The following article is the third I have produced with the assistance of religionfacts.com. I provide the links below and so therefore if you would prefer to look at the originals and forget this site that is of course your option. However, those of you that wish to bother reading my hopefully wonderful article, please read on.:) Generally I like the information provided by this link, but some comments come to mind though.
I do not pretend to be able to judge the human spiritual condition, but with the rather secular state of our world, I seriously question if there are actually approximately 2 billion out of 6.5 billion people following the Biblical Christ through the power of God's Spirit. In Matthew 7: 13-14 Jesus states that many people take the wide road in life that leads to destruction, while only a few take the narrow way that leads to life. Now of course approximately 2 billion out of 6.5 billion of the world's population is still approximately 31%, but I question if this is really the idea of few that Christ was discussing. If there are that many Christians in the world I seriously wonder why Western civilization for example, seems to be becoming increasingly secular. I would deduce that the number of church adherents for the United States of America, and United Kingdom may include many people who are born into a Christian faith, and may not actually believe in and follow the Biblical Jesus Christ.
Used by permission from http://www.religionfacts.com/
http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/fastfacts.htm
Date founded:
c. 33 AD
Place founded:
Palestine
Founder:
Jesus of Nazareth
Adherents:
2 billion {1}
US adherents:
159 million in 2001 {2}
UK adherents:
51 million in 1997 {3}
Size rank:
largest world religion
Main location:
Europe
North America
South America
Major sects (denominations):
Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant
Sacred texts:
The Bible, comprised of the Old Testament and New Testament
Original languages:
Aramaic, Greek, Latin
Religious professionals:
Priest; bishop; archbishop; patriarch; pope; pastor; minister; preacher; deacon
House of worship:
Church, chapel, cathedral, basilica, meeting hall
Type of theism:
Trinitarian Monotheism
Ultimate reality:
One God (a Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit)
Human nature:
Created good but now born sinful
Purpose of life:
Know, love and serve God
How to live:
Have faith in the true God and Christ's resurrection, do good works, participate in sacraments
Afterlife:
Resurrection of body and soul, purgatory (Catholic and Orthodox), and eternal heaven or hell
Symbols:
Cross, dove, anchor, fish, alpha and omega, chi rho
Major holidays:
Advent (Nov. 30 - Dec. 24)
Christmas (Dec. 25)
Epiphany (Jan. 6)
Lent (40-day period prior to Easter)
Good Friday (last Friday before Easter)
Easter (date varies)
All Saint's Day (Nov. 1)
Books of the New Testament :
Gospel of Matthew
Gospel of Mark
Gospel of Luke
Gospel of John
Acts of the Apostles
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
Two Greatest Commandments
1. Love God with your heart, soul and mind.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself. {4}
Four Last Things
1. second coming
2. judgment
3. heaven
4. hell
Seven Deadly Sins
1. pride
2. greed
3. lust
4. envy
5. gluttony
6. anger
7. sloth
Seven Ecumenical Councils
1. Council of Nicea (325 AD)
2. Council of Constantinople (381)
3. Council of Ephesus (431)
4. Council of Chalcedon (451)
5. Second Council of Constantinople (553)
6. Third Council of Constantinople (681)
7. Second Council of Nicea (787)
Twelve Apostles
1. James, son of Zebedee
2. John, son of Zebedee
3. Philip
4. Bartholomew
5. Thomas
6. Andrew (Peter's brother)
7. Simon Peter
8. Matthew the tax collector
9. James, son of Alphaeus
10. Simon the Zealot
11. Judas Iscariot
12. Thaddaeus {5}
Fourteen Stations of the Cross
1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. The cross is laid upon him
