Jesus was the founder of Christianity. The first year of Anno Do-mini-the calendar system now widely adopted around the world- commemorates the birth of Jesus. However, scholars commonly believe that Jesus was in fact born of a carpenter family in Galilee, Palestine between 4 and 6 B.C. Jesus began his missionary work about 3 years before his death; little is known before he began his ministry.

He spoke of the coming of the Kingdom of God upon earth and of God's remaking of the world. He performed miracles of healing and exorcism, signaling the arrival of God's kingdom. He urged men to repent, to change their ways of life, to devote themselves to God, and to love, forgive and make peace with one another. He demonstrated through actions that the poor, the oppressed and the slighted should be cared for and he always accompanied them; he criticized the religious and political leaders for their hypocrisy.

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While he was alive, the disciples of Jesus were mostly Jewish. After his death, his gospels were spread to non-Jewish ethnicities. The Greek word for Christ is 'Khristós', meaning 'Messiah'; thus in early times, foreign converts were named 'Christians'. The disciple, Paul, played an instrumen-tal role in the propagation of Christianity among non-Jews. He preached to foreigners and advocated the exemption of foreign believers from following Jewish traditions. Leaders of disciples, including Peter and James, finally accepted Paul's views, and Christianity gradually departed from Judaism, attracting converts of both sexes and from different ethnicities, classes, and age backgrounds.

In the first 200 to 300 years after the founding of Christianity, believers were ruthlessly persecuted for their reluctance to perform rites of homage to the Roman Emperor. Nevertheless, the commoners were moved by both the courage that the martyrs displayed and their message of mutual love and intimacy. As a result, the persecutions were unsuccessful in curbing the rise in the number of converts.

In the 4^th Century, with the Roman Emperor Constantine the First's conversion to Christianity, all prosecution of Christians ceased. Christianity then became an offcially recognized religion. Constantine convened a council and established the Nicene Creed, which became the basis for the Christian doctrines. Since then, Christianity grew steadily to become the dominant religious belief in the Roman Empire and later, the Western world.

Over the past two thousand years, Christianity has undergone two major schisms as a result of discrepancies in doctrine, church polity and politics. In the 11^th Century, Christianity was fractured into the Roman Catholic Church with Rome as its centre, and the Eastern Orthodox Church with Constantinople as its centre. The former covered Western Europe, the latter Greece, Russia and parts of Eastern Europe. In the 15 and 16^th Centuries, reformers including Martin Luther and John Calvin advocated for a full reformation of the Church, the impact of which was felt across the entire Western Europe. New factions broke away from the Roman Catholic Church, and upon further schism and development, they formed the Protestant denominations of today: the Lutherans, the Congregationalists, the Presbyterians, the Anglicans, the Methodists and the Baptists, etc.

Jesus has not left writings of any kind. His life and teachings have been recorded and compiled by his disciples into the Four Gospels of the New Testament. The New Testament also recorded the work of the early Church and collated the letters sent from the disciple leaders, Peter and Paul, to different churches. Nevertheless, before that early churches only recognized the Jewish Bible-what we today call the Old Testament-as the only valid Holy canon. Christians held the Old and New Testaments as guidance to the principles of spiritual life.

Among different Christian denominations clerical systems, religious rites and practices also differ. Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican Churches have retained the clerical positions of bishop, priest, and deacon. In Catholicism, the Roman bishop is named 'the Pope' and revered as the supreme leader of the Church; most of the Protestant churches only retain the clerical position of the priest.

Catholic priest

Protestant priest

Orthodex priest

The Catholic Church holds baptism, confrmation, the Eucharist (Holy Communion), penance (confession), holy orders, matrimony, and anointing of the sick as the Seven Sacraments, around which are formed the core of a spiritual life. Most Protestant Christians retain only baptism and Holy Communion as required sacraments. Converted Christians are baptized, either by the sprinkling of water or by fullimmersion, symbolizing that the converts have joined the Christian Church. The Catholic Church and the Anglican Church accept infant baptisms; baptized infants are required to be reaffirmed and confirmed later in their life - for Catholics, this is by age seven or after. For Anglicans, it is age 10 or after.

Prayer and worship are the two religious practices advocated by all Christian denominations. The object of prayer is God, or any one of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son or the Holy Spirit. Some Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox Christians pray to the Holy Mother or to the Saints, asking them to convey their prayers to God. Christians can recite prayers, or pray in their own words. Worship mainly comprises praying, Bible reading, sermons, and singing of hymns; some worship may include the Holy Communion (for example Catholic Mass Congregations) and baptism or confrmation on special occasions.

