A List of Religions and Belief Systems

It is simply impossible to list all varieties of religion as we [mankind] have created an almost infinite variety of religious and transcendental ideas. For example, "theism" is any religion that contains god(s), and "polytheism", which believes in many gods, is also a form of theism. Believing in only one Creator (God) is called "monotheism".  A belief in the existence of a supreme being, specifically of a creator who does not intervene in the universe is known as "deism". While "pantheism" is a doctrine which identifies the Creator (God) with the universe, or regards the universe as a manifestation of God, some pantheists also believe in several gods. "Agnosticism" is a belief that God, if he exists, is by nature unknowable and will always be unknowable. There is also "panentheism" which includes the belief or doctrine that the Creator is greater than the universe and interpenetrates it. Then there is "atheism"... disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of any god or gods.

The following chart lists the various religions and religious ideologies. *Items in lower case italics are classes of religion and not actual religions.

Religions:

Amish (monotheism) - A peaceful Christian fundamentalist group famous for its rejection of technology and strict adherence to OT and NT laws.

*ancestor worship (theism) - A form of belief, rather than a specific system. Belief that good relations need to be kept with tribal ancestor spirits. Often a form of Shamanism.

Asatrú (polytheism) - A modern uptake of  Nordic religion.

Bahá'í Faith (monotheism) -  Belief that a series of prophets have come from God, and that Bahá'í is the latest religion founded by God. A liberal offshoot of Islam, but persecuted in Iran.

Brahma Kumari (pantheism) - A group that are preparing to rule the world after a coming apocalypse, and embrace many practices which are now called New Age (see below).

Buddhism (pantheism) - The belief that meditation and good living can break the cycle of reincarnation and result in enlightenment.

Celtic Paganism (not defined) - Modern reconstructions of Celtic paganism form part of the neo-pagan range of religions.

Chen Tao (theism) - A series of civilisations on Earth have arisen but destroyed themselves in nuclear war. Each time, some faithful believers were rescued by flying saucers and put back on Earth.

Chinese Religion (atheism) - A varied cultural religion practiced traditionally on a town-by-town and region-by-region basis. They follow no holy scriptures and prepare for reincarnation until escape.

Christadelphians (monotheism) - An offshoot of the Christian religion that believes you will either go to Heaven or Hell.

Christian Apostolic Church in Zion (theism) - Fundamentalist anti-science flat-earth Christian cult, who also predicted the End of the World would occur 4 different times.

Christianity (monotheism) - Belief that a single creator (God) had a son, Jesus Christ, born to a human mother, and that Jesus' crucifixion by the Romans brings salvation to mankind. A second coming of Jesus will be incorporated in the future to cleanse the world of sin once and for all. Christianity is the largest religion in the world.

Confucianism (atheism) - A world religion based on a collection of ethical and moral teachings of Confucius.

Dami Zuanjiao (theism) - A millenarian cult based on the belief that Jesus would return to judge survivors in 1999. Suspected of being on the verge of mass suicide after predictions of the end of the world failed in year 2000. They might not have gotten the dates right, but they are convinced the world will be destroyed and end by a meteor strike.

Druidism (not specified) - Celtic religion in prehistoric England. Modern reconstructed Druidism is part of the neo-pagan range of religions.

Druze (pantheism) - A semi-secretive esoteric religion with features of a mystery religion. The Druze conception of the deity is declared by them to be one of strict and uncompromising unity. The main Druze doctrine states that God is both transcendent and immanent, in which he is above all attributes, but at the same time, he is present.

Eckankar (theism) - New Age religion, a mix of Sant Mat, Theosophy and Scientology. Basically, a religion constructed purely out of positive, white-light, happy-sounding words but with very little sense. It derived largely from a Westernization of the Punjabi Sant Mat tradition. It is a religion that tries its utmost best not to upset anyone at all. They also believe in reincarnation until escape.

Gnostic (gnosticism) - The belief that we must escape from this world, which was created and is ruled by an inferior and unworthy god, and will one day reunite with the true god.

Hare Krishna (polytheism) - The embracing of Krishna through correct living, honesty, spiritual life and austerity. They also believe in reincarnation until escape.

Hinduism (pantheism/polytheism) - Cultural religion of India which was historically decentralized and disparate and not a single belief system. Western influence made it into a single religion, an identity which Hindus now accept.

Humanism (atheism) - An organized form of atheism where moral and ethical goodness is emphasized.

Islam (monotheism) - Strict monotheistic beliefs taught by the prophet, Muhammad via the religion's holy book, the Quran. It is the world's second largest religion.

