Religions

Christianity
        Christianity started in modern day Israel. It is a monotheistic religion, meaning they believe that there is only one true and all-knowing God. The Christian Holy Book is called the Bible and is very important in the faith. There are approximately 2.1 billion Christians worldwide. The central figure of this religion is known as God and or Jesus (Jesus died somewhere from 30 A.D.- 36 A.D.). He is also called Lord, Father, Yahweh, and Our Savior. Christianity is mainly practiced in the Americas, but it is also very popular in places like Europe, Asia, and even Australia.

Islam
        The Islamic religion was founded about 622 C.E. in the city of Mecca. Islam is another religion that believes in monotheism, where there is only one true God. The Islamic holy book is called the Quran also spelled Koran, Koraan and Qura’n. About one third of the world’s population is Islamic. This religion is centered on the prophet Mohammad and the Islamic god. This religion is highly practiced in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, and Libya.

Buddhism
Buddhism was founded at about 460 B.C. by a prince named Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhism is not monotheistic meaning it must be polytheistic. This means they believe in more than one god or idol. The Buddhist holy book is called the Tipitaka. There are an estimated 350 million people in the world who are Buddhist or roughly three percent of Earth’s population. There is no central figure in the Buddhist faith. The majority of Buddhists live in Japan and parts of Asia, although they are scattered all over the world.

Hinduism
Hinduism is thought to have started in India in some time during what’s called the stone ages. There is no way of knowing exactly when Hinduism was discovered. Hinduism has many gods it worships, and although it does this it does focus on one main god. Personally I would consider it a polytheistic religion. The Hindu holy book is called the Vedas. Hinduism also claims about 900 million followers. There are many central figures in Hinduism known as deities. Most people who are Hindu live in places in and around India.

Judaism
Judaism is one of few religions that we don’t know when exactly was discovered. Judaism is a monotheistic religion because they believe in one God. The Jewish holy book is called the Tanakh. There are also about 1.4 million followers of this religion and about 40% live in Israel. This religion worships God, which is their central figure. Most Jewish people live in Israel in the Middle East.