Relationship between Religion and Science

Is there relationship between religion and science? Defining the two words, science, according to wikipedia it is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe, while religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and moral values. Science and religion are sometimes thought to offer entirely different and separate bodies of knowledge.

Many people feel that their own religious tradition is absolutely true, whereas science and all other faiths are artificial and deeply flawed belief systems, invented by error-prone humans. This attitude often fuels religious conflict, sometimes escalating into mass crimes against humanity and genocide. The result is that different religious traditions battle each other, as well as disagree with the findings of science.

In so far as the science presents the defective points of the religion, the religion sees itself in the obligation to give a fitting reply and even more purified to the questions of the faith. It is evident the existence of fundamentalist religions that do not have the courage of make itself ready to the questionings of science, those are incoherent religions and they are out of the dynamics of the life, therefore it creates a parallel and total superstitious world.

Albert Einstein, one of the best scientists of the last times, known world-wide for the theory of the relativity that provided the great revolution of the physics, wrote in one of his texts: "This situation can be express by an image: the science without religion is cripple, and the religion without science is blind."

source: wikipedia, rescomp.stanford.edu/~cheshire/EinsteinQuotes.html

The Bible say about Religion

The english word religion simply means "a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny" is derived from the Latin word religio which meant to respect, or care for.



Both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible were completed before either Buddhism or Islam emerged as religions. They are not mentioned by name anywhere in the Bible, nor is Hinduism. However, the Bible makes an exclusive claim that there is only one God and that he is the one that the scriptures reveal. It also opposes any other religious system that either the Biblical Jews or early Christians encountered.

According in the Bible in Exodus 20:2 & 3 (New International Version), ² “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  ³ You shall have no other gods before me."

This became the fundamental directive linked to Israel's blessing and to their freedom to govern itself in their own land.

The Bible does not ignore the fact that the other nations did not always revere their God. Read 1 King 18:16-46, this was a very public display of God's power and involvement with his people. Also read Acts 17: 22-31, according to Paul, prior to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God was willing to overlook idolatry as an expression of ignorance but that now they should repent and turn to this God.

In short, the Bible does not leave room for any other religion to be valid or true. Belief in God is considered foundational to faith and a faith-filled life is the only way that anyone can please God. See Hebrews 11:6. The Bible clearly states that everyone will one day proclaim that Jesus is Lord. This will bring glory to God, the Father. This confession is understood to imply that there is, as God first proclaimed, no other god beside him. See Philippians 2:9-11.

source: Bible Study, www.biblegateway.com

 

 

Main Religions in the Philippines

Religion holds a central place in the life of the majority of Filipinos, including Roman Catholic, Muslim, Evangelical, Iglesia ni Kristo, Aglipayan, unspecified, and none. It is central not as an abstract belief system, but rather as a host are experiences, rituals, ceremonies, and adjurations that provide continuity in life, cohesion in the community and moral purpose for existence. Religious associations are part of the system of kinship ties, patron-client bonds and other linkages outside the nuclear family.

According to the percentage of religions in the Philippines the Roman Catholic 80.9%, Muslim 5%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%, Aglipayan 2%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1% (2000 census).

The Philippines is a predominantly Christian nation on account of 300 years of Spanish rule. It is estimated that 81% of the population is Roman Catholic. In the south on the large island of Mindanao, many are adherents of Islam. Filipino Muslims make up about five percent of the national population. 

There is a Philippine Independent Church, known as Iglesia Filipina Independiente or Aglipayan Church (after its first head Gregorio Aglipay); it is affiliated with the Anglican Communion.

Another independent church was founded in 1914 by Felix Manalo; it is a unitarian religious organization known as Iglesia ni Cristo.

Missionaries of the Jehovah's Witnesses arrived in the Philippines during the American colonial rule (1898-1945). There are now 150,000 members in the country.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have 600,000 Mormon members in the Philippines.

Animism or folk religion encompassing indigenous spiritual traditions from pre-colonial times still prevail even among baptized members of formal churches. Superstitious beliefs are widespread. 

source:  tagaloglang.com/.../Religion/religion-in-the-phili... - Estados Unidos

Bahá'í

The Bahá'í Faith arose from Islam in the 1800s based on the teachings of Baha'u'llah and is now a distinct worldwide faith. The faith's followers believe that God has sent nine great prophets to mankind through whom the Holy Spirit has revealed the "Word of God." This has given rise to the major world religions. Although these religions arose from the teachings of the prophets of one God, Bahá'í's do not believe they are all the same. The differences in the teachings of each prophet are due to the needs of the society they came to help and what mankind was ready to have revealed to it. Bahá'í beliefs promote gender and race equality, freedom of expression and assembly, world peace and world government. They believe that a single world government led by Bahá'ís will be established at some point in the future. The faith does not attempt to preserve the past but does embrace the findings of science. Bahá'ís believe that every person has an immortal soul which can not die but is freed to travel through the spirit world after death.

