Thinking about the differences, if any, between religion, faith, belief & trust I turned to the dictionary
My eye was particularly caught by a box in Chambers Combined Dictionary Thesaurus (1995). It was headed Some religions
They list 31 religions in all. Over half are Christian denominations
What struck me most however is that 21 are given in a form which ends with -ism. Presbyterianism, Baha’ism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism …
Judaism but then Christianity & Islam
All but 3 of the listed religions are capitalised, leaving evangelicism, druidism & voodoo as, subtly, improper
Now lexicographers are careful precise people, & I guess they need to take particular care with a topic which can arouse great passions. So I was particularly intrigued by their selection & rules, & am still mulling over what to make of them
