▁Through out ▁the ▁Amer icas , ▁Native ▁Americans ▁never ▁had ▁a ▁concept ▁of ▁" rel ig ion " ▁and ▁any ▁suggestion ▁otherwise ▁is ▁a ▁colonial ▁im position ▁by ▁Christians . ▁ ▁Though ▁trad itions , ▁sacred ▁texts , ▁and ▁practices ▁have ▁existed ▁throughout ▁time , ▁most ▁cult ures ▁did ▁not ▁align ▁with ▁Western ▁conception s ▁of ▁religion ▁since ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁separate ▁every day ▁life ▁from ▁the ▁sacred . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁and ▁ 1 9 th ▁centuries , ▁the ▁terms ▁Buddh ism , ▁H indu ism , ▁T ao ism , ▁Conf u cian ism , ▁and ▁world ▁relig ions ▁first ▁entered ▁the ▁English ▁language . ▁No ▁one ▁self - ident ified ▁as ▁a ▁H indu ▁or ▁Buddh ist ▁or ▁other ▁similar ▁terms ▁before ▁the ▁ 1 8 0 0 s . ▁" H indu " ▁has ▁histor ically ▁been ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁ge ographical , ▁cultural , ▁and ▁later ▁religious ▁identifier ▁for ▁people ▁ind igen ous ▁to ▁the ▁Indian ▁sub cont inent . ▁Through out ▁its ▁long ▁history , ▁Japan ▁had ▁no ▁concept ▁of ▁religion ▁since ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁corresponding ▁Japanese ▁word , ▁nor ▁anything ▁close ▁to ▁its ▁meaning , ▁but ▁when ▁American ▁war ships ▁appeared ▁off ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁Japan ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 3 ▁and ▁forced ▁the ▁Japanese ▁government ▁to ▁sign ▁treat ies ▁demand ing , ▁among ▁other ▁things , ▁freedom ▁of ▁religion , ▁the ▁country ▁had ▁to ▁cont end ▁with ▁this ▁Western ▁idea . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁phil ologist ▁Max ▁Müller ▁in ▁the