There are many kinds of religions existing all over the world. Different countries with different religions beliefs, traditions and practices. Most major religions known are Catholics, Protestants,Islams, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism and Judaism. Christianity maybe found in many different names, doctrines and beliefs and same thing with Islam and other religions that separate from their “original religion”, formed a new group or organization and called “sects” or “cults”. But whatever religion, beliefs or practices we have as long as we believed that there is only one God. In Asia there are lots of Religious groups formed and spread their teachings in other part of the world.
1) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) or Mormonism
Mormon Temple Under-Garment (Listverse.com)
Mormon Baptism of the Dead (Wilkipedia))
Mormon Baptism of the Dead, are also called Vicarious Baptism or Proxy Baptism a religious practice of a living individual in behalf of the dead member.
The Salt Lake Temple which took 40 years to build is one of the most iconic images of the church. (Wilkipedia). The Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price are the Standard Works and the sources of theology and the faith’s canon of four religious writings. John Smith, Jr in Upstate, New York founded Mormonism in 1830 and based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The church uses the Authorized King James’ Version, oftentimes and sometimes they used Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible and considered authoritative.
3) Jehovas Witnesses
Jehovas Witnesses Watchtower Building, Brooklyn, NY (Wilkipedia)
Founded in the late 19th century by Charles Taze Rusell with the formation of Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society. After Rusell’s death a schism was developed in the movement. Jehova Witnesses are known for house to house preaching and organizes under “hierarchica”(arrangement of items, objects, names, values, categories, etc.) and “Theocratic government” as their leader call and beliefs that God’s organization on earth. They are not allowed to seek public offices, serve the military or involvement in social controversies. They don’t salute or pledge to national flags or even sing the national anthems or any patriotic songs. Blood transfusion is strictly prohibited whether it is a life and death situations. They don’t celebrate birthdays, Halloween and Christmas; but they celebrate mother’s day, May day, New Year’s day and Valentine’s day because of the pagan origins.
4) Zoroaster Religion
Zoroaster Religious Priest portrayed by Parsi Zoroastian
Zoroastrianism is the oldest of the revealed world religious and having directly and indirectly than any single faith and beliefs. Religion and Philosophy based on teachings of prophet Zoroaster, also known as Zarathustra in Avestan, founded in the 6th century in Iran.
Parsi Navjote Ceremony Zoroastrian Faith(Wilkipedia)
Freddie Mercury, Queen vocalist is Parsi (Wilkipedia)
5) Islam Religion
Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia (Wilkipedia)
Sawm or fasting during Ramadan among Muslims, from eating, drinking and sexual activity between dawn (fajr) and sunset (maghrib) and Ramadan last a month. They break their fasting and called it “Iftar”, refers to evening meals done right after sunset (maghrib) and traditionally a ‘date’ or ‘salt’ is the first thing to be consumed. Diabetic, pregnant women, menstruating women, nursing mother and children did not reach puberty are exempted in fasting during Ramadan.
Dates Tree (Wilkipedia)
Islamic Niqab (Muslim Veil) Wilkipedia/Listverse.com
Niqab are veil that covers the face of Muslim women especially in the Middle East Countries, and this is part of their “santorial hijab”.
Islam Religion (Wilkipedia)Sunni Islam (Wilkipedia)
Shi’ah Islam
There are two branches of Islamic faith the Sunni, largest branch of Islam founded by prophet Muhammad and the Shiites. The Sunnis and Shiites differences has to do with their different beliefs on Mahdi, an Imam who has disappeared and believed that one day he will appear.
Sunni branch, believes that the first four caliphs will be Muhammad successors, the rightful one will take his place as the leaders of the Muslims, and recognized as legitimate religious leader. While the Shiite branch, believes that Ali, the fourth caliph are the legitimate successor of Muhammad. Shiites concentrated in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon believed they suffered over the loss of divinely guided political leader when the 12th Imam disappeared 931. Then in 1978, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khohmeini ascended as successor.
