment

greater than these” (King James Bible, Mark 12:31).

Though there are many differences in the stories that are told and the religions that are

built upon these stories, the common theme for humanity is that we take care of eachother. That

we embrace one another, in spite of our differences, and aim to make the world a better place for

one another. Even the motto of an established secular, non-believing community is “Live better,

help often, and wonder more” (Sunday Assembly, 2022). That is a common thread that ties us all

together, and may we continue to be inspired to help often, love others, be wise, avoid grudges,

sacrifice our time, be kind, and be absorbed in true love.

Works Cited

“The Complete Tanakh (Tanach) .” The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary,

Judaica Press,

www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/63255/jewish/The-Bible-with-Rashi.htm.

Fairchild, Mary. “Take a Tour of the Global Religious Landscape.” Learn Religions, Learn

Religions, 22 Mar. 2021,

www.learnreligions.com/how-many-religions-are-there-in-the-world-5114658.

“Learn About Us.” Sunday Assembly, Sunday Assembly in America, Inc., 20 Mar. 2022,

www.sundayassembly.org/.

Mukundananda, Swami. “Bhagavad Gita, the Song of God.” Bhagavad Gita, The Song of

God – Swami Mukundananda, Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog, USA, 2014,

www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/.

The Holy Bible, King James Version. Cambridge Edition: 1769; King James Bible Online,

2022. www.kingjamesbibleonline.org.

“The Noble Qur'an.” Quran.com, Tarteel Team, 1995, quran.com/.

Prothero, Stephen R. Religion Matters: An Introduction to the World's Religions. W. W.

Norton & Company, 2020, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.,

ncia.wwnorton.com/ebook-religionmatters.
 7

“Tav Prasad Savaiye (English Translation).” Nitnem Sahib, Singh Media Group, 11 Nov.

2021, nitnemsahib.com/tav-prasad-savaiye-english-translation/.

“Vyagghapajja Sutta.” Buddhist Sutra - Vyagghapajja Sutta, Buddhist Sutra,

www.buddhasutra.com/files/vyagghapajja_sutta.htm.