• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

What IS 'Religion'???

'Religion'. What is NECESSARY for a 'thing' to qualify as (a) religion?

  • Total voters
    24
blackout

blackout

Violet.
What qualifies (as) religion?
(multiple choice poll!)
What components are necessary
to calling something a "religion'?

What qualifies 'religion'?
What qualifies AS 'religion'?

What of the following are necessary?

A specific kind of belief system?
Any kind of belief system?
No belief system?

A specific kind of 'god' belief?
Any kind of 'god' belief?
No 'god' belief?

A specific kind of god concept?
Any kind of god concept?
No god concept?

A specific kind of practice/'works'?
Any kind of practice?
No practice?

A specific kind of ritual?
Any kind of ritual?
No ritual?

A specific kind of goal/mission/purpose?
Any kind of goal/mission/purpose?
No kind of goal/mission/purpose?

A specific kind of doctrine?
Any kind of doctrine?
No doctrine?

A specific kind of supernatural?
Any kind of supernatural?
Nothing supernatural?

A specific kind of transcendence?
Any kind of transcendence?
Nothing transcendent?

A specific kind of morality?
Any kind of morality?
No morality?

A specific kind of community/'following'?
Any kind of community/'following'?
No community/'following'?

A specific kind of vision/world view/life philosophy?
Any kind of vision/world view/philosophy?
No particular vision/world view/philosophy?

A specific kind of leadership/authority?
Any kind of leadership/authority?
No leadership? (beyond yourSelf)

A specific kind of books/scripture/history?
Any kind of books/scripture/history?
No books/scripture/history?

A specific kind of mythology/iconic figures?
Any kind of mythology/iconology?
No mythology/iconology?

A specific kind of worship?
Any kind of worship?
No worship?

Did I miss anything?



IMPORTANT:
poll is MULTIPLE CHOICE!
 
Last edited:
Revoltingest

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Wow! Numerous & big questions you have there, Ultra.
I'll give a single answer about the legal context in the US, which is often overlooked.
In this case, it is any belief system/philosophy which relates to the supernatural, meaning of life, morality, etc.
Thus, atheism (despite its minimalist approach to those issues) qualifies for 1st Amendment protection.

Of course, this definition is a narrow one. In other contexts, atheism isn't a religion.
 
blackout

blackout

Violet.
Is that it? Me_Myself?

The ONLY qualification for religion is
doctrine/'rules'?


(just in case you missed-
the poll is multiple choice,
to really answer the question
you need to select EVERYTHING
that you feel is necessary to qualify religion)
 
Me Myself

Me Myself

Back to my username
UltraViolet said:
Is that it? Me_Myself?

The ONLY qualification for religion is
doctrine/'rules'?


(just in case you missed-
the poll is multiple choice,
to really answer the question
you need to select EVERYTHING
that you feel is necessary to qualify religion)
Click to expand...

AH!!! Thanks xD

edit: wait... my vote is frozen, :(

Now I understand why each choice felt too simple.
 
LuisDantas

LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
Belief System, Goal/Mission/Purpose, Morality, Community/Following, Vision/Worldview/Life Philosophy.
 
Me Myself

Me Myself

Back to my username
UltraViolet said:

You could ask a mod for help?
Not sure if it can be amended.:(

If not, tell us in a post. :)
Click to expand...

DOn´t wanna bother a mod...

But well I would only pick two honestly: Doctrine and community. A lot of the others are very common, but those two for me are the central ones.

I was tempted to put "supernatural"... but I see the "supernatural" too much as natural to even understand myself if I put that xD
 
blackout

blackout

Violet.
Only a few poll takers as of yet,
but so far no votes for-

god belief
god concept
scripture
authority
or
mythology(iconic figure)
 
blackout

blackout

Violet.
Sage Tree,

Just curious,
You selected worship,
but did not select any god concept or god belief.

Left Hand Path 'religions'? are psyche/Self worshiping- for example-
(though they sometimes refer to their own self as 'god')
and Pantheists and Deists and Pagans might be nature worshiping-
so the concept is not unheard of.

