-
Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
what is a religion?
- Thread starter stu
- Start date
GrayAngel
Senior Member
First, not all religions center on the belief or worship of a god, and some don't acknowledge the existence of gods at all. One such problematic religion is Buddhism. They don't worship Buddha (at least not in the traditional sense of the word "worship"). Is Buddhism a religion?
There are religions and cults of all kinds, and I can find only one thing in common with all of them: they are systems of beliefs or ideas that are important to a group, which drastically affects their worldviews and determines what things they value. A religion serves to unify those beliefs, offering a label that provides a sense of community with like-minded people.
Christianity is centered on the belief in the Gospel: that God came down in the form of a man to die for the sins of the world, and who also rose from the grave and promises a resurrection for believers.
And to the question on everyone's mind: yes, atheism is a religion. It's a collection of beliefs (disbelief is a belief against something), which affects their worldview and what they value (such as science > religious texts), and it provides a label that makes it easier for them to identify with like-minded people (other atheists, or agnostics--which is sort of a "denomination" of atheism).
There are religions and cults of all kinds, and I can find only one thing in common with all of them: they are systems of beliefs or ideas that are important to a group, which drastically affects their worldviews and determines what things they value. A religion serves to unify those beliefs, offering a label that provides a sense of community with like-minded people.
Christianity is centered on the belief in the Gospel: that God came down in the form of a man to die for the sins of the world, and who also rose from the grave and promises a resurrection for believers.
And to the question on everyone's mind: yes, atheism is a religion. It's a collection of beliefs (disbelief is a belief against something), which affects their worldview and what they value (such as science > religious texts), and it provides a label that makes it easier for them to identify with like-minded people (other atheists, or agnostics--which is sort of a "denomination" of atheism).
Upvote
0
Interestingly, im not redefining anything. Im stating what religion is compared to Christianity. Whether you agree with that or not has no bearing on reality.
Upvote
0
Hi Jane_the_Bane. Im sorry people view it as a "somewhat of a cliche'" which I can't control but just because some people may view it as "somewhat of a cliche'" doesn't change the meaning one bit and doesn't change that it's true.
Upvote
0
B
Beautiful Ignorance
Guest
A religion is a calendar and a set of rituals and ceremonies to be performed at scheduled times on that calender.
It might be accompanied with a set of stories that make up a mythology but a comprehensive mythology is not necessary, only the calendar.
Some religions focus on beliefs but beliefs themselves a religion does not make. Without a calendar and a set of rituals and ceremonies to perform, there is no religion.
Upvote
0
B
Beautiful Ignorance
Guest
The definition of words are arbitrary in that we assign them ourselves. And as such, I can say the word apple and define it as an empty 2 liter bottle of coke. But behaving in this manner is not at all conducive to communication.
The point is you are insisting upon a definition of a word when by far more than 99.9 percent of the entire worlds population has different ideas about what that word means. No one is "right" and you have not proven any point at all. You have simply insisted on erecting barriers against communication for no discernible reason.
Upvote
0
Christianity is a religion. According to the dictionary, religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, purpose and origin of the universe, involving superhuman agency or agencies, usually containing a moral code and rituals.
Clearly, Christianity fits the definition.
Clearly, Christianity fits the definition.
Upvote
0
Upvote
0
ViaCrucis
Confessional Lutheran
- Oct 2, 2011
- 39,545
- 29,067
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Lutheran
- Marital Status
- In Relationship
- Politics
- US-Others
The word "religion" does not mean "us trying to reach out to God".
What you could say is this: Christianity is a religion which posits that God comes down to us.
This would be an accurate statement; since we confess that God always comes down, He comes down in the Incarnation, in His Word and Sacraments, He is present with the poor, the hungry, the suffering, the underprivileged and the rejected in our society.
But the contrast of "religion" and "Christianity" has no basis in what the word "religion" means and how it is used by English-speakers and how it's always been used by English-speakers.
-CryptoLutheran
Upvote
0
Sister of Faith
{Guide us to the straight path[1:6]}
"True" Religion is the instructed way to go back to Paradise,
"False" Religions are the easy way to burn in Hell!
"False" Religions are the easy way to burn in Hell!
Upvote
0
Jane_the_Bane
Gaia's godchild
- Feb 11, 2004
- 19,359
- 3,426
- Faith
- Pagan
- Marital Status
- Legal Union (Other)
- Politics
- UK-Greens
Now, let's guess which is which, in your opinion...
Then contrast that with the average Christian's take on this ("Only Jesus saves, and muslims are deceived by the devil!"), the Jehova's Witness ("only JWs will inhabit the new world, while the rest is annihilated in the fire") or even the hardcore communist ("religion is the tranquilizer that makes people stay in oppression; only Communism can create paradise on earth!").
This is exactly why I consider these huge, sweeping meta-narratives to be so deleterious and counter-productive.
Upvote
0
Sister of Faith
{Guide us to the straight path[1:6]}
I said the "instructed way", so you need to look in the instructions provided by each religion, are they satisfactory enough??!
Upvote
0
hikersong
Walkin' and Singin'
Yes. And you said the "easy way" to burn in hell. Very easy in fact, if, as you suggest, it is just the simple result of following the wrong set of instructions. Ah. But perhaps we haven't checked them sufficiently for satisfactory-ness. Or more likely, we were born in the wrong part of the world to the wrong parents.
Either way...burn in hell? Quite a nasty way of dealing with all of this. Why does it satisfy you that Allah should do that to people who choose wrongly? That makes me think that this has nothing to do with God or Allah but far more to do with the blood thirsty desire, some folk seem to secretly relish, for seeing other human beings suffer.
Upvote
0
Sister of Faith
{Guide us to the straight path[1:6]}
First of all, you need to know that Allah doesn't need me or you. He needs no one but we need him. If you deny, then can you answer me who made your heart beats?
If you are surrounded by many different, contradicting instructions, then you have something that helps. Allah has given you a brain that can distinguish between good and bad, which makes you different from animals. Just open your eyes. Allah gives people many chances but they are just ignoring.
Upvote
0
Jane_the_Bane
Gaia's godchild
- Feb 11, 2004
- 19,359
- 3,426
- Faith
- Pagan
- Marital Status
- Legal Union (Other)
- Politics
- UK-Greens
The beating of our hearts is far from supernatural, and easily explained in terms of physiology. No magic/god is required.
Actually, plenty of other animals can distinguish between good and bad, particularly other social species living in groups. Heck, even dogs manage that, though they're reviled by your religion.
Denver the guilty dog is not special in that regard:
Denver Official Guilty! Dog Video www.facebook.com/guiltydog - YouTube
Upvote
0
Sister of Faith
{Guide us to the straight path[1:6]}
You know what?
You need to think beyond that!!
Life is not maths or physics.
I don't also think that you got my point about good and bad.
Does a dog know if it is bad or not to marry his aunt or not?
Does he know if it is bad or not to show himself naked in front of people?!!!!
Although I said "brain" but I wanted to say "reason, mind, intellect, intellectual powers".
Upvote
0
Similar threads
