The Church of Scientology has claimed to have as many as 10 million members as of 2006,though actual membership figures it has released indicate a far smaller total. Third party estimates of Scientology's worldwide membership range from less than 100,000 to approximately 500,000. According to a 2001 survey published by the City University of New York, 55,000 people in the United States would, if asked to identify their religion, have said Scientology.
The first Church of Scientology was incorporated in Camden, New Jersey as a non-profit organization in 1953. The Church forms the centre of a complex worldwide network of corporations dedicated to the promotion of L. Ron Hubbard's philosophies in all areas of life. This includes:

- Drug treatment centres (Narconon);
- Criminal rehabilitation programs (Criminon);
- Activities to reform the field of mental health (Citizens Commission on Human Rights);
- Projects to implement Hubbard's educational methods in schools (Applied Scholastics);
- A "moral values" campaign (The Way to Happiness);
- A political action committee, (Citizens for Social Reform) to promote social programs with legislators at the US federal and state levels;
- World Institute of Scientology Enterprises, or WISE, which licenses Hubbard's management techniques for use in businesses;
- A consulting firm based on Hubbard's management techniques (Sterling Management Systems);
- A campaign directed to world leaders, as well as the general public, to implement the 1948 United Nations document "The - Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (with particular emphasis on the religious freedom elements).
Within the church, members are arranged in a hierarchically pyramid ranked structure, with higher level members holding authority over lower ranked subordinates, especially as evidenced by the Sea Org.

Vatican City, officially State of the Vatican City (Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae; Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano), is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome. At approximately 44 hectares (108.7 acres), it is the smallest independent nation in the world and is classified as a microstate.

It was created in 1929 by the Lateran Treaty as a vestige of the much larger Papal States (756 to 1870). Vatican City is a non-hereditary, elected monarchy and is governed by the Bishop of Rome (the Pope). The highest state functionaries are all clergymen of the Catholic Church. It is the sovereign territory of the Holy See (Latin:Sancta Sedes) and the location of the Apostolic Palace—the Pope's official residence—and the Roman Curia. Thus, while the principal ecclesiastical seat (Cathedral) of the Pope as Bishop of Rome (the Basilica of St. John Lateran) is located outside of its walls, in Rome, Vatican City can be said to be the governmental capital of the Catholic Church.

History
Even before the arrival of Christianity, it is supposed that this originally uninhabited part of Rome (the ager vaticanus) had long been considered sacred, or at least not available for habitation. The area was also the site of worship to the Phrygian goddess Cybele and her consort Attis during Roman times. Agrippina the Elder (14 BC – 18 October AD 33) drained the hill and environs and built her gardens there in the early 1st century AD. Emperor Caligula (b. Aug. 31, AD 12 - d. Jan. 24, AD 41, emperor AD 37 to AD 41) started construction of a circus in AD 40 that was later completed by Nero, the Circus Gaii et Neronis. The Vatican obelisk was originally taken by Caligula from Heliopolis to decorate the spina of his circus and is thus its last visible remnant. This area became the site of martyrdom of many Christians after the great fire of Rome in AD 64. Ancient tradition holds that it was in this circus that St. Peter (Simon Peter Bar-Jona) was crucified upside down. Opposite the circus was a cemetery separated by the Via Cornelia. Funeral monuments and mausoleums and small tombs as well as altars to pagan gods of all kinds of polytheistic religions were constructed lasting until before the construction of the Constantinian Basilica of St. Peter's in the first half of the 4th century AD. Remains of this ancient necropolis were brought to light sporadically during renovations by various popes throughout the centuries increasing in frequency during the Renaissance until it was systematically excavated by orders of Pope Pius XII from 1939 to 1941... full article click on heading

Karbala (Arabic: كربلاء‎; BGN: Karbalā’; also spelled Kerbala, Kerbela, Karbila) is a city in Iraq, located about 100 km southwest of Baghdad at 32.61°N, 44.08°E. In the time of Hussayn ibn ˤAlī's life, the place was also known as al-Ghadiriya, Nainawa, and Shathi'ul-Furat. The estimated population in 2003 was 572,300 people. It is the capital of Al Karbala Province. Shīˤa Muslims consider Karbala to be one of their holiest cities after Mecca, Medina and Najaf. The city is best known as the location of the Battle of Karbala.