A Bahá'í group exists wherever two or more Bahá'ís reside and where the Bahá'í community has not formed a Local Spiritual Assembly. The main focus of a Bahá'í group should be fellowship, community building, and teaching in order to strengthen the community so that it may eventually form a Local Spiritual Assembly. While it is suggested that Bahá'í groups register with the National Spiritual Assembly, a group is not an administrative institution of the Faith and, therefore, does not have the same duties and responsibilities as a Local Spiritual Assembly. Registered Bahá'í groups have certain privileges that unregistered groups do not, which are referred to in the section titled Group Formation and Officer Election. The following guidance is intended to assist individuals and members of Bahá'í groups in understanding their responsibilities and in knowing what matters should be referred to a nearby Local Spiritual Assembly or to the National Spiritual Assembly.

Development of Bahá'í groups well-grounded in Bahá'í principles and patterns of community life is essential to the establishment of new Local Spiritual Assemblies that are strong and vital, capable of serving the interests and needs of their communities from the outset. Therefore, the energies of Bahá'í groups should be centered in cultivating a spirit of loving fellowship, teaching unceasingly, and becoming trained and adept in the art of Bahá'í consultation, which is the primary skill for Bahá'í community life. Creation of communities that are loving, unified, and diverse will attract and hold the hearts of seekers, as such communities embody the qualities of the divinely promised refuge for which all humanity is seeking.

source: bahai-library.com/nsa_guidance_bahai_groups

Sikhism

The Sikh faith was founded by Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the Punjab area, now Pakistan. He began preaching the way to enlightenment and God after receiving a vision. After his death a series of nine Gurus (regarded as reincarnations of Guru Nanak) led the movement until 1708. At this time these functions passed to the Panth and the holy text. This text, the Shri Guru Granth Sahib, was compiled by the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh. It consists of hymns and writings of the first 10 Gurus, along with texts from different Muslim and Hindu saints. The holy text is considered the 11th and final Guru.

Sikhs believe in a single formless God with many names, who can be known through meditation. Sikhs pray many times each day and are prohibited from worshipping idols or icons. They believe in samsara, karma, and reincarnation as Hindus do but reject the caste system. They believe that everyone has equal status in the eyes of God. During the 18th century, there were a number of attempts to prepare an accurate portrayal of Sikh customs. Sikh scholars and theologians started in 1931 to prepare the Reht Maryada -- the Sikh code of conduct and conventions. This has successfully achieved a high level of uniformity in the religious and social practices of Sikhism throughout the world. It contains 27 articles. Article 1 defines who is a Sikh:

"Any human being who faithfully believes in:

• One Immortal Being,
• Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Gobind Singh,
• The Guru Granth Sahib,
• The utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus and
• the baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru, and who does not owe allegiance to any other religion, is a Sikh."

Worldwide, there are 25.8 million Sikhs and approximately 75% of Sikhs live in the Indian state of Punjab, where they constitute about 60% of the state's population. Even though there are a large number of Sikhs in the world, certain countries have not recognised Sikhi as a major religion. Large communities of Sikhs live in the neighboring states, and large communities of Sikhs can be found across India. However, Sikhs only make up about 2% of the Indian population.

In addition to social divisions, there is a misperception that there are a number of Sikh sectarian groups, such asNamdharis and Nirankaris. Nihangs tend to have little difference in practice and are considered the army of Sikhi. There is also a sect known as Udasi, founded by Sri Chand who were initially part of Sikhi but later developed into a monastic order.

Sikh Migration beginning from the 19th century led to the creation of significant communities in Canada (predominantly in Brampton, along with Malton in Ontario and Abbotsford, Mission, Lower Mainland, Surrey in British Columbia), East Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom as well as Australia and New Zealand. These communities developed as Sikhs migrated out of Punjab to fill in gaps in imperial labour markets. In the early twentieth century a significant community began to take shape on the west coast of the United States. Smaller populations of Sikhs are found in within many countries in Western Europe, Mauritius, Malaysia, Fiji, Nepal, China, Pakistan,Afghanistan, Iraq, Singapore, Mexico and many other countries.

