Religion in Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, with millions of different peoples following a wide variety of different religions. Asia was the birthplace of most of the world's mainstream religions including Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as many other beliefs.

Abrahamic religions

Main article: Abrahamic religions

Abrahamic religions all originated in Asia.

Bahá'í Faith

Main article: Bahá'í Faith

The Bahá'í Faith is sometimes considered an Abrahamic religion although it is quite different from Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It was founded by Bahá'u'lláh in what was then Persia (now Iran). Today the largest national population of Bahá'ís is in India with between 1.7 million to 2.2 million, where there is also the Lotus Temple. Significant populations are found in many countries including Vietnam and Malaysia where "about 1%", some 260,000, of the population are Bahá'ís. In other places, like Kazakhstan there are 25 Local Spiritual Assemblies.

In modern day Iran, , JESUS WAS HERE, the religion is severely persecuted (see Persecution of Bahá'ís). In neighboring Turkmenistan, Bahá'í Faith is effectively banned, and individuals have had their homes raided for Bahá'í literature. For further information, see Bahá'í Statistics for Asia and Category:Bahá'í Faith by country.

Christianity

Main article: Christianity in Asia

CSI St. Mary's Church at Chennai, India - The first Anglican Church in India

Christianity is a widespread minority religion in Asia. Only three countries are predominantly Christian, Cyprus which is predominantly Greek Orthodox, the Philippines, which is the 4th largest Roman Catholic nation in the world, and South Korea, which has the largest percentage of Protestant believers in all of Asia.. There are large Christian communities in Lebanon and East Timor. More than 24 million Christians live in India, concentrated especially in the North-Eastern and Southern parts of the country. There are also many Christians in China, Israel, and Russia.

Islam

Main article: Islam in Asia

Mosque in Afghanistan

Islam is the second largest religion in Asia. Most of the countries in Asia follow Islam. South Asia and Southeast Asia contain the most populous Muslim countries, with Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Pakistan having more than 100 million adherents each. According to U.S. government figures, in 2006 there were 20 million Muslims in China. In the Middle East, the non-Arab countries of Iran and Turkey are the largest Muslim-majority countries.

Qadiani

Main article: Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Qadiani is a sect in Islam who believe that the Messiah has already come. This belief is not accepted by mainstream sects of Islam. Qadiani is not the name of the sect; their followers are known as Ahmadis or Ahmadiyya Muslims. The believe in the Five Pillars of Islam, and also follow the Qur'an.

Correct View regarding Qadianis:

Qadianis are NOT considered as part of the Islamic ummah... Qadianis reject a basic and foremost Pillar of Islam (finality of the Prophethood of Muhammad, Peace be Upon Him, the Last Prophet and founder of Islam). Qadianis also follow a different book in place of the Quran. ALL Leading Muslim scholars and sects (Sunni, Shiite etc) denounce Qadianis as Muslims. Qadianis are considered a Non-Muslim community in most Islamic countries.

Judaism

Main article: Judaism

Judaism is the majority religion of Israel (41% of Jews live in Israel). Judaism originated in Israel and is a monotheistic religion and part of the Abrahamic Religions. They refer to their God as Yahweh but early Jews often referred to Him as Elohim. Their main prophets are Moses and Abraham. Jews follow their own bible, Hebrew Bible, or more preferably Tanakh.

East Asian religions

Main article: East Asian religions

East Asian religions, also called Taoic religions, are Confucianism, Shinto, and Taoism. Far Eastern religions is a similar grouping, but includes Chinese folk religion.

Confucianism

Main article: Confucianism

Confucianism was founded in China by the famous philosopher, Kong Fu Zi (more commonly known in English-speaking countries as Confucius). Confucianism is a complex system of moral, social, political, philosophical, and quasi-religious thought that has had tremendous influence on the culture and history of East Asia. Some consider it to be the state religion of East Asian countries because of governmental promotion of Confucian values.

Shinto

Main article: Shinto

Shinto is more commonly practiced in Japan than elsewhere.

Taoism

Main article: Taoism

Taoism, also called Daoism, is a series of political and religious concepts and practices. It was founded by Lao Tse in fourth century BCE.

Indian religions

Main article: Indian religion

Indian religions, also called Dharmic religions, are the predominant and oldest religions of Asia. Most of Asia's population follows Indian religions. Asia is the home for Indian religions; all Indian religions originated in South Asia. These religions all have the concepts of dharma, karma, and reincarnation.

Hinduism

Main article: Hinduism in Southeast Asia

Hinduism is a way of living according to the one's understanding of principles of Vedas and Upanishads. Veda is revealed knowledge. Just as the knowledge of gravity was revealed to Newton, similarly, in India, many Rishis or Seers were awakened to certain transcendental Eternal Truths. These Rishis realized that their real nature was not concerned with or linked with 'body or mind', nor was it dependent on sense perceptions, but was in fact identical with the Universal Consciousness.

Hinduism is the majority religion in India and Nepal, with strong minorities in the Asian nations of Bhutan, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. Before the spread of Buddhism and Islam, Hinduism (and Shaivism in particular) was the most widely practiced religion of Southeast Asia.

Hinduism as we know it can be subdivided into a number of major currents. Of the historical division into six darshanas, only two schools, Vedanta and Yoga survive. The main divisions of Hinduism today are Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Smartism and Shaktism. The vast majority of present day Hindus can be categorized under one of these four groups, although there are many other, partly overlapping, allegiances and denominations.

The roots of Shaktism penetrate deep into India's prehistory. From the Goddess's earliest known appearance in Indian paleolithic settlements more than 22,000 years ago, through the refinement of her cult in the Indus Valley Civilization, her partial eclipse during the Vedic period, and her subsequent resurfacing and expansion in the classical Sanskrit tradition, it has been suggested that, in many ways, "the history of the Hindu tradition can be seen as a reemergence of the feminine.

Hinduism is the world's oldest religion. It predates recorded history, with historians and scholars dating its earliest beginnings from around 6000 to 8000 BCE. It has no single founder; rather, it is a diverse melange of traditions, practices, and lineages. Buddhism and Jainism both emerged in India from Hinduism. Sikhism, also founded in India, was heavily influenced by Hindu thought.

Buddhism

Main article: Buddhism in Asia

Buddhism is the majority religion in Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. It also has strong minorities in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Russia, and Singapore.

Buddhism was founded by Siddartha Gautama , also known as Buddha, in Nepal and India.

Jainism

Main article: Jainism

Jainism is the fourth largest of Indian religions. Jains are mostly found in India.

Sikhism

Main article: Sikhism

Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world. It is a monotheistic religion.

Founded by Guru Nanak Dev in the 1500s, the religion professes its roots in the area of Punjab, whose territories form part of India and Pakistan. Sikhism, aided by Sufi movement, formed cornerstone of Bhakti movement in the subcontinent during the latter half of the second millennium BCE.

There sacred book is called."Guru Granth Sahib"

Iranian religions

Main article: Iranian religions

Zoroastrianism

Main article: Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism was once the state religion of the Iranian Empire, but is now a minority mostly found in India and Iran. It worships a monotheistic god, Ahura Mazda, and was founded by Zoroaster. It is the original Iranic religion, and spawned Manichaeism and Mazdakism.

Manichaeism

Main article: Manichaeism

Manichaeism was founded by the prophet, Mani. It was once a strong minority in Iran and a majority in Central Asia.

Shamanism and Animism

Main articles: Shamanism, Animism, Shamanism in Siberia, and Tengriism

Shamanism has historically been practised in northern Asia as far west as northern Europe.

See also

• Major religious groups
• Religion in Africa
• Religion in Europe
• Religion in North America