Comparison of Statistics and Basics
|
|
Bahá'í Faith
|
Islam
|
Judaism
|
Christianity
|
|
adherents called
|
Bahá'ís
|
Muslims
|
Jews
|
Christians
|
|
current adherents
|
5-7 million
|
1.3 billion
|
14 million
|
2 billion
|
|
current size rank
|
13th largest
|
2nd largest
|
12th largest
|
largest
|
| major concentration |
India, USA, Iran
|
Middle East, Southeast Asia
|
Israel, Europe, USA
|
Europe, North and South America, rapid growth in Africa
|
| sacred text(s) |
Kitab-i-Aqbas and other writings of Bahá'í leaders
|
Qur'an (Koran)
|
Bible
|
Bible (Jewish Bible + New Testament)
|
| other written authority |
scriptures of other great faiths
|
Hadith
|
Talmud, Midrash, Responsa
|
church fathers, church councils, papal decrees (Catholic only)
|
| religious law |
Baha'i Law based on Kitab-i-Aqdas
|
Sharia
|
Halakhah
|
Canon Law
|
| clergy |
none
|
imams, muezzins
|
rabbis
|
priests, ministers, bishops, deacons
|
| house of worship |
house of worship
|
mosque
|
synagogue
|
church, chapel, cathedral
|
| main day of worship |
19th day of every Bahá'í month
|
Friday
|
Saturday
|
Sunday
|
| church and state should be... |
integrated
|
integrated
|
separate
|
separate
|
http://www.religionfacts.com/bahai/comparison_chart.htm
Comparison of Origins and History
|
|
Bahá'í Faith
|
Islam
|
Judaism
|
Christianity
|
|
date founded
|
1863 CE
|
622 CE
|
unknown
|
c. 33 CE
|
|
place founded
|
Tehran, Iran
|
Saudi Arabia
|
Palestine
|
Palestine
|
|
founder
|
Mirza Hoseyn 'Ali Nuri (Bahá'u'lláh)
|
Muhammad
|
Moses or Abraham
|
Jesus
|
|
original language(s)
|
Persian
|
Arabic
|
Hebrew
|
Aramaic, Greek
|
|
early expansion
|
moderate at first; rapid expansion beginning in the 1960s
|
within 12 years, entire Arabian peninsula; within 100 years, Muslim world stretched from the Atlantic to China
|
little expansion; mostly confined to Palestine
|
within 60 years, churches in major cities in Palestine, Turkey, Greece and Rome (map); entire Roman Empire by end of 4th cent.
|
| use of war in expanding religion |
never
|
frequent
|
rare
|
rare originally, but frequent during centuries of Crusades
|
|
major splits
|
none - Orthodox Bahá'í Faith is a small minority
|
Shia/Sunni, c. 650 CE
|
Reform/Orthodox, 1800s CE
|
Catholic/Orthodox, 1054 CE; Catholic/Protestant, 1500s CE
|
Comparison of Religious Beliefs
|
|
Bahá'í Faith
|
Islam
|
Judaism
|
Christianity
|
| type of theism |
monotheism
|
monotheism
|
monotheism
|
Trinitarian monotheism
|
|
ultimate reality
|
one creator God
|
one creator God
|
one creator God
|
one creator God
|
|
names of God
|
the "Greatest Name"
|
Allah (Arabic for God)
|
Yahweh, Elohim
|
Yahweh, the Holy Trinity
|
| other spiritual beings |
none
|
angels, demons, jinn
|
angels and demons
|
angels and demons
|
| revered humans |
Prophets, Messengers, or Manifestations of God
|
prophets, imams (especially in Shia)
|
prophets
|
saints, church fathers
|
| identity of Jesus |
true Prophet and Manifestation of God
|
true prophet of God, whose message has been corrupted
|
false prophet
|
Son of God, God incarnate, savior of the world
|
| birth of Jesus |
not addressed
|
virgin birth
|
normal birth
|
virgin birth
|
| death of Jesus |
not addressed
|
did not die, but ascended into heaven during crucifixion
|
death by crucifixion
|
death by crucifixion
|
| resurrection of Jesus |
not addressed
|
denied
|
denied
|
affirmed
|
| second coming of Jesus |
affirmed - already happened in form of Baha'u'llah
|
affirmed
|
denied
|
affirmed
|
| divine revelation |
through Prophets, Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Krishna, and Bahá'u'lláh
|
through Muhammad, recorded in Qur'an
|
through Prophets, recorded in Bible
|
through Prophets and Jesus (as God Himself), recorded in Bible
|
| view of sacred text |
inspired
|
inspired, literal word of God, inerrant in original languages
|
views vary
|
inspired, some believe inerrant in original languages
|
| human nature |
all aspects either good or neutral
|
equal ability to do good or evil
|
two equal impulses, one good and one bad
|
"original sin" inherited from Adam - tendency towards evil
|
| means of salvation |
spiritual development
|
correct belief, good deeds, Five Pillars
|
belief in God, good deeds
|
correct belief, faith, good deeds, sacraments (some Protestants emphasize faith alone)
|
| God's role in salvation |
divine revelation
|
predestination
|
divine revelation and forgiveness
|
predestination, various forms of grace
|
| good afterlife |
increasing nearness to God
|
eternal paradise
|
views vary: either heaven or no afterlife
|
eternal heaven
|
| bad afterlife |
increasing distance from God
|
eternal hell
|
views vary: either eternal Gehenna, reincarnation, or no afterlife
|
eternal hell, temporary purgatory (Catholicism)
|
| view of fellow Abrahamic religions |
Completely valid, though incomplete - the Manifestation of Bahá'u'lláh is the most recent divine revelation
|
Jews and Christians are respected as "People of the Book," but they have wrong beliefs and only partial revelation.
|
Islam and Christianity are false interpretations and extensions of Judaism.
|
Judaism is a true religion, but with incomplete revelation. Islam is a false religion.
|