Summary Table of World Religions

Monotheist Panentheist Nontheist1

Zoroastrianism Judaism Christianity Islam Sikhism Bahá’í Native Spirituality Hinduism Buddhism

Pictogram

Happiness unto him What is hateful to you, In everything, do to Not one of you truly I am a stranger to no Lay not on any soul a All things are our Let him receive from Treat not others in
through whom do not do to your others as you would believes until you wish one; and no one is a load that you would relatives; what we do others the same ways that you yourself
happiness comes to neighbour. This is the have them do to you; for others what you stranger to me. not wish to be laid to everything, we do to behaviour that he would find hurtful.
others. whole Torah; all the for this is the law and wish for yourself. Indeed, I am a friend upon you, and desire ourselves. All is really displays towards them. Udana-Varga 5:18
The Golden Rule
Yasna 43:1 rest is commentary. the prophets. An-Nawawi's Forty to all. not for any one the One. Mahabharata 5, 26:16-
Go and learn it. Matthew 7:12 Hadith 13 Guru Granth Sahib things you would not Black Elk 17
Talmud, Shabbath 31a p.1299 desire for yourself.
Gleanings p.128

Adherent Zoroastrian Jew Christian Muslim Sikh Bahá’í Aboriginal Canadian Hindu Buddhist

―Bahá'u'lláh‖ ―Buddha‖
Founder/Central Figure Zarathushtra Abraham Jesus Christ Mohammed Guru Nanak Dev Ji No Founder No Founder
(Mírzá Husayn `Alí Núrí) (Siddhattha Gotama)

Place of Origin Persia (Iran) Israel & area Jerusalem Arabia Punjab Tehran North America India India

Date 1200 - 1700 BCE2 1812 BCE 32 CE 622 CE 1499 CE 1844 CE Undated 1500 BCE2 523 BCE

Gayomard, Hoshang, Abraham & Sarah, Abraham, Paul of Taurus, Abraham, all prophets Succession of 10 Abraham, Krishna, Handsome Lake Sariputta, Moggallana,
Tehmurus, Hom, Moses, Hillel, Augustine, Thomas preceding Mohammed, gurus. Guru Gobind Zarathushtra, Moses, (Iroquois), Sweet
Vedavyasa, Sankara, Ananda, Mahapajapati
and the first 4 caliphs: Ramanuja, Gotami, Nāgārjuna,
Some Notable Figures Jamshed, Faredoon, Ben Zakai, Rashi, Aquinas, Ignatius of Singh (10th) named Buddha, Jesus Christ, Medicine (Cheyenne),
Abu Bakr Siddiq, Umar Vivekananda, Buddhaghosa, Bodhidharma,
Kay Kaus & Kay Maimonides, Antioch, John Chrysostom, Bin Khattab, Usman Bin Guru Granth (sacred Mohammed, The Bab, White Buffalo Woman Eisai, Anagarika Dharmapala,
Shivananda
Khusru Josef Caro Martin Luther, John Calvin Affaan, Ali Bin Abi Talib text) as successor Bahá'u'lláh (Sioux). Dalai Lama

Vedas, Ramayana,
Key Scripture(s) Avesta Torah Bible Qur’ân Sri Guru Granth Sahib Kitáb-i-Aqdas Oral Tradition Tipitaka
Bhagavad Gita & Mahabharata

3 main among others:

Deity Ahura Mazda (God) God God Allah (God) Truth (God) God Great Spirit Not relevant
Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva.

Yetzer Hara ―The Insistent Self‖ Asuras Mara (realm of sense

Adversary Angrah Mainyu Satan (Devil) Shaitan (Devil) One’s ego None
(one’s evil inclination) (degrees of one’s will) (demonic qualities) and desire)

A soldier in the cosmic To love God & neighbors To imitate Mohammed ―Chardi Kala‖: positive, To promote the unity Dharma (duties to kin,
Central Attitude in Life To imitate God Peaceful coexistence To end suffering
battle as Christ loves them & the prophets of God buoyant & optimistic of the human race community & universe)

