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Religion in Asia

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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 many religions such as; Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastranism, as well as many other religions.

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Indian religions

Main article: Indian religions

Indian religions are the predominant and oldest religions of Asia. Most of Asia's population follows Indian religions. All Indian religions originated in South Asia. These religions all have the concepts of dharma, karma, and reincarnation.

Hinduism

Main articles: Hinduism in Southeast Asia and Hinduism in Arab states

Hinduism is the second largest religion and oldest in Asia with approximately 1 billion followers.[1] Or about 25.3% of total Asia population are Hindus.[2]

Hinduism is the majority religion in India (80%), Nepal (81%), and the Indonesian island of Bali (83.5%),[3] with strong minorities in the Asian nations of Bhutan, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Burma, the Philippines, and Afghanistan. Before the arrival of Buddhism and Islam in Southwest Asia and Southeast Asia, Hinduism (and Shaivism in particular) was the most widely practiced religion in Southwest Asia and Southeast Asia.[4][5][6]

Hinduism as we know it can be subdivided into a number of major currents. The main divisions of Hinduism 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.

Hinduism predates recorded history and is thought to have had a beginning during the Indus Valley Civilization itself. It has no single founder; rather, it is a diverse melange of traditions, practices, and lineages. Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism emerged in ancient India from Hinduism.

Jainism

Main article: Jainism

Jainism is an Indian religion. Jains are mostly found in India but are increasingly found throughout the world.[7] Jains have significantly influenced and contributed to ethical, political and economic spheres in India. Jains have an ancient tradition of scholarship and have the highest degree of literacy for a religious community in India.[8][9] Jain libraries are the oldest in the country.[10][11] It has traditionally been confined to the Indian Subcontinent and West Asia. It is based on the teachings of Vardhaman Mahavir and also on 23 other Tirthankaras.

Buddhism

Main article: Buddhism in Asia

Buddhism is the fourth largest world religion and the 3rd largest in Asia, which is 12% of Asia's population.[12] It is dominant and the majority in Bhutan,[12] Burma,[12] Cambodia,[12] Tibet,[12] Laos,[12] Mongolia,[12] Sri Lanka[12] and Thailand.[12][13] Large Buddhist populations live in China (18.2%),[12] Japan (36.2%),[12] Taiwan (35%),[12] Macau (17%),[12] North Korea (13.8%),[12] Nepal (10.7%), [12] Vietnam (10%),[12] Singapore (33%),[12] Hong Kong (15%)[12] and South Korea (22.9%).[12] It also has strong minorities in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Russia. Buddhism was founded by Siddartha Gautama, also known as Buddha.

Before the rise of Islam, Buddhism was one of the most widely practiced religions in Central Asia, ancient Persia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia.[14][15][16]

Sikhism

Main article: Sikhism

Sikhism is the fifth largest organized religion in the world,[17] with approximately 30 million adherents.[18] And one of the most steadily growing.[19] 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.

This system of religious philosophy and expression has been traditionally known as the Gurmat (literally the counsel of the gurus) or the Sikh Dharm. Sikhism originated from the word Sikh, which in turn comes from the Sanskrit root śhiṣhya meaning "disciple" or "learner", or śhikṣha meaning "instruction".

Sikhism is the 3rd largest religion in India with 2% of the total population being Sikh. There is also a large concentration of Sikhs in Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, the Philippines, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Hongkong, Singapore, Indonesia, Kuwait and U.A.E.

East Asian religions

Main article: East Asian religions

East Asian religions (also known as Far Eastern religions, Chinese religions, or Taoic religions) form a subset of the Eastern religions.

Confucianism

Main article: Confucianism

Confucianism was founded in China by the famous philosopher, Kung Fū Tzu (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. Today the Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese diaspora has brought Confucianism to the world.

Taoism

Main article: Taoism

Taoism (modernly: Daoism) is a philosophical and religious tradition that emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao (modernly romanized as "Dao"). The term Tao means "way", "path" or "principle", and can also be found in Chinese philosophies and religions other than Taoism. In Taoism, however, Tao denotes something that is both the source and the driving force behind everything that exists. It is ultimately ineffable: "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao."[20]

Laozi is traditionally regarded as the founder of Taoism and is closely associated in this context with "original", or "primordial", Taoism.[21] Whether he actually existed is commonly disputed;[22][23] however, the work attributed to him – the Daodejing – is dated to the late 4th century BC.[24]

Taoist propriety and ethics may vary depending on the particular school, but in general tends to emphasize wu-wei (action through non-action), "naturalness", simplicity, spontaneity, and the Three Treasures: compassion, moderation, and humility.