Since 1968, thousands of non-Punjabis have taken up the Sikh belief and lifestyle primarily in the United States, Canada, Latin America, the Far East and Australia. These first and second generation Sikhs are of various ethnic backgrounds and include Caucasians, Blacks, and Chinese.

source:

 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism

Islam

Islam was founded in 622 CE by Muhammad the Prophet, in Makkah (also spelled Mecca). Though it is the youngest of the world's great religions, Muslims do not view it as a new religion. They belief that it is the same faith taught by the prophets, Abraham, David, Moses and Jesus. The role of Muhammad as the last prophet was to formalize and clarify the faith and purify it by removing ideas which were added in error. The two sacred texts of Islam are the Qur'an, which are the words of Allah 'the One True God' as given to Muhammad, and the Hadith, which is a collection of Muhammad's sayings. The duties of all Muslims are known as the Five Pillars of Islam and are:

1. Recite the shahadah at least once.
2. Perform the salat (prayer) 5 times a day while facing the Kaaba in Makkah.
3. Donate regularly to charity via the zakat, a 2.5% charity tax, and through additional donations to the needy.
4. Fast during the month of Ramadan, the month that Muhammad received the Qur'an from Allah.
5. Make pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in life, if economically and physically possible.

Muslims follow a strict monotheism with one creator who is just, omnipotent and merciful. They also believe in Satan who drives people to sin, and that all unbelievers and sinners will spend eternity in Hell. Muslims who sincerely repent and submit to God will return to a state of sinlessness and go to Paradise after death. Alcohol, drugs, and gambling should be avoided and they reject racism. They respect the earlier prophets, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, but regard the concept of the divinity of Jesus as blasphemous and do not believe that he was executed on the cross.

Denomination of Islam are the following:

-Sunni Muslims are the largest group in Islam, comprising the vast bulk (80-90%) of the world's 1.5 billion Muslims, hence the title Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘ah (people of the tradition and union). In Arabic language, as-Sunnahliterally means "tradition" or "path". The Qur'an and the Sunnah (the example of Muhammad's life) as recorded in hadith are the primary foundations of Sunni doctrine. According to Sunni Islam, the "normative" example of Muhammad's life is called the Sunnah (literally "trodden path"). This example is preserved in traditions known as hadith ("reports"), which recount his words, his actions, and his personal characteristics. The classical Muslim jurist ash-Shafi'i (d. 820) emphasized the importance of the Sunnah in Islamic law, and Muslims are encouraged to emulate Muhammad's actions in their daily lives. The Sunnah is seen as crucial to guiding interpretation of the Qur'an. Two major hadith collections are Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. Sunnis believe that the first four caliphs were the rightful successors to Muhammad; since God did not specify any particular leaders to succeed him, those leaders had to be elected. Sunnis believe that a caliph should be chosen by the whole community.

There are four recognised madh'habs (schools of thought): Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali. All four accept the validity of the others and a Muslim may choose any one that he or she finds agreeable. TheSalafi (also known as Ahl al-Hadith, or Wahhabi by its adversaries) is a ultra-orthodox Islamic movement which takes the first generation of Muslims as exemplary models.

-The Shi'a constitute 10–20% of Islam and are its second-largest branch. They believe in the political and religious leadership of Imams from the progeny of Ali ibn Abi Talib, who Shia's believe was the true successor after Muhammad. They believe that Ali ibn Abi Talib was the first Imam (leader), rejecting the legitimacy of the previous Muslim caliphs. To most Shias, an Imam rules by right of divine appointment and holds "absolute spiritual authority" among Muslims, having final say in matters of doctrine and revelation. Shias regard Ali as the prophet's true successor and believe that a caliph is appointed by divine will. Although the Shi'as share many core practices with the Sunni, the two branches disagree over validity of specific collections of hadith, with Shias preferring hadiths attributed to the Ahl al-Bayt.

Shia Islam has several branches, the largest of which is the Twelvers (iṯnāʿašariyya). Although the Shi'as share many core practices with the Sunni, the two branches disagree over the proper importance and validity of specific collections of hadith. The Twelver Shi'a follow a legal tradition called Ja'fari jurisprudence.^[153] Other smaller groups include the Ismaili and Zaidi, who differ from Twelvers in both their line of successors and theological beliefs. Other smaller branches include the Alawites and Alevi.

