Mystical Mythology of the World
Mystical Mythology of the World
 

WORLD RELIGIONS COMPARED

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Religion Founder Ultimate Reality Origin Theism Size Jesus Death Heaven Human Nature Salvation or Purpose of Life / How to Accomplish Prophet Writings Spiritual Leader / Place of Worship Other
Pre Religion - Primitive form of religion or religio-magic
Shamanism and Animism                              
 Religion Founder Ultimate Reality Origin Theism Size Jesus Death Heaven Human Nature Salvation or Purpose of Life / How to Accomplish Prophet Writings Spiritual Leader / Place of Worship Other
Ancient Religions - Jesus Christ was unknown
Judaism Abraham (1300 BC) in Meso-potamia who started the lineage, and Moses, who emancipated the enslaved Jewish tribes from Egypt One God From a divine covenant between the God of the ancient Israelites and Abraham mono-theistic 14 million worldwide (half in the U.S.) False prophet Views vary Gan Eden, Gehin-nom, non-existence, or rein-carnation  Hell Created good Obedient to God Works None Tanach, Talmud, Torah Rabbi / Syn-agogue, ('temple' in Reform Judaism) Jews are divided into Orthodox, Conser-vative and Reform sects, with other regional and ethnic divisions.
Zoroastrian Zara-thushtra (600 BCE) in ancient Iran One God  (Ahura Mazda) who is supreme   mono-theistic

(while recog-nizing the universal sway of two opposite forces  -dualism)

 125,000, mostly near Mumbai, where they are called Parsis. unknown Heaven, Hell (is not eternal) Saved   Overcome sin Works (Obe-dience) Zarathustra (Zoroaster) Prophet of God Avesta   Fire is  the only worship-ful symbol, the great purifier and sustainer, of the nature of the sun itself.

The present-day sects are three: Shahenshai, Kadmi and Fassali.
Religion Founder Ultimate Reality Origin Theism Size Jesus Death Heaven Human Nature Salvation or Purpose of Life / How to Accomplish Prophet Writings Spiritual Leader / Place of Worship Other
Eastern Indian Religions - Not Christian, Jesus Christ was unknown
Hinduism Unknown (2000 BCE) Multiple Gods (330 million) but one God Supreme Brahma who has three forms: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva Unknown, predates recorded history

Has 3 sub-religions: Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism

   Nearly 1 billion, in India, Sri Lanka, Bangla-desh, Bhutan, Nepal, Malaysia, Indonesia, Indian Ocean, Africa, Europe and North and South America.

3rd largest organized religion in the world		 Unknown Rein-carnation Karma   Over-come sin Works Unknown Vedas,  Upan-ishads, Bhagavad Gita, Mahab-harata,  Ramayana
 		   Unknown
Jainism Vard-hamana (599-527 BCE) in India Many Gods Hinduism and Buddhism syn-cretistic About 6 million, almost exclusively in Central and South India, especially in Mumbai.   Rein-carnation Karma         Jain canonical (Agam literature) and Siddhantas    
Buddhist Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE) Many Gods Hinduism (Buddha was originally a Hindu)   300 million Irrelevant Rein-carnation Karma   None None Unknown Tripitaka   Unknown
Taoism Lao-Tse  (580-500 BCE) No personal Gods, three worlds with individual beings     50 million, mostly in China and other parts of Asia. Irrelevant           Works (through worship) Tao-te-Ching   Taoism is a potently mystical tradition, so interpreta-tions have been diverse and its sects are many.
Confucianism K'ung Fu Tzu (551-579 BCE) No personal Gods, Confucius was an agnostic and placed emphasis on the ethical life here rather than a spiritual life beyond earthly existence, Guiding men's minds not to the future, but to the present and the past.     350 million, mostly in China, Japan, Burma and Thailand.               The Analects (Lun Yu by K'ung Fu-tsu)   There are no formal sects within Confucian-ism. Followers are free to profess other religions yet still be Confucians.
Shinto (100 CE) Each of the 13 ancient sects has its own founder No personal Gods   poly-theism 30 million, mostly in Japan. Most are also Buddhists.   Rein-carnation     Overcome sin to achieve im-mortality (Kami) Works (worship)   Kojiki (712 AD), Nihongi    
Sihkism Nanak (1469-1538 CE) in Northern India God Almighty is impersonal, formless ultimate reality, Creator, personal savior, inner teacher, omniscient, omni-potent,  incorporeal. Hinduism and Islam mono-theistic 20 million members, 5th largest organized religion in the world

