Religion is a person’s belief in and subsequent worship of, a god, goddess, or many gods and goddesses. The term religion expresses an idea that is more than a person’s private faith, and encompasses a broad theme. Within cultural settings, religions are often influenced and shaped by the political leanings of the day. The word religion is derived from the Latin word religio, which has an unknown origin. When studied in school, religion is offered as a humanities course. These are studies that deal with the creations of the human spirit, such as language, philosophy and literature. The study of religion requires the reading of religious texts, the comparison of different religious beliefs and practices, and the study of world religions for the purpose of having a better understanding of the beliefs, customs and attitudes of other cultures. Studying religion is a way to allow people to reflect on the mysterious questions of their very existence.
     There are twelve major world religions that are comprised of a huge part of the world’s population. They are as follows; Hinduism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Shinto, Confucianism, Jainism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, and Baha’i.  The basis of the Hindu religion is that we are all one, and must be in complete unity. Progress in Hinduism is called enlightenment, and they believe in karma, which is the compilation of one’s deeds, both good and bad, and which determines what they will be reincarnated as in their next life. Judaism is the belief in one God, the ruler of the universe. The Jews believe in the inherent goodness of the world and the people of the world, and hold that they are not in need of a savior from original sin. Jews believe that they are God’s chosen people, and will be gathered to Israel for his second coming. The belief of the Zoroastrians is that there is one god who is in constant contention with an evil spirit. Their lives are dedicated to the motto “good thoughts, good words, good deeds.” The Zoroastrian church does not accept converts. Buddhism is the worship of Buddha, and the idea that one cycles constantly through birth, life and death, When a person is able to let go of fleshly desires, and self seeking attitudes, they are released into nirvana which is the ultimate goal. The religion of Shinto had four main “affirmations.”  These are, tradition and family come first, the love of nature, physical cleanliness, and the celebration of the festival “Matsuri”, which is to honor spirits. Confucians believe in a system that is more of an ethical system than religious. They believe in celebrating important rituals such as birth, reaching maturity, marriage and death. Jainism is similar to Buddhism and Hinduism, and functions primarily on the idea of non-violence and karma. Taoism is the belief that we are all part of a force that flows through all life, and is the cause for everything. The goal is to become one with the Tao. Christianity is based on the belief of one God. Christians believe in original sin, and that Jesus Christ came to die on the cross and save us from that sin. Christians believe in a definite heaven and hell. islam is the worship of Allah, and regards the divine nature of Jesus and the Trinity as blasphemy, and they do not believe He died on the cross. Sikhs believe in a formless God, who can be revealed to you through much meditation. They believe everyone has equal status in the eyes of God. Baha’i practices that God sent nine Major Prophets that have had the “Word of God” revealed to them. They believe that they will become a “one world government “, and promote world peace to all.