Etymology
There are many theories as to the meaning of the name Karbala. Many believe its origin is from the old Assyrian language, composing two syllables: "Karb"; meaning "near", and "ala" (corrupted from "Iyle" an Aramaic word) standing for "God."[1][2][3][4] Others, like geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi believe the name to be derived from the Arabic language, meaning "soft earth" (corrupted from karbalat.)[5] Some also believe the origin may be Persian formed from the words Kaar, meaning "work", and bolo, meaning "the higher".

About the city
The city is one of Iraq's wealthiest, profiting both from religious visitors and agricultural produce, especially dates. It is made up of two districts, "Old Karbala," the religious centre, and "New Karbala," the residential district containing Islamic schools and government buildings.... more click on heading

Jainism (pronounced in English as [ˈdʒeɪ.nɪzm̩]), traditionally known as Jain Dharma (जैन धर्म), is a religion and philosophy originating in ancient India. A minority in modern India, with growing immigrant communities in the United States, Western Europe, Africa, the Far East and elsewhere, Jains continue to sustain the ancient Shraman (श्रमण) or ascetic tradition.

Jains have significantly influenced the religious, ethical, political and economic spheres in India for about three millennia. Jainism stresses spiritual independence and equality of all life with particular emphasis on non-violence. Self-control (व्रत, vratae) is vital for attaining Keval Gyan and eventually moksha, or realization of the soul's true nature.

The Jain Sangha (संघ), or community, has four components: monks (साधु), nuns (sadhvi), laymen, (Shravakas श्रावक), and laywomen, (Shravikas). A Shravaka (श्रावक) follows basic principles or "Niyam".

Sikhism (IPA: ['siːkɪz(ə)m] (help·info) or ['sɪk-] (info); Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖੀ, sikkhī, IPA: ['sɪk.kʰiː] ) is a religion that began in sixteenth century Northern India with the teachings of Nanak and nine successive human gurus. This system of religious philosophy and expression has been traditionally known as the Gurmat (literally the teachings of the gurus) or the Sikh Dharma. Sikhism comes from the word Sikh, which in turn comes from the Sanskrit root śiṣya meaning "disciple" or "learner", or śikṣa meaning "instruction."[1][2] Sikhism is the eighth-largest organised religion in the world.

The principal belief in Sikhism is faith in Vāhigurū—represented using the sacred symbol of ēk ōaṅkār. Sikhism advocates the pursuit of salvation through disciplined, personal meditation on the name and message of God. The followers of Sikhism are ordained to follow the teachings of the ten Sikh gurus, or enlightened leaders, as well as the holy scripture—the Gurū Granth Sāhib—which includes the selected works of many authors from diverse socioeconomic and religious backgrounds. The text was decreed by Gobind Singh, the tenth guru, as the final guru of the Khalsa Panth. Sikhism's traditions and teachings are distinctly associated with the history, society and culture of the Punjab.

Adherents of Sikhism are known as Sikhs (students or disciples) and number over 23 million across the world. However, most Sikhs live in the state of Punjab in India; prior to partition, millions of Sikhs lived in what is now the Punjab province of Pakistan.

Tenrikyo (天理教; Tenrikyō, lit. Teaching of Divine Reason), is a religion of Japanese origin. It has no affiliation with the Shinto religion. It was founded by a woman, Miki Nakayama, who underwent revelatory experiences from 1838 onwards. After this date she is referred to as Oyasama (lit. Honoured Mother) by followers. Tenrikyo is estimated to have about 2 million followers world-wide with 1.5 million of those in Japan.

