Hinduism

Hinduism is a religion, or a way of life,[note 1] found most notably in India and Nepal.
Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, [note 2] and some practitioners and
scholars refer to it as Santana Dharma, "the eternal law," or the "eternal way," [4] beyond
human origins.[5] Scholars regard Hinduism as a fusion [note 3]or synthesis[6][note 4] of various
Indian cultures and traditions,[7][note 5] with diverse roots[8][note 6] and no founder.[9] This "Hindu
synthesis" started to develop between 500 BCE and 300 CE[10] following the Vedic
period (1500 BCE to 500 BCE).[10][11]

Although Hinduism contains a broad range of philosophies, it is linked by shared

concepts, recognisable rituals, cosmology, shared textual resources, and pilgrimage to sacred
sites. Hindu texts are classified into Shruti ("heard") and Smriti ("remembered"). These texts
discuss theology, philosophy, mythology, Vedic yajna, Yoga, agamicrituals, and temple
[12]
building, among other topics. Major scriptures include the Vedas and Upanishads,
the Bhagavad Gita, and the Agamas.[13][14] Sources of authority and eternal truths in its texts
play an important role, but there is also a strong Hindu tradition of the questioning of this
authority, to deepen the understanding of these truths and to further develop the tradition.[15]

, the Caribbean, and Bali in Indonesia.

Buddhism

Buddhism (pronunciation: /bdzm/ or /budzm/)[1][2] is a religion[3]

[4]
and dharma that encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices largely
based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. Buddhism originated in India sometime between
the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, from where it spread through much of Asia, whereafter
it declined in India during the middle ages. Two major extant branches of Buddhism are
generally recognized by scholars: Theravada (Pali: "The School of the Elders")
and Mahayana (Sanskrit: "The Great Vehicle"). Buddhism is the world's fourth-largest
religion, with over 500 million followers or 7% of the global population, known as
Buddhists.[web 1][5]
 Buddhist schools vary on the exact nature of the path to liberation, the importance
and canonicity of various teachings and scriptures, and especially their respective practices. [6]
[7]
Practices of Buddhism include taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha,
study of scriptures, observance of moral precepts, renunciation of craving and attachment, the
practice of meditation (including calm and insight), the cultivation of wisdom, loving-
kindness and compassion, the Mahayana practice of bodhicitta and the Vajrayana practices
of generation stage and completion stage.

Catholic

Catholicism (from Greek , katholikismos, "universal doctrine") is a term

which in its broadest sense refers to the beliefs and practices of Christian churches that
understand and describe themselves as being Catholic within the universal and apostolic
church.

The most frequent uses refer to the faith and practices of the Catholic Church,
consisting of the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with
the Holy See of Rome, as understood by the Four Marks of the Church.[1] "Catholic" and
"Catholicism" are also especially used by some other churches, such as the Eastern Orthodox
Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, the Church of the East, the Anglican
Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, and Independent Catholic churches.

In the sense of indicating continuity of faith and practice from the first millennium,
"catholic" is also used in some other Christian traditions, such as some Methodist[2]Lutheran,
[3]
Moravian,[4] and Reformed churches,[5] in claiming to be "heirs of the apostolic faith", [6] as
delineated in the Nicene Creed.[7] These denominations consider themselves to be catholic,
teaching that the term "designates the historic, orthodox mainstream of Christianity whose
doctrine was defined by the ecumenical councils and creeds" and as such,
most Reformers "appealed to this catholic tradition and believed they were in continuity with
it."[3] For instance, within the Anglican Communion, the Oxford Movement of the 19th
century promoted Anglo-Catholicism, which emphasized the importance of doctrines such as
the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and apostolic succession.[8][9]

