Aug 12, 2020
Which Religion has the Largest Number of Followers Worldwide? Was Jesus Christ a Jew?
Although I am a Hindu myself yet I am always keen to get the knowledge and the core precepts, and doctrines of other religions through my own research.
Christianity is the world’s largest religion in the present times with over 2.3 billion followers or nearly 33% of the world population. It means every third man or woman on the earth is a Christian.
Although Christianity came into existence just 2000 years ago, yet it has the largest following worldwide today.
Christianity was derived from Judaism, as Jesus Christ was a Jew, as were his twelve disciples. — Christianity is based mainly around the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In terms of the world population now, Christianity stands at number one, followed by Islam at number two, Hinduism at number three, Buddhism at number four, and Sikhism at number five, and so on for other minority religions.
In the beginning there was just one Aryan race of Sanatana Dharma although many different sects and faiths appeared with the passage of time over many generations.
Sample page as excerpt from my book ’Want to Know God: For Young and Old.’ — This book has separate Chapters on Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism and Sikhism.
Christianity believes in ‘One God’ and it is a monotheistic religion. — Other monotheistic religions are Judaism, Islam and Sikhism. — Christians believe in ‘Bible’ as the ‘Divine word,’ since they consider it to be inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem. His mother ‘Mary’ was a virgin who was betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter. — Christians believe that Jesus was born through Immaculate Conception. His lineage could be traced back to the house of David.
According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus was born during the reign of Herod, the Great. Upon hearing the birth of Jesus he felt threatened and tried to kill the baby-Jesus by ordering killings of all the Bethlehem’s male children under the age of two years.
But Joseph was warned by an angel and he took Mary and the child to Egypt. Later he brought back the family and settled down in the town of Nazareth, in Galilee.
It is a divine coincidence that a similar occurrence happened with the birth of Lord Sri Krishna. — Kansa who was the ruler of the city heard a prophecy that his killer has been born, and he ordered the killing of all newly born male babies in the town.
However, during the lifetime of Jesus Christ opposition mounted against him, and he was finally executed by crucifixion by the Romans. — Most of Jesus’s followers thereafter scattered as they were dismayed by the crucification of Jesus Christ.
But three days later, few women who went to anoint his body reported that the tomb was empty and an angel told them that Jesus had risen from the dead.
Jesus Christ strongly advocated the doctrine of forgiveness of sins, as stated in the following Bible story of a prostitute.
Bible (John 8:1–11): — Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them.
As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.
They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.
Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Not even one of them could condemn you?” — “No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. — — Go and sin no more.”
Bible sayings:
Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Bible proverb 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;”Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human master.”
Ajay Gupta
Ajay Gupta is a former Naval officer who served onboard Indian Naval warships and aircraft. — He is the author of two books ‘Word of God Bhagavad Gita’ and ‘Want to Know God: For Young and Old.’
Copyright © Ajay Gupta — Reference books: Amazon: Ajay Gupta: Amazon.in: Kindle Store : Word of God Bhagavad Gita by Ajay Gupta
