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Religion

GliderGuider

(21,088 posts)

22. "Religion is" a bit more than just that, though.

Reply to ZombieHorde (Reply #15)

Tue Jan 24, 2012, 12:13 PM

Jan 2012

IMO:

Religion is an organization that controls the dissemination of dogma regarding selected supernatural answers to life's philosophical questions in order to achieve social or cultural goals.

Many schools of Buddhism are religions in that sense. Fortunately, the lack of any requirement to believe in a deity makes many aspects of Buddhist teachings a little more accessible to atheist heretics like me.

Edited to add: In that way Buddhists are a bit like the Eastern version of Unitarians...

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Buddhism, based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama [View all] MarkCharles Jan 2012 OP

Because then it wouldn't be Christianity any more... GliderGuider Jan 2012 #1

Yeah, I'm sure this is how Christians will see it. They can only be SO... MarkCharles Jan 2012 #2

Buddhism looks like a religion to Westerners, but most schools of it are not. GliderGuider Jan 2012 #3

Buddhists label themselves a religion, and receive the nice tax breaks. ZombieHorde Jan 2012 #15

"Religion is" a bit more than just that, though. GliderGuider Jan 2012 #22

Including dogma excludes religions such as Thelma and New Age. nt ZombieHorde Jan 2012 #23

New Age isn't a religion, IMO GliderGuider Jan 2012 #24

I don't think a religion's practices have to be coherent or logical to outsiders ZombieHorde Jan 2012 #25

Most religions have a central obligatory unifying belief, usually their god-concept. GliderGuider Jan 2012 #26

The unifying belief of New Age religions is people can use religious technology, ZombieHorde Jan 2012 #27

Does the use of the technology make it a religion? GliderGuider Jan 2012 #28

Very few New age groups use seminars. Ramsey's School of Enlightenment does. ZombieHorde Jan 2012 #29

My definitions of spirituality and religion GliderGuider Jan 2012 #30

I like the definition of spirituality, but disagree on your definition of religion kwassa Jan 2012 #31

You know what? I'd completely forgotten about those pesky Unitarians. GliderGuider Jan 2012 #32

I grew up in the Unitarian church, too. kwassa Jan 2012 #33

The key word is "simply" skepticscott Jan 2012 #4

From a different perspective GliderGuider Jan 2012 #5

"And then I realized I was the universe" tama Jan 2012 #7

Except that that perspective is wrong skepticscott Jan 2012 #9

But the fact that you think that I think Coke tastes better than Pepsi applies only to you. GliderGuider Jan 2012 #10

That fact may skepticscott Jan 2012 #16

Thanks for the offer GliderGuider Jan 2012 #17

You hit the important point. The mystic tradition in many religions, including Christianity. kwassa Jan 2012 #11

I think the ideas may in fact be alien to mainstream Christianity GliderGuider Jan 2012 #12

There is a greater interest now in contemplation in Christianity. kwassa Jan 2012 #13

Very interesting! Thank you. n/t GliderGuider Jan 2012 #14

Gnostic Christianity tama Jan 2012 #18

Do syncretic practices qualify as "Christian"? GliderGuider Jan 2012 #19

Depends on who qualifies tama Jan 2012 #20

The winners always get to write the new rule-book. GliderGuider Jan 2012 #21

K&R Odin2005 Jan 2012 #6

Sid Arthur Ron Obvious Jan 2012 #8