WORLD RELIGIONS

Karl Marx once said, “Religion is the opium of the people.” Religion seems to be the turning point of people
whenever in doubt, distressed and in trouble. It somehow provides a sense of tranquility and assurance that what
is happening right now will be resolved or will be okay. Little did he know, it is not like drug which hazes
people minds from the reality, rather, it offers a fuel to continue on with life’s journey. Yes, a Supreme being
exists and we recognize Him. And this faith is what sustains our positivity and fuel to continue in life. More
than just an opium, religion is not a drug that puts us into flight and hallucination. It brings us to the truth that
the more we believe, the more we are grounded with the reality.

ISLAM
Islam is the second largest religion in the world, with an estimated 1.8 billion followers. Muslim is the
term for people who follow the Islamic religion. This religion is believed to have begun in the 7th century B.C.
in what is now Saudi Arabia. While Muslims live in many countries worldwide, they make up the majority of
the population in several countries. There are seven countries where more than 90% of the population is Muslim
(Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Pakistan).

Some places follow Islamic (Sharia) law. Key facts about Islam include:
1. The Islamic faith is monotheistic, believing in Allah as the one true God.
2. Islamic places of worship are referred to as mosques.
3. Those who follow Islam commit to living life in submission to the will of Allah.
4. The Islamic faith teaches that the prophet Muhammad is Allah’s final messenger, who continued to
receive messages from Allah to share with the people.
5. Muslims pray at five specific times throughout each day, following a specific prayer ritual.
6. Followers of Islam are required to fast during the month of Ramadan.
7. Muslims are expected to complete a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca at least once in their lives.
8. Many Muslim women wear a hijab that covers their hair, while others wear a niquab or burka, which
conceals more of their appearance.
9. The Quaran is the holy book of Islam.

HINDUISM
Hinduism began in India around 2300 B.C. and remains prevalent on that subcontinent. As of 2018, about
94% of those who follow the Hindu faith live in India. It is third largest religion in the world, with fewer
followers than only Christianity and Islam. As with all religions, there are multiple sects of Hinduism, each with
some variations in their practices. Core beliefs of Hinduism include:
1. Hinduism teaches that God’s presence exists in all of creation.
2. In the Hindu faith, God goes by many names and manifests in infinite ways.
3. Brahman is the recognized supreme deity (God) responsible for creating everything in the universe.
Brahman has no gender and is all-knowing and all-present.
4. Shiva and Vishnu are the other primary Hindu deities (gods).
5. There are many other deities (called devis), demi-gods (called devas) and goddesses, with significant
variations among specific sects.
6. The divine essence (called atman) dwells within each person.
7. Hindus believe in reincarnation, with a constant cycle of being born, living and dying on the path to
enlightenment.
8. A person’s karma, which refers to the net of their good and bad deeds in the last life, determines the
level into which they’ll be reborn.
9. Rather than a single religious book, Hinduism has a number of sacred texts, including the Vedas, the
Samhitas, the Upanishads, the Ramayana, and the Bhagavad Gita.
10. Yoga practice is an integral component of Hinduism.
11. Cows are viewed as sacred in the Hindu faith; eating beef is prohibited.
BUDDHISM
Buddhism was founded in the fifth century B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama, who later became known as
the Buddha. After giving up an extravagant life of excess, the man who came to be known as the Buddha
discovered enlightenment through giving up his wealth and position to live a simple life as a monk. His efforts
to teach others how to do the same became the foundation of Buddhism.
The vast majority of Buddhists live in the eastern and southeastern regions of Asia. There are numerous
traditions within Buddhism, each with varying practices. Theism is not fundamental to Buddhism, though it is
part of some Buddhist traditions. Fundamental beliefs of Buddhism include:
1. The primary focus of Buddhism is to seek enlightenment.
2. The Buddha is not worshiped as a god. He was a man and is recognized by Buddhists as such.
3. The foundation of Buddhism is based on a set of three universal truths and four noble principles.
4. Consistent with philosophy’s principles and truths, Buddhists follow a path of moral living, thinking and
behavior, as well as seeking wisdom.
5. Buddhism has five precepts to which followers are expected to adhere. These precepts dictate that
Buddhists refrain from killing, stealing, lying, misusing sex, and using drugs or alcohol.
6. Karma is an important factor in Buddhism, focusing on each individual’s responsibility and
accountability for their own actions.
7. Buddhists believe in reincarnation and rebirth. In the Buddhist tradition, being reincarnated means
coming back as yourself multiple times, while rebirth involves returning as an entirely different entity.
8. The Buddhist religion includes a number of sacred writings, in the form of scriptures and texts, that
share the Buddha’s philosophy and teachings.

