Over the course of human history, people have always looked for something to explain the world we live in and why we are here. From this deep desire to connect to that which is bigger than ourselves and answer our many questions, religion was born.
Today, there is a wide variety of religions, from Christianity to Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Shinto and many subsects in between. It may seem as though these belief systems are wildly different. However, there are actually eleven things that every one of these religions has in common.
Communication With a Higher Power
While it goes by many different names, every religion and belief system practices some kind of communication with their higher power, god, divine or spirits of another realm.
For many, this is called prayer, but others say meditation. Either way, it can include the giving of thanks, requests, confession, devotion or the need for guidance.
All Religions Have Their Own Annual Celebrations
Long before Independence Day or Labor Day, calendars were marked with annual religious celebrations that honored important moments within their history, leaders or gods.
Christians celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth at Christmas and his death and resurrection at Easter. Muslims fast and reflect during Ramadan to honor the Holy Qur’an’s descension to Earth. Buddhists celebrate Magha Puja, the day that Buddha gave his disciples the message of “Ovadha Patimokha” on the night of the full moon in March.
Religions Most Often Contain Rules Regarding Food
Although some are certainly stricter than others, each of the world’s religions contains laws against specific foods, either on predetermined dates or at all times.
For example, those who follow Judaism must keep Kosher; for Muslims, it is forbidden to eat the flesh of a pig, Hindus cannot eat beef, and many Buddhists follow a vegetarian diet.
World Religions All Have Respected Followers of the Faith
Within every religion, there are men and sometimes women who are considered respected followers and leaders of the faith. This includes members of the clergy, imams, rabbis, monks, nuns and many more.
It is the duty of these religious followers to not only set an example for other members of the faith but also to provide education and moral guidance when called upon.
Religions All Have Some Kind of Theory About Creation
One of the most widespread questions among human beings is where we came from. Science tells us we were born from evolution, not divine intervention.
While some religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, teach the same, most other belief systems say that we and the universe were created by the divine.
Music or Chanting Is an Integral Part of the Religious Practice
Every religion on Earth uses some kind of music, singing or chanting within their worship practice.
Christians sing hymns, Sikhs chant mantras, those who follow Judaism chant the Torah and Muslims practice the Azaan, a chant that purifies them of their sins.
The Religions of the World Each Use Symbols
Another interesting aspect of religion that every single belief system has in common is that they each use symbols within their worship or rituals.
Iconography, statues, crescents, and crosses. There are many ways in which people use tangible or visible representations of their faith, gods or religious identity.
No Matter the Religion, There Is Always a Place for Worship
In several of the world’s most popular religions, like Christianity, Islam and Judaism, followers worship in set buildings such as churches, mosques, and synagogues.
However, every religion uses some kind of space as its designated place of worship. Hindus and Buddhists worship at temples, and many modern pagan religions choose natural landscapes to connect with their divine.
Religions All Use Ritual
A ritual is typically an action or series of activities involving words, movements or specific objects completed by one or many people in order to honor their deity or belief system.
In some religions, that looks like praying in a certain position or at a specific time. In others, it’s wearing a covering or distinct attire at a special event. And still, for some, it’s visiting a place of worship at a precise time of day or year. But they all have some form of ritual.
The Various Sacred Texts of the World’s Religions
Before the written world, humans would pass their knowledge and belief system down through song, story and various other oral traditions. But once the text was invented, people around the world began writing down the details of their faith.
Each of the world’s religions has a sacred text of some kind. While they were always written by a human person, most claim that the words were actually divinely instructed by their god or gods.
Each Religion Shares a Belief in a Supernatural Realm
Christians believe in God in heaven, Islam’s kingdom of God is known as Hurqalya, and Buddhists believe in six different realms of existence and rebirth in which gods and demi-gods reside.
The common factor here is that almost every religion on Earth believes in some kind of supernatural realm that exists outside of the world we live in. There, the god or gods live, watching and waiting for us to return to them after this life.