Significant Taoist communities can be found in China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam along with the Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese diaspora.

Chinese ethnic religion

Main article: Shenism

Chinese folk religion are a label used to describe the ethnic religious traditions which have been a main belief system in China and among the Han Chinese ethnic group for most of the civilization's history until today. Shenism comprises Chinese mythology and includes the worship of shens (神, shén; "deities", "spirits", "awarenesses", "consciousnesses", "archetypes") which can be nature deities, Taizu or clan deities, city deities, national deities, cultural heroes and demigods, dragons and ancestors. "Shenism" as a term was first published by A. J. A Elliot in 1955.[25]

It is sometimes categorized with Taoism, since over the world institutional Taoism has been attempting to assimilate or administrate local religions. More accurately, Taoism can be defined as a branch of Shenism, since it sprang out of folk religion and Chinese philosophy. Chinese folk religion is sometimes seen as a constituent part of Chinese traditional religion, but more often, the two are regarded as synonymous. With around 454 million adherents, or about 6.6% of the world population, Chinese folk religion is one of the major religious traditions in the world. In China more than 30% of the population adheres to Shenism or Taoism.[26]

Shinto

Main article: Shintoism

Kami-no-michi is almost unique to Japan and the Japanese diaspora. It is a set of practices carried out to establish a connection between present-day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written records of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki in the 7th and 8th century. Still, these earliest Japanese writings do not refer to a unified "Shinto religion", but rather to disorganized folklore, history, and mythology. Shinto today is a term that applies to public shrines suited to various purposes such as war memorials, harvest festivals, romance, and historical monuments, as well as various sectarian organizations.

Shinto is the largest religion in Japan, practiced by nearly 80% of the population, yet only a small percentage of these identify themselves as "Shintoists" in surveys.[27] According to surveys carried out in 2006 and 2008 show that 3% to 3.9% of the population of Japan are members of Shinto sects and derived religions.[28]

Mugyo

Main article: Korean Shamanism

Muism ("religion of the Mu")[29][30] or sometimes Sinism (Shingyo, "religion of the gods", with shin being the Korean character derivative of the Hanja),[31] encompasses a variety of indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the Korean people, the Korean sphere and the Korean diaspora.[32] In contemporary South Korea, the most used term is Muism and a shaman is known as a mudang (무당, 巫堂). The role of the mudang, usually a woman, is to act as intermediary between a spirit entity, spirits or gods and human beings.

Women are enlisted by those who want the help of the spirit world. Shamans hold gut, or services, in order to gain good fortune for clients, cure illnesses by exorcising negative or 'bad' spirits that cling to people, or propitiate local or village gods. Such services are also held to guide the spirit of a deceased person to higher realms. Today this religion is a minority, but has in recent years seen a resurgence.[33]

Iranian religions

Main article: Iranian religions

Zoroastrianism

See also: Zoroastrianism in India and Zoroastrians in Iran

Zoroastrianism was once the state religion of the Persian 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 Iranian religion, and spawned Manichaeism and Mazdakism bishnoism. Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster (also known as Zarathustra, in Avestan), probably founded some time before the 6th century BC. The term Zoroastrianism is, in general usage, essentially synonymous with Mazdaism, i.e., the worship of Ahura Mazda, exalted by Zoroaster as the supreme divine authority.

In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil originates from Him. Thus, in Zoroastrianism good and evil have distinct sources, with evil (druj) trying to destroy the creation of Mazda (asha), and good trying to sustain it. Mazda is not immanent in the world, and His creation is represented by the Amesha Spentas and the host of other Yazatas, through whom the works of God are evident to humanity, and through whom worship of Mazda is ultimately directed. The most important texts of the religion are those of the Avesta, of which a significant portion has been lost, and mostly only the liturgies of which have survived. The lost portions are known of only through references and brief quotations in the later works of (primarily) the 9th-11th centuries.

The total number of currently practicing adherents of Zoroastrianism is unknown. A 2004 esitimate gives a range of 124,000 to 190,000,[34] roughly half of them in India (the Parsi and Irani groups).

