Buenos Aires, Vancouver, Paris, London, Sydney, Johannesburg, Helsinki, Zurich, Oslo, Chicago, Copenhagen, Tokyo are among the world's most developed and visited cities. Incheon, west of Seoul, is South Korea's third largest city, with a population of 3 million. It was the site of a daring amphibious landing that turned the tide in the 1950-53 Korean War. Formerly a bleak industrial hub, the city now boasts the Incheon International Airport, one of the world's busiest, and the ultra-modern Songdo business district, an aspiring trade hub built on reclaimed land. Pittsburgh is the seat of Allegheny County and with a population of 305,841 is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Facts: In 2013, a California man found unconscious in a Palm Springs motel room woke up in the hospital speaking only Swedish, baffling doctors. In 2010, a 13-year-old Croatian girl woke up from a coma speaking fluent German, despite only starting to learn the language before her brain injury. And in 2006, Derek Amato suffered a brain injury and became a musical prodigy. Australian man . When 22-year-old Ben McMahon woke up from a week-long coma following a horrific car crash, he could speak fluent Mandarin. NEW DELHI (AP) Merely wearing shoes is painful for Swapna Barman (18 yrs old). She was born with six toes on each foot, and can't afford specialized footwear. The family, from the town of Nezahualcoyotl, Fernando Caleb Alvarado Rios, now aged seven, had his eyes gouged out in May 2012 by his mother, aunt, two uncles and grandparents after he refused to participate in a ritual in which the family called on Satan to protect them from an apocalypse. Sports: Liam Ridgewell - The tabloids were all over Ridgewell's snaps of him wiping his backside with money - 'the vilest footballer in Britain'. Matthew Ghent - The former Aston Villa man filled up his tub with notes and kicked back with some red wine and a ciggie. Floyd Mayweather - "Money is on fire!" "Yeah, Floyd's having a great fight, isn't he?" "No, I mean, there's actual money on fire!" Phil Bardsley - This casino photo of the world's most expensive chalk outline had then-Sunderland boss Paolo Di Canio fuming. Adrien Broner - Former world boxing champion Broner was 'feeling flush' when he decided to post a video of him tearing up 20 dollar bills and sending a small chunk of his income, literally, down the toilet. Dee Liner - Liner is an American football prospect at the University of Alabama, but he and his friends caught plenty of heat for posing with these huge wads of cash. Gilbert Arenas - And finally, NBA's Gilbert Arenas goes more the way of Broner than his fellow baller Stephenson with his bathroom snap. Seeded 14th at US Open, ilid defeated Marcos Baghdatis, Illya Marchenko and Kevin Anderson with little trouble before reaching the fourth round, where he held off Gilles Simon for the first time in their five meets, winning the match in five sets. In the quarterfinals, ilid dismissed world No. 7 Tomas Berdych in straight sets, and in the semifinals he upset world No. 3 Roger Federer, also in straight sets. This was his first win over Federer in their six matches. With this win, ilid reached a Grand Slam final for the first time, in which he beat 10th seed Kei Nishikori in straight sets. By winning US Open, ilid brought Croatia a second Grand Slam men's singles title after his coach Goran Ivanievid triumphed in 2001 at Wimbledon. News: Soon, Mandarin Oriental, a hotel that stood at the heart of Makatis central business district since 1975, may not only be out of business but also completely out of sight, replaced by more modern structures.
The hotel building, designed by national artist for architecture Leandro Locsin, is among those that may be demolished to make way for a planned redevelopment by property giant Ayala Land Inc. (ALI).
ALI said the site of Mandarin Oriental, as well as the Intercontinental Hotel, another building designed by Locsin, will be part of the new complex to be built around Makatis Ayala Triangle Gardens. PRETORIA (Reuters) - Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide on Friday, escaping the more serious charge of murder for the killing of his girlfriend, and will now battle to avoid going to prison. Jamaican-born Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, who grew up in Canada, was the second Islamic convert preacher to be detained by the Philippines since July, when it also arrested and later deported Robert Edward Cerantonio to Australia.
Geography: Deepest Spot in the Ocean The deepest spot in the ocean is called the Mariana Trench and is approximately 35, 797 ft (10,911 m) deep in the Pacific Ocean. That's deeper than the height of the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest, which is 29,035 ft (8,850 m) high.
Highest Navigable Lake Lake Titicaca in Peru is the highest navigable lake in the world. It is about 12,500 ft (3,810 m) above sea level. This lake is also South America's second largest freshwater lake.
Lowest Lake The lowest lake is the Dead Sea (it's considered a lake but called a sea), which is in the Jordan Valley of Israel. The surface of the water is 1,340 ft (408 m) below sea level. The Dead Sea is also the saltiest lake in the world. Almost nothing can survive in it besides simple organisms like green algae.
Largest Freshwater Lake Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes and it's also the freshwater lake that covers the greatest surface area in the world. Lake Superior covers over 82,000 km of land and there's enough water in the lake to fill all the other Great Lakes plus three Lake Eries.
Deepest Lake Lake Baikal is the world's deepest lake and is located in Siberia, Russia, north of the Mongolian border. It is 5,369 ft (1,637 m) deep - more than one mile straight down.
Largest Ocean The Pacific Ocean takes the award for being the largest ocean in the world. It covers almost a third of the Earth's surface and goes from the Bering Sea in the Arctic north to the icy waters of Antarctica's Ross Sea in the south.
Smallest Ocean The smallest ocean is the Arctic Ocean, which is about 10 times smaller than the Pacific Ocean.
Longest River The Nile River in Egypt is the longest river. It's 4,145 miles (6,671 km) long and flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
Shortest River The world's shortest river, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is the Roe River. It is only 200 feet (61 meters) long and flows between Giant Springs and the Missouri River near Great Falls, Montana. There has been debate, though, about which river is really the shortest. The D River in Oregon has been measured as being only 120 ft (37 m) long. It connects Devil's Lake directly to the Pacific Ocean near Lincoln City. Because the D River flows into the ocean though, it's length changes according to the tide so has been measured at several different lengths.
