Religious diversity is the term that represents the large number and variety of religions in the world.
Religious diversity is manifested in different beliefs, cults and rituals around the world, professed by people who live in different places and cultures.
It is possible to find religious diversity in everyday life, when in the same region there are places for cults and rituals of different religions, for example.
Religious diversity also represents the religious freedom of individuals and the appreciation of all religious manifestations. It explains that there is not a single religion that is true and that stands above the others. Just as there are different places and cultures, there are different religions and beliefs.
Including, the term "respect for religious diversity” emerged as a way to stop the actions of intolerance between different religious groups.
This happens a lot in religious groups that believe in a single form of faith, beliefs and rituals and do not accept other religions or beliefs.
This term was fully supported by law in several countries, such as Brazil, for example, in order to promote respect between different religions, their practices and their faiths.
Some of religions that exist in the world, they are:
- Christianity;
- Spiritism;
- Judaism;
- Sikhism;
- Buddhism;
- Traditional Chinese Religion;
- Hinduism;
- Baha'i faith;
- Jainism;
- Shintoism;
- Candomblé;
- Umbanda;
- Taoism;
- Tenrikyo;
- Wicca;
- Zoroastrianism.
There are also the popular or traditional religions of a people, like:
- African traditional religions such as Yoruba, Vodun and Bandus Mythology;
- Australian Aboriginal Religion: Animist;
- indigenous religions and rituals.
Religious diversity in Brazil
Brazil is a country that has a rich religious diversity, a consequence of a great cultural miscegenation, which occurred during the various immigration processes that the country suffered in the your story.
The Brazilian population is mostly Christian, being mostly Catholic, due to Portuguese colonization.
In fact, Catholicism was the official religion of the Brazilian State until 1890, when Decree number 119-A decreed the State as secular, that is, the State and religions were separated.
Until 1890, there could be other religions and beliefs in Brazil, but there was no freedom of worship. In other words, religions other than Catholicism could not hold public cults or rituals.
Today, there are several religions in Brazil, such as Spiritism, Protestantism, Buddhism, and Afro-Brazilian religions, such as Candomblé and Umbanda.
The Brazilian Constitution (Article 5, VI) states that freedom of conscience and choice of religion is inviolable and the protection of places of worship and their liturgies is guaranteed by law.
Read too: what is religiosity, what is religious teaching and what is religious intolerance.
Religious Diversity and Human Rights
According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, every individual is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
This right also includes the freedom to change religion or belief. The freedom to manifest one's religion or belief, through teaching, practice, worship and isolated or collective observance.
One of Human Rights' main commitments to religious diversity is to ensure the rights, respect, freedom and recognition of different religions around the world. It also ensures the rights and freedom of those who do not profess any faith.
Another initiative created by Human Rights is to encourage the development of practices and pedagogical activities in schools, to open a conversation about different beliefs and religions.
Read too:
- What is Umbanda?
- What is Buddhism?
- What is Judaism?
- What is Protestantism?
- What is Christianity?
- What is Jehovah's Witness?
- What is Animism?
- What is Paganism?
- What is Theism?
- What is Taoism?
- What is Monotheism?
- What is Shinto?
- What is Islam?
- What is Candomblé?
- What is Agnosticism?
- What is Shamanism?
- What is it to be an Atheist?