The biggest numbers of Zoroastrians in Asia can be found in India where lives 69,000 Zoroastrian,[35] and in Iran (25,000),[36] Afghanistan (10,000), Pakistan (5,000), Singapore (4,500), Persian Gulf Countries (2,200) and in Azerbaijan (2,000).[37]

Shamanism and Animism

Shamanism and Animism has historically been practised in Asia, and is still practiced in most of Asia.[38][39][40]

Sanamahi /Sanamahism

Today it's experiencing a revival of old traditional religion like Sanamahism in most of Asia. In Manipur(Kangleipak),a state in the North East part of India is still following this 2,000-year-old religion by the people of both the valleys and hills till now. The study of Sanamahi religion may be termed as "SANAMAHISM" and the followers as SANAMAHISTS" it simply the cult of Sanamahi the creator of Meetei trinity, the Sidaba Mapu - the immortal one - the immortal trinity god which is in extensive use in ancient literature. The written literature of this religion is call PUYA. At the close of the 20th century, Sanamahism gained a strong foothold owing to the coming of modern education, increase in population and many other social factors. The gap of untouchables between Sanamahism and Hinduism became almost abandon. During this period the impact of Sanamahism became more and more embedded in the hearts and mind of the people at large. As a result, it gave a new hope and dimension in the process of the revivalist's movement of Sanamahism. Old beliefs and religious bindings were untied and the beliefs of emerging movement began to take their place. From the present population trend, the state of Manipur and its region has sharply increased of Sanamahi followers from the previous census. In the religious history of Manipur, on 14 May 1945, the Meetei Marup was formed in Manipur unanimously. This led to the revival of Sanamahi religion and its main follower in all aspect of traditional cultures, scripts of Meetei (Meetei Mayek), customary practices, and religious ceremonies relating to the Sanamahi society. These formations also lead to the conflict between the followers of Sanamahi religion and those who followed Hinduism.[41][42][43]

Abrahamic religions

Main article: Abrahamic religions

Judaism

Judaism is the predominant religion in Israel (75.6%), which has a nominal Jewish population of about 6.1 million,[44] though the matter of distinguishing Jewish religious, cultural and ethnic identity is a complex one.[citation needed]

Outside of Israel there are small ancient communities of Jewish people living in Turkey (17,400),[45] Azerbaijan (9,100),[46] Iran (8,756),[47] India (5,000) and Uzbekistan (4,000).[48]

Christianity

CSI - The first Anglican Church in India[49]
Main article: Christianity in Asia

Christianity is a widespread minority religion in Asia with more than 286 million adherents according to Pew Research Center in 2010,[50] and nearly 364 million according to Britannica Book of the Year 2014.[51] constituting around 12.6% of the total population of Asia.

Only six countries are predominantly Christian: Asian Russia which is predominantly the Russian Orthodox Church ;Cyprus, which is predominantly Orthodox; the Philippines, which is the third-largest Roman Catholic nation in the world;[52] East Timor; Armenia, which was the first state to adopt a Christian denomination as its state religion; and Georgia. Christianity also accounts for 29.2% of South Korea's population (54.5% of its religious population) and is now the predominant religion in South Korea, Christianity is also a large minority religion in Lebanon accounting for 40% of its population.[53] Christianity is also a large minority religion in Kazakhstan (26%),[54] Singapore (18.3%),[55] and Kyrgyzstan (17%).

Asian countries with large Christian populations are Philippines (84 million),[52] China (68 million),[56] India (24 million),[57] Indonesia (23 million), Kazakhstan (16.5 million), South Korea (15 million), Vietnam (7 million),[58] Georgia (4.6 million),[59] Armenia (3.2 million),[60] Malaysia (2.6 million),[61] Japan (2.5 million), Pakistan (2.5 million),[62] Uzbekistan (2.5 million),[63] Syria (1.8 million),[64] Sri Lanka (1.5 million)[65] and Taiwan (one million).[66]

There are still large ancient communities of Middle Eastern Christians and Arab Christians in Lebanon, Iraq, Iran,[67] Turkey,[68] Syria, Jordan, Israel and Palestine numbering more than 3 million in West Asia. There are also a large populations of expatriate workers which include a sizeable Christian communities live in Arabian Peninsula numbering more than 3 million.[69]

Bahá'í Faith

Main article: Bahá'í Faith in Asia

The Bahá'í Faith is an Abrahamic religion although it is quite different from Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It was so founded by Bahá'u'lláh in what was then Persia (also known as Iran). Today the largest national population of Bahá'ís is in India with between 1.7 million[70] to 3.2 million,[71] 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.[72] In other places, like Kazakhstan there are 25 Local Spiritual Assemblies.[73]

In modern-day Iran, the religion is severely persecuted (see Persecution of Bahá'ís). In neighboring Turkmenistan, Bahá'í Faith is effectively banned,[74] and individuals have had their homes raided for Bahá'í literature.[75] For further information, see Bahá'í Statistics for Asia and Category:Bahá'í Faith by country.