Spiritism is a philosophical doctrine established in France in the mid 19th Century by the French educator Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail, under the pseudonym Allan Kardec, which has also evolved into various forms of religious practice, among them some forms of syncretism that are often referred to by the same name.

Spiritism was based on dialogues established between Kardec and what he believed to be incorporeal beings (souls of deceased people). His assumption was neither original nor uncommon, as such beliefs had numerous followers then (among them many scientists and philosophers) and séances were carried on very often by his contemporaries, though usually for recreational purposes.

The term was coined by Kardec as the specific name of the doctrine but -- given the fact that the word was created from roots taken from the common language -- it was soon incorporated into normal use and used for other doctrines as well, though the original Spiritists protest this usage.

Spiritism claims adherents many countries throughout the world, including many in Latin America, particularly Brazil (where they make up approximately 1.3% of the population, most likely the highest proportion of any country).

Spiritism is not to be confused with Spiritualism. Its conflation or linkage with the meaning is regarded as pejorative by both Spiritualists and Spiritists. Spiritualism (in English), as a common noun (uncapitalised) is a largely obsolete term for animism and other religious practices involving the invocation of spiritual beings, including shamanism. As a proper noun, Spiritualism is a religious movement, prominent from the 1840s to the 1920s, found primarily in English-speaking countries.

Shinto(神道) is the native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. It involves the worship of kami (神), gods. Some kami are local and can be regarded as the spiritual being/spirit or genius of a particular place, but others represent major natural objects and processes: for example, Amaterasu, the Sun goddess, or Mount Fuji. Shinto is an animistic belief system. The word Shinto was created by combining two kanji: "神" (shin), meaning gods or spirits (when read alone, it is pronounced "kami"), and "道" (tō), meaning a philosophical way or path (originally from the Chinese character Tao). As such, Shinto is commonly translated as "the Way of the Gods".

 
A torii at Itsukushima ShrineAfter World War II, Shinto lost its status as the state religion of Japan; some Shinto practices and teachings, once given a great deal of prominence during the war, are no longer taught or practiced today, and others exist today as commonplace activities such as omikuji (a form of fortune-telling) and Japanese New Year that few give religious connotations. Important national ceremonies such as coronations and royal marriages are conducted at the Three Palace Sanctuaries in Tokyo, and many Japanese still travel at least once in their lives to the Grand Shrine of Ise in Mie Prefecture.

The Juche Idea (also Juche Sasang or Chuch'e; pronounced /tɕutɕʰe/ in Korean, approximately "joo-cheh") is the official state ideology of North Korea and the political system based on it. Kim Jong-il has explained that the doctrine is a component part of Kimilsungism, after its founder Kim Il-sung. The core principle of the Juche ideology since the 1970s has been that "man is the master of everything and decides everything". The official biography Kim Il Sung by Baik Bong had previously described this as saying that the masters of the North Korean revolution are the Korean people, who must remake themselves under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea. Juche literally means "main body" or "subject"; it has also been translated in North Korean sources as "independent stand" and the "spirit of self-reliance".

Cao Dai pronunciation  (Cao Đài) is a relatively new, syncretist, monotheistic religion, officially established in Tây Ninh, southern Vietnam, in 1926. Đạo Cao Đài is the religion's shortened name, the full name is Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ (Great Religion [of The] Third Period [of] Revelation [and] Salvation). The term Cao Đài literally means "high place." Figuratively, it means that highest place where God reigns. It is also the abbreviated name for God, the creator of the universe, whose full title is Cao Đài Tiên Ông Đại Bồ Tát Ma-ha-tát.

Caodaiists credit God as the religion's founder. They believe the teachings, symbolism and organization were communicated directly from Đức (means Venerable) Cao Đài. Even the construction of the Tây Ninh Holy See is claimed to have had divine guidance. Cao Đài's first disciples Ngô Văn Chiêu, Cao Quỳnh Cư, Phạm Công Tắc, and Cao Hoài Sang claimed to have received direct communications from God, who gave them explicit instructions for establishing a new religion that would commence the Third Era of Religious Amnesty.

