Defining Religion: The topic is "What is Religion," a broad and seemingly obvious question. While many think they know what religion is, there is no scholarly consensus on its definition.
The "I Know It When I See It" Problem: Like Justice Potter Stewart's famous quote on pornography, many people feel they "know religion when they see it" without a precise definition.
Common Characteristics of Religion: Apparent characteristics include:
Sharing beliefs in God, gods, supernatural beings, or the transcendent.
Building sacred spaces (churches, mosques, synagogues, temples).
Performing rituals (prayer, meditation, sermons, festivals, sacrifices, life events like marriages and funerals).
Reverence for holy, often ancient, texts that provide meaning for moral life and the meaning of life.
Examples of Identified Religions:
Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam.
Religions from India: Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism (also widespread in the East).
Eastern religions: Taoism.
Indigenous traditions: First Nations spirituality.
New religions.
Extinct ancient religions (with modern revivals): Greek and Roman (Paganism), Ancient Egyptian, Viking/Norse.
The Problem of Definition: Despite a general sense of what religion is and a list of examples, there's no scholarly consensus because the very idea of "religion" as a broad category is a modern construct.
Modern Construct of Religion: The concept of religion was formulated by Western thinkers in the 16th and 17th centuries, primarily based on Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, with limited awareness of other world religions.
Limitations of the Western Construct: Most world religions, past and present, don't neatly fit this construct.
Buddhism: Belief in gods is often irrelevant. While some forms exist, mainline and early Buddhism see gods as subject to samsara. Despite being non-theistic, Buddhism is the world's fourth-largest religion. Some Westerners argue it's a philosophy, but in Buddhist-majority countries, it fills a role similar to Christianity in Christian countries, focusing on lived rituals.
Chinese Religion: Defies easy categorization. Despite 70 years of communism, studies show most adults practice ancestor religion or folk religion, not atheism. Maps labeling China as "no religion" are misleading.
Comparative Religions and the Absence of a Word for "Religion":
The Encounter World Religions Center studies world religions academically.
A First Nations elder noted that his language had no word for "religion," not because indigenous people weren't religious, but because they didn't conceptually separate religion from the rest of life.
Similarly, Biblical Hebrew, the Arabic of the Quran, and English before the 16th/17th centuries lacked a direct equivalent for "religion."
The Latin word "religio" meant "duty, conscientiousness, obligations" to society, community, family, and gods, not doctrines or beliefs.
Traditional Roman Religion (Paganism):
All-encompassing, intertwined with every aspect of life: house, job, recreation, state.
Not contained to temples; omnipresent.
Not focused on belief in gods or studying religious texts, but on ritual observances and legalistic contracts with divine forces ("do ut des" - I give in order that you might give).
No concept of separation of church and state; politicians were public priests.
Pliny the Elder describes pervasive ritualistic practices for daily life and averting omens.
Emphasis on exactness in rituals and prayers.
Gladiator battles, games, chariot races, and plays were part of religious festivals.
The Origins of "Paganism": The term "pagan" (from paganus, meaning a person from the countryside) was not self-chosen. It acquired its meaning after Christianity became the Roman Empire's state religion, referring to those outside the Christian community. "Polytheist" is also a modern term used in opposition to monotheism.
Christianity and the State:
When Christianity became Rome's state religion, it remained intertwined with the state (e.g., Emperor Constantine presiding over councils).
In the West, after the fall of the Western Empire, church and state institutions began to diverge slightly due to Germanic tribes replacing Roman military, leading to some autonomy for the church.
The Protestant Reformation and the Modern Construct:
The split of the church during the Protestant Reformation (1500s) led to the new idea of "religion."
Protestants framed "religion" to define their own identity, prioritizing text (the Bible), correct teaching, preaching, beliefs, and personal relationship with God.
They also used this framework to define "bad religion" (Catholicism), including excessive rituals, veneration of relics, praying to saints, religious festivals (seen as pagan holdovers), and monasticism/asceticism.
The "Good Religion" vs. "Bad Religion" Divide: The original framing inadvertently cleaved many traditional cultural activities from "religion," labeling them as "secular" or "non-religious" (e.g., jobs, government, entertainment, sports, calendar, holidays).
Modern Atheism as a Logical Step: Atheism, as a rejection of all religion, is seen as a logical conclusion stemming from Protestant thought, where the "good" becomes "not religion."
Potential Dangers of the Truism "Religion is Bad":
Many Westerners accept "religion is inherently bad" without realizing it's based on an undefined and arbitrary concept of religion.
Religious-like Beliefs/Behaviors in Nominally Secular People: Naive and potentially harmful beliefs like "trust the signs from the universe" or "manifesting" (thinking something will supernaturally happen) are examples of unexamined superstitions.
Sports as Religion: Historically, sports were religious festivals, and modern sports are still "followed religiously," involving superstitions and sympathetic magic.
Deconstructing Western Traditions: A longing for meaning and "physical magic" leads to a rise in Eastern traditional practices. While not inherently wrong, responsible engagement requires deep study to avoid cultural appropriation.
Thinking is Done: Believing that rejecting God or religion means the thinking about life and meaning is over is a trap. Many atheists continue to be thoughtful philosophers.
The Need for a Forum to Question Social Conventions: In a nominally post-religious society, there's a lack of a forum outside of work and family to question inherited social conventions and obligations.
Organized Religion as a Forum:
Organized religions, while not inherently good or evil, can be vehicles for both.
Good Examples: Historically Black churches as sources of civil rights leadership and institution-building. Center Place's charity work (Encounter World Religions Center, social housing, green building projects).
Bad Examples: Organizations solely for leader enrichment (televangelists). Organizations promoting anti-science understandings (young earth creationism, blood transfusion rejection). Organizations that use "God's name" to discriminate (against women, minorities, LGBTQ+).
Benefits: Established forums for charity, community activism, lifelong learning, and exploring meaningful ideas in an intentional community outside of family or work.
Discussion Questions:
Do you have family traditions taken almost religiously?
What superstitions have you observed outside organized religion?
Do you have personal habits followed without a particular reason?
Where do you find meaning in life outside organized religion, and who do you share your ideas with?
Q&A:
Pagan Rituals in Christianity/Islam/Judaism: Absolutely, history is continuous, with many pagan traditions incorporated (e.g., calendar, holidays like Christmas and Easter).
Separation of Church and State: Seriously began in America (Rhode Island), rooted in freedom of religion, which means toleration, not privileging one religion. It evolved in Europe after the Wars of Religion.
Destruction of the Self: Depends on the interpretation. Some religions and philosophies see community as central to self-creation.
Social Justice/Wellness/Alt-Right as Religions: These movements can function like religions, with organizing ideas, followers, and even heretics/persecution (e.g., Marxism, QAnon).
Activism and Doctrine: Center Place is not doctrine-based and continually explores ideas; it aims to avoid pious fraud by acknowledging historical inaccuracies (e.g., Joseph Smith and polygamy).
God and Supernatural: Confusion arises from different definitions. "Supernatural" can mean physical magic in time and space, or a non-material, non-physical realm outside time and space.
Sports and Family Traditions: Examples include holiday dinners, family birthdays, and