Taoism
 Taoism (/dazm/), also known as Daoism, is a religious or philosophical tradition
of Chinese origin which emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao (, literally "Way", also
romanized as Dao). The Tao is a fundamental idea in most Chinese philosophical schools; in
Taoism, however, it denotes the principle that is both the source, pattern and substance of
everything that exists.[1][2] Taoism differs from Confucianism by not emphasizing rigid rituals
and social order.[1] Taoist ethics vary depending on the particular school, but in general tend
to emphasize wu wei (effortless action), "naturalness", simplicity, spontaneity, and the Three
Treasures: "compassion", "frugality", and "humility",

The roots of Taoism go back at least to the 4th century BCE. Early Taoism drew its
cosmological notions from the School of Yinyang (Naturalists), and was deeply influenced by
one of the oldest texts of Chinese culture, the Yijing, which expounds a philosophical system
about how to keep human behavior in accordance with the alternating cycles of nature.
The Tao Te Ching, a compact book containing teachings attributed to Laozi (Chinese:
; pinyin: Loz; WadeGiles: Lao Tzu), is widely considered the keystone work of the
Taoist tradition, together with the later writings of Zhuangzi.

Born again
 In some Christian movements, particularly in Evangelicalism, to be born again is a
popular phrase referring to "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit from
the Holy Spirit. This is contrasted with the physical birth everyone experiences.

In contemporary Christian usage, the term is distinct from sometimes similar terms
used in mainstream Christianity to refer to being or becoming Christian, which is linked
to baptism. Individuals who profess to be "born again" often state that they have a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.[1][2][3] The phrase "born again" is also used as an adjective to
describe individual members of the movement who espouse this belief, as well as the
movement itself ("born-again Christian" and the "born-again movement").
Mangyan

Mangyan is the generic name for the eight indigenous groups found on the island of
Mindoro, southwest of the island of Luzon, the Philippines, each with its own tribal name,
language, and customs. The total population may be around 100,000, but official statistics are
difficult to determine under the conditions of remote areas, reclusive tribal groups and some
having little if any outside world contact.

The ethnic groups of the island, from north to south, are: Iraya, Alangan, Tadyawan,
Tawbuid (called Batangan by lowlanders on the west of the island), Buhid, and Hanunoo. An
additional group on the south coast is labelled Ratagnon. They appear to be intermarried with
lowlanders. The group known on the east of Mindoro as Bangon may be a subgroup of
Tawbuid, as they speak the 'western' dialect of that language. They also have a kind of poetry
which is called the Ambahan.
Jainism

Jainism (/denzm/[1] or /danzm/[2]), traditionally known as Jain Dharma,[3] is

an ancient Indian religion belonging to the raman a tradition. The central tenet is non-
violence and respect towards all living beings. The three main principles of Jainism
are ahimsa (non-violence), anekantavada (non-absolutism) and aparigraha (non-
possessiveness). Followers of Jainism take five main vows: ahimsa (non-violence), satya (not
lying), asteya (not stealing), brahmacharya (chastity) and aparigraha (non-attachment). Jain
monks and nuns observe these vows absolutely whereas householders (rvakas) observe
them within their practical limitations. Self-discipline and asceticism are thus major focuses
of Jainism. Notably, Mahatma Gandhi was greatly influenced by Jainism and adopted many
Jain principles in his life.

The word "Jain" derives from the Sanskrit word jina (conqueror). A human being who
has conquered all inner passions like attachment, desire, anger, pride, greed, etc. is
called Jina. Followers of the path practiced and preached by the jinas are known as
Jains. Parasparopagraho Jivanam ("the function of souls is to help one another") is the motto
of Jainism.

Confucianism
 Confucianism, also known as Ruism, is described as tradition, a philosophy, a
religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or simply a way of life.
[1]
Confucianism developed from what was later called the Hundred Schools of Thought from
the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551479 BCE), who considered himself
a retransmitter of the values of the Zhou dynasty golden age of several centuries before.[2] In
the Han dynasty (206 BCE 220 CE), Confucian approaches edged out the "proto-
Taoist" Huang-Lao, as the official ideology while the emperors mixed both with the realist
techniques of Legalism. The disintegration of the Han political order in the second century
CE opened the way for the doctrines of Buddhism and Neo-Taoism, which offered spiritual
explanations lacking in Confucianism.

