It is good practice to show respect to everyone, but if you are paying hard cash to be taught something, there is no reason to show appreciation otherwise.
I think the term "Master" refers more to the material they have learned as opposed to any type of mastery over you. Would you object to refering to someone as "John Smith, Master of Kung Fu"? That's rather long but I think it would satisfy your religious requirements.
Let me ask, when you go to the doctor is it against your religion to call him/her "Dr. Smith"? I don't see any difference here.
Sifu is Father/Teacher.
Master is a title bestowed upon a dedicated practitioner by a group of his peers.
You mentioned all those styles above and you could spend a whole lifetime to Master one technique from just one of those styles.
Find a good teacher and beg him to teach you then once he has taught you maintain a bond with him and always treat him with respect. Americans always wanna dine and dash learning martial art.
To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.
-Patanjali Samadhi
"Not engaging in ignorance is wisdom."
~ Bodhi
Never miss a good chance to shut up
If you did military service would you salute your superior officer?
When you were in school did you not defer to your teachers and behave according to the rules of the school in regards to respecting your teachers?
In other words, the only barriers to be created are being created by you.
Where in your religious teachings does it directly tell you that following the protocols of a school is bad? How do you treat your parents? How do you treat your other teachers?
Also, "sifu" doesn't translate or transliterate as "master" it translates as "teacher/father". Teacher being first and the relationship further defined as an extended family type situation.
anyway, if you are so devoutly religious, why learn a martial art, should you be out helping the homeless, feeding the hungry and suffering unto the children?
Kung Fu is good for you.
He didn't say anything about your church. He said YOU should be out there.
In any case, as I have said, refering to someone as "Master" recognizes their mastery of the art. It no way implies a social pecking order.
I'm curious.....what religion has a problem with this?