Largest River The Amazon Basin in South America is the largest river with the greatest water flow. This is because it flows through the Amazon rain forest - the largest and wettest rainforest on Earth.
Highest Waterfall Angel Falls (Salto Angel) in Canaima National Park, Venezuela is the highest waterfall in the world at 3212 ft (979 m).
Geographical Facts 1. The second Longest geographical name that is accepted in the world is Taumatawhakatangihangak oauauotamateaturipukaka pikimaungahoronukupokaiwhe nua kitanatahu (85 letters) which is a hill in New Zealand it is a maori phrase which translates to place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as land-eater, played his flute to his loved one. It was the longest until recently (though the Guinness Book of Records still regards it as the longest); it has most likely now been supplanted by Krung thep maha nakorn amorn ratana kosinmahintar ayutthay amaha dilok phop noppa ratrajathani burirom udom rajaniwes- mahasat harn amorn phimarn avatarn sathit sakkattiya visanukamprasit in Thailand (163 letters). 2. Lesotho, Vatican City, and San Marino are the only countries completely surrounded by one other country. Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa, and Vatican City, and San Marino are both completely surrounded by Italy. 3. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll llantysiliogogogoch is the longest village name in the world (and third longest geographical name). it is located in Wales, and yes there are four ls in a row! 4. The Shortest place name is it is located in both Sweden and Norway. In Scandinavian languages, means river. The image above is one of the newly replaces road signs for the area they are frequently stolen for their novelty value. 5. The Vatican city is the smallest country in the world at only .2 square miles. That is smaller than the average city! The largest country is (surprise surprise) Russia. 6. The largest city in the world based on surface area, is Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia which is 263,953 km squared. 7. The hottest temperature recorded on earth is El Azizia Libya at 136 F, the coldest was -134 degrees fahrenheit in Vostok Antarctica. The hottest average temp is in western Australia, it is 96 degrees year round on average. 8. San Marino claims to be the worlds oldest constitutional republic it was founded in 301 by a Christian stonemason fleeing persecution under Emperor Diocletian. Its constitution of 1600 is the oldest written constitution in the world. San Marino is pictured above. 9. Though Mt. Everest is the highest altitude in terms of sea level on the planet, Mount Chimborazo is the closest to the moon. The Marianas Trench is the lowest place on earth. 10. Alaska is the most Northern, Eastern, AND Western state in all of America. It is the only state that enters the Eastern Hemisphere making it also the most eastern lying and western lying state. 11. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the Longest mountain chain on earth (at 40 thousand kilometers). It is located along the middle of the Atlantic. Iceland is the only part of this chain that is above water. The Andes form the longest exposed mountain range at 7,000 kilometers. 12. Mount Circeo on Cape Circaeum on the western coast of Italy was once called Aeaea (5 vowels in a row with no consonants). It was believed in mythology to be the home of the witch Circe. Two other vowel-only geographic locations are the town of Aiea in Hawaii, and Eiao one of the Marquise Islands. 13. Glaciers store between 70% and 80% of all the freshwater on the planet. 99% of those glaciers are in the Arctic and Antarctic. 14. In 1811 and 1812, three earthquakes measuring around 8 on the richter scale, caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards. These earthquakes also created Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee. 15. The deepest hole ever drilled by man is the Kola Superdeep Borehole, in Russia. It reached a depth of 12,261 meters (about 40,226 feet or 7.62 miles). It was drilled for scientific research and gave up some unexpected discoveries, one of which was a huge deposit of hydrogen so massive that the mud coming from the hole was boiling with it. The borehole is pictured above.
60 most interesting geographical facts 1. Kingdom of Tonga the only monarchy in the Pacific. 2. Trans-Siberian railway crosses exactly 3901 bridges. 3. The composition of the Philippines archipelago includes 7,107 islands. 4. The words Allahu Akbar repeated 22 times On the flag of Iran. 5. Seven largest countries in the world (Russia, Canada, USA, China, Australia, Brazil and Argentina) took half of our planets territory. 6. There are only the five states In Europe, that border only one other state Portugal, Italy, San Marino, Vatican City and Monaco. 7. Mexican volcano Parikutin eruption lasted 9 years (from 1943 to 1952). During this time the cone of the volcano climbed to 2774 meters. 8. In the central square of the Canadian town of Glendon rises its official symbol the dumpling which is 9 meters height and a weight of 2700 kg. 9. Londons equivalent of the New York Wall Street is known as Lombard Street. 10. In the Togo, the man who made compliment a woman must marry her. 11. The five boroughs of New York City: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan. 12. The largest desert in Europe Ryn Sands. It is located between the Volga and the Urals (in Kazakhstan and Russia). 13. The structure of Japan has more than 3,900 islands. 14. The Ganges Delta has the largest of all the rivers. 15. There are 3 of Peru and 9 of Paris In the U.S. 16. Less than 1 percent of the Caribbean islands are inhabited. 17. Of the 25 highest peaks of the world, 19 are in the Himalayas. 18. Almost to the end of the 1980s, Bhutan was not a single phone. 19. The coldest capital of the world is Ulan Bator (Mongolia). 20. 336 rivers empties into Lake Baikal, but it has only one flows (Angara). 21. The last eruption of the volcano Mount Fuji Japanese occurred in 1707. 22. The largest ports in the world: Rotterdam, Singapore, Kobe, New York, New Orleans. 23. Nauru the only state in the world that has no official capital. 24. Cuba the only Caribbean island, which has a railway. 