The Eucharist

Infant Baptism

Islam is one of the pillars of world civilization. The Prophet Mu-hammad (570-632) is the most important fgure in Islam. Islam is grounded in the belief in one God and provides a set of ethical and moral principles, emphasizing universal justice. Islam has laws similar to the Ten Commandments in the Judeo-Christian tradition. It is also a religion that places importance on personal faith and righteous actions.

A world map showing the distribution of Muslims

Population of Muslim There are around 1.5 billion Muslims in the world today; the two largest denominations are the Sunni comprising the majority and the Shiites. Most Muslims today live in Asia, especially South, Southeast and Central Asia, and the Middle East. Islam is also the predominant religion in much of North, West and East Africa, and there are growing Muslim populations in Europe and the Americas.

According to Islamic teachings, God sent prophets to all nations on earth at various stages of their histories. Muslims, followers of Islam, believe in prophets mentioned by name in Islamic sources, including some shared in common with the biblical tradition such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon, John the Baptist, and Jesus. However, they consider Muhammad the Seal of the Prophets, the Messenger of God who brought God's fnal revelation to mankind. Muslims maintain that the Prophet Muhammad was a mortal human being and do not deify or worship him as Christians do to Jesus Christ.

(IV)The Five Pillars of Islam

The basic practices incumbent on Muslims:

The name Hinduism was invented by Europeans for the Indian religion. In fact, it does not denote a single Indian religion but a whole cluster of religious traditions, a confederation of religions. There are more than 1 billion Hindus worldwide; most of them live in India.

Indians usually call their religion eternal order. In Sanskrit, the old classical language of India, this is Sanatana dharma. This central concept of dharma determines everything; it means order, law and obligation.

Order here is not a legal order but an all-embracing cosmic order which governs all lives. All men and women, regardless of the caste or class to which they belong, have to observe it.

It is also clear that Hinduism is not primarily a matter of statements of faith, dogmas or orthodoxy. Hinduism has no official doctrinal authority but is about right actions, rites, and morality – everything that makes up the practice of a religion.

Hinduism is not primarily about specific rights either. It is about our great human destiny, the responsibilities we have: responsibilities towards family, society, God and the gods. Throughout their lives, Hindus pursue the "Moksha" as their ultimate goal; they perform many kinds of practice, striving for detachment from the cycle of life and death.

Most Hindus believe in one Supreme and Absolute – Brahma. By choosing their own path, Hindus associate themselves with a quite particular divine revealer figure, like Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna or Rama.

Hindus are convinced that the human soul is eternal, as everlasting as the primal ground of the world. According to the law of karma, it undergoes several earthly existences. The law of karma stated that the behavior in the past life determines the present situation, which in turn determines future lives in the Samsara.

The four Vedas are regarded as classical sacred of the Hindus, but the Bhagavad-Gita, a book from the Mahabharata epic, is also extremely popular.

Buddhism is a religion founded by Siddhārtha (revered as 'Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha' upon his awakening), a prince of the ancient Indian kingdom Kapilavastu in 6 B.C. Indian Buddhism came into China around the Han Dynasty, and Chinese Buddhism came into being when Indian Buddhism converged with Chinese cultures.

Origins of Buddhism

'Buddha' means 'enlightened one'. When Prince Siddhārtha traveled the country, he encountered an old man, a diseased man, a corpse, and an ascetic. He was deeply shocked by severe forms of human suffering: old age, illness, and death (a corpse). He meditated under a tree but failed to find a way to overcome the pain. On a moonlit night when he was 29, he left his palace on a white horse to take up a spiritual quest. He visited renowned teachers and spent 6 years in self-mortification with fasting. At the age of 35, realizing ascetics was not the way to emancipation, he travelled to Buddha-gayā where he was fed by a shepherd girl with milk and rice pudding. After a 49-day meditation under a Bodhi tree, he realised that the world was founded upon causes (main derivative) and conditions (supplement) and that immateriality was the dharma – the law and nature – of all things. He finally repelled the threats and temptations from the demon deva-māra to reach enlightenment and achieve Buddhahood. He is revered as the 'Shakyamuni Buddha'.

