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Thu 1 Nov, 2007 01:19 pm
I was having a discussion with some friends recently, and we came across the topic of trying to define religion, and the difficulty that it entails.
How do you define religion, and how do you decide what qualifies and what doesn't?
a system of beliefs centered around divine presence
Doesn't that just shift the problem of abstract definition to the word "divine" though?
fungotheclown wrote:Doesn't that just shift the problem of abstract definition to the word "divine" though?
how so? Divine just means above Mortal form... I beleive most if not all religions worship or recognize some sort of divine being/beings
Your definition excludes things like humanism and Buddhism, but includes things like a belief in ghosts or esp. Are you ok with that?
fungotheclown wrote:Your definition excludes things like humanism and Buddhism, but includes things like a belief in ghosts or esp. Are you ok with that?
Buddhists beleive in a Divine creator... they do not have a formal name like most but the belief is there.. they're view of enlightenment could also be seen as becoming divine... more then human...
and yes Im ok with it including things like Ghosts and ESP
Im Pagan after all
Many pursuits qualify as religion.
pursuits? could you provide examples please?
Religions are successful cults.
Religion is a practice that has separated man from God. Religion has filled the hearts of man with fear of God. It commands humans to adore God, when once we adored God because it was impossible not to do.
Religion creates disunity which is the opposite of God. Religion orders man to bow down before God, when once we reached upwards to God. It teaches us that we need an intermediary in order to reach God. What happened to reaching God by simple living of your life in goodness and truth?
People believe in religion because they can't think for themselves. It's always easier to have someone else think for us.
bellsybop wrote:Religion is a practice that has separated man from God. Religion has filled the hearts of man with fear of God. It commands humans to adore God, when once we adored God because it was impossible not to do.
Religion creates disunity which is the opposite of God. Religion orders man to bow down before God, when once we reached upwards to God. It teaches us that we need an intermediary in order to reach God. What happened to reaching God by simple living of your life in goodness and truth?
People believe in religion because they can't think for themselves. It's always easier to have someone else think for us.
thats not quite true of all religions Bellsy
13thCoven wrote:bellsybop wrote:Religion is a practice that has separated man from God. Religion has filled the hearts of man with fear of God. It commands humans to adore God, when once we adored God because it was impossible not to do.
Religion creates disunity which is the opposite of God. Religion orders man to bow down before God, when once we reached upwards to God. It teaches us that we need an intermediary in order to reach God. What happened to reaching God by simple living of your life in goodness and truth?
People believe in religion because they can't think for themselves. It's always easier to have someone else think for us.
thats not quite true of all religions Bellsy
(My opinion of Christianity Cov, not Pagans)
you know me better than that :wink:
I cant do better than Christopher Hitchens definition
Quote:Monotheistic religion is a plagiarism of a plagiarism of a hearsay, of an illusion, extending all the way back to a fabrication of a few nonevents.
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bellsybop wrote:13thCoven wrote:bellsybop wrote:Religion is a practice that has separated man from God. Religion has filled the hearts of man with fear of God. It commands humans to adore God, when once we adored God because it was impossible not to do.
Religion creates disunity which is the opposite of God. Religion orders man to bow down before God, when once we reached upwards to God. It teaches us that we need an intermediary in order to reach God. What happened to reaching God by simple living of your life in goodness and truth?
People believe in religion because they can't think for themselves. It's always easier to have someone else think for us.
thats not quite true of all religions Bellsy
(My opinion of Christianity Cov, not Pagans)
you know me better than that :wink:
I know....Im just pointing out the obvious for those not accustomed to the old ways
neologist wrote:Many pursuits qualify as religion.
Here is an obvious one: Patriotism.
If you don't believe it is a religion, try publicly burning your country's flag.
neologist, it sounds like you want to define religion as anything people are passionate about. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. I'm passionate about lots of things, but I don't think many, if any, deserve the title of religion.
i dunno if it's literally true, but neo's response was amusing enough, and close enough to true for a thread about religion.
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