25. The first capital of the Russian state was Ladoga. 26.There are the 17 active volcanoes In Japan 27. February 18, 1979 in the Sahara Desert was snowing. 28. 23 out of 50 countries have an access to the ocean. 29. Despite the fact that New Delhi and Novosibirsk are almost on the same longitude, their time is different for a half hour. This is due to the fact that India is a special standard time. 30. In Thailand, is still considered impolite to use a fork while eating. The plug is used only to shift the food from the plate to the substrate. 31. The center of Europe is located on the territory of Ukraine in the Transcarpathian region between the cities and Tyachev Rakhiv, near the village of Business, and the Center of Asia in Kyzyl Tuva Republic. 32. In the world, only one river, which rises at the equator and flows into the temperate zone: Neil. For obscure reasons other rivers flowing in the opposite direction. 33. Several buildings in Manhattan have their own zip code. 34. The highest of the extinct volcanoes on Earth Aconcagua, located in Argentina. Its altitude 6960 meters. 35. Seven most populous nations of the world: the Chinese (Han), Hindustanis, Americans U.S., Bengali, Russian, Brazilian and Japanese. 36. Montpelier (Vermont) the smallest state capital in the U.S.. It has a population of about nine thousand. 37. The state capital of Montpelier Vermont the only state capital in the U.S., where there is no McDonalds. 38. One of the largest Icelandic geysers, located on the slopes of the volcano Hekla, called Geyser. 39. Malaysia believed that redeems child in beer, can protect him from all troubles and diseases. 40. The national anthem of Greece has 158 versions. No inhabitant of Greece does not know all the 158 versions of their national anthem. 41. The river Ob has 150 000 (!) Inflows. 42. There are no rivers In Saudi Arabia. 43. Indonesia is located on the 17,508 islands. 44. Red Sea the warmest sea in the world. 45. Local people of the Lesbos island named lesbosiyts lesbosianks instead but not a lesbian. 46. In Moscow there is Elk River, and the largest of the streams that flow into it, is called Losenok. 47. The Chinese and Korean family name always comes first (IE, family name of Mao Zedong Mao). 48. The widest street in the world is located in Brasilia (street Monumental Axis, width 250 m). 49. In the town of Calama, located in the Chilean Atacama Desert, is never rain. 50. In the nation of Papua New Guinea consists of the island of New Britain and New Ireland. 51. In Amsterdam and Antwerp to 26 islands in St. Petersburg 101, and in Venice as many as 118. 52. In South America, the only two countries that do not have access to the ocean: Bolivia and Paraguay. 53. City of Hong Kong ranks first in the world by the number of Rolls-Royce. 54. Lebanon the only state in the Middle East, in which there is no desert. 55. Unlike most African nations, Ethiopia has been never a European colony. 56. In May 1948, two New Zealand Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe volcanoes erupted simultaneously. 57. In France, Italy and Chile formally recognized the existence of UFOs. 58. The most distant of all the oceans on Earth lies in China. 59. The cleanest sea in the world is the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. 60. There are 7 cities In the tourist route Golden Ring of Russia.
Religion Facts
Get the facts about the various religions around the world. The new research found that 45 percent of all American adults meet the criteria that The Barna Group uses to classify people as "born again." That number is up from 31 percent in 1983. Nearly half of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior do so before reaching the age of 13 (43 percent) and two out of three born again Christians (64 percent) made that commitment to Christ before their 18th birthday. Women are 16 percent more likely than men to be born again. African-Americans are the ethnic group most likely to be born again (59 percent), while Hispanics were barely half as likely (32 percent). Religion around the world is broken down like this: Christianity - 33 percent Islam - 21 percent Non-religious - 16 percent Hindu - 14 percent Primal-indigenous - 6 percent Chinese traditional - 6 percent Buddhism - 6 percent Sikhism - 0.36 percent Judaism - 0.22 percent 11 Facts About World Religions Religious discrimination might seem like a problem we've solved, but in countries across the world, including the US people are still persecuted and abused because of their relgious beliefs. One way to fight relgious discrimination is by fighting ignorance by learning about relgious tradtions outside your own. Here are 11 facts about relgions practiced across the globe.
1. Wicca might seem like an ancient religion, but it actually wasn't formed until the 1900s.
2. Converting to Islam is not ceremonial but private, the individual has to fully believe, recite a declaration of belief, and take a cleansing shower.
3. Buddhists don't believe they reach Nirvana through death but through enlightenment; that can sometimes take multiple reincarnations.
4. In Catholicism there are patron saints for nearly everything including danger from water, protection against Whooping Cough, and protection against Witchcraft.
5. While it's common in the US for Hanukkah to mean eight nights of presents (at least for the kids) gift giving for the holiday is only common in North America and Israel.
6. The three main gods worshiped by Hindus are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva but there are many more lesser gods that are also acknowledged.
7. Mormons aren't allowed to drink tea, coffee, or alcohol though they are allowed to drink soda.
8. Some faiths require believers to refuse medical treatment; Jehovah Witnesses aren't allowed to receive blood transfusions and Christian Scientists often refuse all traditional medical treatment.
9. Other religious denominations refuse modern technology, Amish individuals do without electricity or telephones. 10. Although the US has a separation of church and state, some countries are controlled by one religion, though a true modern theocracy is rare (Vatican City is an example). 11. Christianity is currently the world's largest religion with Islam the second and Hinduism the third.
