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What's a religion?

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    #16
    Re: What's a religion?

    The subset of culture dealing with the percieved fundamental nature of reality which is not testable by empirical evidence.
    "A true initiation never ends"-Robert Anton Wilson
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    "Reality has become a commodity"-Stephen Colbert 1/29/07
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      #17
      Re: What's a religion?

      A set of beliefs surrounding a God/Goddess/Gods/Goddesses/Deity/Deities etc

      I found out the other day that Buddhism is not a religion but a philosophy because it has none of the above (That was the gist)
      "Otwarty świat; rany zamknięte."
      - Open world; Wounds closed.

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        #18
        Re: What's a religion?

        Originally posted by Amelia-Mary View Post
        A set of beliefs surrounding a God/Goddess/Gods/Goddesses/Deity/Deities etc

        I found out the other day that Buddhism is not a religion but a philosophy because it has none of the above (That was the gist)
        Well...thats the thing, there really is no universally agreed upon definition of religion. For example---legally (as determined by the Supreme Court in the US in US v Seeger) religion (and this is paraphrased) is pretty much any sincerely held belief is God or belief that is held that occupies the same role in one's life that God does.

        IMO (based on several different definitions, scholars, etc) Religion is the set of practices one engages AND the belief (which those practices are centered upon) in a form of divinity or its equivalent (such as the teachings of a spiritual leader or predecessor--ie. Buddha). TBH, I think religion is more about what one does than what one believes.

        Buddhism (in this example) can really be both a philosophy and a religion (as can Druidry)--dependent upon they practice and how they view and engage with their beliefs.
        Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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          #19
          Re: What's a religion?

          We should separate faith and religion. There are people with a strong faith without religion, and religious fanatics without faith.

          Faith is an inner belief in something beyond our material world. It is through our soul and spirit we relate to and interact with something immaterial and bigger than us.

          Through our intellect we try and formalize this belief into rituals, creating a religion.

          Combining faith and religion we can have a better world.

          Removing faith from religion and we have a psychopathic system.

          It is better to have faith without religion than religion without faith.

          Atheism is a religion as LiadanWillows so rightly pointed out.

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            #20
            Re: What's a religion?

            Religion is a way of life that governs your actions, guides your thoughts and determines your goals. It can be a force for personal change and positive empowerment. It is emotional, often evoking: pride, hatred, frustration, contentment and wonder. It is capable of dividing, uniting, creation and destruction.

            At it most base level, Religion is a life raft; To be alive is to be marching towards death, and along this way you are constantly dodging adversity or tripping over obstacles and falling flat on your face. Faith and the belief that beyond your situation there is something else, whatever it may be, that can affect your life or promise a change is attractive.
            Giving is its own reward.

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              #21
              Re: What's a religion?

              Religion, for me, is the expression of an individual or a group identity and or worldview.
              I was Hadad2008 when I joined Feb 2008.
              I became Abdishtar this spring.
              Then, after the Great Crash, I was reborn as Spartacandream!

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                #22
                Re: What's a religion?

                Sometimes (read often) religion is the thing we put the blame on for how we act.
                Satan is my spirit animal

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                  #23
                  Re: What's a religion?

                  I would have to agree Medusa,many people seem to use religion as their reason,(the devil made me do it) and perhaps consider their God as only a way to get a "get out of hell free card"
                  MAGIC is MAGIC,black OR white or even blood RED

                  all i ever wanted was a normal life and love.
                  NO TERF EVER WE belong Too.
                  don't stop the tears.let them flood your soul.




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                  my new page here,let me know what you think.


                  nothing but the shadow of what was

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                    #24
                    Re: What's a religion?

                    I would have to say that, for me, a religion is an organised following; usually with strict rules and guidelines that thousands if not millions follow, together on the same path.

                    Faith, however, is your own personal, educated choices. It is what you feel inside, what you believe without seeing it in front of you. Faith can be anything from deity to a chosen leader; it can also be having faith in oneself. Or both!

                    I am Wiccan and I believe in the Lord and Lady, in many many forms, as well as spirit guides, nature, reincarnation as well as myself! Faith has gotten me through many a turmoil, many a time, heck its getting me through right now in certain situations.

                    But ultimately, religion, for many, is where they go when they need a boost, when they feel lonely, when they feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, when they have messed up or done something wrong, when they are sad, when they need to feel loved.
                    Whereas, faith is something that is in us, all day, every day, no matter what we're feeling that day. The most successful people don't get anywhere in life through simply praying; but combine prayer, magick, whichever is your preference with your own hard work and determination; you've cooked a recipe for success. After all, going to church doesn't make you a better or more successful person any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

                    Whatever your religion, I feel that we need faith in what we say we believe in, faith in who we pray to, faith in ourselves. And I think that with the combination of the two, we can all achieve.

