What is Religion? - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

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Any other minor ideologies.
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By Iron Ant
#14596536
I have a different opinion on what constitutes a religion.

Most people view it as going to church, worshiping a deity of some sort, and following the dogma and tenets of the religion.

But my view is somewhat different and unique. However, I don't know how original it is. And it comes from personal experience and observation.

And I stress this point, i am not expressing it as an irrefutable fact or anything like that5. This is jsut my own personal belief.

So here we go.

To me, a religion is any very strongly held belief. It is held so strongly that it can never change and they can never consider under any circumstances nor can it ever change. It is completely unyielding to everything else.

And secondly , it is so zealously held that they expect everyone else to obey and conform to their beliefs.




So, that, to me is a religion.

The behavior is very close to each other.

The great example of how this works is partisan politics. Partisans of all groups believe that their political party is absolutely right and good and can do no wrong no matter what, and yes, this is often taken to extremes, and of course, the other political party can do no right or good and is always wrong no matter and must be discredited in every single thing imaginable.


That is but one example. While it is most commonly found in politics, it can also be found in other ideologies and belief systems and opinions.

So in short, any strong unwavering belief can be treated like it is a religion.
By Rich
#14596706
Iron Ant wrote:So here we go.
Again!

To me, a religion is any very strongly held belief. It is held so strongly that it can never change and they can never consider under any circumstances nor can it ever change. It is completely unyielding to everything else.

And secondly , it is so zealously held that they expect everyone else to obey and conform to their beliefs.
Um sounds like libertarianism.
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By Noelnada
#14596709
For me religion is simply a natural connection to the invisible or a personnal view of the invisible connections between different parts of something greater.

Religion is also an intimated connection to the sacred nature of the universe and everything which is connected to it, to its prime creator included.

Your view on religion seems very offensive to me Iron Ant, very barbaric.
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By Zamuel
#14606558
Iron Ant wrote:I have a different opinion on what constitutes a religion. Most people view it as going to church, worshiping a deity of some sort, and following the dogma and tenets of the religion.

This is the typical pattern followed by most established religons. Members are expected to tithe, pray, and help each other.

But my view is somewhat different and unique. - i am not expressing it as an irrefutable fact or anything like that 5. This is jsut my own personal belief.
OK.

To me, a religion is any very strongly held belief. It is held so strongly that it can never change and they can never consider under any circumstances nor can it ever change. It is completely unyielding to everything else. And secondly , it is so zealously held that they expect everyone else to obey and conform to their beliefs.

This pattern often exists as an "inner circle" in most religions. Outer circles serve the purpose of maintaining and supporting the religion so that inner circles can project the will of God to manipulate the secular world outside the church itself. The Catholic "Opus Dei" is one such inner circle that the public spotlight has recently fallen on.

Without the support of uninitiated outer circles, this "inner" pattern is severely limited and vulnerable, so it tends to remain small and hidden. These groups are often recognized as Cults and a negative value judgment is usually attached.

These groups are organized as a vertical, "Pharonic" structure, with "Higher Authority" at the top and authority distributed in downward steps. ie: Pope, Cardinal, Bishop, Monsignor, Priest ... There are alternatives.

Noelada wrote:For me religion is simply a natural connection to the invisible or a personal view of the invisible connections between different parts of something greater. Religion is also an intimated connection to the sacred nature of the universe and everything which is connected to it, to its prime creator included.

The alternatives employ a Horizontal (Mosaic) distribution of Authority, that suggests rather than orders. Quakers, Buddhists, and Both Jews and Muslims are classic examples of this system.

Both systems justify their existence on communication with the divine.

Personally, I find a distinction between Spirituality, and Religion. I communicate with God on a 1 to 1 Basis, without magical trappings and ceremony, without social structure or intermediary. The only Religion I know of that respects MY approach, is Rasta. They have a unique understanding of the "I and I" relationship. This sort of spirituality may not work for everyone, some people require religious discipline to direct them.

Iron Ant wrote:So in short, any strong unwavering belief can be treated like it is a religion.

That's statement needs qualification ... My "strong and unwavering" conviction that beans give me gas is not worthy of a Papal Parade and would likely disperse one fairly quickly.

Zam
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By AuRomin
#14648243
I think the best way to define religion is as:
any form of personal internal government that has specific ideologies that can be spread.

Religion (distinct from the Church) is always a means of self-governance, and is different from just primal willpower (the reason why specific ideologies must be present)

Religion cannot be defined by intensity, as iron ant has done,
"To me, a religion is any very strongly held belief. It is held so strongly that it can never change and they can never consider under any circumstances nor can it ever change. It is completely unyielding to everything else," because there are many levels of religiousness

Religion cannot be defined by ideologies because, as Zamuel wrote, one could have a strong conviction that beans give him gas. This is commonly call a "fact". This conviction could constitute a religion, however, if he gained some sort of moral strength from this fact, such as believing that since beans have the power to give him gas, humans are weak and should be killed off.
By TheWolf_20
#14891588
In my opinion, spirituality is whatever you belief in, and religion consists of a group of people who share their beliefs...

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