Upon enlightenment, the Buddha spread the truth he obtained. The gist of this truth is that all beings should learn the Buddhist doctrine, through which they should realize that within the endless cycles of life and death, all beings suffer within the bounds of affliction and karma. To extricate oneself from this predicament, one should begin with the law of 'dependent origination' – an understanding that all things in the world are predicated upon main causes and supplementing conditions. Realizing all things have no permanent or independent presence, human beings should abandon their insistence on their egoism and all externalities, eventually transcending the cycle of life and death and of transmigration.

Modern Buddhism has two major schools: the Southern School and the Northern School. The Northern School is further divided into Chinese Buddhism (including Buddhism prevalent in China, Japan, and Korea) and Tibetan Buddhism. The Southern School comprises mostly the Sthaviravāda School of Buddhism (prevalent in Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and their neighbouring regions). All schools share similar basic tenets but differ in practice and certain theoretical teachings.

Chinese Buddhism In Chinese Buddhism, whether one is a monk or nun practitioner or a regular practitioner, most would be a believer of the Zen Sect (Chan Zong) or the Pure Land Sect (Jingtu Zong). The Zen School believes that other than his words and canons, the Buddha also passed along his teachings by heart. This method is based on The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, in which was recorded: "As lectured by masters of superior character, teaching through the spark of enlightenment is of the highest order." This is based on the belief that the Buddha-nature is inherent in all beings, differing only in their degrees of delusion and enlightenment. With the guidance of great sages all humans can realize the Buddha-nature in themselves, i.e. "see one's own nature and accomplish Buddhahood". The Zen Sect emphasizes on "Simply use the mind, and you will straightaway accomplish Buddhahood" and "in every thought, purify your own mind, cultivate your own conduct, see your own Dharma-body and the Buddha of your own mind." The Pure Land Sect emphasizes on the practice of invoking the great compassion of the Buddha and the Bodhisattva to arrive at the Pure Land (an example being Sukhāvatī, the place of great bliss, where the Buddha Amitābha reigns). Practices of the Pure Land Sect mainly include chanting and acts of benevolence.

The most widely known Buddhist festival is the Birthday of Lord Buddha (also known as 'Bathing the Buddha'), which commemorates the birth of the Shakyamuni Buddha. On that day, believers garnish a pavilion with flowers and fragrant herbs, place a statue of the new-born prince in the pavilion, and prepare an aromatic liquid for believers to bathe the statue. This festival carries several of meanings:

1. It celebrates the benevolent spirit of the Buddha, who had left his home, achieved enlightenment, attained nirvāna, and tirelessly spread Buddhist teachings. Bathing the Buddha is an act of reciprocation.

2. Through bathing the Buddha one dispels afflictions, cleanses humanity of its filth, attachments, afflictions, undesirables, and brings about a soothing liberty in body and mind. It applies benevolence in action and imbues a benevolent spirit in humanity.

3. The true purpose of bathing the Buddha is to clean society and to awake and guide the public. All Buddhists, through bathing the Buddha, will realize their Bodhi mind (Bodhicitta), and share the glory and spiritual enlightenment of Buddha.

There are a number of active Buddhist organizations in Hong Kong, including The Hong Kong Buddhist Association (HKBA), which is the most well-established and representative. Also, there are the Heung Hoi Ching Kok Lin Association (HHCKLA), and the Buddhist Youth Association (BYA).

The Hong Kong Buddhist Association was founded by monks and Buddhists in 1945 being and became a leading Buddhist association in Hong Kong. By 2014, the HKBA had established more than 30 school campuses that include kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, a number of hospitals and homes for the elderly, and has actively involved in social welfare endeavours. In 1998, the HKBA successfully lobbied the government to make the Birthday of Lord Buddha a public holiday. Each year, Buddhist groups also organize a Ching Ming Memorial Service for Buddhists to pay homage to their ancestors, and other large-scale religious and celebratory activities on Buddha's Birthday, to promote the teachings of Buddha.

Some Buddhist monasteries, such as Chi Lin Nunnery and Po Lin Monastery, greatly contribute to cultural and social services. Chi Lin Nunnery was founded in 1934 by Ven. Wai Um. The Nunnery underwent redevelopments in 1989 and was reinaugurated on 6th January 1998 with a total area of 30,000 square feet. Besides religious activities, the Nunnery also offers elderly care and education services. The Nan Lian Garden, managed by Chi Lin Nunnery, is an outdoor Buddhist Garden that plays an important role in promoting Chinese and Buddhist culture.

