Many people think God made us.
Some people have a different name for God and have different beliefs.
When people talk to their God it is called praying.
A church is one place where people go to pray.
Some people pray in a temple or mosque.
Many people pray or talk to a God
A Christian church ©Getty Images
People in a community go to pray, or to talk to God, and give thanks or ask for things in a special building called a church, temple, or mosque (say mosk).
Many people believe that there is a powerful spirit who made the planets and sky and stars, and also all living things. Some call that spirit God, but others have different names and different ways of believing. They have different ways of talking to their god. Each way of believing is a religion, and each group of people who follow a religion is a community.
Each religion has different festivals or special times. Some are solemn and some are celebrations.
A cathedral ©Getty Images
You may have Christian churches in your community. People who also believe in Jesus are called Christians. There are different Christian religions, and they all have slightly different beliefs and different ways of praying. The building in which they go to pray is called a church, or if it is very big, a cathedral. Each christian religion has its own churches. Some are very big, others are quite small.
Some churches are plain, some are decorative.
The churches in Russia are famous for their beautiful and elaborate decoration. ©Getty
The golden domes of a synagogue roof ©Getty Images
In the Jewish religion, called Judaism (say joo-day-is-m), people believe in God but not in Jesus.
People of the Jewish faith pray in a synagogue (say sin-uh-gog).
It is an ancient religion, and the oldest religion that has one god, instead of many.
You may have some synagogues in your community.
A mosque ©Getty Images
People who follow the religion Islam are called Muslims. Their name for god is Allah (say ar-luh), and their place of prayer is called a mosque (say mosk). A mosque has a spire called a turret, and in Muslim countries a holy man stands there and calls people at prayer time. Muslims have six prayer times each day. They go to the mosque at those times or else stop what they are doing to pray.
You may have some mosques in your community.
A small Buddhist temple in China ©Getty Images
Some people follow Buddhism, the beliefs and way of life that was taught by Buddha (say it so it sounds like good-uh) many hundreds of years ago.
Buddhists pray in a temple. They light incense sticks so the sweet smelling smoke will carry their prayers to the gods.
You may have a Buddhist temple in your community.
The roof of a Hindu temple with statues of many gods ©kidcyber
Some people follow the Hindu (say hin-doo) religion, which has more than one god. It is one of the oldest religions.
Hindus pray in a temple or in a special place called a shrine that they make in their home.
You may have a Hindu temple in your community.
