Reply #147: Fine. Then by that definition, the Democratic party is a religion.

[whopis01]

As are the republicans, trekkies, and vegans.

You have well illustrated the point that words can mean different things to different people.

However, words are just a limited way of describing the underlying reality. To me, it is clear that there is something common between christianity, islam, hinduism, shinto, catholicism and other groups that is not shared by all other groups that share a world view that influences their behavior.

Some people use religion as a label to indicate that. You choose not to use that label. Fine - no big deal. But I think that you would agree that there is something fundamentally different between a group based on a disbelief in, or denial of, the existence of a God and a group based on a beliefe in a God.