Religion is a special type of worldview associated with belief in transcendental forces. The very word in Latin means "piety" or "conscientiousness." Most often, religion is an idealistic worldview based on faith in God. Her main attribute is belief in the supernatural beginning.
We'll figure out what religions are. At an early stage of human existence there was already a cult of animals (in the so-called Stone Age) and hunting rituals. This is confirmed by archaeological data, in particular, preserved ancient images carved by primitive instruments on the walls of caves. At about the same time, a belief in the existence of the afterlife was born. In confirmation of this, it can be said that the hunters were buried with their weapons, which would have been useful to them in another world. Over time, the level of awareness and culture of people grew. Developed and the idea of the world. If you look at what religions are among the most backward peoples today, one can get an idea of what our ancestors believed in the Bronze Age. This idolatry, animism, shamanism and veneration of the dead.
But religion is not just some kind of primitive cult. This is a higher level of outlook, which includes a number of provisions. Otherwise, it degrades to the level of primitive witchcraft. Consider what religions are. All of them can be divided into two main varieties: mono- and polytheistic. What are the religions in the first case? The most famous of them are Judaism, Christianity, Islam. They are very similar in many respects. The monotheism of many directions of Christianity is questioned, since in this religion the triune essence of God is usually recognized. In all these systems of world outlook, the opposition of good and evil, the Supreme and the devil is emphasized. One can say with confidence that Islam grew out of Judaism, incorporating elements of Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Arab folklore. What are the religions that do not profess the principle of monotheism (monotheism)? Perhaps the largest of these is Hinduism. It has about 900 million followers. There are four basic provisions in Hinduism: the reverence and study of ancient sacred books, faith in Supernatural beings, as well as in the immortal soul and the afterlife. Shinto is the ancient religion of the Japanese. It is based on the veneration of the gods responsible for the forces of nature, and the spirits of the dead ancestors. This religion was formed under the influence of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. However, it left a lot of original, for example, the practice of shamanism. One can also mention here archaic cults preserved to the south of the Sahara desert. What are the faiths and religions in Africa? It is worth remembering first of all about the widespread cult of voodoo. This religion teaches that the entire surrounding world is filled with invisible energy, that there is infinity in the universe. The priests (ungans and mambots) serve as priests. If they are expelled because of misdemeanors, they most likely become bocoram - dark magicians. Such people are dangerous because they can zombify, that is, deprive the human mind of completely subordinating it to their influence. As it turned out recently, the matter here is not even in witchcraft, but in the application of certain chemicals. Acts of bokors usually cause censure. Speaking of which religions are south of the Sahara, it is worth pointing to those signs that are common to all beliefs of black Africans. First, they have developed a cult of the deceased ancestors. Often, huts are built in family cemeteries. Thus, the deceased ancestors still remain members of the family. Africans believe in evil spirits and believe that sorcerers can use their power. The possibilities of such people have no limits. According to the Africans, they can easily turn into animals, move through the air for long distances, and also send spoilage. With sorcerers, the soothsayers are struggling - people who are supposedly also endowed with special abilities. Africans believe that there is a single creator, as well as the gods of the lower and higher rank.
What are the religions of the indigenous peoples of Siberia and the Far East? Before the arrival of Christianity there was widespread shamanism. A number of Turkic peoples had faith in Tengri - God of Heaven. Until now, many Altaians turn to the shamans, intermediaries between people and the world of spirits, for help. These magicians, plunging into a trance, try to come into contact with the transcendental forces.