2 edits
Originally posted by nmdavidbSo you wouldn't call Buddhism a religion, for example?
Sounded correct to me
Dave
Edit: Just skimming the internet for definitions, this one probably comes closest to how I use and understand the term myself:
"Religion: Human beings' relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, spiritual, or divine."
—Encyclopædia Britannica (online, 2006)
Originally posted by NordlysI call Zen Buddhism a religion; on the other hand, I am just as happy to call it an existential philosophy.
So you wouldn't call Buddhism a religion, for example?
Edit: Just skimming the internet for definitions, this one probably comes closest to how I use and understand the term myself:
"Religion: Human beings' relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, spiritual, or divine."
—Encyclopædia Britannica (online, 2006)
What is “spiritual”? Again, I, like you, take a pretty broad view. Others do not. I once became annoyed with FreakyKBH for his view that the word only applied to theistic religions. He gave me a good Zen whack on the head by commenting that I seemed to have lost my “inner Buddha” over the matter. And that was that 🙂
I have in the past used the word “God” to refer to the One Reality—as Hindu non-dualists do, referring to the Brahman. But this is confusing for those who understand the word to refer only to a supernatural being, and I seldom do it anymore. Bbarr has referred to himself as an atheist, but he is something of an Advaita Vedantist—he is atheist vis-à-vis any kind of dualistic supernatural being. I call myself a non-theist, but I’m not sure the distinction is meaningful or helpful.
I do understand what josephw is saying, only because I have discussed it in some depth with others before. I think he has a religion (as do you); but I am no more hung up on it (any more!) than I am if people want to say that Zen Buddhism is or is not a religion.
However, I agree that the question has to be raised—over and over again. In order to keep pressing one another to be clear what we’re saying.
Originally posted by vistesdI think you got a smal point thier.
I call Zen Buddhism a religion; on the other hand, I am just as happy to call it an existential philosophy.
What is “spiritual”? Again, I, like you, take a pretty broad view. Others do not. I once became annoyed with FreakyKBH for his view that the word only applied to theistic religions. He gave me a good Zen whack on the head by commenting that I s ...[text shortened]... aised—over and over again. In order to keep pressing one another to be clear what we’re saying.
The oldest relgion in the world now living Hindu. End of story. fact.
Second: Jewish
Third: I dont remeber the name but it's practised by about 10000 people and comes from some parts north of Irak.
Forth: Cristianaty.
Can go to sleep now God wants me help out and I am here talking to you...
Originally posted by vistesdYou are probably right that I should not get hung up on it. But besides clarity, I also wonder about the motives for defining religion in such a narrow way. I hadn't encountered this before I started reading this forum, and I was surprised to see that some Christians here use a narrow definition not to say that other religions aren't really religions, but rather to say that their own religion isn't. Maybe the purpose is the same - to set your own religion apart from other religions, portraying it as something fundamentally different. Or maybe it's an attempt to attract people who say they don't want to have anything to do with religion, in which case it sounds dishonest to me, like selling a product under a false name.
I call Zen Buddhism a religion; on the other hand, I am just as happy to call it an existential philosophy.
What is “spiritual”? Again, I, like you, take a pretty broad view. Others do not. I once became annoyed with FreakyKBH for his view that the word only applied to theistic religions. He gave me a good Zen whack on the head by commenting that I s ...[text shortened]... aised—over and over again. In order to keep pressing one another to be clear what we’re saying.