―Good Thoughts, Good Prayer, Study, Faith, hope & love in a Faith, Works (Pray 5 times/day, Live a virtuous and Service to humanity & One with nature and Enlightenment by Enlightenment by
Means of Salvation/Liberation
Words, Good Deeds.‖ Kindness, Repentance Christ-centered life good deeds & manners) truthful life gain of spiritual virtues community acting with detachment eliminating passions

Merge with God, Reincarnation until

Heaven-Hell (soul Soul continues to
Heaven afterlife of enriched Soul goes to Creator Union with Absolute Rebirth until ultimately
Afterlife goes to God through a Heaven-Hell Heaven-Hell develop until it reaches
-Temporary Hell opportunities and or to Land of Souls Brahman (Supreme leading to Nirvana
purification process) the presence of God
reincarnation Consciousness)

Place of Worship Fire Temple Synagogue Church Mosque Gurdwara House of Worship Nature Temple Temple

Special Day of Week None Shabbat (Saturday) Sunday Friday None None None None None

Clergy Priest Rabbi Priest/Minister/Pastor Imam None None Shaman Purohit/Pujari Bhikkhu/Bhikkhuni

Brit Milah (boys)

Initiation/Rite of Passage Navjote Baptism/Conversion Shahada Amrit Sanskar Declaration of Faith Naming Ceremony Samskara None
Naming Ceremony (girls)

Copyright (C) 2009 Canadian Centre for Ecumenism

v20091015
 Zoroastrianism Judaism Christianity Islam Sikhism Bahá’í Native Spirituality Hinduism Buddhism

Pesach, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Easter, Christmas, Eid Ul-Fitr, Creation of the Ganesha Chaturthi,
Major Celebration(s) Nōrūz Ridván, Naw-Rúz Pipe Ceremony Wesak
Kippur, Shavuot, Sukkoth Pentecost Eid El-Adha Khalsa Vaisakhi Diwali, Navaratri

Halal, no pork or Vegetarian, No alcohol, some are

Dietary Requirements None Kosher, no pork None Vegetarian or jhatka No alcohol None
alcohol or no beef/pork vegetarians

Fasting Periods No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Pilgrimages No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes

Fasli, Shenshai, and Gregorian & Julian

Name of Calendar(s) Jewish (lunisolar) Hijri (lunar) Nanakshahi (solar) Badí (solar) Seasonal-Lunar Samvat (lunisolar) Buddhist (lunisolar)
Kadmi (solar) (solar)

Sudreh (white Kippah is a round
undershirt) and kusti skullcap.
(woollen cord around Tallit is a prayer shawl.
waist) are worn after Tzitzit are tassels
initiation. found on the four
corners of the tallit.
The kusti is removed Tallit katan (small tallit)
and used in prayers is a fringed undershirt.
Special Dress
five times a day, each Tefillin are two square
preceded by washing leather boxes
the hands and face in containing biblical
purification. verses, attached to the
forehead and left arm
Heads are covered at during morning prayer.
all times in the temple. Kittel, a white knee-
length over-garment.
Modest dress should Everyone must dress
be worn in church and modestly, where some
elsewhere. believe that women
should expose only
their hands and face.
Men must avoid
clothing deemed more
appropriate for
women, such as silk
and gold.
Clothing fulfills a
religious obligation and
is a statement of
identity.
The five ―K‖s:
Kesh (hair) is not to be
be cut.
Kangha (comb) worn
in the hair, symbolises
orderly spirituality.
Kara is a metal
bracelet, a symbol of
spiritual allegiance.
Kachher, knee length
boxer shorts, a sign of
agility & modesty.
Kirpa, a small curved
dagger, a reminder of
dignity and self-
respect.
No particular Ceremonial dress with Shoes must be No specific rules for
requirements. accessories. removed and one laity, but they should
Uncut hair for both should dress modestly dress modestly, in a
men and women is in the temple. A head style appropriate to the
considered sacred by covering is not culture in which they
some First Nations. required. live. Modesty reflects
Three braided strands Women, and some virtue. Shoes must be
commonly signify the men, often wear a dot removed in the temple.
body, mind and spirit. (tilak) of turmeric
Medicine pouches may powder or other For Bhikkhu (male
be worn when an coloured substance on monastic) or Bhikkhuni
individual wishes to their forehead as a (female monastic), a
call on the protection religious symbol, traditional saffron,
of the spirits of the four sometimes said to brown, grey or black
cardinal directions. represent a third, colour robe is worn.
introspective eye.

