Western religions Western religions Western religions refers to religions that originated within Western culture, and are thus historically, culturally, and theologically distinct from the Eastern religions. The term Abrahamic religions (Islam, Eastern Christianity and Judaism) is often used in lieu of using the East and West terminology. Western culture itself was significantly influenced by the emergence of Christianity and its adoption as the state church of the Roman Empire in the late 4th century and the term "Christendom" largely indicates this intertwined history. Western Christianity was significantly influenced by Hellenistic religion (notably Platonism and Gnosticism) as well as the Roman imperial cult.
Islam and other religions of the faith being effected rather by persuasion and inducement." A few well-known examples of forced conversion are: Unilateral Islam and other religions Over the centuries of Islamic history, Muslim rulers, Islamic scholars, and ordinary Muslims have held many different attitudes towards other religions. Attitudes have varied according to time, place and circumstance. The Qur'an distinguishes between the monotheistic People of the Book ("ahl al-kitab"), ie. Jews, Christians, Sabians and others on the one hand and polytheists or "idolaters" on the other hand. There are certain kinds of restrictions that apply to polytheists but not to "People of the Book".