6) Druze Religion
Druze Star (Wilkipedia)
Druze Sheik (Uqqal) in Religious Dress(Wilkipedia)
Druze Man in Pekrin (Wilkipedia)
There are two groups of Druze: The Uqqal – 20% of population includes men and women, have special mode of dress to comply with the Quranic traditions.
The Juhhal, larger group and majority have no access to the Druze holy literature or not allowed to attend the Uqqal’s religious meetings. The Uqqal are considered “the knowledgeable Initiates”, while the Juhhal are considered the “Ignorants” and 80% of Juhhal are not obliged to follow the ascetic traditions of the Uqqals. The Druze are not considered Muslim by the Muslims.
7) Jewish Religion
Jewish Kaparot Rituals (Wilkipedia/Listverse.com)
Kaparot a traditional rituals by holding a live chicken and blade the chicken three times while reading the Psalms 107:17-20 and Job 33:23-24 , believing of transferring one’s sins to the chickern and then slaughtered and donate to the poor and eaten at Pre-Yom Kippur feast. Kapparos now in modern times are formed in “Haredi” communities.
Shamanism
Shamanism Tibetan Buddhist Rituals(Wilkipedia/Listverse.com)
Shaman’s ere used by Tibetan Buddhism as form of divine by Dalai Lama and given prophesy of the future and advices. Shamanism are traditional practices that communicates the spiritual world and claims of having the ability to cure sufferings or can cause sufferings.
9) Jainism (Digambar)
Jainis Digambaras Monks (Listverse.com)
Digambar or Digambara, one of the two main sects of Jainism. Senior Digambar monks don’t wear clothes but declined to be called “nude”, and claim they are wearing “environment”, following Lord Mahavira. Only Digambara person who renounced material comforts and leads a life of austere self discipline are required to go naked and the two possession they can have is a water gourd and peacock feather.
10) Scientology Center
Scientology Center (Wilkipedia/Listverse.com)
Founded by L.Ron Hubbard in 1952, an outgrowth of his earlier self-help system called ‘ Dianetics’. He introduced Xenu or Xemu, an alien ruler of the “Galactic Confederacy” and believed Xenu brought billions of people into planet Earth.
11) Creativity Movement (former: World Church of the Creator)
Creativity Movement (Listverse.com)
This movement was the former World Church of the Creator and was renamed Creativity Movement; a white separatist organization that advocates the whites-only religion. This movement is Atheistic, founded by Ben Klassen in early 1973 with its former name Church of the Creator. In 1993. after Klassen’s death, Matthew F. Hale as its Pontifex Maximus or high priest became his successor after he was imprisoned in January, 2003 for plotting to murder a federal judge, with the movements head of security, Anthony Evola (an FBI informant).
12) Three Temple ov Psychick Youth or TOPY
Three Temple Of Psychic Youth (TOPY) Listverse.com
Topy has influential group in underground chaos magic scene and in the wider western occult tradition and focuses on the psychic and magical aspects of human brain linked with “guiltless sexuality”. Founded in 1981 by members of Psychic TV, coil-Current 93.
13) Nation Of Yahweh
Nation Of Yahweh (Listverse.com)
African-American religious groups founded in 1979 in Miami by Hulon Mitchell, but named him as Yahweh ben Yahweh. The group became controversial because of legal issues of the founder and faced allegations of being black supremacist cult by the Southern Poverty Law Centers and the Miami Herald. Their beliefs are the Blacks are “the true Jews” and the whites were “the white devils”. The religious group are the controversial Black Hebrew Israelites line of thoughts.
14) Church Of All-Worlds
Church Of All Worlds (Listverse.com)
Founded in 1962 by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart and his wife, Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart. This religious groups or cult are formed by “group of friends” and lovers, and church mythology, includes science fiction of the day. Their ritual celebrations are centered on the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece. The Grey School of Wizardry inspired in part by Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the school in the Harry Potter novel.
