Choices

March 17, 2013

Good Morning ~ Saint Patrick’s Day

One doesn’t have to look very far to find a belief or “religion” that can fit with their comfort level for a belief system.  As humans, we seem to have an innate need to belong to a group of like-minded individuals where we can share philosophies without fear of rejection.  The synergy of association strengthens, reinforces and adds credence to our individual beliefs.

It follows… however flawed, that the greater the number of members, the greater is the validity of the chosen belief or religion.  And… if we can convert the world, or at least most of it to our belief system, either by cajoles or oppression, then we must be right.  But are we really?

Why can’t our beliefs be as diverse as we are as humans.  Isn’t it important that we embrace our cultural roots so that our perception of a higher power is in-line with the world we live in and by which we are surrounded?

Of course, when you embrace a certain belief, it goes without saying that you would believe and have faith in it being the “one true belief or religion”.  How else could there be full commitment otherwise?

So, for those among us who have difficulty deciding, here are some choices and while I’m sure there are many others and probably new ones formed every day that never reach the level of general recognition, this list should at the very least place a perspective of the diversity.

We will start with Abrahamic Religions:
A group of monotheistic traditions sometimes grouped with one another for comparative purposes, because all refer to a patriarch named Abraham.  Note: Even within these are sub-sects adding to the numbers. (choices)

Bábísm
Bahá’í
Bahá’í Faith
Orthodox Bahá’í Faith
Islam
Kharijites
Nation of Islam
Shiite
Alawites
Ismailis
Jafari
Zaiddiyah
Ghulat including
Alevi / Bektashi
Ahl-e Haqq
Yazidi
Druze
Ahmadi
Sunni
Berailvi
Deobandi
Hanafi
Hanbali
Maliki
Mu’tazili
Shafi’i
Wahhabi
Sufism
Naqshbandi
Bektashi
Chishti
Mevlevi
Zikri

Judaism:
Contemporary divisions
Karaite Judaism
Rabbinic Judaism
Orthodox Judaism
Haredi Judaism
Hassidic Judaism
Modern Orthodox Judaism
Reform Judaism
Conservative Judaism (Masorti)
Reconstructionist Judaism (arguably not a religion) 
Humanistic Judaism (arguably not a religion)

Historical Sects:
Hasmoneans
Essenes
Pharisees
Sadducees
Zealots
Sicarii

Sects that believed Jesus was a prophet
Ebionites
Elkasites
Nazarenes
Crypto-Jews
Marranos
Conversos

Christianity:
Eastern Orthodoxy
Roman Catholicism
Oriental Orthodoxy (Monophysitism)
Nestorianism
Protestantism
Anabaptists
Anglicans
Baptists
Lutherans
Methodists
Pentecostals
Reformed
Calvinism
Presbyterian
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Unitarians
Waldensians
Latter-day Saints
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Community of Christ
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Seventh-day Adventist
Jehovah’s Witnesses
Messianic Judaism (not actually Judaism but rather Jewish-rite Christianity) 
Samaritans
Mandaeanists
Rastafarians
Black Hebrews
Hebrew Christians

Hinduism
Agama Hindu Dharma (Javanese Hinduism)
Shaivism
Shaktism
Smartism
Vaishnavism
Gaudiya Vaishnavism
ISKCON (Hare Krishna)
Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mission
Six major schools and movements of Hindu philosophy
Samkhya
Nyaya
Vaisheshika
Purva mimamsa
Vedanta (Uttar Mimamsa)
Advaita Vedanta
Integral Yoga
Yoga
Ashtanga Yoga
Hatha yoga
Siddha Yoga
Tantric Yoga
Ayyavazhi
Shramana Religions

Buddhism
Mahayana
Nikaya schools (which have historically been called Hinayana in the West) 
Theravada
Vajrayana (Tantric Buddhism)
Jainism
Digambara
Shvetambara
Panth Religions
Sikhism
Kabir Panth
Dadu Panth

Other Revealed Religions:
Believers in one God, also called classical monotheism, who follow an Indo-European culture of belief, philosophy and angelology.

Zoroastrianism
Magus (see Three Wise Men) 
Gnosticism
Basilidians
Bogomils
Borborites
Cainites
Carpocratians
Cathars
Marcionism (not entirely Gnostic)
Ophites
Valentinians (see Valentinius)
Hinduism (Vaishnavism)

African religions
Akamba mythology
Akan mythology
Ashanti mythology
Bushongo mythology
Bwiti
Dahomey mythology
Dinka mythology
Efik mythology
Egyptian mythology
Ibo mythology
Isoko mythology
Khoikhoi mythology
Lotuko mythology
Lugbara mythology
Pygmy mythology
Tumbuka mythology
Yoruba mythology
Zulu mythology
African religions in the New World
Kumina
Obeah
Santería (Lukumi)
Vodou
Candomblé
Macumba
Umbanda and Quimbanda
Xango
European religions
Anglo-Saxon mythology
Basque mythology
Druidry (Celtic Religion)
Finnish mythology
Germanic paganism
Norse mythology
Greek religion
Greek mythology
Mystery religions
Eleusinian Mysteries
Mithraism
Pythagoreanism
Roman religion
Roman mythology
Slavic mythology
Asian religions
Babylonian and Assyrian religion
Babylonian mythology
Chaldean mythology
Sumerian mythology
Bön (Indigenous Tibetan belief)
Chinese mythology
Shinto
Oomoto
Tengrism (Indigenous Mongol, Tartar & Kazakh belief)
Yezidis (Modified indigenous Kurdish belief)
Native American religions
Abenaki mythology
Aztec mythology
Blackfoot mythology
Chippewa mythology
Creek mythology
Crow mythology
Guarani mythology
Haida mythology
Ho-Chunk mythology
Huron mythology
Inuit mythology
Iroquois mythology
Kwakiutl mythology
Lakota mythology
Lenape mythology
Navaho mythology
Nootka mythology
Pawnee mythology
Salish mythology
Selk’nam religion
Seneca mythology
Tsimshian mythology
Ute mythology
Zuni mythology
Oceanic religions
Australian Aboriginal mythology
Balinese mythology
Maori mythology
Modekngei (Republic of Palau)
Nauruan indigenous religion
Polynesian mythology

