What is religion?

[Keith&Co.]

Religion is heartfelt unjustified belief.

Your ontology is a heartfelt unjustified belief.

Oooh! A witty response!

Now i'm convinced of the strength of your assertions!

But, why did you add 'a' to the retread retort?

 

[DBT]

A subset of worldviews.

What purpose does religion serve?

Same as other worldviews.

Why has it lasted so long?

Worldviews have been around as long as people have been around ponder their world.

Should it be eliminated in all its manifestations?

Should tolerance exist?

What does it teach us about the world? About ourselves?

Depends which worldview you ask.

Is there a place for it in the 21st century?

Is there a place for worldviews in the 21st century?

Worldviews may or may not be justified. The belief that the Earth was the centre of not only the solar system but the Universe was once the prevailing worldview....

 

[Kharakov]

Worldviews may or may not be justified. The belief that the Earth was the centre of not only the solar system but the Universe was once the prevailing worldview....

Boy was that wrong. I'm the center of the fucking universe and proof of God's existence. The universe is expanding in an attempt to contain my modesty.

 

[Garon]

Religion is the way one lives a balanced lifestyle. ...Live a balanced lifestyle like your body is balanced, with its ability to heal out of balance energies that we grow ourselves in our bodies when we do things to hurt ourselves.

Whut?
I mean, speaking as a near-sighted Type I diabetic with a reattached retina, an amputation, high blood pressure, near-sighted, impotence, slow healing, and a shoulder that freezes up at random, living a life-style like my body would involve heavy support from others just to make it through the day.
Is that what you mean by 'balanced like your body?'

No, that's what I mean by religion.

- - - Updated - - -

Religion is the way one lives a balanced lifestyle. It is not about telling ancient myth, legend or historical stories, then making people follow with threats.

Live a balanced lifestyle like your body is balanced, with its ability to heal out of balance energies that we grow ourselves in our bodies when we do things to hurt ourselves.

No it isnt. That is just a balanced lifestyle.
Religion is heartfelt unjustified belief.

Why did it take you 36 posts to tell us

 

[Juma]

Whut?
I mean, speaking as a near-sighted Type I diabetic with a reattached retina, an amputation, high blood pressure, near-sighted, impotence, slow healing, and a shoulder that freezes up at random, living a life-style like my body would involve heavy support from others just to make it through the day.
Is that what you mean by 'balanced like your body?'

No, that's what I mean by religion.

- - - Updated - - -

Religion is the way one lives a balanced lifestyle. It is not about telling ancient myth, legend or historical stories, then making people follow with threats.

Live a balanced lifestyle like your body is balanced, with its ability to heal out of balance energies that we grow ourselves in our bodies when we do things to hurt ourselves.

No it isnt. That is just a balanced lifestyle.
Religion is heartfelt unjustified belief.

Why did it take you 36 posts to tell us

You mad?

 

[Garon]

I'm breathing.

 

[fromderinside]

Thank heaven.

 

[remez]

Your ontology is a heartfelt unjustified belief.

Oooh! A witty response!

Now i'm convinced of the strength of your assertions!

I was purposely reflecting the strength of Juma’s assertion. Thanks for supporting my point.

But, why did you add 'a' to the retread retort?

I purposely did not desire to reflect his over generalization. Again thanks for noticing.

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Worldviews may or may not be justified. The belief that the Earth was the centre of not only the solar system but the Universe was once the prevailing worldview....

Yes?
Did you mean this as a counter in some way?

 

[DBT]

Worldviews may or may not be justified. The belief that the Earth was the centre of not only the solar system but the Universe was once the prevailing worldview....

Yes?
Did you mean this as a counter in some way?

Just something that I felt needed pointing out, given your question: ''Is there a place for worldviews in the 21st century?''

 

[remez]

Yes?
Did you mean this as a counter in some way?

Just something that I felt needed pointing out, given your question: ''Is there a place for worldviews in the 21st century?''

And that something is the obvious fact that worldviews may or may not be justified?
Ok?

 

[DBT]

Just something that I felt needed pointing out, given your question: ''Is there a place for worldviews in the 21st century?''

And that something is the obvious fact that worldviews may or may not be justified?
Ok?

I'm not saying you, but there are those who advocate world views that have little or no evidential foundation. There are examples of that in this forum. So if what I said is seen as 'an obvious fact' - as it should - those who happen to advocate an unsupported world view do not appear to apply this 'obvious fact' to their own world view.

 

[remez]

And that something is the obvious fact that worldviews may or may not be justified?
Ok?

I'm not saying you, but there are those who advocate world views that have little or no evidential foundation. There are examples of that in this forum. So if what I said is seen as 'an obvious fact' - as it should - those who happen to advocate an unsupported world view do not appear to apply this 'obvious fact' to their own world view.

That has been my observation as well.

 

[Tigers!]

Boy was that wrong. I'm the center of the fucking universe and proof of God's existence. The universe is expanding in an attempt to contain my modesty.

We need more dark matter.

 

[Random Person]

Religion is telling others what's what as if it were self evident truth.

 

[Tigers!]

Boy was that wrong. I'm the center of the fucking universe and proof of God's existence. The universe is expanding in an attempt to contain my modesty.

We need more dark matter.

Wonder if I will be accused of a racist post?
[/ now worried]

 

[GenesisNemesis]

We need more dark matter.

Wonder if I will be accused of a racist post?
[/ now worried]

Fine, I'll do it.

RACIST!

 

[Kharakov]

Wonder if I will be accused of a racist post?
[/ now worried]

Fine, I'll do it.

RACIST!

Antisemite! (At you specifically, of course)

 

[Perspicuo]

Religion is telling others what's what as if it were self evident truth.

... in the context of a shared social set of rituals and groupthink.


Take for example Buddhism and compare it to Epicureanism. Both are more philosophies than any other thing. They both developed as a following of an inspired leader of pure philosophical genius.

But Buddhism survived and Epicureanism (or Stoicism or whatever other late Hellenistic movement) did not. Why? Because, first*, Buddhism secured the vulgus and Epicureanism, Stoicism etc did not. In fact, Buddhism only secured the vulgus for a limited time only and was replaced with a philosophically invigorated Hinduism (which was much older than Buddhism but was basically a set of ritualisms towards a set of Gods). It took permanent hold elsewhere, only after it acquired the trappings of religion: ritual, Saint-gods ("Boddhisatva"s in the north such as China and Tibet, not in Indochina where Theravada thrived)... the rest is history.

__________
* Second, Hellenistic movements met with Christian "love" and were put out with great cruelty. But it's beside the point.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

In one aspect, religion is a set of simplistic beliefs that form a coping mechanism for a vast, complex and difficult world.

Religion has rules. Beliefs do not. When you get together with other belief minded folk and make rules that all members must adhere to, you then have religion.