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Define Religion

Started by Solitary, August 22, 2014, 06:39:24 PM

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Hydra009

Quote from: Mr.Obvious on August 25, 2014, 12:28:46 PMBesides, saying to people they've got a psychological illness or something wrong with them on that level seems like the least best way to get them to listen with an open mind. It'd turn them super-defensive.
Meh, the Korean DMZ is less on the defensive than religious people.

frozenframe

There was an article a while back about religion being indeed identified as a mental illness. Not sure if the article was real or not, I never looked into it much.

Mr.Obvious

Quote from: Hydra009 on August 25, 2014, 01:37:10 PM
Meh, the Korean DMZ is less on the defensive than religious people.

Touché  :lol:
"If we have to go down, we go down together!"
- Your mum, last night, requesting 69.

Atheist Mantis does not pray.

stromboli

Religion is bullshit. I win.

The circle the wagons mentality is built in. Every religion is the same. We are the walls of the citadel and everything else is the enemy without. The overhyped persecution of xtians in Rome or the overhyped persecution of Mormons in Missouri; different kettle, same fish.

Mister Agenda

I'm suspicious of any definition of religion that woudl disqualify any organizations widely considered by themselves and others to be religions. If your definition excludes Buddhists, Jains, Raellians, or Unitarian Universalists; maybe your definition is too narrow.
Atheists are not anti-Christian. They are anti-stupid.--WitchSabrina

Hydra009

Quote from: Mister Agenda on August 26, 2014, 10:44:13 AM
I'm suspicious of any definition of religion that woudl disqualify any organizations widely considered by themselves and others to be religions. If your definition excludes Buddhists, Jains, Raellians, or Unitarian Universalists; maybe your definition is too narrow.
Yeah, but those are some very disparate beliefs.  It'd take one hell of a definition to include them all and keep everything else out.  I suppose one could focus more on how religions operate rather than what its adherents believe, but even then it's a tall order.

stromboli

Every religion thinks every other religion is bullshit no matter what it believes. And we believe every religion is bullshit, so I win again.

josephpalazzo

Quote from: Munch on August 25, 2014, 12:16:28 PM
Wouldn't it be interesting is a psychologist was able to validate religion as a psychological deficiency, like a mental state where the individual has been so ingrained into the fiction of his beliefs he can't discern reality from that fiction.

According to Peter Boghossian, author of A Manual for Creating Atheists, religion is a mental disorder. Needless to say that created quite a stir, and he was attacked by a lot of the christian apologists. Even so far as being accused of hate speech (see:Is Peter Boghossian guilty of hate speech?

Lachish

An idea of way of life that people ascribe the utmost importance in their lives.

Munch

#24
Quote from: frozenframe on August 25, 2014, 11:06:54 PM
There was an article a while back about religion being indeed identified as a mental illness. Not sure if the article was real or not, I never looked into it much.

Most likely it isn't given any backing, because the masses of religious followers in the world, from the calm to outright insane would take offense to such a claim.

QuoteQuote from: josephpalazzo on August 26, 2014, 05:10:04 PM
According to Peter Boghossian, author of A Manual for Creating Atheists, religion is a mental disorder. Needless to say that created quite a stir, and he was attacked by a lot of the christian apologists. Even so far as being accused of hate speech (see:Is Peter Boghossian guilty of hate speech?

Ah yeah, just like say, trying to tell the masses that they are insane its harder to get the idea across. And it is insane, adults believing in fairy tales well past the age of when they should. Even comic book, sci fi and anime fans are more sane then religous folk, because they at least know the thing they are into is not real.
'Political correctness is fascism pretending to be manners' - George Carlin

SGOS

Quote from: Munch on September 11, 2014, 07:55:01 AM
it is insane, adults believing in fairy tales well past the age of when they should. Even comic book, sci fi and anime fans are more sane then religous folk, because they at least know the thing they are into is not real.
It seems so strange to me to be living amid all our technological wonders that were created by our finest minds dedicated to productive thought, and at the same time, great masses of people still believe in nonsense.

Hydra009

Quote from: Lachish on September 10, 2014, 11:15:28 PM
An idea of way of life that people ascribe the utmost importance in their lives.
That's covered by the term life stance.

Mister Agenda

From Wikipedia:

"A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence. Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that are intended to explain the meaning of life and/or to explain the origin of life or the Universe. From their beliefs about the cosmos and human nature, people derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle."

Seems to cover all the systems usually considered religions without co-opting cosmology or golf.
Atheists are not anti-Christian. They are anti-stupid.--WitchSabrina

Mike Cl

It seems to me that religion stems from our own personal fear of the unknown.  It answers the question of why we are here.  And why bad things happen.  It basically covers all those 'why' questions that have no answers.  That's why all religions are fear based.
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

Mike Cl

A related question:
What is the difference between an religion and a cult?
Personally, I don't see any differences.
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?