JUDAISM
Judaism is the smallest of the top five religions. The worldwide population of Jewish people is estimated
to be approximately 14 million. About 41% of the Jewish population lives in Israel and 41% lives in the United
States, with the majority of the remainder concentrated in Europe and elsewhere in North America. There are
multiple denominations of Judaism, including orthodox, conservative and reform. Core teachings and
practices of the faith include:
1. Judaism is a monotheistic religion, with followers recognizing and worshiping only one true God. It is
actually the oldest monotheistic religion.
2. The Ten Commandments play an important role in the teachings of Judaism.
3. Even beyond God’s law outlined in the Ten Commandments, righteousness and justice are central to the
teachings of Judaism.
4. Israel is an important place in the hearts and minds of the Jewish people, both for its historical
significance in relation to their faith and its designation as the promised land in the Bible.
5. The Hebrew Bible, which is also referred to as the Tanakh, is the primary holy text of the Jewish faith. It
includes the same books as the Old Testament of the Christian bible, though they are in a different order.
The first five books of the Hebrew bible form the Torah.
6. The Talmud is another holy text in Judaism. It includes an extensive collection of Jewish laws and
various teachings specific to the faith.
7. Synagogue is the name for Jewish houses of worship.
8. Young people in the Jewish faith go through Bar Mitzvah (boys) and Bat Mitzvah (girls) ceremonies to
symbolize that they have reached adulthood in terms of their responsibilities to the faith.

CHRISTIANITY
Christianity is the largest religion in the world, with more than 2 billion believers worldwide. The United
States is home to the largest Christian population, but Christianity is widespread in many other places, including
Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, several African nations, many European countries, and numerous Caribbean
islands. There are many versions of Christianity, including Catholicism and various protestant denominations,
each differing in many ways yet remaining similar in central teachings.
 1. Christianity is a monotheistic religion, which means that followers believe there is only one true God.
2. Worship of God is an important aspect of Christianity.
3. Christians believe in the Holy Trinity, represented by the divinity of the Father (God), son (Jesus) and
the Holy Spirit.
4. Christian teachings are grounded in the Old Testament and the New Testament that together form
the Holy Bible. There are several editions of the Christian bible; not all denominations use the same
version.
5. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, sent to earth as a man and a messiah to save
people from their sins.
6. A central focus of this religion is the belief that Jesus died as a result of being crucified on a cross,
leading to the forgiveness of mankind’s sins.
7. After being entombed for three days, Jesus rose from the dead and then ascended from earth to heaven
to be reunited with God.
8. Christians have faith that there will be a second coming in which Jesus will return to Earth and take
Christian believers back to heaven with him.
9. The Ten Commandments play an important role in Christian teachings.

THE ETYMOLOGICAL MEANING OF THE CHURCH

 Comes from the LATIN WORD ecclesia, a translation of the Greek word ekklesia, which means
assembly.

 The English word, church or kirche, in German, is a translation of the Latin word, ecclesia. They mean
an assembly or convocation of people particularly for a religious purpose of gathering.

 Is a gathering of people who intent to pray, to worship God, to listen to God’s word, and to celebrate the
Holy Eucharist.

 CCC 751 The word "Church" (Latin ecclesia, from the Greek ek-ka-lein, to "call out of") means
convocation or an assembly. It designates the assemblies of the people, usually for a religious
purpose. Ekklesia is used frequently in the Greek Old Testament for the assembly of the Chosen People
before God, above all for their assembly on Mount Sinai where Israel received the Law and was
established by God as his holy people. By calling itself "Church," the first community of Christian
believers recognized itself as heir to that assembly. In the Church, God is "calling together" his people
from all the ends of the earth. The equivalent Greek term Kyriake, from which the English
word Church and the German Kirche are derived, means "what belongs to the Lord."

 CCC # 752 In Christian usage, the word "church" designates the liturgical assembly, but also the local
community or the whole universal community of believers. These three meanings are inseparable. "The
Church" is the People that God gathers in the whole world. She exists in local communities and is made
real as a liturgical, above all a Eucharistic, assembly. She draws her life from the word and the Body of
Christ and so herself becomes Christ's Body.

