Religions and Sects

Definition Zoroastrianism is a religion, one of the oldest. According to tradition, it was founded by Zoroaster after he received a vision in which he was introduced to Ahura Mazda, and told of the … Read more

A religious sect of Krudistan known as devil worshipers who reside in the region of Monsul. They refer to themselves as Dasni, but other Kruds give them the name of Yezidi, … Read more

The religion of Vodoun as currently practiced bears little resemblance to its ancestral practice. Presently there are an estimated 50 million worshippers worldwide. The central belief of the religion is … Read more

Universism is a philosophy of The Universist Movement. Universism, though not a definitive philosophy, is a progressive, naturalistic worldview in which all meaning and purpose is understood through personal reason and … Read more

The Unitarian Universalist Association was formed in 1961 originating and evolving from Unitarianism when associated with Christianity rejects the Trinitarian understanding of Good. Although there are many antecedents for this specific point … Read more

Tantrism is a system of yoni-worship, or female-centered sex-worship, which allegedly begun thousands of years ago in India by women of a secret sect called Vratyas, the processors of the … Read more

Sufism, which is a branch of Islam, teaches the personal and mystical worship, and union with Allah or God. It was formulated in opposition to the formal, legalistic Islamic theology of … Read more

This is the spiritual movement that evolved around the Indonesian mystic Muhammed Subuh, known as “Bapak” or spiritual father. The movement originated in Java, and spread to Europe and elsewhere after … Read more

Bible Story Sodom and Gomorrah are cities of the biblical Pentapolis, located on the shores of the Dead Sea. Its historical existence is in dispute. The history of Sodom and … Read more

Socinianism was a rationalist movement within Christianity leading in a Unitarian direction. It developed from the ideas of Lelio Sozzini (1525-1562) and his nephew Fausto (1539-1604). The followers of the … Read more

Sikhism is the religion and the way of life for those who call themselves Sikhs. The word sikh (Panjabi; Sanskrit, siksya) means “a learner” or “a disciple.” Sikhs believe in one God, Ik … Read more

Setianism, in theory, is similar to theistic Satanism. The principle adored deity of Setianism is the ancient Egyptian god Set, or Seth, the god of adversary. Set supposedly is the Dark Lord … Read more

Satanism, or theistic Satanism, is a belief in Satan, Lucifer, or the Devil. Those holding such a belief, or beliefs, usually referred to as Satanistsor Luciferian, may or may not believe in the … Read more

Definition Santeria is a religious practice similar to Vodoun. The religion centers around ancient African gods who have been assimilated as Catholic saints. ‘Santeria’ comes from the Spanish word ‘santo’ meaning saint; practitioners … Read more

Plymouth Brethren, founded by John Nelson Darby, was a splintered Christian sect that broke from the Church of England originally formed in Dublin in 1829 and in Plymouth in 1831. Members were … Read more

Pelagianism is also known as the Pelagian heresy which aroused in the fifth century. It was preached by Pelagius and his followers and stressed the essential goodness of human nature and the … Read more

he Palladian Order was the subject of a massive hoax started in 1894 by the French writer Gabriel Jorgand-Pages, a prolific writer, pornographer, muckraking journalist, anti-Catholic, and had pen name … Read more

Paganism is a general term which is usually understood as denoting any religious act, practice or ceremony which is not Christian. Anyone practicing paganism is usually known as a pagan. … Read more

Ophites is a Gnostic ophis, meaning “serpent, and relates to the great reverence which the Ophites had toward the serpent. The members progressed through full-fledged initiation ceremonies that included symbols for … Read more

Mithraism, the cult mainly embraced by the Roman legions, centered around the worship of the god Mithras and the Mithraic mysteries. This deity that originated from the Indian-Persian god Mithra, … Read more

Manichaeism was preached by the Gnostic sect of the Manichaeans. Although the sect was bitterly fought by the early Christian Church, the Church was greatly influenced by Manichaeism through the later teachings … Read more

Mandeans, are two religious groups in southern Iraq and in the Iranian providence of Huzisian. They are the only surviving representatives of Gnosticism. Their literature, written in an Aramaic dialect and … Read more

Khlysty, a sect that splintered off from the Russian Orthodox Church. Grigori Rasputin first heard about it from a seminarian from the monastery of Verkhoture. Verkhoture was a breeding ground for the … Read more

The tarik or “path” of th House of Wisdom was founded by the Moslem mystics at Cairo in the ninth century, and had seven initiatory degrees. Abdallah, a Persian, appears to have … Read more

Hasidim means “Pious Ones,” and are now members of the Hasidic movement. They were devotees of the mystical phase of Judaism. Their first appearance was in the pre-Maccabean age. The … Read more