Define Religion

[The Hammer]

Many of us come here and discuss religions and religious topics. This often results in debate, confusion, misunderstandings and sometimes outright malice towards other members.

Part of this contention as I see it, is a lack of a coherent definition of what religion actually "is", you see it is an ill-defined, and often difficult to define concept. And it varies by time, place and tradition what form this takes, oftentimes.

So how would you define Religion? What is your personal one sentence definition of Religion? (Religious members only).

My definition is as follows: A Philisophical approach or framework to one's life, including traditions and customs, that shapes the way one interacts with both the physical and metaphysical aspects of reality.

 

[Orbit]

There are two ways that religion is defined in sociology:
1. What religion IS (symbol system that helps people make sense of life and death)
2. What religion DOES in society (institution providing rites of passage, meaning, moral guidance).

I tend to stick with those.

 

[syo]

Religion is a lifestyle. How I live. How I interpret life.

 

[The Hammer]

Religion is a lifestyle. How I live. How I interpret life.

Same, that's why I called it a framework for life . I certainly agree with you here.

 

[Link]

What you value you the most and how you act according to that.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Religion is the recognition and appreciation of the mystery we can never understand.

Art is its interpretation and communication of the mystery we can never understand
Science is the investigation of the mystery we can never understand

 

[syo]

What you value you the most and how you act according to that.

Isn't that dangerous?

 

[sun rise]

Religion to me is a structure of rights, rituals, ceremonies constructed around a shared belief or beliefs. In the case of revealed religion, it's also a history or hagiography of a figure and set of teachings that are considered to be divinely inspired.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

So how would you define Religion? What is your personal one sentence definition of Religion? (Religious members only).

The embracing of the knowledge of one's own true self in the practice of virtue, morals and service to all humanity, as one human family.

Regards Tony

 

[The Hammer]

There are two ways that religion is defined in sociology:
1. What religion IS (symbol system that helps people make sense of life and death)
2. What religion DOES in society (institution providing rites of passage, meaning, moral guidance).

I tend to stick with those.

That's not a one sentence definition though (which is what I wanted).

 

[VoidCat]

Such a subjective thing. I can't think of just one defination.

 

[Secret Chief]

Some nice definitions here.

 

[VoidCat]

Such a subjective thing. I can't think of just one defination.

Hell I made a thread about this a while back. It's 7 pages long and I still don't have a single defination:
What is your definition of religion?

 

[The Hammer]

Some nice definitions here.

Absolutely! It's fascinating to see what others make of such a subjective term and experience.

 

[pearl]

So how would you define Religion? What is your personal one sentence definition of Religion? (Religious members only).

Religion is the man made expression of God given faith.

 

[The Hammer]

Religion is the man made expression of God given faith.

Not everybody thinks their faith is given to them by the Gods. Faith is an extension of Respect towards the Gods. Without whom we could not exist.

 

[Secret Chief]

That's not a one sentence definition though (which is what I wanted).

Religion is both a symbol system that helps people make sense of life and death, as well as being an institution that provides rites of passage, meaning and moral guidance.
@Orbit

 

[crossfire]

Assigning meaning to suffering.

 

[Secret Chief]

A vehicle for living and dying.

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

My definition is as follows: A Philisophical approach or framework to one's life, including traditions and customs, that shapes the way one interacts with both the physical and metaphysical aspects of reality.

That's my definition of a worldview, not a religion.

I have a worldview, secular humanism, but I don't consider it a religion. I like simple and clear definitions, the type that make it very easy to decide if to given thing or process belongs to that group or not, and I like the definition to group things that I wish to discuss collectively. Regarding worldviews, I broadly divide them into naturalistic and supernaturalistic ones.

So I'm going to group theistic Buddhism with Christianity and Islam, and atheistic Buddhism with secular humanism, and call the former religious worldviews, but the latter not religions. That's the line of separation that matters. The metaphysics of the first three are godded and may permit violations of the laws of physics (miracles), whereas those of the the last two godless and subject to physical law at all times.

The epistemology changes radically as one crosses that line, from one that permits or even encourages faith-based thinking and considers it a path to truth, to one that goes out of its way to avoid it and teaches that faith cannot be a path to truth, since any idea can be believed by faith.

The ethics and the manner of deciding ethical matters changes radically when one crosses that line. Received moral codes look very different from those generated by rational ethics. Secular humanism find the idea of something being moral simply because it is believed by faith that a deity said or did it reprehensible.

I can think of no other way to define religion to make the word more useful. Throw atheistic Buddhism into religion because you see the word Buddhism isn't helpful. It just puts us back into that blurry place where the words become less useful. What do I need with another word that can mean any worldview with or without a god?