Please Define "Religion"

[SalixIncendium]

In the interest of not derailing Please Define "Spiritual", I'm starting a new thread on how one defines "religion."

It was suggested in that thread that there are different understandings of what "religion" means. I want to put that to the test here.

Please provide your understanding of what the word "religion" means.

 

[Secret Chief]

A metaphysical vehicle that provides the sense of one's relationship with the rest of the universe, and hence how one operates in it.

(so vague as to include atheism. Sorry)

 

[Altfish]

Religion... a controlling and money-making scam (With some exceptions)

 

[osgart]

A system of rules, convictions and morals that convey a higher purpose to reality expressed by faith in the teachings. It's usually organized, and followers can assemble to celebrate their faith.

 

[Orbit]

When people say "religion" in the USA they usually mean organized religion. So I would define religion as a social institution where organizations (like churches) provide services to their parishioners, provide rites of passage, and provide moral guidance and a meaning to life---in exchange for a tithe.

 

[Vinayaka]

You want today's definition, or tomorrows? Being an independent thinker, not relying on words of others, I'll give you today's, but it could well change by tomorrow.

Today, for me, religion is a set of practices (sometimes based on beliefs, but not necessarily) designed to improve the character of the individual, and hence collectively, make the world a better place.

For me, belief is in the realm of philosophy, and not in religion at all.

 

[Brickjectivity]

In the interest of not derailing Please Define "Spiritual", I'm starting a new thread on how one defines "religion."

It was suggested in that thread that there are different understandings of what "religion" means. I want to put that to the test here.

Please provide your understanding of what the word "religion" means.

Its English and the meaning has been changing. It comes from the root 'Religio' which means 'Regular'. It refers originally to how one participates in Christianity, such as how frequently one goes to church. Later on some people decide to start expanding it to directly counter the belief that Christianity is superior to life without it. It becomes an equivocation between church going and doing whatever other cultures do in place of that. The pagan Hindus are going to church in their own way. The Australian didgeridoos-ers are going to church in their own way. And we are generous and open minded in allowing that all such different ways of life are valuable by calling them 'Religion'. But time passes and the use of the word becomes cliche.

Now here in 2022 when we try to define what 'Religion' means we run into the problem that the various things people do are not all that similar -- from the pagan Hindus to the Australian didgeridoos-ers. So then (having forgotten the origin of the term) we ask "Which one of these is religion or is the basis to define religion?"

 

[Nakosis]

If you ask me, it someone else claiming divine telling the rest of us what reality actually is and how it actually works.

Usually there is a head honcho with a divine hotline to God telling us what we ought to be doing to please God.
I suppose you can call something a religion without involving divine authority, but that is how I think about.
Religion needs someone in place with divine authority.

 

[LuisDantas]

Please provide your understanding of what the word "religion" means.

Pretty much anything.

Anything with a motivational, inspirational, ideological, behavioral or social role can be called a "religion". And very often they have been.

Of course, it is a rare person who uses such a broad definition - not least because it is indeed too broad to be very useful.

Most people adopt instead one (or several) more restrictive definitions, which converge far less often than one might expect or realize.

A big part of it, clearly and obviously enough, is the willingness to either acknowledge certain movements as religions or to instead refuse them such acknowledgement.

Being a vocal skeptic and atheist in social circles that tend to go to the extremes regarding the concept - either giving it a free pass for everything or instead deciding that it is consistently a negative influence - I have learned to pay attention to the variety and to attempt to contextualize any uses that I start myself.

When I do, I usually restrict the word to overall positive movements (I have little desire to spend much time with negative ones) or qualify my statement with some sort of adjective, most often "Abrahamic". That is not to imply that I generally validate the Abrahamic creeds; I do not.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

[QUOTE="SalixIncendium, post: 7917787, Please provide your understanding of what the word "religion" means.[/QUOTE]

My understanding of what the word "religion' means is defined at James 1:27
To look after orphans and widows in their time of affliction and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Just as Jesus was 'neutral' in world affairs so would his followers be the same.
Religion means "worship" as Jesus taught at John 4:23-24 to worship his God with spirit and truth.
Religious truth as Jesus taught from Scripture - John 17:17
With ' spirit ' as to have an active worship.
As a pep rally is designed to create school spirit, the Bible creates a spiritual life style.
As a high-spirited horse is active so would Jesus' followers be active in both practical and spiritual ways.
Showing practical love as the neighborly good Samaritan did.
Showing spiritual love by cultivating the frutiage of God's spirit as listed at Galatians 5:22-23.