Buddhism - Funny & Not-so-Funny Facts-: Buddhism word is derived from Hindi word Budhi , which means WISDOM. In that sense Buddha means wise man. Buddhism founder was Mahatma Budh (Mahatma is a Hindi word & means "Great Soul"). Mahatma Budh original name was Siddharth. He was a prince , but he left his home to find following answers - Why there is much sorrow & pain in the world? Why people get old & die? How a man can get rid of his sorrows & pains?. When Mahatma Budh was a child (Siddharth) , they say that few sages had told his father that this little boy would either become a great king or a great sage.Mahatma Budh's father wanted his son to become a king like himself, so he tried to keep him away from all the negative things in the world ,which could affect young child's brain e.g. no sick,old or poor person was allowed to come in sight of Siddharth .It was later on when young Budh started visiting the surroundings ,he came across these things In initial days, a Buddist monk was not supposed to cook food, he could only ask for food in alms.Purpose was to spend all the time in spreading awareness about Buddhism. This religion is unlike any other religion. They do not believe in gods. They believe in kindness and life after death. If you live a good life, you will have a better life in the next life and it will build up good Karma. If you live a bad life, you will have bad Karma the next life. Buddhists go to temple, not at a special time or day, but when they can. Nuns - women can hold a position as a nun. Nuns are not allowed to criticize monks but monks are allowed to criticize nuns. Although Buddhism originated in India, but now there are almost no followers .It is more widely spread in Thailand,Japan,China . More than 50% of Buddhism Teachings are part of Hinduism, the most popular religion in India. If you visit a monastery, you would find big Prayer Wheels inside it or lot of people carrying Prayer Wheels in their hands. There are certain religious messages written all over these wheels & devotees keep rotating these wheels . These depict a cycle of life for a soul (life-death-life)in Buddhist culture & one can get rid of cycle of .life by chanting these religious messages & by leading a pious life The "Smiling Buddha" in Chinese restaurants is not a statue of the Buddha, rather it is Hotei a Budai from Chinese folklore. Flowers used in Buddhist worship signal that life of a human is not permanent but short lived like the life of a flower, so a human should spread happiness like flowers. Buddha was not a fat man - his lifestyle of moderation in eating and walking about teaching would have made him fit not fat A Buddhist should eat whatever food is given to him, but should never ask for an animal to be slaughtered for his meal. At the core of Buddhism, there are Four Noble Truths: (1) All living beings suffer; (2) The origin of these sufferings are desire i.e. wanting more (3) Desires can be overcome and (4) There is a path which can lead to release from desires. This path is known as the Noble Eightfold Path: Right Views, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Concentration and Right Ecstasy. < Hinduism:Funny & Not-so -Funny Fact Hinduism is considered to be the oldest religion of the world. It is more of a way of a life rather than being a religion. Many of other great religions have come out Hinduism way of thinking & beliefs as it gievs enough space & freedom to individuals to think differently There are 8.4 million different gods & goddesses in Hindu religion, so one can pick & choose the god or goddess of his/her own liking . In a family, every member can follow his or her own god or goddess, there is no restriction to choose one god only . In most of Hindu marriages, the bride & bridegroom have to take 7 circles around holy fire ,by taking 7 different oaths to help & commit to each other There is no restriction on eating meat , >40% of Hindus eat meat.In earlier days, animals were slaughtered to please deities & gods Hindus believe in re-birth. The belief is that if one person does good deeds in this life, his next life would be better. And if he does very good deeds ,then he can merge in God & does not need to come back on earth by re-birth Animals have a special place in Hindu religion. You would find most the leading god & goddesses either in shape of animals or having animals around them. For example, one of the most famous lord is Shiva, who carries a snake around his neck, similarly a goddess named Vaishno is always shown sitting on a lion. One of the lords, Hanuman has been shown as monkey whereas another famous god in Hindu religion ,Ganesha, has a face of a baby elephant . Ganges ,a river in India,is considered to be very holy by many of the Hindus & they believe that a holy dip in Ganges would purify their bodies & all of their sins would be forgiven .This is similar to confession tradition in Christians Hindus believe that human body is made of 5 natural elements: Water,Air,Earth(soil),Sky (void) & Fire .On death, these five elements should return to nature.That is why Hindus burn dead bodies. Christianity : Funny & Not -so- Funny Facts There are Seven things ,which are considered as deadly Sins in Christianity. These are: 1. Pride 2. Greed 3. Lust 4. Envy 5. Gluttony 6. Anger 7. Sloth Number of Bibles distributed in the U.S. every day: 170,00. About 50 Bibles are sold every minute Because the Bible is the world's number one bestseller, it is also the most shoplifted book in the world The most mentioned crop in the Bible is corn In Christianity, if you confess all your bad deeds to Father (priest of the Church) , then youre considered to be forgiven by God .(Father, the priest, is not supposed to see your face ) Christians' two most observed holidays are Easter (celebrating the resurrection of Christ) and Christmas (celebrating the birth of Christ). In the Bible , there are around one hundred different names used for God. Cat is the only domestic animal,which is not mentioned in the Bible. The Bible has been translated into 1,200 different languages, including Klingon, for the Star Trek enthusiasts. Most of the Christians undergo a ritual called being Baptized , a TRADITION that involves application of water to the head, or full body submersion. This symbolically represents the washing away of sins, and a rite of acceptance into the Christian faith. Youth Group Games Christians believe in one God, but that God exists in three forms, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Islam : Funny & Not -so- Funny Facts The Majority of Muslims do not live in the middle East. The most populous Muslim country is Indonesia, the 4th largest country in the world with 184 million Muslims. There are more Muslims in India than the combined population of Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine and the whole of the Arabian Peninsula. "Allah" is an Arabic word that means "God". Muslims also believe that "Allah" is the personal name of God. Muslims neither worship Muhammad ;the prophet & founder of Islam; nor pray through him. Muslims solely worship the unseen and Omniscient Creator, Allah. Muslims pray five times daily, usually while kneeling on a mat, facing toward Ka'ba shrine, located in Mecca. The word "Jihad", though it means holy war, has two meanings, the first is the struggle against non-believers, the second is an internal struggle to remain pious in their faith and submit to the will of Allah (God) During Ramadan,(a special period in the year for Muslims), Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset for an entire month. Muslim women wear the head-covering (hijab) in fulfillment of God's decree to dress modestly.This type of modest dress has been worn by righteous women throughout history. Prominent examples are traditional Catholic Nuns, Mother Teresa and the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus. World Biggest Religions - Interesting Knowledge Buddhism is a religion which has variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha. Two major branches of Buddhism are: Theravada ("The School of the Elders") and Mahayana ("The Great Vehicle). The foundations of Buddhist religion are the 3 Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma (the teachings), and the Sangha (the community) Christianity: It is based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Followers of the Christian religion are known as Christians. Moderns Christianity teaches Jesus as the Son of God and the savior of humanity. The three largest groups in the world of Christianity are the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches & the various churches of Protestantism. Christianity has around 2.2 billion followers. Christianity is world's largest religion. Confucianism is a life- system that is normally considered as one of the world religions. It is based on teachings of Confucius ,a Chinese thinker.It originated in China. Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings.This is based on 23 teachers of old times. Out of them , Mahavira became one of the most influential Jainism teachers. Jain sangha is divided into two major sects, Digambar and Svetambar. Judaism is the religion and way of life of the Jewish people. Jewish population was estimated at 13.4 million, or roughly 0.2% of the total world population. About 42% of all Jews reside in Israel and about 42% reside in the United States and Canada. Hinduism is the major religion of South Asia. Other name for it is Santana Dharma. Demographically, Hinduism is the world's 3rd largest religion, after Christianity and Islam. Major books are the Upanishads, Puras , Mahbhrata and Ramayana. The word Hindu is derived from word Sindhu, the local name of a river called Indus which has disappeared now. Hinduism is generally regarded as the world's oldest organized religion. Islam : The word Islam means 'submission to God. A follower of Islam is called a Muslim. Major book is Quran, which is considered to be the word of God. Most Muslims belong to one of the two groups; with 80-90% being Sunni and 10-20% being Shia. Islam is the second-largest religion and one of the fastest-growing religions in the world. Shinto is an ancient Japanese religion. Its name was derived from the Chinese words "shin tao" ("The Way of the Kami").The Kami are the Shinto deities. The word "Kami" is generally translated as "god" Unlike most other religions, Shinto has no real founder, no written scriptures, no body of religious law. About 84% of the population of Japan follow two religions: an amalgam of both Shinto and Buddhism Sikhism is religion founded in the fifteenth century in North part of India on the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji ,the first teacher of Sikhs ,and ten successive Sikh Gurus . The principal beliefs of Sikhism are faith and justice. The holy scripture for Sikhism is the Gur Granth Shib Ji Taoism (pronounced "Dow") can be roughly translated into English as path, or the way. It is on how to spend life. The founder of Taoism is believed by a few religious historians to be Lao-Tse. Several Chinese martial arts, Chinese traditional medicine, feng shui, and many styles of qigong originated from Taoism.
