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• judism - star of david

  
• islam - star & crescent

  
• christianity - cross

  
• hinduism - om

  
• taoism - yinyang

  
• jainism - ahimsa hand

  
• sikhism - khanda

  
• buddhism - dharma wheel

  
• bahai - nine pointed star

  
• native spirituality - cross in a circle

  
• confucianism - ideogram

  
• shinto - torii gate

  
• Religion


  Organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views (according to sociology)
• Religion


  Relate humanity to an order of existence
• Religion


  Interchangeably with faith but it differs from private belief in "something eminently social" (Emile Durkheim)
• Kinds of Religion


  • Animism
  • Polytheism
  • Monotheism
• Animism


  Latina anima, "breath, spirit, life"
• Animism


  • Worldview that non-human entities such animals, plants, etc possess spiritual essence
  • Belief that there is no separation between the spiritual and physical world
  • Belief that all things in the world have soul and spirits
  • Rejects cartesian dualism
  • Attribute soul to abstract concepts
• Polytheism


  • Form during the Bronze Age and Iron Age up to Axial Age
  • Development of Abrahamic religions which enforced strict monotheism
  • Found in Chinese traditional religion, Hinduism, Japanese Shinto, Neopagan Context
• Types of Polytheism


  • Henotheist (worship one particular deity)
  • Kathenotheist (worship different deities at different times)
• Monotheism


  • Belief in the existence of one god
  • Oneness of god
  • One personal and transcendent god
  • Distinction made between exclusive monotheism, and both inclusive and pluriform monotheism
• Organizational structure of religion

  • Ecclesia
  • Denomination
  • Sect
  • Cult
• Ecclesia


  Structured bureaucratic organization, closely allied with the government, officials are highly trained & wield considerable power, essentially a state church, formal worship following well-established procedure, does not tolerate religious differences
• Denomination


  Substantial number of the population are members, formal bureaucratic structures with trained officials, tolerant, acknowledging the rights of others to hold beliefs that differ from their own, welcomes converts
• Sect


  Split off from a denomination because of differences concerning beliefs, intolerant of other faiths, hostile toward the existing power structure (corrupt & worldly), actively recruits members
• Cult


  New religion with practices that differ markedly from those of the society's major religious, led by charismatic figure, based on the revelations of the leader, followers may give themselves totally to the cult and reject the rest of the society
• Separation of Church & State

  Concept defining the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state, refer to creating a secular state, with or without explicit reference to such separation, changing an existing relationship of church involvement in a state
• Principle of laïcité


  Applied in France & Turkey, Denmark & UK: maintained constitutional recognition of an official state religion, the degree of separation varies from total separation mandated by a constitution
• Article 2 "Declaration of Principles & State Policies" Sec 6, 1987: The separation of church & state shall be inviolable
• Article 3, Section 5: No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed.