- Joined
- Nov 24, 2018
- Messages
- 13,182
- Reaction score
- 2,896
- Gender
- Female
- Political Leaning
- Slightly Conservative
The word "religion" is often used to refer to the major organized Western religions. Is that really an accurate or useful way of defining religion?
Most of us here probably belong to Western civilization, and therefore we might forget that our species evolved for a very long time before Western civilization existed. And religious practices have probably been around as long as our species.
I would define religion as all practices involving interaction with the spirit (super-physical) worlds. That would include prayer and meditation in all its aspects (trance states, visions, chanting, dancing, drumming, etc.). And it would include rituals (magic).
If you believe there are super-physical worlds, and beings, above or beyond the world of our senses, then I would say you are religious.
The word "religion" means to "reconnect" or "retie." The assumption is that we experience some kind of disconnection in our earthly life.
I often hear people say they are not religious, but they are "spiritual." What I think they actually mean is that they are religious, but they don't follow any of the major Western religions.
Most of us here probably belong to Western civilization, and therefore we might forget that our species evolved for a very long time before Western civilization existed. And religious practices have probably been around as long as our species.
I would define religion as all practices involving interaction with the spirit (super-physical) worlds. That would include prayer and meditation in all its aspects (trance states, visions, chanting, dancing, drumming, etc.). And it would include rituals (magic).
If you believe there are super-physical worlds, and beings, above or beyond the world of our senses, then I would say you are religious.
The word "religion" means to "reconnect" or "retie." The assumption is that we experience some kind of disconnection in our earthly life.
I often hear people say they are not religious, but they are "spiritual." What I think they actually mean is that they are religious, but they don't follow any of the major Western religions.