World Religions Afghanistan Islam (Sunni 80%, Shiite 19%), other 1% Albania Islam 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10% (est.) Algeria Islam (Sunni) 99% (state religion), Christian and Jewish 1% Andorra Roman Catholic (predominant) Angola Indigenous 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (1998 est.) Antigua and Barbuda Christian (predominantly Anglican and other Protestant; some Roman Catholic) Argentina Roman Catholic 92%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4% Armenia Armenian Apostolic 95%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi 1% Australia Roman Catholic 26%, Anglican 21%, other Christian 21%, Buddhist 2%, Islam 2%, other 1%, none 15% (2001) Austria Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 5%, Islam 4%, none 12% (2001) Azerbaijan Islam 93%, Russian Orthodox 3%, Armenian Orthodox 2%, other 2% (1995 est.) Bahamas Baptist 35%, Anglican 15%, Roman Catholic 14%, Pentecostal 8%, Church of God 5%, Methodist 4%, other Christian 15% (2000) Bahrain Islam (Shiite and Sunni) 81%, Christian 9% Bangladesh Islam 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998) Barbados Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12% Belarus Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.) Belgium Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25% Belize Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 27% (Pentecostal 7%, Anglican 5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, Mennonite 4%, Methodist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%), none 9%, other 14% (2000) Benin indigenous 50%, Christian 30%, Islam 20% Bhutan Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% Bolivia Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5% Bosnia and Herzegovina Islam 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14% Botswana Christian 72%, Badimo 6%, none 21% (2001) Brazil Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 15%, Spiritualist 1%, none 7% (2000) Brunei Islam (official religion) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs and other 10% Bulgaria Bulgarian Orthodox 83%, Islam 12%, other Christian 1% (2001) Burkina Faso Islam 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10% Burundi Roman Catholic 62%, indigenous 23%, Islam 10%, Protestant 5% Cambodia Theravada Buddhist 95%, others 5% Cameroon indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Islam 20% Canada Roman Catholic 43%, Protestant 23% (including United Church 10%, Anglican 7%, Baptist 2%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4%, Muslim 2%, none 16% (2001) Cape Verde Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs), Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene) Central African Republic indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant and Roman Catholic (both with animist influence) 25% each, Islam 15% Chad Islam 51%, Christian 35%, animist 7%, other 7% Chile Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, small Jewish population China Officially atheist; Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%4%, Muslim 1%2% (2002 est.) Colombia Roman Catholic 90% Comoros Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2% Congo, Democratic Republic of the Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Islam 10%; other syncretic and indigenous 10% Congo, Republic of Christian 50%, animist 48%, Islam 2% Costa Rica Roman Catholic 76%, Evangelical 14%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, other Protestant 1%, other 5%, none 3% Cte d'Ivoire indigenous 25%40%, Islam 35% 40%, Christian 20%30% (2001) Croatia Roman Catholic 88%, Orthodox 4%, Muslim 1%, other Christian less than 1%, none 5% (2001) Cuba predominantly Roman Catholic and Santera (Afro-Cuban syncretic religion) Cyprus Greek Orthodox 78%, Islam 18%, Maronite, Armenian Apostolic, and other 4% Czech Republic Roman Catholic 27%, Protestant 2%, unaffiliated 59% (2001) Denmark Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, Muslim 2% Djibouti Islam 94%, Christian 6% Dominica Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2% Dominican Republic Roman Catholic 95% East Timor Roman Catholic 90%, Islam 4%, Protestant 3%, Hindu 0.5%, Buddhist, animist (1992 est.) Ecuador Roman Catholic 95% Egypt Islam (mostly Sunni) 90%, Coptic 9%, Christian 1%, other 6% El Salvador Catholics 83%; growing population of evangelical Protestants (1992) Equatorial Guinea nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices Eritrea Islam, Eritrean Orthodox Christianity, Roman Catholic, Protestant Estonia Evangelical Lutheran 14%, Russian Orthodox 13%, other Christian (including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal) 1%, unaffiliated 34%, none 6% (2001) Ethiopia Islam 45%50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%40%, animist 12%, other 3% 8% Fiji Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu 38%, Islam 8%, other 2% Finland Evangelical Lutheran 84%, Greek Orthodox 1%, other Christian 1%, none 14% France Roman Catholic 83%88%, Protestant 2%, Islam 5%10%, Jewish 1%, unaffiliated 4% Gabon Christian 55%75%, animist, Islam less than 1% Gambia Islam 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous 1% Georgia Orthodox 84%, Islam 10%, Armenian-Gregorian 4%, Catholic 1% (2002) Germany Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Islam 4%, Unaffiliated or other 28% Ghana Christian 63%, indigenous beliefs 21%, Islam 16% Greece Greek Orthodox 98%, Islam 1%, other 1% Grenada Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 14%, other Protestant 33% Guatemala Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs Guinea Islam 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous 7% Guinea-Bissau indigenous beliefs 50%, Islam 45%, Christian 5% Guyana Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Islam 10%, other 5% Haiti Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), other 3%, none 1%. Note: roughly half the population practices Vaudou Honduras Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3% Hungary Roman Catholic 52%, Calvinist 16%, Lutheran 3%, Greek Catholic 3%, other Christian 1%, unaffiliated 15% (2001) Iceland Lutheran Church of Iceland 85.5%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.1%, Roman Catholic Church 2%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.5%, other Christian 2.7%, other or unspecified 3.8%, unaffiliated 2.4% (2004) India Hindu 81%, Islam 13%, Christian 2%, Sikh 2% (2001) Indonesia Islam 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1% (1998) Iran Islam 98% (Shi'a 89%, Sunni 9%); Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2% Iraq Islam 97% (Shiite 60%65%, Sunni 32%37%), Christian or other 3% Ireland Roman Catholic 88%, Church of Ireland 3%, other Christian 2%, none 4% Israel Judaism 77%, Islam 16%, Christian 2%, Druze 2% (2003) Italy Roman Catholic approx. 