Talk:Religion

David R: This site is SUPPOSED to be for Conservatives and Christians (says so right on the front page). Why are you lumping the One True Faith in with all the false religions? --Fullmetajacket 23:46, 10 March 2007 (EST)

Because for every one Christian who says their faith is the "right" one, there will be one Muslim, one Jew, one Sikh, on Animist, one Hindu, one Buddhist, one Scientologist, etc. to disagree. --Hojimachong^talk 01:17, 19 March 2007 (EDT)

Definition of Religion is inconsistent with dictionary definition. Added and cited. --Dikaiosune 12:13 am (CST) 19 March 2007

As a minor point of information, it seems likely to me that neither a Buddhist nor a Scientologist would describe their knowledge of their respective applied religious philosophies to be a "faith", a "true faith" or even an important "faith" Terryeo 01:23, 19 March 2007 (EDT)

Regardless, the comments of Fullmetajacket were out of line, and may well be sarcastic. --Hojimachong^talk 01:31, 19 March 2007 (EDT)

Spelling

Actually, I think his spelling was correct. How do we go about handling this dispute? Is there a procedure? Bohdan

I'm assuming that "his" is a reference to Luke314 and that you are alluding to my reversion of his edit with the comment "Spelling was correct".

If so, I'd agree that his spelling was correct, and point out that I never said that it wasn't. What I said was that the previous spelling was correct, implying that there was therefore no need to change it. Can you figure the rest out from there?

Philip J. Rayment 05:08, 22 August 2007 (EDT)

buddhism

i don't think buddhism can reasonably be described as pantheistic -- it is, for all intents and purposes, non-theistic ... Ungtss 10:26, 22 August 2007 (EDT)

When I categorised that list, I put an edit comment of "please check and correct". Please do. I included it under pantheism because I believe that Hinduism is pantheism, and Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism, but for no better reason than that. Philip J. Rayment 10:30, 22 August 2007 (EDT)

Will do, sir -- just started on the talk-page to avoid stomping any unforeseen toes:). Ungtss 11:13, 22 August 2007 (EDT)

I have several pairs of steel-capped boots! :-) Philip J. Rayment 23:39, 22 August 2007 (EDT)

Aussies with steel-capped boots are not to be messed with:). Ungtss 09:37, 23 August 2007 (EDT)

Hmmm, now there's a good example of something being read in the opposite way to what it was meant! Philip J. Rayment 10:50, 23 August 2007 (EDT)

heh heh heh :) ... Dirty lawyers, always twisting words around :) Ungtss 14:13, 23 August 2007 (EDT)

Merrian-Webster and Definitons.

The previous version focussed mainly on the 4th and last definition in M-W of religion. I added the two main meanings of the word "religion" according to M-W, and reorganized the rest accordingly. Order 04:33, 8 September 2007 (EDT)

Definition and implications

Going from

Religion refers to a set of core beliefs upon which people base their lives.

I would first suggest to modify this to be a system of beliefs upon which peo

Religion is the system of beliefs regarding morals, afterlife, or the supernatural which strongly influence a person's actions.

From this definition one can exclude atheism as a religion because the beliefs (or disbeliefs) do not come into mind when thinking about a choice. There is no 'WWJD' that goes through an atheist's mind (or 'WWBD', or any other deity/incarnation). The same would be true for agnosticism.

On the flip side, this would make secular humanism and other moral systems candidate as a religion.

Additionally, Satanism as defined in Church of Satan is not a joke nor a parody anymore so than wicca is. The definitions and beliefs described there show a different approach than wicca to natural power and magic, but it is honestly believed by some. --Rutm 11:19, 8 September 2007 (EDT)

I don't know the Church of Satan that much, but it struck me simple as an anti-church, with "anti" in its adolescent meaning. If it is an actual religion, feel free to move it to monotheism, or what ever category seems most suitable. But I wouldn't put it it there if it is just a joke which is taken too seriously by people outside of this cult, say their parents, because it refers to satanism. In that case they would have achieved their goal of upsetting their parents. Order 22:11, 8 September 2007 (EDT)

I took a brief look at the official Church of Satan website. It is as much a religion as a Motorhead fan club, or the Hells Angles. Even the CP article sates that it has nothing to do with actual Satanism. Even it it is not funny it should be classified, if at all as parody. Order 22:19, 8 September 2007 (EDT)

I'm inclined to think that "morals, afterlife, or the supernatural" restricts the meaning too much, although I'm not sure. What does "core beliefs" cover that are not covered in those?

Even by your definition, you can't exclude Atheism, because Atheism has a belief about the supernatural (that it doesn't exist), and their choices are based on this. If they think that there is no God to Whom they are answerable, they will make different choices than a Christian who believes that there is a God to Whom they are answerable. And of course the same applies for agnosticism. In fact, it is this point that makes agnosticism so similar to Atheism—the fact that their respective beliefs (no God vs. not knowing if there's a God) generally have the same outcome—that God is not a factor in their decisions.

Philip J. Rayment 14:21, 8 September 2007 (EDT)

The word religion has a few different meanings. And most definitions in MW refer to beliefs in the divine and the supernatural. And only one definition refers to the broader meaning as a set of core beliefs. That is a useful distinction, and we should make it too. There is a difference between the Roman Catholic Church, and a bunch of person who have no belief and don't quite care, as many agnostics or "no-religion" people do. And in the article, and I tried to do this, I tried to make the distinction between actual religions, like the once included ARDA overview, and philosophies and systems of beliefs such as secular humanism. Order 22:11, 8 September 2007 (EDT)