religions of the world

BY GEORGIA.ATHANASOPOULOS

• Religion is different for different people and cultures. Some religion is so much a part of the culture of given people that it is not so much a formal religion, but simply the spiritual aspects of that culture or group - the spiritual traditions which help define it. This is especially true of the indigenous traditions.

• Christians believe that Jesus, who lived 2,000 years ago, was the son of god. They believe he was killed by the Romans, but came back to life and then went to heaven. Then Christianity was beginning to spread across Europe and through the whole world.

• Greek Orthodox people believe in God. Their god is called Theo. As they believe god created the world. Jesus was the Son of marry and he was able to do miracle’s to people. He had 12 disciples he gave them the power to speak all the languages so they could tell people about him and become Christians.

• The Roman Catholic Church is the largest Christian church. There are 1 billion followers of the Catholic religion. The leader is called the Pope Benedict the 16th. Catholicism arrived in Australia with the British First Fleet in 1788. The first Australian Catholics were mainly, Irish but were now originate from a variety of national backgrounds. There are approximately 5 million Catholics in Australia.

• Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church strategies. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 meaning the English Church. Adherents of Anglicanism are called Anglicans. The great number of Anglicans are members of churches which are part of the international Anglican Communion. Anglican Communion which also consider themselves in the Anglican tradition.

• Muslims believe that there is only one God and that Muhammad is his prophet. Muhammad lived in Arabia between about AD570 and AD632. Ever since, pilgrims have travelled each year to his Birthplace, Mecca, shown here.

• Siddhartha was a prince who lived from about 536BC to 483BC. He gave up his wealth, declaring that it is worldly desire that makes people unhappy. He became known as the Budda, which means ‘the enlightened one’. Buddhism spread through India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan and Southeast Asia.

• Hinduism grew up in India over 5,000 years ago. Hindus believe that they are reborn many times. Some believe in many different gods and goddesses , others in one god that appears in various forms.

• Dreamtime people believe they were created by the Spirits. They made the rivers the water holes the hills and the rocks and all the living things. They gave us hunting things, they gave each tribe its land, they gave us their totems and they gave us our Dreaming”. Aboriginals believed that the world was made by the Ancestors, back in the, Dreamtime. The Ancestors made everything – the rocks, mountains, plant and animals.