Interesting Particularities
First and oldest Being a ―chosen The pattern of Christian The Shari’ah, Islamic The soul goes through They emphasize the Native spiritual life is Within Hinduism there They believe in rebirth,
monotheist religion, people‖ means that mystics to move from law, is derived from cycles of births and underlying spiritual belief in the inter- are diverse practices which is distinct from
which had more Jews are charged to the Infinite to the the Qur’ân. It is a deaths before it unity of the world connectedness of at achieving moksha reincarnation.
influence on mankind proclaim God's Definite. Throughout comprehensive system reaches the human religions and that the ―circle of life‖, as all (enlightenment), the
than any other faith, message among all history, those who have of laws addressing form. emergence of a things, animate and spiritual goal of life: The ―Middle Way‖ is
and has directly nations by living a holy had a profound religious, moral and peaceful world inanimate, possess a 1. Karma-Yoga – the the practice of non-
influenced the life. This does not encounter with God social issues. civilization is spirit. path of action extremism. Nirvana
Abrahamic religions. presume special came out of their inevitable. One strives to be 2. Jnana-Yoga – the (or Nibbana) can be
The religion teaches rewards. experiences in prayer Sufism (Tasawwuf) is Men and women are good, in part, through path of knowledge attained through the
the equality of all, and applied their service a mystical tradition in equal. Individuals are participation in 3. Raja-Yoga – the path of moderation,
regardless of race, sex Jews recite prayers 3 to God's people, Islam to which either free to investigate truth ceremonies. path of meditation away from the
or social position. times daily, and a 4th founding apostolic Sunni or Shiite for themselves. Pan-Indianism is a 4. Bhakti-Yoga – the extremes of sensual
Zoroastrians are urged prayer is added on communities, schools, Muslims might adhere. Belief that one recent movement path of devotion indulgence and self-
to protect the Shabbat and holidays. hospitals, and other language must be promoting a return to mortification, toward
environment, a feature agencies responding to chosen or invented traditional beliefs and A favourite prayer is the practice of
taught throughout its Hasidic Jews are human need. and taught in all to create a common “May all beings, all wisdom, morality and
history. classified as Orthodox. schools of the world. Native religion. worlds be happy.” mental cultivation.

Actively Seeks New Members No No Yes Yes No Yes No No No

4
% In Canada 0.0002 1.1 74.4 2.0 0.9 0.0006 0.001 1.0 1.0

% Worldwide3 0.04 0.23 33.06 (decreasing) 20.28 (increasing) 0.39 0.12 Negligible 13.33 (stable) 5.87 (stable)

85% Parsis 30% Conservative 51% Roman Catholic 88% Sunni Uniform Uniform There are at least 56 70% Vaishnavites 56% Mahayana
15% Iranians 25% Reform 30% Protestant 11% Shiite (or Shi`a) distinct native spiritual 26% Shaivites 38% Theravada
5 13% Orthodox 15% Orthodox 0.9% Ahmadiyya traditions in Canada. 3% neo & reform Hindus 6% Vajrayana
Main Groups Worldwide
1% Reconstructionist 3% Anglican 0.04% Druze 1% Veerashaivas (Lamaism,
30% Unaffiliated 2% Non-Trinitarian Most Natives today are (Lingayats) Tibetan, Tantric)
0.04% Nestorian Christians.

1 2 3 4 5
Broader term than Atheist; absence of—or the rejection of—creator divinity. Roots dating to 3000 BC Encyclopedia Britanica (2005) Statistics Canada (2001) Adherents.com (2005) Copyright (C) 2009 Canadian Centre for Ecumenism

This Summary Table of World Religions is available in full color poster format.
1-877-oikoumene
Canadian Centre for Ecumenism (1-877-645-6863)
The source for ecumenical
& interfaith resources
v20091015