90%, Protestant, Jewish, Islamic Jamaica Protestant 61.3%, (Church of God 21.2%, Baptist 8.8%, Anglican 5.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Methodist 2.7%, United Church 2.7%, Brethren 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%, Moravian 1.1%), Roman Catholic 4%, other including some spiritual cults 34.7% Japan Shintoist and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%) Jordan Islam (Sunni) 92%, Christian 6% (mostly Greek Orthodox), other 2% Kazakhstan Islam 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7% Kenya Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, indigenous beliefs 10%, Islam 10%, others 2% (note: estimates vary widely) Kiribati Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant (Congregational) 40%, some Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, and Church of God (1999) Korea, North Buddhism and Confucianism; religious activities almost nonexistent Korea, South no affiliation 46%, Christian 26%, Buddhist 26%, Confucianist 1%, other 1% Kuwait Islam 85% (Sunni 70%, Shiite 30%); Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15% Kyrgyzstan Islam 75%; Russian Orthodox 20%; other 5% Laos Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including Christian 2%) Latvia Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox Lebanon Islam 60% (Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite/Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite, Melkite, Syrian, Armenian, and Roman Catholic; Greek, Armenian, and Syrian Orthodox; Chaldean; Assyrian; Copt; Protestant), other 1% Lesotho Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20% Liberia traditional 40%, Christian 40%, Islam 20% Libya Islam (Sunni) 97% Liechtenstein Roman Catholic, 77%, Protestant, 7%; unknown, 11% (2002) Lithuania Roman Catholic 79%, Russian Orthodox 4%, Protestant (including Lutheran, evangelical Christian Baptist) 2%, none 10% (2001) Luxembourg Roman Catholic 87%; Protestant, Jewish, Islamic 13% (2000) Macedonia Macedonian Orthodox 32%, Islam 17% (2002) Madagascar indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Islam 7% Malawi Christian 80%, Islam 13%, none 4% (1998) Malaysia Muslim, Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh; Shamanism (East Malaysia) Maldives Islam (Sunni) Mali Islam 90%, indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian 1% Malta Roman Catholic 98% Marshall Islands Protestant 55%, Assembly of God 26%, Roman Catholic 8%, Bukot nan Jesus 3%, Mormon 2%, other Christian 4%, none 2% (1999) Mauritania Islam 100% Mauritius Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 24%, other Christian 8%, Islam 17% (2000) Mexico nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%, other 5% Micronesia Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 47% Moldova Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000) Monaco Roman Catholic 90% Mongolia Buddhist Lamaist 50%, Islam 4%, Shamanism and Christian 4%, none 40% (2004) Montenegro Orthodox, Muslim, Roman Catholic Morocco Islam 99%, Christian 1% Mozambique Mozambique 24%, Islam 18%, Zionist Christian 18%, none 23% (1997) Myanmar Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Islam 4%, Animist 1%, other 2% Namibia Christian 80%90% (Lutheran at least 50%), indigenous beliefs 10% 20% Nauru Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic) Nepal Hindu 81%, Buddhist 11%, Islam 4%, Kirant 4% (2001) Netherlands Roman Catholic 31%, Dutch Reformed 13%, Calvinist 7%, Islam 6%, none 41% (2002) New Zealand Anglican 15%, Roman Catholic 12%, Presbyterian 11%, Methodist 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Baptist 1%, other Christian 9%, none 26% (2001) Nicaragua Roman Catholic 73%, Evangelical 15%, Moravian 2%, none 9% (1995) Niger Islam 80%, indigenous beliefs and Christian 20% Nigeria Islam 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10% Norway Evangelical Lutheran 86% (state church), Pentecostal 1%, Roman Catholic 1%, other Christian 2% (2004) Oman Islam: Ibadhi 75%, Sunni, Shi'a; Hindu Pakistan Islam 97% (Sunni 77%, Shiite 20%); Christian, Hindu, and other 3% Palau Roman Catholic 42%, Protestant 23%, Modekngei 9% (indigenous), Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, Jehovah's Witness 1%, Latter-Day Saints 1%, other religion 3%, unspecified or none 16% (2000) Palestinian State (proposed) West Bank: Islam 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%; Gaza Strip: Islam 98.7% (predominantly Sunni), Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.6%. Panama Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15% Papua New Guinea Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%, Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant 10%, indigenous beliefs 34% Paraguay Roman Catholic 90%, Mennonite, other Protestant 10% Peru Roman Catholic 81%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Christian 1%, unspecified or none 16% (2003 est.) Philippines Roman Catholic 81%, Evangelical 3%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2%, Aglipayan 2%, other Christian 5%, Islam 5% (2000) Poland Roman Catholic 90% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox 1%, Protestant and other (2002) Portugal Roman Catholic 94%, Protestant (1995) Qatar Islam 95% Romania Romanian Orthodox 87%, Protestant 8%, Roman Catholic 5%, Islam and other (2002) Russia Russian Orthodox 15%20%, other Christian 2%, Islam 10%15% (2006 est.; includes practicing worshippers only) Rwanda Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Islam 4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7% (2001) St. Kitts and Nevis Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic St. Lucia Roman Catholic 68%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 6%, Evangelical 2%, Anglican 2%, other Christian 5%, Rastafarian 2%, none 5% (2001) St. Vincent and the Grenadines Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant Samoa Congregationalist 34.8%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%, Latter-Day Saints 12.7%, Assembly of God 6.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.5%, other Christian 4.