What is the oldest 'major' religion?
453968
Hinduism..not Judaism or Christianity. Hinduism. I think the original poster meant "organized religion", although I'm not sure.However, if that isn't the case, then yes, Paganism.
63209
the oldest medicine is ayruvedha, not siddha. it is practiced by ancient indian saints. it is still praciced in india .
466151
In most religions that predate Christianity have a god or idol that died and rose from the grave.
602723
1) Christianity 2.1 billion (Began: ca. 27 AD/CE) \nRoman Catholicism: 1.085 billion \nProtestantism: 590 million \nEastern Orthodoxy: 200 million \nAnglican: 84 million \nOriental Orthodoxy, Assyrians, and other Christians: 350 million \n\nIslam 1.3 billion (Began: ca. 622 AD/CE) \nSunnism: 940 million \nShi'ism: 170 million \nSufi, Ibadiyyah, Druze and other Muslims : 80 million \nSecular/Irreligious/Agnostic/Atheist 1.1 billion \nCategory includes a wide range of beliefs, without specifically adhering to a religion. The category also includes humanism, deism, pantheism, and freethought. For more information, see the Adherents.com discussion of this category. \n\nHinduism 900 million (Began: 15th century BC/BCE) \nVaishnavism: 580 million \nShaivism: 220 million \nShaktism/Smartism/Arya Samaj/Other sects: 150 million \n\nBuddhism 708 million (Began: 6th century BC/BCE) \nMahayana: 185 million \nTheravada: 124 million \nChinese/Japanese Buddhism: 394 million \nPrimal indigenous 300 million \nNot a single organized religion, includes a wide range of primarily Asian traditional or tribal religions, including Shamanism and Paganism. \n\nAfrican traditional and diasporic 100 million \nNot a single organized religion, this includes traditional African beliefs such as Yoruba as well as diasporic beliefs such as Santeria (which itself draws from Catholicism) and Vodoun. \n\nShintoism 69 million (Began: 300 BC/BCE) \nThis number states the number of practicing followers of Shintoism; for if partial or ethnic followers of Shintoism were included, the number would fall around 100–115 million. \n\nSikhism 23 million (Began: 1500s) \nJuche 19 million \nNot considered a religion by adherents, who view it as secular and anti-revisionist. Juche is the political ideology of the Workers Party of Korea, the ruling party of the DPRK; some have argued it constitutes a religion due to its Great Leader Worship characteristics. The number is approximately the entire population of the country. \nSpiritism 15 million (Began: mid-19th century) \nNot a single organized religion, includes a variety of beliefs including some forms of Umbanda. \n\nJudaism 15 million (Began: 13th century BC/BCE) \n\nFalun Gong 10-100 million* (Began: 1992) \nNot necessarily considered a religion by adherents or outside observers. No membership or rosters, thus the actual figure of practitioners is impossible to confirm. \nBahá'í Faith 7 million (Began: 19th century) \n\nJainism 4.2 million (Began: 6th century BC/BCE)
635067
Scholars of South Asian religions are - at the very least - of the opinion that Sanatana Dharma represents one of the oldest spiritual traditions known to humanity. Many of these scholars go as far as to say that it is probably the oldest spiritual path on earth. Yoga practitioners would certainly agree with this latter view. The oldest writings known to humanity are the Vedas, the revealed scriptures of Sanatana Dharma, and date back to perhaps 3800 B.C.E. This is when they were first put into writing; these sacred scriptures are known, however, to have been transmitted orally from generation to generation for an extensive period of time previous to even this.\n\nFollowers of Yoga spirituality themselves hold the view that this spiritual tradition, known in the ancient, sacred language of Sanskrit as "Sanatana Dharma," is an eternal and ever-present (even if not ever-visible) way of life. No one actually knows when Sanatana Dharma was first started. Both practitioners of Yoga spirituality, as well as all academicians, agree that there was no one specific time in known history when the path of Yoga Dharma was founded. Additionally, there was no one individual - a prophet, saint or priest - who can be claimed as the founder of the religion. As far as followers themselves are concerned, Sanatana Dharma was never actually founded. It is an eternal spiritual phenomena that is as old as the Earth herself.  \nMoreover, Dharma (God's Natural Law) is the sustainer of the Earth. This is indicated by the meanings of the two words that constitute the very name of this culture: sanatana means “eternal” and dharma means “natural law."   \n\n  \n\nYoga Dharma is a way of life and world-view that is also trans-geographical.  Yoga and Sanatana Dharma do not pertain only to India.  Traces of Yoga and Sanatana Dharma are to be found in many of the ancient cultures of the world. We see ideas and practices that are very similar to Yoga philosophy, not only in ancient India, but also in Chinese culture, Native American, Celtic, Greco-Roman, Egyptian, Mayan, Germanic, Mesopotamian, and Persian cultures, as well as many others.  The concept of "Dharma", as the natural law inherent in our cosmos, is found in almost all ancient civilizations.  In Chinese, Dharma is translated as "Tao". In Ancient Egyptian, it is known as "Ma'at".  In Latin as "Liga Natura" (Natural Law).  In ancient Persian as "Asha".  The great Twentieth Century Italian philosopher, Baron Julius Evola, refers to this concept as "Tradition".  There is a word for Dharma in almost every ancient language on earth.  So when we speak of "Dharma", we are not just referring to some sect, denomination or creed.  Rather, we are referring to those principles that serve as the very foundation of all authentic religious experience.