Islam

Main article: Islam in Asia
Mosque in Afghanistan

Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur'an, a book considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Arabic: الله Allāh) and by the teachings and normative example (called the Sunnah and composed of hadith) of Muhammad, considered by them to be the last prophet of God. Islam is the largest religion in Asia with approx. 1.1 billion adherents.[76] South Asia and Southeast Asia are home of the most populous Muslim countries, with Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh having more than 100 million adherents each. According to U.S. government figures, in 2006 there were 20 million Muslims in China. In the Western Asia, the non-Arab countries of Iran and Turkey are the largest Muslim-majority countries. In South Asia, Pakistan and Bangladesh are the countries with the largest Muslim-majority. In Central Asia, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan are the countries with the largest Muslim-majority.

Malaysia is 61.3 percent Muslim, Indonesia is 87 percent Muslim, Brunei is 76 percent Muslim, the Maldives are 100 percent Muslim, Southern Philippines is 95 percent Muslim, and Saudi Arabia is 100 percent Muslim.

Of the 104-million-strong population of the Philippines, around 11 percent, some 11 - 15 million people are Muslim.[77][78][79][80] India's Muslim population is 13.4% of the total, approximately 161 million people.[81] Thailand's Muslims make up 4.6 percent of the population, or approximately 3 million people.[82] Also Sri Lanka's Muslims make up 10 percent of the population, or approximately 2.5 million people

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, a minority Muslim sect, originated on the Asian continent in 1889 in Qadian, India. The community had 10 million members as of the 1980s. As of 2008, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has been established in all Asian countries except for Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia and North Korea. Ahmadis are most persecuted in Asia, particularly in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.

Irreligion / monotheism / agnosticism

According to a Pew Research Center survey in 2012 religiously unaffiliated (including agnostics and atheists) make up about 21.2% of Asia population.[83] According to the same survey, the religiously unaffiliated are the majority of the population only in four Asian countries: North Korea (71%), Japan (57%), Hong Kong (56%), and China (52%).[83]

In the People's Republic of China, 59% of the population claim to be non-religious.[84] However, this percentage may be significantly greater (up to 80%) or smaller (down to 30%) in reality, because some Chinese define religion differently. Some Chinese define religion as practicing customs (which may be done for cultural or traditional reasons), while others define it as actually consciously believing their religion will lead to post-mortem salvation or reincarnation. A Dentsu statistic states that 46% of Vietnamese and 51% of Japanese are irreligious.[85]

See also

References

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  7. ^ Estimates for the population of Jains differ from just over four million to twelve million due to difficulties of Jain identity, with Jains in some areas counted as a Hindu sect. Many Jains do not return Jainism as their religion on census forms for various reasons such as certain Jain castes considering themselves both Hindu and Jain. The 1981 Census of India returned 3.19 million Jains. This was estimated at the time to be at least half the true number. There are an estimated 25,000-30,000 Jains in Europe (mostly in Britain), 20,000 in Africa, 45,000 plus in North America (from Dundas, Paul (2002). The Jains. Routledge. p. 271. ISBN 9780415266062.) and 5,000 in the rest of Asia.
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  34. ^ According to a survey in 2004 by the Zoroastrian Associations of North America, the number of Zoroastrians worldwide was estimated at between 124,000 and 190,000. The number is imprecise because of wildly diverging counts in Iran.Goodstein, Laurie (2008-09-06). "Zoroastrians Keep the Faith, and Keep Dwindling". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
  35. ^ India's 2001 Census reported 69,601 Parsi Zoroastrians.
  36. ^ 25,271 according to http://www.amar.org.ir/Portals/1/Iran/census-2.pdf [year needed]
  37. ^ Study
  38. ^ "Animism". OMF. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
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  72. ^ National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Malaysia
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  74. ^ compiled by Wagner, Ralph D. "Turkmenistan". Synopsis of References to the Bahá'í Faith, in the US State Department's Reports on Human Rights 1991–2000. Bahá'í Library Online. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
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  83. ^ a b Religiously Unaffiliated
  84. ^ "China – People". World Desk Reference. Retrieved 2007-01-01.
  85. ^ Dentsu Communication Institute Inc., Research Centre for Japan (2006)Template:Ja icon
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