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2001) San Marino Roman Catholic So Tom and Prncipe Catholic 70%, Evangelical 3%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 2%, other 3%, none 19% (2001) Saudi Arabia Islam 100% Senegal Islam 94%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic), indigenous 1% Serbia Serbian Orthodox, Muslim, Roman Catholic, Protestant Seychelles Roman Catholic 83%, Anglican 6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Christian 3%, Hindu 2%, Muslim 1%, none 1% Sierra Leone Islam 60%, indigenous 30%, Christian 10% Singapore Buddhist 43%, Islam 15%, Taoist 9%, Hindu 4%, Catholic 5%, other Christian 10%, none 15% (2000) Slovakia Roman Catholic 69%, Protestant 11%, Greek Catholic 4%, none 13% (2001) Slovenia Catholic 58% Orthodox 2%, other Christian 1%, Islam 2%, none 10% Solomon Islands Church of Melanesia 33%, Roman Catholic 19%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11%, United Church 10%, Christian Fellowship Church 2%, other Christian 4% (1999) Somalia Islam (Sunni) South Africa Zion Christian 11%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8%, Catholic 7%, Methodist 7%, Dutch Reformed 7%, Anglican 4%, other Christian 36%, Islam 2%, none 15% (2001) Spain Roman Catholic 94%, other 6% Sri Lanka Buddhist 70%, Islam 8%, Hindu 7%, Christian 6% (2001) Sudan Islam (Sunni) 70% (in north), indigenous 25%, Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum) Suriname Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Islam 19.6%, indigenous 5% Swaziland Zionist (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship) 40%; Roman Catholic 20%; Muslim 10%; Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish, and other 30% Sweden Lutheran 87%, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist Switzerland Roman Catholic 42%, Protestant 35%, Orthodox 2%, Muslim 4%, none 11% (2000) Syria Islam (Sunni) 74%; Alawite, Druze, and other Islamic sects 16%; Christian (various sects) 10%; Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo) Taiwan mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5% Tajikistan Islam: Sunni 85%, Shiite 5%; other 10% (2003 est.) Tanzania mainland: Christian 30%, Islam 35%, indigenous 35%; Zanzibar: more than 99% Islam Thailand Buddhist 95%, Islam 5%, Christian 1% (2000) Togo Indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 29%, Islam 20% Tonga Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents) Trinidad and Tobago Roman Catholic 26%, Anglican 8%, Baptist 7%, Pentecostal 7%, Seventh- Day Adventist 4%, other Christian 6%, Hindu 22%, Islam 6%, none 2% Tunisia Islam (Sunni) 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1% Turkey Islam (mostly Sunni) 99.8%, other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews) Turkmenistan Islam 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2% Tuvalu Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, Baha'i 1% Uganda Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Islam 16%, indigenous beliefs 18% Ukraine Ukrainian Orthodox (Kiev Patriarchate 19%, Moscow Patriarchate 9%, no particular division 16%), Ukrainian Greek Catholic 6%, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox 2%, Protestant, Jewish, none 38% (2004) United Arab Emirates Islam 96% (Sunni 80%, Shiite 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4% United Kingdom Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 71.6%, Muslim 2.7%, Hindu 1%, other 1.6%, unspecified or none 23.1% (2001) United States Protestant 52%, Roman Catholic 24%, Mormon 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 1%, none 10% (2002) Uruguay Roman Catholic 66%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1% Uzbekistan Islam (mostly Sunnis) 88%, Eastern Orthodox 9% Vanuatu Presbyterian 31%, Anglican 13%, Roman Catholic 13%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11%, other Christian 14%, indigenous beliefs 6% (including Jon Frum Cargo cult), none 1% Vatican City (Holy See) Roman Catholic. Venezuela Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2% Vietnam Buddhist 9%, Catholic 7%, Hoa Hao 2%, Cao Dai 1%, Protestant, Islam, none 81% Western Sahara (proposed state) Islam Yemen Islam (including Sunni and Shiite), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu Zambia Christian 50%75%, Islam and Hindu 24%49%, indigenous beliefs 1% Zimbabwe syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1% 18 Little Known Facts To Challenge Your Views About Religion This list was organized in no particular order: 1. Many Early Christians Believed in Reincarnation Reincarnation was a widely accepted belief among the early Gnostic Christians. The idea that someone went to heaven or hell based on something they did in one lifetime was a doctrine developed by the Roman Catholic Church, most likely to establish more control over adherents to the religion. After all, if people got more than one chance to get to heaven, the laws of the church would then be rendered meaningless because sinners would get infinite chances to try again. Further Reference: Adishakti.org 2. The Buddha Was Probably Not a Vegetarian Many Buddhists are vegetarian because of the first Buddhist Precept: I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life. This precept also includes the taking of any animal life. Interestingly, this doesnt necessarily mean that all Buddhists need to become vegetarians. In the Pali Canon, a major Buddhist text, it was said that the Buddha would not eat meat from an animal killed specifically for him, but apparently didnt have a problem eating meat bought from the marketplace and already dead. Further Reference: Dhamma Musings 3. Jesus Christ is Mentioned 5 Times in the Quran more than Muhammad Jesus is considered one of the great prophets of the Islamic religion, and is highly revered, though not as the son of God as Christians believe. Further Reference: Islam 101 4. Hindus Can Also Be Atheists Hinduism is generally viewed as a Polytheistic religion with a rich mythology. It is, however, quite possible to be both Hindu and Atheist. Although Hindu Atheists may not have the same eschatological beliefs as other Hindus, they do follow the same moral and ethical code. Further Reference: Wikipedia 5. Judaism Evolved from a Polytheistic Religion According to Mark Smith in The Early History of God, the Jewish God Yaweh was one out of four main Gods worshiped by the early Jewish people. The other three gods were El, Asherah and Baal. It was only later that Yahweh became the one and only God for the Jewish religion. Further Reference: Wikipedia 6. Meditation is not Limited to Eastern Religions These days meditation, or the practice of increasing spiritual awareness through the cultivation of high states of concentration, is often associated with Eastern religions like Buddhism and Hinduism. It turns out, however, that every major religion has meditation techniques associated with them. Theres Christian Meditation, Islamic Meditation and Jewish Meditation. Within each of these religions are various meditation techniques which bear a striking resemblance to meditation techniques practiced in Buddhism and Hinduism. 