437737
It is generally supposed that Damascus, the chief city of Syria, is the oldest city in the world...
460440
It is interesting that, with the exception of the Mormons (an off-shoot of the Christian religion), no major religion has been formed since the age of modern science. Think about it! All major religions were created before people knew that the Earth is round. There was one fellow in Texas that tried to start a new religion. His name was David Koresh. We know how that turned out.
170120
Interesting question.\nThe oldest country as we understand the term today would be San Marino (310AD). As far as civilizations are concerned there are a few who would compete: Japan (first sings of civilization around 10000 BC), China with the same term. Rome and Greece are much younger.
1116645
the oldest that we can find and have full knowledge of it.is VEDA.\nit is about 7500 years old,with some fascinating transcript of general belief of this religion
89364
The largest is Tokyo, Japan.\n\nDamascus, Syria is the oldest.
355341
It is generally supposed that Damascus, the chief city of Syria, is the oldest city in the world. Although positive evidence is wanting, there is some reason for believing that its site has been continuously occupied by a city longer than any other spot on the earth. The Jewish historian Josephus, who probably based his assertion on Hebrew tradition, attributed the foundation of Damascus to Uz, the son of Aram and the great-grandson of Noah. In Genesis 14 (Bible), it is related that Abraham pursued the routed kings to Hobah, "which is on the left hand of Damascus!' While this statement is not conclusive, the evidence indicates that Damascus was a place of importance already in the time of Abraham, who, it is supposed, lived 2,000 years or more before Christ.
1174618
The occult is referred to as the "old" religion..\nBecause the occult, or pagan rituals were around long before the formation of the more modern, in a sense, teaching of Christianity or Mohammedanism.  Notice how much of the "old" religions have been adapted by Christianity to gain more converts.
1162396
There were many religions before Christianity. Judaism is one, just the Old Testament. Other religions have multiple Gods and Goddesses. Some have none. Christianity is not the only and not the first and maybe not even the right religion.
1001700
As a casual perusal of multiple reference works on this subject will reveal, the question, "Which is the oldest language?" quite easily generates several suggestions which almost always include one or more of the following venerable candidates: (in no particular order) SUMERIAN, AKKADIAN, CHINESE, EGYPTIAN, PHRYGIAN, SANSKRIT, PHOENICIAN, etc., etc. And, such a list, of course, obliges the questor to make his own limited choice...\n\nTHUS, a clear-cut answer to the question is not forthcoming, the experts aren't committing, and the end result (if the questor does indeed MAKE a choice) is arrived at kind of like pinning the tail on the donkey.\n\nA fundamental factor which lends to the above-cited indecisiveness in this field of study is the universally held notion (seemingly unassailable) that, historically, language should somehow show a developmental progression ranging from primitive rudiment to modern refinement. However, as the above list indicates, such is not the case! On the contrary, ancient languages are every bit as linguistically refined as the most trafficked languages of today! Furthermore, there is no historical evidence of earlier more rudimentary intermediate languages which provide a bridge between our supposed first grunts and snorts, and the sophisticated cadence of languages such as the above. So until such evidence is definitively in place, the experts remain in a holding pattern and continue to shove palliative lists at us from which we may make our personal choices.\n\nThus, in dealing with the question, "Which is the oldest language?," we continue to work with a theoretical linguistic model which suggests a developmental pattern which is not consequent with reality.
876024
The Orthodox churches, Roman Catholicism, and the major Protestent denominations.  Any sects started in the last two centuries would not be considered mainline.
853301
I dont see a question in there,,But thank you so much for the interesting quotes. Unfortunately the Vedas have been percieved in different ways thus resulting in todays confused hindu behaviour who have no clue what they do & why they do it! I strongly believe Hinduism being the oldest religion has paved way to the others & is the most comprehensive & profound religion in existence
3073
The first religion that has the most followers up to know is the Christianity. The second is the Atheism if you count it as a religion.