World ReligionsWorld religions compared
Twelve faiths side by side.
The table gives the starting place, main text and place of worship of each faith. Open a row for the full page.
| Faith | Where it began | Main text | Place of worship |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hinduism | India (the Indus and Ganga regions) | The Vedas | A mandir (temple), with a priest (pujari); shoes are removed. |
| Islam | Arabia | The Quran | A masjid (mosque), led by an imam. There are no images of God or the prophets. |
| Christianity | Roman Palestine | The Bible: the Old Testament (shared in large part with Judaism) | A church, led by a priest, pastor, minister or bishop depending on the denomination. The three main branches are Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. |
| Sikhism | Punjab | The Guru Granth Sahib | A gurdwara, which has the Guru Granth Sahib and a langar hall; open to everyone. |
| Buddhism | North India | The Tripitaka (Pali Canon) in the Theravada tradition | A vihara, temple or monastery; monks and nuns are respected teachers. |
| Jainism | India | The Agamas | A derasar (temple), upashraya (hall for monks); the Dilwara and Ranakpur temples are famous. |
| Judaism | The ancient Near East | The Tanakh (Hebrew Bible: Torah | A synagogue, led by a rabbi; some have separate seating. |
| Zoroastrianism (Parsi) | Ancient Iran | The Avesta | An Agiary or Atash Behram (fire temple), open only to Zoroastrians. |
| Baha'i Faith | Persia (Iran) | The writings of the Bab | The Baha'i Houses of Worship, open to all, of which the Lotus Temple in Delhi is one. |
| Taoism | China | The Tao Te Ching | A Taoist temple (guan) with priests and sometimes monks and nuns. |
| Shinto | Japan | The Kojiki | A shrine (jinja), recognised by its torii gate. |
| Confucianism | China | The Analects | Temples of Confucius (Wen Miao) and family altars. |
What many faiths share
Most teach some form of the golden rule, care for the poor, honesty and restraint, and a time of prayer or reflection. Many also keep a day of rest or a day of fasting, and many hold festivals of light, harvest or new year around the same seasons.
Where they differ
They differ on the nature of God (one, many, or no creator), what happens after death (rebirth, heaven, or liberation), the role of scripture and of clergy, and the meaning of a good life. Mutual understanding begins by hearing each faith in its own words.
This is a short, neutral introduction written from widely agreed facts. Every faith has many traditions and its members may describe it differently; for a true account, ask a member of that faith. We state no figures and no dates of moveable festivals.