OT: What's your religeon?

[bearclaw]

brianeyci said:
Humanist.

Very good reading! As a Buddist I wholeheartedly agree with everything Humanists stand for. But could you call it a religion? No offense intended, just clarification.

[Fyron]

Can you really call Buddhism a religion? Is it not more of a "spiritual philosophy" than a "religion?"

[bearclaw]

what would be the differance between a spiritual philosophy and a religion?

Dictionary.com defines Religion as:


1) Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
2) A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
3) A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
4) A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.

While definition 1 doesn't apply to Buddisim, the others do. So yeah, by this I would call Buddisim a religion.

[Fyron]

Atheism is also technically a "religion"... I was thinking primarily along the lines of that first definition and the second (which doesn't really apply to Buddhism very well, as it is practically the same as the first, just an officially organized Version). The "spiritual philosophy" to which I refered would be along the lines of 3 and 4, without 1 or 2. Buddhism is about attaining enlightenment through perfection of the mind and such, which doesn't fit the typical concept of "religion" very well.

According to number 4, playing SE4 is a religion.

[bearclaw]

Buddism has an organized system, but I see your point.

Hmmm, Buddist/SEIVist?

Come on everyone, chant with me: Mineral planets are best. Beware Strange Warp Points, Amen.

[Aiken]

Welcome to Se4ct

[Will]

Atheist. Although I have been associated with Humanist Groups before (and still am, loosely).

I was sort-of raised Presbyterian, but after my grandmother moved away around when I was 8 or 9, most of the religious pressure was removed, and I realized I didn't really believe all that stuff that was taught in church, and that a lot of it seemed really absurd. A few years later I discovered there was such a thing as Atheism, after a girl that went to my future high school brought in the ACLU to stop requiring graduating seniors to go to a pre-graduation ceremony at the church next to the school, and to stop prayers during graduation. And there was much gnashing of teeth... same as when I made it known that I had the same beliefs as she did. Follow up with five years of basically being shunned when I wasn't being "converted". The entire experience has left me less than enthused about the concept of Christianity in general, but more specifically of the evangelical variety. I have since come to know that being an evangelical does not automatically make one (like the people in my town and school) a sorry excuse for a human being (sorry as in, intolerant of all people who are not: white, Christian, English-speaking, heterosexual). There are many who I have met who are quite outstanding people. But I still find it best to avoid religious discussion -- and pretend to be vanilla, non-denominational, basically non-practicing Christian when the topic does come up among people I don't know well.

[Rasorow]

bearclaw said:
Come on everyone, chant with me: Mineral planets are best. Beware Strange Warp Points, Amen.

ROFLOL


Rasorow