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Define Religion
Does a religion require a belief in a supreme being? Is Buddhism, or Scientology a reDoes a religion require a belief in a supreme being? Is Buddhism, or Scientology a religion? The web site Dictionary.com defines Buddhism as a religion and Scientology as a non-denominational movement. Why aren't they calling Scientology a religion too? The definition of religion on dictionary.com seems vague. It appears that they don't know how to define religion, but know one when they see it which is why Buddhism counts as a religion but Scientology doesn't. Maybe it has to do with how long it's been around. The idea of Buddhism being an atheist religion seems like B/S to me.
Tags: Atheism, Phylosophy, Religion, Spirituality, Words
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jason Fleming on -
There are different sects of Buddhism just like any other religion. Theravada Buddhism does not recognize a supreme being but others such as Mahayana recognize the Buddha himself as a deity.
Also, I would say that any belief system that deals with the question of life after death constitutes religion. In Buddhism, you have reincarnation. In Scientology, people are immortal beings.
Scientology is really bad Sci-fi passing itself off as a belief system, but then again, aren't they all?
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Permalink Reply by Pat on -
I prefer to expand on a definition of the late American author, H.L. Mencken.
Religion is the haunting fear that somewhere, someone might be happy.
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Permalink Reply by Chris G on -
Whoops, I meant to write Abrahamic religions rather than Islamic religions.
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Permalink Reply by Madhukar Kulkarni on -
Here is H.L. Mencken again.
We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.
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Permalink Reply by Greg LeGore on -
Sadly, people aren't content to think that - they also want to use force, death threats (and sometimes actual death), etc. to compel others to agree with their biased observations. Religious people, as a group, are incapable (due to being blinded by dogma, etc.) of being non-violent because that is the only way they can enforce their fantasies. Here's a recent example in the news simply over a banner, a relatively inconsequential issue: http://abcnews.go.com/US/rhode-island-teens-battle-prayer-banner-ma...
Of course, the majority mostly wants to enforce conformity to their hateful beliefs.
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Permalink Reply by Chris G on
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It isn't coincidence that that banner went up in 1963. School prayer was banned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1963.
The U. S. Supreme Court issued two bans on prayer in public schools. The first ban came in 1962 and the second was issued in 1963. The bans were the result of a court case sponsored in part by Madalyn Murray O'Hair. She was but one of the litigants in the lawsuit, but her name became synonymous with the case and the promotion of atheism. The ban not only outlawed prayer in public schools but it also banned Bible reading in public schools.
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Permalink Reply by Chris G on
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The problem happens when he enters his wife in a beauty contest then becomes outraged that I didn't vote for her.
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Permalink Reply by Greg LeGore on
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LOL! And doesn't religion include the idea, as stated in The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce, that one has 'invisible means of support.'
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Permalink Reply by Tenken on -
It's simple. Religion is the infection, and jesus is the cure. They're on "opposite spectrums"!
But really, even the wiki entry on religion doesn't help.
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Permalink Reply by Chris G on
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It's definitions like these that cause religious people to consider Atheism a religion.
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