What makes a religion?

[ignoramus]

Isn't it by definition that a religion needs belief/faith.

Basically if something was real and provable, this wouldn't be needed.
So, yeah, it must be based on woo.

Like the wiki 5 click game, it seems all woo eventually leads back to religion.

[Edwardo Piet]

Dictionary.com:

Religion is either:

1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects:

the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.

3. the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices:
a world council of religions.

4. the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.:
to enter religion.

5. the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.


6. something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience:
to make a religion of fighting prejudice.

There we go. Once again equivocation is the problem as per usual. Religion can refer to any of these things but not all and when it hasn't been specified which then people get confused.

/thread

[robvalue]

Hmm, definition 2 is super vague!

That doesn't necessarily involve anything fictional, as it reads. But I think the idea of scope is a recurring theme for sure.

[Losty]

Hmm...

I can see what FaF is saying. If you just have a load of weird beliefs but don't actually do anything with them, I suppose that wouldn't be considered a religion by most people.

So if I believe the Earth is constantly in imminent danger of turning into a grape, and I have to do this weird dance every day to stop it happening, can that be a religion?

I dunno...make a video of the dance for clarification.

[Edwardo Piet]

Yep. When all else fails do a merry Robgrandma Rob jig.

[Minimalist]

More than anything else, religion seems to be about stupid, fucking hats.

[Mystic]

I think it's simply what a human surrenders himself to and follows.  Just as I believe everyone worships something, I believe everyone has a religion.

What is most valued by a person, is what is worshipped by that person. What he surrenders to and follows to achieve that which he values most or things he values the most, is his religion.

A christian may believe they are Christian, a Jew a Jew, a Muslim will think he is a Muslim, but what we truly value and what we truly follow, inwardly, comes down to two choices, and two paths.

I believe the true religion of God is his nature we be originated upon. 

We can define it by our common terminology, but you will see, when we try to do that, we cannot make one coherent definition, that doesn't break down and become too general.

By why then not make it general?

We think we are devoted to and take a system as a religion, but what truly is the religion of our hearts?

If comes down to all false religions are falsehood, then we are inclining to falsehood for some reason. If there is truth and true religion, it obviously should not be followed and believed in, for the same reason people believe in falsehood.

At the end, I believe we either worship God or unkowingly we worship Satan. We either submit to God and surrender to him, or we submit to the darkness and embrace a false identity that is unclean.

Sometimes language terminology veil us from reality.

We may think for example we don't value anything to the level of worship, but we in fact, make our desire that often.

We may think we are committed to a way...but what we are really committed to is our desire to conform society or belong to a people we want to associate with.

[Minimalist]

You're blinded by your own bullshit, MK.

[robvalue]

So not having a religion is a religion?

If the alternatives are God or Satan, I'll take Satan. Every story I've heard, he's the good guy in comparison.

I'm sorry to say MK that you plaster your beliefs onto ours to avoid having to see things from our point of view, or to consider for a second the possibility that you're wrong.

[Edwardo Piet]

If a large enough group of people believe their group represents a religion those outside the group are like "There's a lot of them now. Meh, let's let it count as a religion."