How do you define "Religion" ?

[michel]

Atheism is the absence of belief in the existence of deities.

Ah, O.K I am with you now.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

So according to that definitiondo you believe a "set of rituals" could be a religion? This could be a fraternity pledge, boyscout oath, etc....

Sabio

No I don't beleive that. I put the link to show how complex even defining the word is.

Terry
_____________________________________
Amen! Truly I say to you: Gather in my name. I am with you.

 

[Sabio]

What about love? Do you have to love someone or something for it to be called religion?

Can a religion be founded on hating something or someone?

Sabio

 

[Sabio]

how to define "religion"...call the IRS and see who qualifies as one.

Oh no, I'm not calling, it costs me money every time...

Sabio

 

[Sabio]

Religions are man made and not revealed by God, but rather inspired by the creator and it's creation. At RF.com we define religion as any specific system of belief and/or/without worship, often involving a code of ethics and a philosophy. I have to say I like that broad definition.

My personal religion has to do with how to live and be peaceful with one another. Worship of a deity is not required, although I do believe something created this mess.

Deut has a great definition of religion, I hope he posts it.

Can the inspriration for Religion come from a man instead of God?

A Man could inspire a cult (David Koresh) and people could worship him, would this still be religion? Can a cult be religion?

Sabio

 

[Green Gaia]

Can the inspriration for Religion come from a man instead of God?

Buddha, Jesus (for those of us who do not believe in his deification), etc.

A Man could inspire a cult (David Koresh) and people could worship him, would this still be religion? Can a cult be religion?

Are you using the term cult with a negative connotation? Otherwise, why wouldn't it be a religion. Often a cult is found within a religion, just outside the mainstream thought. The popular assumption is the cult is destructive or harmful, but that isn't always so. Those are just the ones you hear about.

 

[Sabio]

Buddha, Jesus (for those of us who do not believe in his deification), etc.


Are you using the term cult with a negative connotation? Otherwise, why wouldn't it be a religion. Often a cult is found within a religion, just outside the mainstream thought. The popular assumption is the cult is destructive or harmful, but that isn't always so. Those are just the ones you hear about.

No, cult in a neutral connotation.

Sabio

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Perhaps you could share your definition ...

 

[Sabio]

Perhaps you could share your definition ...

Love God before all others, and love your neighbor as yourself.

Sabio

 

[Melody]

Religious tolerance defines religion as:

Any specific system of belief about deity, often involving rituals, a code of ethics, a philosophy of life, and a worldview. (A worldview is a set of basic, foundational beliefs concerning deity, humanity and the rest of the universe.)

 

[Sabio]

Perhaps you could share your definition ...

And yours? (the one you ascribe to)

 

[Quiddity]

In my philosphy class we had a difficult time defining what a religion was. Everybody seems to want to redifine it to exclude or include a particular group. I don't think we ever resolved a good definition.

~Victor

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Perhaps you could share your definition ...

And yours? (the one you ascribe to)

Did you have trouble following post #4?

Religion: "the impulse for cohesion and meaning"

Yi-Fu Tuan, "Humanistic Geography", Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 66, No. 2: 266-276​

 

[Mr Spinkles]

So are you saying that an Atheist can be religious by practicing a set of beliefs outside of a belief in God?

Yes.

Example; Science could be your religion, or Finance?

I was thinking more along the lines of Buddhism, Taoism, and philosophy in general. To answer your question: yes, I suppose those could be religions, but probably not in the way you are thinking of. Often, when one person accuses another person of adopting science (or any other traditionally nonreligious activity) as "religion" they are using the following definition of religion: A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion. (From dictionary.com)

That, however, is a very loose and informal definition, and it is not how I think of "religion". I prefer the definition often quoted by Deut, which says that religion is "the impulse for cohesion and meaning" ~Yi-Fu-Tuan

 

[Yerda]

Religion: "the impulse for cohesion and meaning"

If you have this impulse you are religious presumably? Christianity is an impulsion toward cohesion and meaning?

 

[Ceridwen018]

I've gathered from everyone's posts that pretty much anything can be considered a "religion" if you word it correctly.

Personally, I think a lot of people get "religion" mixed up with "philosophy". Here are my thoughts on how the two are actually quite different:

Religion is always organized, and always has a set doctrine of some sort. Belief in a supreme being is not required, as the Buddhists show us, but even the Buddhists have their sacred Eightfold Path. Religion is mostly practiced in a community type setting--common members of a religion will often regularly meet with one another to "worship", etc. Religions also usually have some sort of spiritual leader.

Philosophy, on the other hand, is much less structured. My philosophy is that running is a healthy activity that I feel is worth doing on a regular basis. To call such a belief a "religion" is to misuse the word religion, in my mind. Everyone, even those who are members of a religion, has a personal philosophy. Those, like Maize, for instance, who have a philosophy on life do not adhere to a set of common rules and do not pledge to any doctrine. Thus, they are not religious.

 

[cardero]

Sometimes in order to understand religion it is important to understand what it is not.

Religion is not hymns. It is not about following blindly. It is not being appointed to a position. It is not a chosen few. It is not confession. It is not about receiving sacraments. It is not ritual. It is not robes or chalices or pews. It is not about looking or acting or worshipping in similar ways. It is not stained glass, candles, or incense. It is not seclusion, segregation, or judgment. It is not pentacles, cauldrons, or crosses. It is not about books, beads, or bangles.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Religion: "the impulse for cohesion and meaning"

If you have this impulse you are religious presumably? Christianity is an impulsion toward cohesion and meaning?

The species is (presumably) religious as defined here. Christianity is aspecific consequence.

 

[Draka]

My personal definition of religion is this: Religion is nothing more than a belief in something outside yourself that makes you feel better about yourself and the world in general.

It is something that helps to bring you solace and understanding amidst this cruel and unjust world. It is a belief that brings you into some semblance of balance within yourself that eminates outwardly from you in your day to day life. It is what makes life livable.

 

[Yerda]

The species is (presumably) religious as defined here. Christianity is aspecific consequence.

I'd never even considerd this. I think I'll look out that paper you cited. Cheers.