What is Your Definition of Religion?

I think real religion is about Freedom, Justice, and Hope.

Interesting conversation... as a professional historian of religions, this discussion is one I'm always engaged in. Realistically, with a category as necessarily opaque as 'religion', the definitions folks' give more often reveal to us something about the commentator, rather than about 'religion' itself. And so, accordingly, most of peoples' responses to the question of 'how do you define religion?' fall into one of two broad approaches: (1) to deny the authenticity of all religious modes of being by reducing them to social, economic, or political elements (i.e. Marx's definition of religion as "opiate of the masses", etc) or (2) by affirming all 'religions' in some sort of universalist declaration of a common humanity. Now both approaches are fine, and the views we come to hold are INTENSELY shaped by the locale, culture, and family we each grew up in, and/or are growing up in!

Yet both approaches also leave untouched one of the fundamental issues that arise when we try to define the 'religious': the totality of religious phenomenona IS NOT included when we try to make sense of all 'religions' or religious phenomena! This is to say that when most folks (at least in my experience teaching at Miami University and the University of Maine) speak of religions, they are primarily thinking about dimensions of Christianity. Hence for many folks, religion = Christianity, simply because that is the tradition in which they were raised and/or it is the religion which most dominates popular American culture. For others, aware of other "world" religious traditions such as Buddhism or Judaism, such a narrow definition of religion must be expanded to encompass non-Christians myths, rituals and communities. One simple way to bypass this problem is to reject the singular form 'religion', insisting instead upon a pluralistic understanding, 'religions.' Yet not all will be satisfied with such a gesture. Hence it is critical to point out that the 'world religions' model or understanding of religion, which the above video takes as its point of departure, is itself a product of 19th-century European and American historians, theologians, and social scientists. Such an understanding of 'religion' has long since become part of the discourse that Americans, Europeans, and all those who wish to participate in the world as revealed in the stories "Westerners" tell about themselves. At this point, in 2008, there are few places or people in the world that do not participate to some extent in this story; i.e. all those folks colonized by Europeans (North Africans, Indians, indigenous Australians, et al.) were forcibly brought into a world created anew through European colonization and imperialism.

Fundamentalisms, to which the video alludes, must thus be understood in reference to the umbrella of European colonialism(s) --- as rejections of the "new world" insofar as the 'new world' created through European colonialism locates Europe and "the West" as the economic and political center of the world, while relegating all 'other' peoples to the periphery, in ALL ways.. geographically, politically, economically, religiously, and perhaps most so, humanly...

(for my full response, go to my public blog at: myspace.com/jason_gutekunst)

I believe in God but I dont believe in religions, religions are pure mind control, the roman empire used religion to unite their empire and the religion that was really popular in those days was christianity.
The most powerfull people in the world is the vatican.
The roman empire destroyed all other books that were not approved by the council of Nicea when they were putting together the bible.
I will recomend to anyone who wants to understand where all the stories of the bible come from? to read the book call (The lost book of Enki) by Zecharias Sitchim.

religion so often divides where it should unite.

The detriment of religion is easy to argue. The benefit of religion is just as easy to argue. But, as with the Jeffersonian Bible, a lot had to be stripped away from religion to see it's benefits. There is some good there, but you have to root it out while deflecting all the dogmatic nonsense. Sometimes it's worth it, sometimes it's not. Not everyone needs it.

this lady wants people to use religious doctrines to make sure that nations treat each other in good manner or to prevent wars/conflicts.... HELLO!??!!!!?!?!?!?!? Muslims vs Jews, Jews vs Catholics, Catholics vs Muslims...religious wars have been going on since religion existed! The Crusades was a massive one...but looking at today, there are still many examples. The conquering of Indo China or America was also for the religious gain of the Christian Church...they wanted to spread their beliefs and they did this by forcing people to believe them.

Have you ever watched Zeitgeist?

It pretty much explains religion.

i think religion is fake
thinking for ourselves and learning from our own experiences becomes more meaningful than a clergy man/religion scaring the crap out of you to do the "right thing."

I find this to be a delve into personal opinions. Frankly, it is none of their business. Believe as you want and live with that.

mmmmmm...what's your favorite planet?!

