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While the wordreligion is difficult to define and understand, one standard model of religion that is used inreligious studies courses defines it as
[a] system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic.[1]
Some academicsstudying the subject have divided religions into three broad categories:world religions, a term which refers totranscultural, international faiths;Indigenous religions, which refers to smaller, culture-specific or nation-specific religious groups; andnew religious movements, which refers to recently developed faiths.[5] One modern academic theory of religion,social constructionism, says that religion is a modern concept that suggests allspiritual practice andworship follows a model similar to theAbrahamic religions as an orientation system that helps to interpret reality and define human beings,[6] and thus believes that religion, as a concept, has beenapplied inappropriately to non-Western cultures that are not based upon such systems, or in which these systems are a substantially simpler construct.
Eastern religions are the religions which originated inEast,South andSoutheast Asia encompassing a diverse range of eastern and spiritual traditions.[7]
World religions that originated inEast Asia, also known as Taoic religions; namelyTaoism andConfucianism and religions and traditions descended from them.
Sects such as the Nirankari, Ramraiya and Namdhari are not accepted within the Sikh Rehat Maryada (Sikh Code of Conduct) as they believe in a current human guru.
Religions that consist of the traditional customs and beliefs of particular ethnic groups, refined and expanded upon for thousands of years, and often lacking formal doctrine. Some adherents do not consider their ways "religion", preferring other cultural terms. Many indigenous religions incorporate forms ofanimism,totemism, andshamanism alongsidenature,ancestor, andanimal worship.
Religions that cannot be classed as eitherworld religions or traditionalfolk religions, and are usually recent in their inception. Non-cargo cults are generally excluded from this list, seelist of cults for groups considered cults.[12]
