What makes a religion?

[robvalue]

Once it starts causing a noticeable annoyance, I suppose

[Mister Agenda]

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?

Without the cultural element, I'd say not. As they say, if it's one person, it's a delusion; if it's a million, it's a religion.

[robvalue]

You reminded me of the definition I've used before: socially acceptable delusion.

[Mister Agenda]

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.

Speaking of equivocation....

[robvalue]

If it's a choice between knowingly worshipping something holding my future hostage, and unwittingly worshipping some other thing just by default, I'll take the latter option.

It's a very convenient strawman to write off anyone not doing what you do as being evil.

[Losty]

I wish I had a stupid fucking hat.

[Mystic]

So not having a religion is a religion?

Those convinced they don't have a religion, do in fact have one, by the general intention of what people intend and mean by "religion". It's just that most people don't realise the inward reality of how they define religion and what they value most, that they in fact at the heart of it, the same as others who they deem wrong. 

There is falsehood, there is truth. There is many versions of falsehood, different sects, different groups, but it's all the "falsehood" at the end. The Truth is on the other hand one. There is one truth, and the light of truth shines brightly and is distinct from falsehood. It cannot however be discovered and known by the same means people come to follow falsehood.

[Losty]

Ok MK define religion.

[Edwardo Piet]

You reminded me of the definition I've used before: socially acceptable delusion.

Group of individuals professing beliefs which they may or may not actually hold that draw enough attention to themselves that society reaches the consensus that it is at least slightly less inconvenient to deem the group a religion than to dismiss it Ad Nauseam.

[Mystic]

Ok MK define religion.

What you surrender to and follow to achieve what you value most.