What is your definition of religion? What requirements does a following, a belief, or group need to be called a religion? Is it necessary for a religion to have a god/godess(s)? Does it need to have a an explanation for existence(where/why/how did it all start).

The following are some ideas put forth by others:

Karl Marx: "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people."

George Hegel: "the knowledge possessed by the finite mind of its nature as absolute mind."

David Edwards, author of Free to be Human defines religion as:
"The sum total of answers we give to the problem of our relationship with the universe, we call religion."

Wikipedia defines religion as: "... a system of social coherence based on a common group of beliefs or attitudes concerning an object, person, unseen being, or system of thought considered to be supernatural, sacred, divine or highest truth, and the moral codes, practices, values, institutions, traditions, and rituals associated with such belief or system of thought."

Kurt Vonnegut Jr., quoted in 2000 Years of Disbelief, Famous People with the Courage to Doubt, by James A. Haught, Prometheus Books, 1996: "How on earth can religious people believe in so much arbitrary, clearly invented balderdash?....The acceptance of a creed, any creed, entitles the acceptor to membership in the sort of artificial extended family we call a congregation. It is a way to fight loneliness. Any time I see a person fleeing from reason and into religion, I think to myself, There goes a person who simply cannot stand being so goddamned lonely anymore."

Napoleon Bonaparte:"Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet."

Religion is the organization of people who believe in a supernatural creator that requires obedience and only tells certain people (clergy, shaman, druids, Imam, ect) how to achieve this obedience.

something people put their faith in
doesn't have to a deity just believe in
this why evolution is a religion also (no proof)

There is a lot of proof for evolution, if one takes the time to look. Much more so than there is evidence for any kind of deity.

Since when did evolution become a religion?
I can't believe you even said that... Have I missed something?

The Uber-Religious tend to ignore all the evidence out there for Evolution, and claim that it is a religion to make themselves feel like they are on equal footing, when in fact, they are miles behind.

To me religion is people that choose to live their lives by a non-factual history book that has been re-writen many times

It's something people put their fath into, to comfort them in times of need, and to explain things they don't understand.

Guess that explains why I can't take up something I will never understand to explain things I don't understand.. wow, what did I just say? LOL

That's understandable.

I have my own version of semantics concerning religion.

To me religion simply means to do something with devout consistency.

It doesn't even need to have anything to do with a God or spirituality. To do something religiously simply means to do it with dutiful repetition. If a person works out in the gym on a dutiful schedule or does anything with a dutiful schedule then they do it 'religiously'.

Spirituality on the other hand has to do with spirit.

Usually when people become devout about spirituality they practice specific rituals 'religiously'. Thus the reason that devout spritiual practices are called "Religions".

In fact, this is the idea behind most spiritualities, even though modern religions have fallen away from such dutiful rituals.

I've always been a very spiritual person. Meaning that I've always felt a closeness to spirit.

However, I've never been a very 'religious' person, meaning that I haven't truly practiced spiritual rituals devoutly.

In fact, recently I've decided to become more 'religious' about my spirituality. At first I turned to Buddhism and began various meditations and yoga exercises. That was a very 'religious' experience.

Later I became lazy and went back to just being spiritual again without being religious about it.

However, more recently I'm becoming more religious again. I've discovered witchcraft, shamanic journeying and various practices of the Celtic Qabalah (or Tree of Life).

So now I'm becoming more 'dutiful' in my religious practice of rites, exercises, meditations, shamanic journeys and incantations.

I find religiousity to be helpful to my everyday life if only because I had become a bit too laxed. I was suffering from sloth!

I confess that I find it easier to do things religiously (dutifully) when I imagine that I am interacting with various spirits, faeries, or deities.

They may very well be nothing more than imaginary friends that only Mr. Rogers could dream up. But they help keep me motivated.

It's a personal thing. Besides the spirits and deities become more real every day. Before too long owl be hauled away in a straight-jacket and then I can return to my wonderful life of sloth living in a padded room and being spoon fed Maypo.

a belief or system of beliefs held to with great faith and ardor

It seems that you have used one vague term (spirituality) to describe another vague term (religion). What does spirituality mean to you and what does it entail? Maybe I missed that in your post. You may need to club me over the head with it.

Religion is man's attempt to understand the world and the universe beyond. With that being said many ideas come to mind to help soothe the soul or mind's of other individuals who ask the same questions.

As science endures with many answers that couldn't have been answered, religion becomes less relevant to the younger generations.

In time many will resort to new religions that can keep up with the scientific theories and try to interrelate the two.

Although it is said that 93% of the scientists who discover new theories are usually agnostic or atheists, this doesn't mean that many aren't spiritual one way or another. Many put much thought about this actually.

Religion has a different terminology for each individual depending on their degree of faith into it. Some or mislead in the wrong direction and others conduct peaceful lives with others while practicing it.

In the end one can only say that if we look at a historical reference on the issue of religion one can see clearly which religions or spiritual beliefs are peaceful and which ones have had a violent past from it.