85% of Americans are religious. My religion is personal and I won't force it on anyone. Religion to me is obeying the 10 commandments, asking for the forgiveness of our sins, and belielf in Jesus Christ. So simple, so wonderful.

Religion is mental illness.

I believe in the universal spirit and karma. I will live as many lives as there are leaves on a tree. I practice kindness wherever I can and stand against injustice whenever I can. I have no tolerance evil and will fight it were I can in many ways. I have learned through my life thus far karma can be instant and sometimes it takes a while. We are all in this universe together and
some souls are new and need guidance, I try to understand my fellow man and woman as best as I can
but my heart aches with the evil things we do to each other.

We are all pretty pathetic? Speak for yourself. One does not have to trounce religion to prove they are of sound, scientific mind. I do not practice any religion, nor do I believe in "The god". But I believe in the right of others to "choose", as I hope they uphold my right to choose.. And should they try to deny me, I don't put the blame on religion, I blame ignorance.

Religion is a ternary agent, meaning there are three parts:
Myth
Dogma
Faith

Each of these are fairly harmless apart, but combine them and you get something that can be used to justify holy wars, fool people into giving them their money, and generally be used as a motivation against things outside the societal norm. Religion is like the Jedi Mind Trick, it only works on the weak mind. And it's no match for a good blaster.

Meh, pretty trite video.

Don't get me wrong, the golden rule is great and all, but the world does not, has not and will not ever work that way. The world is a series of exploitations which we all, agreeably or disagreeably, work in throughout our lives. Compassion is an admirable trait, especially when it's selfless, but it only means something relative to a need. Plenty of compassionate people are ostracized.

Bottom line, human beings hate each other and for good reason. We're all fairly pathetic. People find tolerance to be an uplifting message. I don't know why, it's just a basic requirement to live in a society.

Tolerance isn't love, it's disgruntled pacifism. It's dealing with that prick of a co-worker because at the end of the day you're both taking home a paycheck.

But I'm studying history, so I'm a bit cynical. =p

What's my definition of religion? A belief system, typically deistic but not necessarily so, that asserts certain principles, rules and explanations of the world to be truthful without evidentiary support or doubt of their claims and must therefore be solely reliant on the emotional willingness of its followers.

This piece neither advocates or denies religion. That's the point. Compassion is the common thread that holds humanity together. Not religion. But to deny one's right to their religion encourages as much violence and retribution as the militant religion itself. Look past it, or through it, to ones "self".

The article is good. The film informative.

My understanding is that religion is to explain what we cannot currently explain without it. When we will be able to explain something new that was previously within the bounds of religion, then that religious belief will be replaced by scientific fact. Until that happens, the religion will prevail as an explanation. Now I don't think that this is particularly a bad thing with the exceptions in which religion is proven wrong and people who hold those beliefs would rather hold onto them angrily, and potentially violently, rather than adapt.

Religion was invented to control the masses. The masses refuse to be controlled, by government or the powers that be. Fight corruption with corruption. Movin on up.

I am all for human compassion, but religion opposes rationality. Insofar as it does, it is an obstacle for the progression of human intellect, and potentially morality/ethics. Yea, religion may have some instances of doing good deeds, but one does not need religion to do good deeds. Simply consideration for one's fellow inhabitants should suffice.

My middle school teacher has been teaching this since her beginnig of teaching

Oh my Gods, that was really moving! I hope people will take this to heart.

A reason for people to not to die, not to lose hope and faith in one another, to have an explanation of how things can happen, when you think its the impossible...the negative side of religion is the killings of so many just because of religion...most of this religion does happen to deny human rights and the expressions of one's self to be not apart of religion or just plainly expressing themselves.....for the mind of humans themselves to develop a religion that is a tool that puts this country and many others under a strap of what we call the Bible belt....mind control..religion..{dancing crap of the world}

Religion is an antiquated and faulty explanatory device.

Religion is the opium of the people.

God is a concept by which we measure our pain.

Religion is a crutch for the feeble minded and the existentially crippled.

Wonderful. As humans we should look beyond what religion, nationality, race, etc the person belongs to and look at the human behind everything.

The pillars of truth.