Adherents engage in ethical practices such as prayer, veneration of ancestors, nonviolence, and vegetarianism with the minimum goal of rejoining God the Father in Heaven and the ultimate goal of freedom from the cycle of birth and death. Estimates of the number of Cao Đài adherents in Vietnam vary, but most sources give two to three million. Some estimates are as high as eight million adherents in Vietnam. An additional 30,000 (primarily ethnic Vietnamese) in the United States, Europe, and Australia.

Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, a philosophy, and a system of psychology. Buddhism is also known in Sanskrit or Pali, the main ancient languages of Buddhists, as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means the teachings of "the Awakened One". Thus was called Siddhartha Gautama, hereinafter referred to as "the Buddha". Early sources say that the Buddha was born in Lumbini (now in Nepal), and that he died aged around 80 in Kushinagar (India). He lived in or around the fifth century BCE, according to recent scholarship. Buddhism spread throughout the Indian subcontinent in the five centuries following the Buddha's passing, and thence into Central, Southeast and East Asia and Eastern Europe over the next two millennia.

Eventually, Indian Buddhism became virtually extinct, except in parts of Nepal. Most scholars classify present-day Buddhism into the same three traditions, though describing or naming them differently.

Southern Buddhism, or Theravada (its own usual name for itself), or Southeast Asian Buddhism, or Pali Buddhism - practiced mainly in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and parts of Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Bangladesh (Southeast Asia)
Eastern Buddhism, or East Asian Buddhism, or Chinese Buddhism, or Sino-Japanese Buddhism, or Mahayana - practiced predominantly in China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Singapore and parts of Russia
Northern Buddhism, or Tibetan Buddhism, or Tibeto-Mongolian Buddhism, or Vajrayana, sometimes called Lamaism - practiced mainly in Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan and parts of Nepal, India, China and Russia.
Eastern and Northern Buddhism both call themselves Mahayana. The term Hinayana, referring to Theravada and various extinct Indian schools, is sometimes used, but is often considered derogatory, and the World Federation of Buddhists recommends it be avoided.

Buddhism continues to attract followers worldwide and is considered a major world religion. According to one source , "World estimates for Buddhists vary between 230 and 500 million, with most around 350 million." However, estimates are uncertain for several countries. According to one analysis, Buddhism is the fifth-largest religion in the world behind Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and traditional Chinese religion. The monks' order (Sangha), which began during the lifetime of the Buddha in India, is amongst the oldest organizations on earth.

In Buddhism, any person who has awakened from the "sleep of ignorance" by directly realizing the true nature of reality is called a buddha. Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, is thus only one among other buddhas before or after him. His teachings are oriented toward the attainment of this kind of awakening, also called enlightenment, Bodhi, liberation, or Nirvana.

Part of the Buddha’s teachings regarding the holy life and the goal of liberation is constituted by the "The Four Noble Truths", which focus on dukkha, a term that refers to suffering or the sorrow of life. The Four Noble Truths regarding suffering state what is its nature, its cause, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation. This way to the cessation of suffering is called "The Noble Eightfold Path", which is one of the fundamentals of Buddhist virtuous or moral life.

The Bahá'í Faith is a religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th century Persia. Bahá'ís number around 6 million in more than 200 countries around the world.

According to Bahá'í teachings, religious history is seen as an evolving educational process for mankind, through God's messengers, which are termed Manifestations of God. Bahá'u'lláh is seen as the most recent, pivotal, but not final of these individuals. He claimed to be the expected redeemer and teacher prophesied in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religions, and that his mission was to establish a firm basis for unity throughout the world, and inaugurate an age of peace and justice, which Bahá'ís expect will inevitably arise.

"Bahá'í" (/baˈhaːʔiː/) can be an adjective referring to the Bahá'í Faith, or the term for a follower of Bahá'u'lláh (Bahá'í is not a noun meaning the religion as a whole). The term comes from the Arabic word Bahá’ (بهاء), meaning "glory" or "splendor".