THE MYSTERIOUS IMAGES AND CONCEPTS OF THE CHURCH

Catholic Teachings
Etymologically, the word "church” came from the Latin word ecclesia, which means "convocation" or
"assembly.” This term was usually for a religious purpose. The Latin word is derived from the Greek ekkalein,
or "to call out” The term ekklesia was frequently used in the Greek text of the Old Testament to designate the
assembly of the chosen people before God. In Exodus 19, the assembly of the Israelites at Mt. Sinai received the
Law (Torah) and was established by God as His holy people. By calling itself ecclesia, the first community of
those who believed in Christ recognized itself as the heir to that assembly in the Old Testament.
God is "calling out" to His people from different parts of the world, The English word, "church," and the
German term, kirche, come from the Greek Kyriake, a word related to Kyrios, Lord, which means "what
belongs to the Lord" (cf. CCC 752). In Christian usage, the word "Church” has three meanings which are
inseparable. It includes the liturgical assembly, the local community, or the whole universal community of
believers. “The Church is the People that God gathers in the whole world. She exists in local communities and
is made real as a liturgical, above all, a Eucharistic, assembly" (CCC 752).

Moreover, many mysterious images have been used to refer to the Christian assembly.
 St. Paul calls it the household of God: “But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in
the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth “(1Tim
3:15)

 The Church is a sheepfold whose one and indispensable door is Christ (John 10:1-10). It is a flock of
which God Himself foretold He would be the shepherd (Is. 40:11; Ex. 34:22f.), and whose sheep,
although ruled by human shepherds are nevertheless continuously led and nourished by Christ Himself,
the Good Shepherd and the Prince of the Shepherds (Jn. 10:11).

 The Church is a piece of land to be cultivated; the tillage of God (1 Cor. 3:9). On that land, the ancient
olive tree grows whose holy roots were the Prophets and in which the reconciliation of Jews and
Gentiles has been brought about (Romans 11: 13-26). That land, like a choice vineyard, has been
planted by the heavenly Cultivator (Matthew 21:33-43; Is. 5:1). The true vine is Christ who gives life
and the power to bear abundant fruit to the branches, that is, to us, who, through the Church, remain in
Christ without whom we can do nothing (Jn.15:1-5).

 Often, too, the Church is called the building of God (1 Cor. 3:9). The Lord compared himself to the
stone which the builders rejected, but which was made into the corner stone (Mt. 21:42; cf. Acts 4:11; I
Pet. 2:7; Ps. 117:22). On this foundation the Church is built by the apostles (cf. 1 Cor. 3:11) and from it
the Church receives solidity and unity. This edifice has many names to describe it: the house of God in
which his family dwells- the household of God in the Spirit (Eph. 2:19, 22); the dwelling-place of God
among men (Apoc. 21:3); and, especially, the holy temple. This temple, symbolized in places of worship
built out of stone, is praised by the Fathers and, not without reason, is compared in the liturgy to the
Holy City, the New Jerusalem. As living stones we here on earth are built into it (I Pet. 2:5). It is this
holy city that is seen by John as it comes down out of heaven from God when the world is made anew,
prepared like a bride adorned for her husband (Apoc. 21:1 f.).

 The Church, further, which is called "that Jerusalem which is above" and "our mother" (Gal. 4:26;
cf. Apoc. 12:17), is described as the spotless spouse of the spotless lamb (Apoc. 19:7; 21:2 and 9;
22:17). It is she whom Christ "loved and for whom he delivered himself up that he might sanctifies her"
(Eph. 5:263. It is she whom he unites to himself by an unbreakable alliance, and whom he constantly
"nourishes and cherishes" (Eph 5:29). It is she whom, once purified he willed to be joined to himself,
subject in love and fidelity (cf. Eph. 5:24), and whom, finally, he filled with heavenly gifts for all
eternity, in order that we may know the love of God and of Christ for us, a love which surpasses all
understanding (cf. Eph. 3:19).

THE DIVINE ORIGIN OF THE CHURCH

St. Thomas Aquinas Proof of God's Existence
The Summa Theologica is a famous work written by Saint Thomas Aquinas between AD 1265 and 1274.
It is divided into three main parts and covers all of the core theological teachings of Aquinas’s time. One of the
questions the Summa Theologica is well known for addressing is the question of the existence of God. Aquinas
responds to this question by offering the following five proofs:
1. The Argument from Motion: Our senses can perceive motion by seeing that things act on one another.
Whatever moves is moved by something else. Consequently, there must be a First Mover that creates
this chain reaction of motions. This is God. God sets all things in motion and gives them their potential.
God is the unmoved mover.

2. The Argument from Efficient Cause: Because nothing can cause itself, everything must have a cause or
something that creates an effect on another thing. Without a first cause, there would be no others.
Therefore, the First Cause is God. There are four causes according to St. Thomas
a. Material Cause- what a thing is made of
b. Formal Cause- the form or structure of a thing
 c. Final Cause- its very purpose
d. Efficient Cause- an agent of force that brings a thing into being (the maker)

3. The Argument from Necessary Being: Because objects in the world come into existence and pass out of
it, it is possible for those objects to exist or not exist at any particular time. However, nothing can come
from nothing. This means something must exist at all times. This is God.

