Who Is a Christian?

Originally posted by peejayd
* the Buddhist was not asked...

* i may consider that if the person is practicing Buddhism as a philosophy... but you, my friend, are practicing Buddhism as a religion... 😉

Are you making things up? 😆 Of course the Buddhist was asked.

Now you are getting all tied up in names for things. What is the difference between a philosophy and a religion, from your point of view?

To me, the difference is that a philosophy requires no actions and a religion requires a practice. Is that close to how you see it?

*..Excuse me mr. Shaky..but all religions are based on philosopies. Whether they be Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, etc..

When one begins to practice any of these philosophies religiously(or with zeal or devotion) they are practicing a religion...my friend..😉

what about Romanticism, or Reductionism, or Liberalism...

...do these philosophies, when practiced with zeal, become religoins as well?

Originally posted by Thundar
*..Excuse me mr. Shaky..but all religions are based on philosopies. Whether they be Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, etc..

When one begins to practice any of these philosophies religiously(or with zeal or devotion) they are practicing a religion...my friend..😉

According to the Encyclopedia of Philosophy, the following characteristics are essential to religion:

[list=1][*]A belief in a supernatural being.

[*]A distinction between the sacred and the profane.

[*]Ritual acts focused on sacred objects.

[*]A moral code sanctioned by a supernatural being.

[*]Characteristically religious feelings aroused during the practice of a ritual or in the presence of sacred objects associated with a supernatural being.

[*]Forms of communication with a supernatural being.

[*]A worldview specifying the purpose of the world and indicating the place of the individual in it.

[*]The organization of life in accordance with this worldview.

[*]A social group united by the above.[/list]

While all religions are philosophies, not all philosophies are religions.

Geez plenty of charismatic schitzophrenics could make one ouf those.

And I have to ask why is this in there:

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
Characteristically religious feelings aroused during the practice of a ritual or in the presence of sacred objects associated with a supernatural being.

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
According to the Encyclopedia of Philosophy, the following characteristics are essential to religion:

[list=1][*]A belief in a supernatural being.

[*]A distinction between the sacred and the profane.

[*]Ritual acts focused on sacred objects.

[*]A moral code sanctioned by a supernatural being.

[*]Characteristically religious feelings aroused during the practice of a ritual or in the presence of sacred objects associated with a supernatural being.

[*]Forms of communication with a supernatural being.

[*]A worldview specifying the purpose of the world and indicating the place of the individual in it.

[*]The organization of life in accordance with this worldview.

[*]A social group united by the above.[/list]

While all religions are philosophies, not all philosophies are religions.

*all philosophies may not be practiced in organized religious institutions..or grounded in the supernatural...but when a person follows them with much zeal and devotion..they then become that person's religion..😉

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
And I have to ask why is this in there:It doesn't mean anything

If you are uncertain as to why "characteristically religious feelings" is included, then you should ask the authors of the Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Originally posted by Thundar
*all philosophies may not be practiced in organized religious institutions..or grounded in the supernatural...but when a person follows them with much zeal and devotion..they then become that person's religion..😉

No, they do not. For a particular belief system or philosophy to qualify as a religion it must have the nine characteristics outlined above.

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
If you are uncertain as to why "characteristically religious feelings" is included, then you should ask the authors of the Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

What do you think an "characteristically religious feeling" would be?

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
According to the Encyclopedia of Philosophy, the following characteristics are essential to religion:

[list=1][*]A belief in a supernatural being.

[*]A distinction between the sacred and the profane.

[*]Ritual acts focused on sacred objects.

[*]A moral code sanctioned by a supernatural being.

[*]Characteristically religious feelings aroused during the practice of a ritual or in the presence of sacred objects associated with a supernatural being.

[*]Forms of communication with a supernatural being.

[*]A worldview specifying the purpose of the world and indicating the place of the individual in it.

[*]The organization of life in accordance with this worldview.

[*]A social group united by the above.[/list]

While all religions are philosophies, not all philosophies are religions.

Interesting: My religion does not have 1 or 6.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
Interesting: My religion does not have 1 or 6.

Budda transcended the physical plane after he died so he's semisupernatural

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Budda transcended the physical plane after he died so he's semisupernatural

There are some type of Buddhism that believe like that. I do not believe that Buddha was divine any more then you are I.

Originally posted by Thundar
*..Excuse me mr. Shaky..but all religions are based on philosopies. Whether they be Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, etc..

When one begins to practice any of these philosophies religiously(or with zeal or devotion) they are practicing a religion...my friend..😉

"Mr. Shaky"hysterical

You should go back a read what I said... Without listening to your thought, just listen to what I said.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
What do you think an "characteristically religious feeling" would be?

Religious ecstasy, i.e. an overpowering emotion of exaltation; guilt, mystery, etc.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
Interesting: My religion does not have 1 or 6.

Nor four or five by extention. Hence, why it is not a religion.

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
Nor four or five by extention.

Just remove the word supernatural and they fit, but to be technical about it, you are correct. There are people in my religion who believe in the supernatural, and that is fine, but I am not one of them.

Although, you do believe in a type of reincarnation or rebirth if I remember correctly. Now that would be a supernatural belief that might qualify it as religous would it not?

Buddhism is a religion and its "philosophy" cannot be easily removed from that.

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
No, they do not. For a particular belief system or philosophy to qualify as a religion it must have the nine characteristics outlined above.

American Heritage Dictionary -

re·li·gion
n.

Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.

*you go by your definitions, and ill go by mine..my friend..😉

[EDIT]

Originally posted by Nellinator
Although, you do believe in a type of reincarnation or rebirth if I remember correctly. Now that would be a supernatural belief that might qualify it as religous would it not?

I believe in symotanious incarnation. All that means is that time is an illusion and the past present and future, exist in the now. We are connected, and through that connection we grow. That may have a supernatural aspect to it, but I don’t concern myself with that, it is just a model to help us understand what we cannot directly understand, and all models are inherently incorrect. The mystic law (the universe, or God or what ever you want to call it) cannot be described in a model.

Originally posted by Thundar
American Heritage Dictionary -

[b]re·li·gion
n.

Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.

*you go by your definitions, and ill go by mine..my friend..😉

[EDIT] [/B]

Originally posted by yerssot
If you believe that a general encyclopedia will ever give you a clear definition, you're mistaken. Any decent university that enquires of you to properly document yourself on a document sees you using a "normal" encyclopedia will fail you immediatly. Why? cause there are specialised encyclopedias that are not considered vulgar, ergo better in use. Try using those and you'll be forwarded to works like:

Tulku, T., A brief history of Tibetan academic degrees in Buddhist philosophy, from: NIAS report series, part 43, Copenhagen, 2000.

Li, W., Chinese Buddhism: philosophy and theory, Münster, 1999.
Kalupahana, D., A history of Buddhist philosophy : continuities and discontinuities, Hawaii, 1992.