 3rd major branch of Hinduism

 Unknown Rein-carnation until liberated and the soul  merges with God (Guru) Karma   Over-come sin Works Guru Nanak and nine successive gurus but none are to be worshipped as Gods. Adi-Granth Sahib, or “Lord’s Book.”    
Religion Founder Ultimate Reality Origin Theism Size Jesus Death Heaven Human Nature Salvation or Purpose of Life / How to Accomplish Prophet Writings Spiritual Leader / Place of Worship Other
Christian - Believe that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead and that he died for mans' sins
Christianity (30+ CE) Trinity Judaism mono-theistic The largest world religion, with about 2 billion adherents. It is the majority religion of Europe and the Americas. There are churches in almost every nation in the world.       Original sin Over-come sin Works Jesus of Nazareth Bible, Old and New Testaments   Christianity is divided into three main sects: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant. Among Protestants there are over 20,000 denomin-ations.
Roman Catholic   Trinity Judaism mono-theistic   Divine Purgatory Saved Original sin Over-come sin Works Pope, Apparitions Tradition   Unknown
Eastern Orthodox (1054 CE) Trinity Catholic 1054 mono-theistic   Divine Heaven, Hell Saved   Over-come sin Works None None   Unknown
Lutheran Martin Luther (1517) Trinity       Divine Heaven, Hell Saved   Over-come sin Faith None None   Unknown
Anglican Henry VIII (1534) Trinity       Divine Heaven, Hell Saved   Over-come sin Faith None None   Unknown
Methodist John Wesley (1739) Trinity       Divine Heaven, Hell Saved   Over-come sin Faith None Tradition   Unknown
Worldwide Church of God Herbert Armstrong (1933) Macedonian       Divine Annihilation Saved   Second Chance Works None No   Sabbath, foot washing, im-mersion
Baptist John Smyth (1609) Trinity       Divine Heaven, Hell Saved   Over-come sin Faith ** None   Unknown
Presbyterian John Knox (1625) Trinity       Divine Heaven, Hell Saved   Over-come sin Faith None None   im-mersion
Quakers George  Fox (1647) Trinity       Divine Heaven, Hell Univer-salism   Over-come sin Faith George Fox Inner Light   Unknown
Religion Founder Ultimate Reality Origin Theism Size Jesus Death Heaven Human Nature Salvation or Purpose of Life / How to Accomplish Prophet Writings Spiritual Leader / Place of Worship Other
Pentecostal - Holiness - Founder Charles Parham (1900) Holy Spirit and Tongues speaking
Assemblies of God 1914 Trinity       Divine Heaven, Hell Saved   Over-come sin Tongues None None   No
United Pentecostal 1916 Modalism       Human Heaven, Hell Saved   Over-come sin Tongues None None   Foot washing
Pentecostal Assemblies of The World 1916 Modalism       Human Heaven, Hell Saved   Over-come sin Tongues None None   No
Religion Founder Ultimate Reality Origin Theism Size Jesus Death Heaven Human Nature Salvation or Purpose of Life / How to Accomplish Prophet Writings Spiritual Leader / Place of Worship Other
Advent Movement - The Second Coming of Christ and the revival of the 1840's
Seventh Day Adventist Millerite Movement (1863) Trinity       Divine Un-conscious sleep Heaven, An-nihilation   Over-come sin Faith Ellen White Not Author-itative   Saturday Sabbath, foot washing, im-mersion
Jehovah's Witnesses Charles Russell (1870)     mon-archism   Human Heaven, Hell Heaven, An-nihilation   Over-come sin Works None No   Im-mersion
Messianic Jews (1866) Trinity       Divine Heaven, Hell Saved   Over-come sin Faith None No   Sabbath
Religion Founder Ultimate Reality Origin Theism Size Jesus Death Heaven Human Nature Salvation or Purpose of Life / How to Accomplish Prophet Writings Spiritual Leader / Place of Worship Other
Anabaptist Family - Separation from the world
Mennonite Menno Simons (1525) Trinity Baptist

(unlike other Christians, they did not believe in baptizing infants, thought baptism should have adult consent)

 mono-theistic 1.3 million in 60 countries Divine Heaven, Hell Saved   Over-come sin Faith None They believe in Bible   Unknown
Amish Jacob Amman (1525 AD) in Switzerland

 

 Trinity Division of Anabaptists or Mennonites

(unlike other Christians, they did not believe in baptizing infants, thought baptism should have adult consent)		 mono-theistic 180,000 Old Order Amish spread across 22 states

There are four branches of Amish (Swartzen-gruber, Old Order, Andy Weaver, and New Order Amish)

 Divine Heaven, Hell Saved   Over-come sin Faith None Ordnung is their unwritten blueprint for life (code of conduct).

