The adherents of Shinto reside primarily in Japan, where the religion was formerly the state religion. The citizens of Japan currently have full religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution of Japan.

During the sixteenth century, both England and Scotland fell under the sway of the Protestant Reformation, although in two entirely different forms. England had many ups and downs, resulting in the distinct form of Protestantism known as Anglicanism, while Scotland developed the Calvinist-based Presbyterianism. Both countries would have pockets of Catholics for centuries, and both nations have seen a rising tide of secularism and reduced religious participation since the twentieth century.

The predominant religion in Central and South America is Catholicism. This area of the world was colonized primarily by Spain, a Catholic country; therefore, these areas of the world account for 483 million people, or 41.3% of all Catholics.

Mormons make up 55% of the population of Utah. This is the most out of any state in the United States. The other religions, while found in minorities in Utah, are not the majority.

Although all of these religions are predominantly Christian, most of them are either majority Protestantism, Eastern Orthodoxy, or else have do not have a uniform distribution of any of these denominations of Christianity. South America, on the other hand, was settled by the Catholic empires of Spain and Portugal, and Catholicism continues to be adhered to by the vast majority of the population to this day.

In the sixth century B.C.E., Buddhism emerged in the part of the world that comprises modern-day Northern India. The founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama. He was born in modern-day Nepal; however, he lived much of his life in Northern India.

Animism is the belief that nonhuman elements of the world have a spiritual essence, sometimes even that they have a soul - this can be anything from animals, plants, rocks, rivers, clouds, and so on. As a religious belief it has ancient origins throughout much of the world. But, it is only practiced in any real significant numbers in modern times in indigenous communities in North America, South America, and Sub-Saharan Africa. It is also practiced by some Pacific Island peoples.

“Brahman” is the name given to the highest state of existence, the ultimate reality of the universe, in Hinduism. As a concept it can be quite hard to grasp, particularly for those unfamiliar with the Hindu faith and culture in general, but it is enough to understand that it is related to the Hindu concept of eternal salvation that can be attained through several lifetimes of good karma and virtuous living.

All of these branches of Protestantism exist in the United States in significant numbers. Many of them are practiced more frequently in certain areas of America than they are in other areas, but for the most part almost all large communities in America will have churches that belong to one of these denominations (another major branch is Baptist, which exists largely in the South). Most of these religions, with the exception of Lutheranism, which traces its roots to Germany, come from the British Isles and were brought over to America in various waves of religious settlement and colonialism.

The idea that human suffering emerges from our attachment to life, to life’s pleasures and pains, and that all suffering can eventually be overcome through a series of steps is central to the Buddhist faith. Translation and oversimplification have led to the common misunderstanding that Buddhism teaches that life itself consists only of suffering, but in reality the teachings are far more complex and nuanced. It is far from true that Buddhism holds that all of life is suffering, rather the fundamental aspects of desire, imperfection, and ephemerality lead to "suffering" or spiritual angst. the teachings of Buddhism focus in large part on transcending this suffering through an acceptance of their necessity in any long and fundamentally enriching spiritual journey.