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                      #25
                      Re: What's a religion?

                      Hi and Merry Meet --

                      To explain (my definition of) Religion, i need to begin with another (and one of my favorite) word-concepts: Numinous Well, that is what Spirituality and Religion are supposed culturally determined ways in which we seek and evoke the numinous.

                      2. Religion: literally means "re linking"; Now has come to mean institutionalized, formalized expressions of spirituality. IMO, it is yet another step removed from the Numinous, and usually includes such things as:

                      a. Specific institutionally supported and transmitted:
                      - myths, symbols, expectations, norms, conformity of belief and behavior and sanctions to reward "correct" behavior and punish "wrong" behavior;

                      b . statements, creeds or manifestos of belief/ practice;

                      c. institutionally administered rites

                      d. formal and informal authority and power structures, and ways of transmitting that authority and power to others.


                      Relligion is usually a very powerful influence on culture and society.


                      I hope that's helpful -- Blessed Be ~ GaiaDianne

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                        #26
                        Re: What's a religion?

                        It's a thing that you say that you have or that others have that may or may not have things that you are supposed to do or not do, and you may or may not follow those rules, but you saying that you or another are a part of it may be enough for you to belong.
                        "Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children." - Khalil Gibran

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                          #27
                          Re: What's a religion?

                          Originally posted by thalassa View Post
                          What do you think a religion is?
                          The confluence of ritualistic behaviour and a philosophy or worldview. The latter is how one sees the world. The former is how one behaves in relation to the world, informed by the latter.
                          This is deliberately broad. It does not have to be spiritual. It does not have to involve gods. It does not have to involve prayer or magic or anything numinous. It can be a great many things.

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                            #28
                            Re: What's a religion?

                            Originally posted by Tylluan Penry View Post
                            From the Latin re-ligare : to reconnect with the divine.
                            Maybe.
                            That's what I was going to write It's what it means to me. I prefer the word religion to spirituality as the latter concerns the spirit but my religious practice encompasses body, soul, mind, and spirit alike.

                            Religion is seen as very negative by some people; I think it's because they confuse it with "organised religion".

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                              #29
                              Re: What's a religion?

                              Originally posted by GaiaDianne View Post
                              Hi and Merry Meet --

                              To explain (my definition of) Religion, i need to begin with another (and one of my favorite) word-concepts: Numinous.
                              I didn't quote the entire post to save space but I just had to say that it was wonderful. I think I have always reached at this concept without knowing its name but reading through your post filled my chest up with joy.

                              I think religion is the attempt at connecting with the divine, like others have said, in a way that gives significant leeway in expecting answers. Scientists or atheists and those who believe in the spiritual and divine approach the same thing (the Numinous, as GaiaDianne described) but do so in different ways. Unfortunately, religion can take this too far and claim to have specially derived answers. It's really about a balance between doubt and faith, a balance that is constantly asking to be pulled too far in one direction or the other.

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                                #30
                                The Work of Kings that covers the work of the infamous reformist monk Dharmapala and his ideas on a sort of "Philosophical Buddhism" divorced from ritualistic and "folk" practices that he wanted to implement to make it more Western. Buddhism is called, in many Theravada countries, a "sasana" which can really only be translated as "religion" and when translators who wanted to push Dharmapala's ideas and the ideas of Western groups such as the Theosophical Society tried to translate "Buddhism is not a religion" into Sinhalese it met with laughable results in textbooks and popular literature in Sri Lanka. Even if Buddhism does not have a central prime mover that never dies (it can't without contradicting the Buddha's teachings on anatta and anicca) it still contains countless supernatural ideas such as gods, samsara, karma, rebirth, and the Buddhist scriptures contain countless stories of magical powers gained from higher meditative states, even though it is true that these were discouraged. Buddhism may have philosophical aspects but then again so does Christianity, but no one would say that Aquinas' philosophy is divorce-able from Christian religious preachments. The famous book The Three Pillars of Zen contains an enlightening interview in it with a Zen master and a Western convert. The convert dismisses the supernatural claims of Buddhism and even denies some of the miracles associated with the Buddha's birth to the Zen master. The very philosophical-minded Zen masters has no kind words to respond to this and shoots it down hard.

                                As to atheism, that's not a religion. Religion and worldview are not complete synonyms. The definition in my dictionary for atheism simply states "lack of a belief in a god or higher being." Atheism is not a religion but LaVeyan Satanism is. Atheism is not a religion but Theravada Buddhism is. There is a difference. I think a lot of religious people want to label atheism a religion so that the playing field is more even in their eyes.

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