I'm just wondering what your 'no god necessary' concept of worship is.
 
Last edited:
blackout

blackout

Violet.
Revoltingest,

is your only personal qualification for religion
'supernatural elements'?
or did you also miss the multiple choice option. :p
 
tumbleweed41

tumbleweed41

Resident Liberal Hippie
Although a lot of the other choices can, and often are, included in many religions, I chose -a belief system, community/following,and vision/world view/life philosophy as the bare minimum of my personal description of religion.
 
blackout

blackout

Violet.
So far "a belief system" and "vision/world view/life philosophy"
are tied in the lead.

Still no votes for god belief, or god concept.
 
SageTree

SageTree

Spiritual Friend
Premium Member
UltraViolet said:
Sage Tree,

Just curious,
You selected worship,
but did not select any god concept or god belief.

Left Hand Path 'religions'? are psyche/Self worshiping- for example-
and Pantheists and Deists and Pagans might be nature worshiping-
so the concept is not unheard of.

I'm just wondering what your 'no god necessary' concept of worship is.
Click to expand...

God is a tricky word.... And is Three letters that bear a LOT of weight and encapsulation.

To me, it's better used in my own life and not as an explanation, know what I mean?

I'll do my best here though....

'God' has essence to me individually...
God verbalized and defined, I dare say, might be detracting, or redundant from the very way I understand/experience 'God'.

Also... In terms of the OP:

I recognize that in terms of 'necessary', in a religion I'd start ;) 'God' and all those things it means to me, might be a word that scares that shee-at out of someone else, who may in fact believe the same things as me, but doesn't label it as 'God'....

However I do feel a reverence for life.... and I take time to observe that thankfulness and connection I feel with the World around me.

To be more concise,
Personally, I'm more of a 'God is a Verb' kind of guy, and might be inclined to say what I DID choose 'IS' God...

I put transcendence in there and mean it in a way to 'Live Godly', rather than looking to a 'Supreme Being, rather finding a way of 'Supreme Beingness', penetrating the core of ourselves, cutting illusion.... finding our 'true nature' if you will.

So maybe I could have been fairer and at least picked a 'concept'...

But felt 'no' because imo, because it's seems redundant since religion itself is a concept and explanation of that seeking connectedness to our lives and the world around and inside us.

If you want to take a whack at labeling what I think, I truly welcome that.
Do you see that as a Diest/Pantheist/ Pagan 'concept'?
Truly... I welcome your thoughts :)


:namaste
SageTree


There are many more details and life story that could confuse and mix that up in my associations and affiliations, so I'll let it rest for now.

:) thanks for prying a bit :)

I could use a good 'try to get this all right in words' once in a while.
 
Tarheeler

Tarheeler

Argumentative Curmudgeon
Premium Member
I lean towards Livingston's definition: "Religion is that system of activities and beliefs directed toward that which is perceived to be of sacred value and transforming power." A Working Definition of Religion

I think it's broad enough to include non-theistic religions, but narrow enough to preclude general philosophies and ideologies.

I think a religion is an integrated worldview that include ethics, right action, rules for addressing the world-at-large and individual people. And I think it has to have some sense of the "other" or, as Livingston puts it, the sacred. Not necessarily a supernatural deity, but something seen as separate from the ordinary physical world.
 
Last edited:
Draka

Draka

Wonder Woman
Personally, I think that Merriam-Webster explains quite well what I view religion as...

a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices

and since religious is described as: relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity

Then religion is: A personal set or institutionalized system of attitudes, beliefs and practices relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity.

This makes deity an option, but not required as there is also "ultimate reality" available as well. This covers religions which have beliefs concerning karma and enlightenment and so on yet no particular god concept. That there is more to the world than just what we can see, taste and touch, but there's no definitive stance on deity. This makes religion something that deals with beliefs and practices concerning concepts of what may be "beyond" this physical world.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top