Jainism (pantheism/polytheism) - a 'Vedic' religion alongside Hinduism and Buddhism. Jainism, like other Vedic religions, embraces the concept of karma, and although historically Jains took the idea to an extreme and sought to reduce and remove all desires and all effects of actions to become as passive as possible, modern Jains largely take into account the motives of actions, and so embrace a more moralistic form of karma.

Jehovah's Witnesses (monotheism) - A 140-year-old Christian fundamentalist/literalist organization famous for preaching that the world is about to end. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that God uses an organization both in heaven and on earth, and that Jehovah's Witnesses, under the direction of their Governing Body, are the only visible channel by which God communicates with humanity.

Judaism (monotheism) - Organized Judaism emerged from Babylonian writings. Belief that God has a special contract with the Hebrew tribes, involving many specific rules of law and behaviour, the Jews are awaiting their Messiah (savior) to come and rescue the adherents from an evil world.

Mennonite (monotheism) - A Christian Protestant denomination, like the Amish, lead a simple life believing in one god who will one day cleanse the world of evil.

Mithraism (monotheism) - Roman mystery religion that believed that the Son of the Sun was a savior who was sacrificed for the good of all.

Mysticism (panentheism) - The belief that God is unknowable but accessible, and that doctrinal religion hampers spiritual growth.

New Age (pantheism) - A disparate and diverse collection of popular beliefs and practices. Popular elements include alchemy, alternative psychotherapy, aromatherapy, astrology, channeling, crystal work, divination, Gnosticism, karma, lightwork and color healing, magic, mediums, psychic powers of every kind, reincarnation and past life regression, sacred geometry (leylines, pyramid power, magical shapes), Spiritualism, Tarot card readings, Taoism, Yoga and many other splintered movements and zany practices.

Occultism (not specified) - A form of belief, rather than a specific system. Normally existing within other belief systems, occult systems concentrate on esoteric meanings in texts, often with magical undertones.

Paganism (polytheism) - Part of the neo-pagan range of religions. Paganism encompasses a range of religions, belief systems and practices: these include Asatrú, Celtic revivalism, Druidism, Goddess Spirituality, Heathenism, Paganism, various magical groups, some of the New Age, a few occult groups, Sacred Ecology and Wicca.

Raja Yoga (polytheism) - An astika school of Hindu philosophy based around mastering and quieting the mind, involving meditation.

Santeria (monotheism) - A combination of West African, Caribbean beliefs with some elements of Roman Catholicism.

Satanism (atheism) - An atheist religion that uses dark and evil symbology for self-development and anti-religious purposes - Satan itself is not a real being, just a symbol.

Scientology (atheism) - Derived from the writings of science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, a series of practices called Dianetics is used to clear minds of alien influences and attain a state of mental perfection. The adherents belief in reincarnation.

Shamanism (theism) - Belief that Shamans need to keep good relations with tribal ancestor spirits for the good fortune of the whole tribe.

Shinto (atheism) -  Official collection of practices in Japan, more cultural than religious.

Sikhism (monotheism) - Prayer, meditation and self control to become a soldier of God.

Spiritualism (panentheism) - The belief that the souls of the dead communicate with the living, mostly through Mediums, but, suffered serious credibility problems with the original founders admitted to fraudulently inventing the 'rappings' that formed the communications.

*sun worship (not defined) - A form of belief, rather than a specific system. The basis of much symbology used in many subsequent religions.

Taoism (pantheism) - A relaxed and peaceful religion based on following and accepting the flow of life. 

Thelema (polytheism) - A magical system of discerning True Will with inspiration from a host of Egyptian gods.  

Traditional African Church (monotheism) - A range of Churches ranging from mostly Christian, to encapsulating native African spirituality.

Unification Church (monotheism) - Sun Myung Moon embodied the Second Coming of Christ, and his commercialist church runs a media empire. The teachings of the church are based on the Bible and the Exposition of the Divine Principle.

Unitarianism (monotheism) - A liberal and non-Trinitarian Christian church who believes all will go to heaven.

*universalism (theism) - A form of belief, rather than a specific system. Belief that all people go to heaven.

Voodoo (deism) - A traditional religion from Haiti with an ethical focus on combating greed and promoting honour.

Wicca (theism) - Neo-pagan organization based around reconstructed elements of folklore. Founded in the UK in the 1950s,  Wiccan practices center on ritual, nature veneration, natural cycles, and magical and spiritual learning. Heaven and Hell is not defined.

Yezidism (monotheism) - An ancient religion. Malek Taus looks after the world with 6 other angels. This religion is heavily persecuted by Muslims and accused of being devil worship.

Zoroastrianism (monotheism) - An ancient dualistic religion from Iran with one good god (Ahura Mazda) and one evil one (Ahriman). This religion's teachings can be found in the Avesta.

Info Source: http://www.humanreligions.info/religions.html