This forum is centered around the concept of religion even calling paths religious that arguably could hardly be considered as such. But how many of the participants of this forum see themselves as religious or as part of a religion or a religious community or ideology?
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How religious is this forum?
- Thread starter Marcion
- Start date
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- religion spirituality
Multiple votes aren’t allowed. 
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Why would you want to cast multiple votes here?
Because I don’t see liberal religion and spirituality as seperate, so I am both
The word spirituality is not mentioned, so you could safely vote for one of the answers mentioning religion. It doesn't say anywhere that there is no spirituality in religions as well.
Unveiled Artist
Veteran Member
I couldn't figure the difference between ideology and religion since many religions follow various ideologies about the world and human behavior and existence.
I chose ideology, after looking it up, because I am flexible in my practice and consider the spiritual truths facts as I do the sun rising and setting. I'm not religious because I don't have a set of rituals and community that help shapes my beliefs. There are many but I'm not close to any to participate.
I mentioned religious ideologies beside religions because some people base their faith on religious scriptures or ideology rather than actually joining a religion as an active member.
I see e.g. Buddhism, Sufism and tantric Hinduism as spiritual paths and not as religions because they are trans-sectarian (universal) in outlook. But how you see that yourself is up to you.
There is a problem with the choices that some members, myself included, could not m belief, and make a choice.
I am a member of a religious belief, and inspired by MANY different religious beliefs and their scriptures.
How could I not be inspired by the religious people I meet in the forum? I consider that inspiration by multiple religions. I do not consider myself to be syncretic . I don't know much about texts of other religions or their rituals or meditative practices or their prayers, but that doesn't keep the members from inspiring me.
But do you actively visit their meetings or study their scriptures regularly to blend those experiences into your own tradition?
I am not interested in blending their practices, but there are some people here who like to do that. Often its someone interested in combining all religions and getting everyone else to mash the religions together. That is not always the case. I think usually if someone likes studying religions its because they are an Anthropologist or philosophy student. There are people who will claim all religions actually are one, and some will go further to say that they are the same. I disagree in both cases. I think there are grey areas where syncretism ends and a new religion begins. If I combine yoga with kite flying I don't think any yoga practitioners should take it seriously nor any real kite fanatics, either; even though kite flying and yoga do have some things in common and might benefit one another. There are some things that can overlap, however. I might combine cake baking with some other art to produce brownies. Some things add, some don't, and I don't combine things.
That option is included as the third option because you consider them to be religions rather than spiritual movements.
GoodbyeDave
Well-Known Member
I too have a problem with choosing between the first two options. As I've had occasion to say before, the distinction between being "religious" and being "spiritual" is a USian thing that I don't really understand. Since you spoke of "meetings" and "scriptures" in connection with religion, I opted for spiritual.
The distinction comes from how you see a religion as compared to a spiritual movement.
If you want to argue that the two are really the same then you have a problem.
I think a spiritual movement will never object to the spiritual practices in other traditions, whereas a religion may or may not do so. Spiritual movements are trans-sectarian rather than sectarian in outlook.
I do not differentiate between religions and spiritual movements.
So since you decline to distinguish between them, how do you prefer to name them both?
Religious belief systems. The differentiation is not always clear, and some religious movements consider themselves not religions nor religious, but save that accusation for others..
When I was in Israel in 2000 I met a lot of Jews who asserted Judaism was not a religion. The word 'religion' too often becomes a stone to throw at others who believe differently and assert 'not me.'
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So since you yourself have no problem with this idea of religion you can choose one of those two options.
So only approximately half of people voted for the religious answers and yet all but one of the DIR's on this forum are named with the words 'Religions', 'Religious' or 'Beliefs' in them.
Where are the DIR's with 'Spiritual Movements' or 'Spiritual Practices' and why is the name of the forum even still 'Religious Forums' if only about half feel inspired by this concept of so-called 'religion'?
Where are the DIR's with 'Spiritual Movements' or 'Spiritual Practices' and why is the name of the forum even still 'Religious Forums' if only about half feel inspired by this concept of so-called 'religion'?
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