2016-06-10

Around a lot of people around the world who choose not to have faith in God, there are many other who have. In this article, we are enlisting top 10 most popular religions in the world. The ranking of religions is based upon the number of their followers.

1. Christianity



With respect to the number of followers, the top religion on our list is Christianity, with 2.2bn followers. Based on the Bible, the monotheistic religion is followed by most of the religious Western World (Oceania, Europe and North America). In the picture above, you can see the Christian pilgrims carrying wooden crosses during the Good Friday procession along the Via Dolorosa on 22nd April, 2011, in Jerusalem. Good Friday is marked by thousands of Christians across the globe on that day; when Christians memorialize Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. In Jerusalem, the pilgrims participated in processions along the course that Jesus is considered to have followed as he carried the cross in his last days.

2. Islam



Second on our list is the fastest growing religion of Islam, with more than 1. 6bn followers. Muslim pilgrims all across the world gather in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to perform the walk around the Kaaba, known as Tawaf. Kaaba is the Grand Mosque situated in holy city of Mecca. It is considered to be the most holy pilgrimage shrine and sanctuary, lying in the center of Masjid Al-Haram mosque, Mecca. It holds the sacred Black Stone considered to be the solo piece enduring from an altar constructed by Abraham. Pilgrims attempt to kiss or touch the Black Stone Kaaba’s walls.

The literal meanings of “Islam” are “submission to God”. Quran is the holy book which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It is the most often practiced religion in Malay Archipelago, the Indian subcontinent, Western Africa, South Asia, Central Asia, Northern Africa and Middle East, with concentrations of followers in China, Russia, the Balkan Peninsula and Eastern Africa.

3. Catholicism



Number 3 on our list of top 10 most popular regions across the world is Catholicism, with 1.2bn followers across the world. For some of the people, Catholicism denotes Christians and churches associating to the Catholic Church in empathy with the Holy See, while others refers it to endurance “back to the earliest churches,” which is claimed by other churches in shared disagreements over Christian practice and doctrine, for example the Anglican Communion, the Old Catholic Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, Oriental Orthodoxy and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

In the above picture, you can see a press hall attendant holding the curtains decorated with pictures of John XXIII and late Pope John Paul II.

In the second picture, you can see the Faithful walk in St. Peter’s Square next to the empty chairs. A vast number of faithful and pilgrims attend the ceremony at the Vatican in which Pope Francis raised in a serious ceremony John Paul II and John XXIII to sainthood.

4. Hinduism

Number 4 is Hinduism with 1bn followers in the world. In the first picture, Sadhus and Hindus rejoice Diwali (the Hindu New Year) at Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. It was the 1st customary Hindu temple opened in Europe, on 14th Nov. 14, 2012.

The middle picture shows a Hindu devotees praying before making a human pyramid to break a curd-pot, dahi-handi, up in the air in Janmashtami celebrations, which indicates the birth of Lord Krishna, Hindu God, in Mumbai. Hindu boys and men receive prize money by forming a human pyramid till it is high enough to allow the uppermost person to access the pot and claim the fillings after breaking it.

The last picture shows Hindu devotees bathing in the holy river of Ganges in Makar Sankranti, the royal bathing day. It marks the beginning of the Maha Kumbh Mela. It is probably the largest religious congregation attracting over 100 million people every 12 years on Sangam banks, the junction of the sacred rivers Yamuna, Ganga, and the fabled Saraswati.

5. Agnosticism

The picture shows a huge letter “A” displaying the agnostic and atheist community lying between a nativity division and a menorah in in Chicago, Daley Plaza. The plaza also houses city’s customary Christmas tree and Christkindlmarket. It is a German-themed open-air market open in the shopping season of Christmas. Agnosticism beliefs that the fact of certain religious or hypothetical claims —specifically claims about the presence of any god — is unknowable or unknown. This religion has 639 million followers.

6. Buddhism

With around 488 million followers, Buddhism stands number 6 on our list. In this picture, you can see 2 young Buddhist monks in Bagan, Burma. Buddhism initiated with Siddhartha Gautama, widely recognized as Buddha. Buddha used to live in northeastern India in the middle of 6th and 4th centuries BC. The purpose of Buddhism is to achieve nirvana, terminate suffering and evade a sequence of suffering and rebirth.

7. Atheism

Atheism is the 7th most popular religion in the world with 150 million followers. In the picture you can see the President of American Atheists, David Silverman, addressing the National Convention of American Atheists. In an attempt to promote awareness and appeal new members, the association conducted their national conference over Easter weekend.

8. Anglicanism

Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate and Anglican primate emeritus, meets people after joining leaders of other religions along with a vast number of people from civil society in a procession known as Procession of Witness in justification of Public Protector’s role, Thuli Madonsela, in exposing corruption, and protesting violence, and exploiting by people in politics and business, through the central Cape Town. On his left, stands Thabo Makgoba, the recent archbishop.

As Christian tradition’s part, mostly tied to the Church of England, Anglicans completely affirmed their impartiality from the pope at the time of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement. The religion has 85.4 million followers.

9. Sikhism

Number 9 is Sikhism with 27 million followers across the world. Sikhism started in 15th Century. It initiated form Punjab, India. The religion follows the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev and ten consecutive Sikh Gurus, with Guru Granth Sahib the last sacred text. The word Sikh comes from the early Sanskrit root śiṣya which translates to “learner,” or “disciple” or śikṣa translating to “instruction.”

10. 7th-Day Adventists

7th-day Adventists are a one hundred and fifty year old Christian denomination that highlights the central role of Jesus Christ as judge of all humanity, high priest for all followers and personal savior. The denomination does not possess a doctrine but members usually agree to twenty nine essential beliefs that span fundamental Christian beliefs and beliefs distinguishing it from other factions. This religion has 16 million followers.

11. Judaism

The last on our list is Judaism with 14.5 million followers. It originates from the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible and is explained and contemplated in following texts like the Talmud. The commandments and laws of God were revealed on Mount Sinai to Moses in the form of both the oral and written Torah. However, according to Karaite Judaism, only written Torah was revealed. Besides, humanistic Judaism and parallel humanistic instants may be considered non-theistic.

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