15) Universe People or Cosmic People
Universe People (Listverse.com)
Czech religious movement centered around Ivo A. Benda, and their belief system is based upon the existence of extra terrestial civilizations communicating with Benda and other “contacts”since October 1977. The Universe people or Cosmic People of light powers, believed that Ashtar Sheran, leads the orbiting of the earth and operated the fleet of spaceships to transport their followers into another dimension.
16) Church Of SubGenius
Church of SubGenius (Listverse.com)
Founded in 1950 by ‘world’s famous salesman’, J.R. “Bob” Dobbs, a depicted cartoon of a Ward Cleaver-like man smoking a pipe. This is a parody religion that believes and promote in a meta commentary way, satrizes religion, conspiracy theory, UFOs and famous cultures. SubGenius Minister Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman) and Patrick Volkerding, founder and maintainer of Slackware Linux, also a SubGenius affiliate confirmed the church and “Bob” inspired the name Slackware.
17) Prince Philip Movement
Prince Philip Movement Cult(Listverse.com)
A cult organized by Yaohnanen Villagers in Southern Island of Tanna in Vanuatu. The Yaohnanen villagers believed that Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the consort of Queen Elizabeth ll, is the “divine son of the legend of the Pale-skinned son of Mountain Spirit, and brother of John Frum”. According to the legend ‘the son traveled over the seas and married a powerful woman’. As they observed Queen Elizabeth ll, they concluded that it was Prince Philip was the son of the legend. Prince Philip was aware of the villager’s belief, and even visited and exchange gifts with the villagers.
18) Church Of Eutanasia
Rev. Cris Korda,founder of The Church Of Eutanasia (Listverse.com)
The Church of Eutanasia or CoE, is a political movement organized by Rev. Cris Korda, in Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. The CoE uses sermons, culture jamming, music, publicity stunts, and actions. They use their commandment, “Thou shalt not procreate” and asserted four pillars: suicide, abortion, cannibalism and sodomy. Their famous slogan is: “Save the planet, kill yourself”, “Six Billion Humans can’t be wrong” and “Eat a Queer Fetus for Jesus”, for the intentions of mixing issues to unnerve those who opposed abortion and homosexuality.
19) Nuwaubianism
Nuwaubianism (Black Muslim) Listverse.com -Ancient Egyptian Building in Putnam County
Nuwaubianism an umbrella term used to refer to the doctrines and teachings of the followers of Dwight York; originated as the Black Muslims group in New York in 1970′s but have gone to many changes. Dwight York now is in prison because of money laundering and child molestation. Some Nuwaubians beliefs; is to bury the newborn baby so satan could not use the baby,and the aborted fetus if they survive should live in the sewers; each living person has seven clones, and many more weird beliefs. The “ancient Egyptian building” they built in Putnam County in Georgia was demolished.
20)Shintoism
Kannushi Priest in Karigimu and Eboshi Hat (Wilkipedia)
Kanusshi Priest with Miko,Clerical Assistant (Wilkipedia)
Shinto Priest and Priestess (Wilkipedia)
The Shintoism rites called Harai or Oharai, rites for purification vital part of Shinto, and blessed by Shinto priest called “Kannushi” and the assisting clerk is called “Miko”. Only Shinto member can go inside the temple and perform Temizu (washing of left hand first, then right and rinse mouth and gurgle but they have to swallow, spiting back is prohibited. Shinto have new sects like: Tenrikyo-a monotheistic religion, founded by a woman Miki Nakayama, also called ‘Oyasama’ by the followers and believed that only one god exists called ‘Tenri-Ono-Mikoto (God the Parent or Oyagamisama).
Another sect Kon Kokyo o just Konko, syncretic (combining of various beliefs), henotheistic (worshipping one god) and panentheistic (which holds that God is synonymous with the material universe), worships Tenchi Kareno Kami, or Kami, the Parent God.