Line 'Em Up

 I found this comparison chart interesting in how it compares some different aspects of different religions and spiritual movements (sorry that it doesn't translate too cleanly to the blog format).

Aspect	Aztec Religion	Aboriginal Spirituality	Zulu Religion	Siberian Shamanism	Hasidic Judaism	Buddhism	Babylonian Religion	Christianity
Type of Belief	Polytheistic; gods tied to nature, war, and creation	Animistic; spirits in land & Dreaming ancestors	Monotheistic creator (distant) + ancestor worship	Animistic; spirits everywhere; shamanic mediation	Strict monotheism (Judaism)	Non-theistic; focus on enlightenment	Polytheistic; gods tied to nature and celestial bodies	Monotheistic; belief in Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
Supreme Being(s)	Huitzilopochtli, Quetzalcoatl, Tlaloc	No single god; Ancestral Beings guide world	uNkulunkulu (creator), distant	Sky Father, Mother Earth, spirit beings	God (Hashem)	No creator god; Buddha is teacher	Marduk, Ishtar, Ea, Tiamat	God (Trinity)
View of Ancestors	Honored; some deified	Ancestors present in Dreaming	Central; guide and protect	Ancestors assist shamans	Honored; righteous teachers revered	No ancestor worship	Minimal; humans serve gods	Honored but secondary to God; saints venerated in some traditions
Creation Beliefs	Five Suns myth; cyclical creation/destruction	Dreaming stories; ancestors shaped land	Creator made humans, then withdrew	Creation from world tree or cosmic egg	God created world ex nihilo	Universe is cyclical; focus on liberation	Creation from primordial chaos; humans from gods’ blood	God created universe; Jesus as agent of creation
Connection to Nature	Strong; gods tied to natural forces	Very strong; land is sacred, songlines map spirituality	Strong; nature spirits and sacred sites	Very strong; all nature alive with spirits	Nature respected but not divine	Nature impermanent, respected	Nature governed by gods	God’s creation; humans steward creation
Key Rituals	Human sacrifice, festivals, temple worship	Storytelling, dance, initiation ceremonies	Sacrifices, ancestor rituals	Trance journeys, spirit offerings, healing	Prayer, Torah study, blessings, mysticism	Meditation, chanting, mindfulness	Temple offerings, divination, magic	Prayer, sacraments (baptism, communion), worship services
Religious Leaders	Priests	Elders, custodians of Dreaming	Sangomas, inyangas	Shamans	Rabbis, Rebbes	Monks, nuns, teachers	Priests, diviners	Priests, pastors, ministers, clergy
Afterlife Beliefs	Fate based on manner of death; multiple realms	Spirit returns to Dreaming; cyclical	Join ancestors; continue influence	Souls travel to spirit world	Heaven, resurrection, messianic era	Rebirth cycle until nirvana	Shadowy underworld (Irkalla)	Heaven for believers; hell for separation from God; resurrection of dead
Sacred Texts	Codices (mostly destroyed)	Oral tradition, art, songlines	Oral tradition	Oral tradition, shamanic lore	Torah, Talmud, mystical texts	Sutras, Vinaya, Abhidharma	Tablets, hymns, epic texts	Bible (Old + New Testament)
Key Goal	Maintain cosmic balance	Live in harmony with land & ancestors	Honor ancestors, stay in spiritual balance	Balance spirits, heal, protect community	Cleave to God, follow Torah	End suffering; achieve enlightenment	Serve gods, maintain cosmic order	Salvation, eternal life with God; live according to Jesus’ teachings
Time Concept	Cyclical eras (Five Suns)	Dreaming is timeless, ever-present	Linear life, ongoing ancestor presence	Cyclical, spirit journeys	Linear history with messianic hope	Cyclical rebirth until liberation	Linear and cosmic cycles	Linear history with creation, fall, redemption, Second Coming