-Sufism is a mystical-ascetic approach to Islam that seeks to find divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God. By focusing on the more spiritual aspects of religion, Sufis strive to obtain direct experience of God by making use of "intuitive and emotional faculties" that one must be trained to use. Sufism and Islamic law are usually considered to be complementary, although Sufism has been criticized by the Salafi sect for what they see as an unjustified religious innovation. Many Sufi orders, or tariqas, can be classified as either Sunni or Shi'a, but others classify themselves simply as 'Sufi'.

-Minor denominations:

• Ahmadiyya is an Messianic movement founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad that began in India in the late 19th century and is practiced by millions of people around the world.
• The Berghouata were a late first millennium Berber sect who followed a syncretic religion inspired by Islam (perhaps influenced by Judaism) with elements of Sunni, Shi'a and Kharijite Islam, mixed with astrological and heathen traditions.
• The Kharijites are a sect that dates back to the early days of Islam. The only surviving branch of the Kharijites is Ibadism. Unlike most Kharijite groups, Ibadism does not regard sinful Muslims as unbelievers. The Imamate is an important topic in Ibadi legal literature, which stipulates that the leader should be chosen solely on the basis of his knowledge and piety, and is to be deposed if he acts unjustly. Most Ibadi Muslims live in Oman, with a number of diasporic communities in Northern Africa.
• The Quranists are Muslims who generally reject the Hadith and/or the Sunnah.
• Yazdânism is seen as a blend of local Kurdish beliefs and Islamic Sufi doctrine introduced to Kurdistan by Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir in the 12th century.                                                                                                                 

Christianity

Christianity started out as a breakaway sect of Judaism nearly 2000 years ago. Jesus, the son of the Virgin Mary and her husband Joseph, but conceived through the Holy Spirit, was bothered by some of the practices within his native Jewish faith and began preaching a different message of God and religion. During his travels he was joined by twelve disciples who followed him in his journeys and learned from him. He performed many miracles during this time and related many of his teachings in the form of parables. Among his best known sayings are to "love thy neighbor" and "turn the other cheek." At one point he revealed that he was the Son of God sent to Earth to save humanity from our sins. This he did by being crucified on the cross for his teachings. He then rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples and told them to go forth and spread his message.

Since Christianity and Judaism share the same history up to the time of Jesus Christ, they are very similar in many of their core beliefs. There are two primary differences. One is that Christians believe in original sin and that Jesus died in our place to save us from that sin. The other is that Jesus was fully human and fully God and as the Son of God is part of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. All Christians believe in heaven and that those who sincerely repent their sins before God will be saved and join Him in heaven. Belief in hell and satan varies among groups and individuals.

There are a multitude of forms of Christianity which have developed either because of disagreements on dogma, adaptation to different cultures, or simply personal taste. For this reason there can be a great difference between the various forms of Christianity they may seem like different religions to some people.

Most of the Christian denominations and sects in the world can be sorted into about eight segments or branches:

• Roman Catholicism- This has the largest membership of any meta-group in Christianity. It is headed by the Pope in Rome, whose rulings are considered infallible in certain cases. The church is coordinated by the Curia, which is composed of one Secretariat, and 27 agencies, each headed by a Cardinal. Local administration is by Bishops and Archbishops who control activity in their Dioceses and Archdioceses.
• Eastern Orthodox Churches- a communion of autocephalous, (ecclesiastically independent) Christian faith groups which forms the dominant religious bodies in Bulgaria, Belarus, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Romania, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine. They play a significant role in eleven other countries, including the U.S. and Canada, and have a scattered presence elsewhere in the world. They and the Roman Catholic Church formally separated from each other in 1054 CE, although they had been functioning nearly independently long before that date.
• Oriental Orthodox and Assyrian Churches- This grouping consists of five churches in the Middle East and South India. The Catholic Assyrian Church of the East and the Roman Catholic church separated from each other after the Council of Ephesus in  431 CE. The four Oriental Orthodox churches and the Roman Catholic Church separated from each other after the Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE, when the Oriental Orthodox churches rejected the Council's concept of Christ as one person "in two natures." The four Oriental Orthodox churches are:

  	The Armenian Apostolic Church in Armenia and Lebanon;
  	The Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt;
  	The Ethiopian Orthodox Church; and
  	The Syrian Orthodox Churches which include the See of Antioch and the Syrian Thomas Christians of South India.