They believe in Bible 		  Unknown
Hutterites Jacob Hutter (d 1536 AD) in Tyrol

(1527 AD there were 1200 in Monrovia)		 Trinity Division of Anabaptists mono-theistic 23,000 Hutterites in about 300 colonies (primarily in Canada but still some in US and new colonies in Japan and England.) Divine Heaven, Hell Saved   Over-come sin Faith None They believe in Bible especially the New Testament. Ministers are chosen by "drawing lot". They are married men.

 

  
Church of Brethren Alexander Mack in Germany (16th century)

Moved to US in 1720's

 Trinity Division of Anabaptists and Pietists

 

 mono-theistic 35 congre-gations in Canada Divine Heaven, Hell Saved   Over-come sin Faith None The Old and New Testaments of the Bible are the final authority for faith and practice 6 regional Conferences in the US and Canada, each headed by a bishop. At local level 1 or 2 Ministers per church.

Churches vary in style from early wood structures to neo-Gothic and modern buildings of stone and brick		 Washing of another’s feet — a sign of love, humility and service.
Religion Founder Ultimate Reality Origin Theism Size Jesus Death Heaven Human Nature Salvation or Purpose of Life / How to Accomplish Prophet Writings Spiritual Leader / Place of Worship Other
New Age 1970s - 20% of the population. Practices divination and astrology
New Age 1970's Pantheism Eastern     Irrelevant Rein-carnation No   No No Any Any   Yes
Unitarian Universalist Joseph Priestly 1796 Any       Nice person Any belief Any belief   No Salvation Any Any   Unknown
Christian Scientist Mary Baker Eddy (1879) Presence       Human Unreal Unreal   Unreal Correct thinking Mary Baker Eddy Science
and Health 		  New Age
Religion Founder Ultimate Reality Origin Theism Size Jesus Death Heaven Human Nature Salvation or Purpose of Life / How to Accomplish Prophet Writings Spiritual Leader / Place of Worship Other
Other Religions - Not Christian
Islam Mo-hammed (570-632 CE) One God   mono-theism One billion, mostly in the Middle East, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Africa, China and Eastern Europe. Prophet Heaven Hell   Over-come sin Works (total submiss-ion to Allah) Mohammed Koran (The Holy Qur'an)   New Age, The term "Islam" means "sub-mission" to the will of God, and the person who submits is called a "Muslim."

Two major sects; Sunnis and Shiites
Atheist Unknown None       Irrelevant None None   None None None None   Unknown
Mormon Joseph Smith (1830) Trinity   Tritheism
Poly-theism		 12 million Prophet Death Hell   They do not believe in original sin. Believe man is respon-sible for his own sin. Works Joseph Smith The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price (Joseph Smith translation of the Bible) A prophet leads the Church followed by the Council of 12 Apostles. A 3rd group of men are called 1st + 2nd Councils of the Seventy. All are known as General Authorities / Local areas are called Wards. Worship in Temples. Unknown
Baha'i Faith Bab had a mission from God

Baha'u'llah (a Muslim  follower of Bab) in Iran (1817-1892 CE)

 One god who is unknowable and indescribable Bábism, a Muslim denomin-ation

universalist in nature

 mono-theism 5 million worldwide


The first community  appeared in the US in 1894 and there are currently about 7,000 North American localities where Baha'is reside and 1,700 local assemblies.

             Bab Kitab-i-Aqdas is a sacred text.

There are no set doctrines and no single, authoritative Scripture. The church is governed according to the principles set out in an “Admin Order” written by Bahá’u’lláh.

 There is no priesthood or clergy. 9 elected members of the area form the Local Spiritual Assembly.

Houses of worship only 7 in the world. All are 9-sided structure and central dome which symbolizes both the diversity of the human race and its essential oneness.

Commun-ities have no specific places of worship and meet in members’ homes or local centers.

 Oneness of God
Oneness of religion
Oneness of humankind
Unification Sun Myung Moon (1954) One (part male and female)       Human Death Hell is earth now   None None Sun Myung Moon Divine Principle   One world religion
Rastafarian Marcus Mosiah Garvey (1897–1940) One God (Jah) Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and African Traditions       Rein-carnation           Bible, especially the Old Testament and the Book of Revelation in the New Testament    
Religion Founder Ultimate Reality Origin Theism Size Jesus Death Heaven Human Nature Salvation or Purpose of Life / How to Accomplish Prophet Writings Spiritual Leader / Place of Worship Other
New Pagan - Nature worshippers
Wicca Pagan God       Irrelevant Rein-carnation None   None None Many Many   Unknown

O God of Second Chances
and New Beginnings,
Here I am.
Again.

And those who know Thy name
will put their trust in Thee;
For Thou, O LORD,
hast not forsaken those
who seek Thee.

Psalm 9:10


 

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