What qualifies as "Religion"?

[St Giordano Bruno]

Religion is kind of like autism for neurotypicals (people without autism) for its self imposed practice ritualized behaviour on the wider population.

 

[Member71934]

Hi.

The way I see it, a religion is a set of beliefs pertaining to creation, life and death. It seems pretty much as simple as that. There’s monotheism and polytheism.

Paul

 

[Penumbra]

I tend to view a worldview as a religion if it asserts things to be true that are largely out of the bounds of what science has shown to be true.

If it's just a way of looking at the world that doesn't make any out-there objective claims about reality, I think "worldview" or "philosophy" are more appropriate terms for it.

I don't think any definition can completely answer the situation and turn religion into a black/white thing. But this definition works pretty well for me.

 

[Rhizomatic]

It's very interesting to me that finding a universal, objective definition of religion used to be a massive, contentious issue in academic religious studies (at least in the West; I can't really speak for other fields of scholarship), but now the matter is more or less settled as "we don't have one and we don't really need one, either". For practical purposes I tend to agree with this, but when pressed for a definition for the definition's sake (ie: this topic), I usually use something along the lines of "a system of beliefs and practices engaging with a sacred reality". I use the term "sacred reality" to indicate something that is in some way removed/ different from our ordinary/ mundane/ "profane" experience and is especially relevant to human ethics and/or wellbeing. This is broad enough to cover things like highly-skeptical manifestations of Buddhism with no supernatural elements whatsoever (sacred reality being, in that case, a state of awareness that transcends the illusions that characterize our normal experience and cause suffering) while excluding various purely philosophical ethical systems.

 

[blackout]

There is no consistency here.

If I go an take parts of Islam and Christianity, I can be a religious syncretist.

Another man can take parts of Satanism and parts of Judaism and still be called a religious syncretist.

Its a belief, not an organized religion.

Which raises a question.

If ALL Religion is assumed by definition to be an "organized" thing,
then why the need for the "qualifying term" 'organized'
as in
'organized' religion.
Does this not suggest that there is ALSO 'non-organized' religion?

 

[Blackdog22]

So a person cannot have/construct their OWN religion?

EDIT: And what of Syncretic Religions?

Wouldn't that fit the definition of a cult?

Cult: followers of an exclusive system of religious beliefs and practices

I would say a religion with one person in it is rather exclusive.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

So a person cannot have/construct their OWN religion?

I would say that a person can do this, but until they convince someone else, it's not a religion.

IMO, religion implies community. Religion "binds together"; if there's no "together", there's no religion.

 

[Willamena]

Hi.

The way I see it, a religion is a set of beliefs pertaining to creation, life and death. It seems pretty much as simple as that.

Then there would be no one who doesn't have religion.

Welcome to the forums.

 

[crimsonlung]

Which raises a question.

If ALL Religion is assumed by definition to be an "organized" thing,
then why the need for the "qualifying term" 'organized'
as in
'organized' religion.
Does this not suggest that there is ALSO 'non-organized' religion?

A non-organized religion is a belief, not a religion. Or as preunumbra mentioned, a "World View"

 

[blackout]

Anyone else?

I need to go back through every post and count,
but thus far I think the balance slightly tips in favor
of my world view/practice not being a religion.
(if only for the fact that it is my own, alone, and non doctrinal in nature)

The metaphysical/Occultic/ritual magic/suspended disbelief and even theistic slant of it
seem not to necessairily qualify as religion.

I'd love more opinions. please.

 

[blackout]

I would say that a person can do this, but until they convince someone else, it's not a religion.

IMO, religion implies community. Religion "binds together"; if there's no "together", there's no religion.

What if I practice Ritual Magick with another,
complete with symbolisms we agree to share.
Suspend disbelief with that one other person
with shared intent of purpose.
Step out united in an "As If" act of faith.
Even if we share no doctrines,
and our god concepts are different,
are we not bound together in ritual of a metaphysical nature?

Is this religion?

 

[blackout]

There is no consistency here.

If I go an take parts of Islam and Christianity, I can be a religious syncretist.

Another man can take parts of Satanism and parts of Judaism and still be called a religious syncretist.

Its a belief, not an organized religion.

However, the resultant blend, can be newly named
as a thing standing on it's own.

 

[blackout]

A religion is some sort of organized doctrine in which people have beliefs relating to the supernatural. My definition may be over-simplified but this is the best I can do as of now.

What if "organized doctrine" is more simply labled as "agreement of concept",
and
"supernatural" is more... "the metaphysical"... or the "yet unknown"... or the "unseen seen"?

Do these distinctions disqualify? or also qualify.

 

[blackout]

Religion is kind of like autism for neurotypicals (people without autism) for its self imposed practice ritualized behaviour on the wider population.

I'm sorry. What are the qualifications for religion stated here?
Self imposed practice ritualized behavior??
Which has what to do with the wider population?

 

[blackout]

I tend to view a worldview as a religion if it asserts things to be true that are largely out of the bounds of what science has shown to be true.

If it's just a way of looking at the world that doesn't make any out-there objective claims about reality, I think "worldview" or "philosophy" are more appropriate terms for it.

I don't think any definition can completely answer the situation and turn religion into a black/white thing. But this definition works pretty well for me.

What if it practices... "experiments" in... things that science proper,
does not... perhaps cannot... address.

 

[blackout]

Hi.

The way I see it, a religion is a set of beliefs pertaining to creation, life and death. It seems pretty much as simple as that. There’s monotheism and polytheism.

Paul

So basically anyone who believes things pertaining to creation, life and death,
is practicing religion? ie... their beliefs, ARE their Religion.

That would probably qualify an athiest more easily than it would qualify me.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What if I practice Ritual Magick with another,
complete with symbolisms we agree to share.
Suspend disbelief with that one other person
with shared intent of purpose.
Step out united in an "As If" act of faith.
Even if we share no doctrines,
and our god concepts are different,
are we not bound together in ritual of a metaphysical nature?

Is this religion?

Possibly. Ritual can be a huge part of religion, so if you're sharing that, you're sharing quite a bit.

I don't think the shared beliefs of a religion necessarily have to be about the doctrine themselves; it can be things like a shared belief about how doctrine should be approached or explored, even if the individuals within the religion come to different ideas.

If someone asked both of you if you're the same religion, how would you respond?

 

[zenzero]

Friends,

What qualifies as "Religion"?

Personal understanding:
Religion is a way or path.
To where??
To the state of no-mind which is also the state where the oneness is reached.
Do you need a belief to take a path??
No not necessary; intelligent minds can reach to an understanding and take a path or way that suits him.
What qualifies as a path.
Anything and everything is a path but they are mostly no-paths.
What are no-paths.
No-paths are also paths but that which an individual takes and so is not an established path which is followed by others.

Love & rgds

 

[crimsonlung]

However, the resultant blend, can be newly named
as a thing standing on it's own.

But the resulted blend has no definition. If you took some of the beliefs of Judaism and some of the beliefs of Buddhism, and called it "Budju" and had followers that also believed this, then "Budju" would be a religion.

But syncretism is the ideal that you CAN take different parts from different religions, you don't HAVE to, but you CAN. It leaves the decision to you.

If people consider this a religion it would be kind of weak IMO, there are no set of core beliefs, there is nothing solid here. It like going to the roulette machine and betting evenly on black and red, your going to win no matter what but your also going to lose just as much.

 

[Reverend Rick]

What qualifies as "Religion"?

I think first and foremost passing the collection plate.