 

[RestlessSoul]

God stuff. Done collectively. Sometimes with songs. And incense. Bells are good.

Not always with God, actually. But mostly.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Religion... a controlling and money-making scam (With some exceptions)

A scam by corrupted clergy who dress in sheep's clothing but inside are ravenous wolves .
- Acts of the Apostles 20:29-30
Or, as Jesus indicated that MANY would prove false at Matthew 7:21-23

 

[dybmh]

Put simply, religion defines the commitment to a regular practice like taking medicine "religiously".

 

[England my lionheart]

An easy to use conduit for whatever your aim is?.

 

[We Never Know]

A system of belief's fueled by faith?

Or

A system of faith fueled by belief's?

 

[MonkeyFire]

Religion is spirituality, dharma, and fraternity. Since belief is faithful, it should be dedicated to the faithful God, the Holy Spirit. It can be sex with Him as one of His brides, or a friendship in which you accept gifts and in return you make a vow to be passive around good things, respect nature with acceptance and care in a spiritual way, and the promise to respect faithful loving. If you take the vow to fight sadism, and respect nature and romance you can receive gifts from the angel of Faith; such as love, wishes, belief, hope, knowledge, friendship, war, trust, happiness, freedom, kin, His divine teaching, illuminated nature, safety, and pleasure

It can also be dedicated to the one true love, through the faithful archetype, but belief in God should be referenced to the Holy Spirt because they share in holy matrimony. Faith in God is where the angel of Faith becomes He who is Like God, God being True Love.

Believing in God is placing your transcendence in God. Religion is also fire, so praying over fire is important. Fire is the native warrior, known to us as St. Michael.

 

[Quintessence]

Somehow I had the foresight to put this in a post on my forum profile so I could find it easily whenever: Is no religion better than religion?

• 
  
  
  • Mythos - first and foremost, religion is about myth making or storytelling. It is a body of narratives that informs us about ourselves, others, and relationships. In short, it's about the meaning of life and living.
  • Ritual - religion also includes practices that engage those narratives on an active basis. Stories are not simply told, they are living entities and enacted through behavior. In short, it's about outlining a way of life and living.
  • Values - inevitably, the myth and ritual as an articulation of personal and/or cultural values. Religion deals with our sacred things, that which we deem worthy of worship, that which we hold as a centerpiece in our lives.
  • Community - humans are social animals, and shared myth and ritual among humans creates community. It is through this community that religions become organized or institutionalized, a structure that facilitates passing mythos, ritual, and values between generations.

Or just read this - Religion - Wikipedia

 

[crossfire]

Separation of the sacred from the profane.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Please provide your understanding of what the word "religion" means.

Essential: Dharma (Duties)
Optional: All the rest, whom to worship, the way to worship, worship to what end or not to worship (in my case).

 

[The Hammer]

In the interest of not derailing Please Define "Spiritual", I'm starting a new thread on how one defines "religion."

It was suggested in that thread that there are different understandings of what "religion" means. I want to put that to the test here.

Please provide your understanding of what the word "religion" means.

It's too difficult a task. I've tried it in two seperate Anthropology classes. The consensus tends to be.

"Definitions of religion tend to suffer from one of two problems: they are either too narrow and exclude many belief systems which most agree are religious, or they are too vague and ambiguous, suggesting that just about anything and everything is a religion."

What Is Religion?.

Take this definition for instance: "Social anthropologists conceive of religion as culture. Religion is a pattern of beliefs, values, and actions that are acquired by members of a group. Religion constitutes an ordered system of meanings, beliefs, and values that define the place of human beings in the world."

Anthropology Of Religion | Encyclopedia.com

But this can apply to other culture systems that are not considered religious by those groups.