3. Jesus' first fall
4. Jesus meets Mary
5. Simon of Cyrene bears the cross
6. Veronica wipes Jesus' face
7. Jesus' second fall
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
9. Jesus' third fall
10. Jesus is stripped of his garments
11. Jesus is crucified
12. Jesus dies
13. Jesus' body is taken down
14. Jesus's body is laid in the tomb
References
1. adherents.com
2. adherents.com
3. adherents.com
4. Mark 12:28-31.
5. Matthew 10:2.
I do not pretend to be able to judge the human spiritual condition, but with the rather secular state of our world, I seriously question if there are actually approximately 2 billion out of 6.5 billion people following the Biblical Christ through the power of God's Spirit. In Matthew 7: 13-14 Jesus states that many people take the wide road in life that leads to destruction, while only a few take the narrow way that leads to life. Now of course approximately 2 billion out of 6.5 billion of the world's population is still approximately 31%, but I question if this is really the idea of few that Christ was discussing. If there are that many Christians in the world I seriously wonder why Western civilization for example, seems to be becoming increasingly secular. I would deduce that the number of church adherents for the United States of America, and United Kingdom may include many people who are born into a Christian faith, and may not actually believe in and follow the Biblical Jesus Christ.
Used by permission from http://www.religionfacts.com/
http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/fastfacts.htm
Date founded:
c. 33 AD
Place founded:
Palestine
Founder:
Jesus of Nazareth
Adherents:
2 billion {1}
US adherents:
159 million in 2001 {2}
UK adherents:
51 million in 1997 {3}
Size rank:
largest world religion
Main location:
Europe
North America
South America
Major sects (denominations):
Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant
Sacred texts:
The Bible, comprised of the Old Testament and New Testament
Original languages:
Aramaic, Greek, Latin
Religious professionals:
Priest; bishop; archbishop; patriarch; pope; pastor; minister; preacher; deacon
House of worship:
Church, chapel, cathedral, basilica, meeting hall
Type of theism:
Trinitarian Monotheism
Ultimate reality:
One God (a Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit)
Human nature:
Created good but now born sinful
Purpose of life:
Know, love and serve God
How to live:
Have faith in the true God and Christ's resurrection, do good works, participate in sacraments
Afterlife:
Resurrection of body and soul, purgatory (Catholic and Orthodox), and eternal heaven or hell
Symbols:
Cross, dove, anchor, fish, alpha and omega, chi rho
Major holidays:
Advent (Nov. 30 - Dec. 24)
Christmas (Dec. 25)
Epiphany (Jan. 6)
Lent (40-day period prior to Easter)
Good Friday (last Friday before Easter)
Easter (date varies)
All Saint's Day (Nov. 1)
Books of the New Testament :
Gospel of Matthew
Gospel of Mark
Gospel of Luke
Gospel of John
Acts of the Apostles
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
Two Greatest Commandments
1. Love God with your heart, soul and mind.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself. {4}
Four Last Things
1. second coming
2. judgment
3. heaven
4. hell
Seven Deadly Sins
1. pride
2. greed
3. lust
4. envy
5. gluttony
6. anger
7. sloth
Seven Ecumenical Councils
1. Council of Nicea (325 AD)
2. Council of Constantinople (381)
3. Council of Ephesus (431)
4. Council of Chalcedon (451)
5. Second Council of Constantinople (553)
6. Third Council of Constantinople (681)
7. Second Council of Nicea (787)
Twelve Apostles
1. James, son of Zebedee
2. John, son of Zebedee
3. Philip
4. Bartholomew
5. Thomas
6. Andrew (Peter's brother)
7. Simon Peter
8. Matthew the tax collector
9. James, son of Alphaeus
10. Simon the Zealot
11. Judas Iscariot
12. Thaddaeus {5}
Fourteen Stations of the Cross
1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. The cross is laid upon him
3. Jesus' first fall
4. Jesus meets Mary
5. Simon of Cyrene bears the cross
6. Veronica wipes Jesus' face
7. Jesus' second fall
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
9. Jesus' third fall
10. Jesus is stripped of his garments
11. Jesus is crucified
12. Jesus dies
13. Jesus' body is taken down
14. Jesus's body is laid in the tomb
References
1. adherents.com
2. adherents.com
3. adherents.com
4. Mark 12:28-31.
5. Matthew 10:2.
