Religion

upaloopa

(11,417 posts)

1. To me Buddhism is not a religion.

Tue Mar 31, 2015, 06:39 PM

Mar 2015

The Buddha was a human who taught what he learned. So to me Buddhism is a way to live your life.
The only religion I ever had was Catholicism. I was baptized but I never really believed what I was taught. I was taught rules to live by and what punishments came from breaking the rules. I was taught what to believe because the church says you need to believe it or you are doomed to eternal damnation.
It is easy to choose Buddhism's way of living and rejecting religion.
Buddhism says try it and see if it works for you. Religion says to believe it because god says to or else punishment.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

68 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

So what exactly is Religion? [View all] LostOne4Ever Mar 2015 OP

To me Buddhism is not a religion. upaloopa Mar 2015 #1

First, I think religion involves a communal experience. Htom Sirveaux Mar 2015 #2

I think your first and third points bvf Mar 2015 #6

Sure, they could show up under religion, and under the terms you named. Htom Sirveaux Mar 2015 #9

Shared experience and ritual retelling bvf Mar 2015 #10

Covered that under "addressing the nature of reality and our response to it". Htom Sirveaux Mar 2015 #14

I'd be hard-pressed to find an atheist who believes in ghosts. bvf Mar 2015 #15

Just wanted to thank for you your answer. LostOne4Ever Apr 2015 #45

That might, however, include conviction politics muriel_volestrangler Apr 2015 #47

1. must be at least 90% total bullshit. Warren Stupidity Mar 2015 #3

Religion is belief in the supernatural. bvf Mar 2015 #4

"I think that all organized religions are cults and vice versa" cbayer Mar 2015 #5

The first definition here: LostOne4Ever Mar 2015 #11

That's a definition that could be applied equally to religion, but cbayer Mar 2015 #13

From the way it is used where I live it's meaning is completely subjective and biased LostOne4Ever Mar 2015 #22

Well, since you understand that the term can and is used in a negative way, cbayer Apr 2015 #34

Generally I do, but the rest of the world does not LostOne4Ever Apr 2015 #37

Like I said, it depends on the definition, but I understand why you want to hold that position. cbayer Apr 2015 #42

To me, religions are all efforts at controlling other people. AtheistCrusader Mar 2015 #7

Thanks! Going with an Athena theme :) (nt) LostOne4Ever Mar 2015 #12

It's, like, this stuff, comes in a can mindwalker_i Mar 2015 #8

Wal-Mart's having a big sale this week. n/t. bvf Mar 2015 #16

Can-o-God, 30% off mindwalker_i Mar 2015 #17

or damned ravioli: muriel_volestrangler Apr 2015 #48

Wow, that's cool! mindwalker_i Apr 2015 #50

To me religions and cults are not mutually exclusive. Promethean Mar 2015 #18

a scheme concocted by a group to obtain power and $$, using fear as a weapon nt msongs Mar 2015 #19

Sort of like capitalism. cbayer Mar 2015 #21

Ooh, ooh, can I play 'deflection bingo' too? AtheistCrusader Apr 2015 #27

If you truly want to understand religion TM99 Mar 2015 #20

Interesting article forsaken mortal Mar 2015 #25

Newer scholarship is focused more on TM99 Apr 2015 #31

The purpose of the links was not to give a definitive definition LostOne4Ever Mar 2015 #26

Wikipedia or any encyclopedia TM99 Apr 2015 #30

"narcissistic inflated individuals who act as if they have 'god-like' attributes" AtheistCrusader Apr 2015 #35

You're equivocating. Act_of_Reparation Apr 2015 #36

However, this is not a research paper LostOne4Ever Apr 2015 #38

Here is the problem I repeatedly have with you. TM99 Apr 2015 #39

The problem you have with me LostOne4Ever Apr 2015 #40

Both MLK and Gandhi were assassinated. stone space Apr 2015 #41

So now I get the gish gallop. TM99 Apr 2015 #43

Welcome to ignore then LostOne4Ever Apr 2015 #44

Three things. okasha Apr 2015 #67

Thanks, but we all know religion entirely too well. AtheistCrusader Apr 2015 #28

Religion or Dangerous Cult? stone space Mar 2015 #23

I'm going with Dangerous Cult on this one. stone space Mar 2015 #24

Ah, another deflection Bingo contestant. AtheistCrusader Apr 2015 #29

You might even be justified skepticscott Apr 2015 #32

There is some contention between sociologists Act_of_Reparation Apr 2015 #33

Statues made of matchsticks, crumbling into one another. greendog Apr 2015 #46

The difference between a cult and a religion: Gore1FL Apr 2015 #49

Religion: The use of fear and superstition to maintain power and extract money Binkie The Clown Apr 2015 #51

Bless your heart! cbayer Apr 2015 #53

Most "actual" cons never get reported to the police. Binkie The Clown Apr 2015 #58

There are cons everywhere and religion is one area that is ripe for cons. cbayer Apr 2015 #59

Who are you being conned by? Binkie The Clown Apr 2015 #60

.... okasha Apr 2015 #61

I'm a dupe and sheeple! I've never been so humiliated�. cbayer Apr 2015 #63

I have no religion and give no money to any religion or its institutions. cbayer Apr 2015 #62

Granted. It's none of my business. Binkie The Clown Apr 2015 #64

What do you imagine my business to be, binkie? cbayer Apr 2015 #65

"Sit in judgement"? Binkie The Clown Apr 2015 #66

Just to be clear, it is this post that I objected to: cbayer Apr 2015 #68

A religion is supernatural answers to life's big, philosophical questions. ZombieHorde Apr 2015 #52

I think the cult/religion division can also be about how long something has been around. cbayer Apr 2015 #54

The main difference, I think, is money and power. It's a cult until it has enough of both tblue37 Apr 2015 #55

I see it as a communal belief in the supernatural. bravenak Apr 2015 #56

Religion is a community who share a point of view that includes the existence of god or gods. pinto Apr 2015 #57