7. New Religious Texts Continue to Be Discovered If youre the founder of a religion, people will write a lot of stories about you, many of which arent true. This is why the Bible has so many outtakes (See #14). Does this mean, however, that when new religious texts are discovered we should dismiss them as historical curiosities or should we examine them against our current beliefs? One good example of a text that warrants study is the Gospel of Judas, a recently discovered Biblical text that portrays Judas Iscariot, commonly seen as the Bibles villain, as the one apostle who fully understood Jesus teachings and turned Jesus over to be crucified because Jesus asked him to. Further Reference: BBC News 8. The Buddha was Canonized as a Christian Saint A Buddhist text from the 4th century was eventually translated and retranslated until the story of the Buddhas enlightenment was retold in the context of a prince named Josaphat who renounced the world and converted to Christianity. Apparently this story was so compelling that this Josaphat became a Christian Saint. Further Reference: Wikipedia 9. Islam had the First Theory of Evolution in the 9th Century While religion and science have been and continue to be at odds, one notable exception is during the height of the Islamic empire, when scientific ideas advanced significantly. Even the idea of evolution, an idea which still remains a difficult one to swallow by some fundamentalist Christians, was first advanced by a devout Muslim and scientist by the name of al-Jahiz. Further Reference: salaam.co.uk 10. Non-Jews Can Get Into Jewish Heaven According to Rabbi Sholom Lipskar One does not have to be Jewish in order to be able to merit going to heaven in the afterlife and meriting all blessings of God. There doesnt seem to be many references to the afterlife in the Torah, but there seems to be agreement that the righteous of all nations will enjoy the blessings of an afterlife. Further Reference: Wikipedia, Judaism 101 11. Even With a Literal Interpretation of the Bible, Homosexuality may Not be a Sin In a recent talk, Biblical scholar Matthew Vines discusses whether or not the Bible actually condemns homosexuality, and provides a very convincing argument for why homosexuality should not be considered a sin, even with a literal interpretation of the Bible. 12. The First Buddhist Statues Were Made in the Greek Hellenistic Style Greco-Indians living in the region of Gandhara were actually the first to carve images of the Buddha. The topknot hairstyle common in most Buddha statues today was probably borrowed from similar statues of the Greek God Apollo. The historical Buddha probably didnt have this hairstyle. Further Reference: Wikipedia 13. The Worlds Oldest University was Established by a Muslim Woman The Islamic religion has long been characterized as backward and misogynistic. This characterization is misleading, however, and there are many examples throughout history which have shown the opposite to be true. One of them is the University of al- Karaouine, founded by Fatima al-Fihri, the daughter of a rich merchant. At the university subjects like rhetoric and astronomy were taught alongside religious studies. By some accounts, this was the first school that handed out academic degrees. Further Reference: Wikipedia 14. The New Testament has a Lot of Outtakes There were many books of the Bible that didnt make it into the new testament. After Jesus followers were left on their own, the early Christians wrote many stories regarding the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Many of these stories were quite fanciful. The Gospel of Pseudo Matthew, for example, has a story of the young Jesus taming dragons (Chapter 18). Since early Christian writings often contradicted each other in terms of narrative and philosophy, it was up to the early fathers of the Church to decide which books of early Christian writings were to be deemed canonical and were reflective of official Church doctrine. Further Reference: Wikipedia 15. Many of Our Great Scientists were Deeply Religious Today with all the over-dramatized conflict between science and religion, its easy to forget that many of the greatest minds in science were actually devoutly religious. All you have to do is take a look at this list of Muslims and Christians who made significant contributions to our body of scientific knowledge to know that this is true. 16. Wearing a Veil is Not Required in Islam While the Quran does require women (and men!) to wear modest clothing, nowhere does it specifically state that covering the face with a veil is required. The misconception that Islamic women are required to wear the veil probably comes from the fact that some fundamentalist Islamic thinkers have interpreted the need for modesty in womens dress as the need for any woman going out in public to wear the hijab (head scarf). Further Reference: Islam 101 17. Angels as we Know Them Today are Artist Inventions Angels as originally described in the Bible, appear as 4 headed monsters or wheels that sparkled like topaz, or fearsome entities with 6 wings. It was only near the end of the 4th century CE that artists began to portray angels as the two winged bipeds as we know them today. This is just another example of how our interpretations of religious stories can change over time. Further Reference: Wikipedia 18. Islamic Fundamentalism is a Pretty Recent Development As shown by facts numbers 9 and 13, Islam was far from a backwards religion, but one that promoted the sciences. Not only that, but Islam was actually quite tolerant of other religions as well. Today, however, because of the rise of religious fundamentalism in the Islamic world, weve been led to believe that intolerance has been a part of the religion since its inception. Actually, it not until the 1950s that Islamic fundamentalism became a real force, helped along by radical Muslim thinkers like Sayyid Qutb.