subject: The Religion Of Asia [print this page] There are very few Christians in AsiaThere are very few Christians in Asia. Missionaries have carried Christianity to many parts of the vast continent, especially in China, but the number of Christians is still small compared to the numbers who follow other religions. The Mohammedan religion is the largest in the southwestern part of the continent. In Arabia 'and Asia Minor, in Afghanistan and in Pakistan, nearly everyone is a Mohammedan. More than a thousand years ago, the Mohammedans also spread their religion to other parts of southern Asia and the islands near it. Most of the people of India follow the Hindu religion.
There are several different branches of Hinduism. Some of them teach that all life, including animal life, is sacred. The biggest religion of China and several of the other countries is Buddhism, based on the teachings of a man called Gautama Buddha who lived more than five hundred years before Jesus was born. Buddhists do not consider Buddha a god, but he was the founder of their religion. Many other religions are practiced in Asia, just as there are many small churches and denominations in the United States. Some Asiatic peoples worship their ancestors, believing them to have become gods when they died.
Shinto, the religion followed by many Japanese, makes a god of the living emperor, and also recognizes other gods. Followers of the great Chinese philosopher Confucius are often considered as members of a religious sect, and their religion is called confucianism.It is important to note that "ritual" has developed a specialized meaning in Confucianism, as opposed to its usual religious meanings.