  
  
  A fifth church is often grouped with the Oriental Orthodox churches:

  The Catholic Assyrian Church of the East

• Protestantism- This is composed of a  group of independent denominations, sects, and independent churches numbering in excess of 30,000 worldwide. They trace their history back to the Reformation which was triggered when Martin Luther circulated 95 theses in which he listed what he considered to be faults in the Roman Catholic Church -- both theological and in its policies. Protestant denominations have been grouped into 13 families, according to their historical roots. There are over 1,000 Protestant denominations in North America, ranging fromextreme Fundamentalist to very Liberal. Included are such diverse groups as Quakers, Mormons,Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Scientists. Most are democratically organized.  
• The Restorationist faith groups share the belief that the "true" Christian church died out as the church abandoned many of the teachings of Yeshua of Nazareth (Jesus Christ), Paul, and other apostles -- perhaps early in the 2^nd Century CE. This group includes the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as founded by Joseph Smith in 1830. Almost a hundred denominations trace their history back to that faith group. Other restorationist groups include the Christadelphians,Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, etc. Their beliefs and practices differ greatly. However, all believe that their group, alone, has restored the original beliefs and practices of Yeshua and the apostles. Most regard themselves as the true Christian church. Most or all are obviously wrong.
• Other groups: There are probably many hundreds of faith groups which do not neatly fit into any of the above five classifications. Three of the more interesting are:

  	Progressive Christianity, a very liberal Christian group which does not look upon itself as a denomination. Rather they are building a network of affiliated congregations, informal groups and individual members.
  	A group called the Two by Twos, The Black Stockings, The Church Without a Name, Cooneyites, etc. teach that their group has been in continuous but secret existence since the 1st century. They believe that their faith group was founded by Jesus, and is the only "true" Christian church.
  	Gnostic Christians This movement and its literature were essentially wiped out by the end of the 5th century CE by heresy hunters from mainline Christianity. They believe that salvation comes through Gnosis (knowledge.) They are currently experiencing a rebirth throughout the world. source: www.religioustolerance.org › Christianity

Taoism

Taoism was founded by Lao-Tse, a contemporary of Confucius in China. Taoism began as a combination of psychology and philosophy which Lao-Tse hoped would help end the constant feudal warfare and other conflicts of his time. His writings, the Tao-te-Ching, describe the nature of life, the way to peace and how a ruler should lead his life. Taoism became a religion in 440 CE when it was adopted as a state religion.

Tao, roughly translated as path, is a force which flows through all life and is the first cause of everything. The goal of everyone is to become one with the Tao. Tai Chi, a technique of exercise using slow deliberate movements, is used to balance the flow of energy or "chi" within the body. People should develop virtue and seek compassion, moderation and humility. One should plan any action in advance and achieve it through minimal action. Yin (dark side) and Yang (light side) symbolize pairs of opposites which are seen through the universe, such as good and evil, light and dark, male and female. The impact of human civilization upsets the balance of Yin and Yang. Taoists believe that people are by nature, good, and that one should be kind to others simply because such treatment will probably be reciprocated.

Modern Taoism falls into main categories: 'Southern' Taoism, popular in Taiwan and South China and 'Northern' Taoism, a tradition largely unknown to Westerners but widely practised among modern Taoists in mainland China.

Southern Taoism

Southern Taoism is an offshoot of Cheng-i Taoism, the only liturgical tradition surviving today. The modern Cheng-i tradition dates back to the 11th century. Its priests still perform liturgies like the chiao, believed to harmonise the local community with the cosmos. They also perform healing rituals and exorcisms in public. But these activities are frowned upon by 'Northern' Taoists.

Northern Taoism

The outside world knew little about the existence of Northern Taoism until the 1980s because few foreigners were allowed to enter mainland China under conditions that allowed them to experience the country's religious culture. For a time there was also a question mark over whether Taoism had survived the crackdown on all religions in China from 1966 to 1976.

Northern Taoism grew out of the Ch'üan-chen tradition. It was founded in the 12th century by Wang Chu'ung-yang. It emphasises moral and spiritual discipline and also continues self-preservation practices that date back to the classical Nei-yeh. Its headquarters are at White Cloud Abbey in Beijing.

