Our Top 3 Religions! How They Work and How to Join Them.

1. Christianity

So, you want to serve the Christian god in an official capacity, but don’t know where to start? We’ll first break down the responsibilities of serving the Lord, Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ, and then tell you how to Join!

As a general rule, all Christian priests and nuns take vows to their Lord, and reject all other worldly things. They devote themselves singularly to God. As a priest, the Bible is your truth. The moral teachings within it are how you should live your life under God, and are the teachings that priests spread to others. Priests have many responsibilities according to their rank. In fact because of the hierarchical structure of the church, there is vertical mobility as a priest under a formal christian church. Most priests however have the same basic responsibilities across all forms of christianity. Priests are meant to "shepherd the sheep ”, providing guidance and moralistic teachings to those who need it. Whether through confession, church services and mass, or even just a simple conversation, Priests are to use the teachings and experience they have to guide those who need it down the right path.

If you would want to join, the most basic and vital step is to have a church chosen. If you are not a religious or spiritual person, getting into the church in an official capacity is going to be very difficult. Once you have a Christian church you wish to follow, the first step is usually talking to your local priest. They oversee your local church and will bring your request up the chain of command, and usually someone with higher authority (like a Bishop) will make a decision on your entrance into the church. Usually, there is a trial period where you serve under a more experienced priest who runs the local church before you are formally instated. Once you enter the church, you are able to climb the religious ladder as you expand your spiritual knowledge and connection to God. If you are a woman, joining a church is relatively similar, although your vertical mobility is very low, as you can devote yourself to God and pursue your own spirituality, but generally women don’t have much authority in the church. Terminology to describe these roles varies between denominations, some preferring to use more modern jargon like pastors, elders, and district leaders-- the C&MA (Christian and Missionary Alliance) for example.

2. Sikhism

Like most Asian religions, Sikhism doesn’t have a rigid social hierarchy of power. They don’t have a pope that is the face of their religion and the ruler of a nation, Punjab is recognized as the home of Sikhism, yet any Sikh political ruler would not have any absolute power over the Sikh religion. This punjabi religion doesn’t mix cultural beliefs with political power, unlike Catholicism. Instead, any individual qualified and desiring a role in a local Grudwara, as long as they are respected by the community, can join and do their part, contrasting against the Catholic church with their more carefree approach. If there were top dogs in the Grudwaras, those would be the Granthi, those responsible for caring for the temple’s Guru Sahib (their bible) and leading ceremonies. Though here is where the hierarchy becomes less of a pyramid and more like a stout, bold line. See, Granthi are able to be Kathakars as well, the scholars and interpreters of the Sahib, though it is highly preferred that they be proficient in this, as well as the skills of a Raagi. The Raagi are the musicians of the Grudwara, responsible for leading the hymns sung during the services. This desire for a local well rounded individual to be selected as Granthi can make becoming one a difficult task, though like said, Sikhism has a more fluid approach to power in the Grudwara. Meaning, you could potentially merely work in the Raagi Jathra and become a Granthi through dedication to their one true god. And while being a Granthi is respected, it does not equate to any political power. This leads to this religion having less influence in the modern day world, but it also creates the essence religion was meant to have, prioritizing the community, and building on one’s relationship with God.

3. Buddhism

Buddhism is a very particular and beautiful religion. The temples (known as wats) they pray in the temples that are symbolic of the universe around us. Throughout these temples, there are many symbolic pictures relating to art, inner peace, stupa and pagoda. All the temples are used to symbolise fire, water, air, earth, void, and space. Around the temples, the environment plays a heavy role in finding inner peace and the meaning of life. It's typically a sacred space, serving as a reflective space of the pure land. There are many responsibilities of the Buddhist religion. It involves taking responsibility for the land, spirits, and others around you. You could not kill any animals or people, do not take what is not given, do not engage in sexual relationships, do not use false speech, and do not consume intoxicants such as drugs or alcohol. You must always find your passion with nature and never destroy the land around you. In the temples, they must follow the four noble truths:

1. Truth of suffering
2. Find the cause of suffering
3. Solution for suffering
4. Impending right action

The lifestyle of a Buddhist nun differs somewhat. It's disciplined, involving study, meditation, and services. Daily life includes focusing on teaching others based on the wisdom of knowledge, passing it along through generations. Also focusing on inner duties such as cooking, gardening, and maintaining mindfulness. Monks' duties are very similar to those of a Buddhist nun; however, there are a couple of key differences. One is gender; monks are all male, while nuns are female. Nuns typically have a higher set of rules and standards to follow, while monks don't have as many.