Jainism 

Jainism is often considered one of, if not the most, peaceful religions in existence. A descendant of Hinduism, Jainism preaches ‘ahimsa’ (non-violence) as one of its core principles. Some Jain ascetics are so adamant on this principle of non-violence that they carry broom sticks and brush the floor ahead of them as they walk lest they step on any insect.

Jainism has many tenets similar to Hinduism and to a certain extent Buddhism. They believe that the soul reincarnates into four levels of existence – human, god, animal/plant or demon depending on the karma one acquires throughout their life. Mahatma Gandhi grew up in a Hindu and Jain context which possibly influenced his peaceful worldview. 

Jediism 

If you thought Star Wars fans weren’t obsessed enough, there is a whole religion dedicated to George Lucas’ world. The philosophy attracts public attention in 2001 when a number of people recorded their religion as ‘Jedi’ on national censuses. Followers do not hold the world of Star Wars to be real but instead focus on the moral and spiritual codes demonstrated by the fictional characters. 

Followers of Jediism thus follow the 16 teachings based on the presentation of the fictional Jedi. Some of these include being mindful of negative emotions which lead to the Dark side and being guardians of peace and justice. the Temple of the Jedi Order was even registered in Texas in 2005, despite being neglected in other countries. 

Yazidi

Yazidi is a monotheistic ethnic religion which has roots in Indo-Iranian tradition. It is followed by Kurmanji-speaking Yazidis and believe in one God who created the world and entrusted it to the care of Angels. One of the more important figures in Yazidi is Melek Taus, an angel who takes the form of a peacock and has authority over the world. 

Yazidis have no central book or text which records their beliefs, instead opting to pass their religious ideas through oral traditions. There is a larger focus on practice and community rather than on belief. The angel Melek Tawus even convinces Adam to eat the forbidden fruit (yes, Adam from Genesis!) and this is viewed as a positive step for humanity rather than a catastrophe. 

Pastafarianism 

This is one of the more bizarre faiths out there. To understand the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, we need to back to 2005 yet again. When the Kansas State Board of Education decided to include the idea of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in public school science classes, a satirical letter writing by Bobby Henderson demanded equal time in science classrooms for Flying Spaghetti Monsterism. 

Pastafarianism is therefore an attempt at debating against religion. It has thus received limited recognition as a religion, but some adherents still wear colander when taking their driver’s license card photos. If not a legitimate religion, Pastafarianism has become an internet sensation among non-believers and scholars of religion. Like Jediism, it tests on what grounds a religion can be approved by the state. 

#MaltaDaily