4. The Argument from Gradation: There are different degrees of goodness in different things. Following
the “Great Chain of Being,” which states there is a gradual increase in complexity, created objects to
create an image of God that can sustain a relationship with each individual in a different move from
unformed inorganic matter to biologically complex organisms. Therefore, there must be a being of the
highest form of good. This perfect being is God.

5. The Argument from Design: All things have an order or arrangement that leads them to a particular
goal. Because the order of the universe cannot be the result of chance, design and purpose must be at
work. This implies divine intelligence on the part of the designer. This is God.

The challenge therefore is in order to extend and realize this Divinity, we must live our lives with holiness with
the help of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
1. Wisdom
It is not the quoting of facts. Wisdom is a gift that allows a person to understand things from God's point
of view. In other words, Wisdom allows a person to recognize truth. A person with the Gift of Wisdom is
able to take this truth and use it to glorify God by choosing Godly solutions to problems.
2. Understanding
The second gift of the Holy Spirit, and people sometimes have a hard time understanding (no pun
intended) how it differs from wisdom. While wisdom is the desire to contemplate the things of God,
understanding allows us grasp, at least in a limited way, the very essence of the truths of the Catholic Faith.
Through understanding, we gain a certitude about our beliefs that moves beyond faith.
3. Counsel
The Gift of Counsel is also known as a Gift of Right Judgment. Counsel, the third gift of the Holy
Spirit, is the perfection of the cardinal virtue of prudence. Prudence can be practiced by anyone, but counsel
is supernatural. Through this gift of the Holy Spirit, we are able to judge how best to act almost by intuition.
Because of the gift of counsel, Christians need not fear to stand up for the truths of the Faith, because the
Holy Spirit will guide us in defending those truths.
4. Fortitude
The Gift of Fortitude is also known as the Gift of Courage. Through this Gift a person is no longer
afraid to stand up for God and His truths. A person who has the Gift of Fortitude will stand up for good
against evil and is convicted to take a stand when the occasion arises.
5. Knowledge
The Gift of Knowledge allows a person to understand the meaning and purpose God has for him and
to live up to this meaning. It differs from wisdom in that it is an action, not just a desire to live up to the
ways of God. It differs from Understanding in that it is not just ability, it is a knowing.
6. Piety
Piety, the sixth gift of the Holy Spirit, is the perfection of the virtue of religion. While we tend to
think of religion today as the external elements of our faith, it really means the willingness to worship and to
serve God. Piety takes that willingness beyond a sense of duty, so that we desire to worship God and to
serve Him out of love, the way that we desire to honor our parents and do what they wish.
 7. Fear of the Lord
The Gift of Fear of the Lord puts God in the proper perspective. A person with this Gift
understands the greatness and awesomeness of the Lord. They want to serve Him because of who He is. A
person with the Gift of Fear of the Lord understands who they are and why they are here in relationship to
God; In other words, everything they are is due to the wonder, love, grace, and perfection of God. They are
totally dependent on the Lord as a child is to a parent. The Gift of Fear of the Lord is the beginning of
Wisdom. Once a person understands who God is and desires to please Him, they can begin to understand
things from God's point of view or have Wisdom.

THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CHURCH AS DIVINE

The Church could have perished easily if its formation has been merely based on human dimension. She has
suffered persecutions, experienced divisions, displayed moral weakness among her leaders and members, yet
she continues to survive. The Church can never be put down for the Church has a divine origin. The Church will
continue to exist because God wills it.
Looking back at what the Church went through, we can realize her divine origin using the same argument
Gamaliel used when he spoke to the Sanhedrin. He argued that if the endeavor of the apostles were of divine
origin, they could not be destroyed. In fact, if the Sanhedrin would attempt to destroy the apostles, they would
be fighting against God (cf. Acts 5:34-42). Consequent to her divine origin, the Church possesses the following
characteristics: immutable, indefectible, and perennial.
A. The Church’s indefectibility -is rooted in her divine origin with Jesus as the Head and with the Holy
Spirit as the source of her life.
i. It means that the Church shall never perish. The Church, since it was founded on Divine Origin, will
always triumph.
ii. The Church shall not fail in her salvific mission.
iii. The Church can never undergo any constitutional change. Her faith, morals, doctrine, and worship will
be indefectible.

B. The Church’s Immutability -means that no one can change her essential aspects. This implies that the
doctrines of the Church and their meanings are permanent. The Church keeps the deposit of faith intact.
She is likewise faithful to the Sacred Tradition.
C. The Church is perennial -She can be persecuted, but she cannot be stopped; she can be assailed but not
destroyed, nor perish. The Church will survive history as Jesus promised (Mt. 28:20)