what is religion?

[Epidemic]

Is it a magic guy in the sky to which we pray and whom dabbles in our every day affairs.

[The Real Bingo]

Not really any of the above, but the first one suits how I feel the best.

I think religion is anything you follow closely and believe in...something one revolves his/her life around. I don't think a creator or a God necessarily has anything to do with religion.

[Epidemic]

So TRB you could say that baseball or horse back riding is a religion?


Personally I always looked at religion as being the belief in a higher being with magical powers to create the universe.

[The Real Bingo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epidemic

So TRB you could say that baseball or horse back riding is a religion?


Personally I always looked at religion as being the belief in a higher being with magical powers to create the universe.

To your first point: I don't see why not.

To your second point: That is a religion, but as far as I'm concerned, not the only type.

As I said, anything you devote yourself to, anything you derive your beliefs from can be considered a religion...at least to me.

[Beemer]

Religion is a product of what defines us as modern human.

Bi-pedalism and other physical attributes define us as homo-sapian. Our capasity for creative thought defines us as modern human.

That being said, you missed an option or 2 in your poll, not considering how religion and the accompanying god's was made possible due to our developing active imagination over the last 74,000 years or so. Yes there is a temporal discontinuity in there since biological modern human has existed for approx. 200,000 years.

Religion offered explanation of the unknown based on a lack of knowledge but providing an answer anyway considering the ignorance of the people in primative times. (take note that not much has changed)

Religion developed into an early form of law making I assume and the laws were enforced through fear, by creating all powerful god's.

So. What is religion? Power!

No poll option properly addresses this respect.

[cyphen]

It seems that the non-religious and particularly the anti-religious tend to characterize and demean the religious as believing in silly magical beings...

why is that? where does that arrogance come from? What makes you think God uses "magical" powers??? I've long held the belief that nothing supernatural exists.... meaning that everything that exists is natural. Indeed, many of the things you might think of as supernatural - miracles in the bible - are far from it. Think for instance of parting the red sea.... magical god powers, right? Something supernatural, right? Why would God, who created everything including nature, need to use anything other than that which he created??

How did god part the red sea according to the bible? A strong westerly wind that blew all night...

it's the lack of understanding (or desire to understand) on the part of those mischaracterizing it that gives them this view.

If someone from 31 A.D. were to see us do something as simple as walking into a supermarket, they might think we were wizards... "he can command the very doors of the buildings to open at his bidding!!!"

[Theophylact]

A belief that recourse to supernatural explanations is necessary to account for the workings of the world, both physical and mental. I think this encompasses just about every type of religious belief, from weak theism of the Einsteinian variety all the way up to screaming loony fundamentalism of the Abrahamic sort. (It may exclude Buddhism depending on your specific sect.)

[clancy]

Being brought up as a Catholic, I know that the Catholic faith teaches that supernatural powers exist.
Transubstantiation is one example of this.
I just want to add that I am in no way demeaning or criticising any religion, just pointing out a fact.

[super gerbil]

As cyphen pointed out, your poll seems very degrading and even lenient towards an anti-religious point of view.

In my opinion, religion is a way of life...something that sets ones, if any, moral code. Does not necessarily need a god/gods.


This post is a good read too:

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyphen

It seems that the non-religious and particularly the anti-religious tend to characterize and demean the religious as believing in silly magical beings...

why is that? where does that arrogance come from? What makes you think God uses "magical" powers??? I've long held the belief that nothing supernatural exists.... meaning that everything that exists is natural. Indeed, many of the things you might think of as supernatural - miracles in the bible - are far from it. Think for instance of parting the red sea.... magical god powers, right? Something supernatural, right? Why would God, who created everything including nature, need to use anything other than that which he created??

How did god part the red sea according to the bible? A strong westerly wind that blew all night...

it's the lack of understanding (or desire to understand) on the part of those mischaracterizing it that gives them this view.

If someone from 31 A.D. were to see us do something as simple as walking into a supermarket, they might think we were wizards... "he can command the very doors of the buildings to open at his bidding!!!"

[-FMA]

Your poll is inadequate.