Hinduism is often thought to be the oldest religious tradition.
Hinduism is the world's third largest religion after Christianity and Islam
Most of Hinduism's 905 million followers live in India.
Buddhism
Buddhism is based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly referred to as "The Buddha", which means the Awakened One.
He lived and taught in the northeastern region of the Indian subcontinent and died around 400 BC.
Buddhists think of him as an awakened teacher who shared his insights to help humankind end their suffering by understanding the true nature of phenomena.
This allowed humankind to achieve Nirvana, which is escaping from suffering.
Buddhism is composed of two major branches:
1) Theravada, which has a widespread following in Southeast Asia
While Buddhism remains most popular within these regions of Asia, both branches are now found throughout the world.
Atheism
Atheism is a philosophy that rejects theism, the belief in deities.
The term derives from a Greek word (atheos), which was a derogatiory term applied to anyone who did not believe in a god or violated doctrines associated with established religions.
The first individuals known to have identified themselves as Atheists appeared in the 18th century.
Currently, about 2.3% of the world's population follows Atheism.
Atheists are not unique to one continent or region in the world.
Atheists are usually assumed to be irreligious or unspiritual, according to Western culture.
Some atheists tend to follow philosophies such as rationalism, naturalism, or humanism, however, there is not one common or set ideology, which all atheists follow.
