The Baha’i faith is a relatively new religion, established in the 19th century in Iran and parts of the Middle East. The founder, Baha u’llah (1817-1892), is considered to be a prophet of God, analogous to Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammed. There are an estimated 5–8 million Baha’is spread throughout most of the world. Baha’is believe in the essential worth of all religions. They stress the unity of all people, strongly rejecting racism, sexism, and nationalism. Baha’is are very service oriented, working toward the prosperity of all nations, races, creeds, and classes.

Judaism is the world’s oldest monotheistic religion, beginning more than 4,000 years ago. God revealed himself to Abraham, a Hebrew man, and made a covenant with him that the Jewish people were chosen by God to be the leaders and the light for the rest of the world. Judaism is not just a religion; it is a total way of life. There are about 14 million Jews, most living in Israel and the United States.

Islam is a monotheistic religion that was founded by the prophet Muhammed in Arabia in the year 610. Allah (God) gave the sacred teachings of Islam to Muhammed through the Qur’an. This strict set of guidelines and expectations for Muslims to follow impacts their lives from morning prayers until they retire at night. Although many different movements have arisen within Islam, all Muslims are bound by a sense of belonging to a single community. There are more than 1 ½ billion Muslims worldwide.

Native American religions are the spiritual practices of the Native Americans in the United States. These practices can vary extensively between native nations and tribes, and are based on their histories and beliefs. In spite of the great differences, ritual and ceremony are part of all Native American spiritual customs and maintaining a right relationship with the Creator and the world is of paramount importance.

New Thought Christianity originated in the 19th century and is thought to have first been discussed in the writings of Phineus Quimby. The contemporary New Thought movement is comprised of a number of loosely allied religious denominations and individuals that believe in the power of metaphysics, positive thinking, the law of attraction, and creative visualization. Practitioners of New Thought Christianity share the core beliefs of one supreme being and that divinity lives within all people.

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