Define Religion

[Link]

Isn't that dangerous?

Can be, if we don't seek to recognize true value and make it up.

 

[Heyo]

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.

A religion is a cult that survived the death of its founder.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

A religion is a cult that survived the death of its founder.

Yet some religions, such as mine, don't have a founder. Some don't even have deity.

 

[Nakosis]

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.

A set of organized beliefs taken on faith.

 

[1-Brother James]

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.

Every religion is different because religion comes from Man. There is a difference, and it is between religion and Spirituality. Spirituality is a belief in God by one's Soul, via a most subtle faculty called "Intuition" which is a faculty of one's Soul... by which Man can experience Truth. In other words, no thinking is involved in experiencing Spiritual Energy, just one's faculty of Intuition awakening to Knowledge. Peace

 

[The Hammer]

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?

I see worldview and religion as inseparable. For one's world-view, is the manner by which they see and interact with the world, the lens by which one operates. And a Religion also colors ones view of the world and operates as a categorical lens for interaction, therefore it too is a World-View, worldview.

Edit: Not all worldviews are religions, but all religions are a worldview.

 

[The Hammer]

Every religion is different because religion comes from Man. There is a difference is between religion and Spirituality. Spirituality is a belief in God by one's Soul, via a most subtle faculty called "Intuition" which is a faculty of one's Soul... by which Man can experience Truth. In other words, no thinking is involved in experiencing Spiritual Energy, just one's faculty of Intuition awakening to Knowledge. Peace

That is one way, yes. But IMO one needs a framework for which to direct Spiritual Energy. Lest we one lose touch with Reality.

 

[1-Brother James]

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.

You mention "metaphysical aspects of reality". If one assumes that Reality has aspects... I believe the aspects are more nearly defined as opinions due to incomplete understanding. That is, Reality, or Spiritual Reality, is an Absolute [in my opinion], and one may understand a portion of the Whole... however, that portion is not the whole of a Spiritual Truth. Like the Soul is an aspect of God, but a Soul can only KNOW God, when that Soul actually reunites with God. The rest is speculation. Peace

 

[1-Brother James]

That is one way, yes. But IMO one needs a framework for which to direct Spiritual Energy. Lest we one lose touch with Reality.

"lose touch with reality"...? Do you know someone who Knows what Reality is? Other than God, or a fully God-realized Soul? Peace

 

[1-Brother James]

Assigning meaning to suffering.

That is one way, yes. But IMO one needs a framework for which to direct Spiritual Energy. Lest we one lose touch with Reality.

"To direct Spiritual Energy" is an interesting statement. Interesting because I believe Spiritual Energy is "Neutral Spiritual Energy," or "NSgy" for short... and it is the Energy of one's Soul, and the Energy of God. And it is ONLY perceivable by one's Soul. Which is invisible to most people. Should we not begin by accepting that there is a physical reality we think is real, and an invisible Reality that is actually Real... which is NSgy? Peace

 

[URAVIP2ME]

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

I would define religion by the Bible's definition found at James 1:27 (James 4:4)
The form of religion.......to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself without spot from the world.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Religion is the man made expression of God given faith.

I would say that Jesus had God given faith because Jesus based his faith/confidence, Not in man-made expressions, but on his religion based on the old Hebrew Scriptures (OT) inspired by God as Author of the Bible - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

 

[The Hammer]

"lose touch with reality"...? Do you know someone who Knows what Reality is? Other than God, or a fully God-realized Soul? Peace

Reality is that place that exists in the moments between the past and the future.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

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?

My definition of religion is the Bible's definition found at James 1:27; James 4:4
To look after orphans and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself without spot from the world.
Worship the God of Jesus as instructed at John 4:23-24.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

A religion is a cult that survived the death of its founder.

Since God can Not die (Psalms 90:2) because He is 'from everlasting to everlasting' then Eternal God is its founder.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Every religion is different because religion comes from Man......................

The world's religions do come from man because as the ancient people migrated away from ancient Babylon they took with them their man-made religious practices and ideas and spread them world wide into a greater religious Babylon or Babylon the Great.
This is why we see so many overlapping or similar religious concepts into today's religious world.
A world that is more in harmony with ancient Babylon as its base roots outside of the teachings of Jesus.

 

[Heyo]

Since God can Not die (Psalms 90:2) because He is 'from everlasting to everlasting' then Eternal God is its founder.

Well, by that logic, you are in a cult, not a religion.

 

[Colt]

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.

“True religion is the act of an individual soul in its self-conscious relations with the Creator; organized religion is man’s attempt to socialize the worship of individual religionists.” Urantia Book 1955

 

[firedragon]

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.

You are right. There is no "one" definition of religion. You have defined how you understand the word religion from a conceptual point of view.

The word Religare meant to be bound or a binding and Roman soldiers were bound to the state so they used the word. So the word does not mean what come into our minds when its recited. And/or the meaning of the word has changed. The problem is people go with the flow. Yet, my understanding is that the word religion means "a binding".

Cheers.

 

[blü 2]

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.

Something along these lines:

Humans evolved to live in tribes, and to enjoy the benefits of cooperation and organization.

For reasons not demonstrated with certainty but likely including the human instinct to require answers to questions (such as natural phenomena, good and bad luck, sexual attraction, childbirth and fertility, death, and so on), humans in just about every known culture have evolved beliefs in supernatural beings, and stories about them ─ and perhaps also as an integrated reinforcement of tribal identity, along with language, customs, territory, folk history, stories, &c.

This trait has evolved into many forms, including organized views of the beginning to the world, the beginning of humans and animals, the power of supernatural beings, the appeasement and control of such beings, and so on.

Such forms, once they reach a certain level of popularity and organization, are regarded as religions. Priestcraft as a profession appears to be at least as old as civilization.

It's usual for them to acquire other social functions as well, such as forms of observances for birth, coming of age, pairing, childbirth, and death.

Historically it's been found convenient to include religious expressions in statecraft and politics, which may be a normal phenomenon given that politics are very usually tribal as well.

(Religions have been losing ground in the First World since modern forms of communication ─ cell phones, internet, and so on ─ have made possible new forms of community and in the process created fragmentation and bled authority from the old forms ─ governments, churches, expert opinion, newspapers and so on. )