Neopagan or Revival Religions:
Modern religions seeking to recreate indigenous, usually pre-Christian, beliefs and practices

Church of All Worlds
Dievturiba
Germanic Neopaganism also called Ásatrú or Odinism
Hellenic polytheism (modern revivalist forms) 
Judeo-Paganism
Maausk
Neo-druidism
Summum
Taarausk
Wicca
Alexandrian Wicca
Dianic Wicca (Feminist Wicca)
Gardnerian Wicca
Faery Wicca
Feri Tradition

Non-Revealed Religions:
Philosophies not transmitted by a divine prophet

Carvaka
Confucianism
Deism
Fellowship of Reason
Spiritual Humanism
Mohism
Taoism

Left-Hand Path Religions:
Faiths teaching that the ultimate goal is separating consciousness from the universe, rather than being absorbed by it

Dragon Rouge
Satanism
LaVeyan Satanism
Church of Satan
Order of Nine Angles
Setianism also spelled Sethianism
Temple of Set
The Storm
Quimbanda

Syncretic Religions:
Faiths created from blending earlier religions or that consider all or some religions to be essentially the same

Arès Pilgrim Movement
Cao Dai
Falun Dafa (Falun Gong)
Huna
Konkokyo
Law of One
Manichaeism
Unitarian Universalism
Universal Life Church
Tenrikyo
Theosophy
Seicho-No-Ie

Entheogen Religions:
Religions based around divinely inspiring substances

Ayahuasca-based Beliefs:
Church of the Universe (marijuana sacrament) 
Peyotism
THC Ministry

New Religious Movements: (NRMs)

Indigenous NRM’s

Burkhanism
Cargo cults
Ghost Dance
Native American Church

African Diaspora / Latin American NRM’s

Rastafari Movement
Umbanda
Candomble
Kardecist Spiritism

Hindu-oriented NRM’s

Sai Baba/Sathya Sai Organisation
Hare Krishna
Transcendental Meditation
Sant Mat
Swaminarayan
Vedanta Society
Osho/Rajneeshism
Meher Baba (actually a Zoroastrian)
Oneness University
Aum Shinrikyo (Aleph)
Eckankar

NRM’s with Islamic Roots

Subud
Ahmadi
Dances of Universal Peace
Nation of Islam (Black Muslims)

Christian-oriented NRM’s

Unification Church
Jesus People
Children of God
People’s Temple
Pentecostalism
Holiness movement
Iglesia ni Cristo

Buddhist-oriented NRM’s

Soka Gakkai
Won Buddhism
Hoa Hao
Friends of the Western Buddhist Order

Chinese-oriented NRM’s

Way of Former Heaven sects, including
I-Kuan Tao (“Way of Unity”),
T’ung-shan She (“Society of Goodness”),
Tien-te Sheng-chiao (“Sacred Religion of Celestial Virtue”),
Daoyuan (“Sanctuary of the Tao”),
Tz’u-hui Tang (“Compassion Society”).
Falun Gong (“Dharma Wheel Work,” a qigong meditation group)

Japanese-oriented NRM’s

Tenrikyo
Seicho no Ie
Johrei (Johrei Movement – Sekai Kyusei Kyo Izunome Kyodan)
Reiki
Oomoto
Soka Gakkai
Aum Shinrikyo (Aleph)

Korean-oriented NRM’s

Chondogyo
Jeung San Do
Juche (The personality cult of North Korean leaders)
Unification Church

Vietnamese-oriented NRM’s

Caodaism
Hoa Hao

Malaysian-Oriented NRM’s

Sky Kingdom

Western Magical / Esoteric Groups:

Kardecist Spiritism
Theosophy
Agni Yoga
Anthroposophy
Arcane School
Association for Research and Enlightenment
Church Universal and Triumphant
Golden Dawn
Gurdjieff Work
AMORC
Spiritualism
Eckankar
Thelema
Argenteum Astrum
Fraternitas Saturni
Ordo Templi Orientis
Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientis
Process Church of the Final Judgement
Order of the Solar Temple

White Supremacist Religions:

Church of Jesus Christ Christian
World Church of the Creator (Creativity Movement)
Church of the American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan [1]

Black Supremacist Religions:

Nuwaubianism

Alien-based religions:

The Aetherius Society [2]
Raelism
Scientology
Church of Scientology
Free Zone
Urantia, Book of
Universe People

Other NRM’s

Antoinism
Breatharianism (Air cult)
Brianism
Elan Vital
Faithists of Kosmon
Virus, The Church of
Tony Samara

Parody or Mock Religions:
Groups that poke fun at other religions or religion in general

Discordianism
Church of the SubGenius (The cult of Bob Dobbs) 
Church of Jesus Christ Elvis

Fictional Religions turned Parody:

Bokononism
Jedi census movement
Flying Spaghetti Monster (Pastafarianism)
Invisible Pink Unicorn
Kibology
Landover Baptist Church
Church of Emacs