May you find your "bliss" that can allow you to coexist in peace with others even if they have a different faith or belief system as you.

"Religion is man's attempt to understand the world and the universe beyond ."

True ,Smiless.

Man reaching up to know God.

But all these different attempts of man reaching up ,

with all their different kinds of religion....

is NOT what God wants from mankind.



God wants RELATIONSHIP , NOT religion with us.

And that RELATIONSHIP back with God....

can ONLY come thru the One sent.

His Name is Jesus.

((((((Smiless))))))

Religion to me is a man made ethos.

What you say is true for you (Personally), but for many this is not true and believe that Christianity and its faith is dangerous for mankind. Look at the history and the actual content of what is written in it(bible) and you will understand why (or maybe never, which is sad). You are having a personal faith in a God who tells you not to worship anyone but him. This is a dangerous belief system.

As you know some don't worship a man god, some worship goddess, others worship a energy of somekind, others don't worship a god at all and conduct great lives. I am a witness that has probably saved more lives then 90% of anyone sitting behind the computer typing on mingle at this moment.

Just think about it for a moment: The god you worship says that no one should worship other gods as they are false and should only worship him. It is a (command statement), which means worship me or suffer the consequences! Scary! I want to believe if there is a god then he,she,it accepts all into a realm of happiness regardless of their mistakes. This seems to be hard for most who worship the abrahamic god for some reason.

He also says praise my son Jesus for you a sinner. If you don't do this you will suffer the consequences! I personally believe that it is a gift to live life on Earth and that I am no sinner born onto it. What did I do? Nothing but was born crying and excited to live a life on this planet. (I am a gift and not a burden or sinner) If you want to believe that you are guilty of life because of sin then that is your personal choice. I value myself higher then this. I personally believe Jesus contested the old testament and was killed for doing so. Then later he was used as a bait to help ressurrect or ensure the old testament endures until this day, but not in a friendly way! Just look at history!


Now you mention that God doesn't want man to worship the many different religions. This I must add is the reason why the native indians of this country were practically forced to convert to christianity or (die). Go to a native reservation and talk with the elders about this. You will see the true sorrow these people suffered and understand the cruelty of those who practiced christianity for their advantages of greed and prosperity caring less of others that don't think the same as they do. It is the faith in christianity (the exposure of the bible) that led them to do such atrocities. Now imagine if they weren't exposed to this bible and worshipped a more peaceful religion. The outcome of this country would have been different.


I find it sad after they had helped the first european settlers survive the harsh winter seasons to allow their settlement to strive they were then slaughtered because of the ways they live and believed things. If the native indians wouldn't have helped the attempts of european settlements then they would have been less of a success and the native indians wouldn't be forced to live on a small parcel of land like savages. There use to be signs that showed "Beware! Don't go further! Savage land!" How sad this is!

One has to also remember that at the time the native indians outnumbered the europeans and they didn't have to help. They could have fought destroyed the few settlements right from the start, yet their spiritual practice wasn't that of negative energy thinking that they should.

Their spirituality was peaceful with nature and all who live in it and decided to help the Europeans. I believe that was a drastic mistake for in the end they were slaughtered, forced into reservations, and forced to live a life that is not accustomed to their own. Although, I can only admire their true wisdom of their spiritual belief for this is how everyone should be with each other. To coexist in peace without having shadowed minds blinded by a faith that thinks negative of others.

So in return what did they get? More then half of their population died from the small pox and the other half almost died from the vicious cycles of aggression in the name of god (yes the one that christianity preaches).

I personally hope that Christianity, Judaism, and Muslim or any of its denominations will not influence more followers and in the end dwindle into history as nothing more then a mythology for historical references teaching how people at one time thought because they didn't know the many things that science can answer today.

Of course I know you will disagree with what I say and I wouldn't be surprised, but your prostelyzation of having to believe in Jesus as the savior of my sinful soul in which I don't have a sinful soul like christians want to claim, and that he is the savior of our world is like me telling you to believe in santa claus or you won't get your toys this year.

STOP listening to negativity and religiousity ....

and go to God and His Word.

Smiless....God looks at us as the apple of his eye....

whom He wants to see saved(cause sin entering in , cut us Off from God)......not as "sinful folk".

God just wants us to come home....

Cause He LOVES us and misses us.

Man twists things...not God.


Have a good day now , Smiless...have to run.

We don't enter in this world in sin. We enter this world as a gift of happiness and joy. We should enjoy life and practice whatever we choose without harming others in the process. If it is Vishnu, Buddha, Native Indian Spirituality, or nothing at all.

We are at home now and the "now" of life is important.

Trust me, I am more enlightened then you will ever know.

You are right Smiless.... we Don't enter this world in sin.

Being born with a sin nature does not mean we enter this world in sin, or are born in sin.

This is just one example of how scripture gets misunderstood and misconscrued.

Man is the one who twists things.

Not God.



I Only Came here just to encourage all and share God' Love.

That was it.

Now I am moving on.



I Love you All .

So does God.

You all take care now.