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The Secret History of Muslims in the U.S. Watch: How people respond to Bible quotes when told they're from the Quran. People make a lot of assumptions about Islam compared with Christianity and Judaism — particularly that it's more inherently violent.

Watch: How people respond to Bible quotes when told they're from the Quran

But do people really know what they're talking about, or are they simplifying complicated belief systems to make a political point? The team at Dit Is Normaal decided to put this to the test in the Netherlands, where they're based. So they disguised a Bible as a Quran, read verses from the Bible (such as "You will have to cut off her hand"), and asked people for their thoughts. People by and large reacted with a lot of "othering" of Muslims — making remarks like, "If you've been raised with this book and these kinds of thoughts, it's going to influence the way you think.

" Then they found out the verses came from the Bible, not the Quran. The general lesson here isn't that all religions are bad and everyone should feel bad. If you read the Bible front and back, you will read about several ideas that frankly don't mesh with modern Western standards. Judaism: Founder, Beliefs & Facts. Judaism is the world’s oldest monotheistic religion, dating back nearly 4,000 years.

Judaism: Founder, Beliefs & Facts

Followers of Judaism believe in one God who revealed himself through ancient prophets. The history of Judaism is essential to understanding the Jewish faith, which has a rich heritage of law, culture and tradition. Judaism Beliefs Jewish people believe there’s only one God who has established a covenant—or special agreement—with them. Their God communicates to believers through prophets and rewards good deeds while also punishing evil. Most Jews (with the exception of a few groups) believe that their Messiah hasn’t yet come—but will one day. Jewish people worship in holy places known as synagogues, and their spiritual leaders are called rabbis. Today, there are about 14 million Jews worldwide. Torah The Jewish sacred text is called the Tanakh or the “Hebrew Bible.”

Buddhism - Definition, Founder & Origins. Buddhism is a faith that was founded by Siddhartha Gautama (“the Buddha”) more than 2,500 years ago in India.

Buddhism - Definition, Founder & Origins

With about 470 million followers, scholars consider Buddhism one of the major world religions. Its practice has historically been most prominent in East and Southeast Asia, but its influence is growing in the West. Many Buddhist ideas and philosophies overlap with those of other faiths. Buddhism Beliefs Some key Buddhism beliefs include: Followers of Buddhism don’t acknowledge a supreme god or deity.

Founder of Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism who later became known as “the Buddha,” lived during the 5th century B.C. Gautama was born into a wealthy family as a prince in present-day Nepal. He decided to give up his lavish lifestyle and endure poverty. After six years of searching, Buddhists believe Gautama found enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi tree. Buddhism History Over the next few centuries, Buddhism began to spread beyond India.

Types of Buddhism. Hinduism - Origins, Facts & Beliefs. Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years.

Hinduism - Origins, Facts & Beliefs

Today, with about 900 million followers, Hinduism is the third-largest religion behind Christianity and Islam. Roughly 95 percent of the world’s Hindus live in India. Because the religion has no specific founder, it’s difficult to trace its origins and history. Hinduism is unique in that it’s not a single religion but a compilation of many traditions and philosophies. Hinduism Beliefs Some basic Hindu concepts include: Hinduism embraces many religious ideas. Hinduism Symbols There are two primary symbols associated with Hinduism, the om and the swastika. The om symbol is composed of three Sanskrit letters and represents three sounds (a, u and m), which when combined are considered a sacred sound. Hinduism Holy Books Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. Christianity - Dogma, Definition & Beliefs. Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in the world, with more than 2 billion followers.

Christianity - Dogma, Definition & Beliefs

The Christian faith centers on beliefs regarding the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While it started with a small group of adherents, many historians regard the spread and adoption of Christianity throughout the world as one of the most successful spiritual missions in human history. Christianity Beliefs Some basic Christian concepts include: Christians are monotheistic, i.e., they believe there’s only one God, and he created the heavens and the earth. Who was Jesus?

Most historians believe that Jesus was a real person who was born between 2 B.C. and 7 B.C. According to the text, Jesus was born to a young Jewish virgin named Mary in the town of Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem in modern-day Palestine. Very little is known about Jesus’s childhood. Jesus was raised Jewish, and according to most scholars, he aimed to reform Judaism—not create a new religion. Jesus’s Teachings.