Since religions have been an issue in a few thread, I thought I'd post this list of religions and what they do.
Here's a, list of the reglgions and their benefits/weaknesses.
Christian Religions
Catholic: +2 diplomats per year, can be elected HRE
Counter-Reformed Catholic: +2 diplomats/year, +1 colonist/year, -20% tax rate; decreased cost to raise stability; ability to force convert protestant and reformed countries to catholic; available from Council of Trent to Edict of Tolerance; can be elected HRE (note: due to a bug in the system, if you go Counter-Reform and stay that way, you can be Counter-Reform until the end of the game...in reality you should automatically be converted back to Catholic at the Edict of Tolerance)
Protestant: +20% tax rate; +1 colonist/year, +1 merchant per protestant coastal province (max of 3); +1 diplomat/year; increased cost to change stability; higher production
Reformed: -30% tax rate, +1 diplomat/year, +1 colonist/year, +1 merchant per protestant coastal province (max 3); +1 morale to units; decreased cost for raising stability; better merchants, available after Jean Calvin
Orthodox: +1 colonist per year, Royal Marriage to any Christian nation; better diplomatic relations
Muslim Religions
Sunni: no inherent advantages or disadvantages; may force convert shiites to sunni
Shiite: -30% tax rate, +1 morale to all units; decreased cost for raising stability; can force convert sunni to shiite
Here's a, list of the reglgions and their benefits/weaknesses.
Christian Religions
Catholic: +2 diplomats per year, can be elected HRE
Counter-Reformed Catholic: +2 diplomats/year, +1 colonist/year, -20% tax rate; decreased cost to raise stability; ability to force convert protestant and reformed countries to catholic; available from Council of Trent to Edict of Tolerance; can be elected HRE (note: due to a bug in the system, if you go Counter-Reform and stay that way, you can be Counter-Reform until the end of the game...in reality you should automatically be converted back to Catholic at the Edict of Tolerance)
Protestant: +20% tax rate; +1 colonist/year, +1 merchant per protestant coastal province (max of 3); +1 diplomat/year; increased cost to change stability; higher production
Reformed: -30% tax rate, +1 diplomat/year, +1 colonist/year, +1 merchant per protestant coastal province (max 3); +1 morale to units; decreased cost for raising stability; better merchants, available after Jean Calvin
Orthodox: +1 colonist per year, Royal Marriage to any Christian nation; better diplomatic relations
Muslim Religions
Sunni: no inherent advantages or disadvantages; may force convert shiites to sunni
Shiite: -30% tax rate, +1 morale to all units; decreased cost for raising stability; can force convert sunni to shiite