A Confucian revival began during the Tang dynasty of 618-907. In the late Tang,
Confucianism developed in response to Buddhism and Taoism and was reformulated as Neo-
Confucianism. This reinvigorated form was adopted as the basis of the imperial exams and
the core philosophy of the scholar official class in the Song dynasty (960-1297). The
abolition of the examination system in 1905 marked the end of official Confucianism.

Iglesia ni Cristo
 Iglesia ni Cristo[2] (Tagalog pronunciation: [gle ni kisto], abbreviated
as INC or Iglesia; English: Church of Christ) is an international Christian church that
originated in the Philippines. It was registered in 1914 by Felix Y. Manalo,[3][4][5] who became
its first Executive Minister.

The Iglesia Ni Cristo claims to be the one true church and the restoration of the
original church founded by Jesus, and that all other Christian churches are apostates. [4][6] INC
doctrine cites that the official registration of the Church with the Government of the
Philippine Islands on July 27, 1914, by Felix Y. Manaloupheld by its members to be
the last messenger of Godwas an act of divine providence and the fulfillment of biblical
prophecy concerning the reestablishment of the Church of Christ in the Far East[7]
[8]
concurrent with the coming of the Seventh seal marking the end of days.[1][9]

By the time of Manalo's death in 1963, the Iglesia ni Cristo had become a nationwide
church with 1,250 local chapels and 35 large concrete cathedrals. [10] His son, Erao G.
Manalo, became the next church leader and led a campaign to grow and internationalize the
church until his death on August 31, 2009,[11] whereupon his son, Eduardo V. Manalo,
succeeded him as Executive Minister.[12] In 2010, the Philippine census by the National
Statistics Office found that 2.45 percent of the population in the Philippines are affiliated with
the Iglesia ni Cristo, making it the third largest religious organization in the Philippines after
the Roman Catholic Church (80.6%) and Islam (5.6%), respectively.[13][14]
Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian

denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity.[4] The group
reports a worldwide membership of more than 8.3 million adherents involved in evangelism,
[3]
convention attendance figures of more than 17 million,[citation needed] and an
annual Memorial attendance of more than 20 million.[3] Jehovah's Witnesses are directed by
the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, a group of elders in Warwick, New York, which
establishes all doctrines[5] based on its interpretations of the Bible.[2] They prefer to use their
own translation, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures,[6] although their literature
occasionally quotes and cites other Bible translations. [7][8] They believe that the destruction of
the present world system at Armageddon is imminent, and that the establishment of God's
kingdom over the earth is the only solution for all problems faced by humanity.[9]

The group emerged from the Bible Student movement, founded in the late 1870s
by Charles Taze Russell with the formation of Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society,[2]with
significant organizational and doctrinal changes under the leadership of Joseph Franklin
Rutherford.[10][11] The name Jehovah's witnesses[note 1] was adopted in 1931 to distinguish
themselves from other Bible Student groups and symbolize a break with the legacy
of Russell's traditions.[12][13][14]

Jehovah's Witnesses are best known for their door-to-door preaching, distributing
literature such as The Watchtower and Awake!, and refusing military service and blood
transfusions. They consider use of the name Jehovah vital for proper worship. They
reject Trinitarianism, inherent immortality of the soul, and hellfire, which they consider to be
unscriptural doctrines. They do not observe Christmas, Easter, birthdays or other holidays
and customs they consider to have pagan origins incompatible with Christianity.[15] Adherents
commonly refer to their body of beliefs as "the truth" and consider themselves to be "in the
truth". They consider secular society to be morally corrupt and under the influence of Satan,
and most limit their social interaction with non-Witnesses. [17] Congregational disciplinary
actions include disfellowshipping, their term for formal expulsion and shunning.