Other groups

There are other Taoist groups but none of them is believed to exist in its original form. Some of them are listed below:

• Chin tan (Golden Elixir) Taoism - a tradition strong on meditation or 'Inner Alchemy'. Much of this practice was absorbed into the Ch'üan chen tradition.
• Ch'ing wei (Clarified Tenuity) Taoism - A complex of ritual traditions that trace back to a young woman, Tsu Shu.
• T'ien hsin (Heart of Heaven) Taoism - A tradition of ritual healing based upon scriptures discovered in the early Sung period by a retired official, Jao Tung-t'ien.
• Shen hsiao (Divine Empyrean) Taoism - A liturgical tradition established by Lin Ling-su at the court of the Sung emperor Hui tsung (early 12th century).
• T'ung-ch'u (Youthful Incipience) Taoism - An obscure tradition of therapeutic rituals founded by a young man in 1121, claiming continuity with the Shang-ch'ing tradition.
• T'ai i (Supreme Union) Taoism - Founded by Hsiao Pao chen in the 12th century, it stressed ritual healing and social responsibility.
• Chen ta (Perfected Greatness) or Ta-tao (Great Way) Taoism - Founded by Liu Te-jen in the 12th- century. It combined the basic moral teachings of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism and was patronized by the Chin government.

source: www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/taoism/.../subdivisions_1.shtm

Jainism

The founder of the Jain community was Vardhamana, the last Jina in a series of 24 who lived in East India. He attained enlightenment after 13 years of deprivation and committed the act of salekhana, fasting to death, in 420 BCE. Jainism has many similarities to Hinduism and Buddhism which developed in the same part of the world. They believe in karma and reincarnation as do Hindus but they believe that enlightenment and liberation from this cycle can only be achieved through asceticism. Jains follow fruititarianism. This is the practice of only eating that which will not kill the plant or animal from which it is taken. They also practice ahimsa, non-violence, because any act of violence against a living thing creates negative karma which will adversely affect one's next life.

There are two main divisions or groups in Jainism - the Digambara and the Svetambara. Here's the background story that explains their origins.

According to tradition, some of the Jain community moved at the direction of their political leaders to the south to avoid a predicted famine. Others stayed behind in the north. After about a dozen years or so, those who migrated south came back and found that their brethren who had stayed in the north had become lax in their practice of austerity, even wearing white robes. This was inadmissible, in their view, for Jain monk since to renounce meant to renounce all attachments and bindings, including the emotion of shame at ones nakedness from having no possessions - not even clothes.

So, a schism occurred and they split into 2 sects:

- Svetambara (or Shvetambara) – the “white clad” – they wear the white robes- Digambara (or Digambar) – the “sky clad” – they go naked – they declared the Shvetambaras apostate and declined to accept any of their texts or traditions

The 2 sects have drifted away from each other and are active in different parts of India. The “sky clad” have reduced numbers of monks, due to the rigor of the order, and are made up mainly of householders.

The white-clad are quite sizeable in their monastic communities. A “Reformation” of sorts occurred in their group in the 1653 CE when a reform movement called Sthanakavasis (“dwellers in the halls”) condemned what had become the practice of worshipping at the Jain shrines by decorating the statues of “jinas” (i.e. Mahavira) with silk and jewels. The reform movement condemned all forms of iconolatry and temple worship as inconsistent with the teachings of Mahavira

This schism between the “white clad” and the “sky clad” has no real impact on what are believed to be the central teachings of Mahavira. The basic teachings remain consistent across the 2 groups. 

source: www.world-religions-professor.com/digambara.html 

Confucianism

K'ung Fu Tzu (Confucius) was born in 551 BCE in the state of Lu in China. He traveled throughout China giving advice to its rulers and teaching. His teachings and writings dealt with individual morality and ethics, and the proper exercise of political power. He stressed the following values:

• Li: ritual, propriety, etiquette, etc.
• Hsiao: love among family members
• Yi: righteousness
• Xin: honesty and trustworthiness
• Jen: benevolence towards others; the highest Confucian virtue
• Chung: loyalty to the state, etc.

Unlike most religions, Confucianism is primarily an ethical system with rituals at important times during one's lifetime. The most important periods recognized in the Confucian tradition are birth, reaching maturity, marriage, and death.

Unique among the great religions of the world, Confucianism has no standard universally recognized symbol similar to the Christian cross, the Islamic crescent moon & star, the Wiccan pentagram, etc.

This is an ideogram for water that is often used to represent Confucianism. It represents the source of life in Chinese philosophy.

This is a symbol often used in wedding ceremonies within the Chinese culture. It is also sometimes used to represent Confucianism. It means total harmony, righteousness, in your own life and in your relationships with others.

The yin-yamg symbol of Taoism is also sometimes used as a symbol for Confucianism. It symbolizes balance in nature between opposing forces. Unbalance can lead to confusion and dissaray.

source:  www.religioustolerance.org › World religions