Two simple questions.

[Valkyr1a]

Firstly I would like to say Hello. This is the first time I am posting here, I have to admit and interesting forum as I read a few posts.
Now for the questions I would like all of you to answer regardless of your religious status.
Question number one will be What religion actually is? and Why is there religion?
Please note that I would like critical answers, meaning that I would like you to answer from your own point of view.
Example: Please don't paste a definition of the word religion but tell me what it means to you personally.

 

[ChristineES]

First- welcome to the RF.

Religion, for me personally, is a way of life. That life includes God. Religion is simply rules to live by spiritually rather than physically. There doesn't necessarily have to be a deity, but some kind of spiritual goal(enlightenment, worship of God, etc).

 

[Valkyr1a]

First- welcome to the RF.

Religion, for me personally, is a way of life. That life includes God. Religion is simply rules to live by spiritually rather than physically. There doesn't necessarily have to be a deity, but some kind of spiritual goal(enlightenment, worship of God, etc).

Thanks for the welcomes Christine, I can see that religion for you is lets say a way of controlling your spirituality?

 

[Breathe]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

1. What is religion?
I have to say I go by the word religion in the dictionary.
I consider anything with the supernatural in it to be a religion, I guess.

I consider Taosim, Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Shinto, Christianity, Sikhism, Mormonism, Chinese Folk Religion, Islam, Judaism, Mandaeanism, Yazdism, Zoroastrianm Manchaeanism (did I spell that one right?), etc, to be religions. Things like this.

Religions don't need to have a creator God, but all of these religions have something supernatural in them. I think I might even call Confucianism a religion (or semi-religion), due to the fact it has ancestor worship and similar things. However, if these are purged from it (for being from outside of Confucianism sources), then I wouldn't consider it as one.

Religions have a moral compass. All religions are philosophies, but not all philosophies are religion, in my opinion.

2. Why is there religion?
To help us understand our place in the cosmos and to bring one unity with their fellow man and often unity with God, as well.

Unfortunately this isn't always the case.

 

[Valkyr1a]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

1. What is religion?
I have to say I go by the word religion in the dictionary.
I consider anything with the supernatural in it to be a religion, I guess.

I consider Taosim, Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Shinto, Christianity, Sikhism, Mormonism, Chinese Folk Religion, Islam, Judaism, Mandaeanism, Yazdism, Zoroastrianm Manchaeanism (did I spell that one right?), etc, to be religions. Things like this.

Religions don't need to have a creator God, but all of these religions have something supernatural in them. I think I might even call Confucianism a religion (or semi-religion), due to the fact it has ancestor worship and similar things. However, if these are purged from it (for being from outside of Confucianism sources), then I wouldn't consider it as one.

Religions have a moral compass. All religions are philosophies, but not all philosophies are religion, in my opinion.

2. Why is there religion?
To help us understand our place in the cosmos and to bring one unity with their fellow man and often unity with God, as well.

Unfortunately this isn't always the case.

So you look at religion as a way of thinking to explain the "supernatural" correct?

 

[Breathe]

So you look at religion as a way of thinking to explain the "supernatural" correct?

Correct, but that's only the icing on the cake.

I believe religion to be far, far more than just explaining the supernatural, but also a way of living and a unifying force between different people, as well.

 

[Valkyr1a]

Correct, but that's only the icing on the cake.

I believe religion to be far, far more than just explaining the supernatural, but also a way of living and a unifying force between different people, as well.

So spiritual control and guidance also?

 

[England my lionheart]

Hi Valkyr1a,religion to me is a way of controlling a large amount of people into the direction you want them to go and some religions use the Carrot (heaven/paradise) and the stick (eternal damnation/Hell) to achieve this.

 

[Breathe]

So spiritual control and guidance also?

As well as a unifing force.

 

[Valkyr1a]

Hi Valkyr1a,religion to me is a way of controlling a large amount of people into the direction you want them to go and some religions use the Carrot (heaven/paradise) and the stick (eternal damnation/Hell) to achieve this.

And why would someone control a large amount of people and set them on a direction? If you created Christianity lets say and I believe in Jesus Christ how could you benefit from it?

 

[England my lionheart]

And why would someone control a large amount of people and set them on a direction? If you created Christianity lets say and I believe in Jesus Christ how could you benefit from it?

Wealth and conquest,look at the Catholic Church from the Crusades to the founding of the new world which filled the coffers of the Holy see ,or the Muslim conquests which brought the Ottomans great wealth.

 

[Valkyr1a]

Wealth and conquest,look at the Catholic Church from the Crusades to the founding of the new world which filled the coffers of the Holy see ,or the Muslim conquests which brought the Ottomans great wealth.

And why would you spend the rest of your life becoming wealthy and powerful?

 

[England my lionheart]

why would'nt you,surely that is what most of Humanity have been doing since crawling out of the Primeval soup.

 

[Valkyr1a]

why would'nt you,surely that is what most of Humanity have been doing since crawling out of the Primeval soup.

Isn't greed a sin?

 

[England my lionheart]

Isn't greed a sin?

Ahh some religions commit many sins by their own definitions

 

[Valkyr1a]

Ahh some religions commit many sins by their own definitions

And what do you believe about it?

 

[Zindagee Rahmaan]

Firstly I would like to say Hello. This is the first time I am posting here, I have to admit and interesting forum as I read a few posts.
Now for the questions I would like all of you to answer regardless of your religious status.
Question number one will be What religion actually is? and Why is there religion?
Please note that I would like critical answers, meaning that I would like you to answer from your own point of view.
Example: Please don't paste a definition of the word religion but tell me what it means to you personally.

Salaam alaik, greetings & welcomes! I don't know about your religion, I wish to know.

What religion actually is? and Why is there religion?

Just a short definition which I take religion personally is God's Will, He created us, He is our Owner and He wants us to deal our life according to His will. Thats for me what religion defines.

Wel wishes......

 

[Valkyr1a]

Salaam alaik, greetings & welcomes! I don't know about your religion, I wish to know.



Just a short definition which I take religion personally is God's Will, He created us, He is our Owner and He wants us to deal our life according to His will. Thats for me what religion defines.

Wel wishes......

Then why did God gave you free will?

 

[Enoch07]

Then why did God gave you free will?

Because forced love is not real love. God wants you to love Him and follow His rules by your own free will. If He did not allow for free will, and forced everyone to love Him, then what would be the point of being born of flesh?

 

[zenzero]

Friend Valkyr1a,

Two simple questions.
Firstly I would like to say Hello. This is the first time I am posting here, I have to admit and interesting forum as I read a few posts.
Now for the questions I would like all of you to answer regardless of your religious status.
Question number one will be What religion actually is? and Why is there religion?
Please note that I would like critical answers, meaning that I would like you to answer from your own point of view.
Example: Please don't paste a definition of the word religion but tell me what it means to you personally.

What is religion?
Religion is only a path or a way to STILL the mind.
Mind by nature is always *thinking* and only when it is STILL is the individual in nature and one with existence.

Why is there religion?
It is not there unless one sees it as everything is there is its own time / space zone.

Love & rgds