The Po Lin Monastery, was initially known as 'The Big Thatched Hut', and was founded in 1906 by three monks from Jiangsu Province: Da Yue, Dun Xiu, and Yue Ming. A fund-raising campaign commenced in 1981 to build the Giant Buddha Statue, which was completed in 1993 and has since been a landmark of Hong Kong. Hundreds of thousands of tourists and believers visit this landmark each year. Besides servicing the local community, Po Lin Monastery has also contributed to the establishment of over 300 Hope Schools located in impoverished mountainous regions of the Mainland. Buddhism in Hong Kong has undergone various kinds of development and has become closely related to society.

Taoism is an indigenous religion in China with a long history; its first organized sect appeared during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 AD). Tao is the core part of Taoist belief and the origin of all Taoist doctrines. Unlike other religions, Taoism was not founded by one single person. It took centuries for Taoism to be established through the teachings of deities and eminent priests under the apocalypse. Taoism identifies itself as a complex history and as one of many strands of thought. The religious Taoism is generally thought to be derived from the faith of immortality, Taoist philosophy, body cultivation, ritual traditions, etc.

Scriptures

The Taoist Canon (Daozang) includes a vast collection of scriptures and ritual texts. It was edited by Taoist priests under the support of ancient Chinese Emperors. Tao and Te are the principal foci of Taoism. Taoism regards Tao as the supreme origin of the universe and the source of everything. Te is the expansion of the principles of Tao and it consists of the norms of moral behaviors in social life.

Taoism has thrived outside China. Some Westerners pay close attention to Taoist thoughts of health preservation and natural ethics. Western scholars are also deeply interested in the study of Taoism. Joseph Needham (1900-1995) is one of the famous sinologists who made eminent achievement in Taoist studies. Tao Te Ching, a fundamental text of Taoism, has also been translated into various foreign languages. People from different countries could understand Taoism easily.

Through the understanding of Tao, Taoism developed a unique philosophy and ethic. Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi are the most important scriptures about Taoist Ethics and the main themes are to promote harmony with nature and peace. The main concepts of Taoist thoughts include the following ideas:

The Confucian canon comprises at its core thirteen Confucian classics. By traditional methods of classification, The Book of Change, The Book of Odes, The Book of History, The Rites of Zhou and The Spring and Autumn Annals are the 'classics' (Jing, 經); The Chronicle of Zuo, The Chronicle of Gongyang and The Chronicle of Guliang are the 'chronicles' (chuan, 傳) of the category of the Spring and Autumn classics; The Book of Rites, The Classic of Filial Piety, The Analects and The Mencius are known as the 'records' (ji, 記); and Luxuriant and Refined Words is an explicatory work by Han classics masters. These categories, by order of significance, are the 'classics', the 'chronicles' and the 'records', and lastly Luxuriant and Refined Words.

The core ideals in the Confucian classics are 'benevolence' and 'propriety', with a particular stress on ethical relations between persons. These ideas are also applicable to politics as guiding principles.

The reach of Confucianism extends beyond China and is influential in the surrounding countries and regions such as South Korea and Japan. Confucian ideals such as benevolence, righteousness and propriety have spread and have an impact on ethics and etiquette of these places.

In recent years, to perpetuate the Confucian legacy, Confucius Institutes have been founded with support from the PRC Government. These institutes promote the spirit of 'upholding peace', and 'harmony, but not uniformity', to advance the interaction and amalgamation of Chinese culture with cultures around the world. Their vision is to bring about a harmonious world of lasting peace and prosperity. The rst Confucius Institute was opened in Korea in November 2004. By the end of 2015, over 500 Confucius Institutes had been established in 134 countries and regions in the world. These Institutes become an important platform for spreading Chinese culture and Confucian thinking.

Hong Kong Confucian Academy was founded in 1930 by Dr. Chen Huanzhang (disciple of Kang Youwei) and he was rst appointed as principal. Upholding the principles of promoting Confucianism and educating the young, the Academy promoted Confucianism as a religion and established the Confucian Secondary School (later renamed Tai Shing Secondary School) and some other secondary and primary schools to preserve and perpetuate Confucian ideals in Hong Kong. Confucianism lined up with the other ve major religions (namely Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Taoism and Islam) in Hong Kong and jointly make up the "Joint Conference of the Six Local Religious Leaders". These six religious groups work together to raise the ethical standard in society, advocate 'benevolence' and 'propriety', and promote world harmony.