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Man-Hungry Conversationalist
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 Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2004 1:56 am
Here is an odd question, something for a bit of discussion and such.
What is everyone's personal definition of what counts as religion?
I, personally, see religion as a way of life. By that definition, everyone has religion, has something they live for, be it God, the gods, themselves, drugs, booze, sex.... it doesn't matter, it is all religion.
So, what's everyone else think?
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Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2004 11:41 am
Religion, in my definition is a way to come to terms with the infinite, meaning what happens after we die, and it also gives you something to live for. Thus, there would have to be an afterlife, there does not need to be a god(s) or goddess(es) as long as there is an afterlife. If there is no afterlife in what you believe, then it is not a religion, the afterlife is what gives you something to live for, if it wasn't for the afterlife, then why live? In short, to be a religion, it has to have a sometype of afterlife (i.e. heaven, hell, reincarnation, etc.).
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Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2004 7:10 pm
Religion is indeed a way of life that includes not only your personal beliefs for what comes after death but how you go about your daily routine. It is, in my opinion, either what you're living for, or what you're dying for, or a combination of both.
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Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 8:17 pm
I have a completely different definition, for a few reasons.
To me, religion is an organized, documented belief system. It is a system of beliefs, not your belief in it. No more.
You may be part of a religion, but not have any faith. Faith, I think, is what gets you through the day to day muck and tribulation.
You may have no religion at all, but be filled with faith that things will be ok, that what you do is right and good, and you will be rewarded for it.
Religion is the details.
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2005 5:02 pm
Verim I have a completely different definition, for a few reasons.
To me, religion is an organized, documented belief system. It is a system of beliefs, not your belief in it. No more.
You may be part of a religion, but not have any faith. Faith, I think, is what gets you through the day to day muck and tribulation.
You may have no religion at all, but be filled with faith that things will be ok, that what you do is right and good, and you will be rewarded for it.
Religion is the details. I agree, though it doesn't have to be *that* detailed. It doesn't all have to be written down somewhere; I think as long as there are prescribed... methods of prayer etc. it's a religion. Wicca, for example. There is no big book of Wicca, stating exactly what one must do when, and if you don't, you aren't. The rules are much more loose than that; and your own thoughts and feelings are allowed more freedom. In my experience. It's also a *very* fine line between religion and cult, especially with some of the more orthodox religions that people tend to follow blindly (no offense to any orthodoxies here...)
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2005 5:51 pm
Naeryn I agree, though it doesn't have to be *that* detailed. It doesn't all have to be written down somewhere; I think as long as there are prescribed... methods of prayer etc. it's a religion. Wicca, for example. There is no big book of Wicca, stating exactly what one must do when, and if you don't, you aren't. The rules are much more loose than that; and your own thoughts and feelings are allowed more freedom. In my experience. It's also a *very* fine line between religion and cult, especially with some of the more orthodox religions that people tend to follow blindly (no offense to any orthodoxies here...)
But religion is the idea that if this, then this. If you sin, you go to hell. Some kind of established non-physical (unearthly?) reward/punishment scenario.
I guess my definition is actually broader than I had at first thought, since believing that you will be rewarded in any way for good deeds is technically by my definition a religion.
But knowing what people say you get rewarded for and what you get punished for doesn't get you through every day, which was my original deviation from the aforeposted definitions. The religion by itself doesn't get you through: you have to consciously accept it and believe it and know that it is a part of you.
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2005 6:00 pm
Naeryn It's also a *very* fine line between religion and cult, especially with some of the more orthodox religions that people tend to follow blindly (no offense to any orthodoxies here...)
I was fascinated with cults for a while, actually. Did a research paper in about 10th grade. Doesn't make me an expert, though. Never been good at research papers.
Anyway, cults are just religions. People who follow religions. People whose religions take over their lives. If you believe, because of your religion, that some things are more important than others, then what makes it different from a cult religion?
I do not condemn the people who follow cults. I blame the people who take advantage of cult followers. This, however, is another topic entirely.
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Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 10:31 am
I think that religion is a way of living becouse I get that impresion, you chose you belive and go after it's rules. You live like them and so on.
In the wicca religion there is mostly only big rule, Don't harm anybody, it will get back at you tre full.
I know that the rule never lies it will comes back tre full but in an other way.
I believe that that rule is the way of life in every step of life.
Think of what you do.
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 12:37 pm
i think religions by in large, efforts to explain the as-of-yet unexplainible. like, why to bad things happen to good people and vica versa? and what happens when we die?
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 2:24 pm
Punk Fox TH Here is an odd question, something for a bit of discussion and such. What is everyone's personal definition of what counts as religion? I, personally, see religion as a way of life. By that definition, everyone has religion, has something they live for, be it God, the gods, themselves, drugs, booze, sex.... it doesn't matter, it is all religion. So, what's everyone else think? I second that and am only gonna add one thing: this is why we have extremists, alcoholics, porn stars, etc. Because religion can turn into addiction. And that is ScarredImage's two cents *bows out and exits stage left*
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