Is Budddhism a religion?
2006-07-14 09:49:32 · 12 answers · asked by whoknows 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
sorry i didnt explain myself i meant if it is possible a religion that doesnt involves believing in a god.
2006-07-14 09:54:43 · update #1
A religion is any system of beliefs about the nature of human life that is not, in principle, open to revision in the light of new thought and evidence. Religious beliefs are held faithfully, that is, wilfully, rather than tentatively. Obviously, religions do change; but religious change is de facto change, not in principle change.
In general, if a system of beliefs is compatible with any experience whatever, then it is a religion. That is, if the system of beliefs does not admit of any possible experience that will show it to be false, then it is a religion.
A religion need not include belief in a god - though most do.
Few, if any, religions do not include a system of morality - although morality is possible without religion.
The word 'religion' comes from the Latin 'religare' - a binding. It is related to the word 'ligature' - a cord used to bind or strangle.
2006-07-14 10:37:23 · answer #1 · answered by brucebirdfield 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes, it's possibe... it doesn't mean that it will work, but it's possible..
There's a religion called "the cult of personality" which I know so well about since my whole native country was involved in it... and they didn't believe in a god, or in the God...
There's a religion called evolution... and there's no god in it. I say it's a religion becasue it implies belief, since no empirical evidence can support it, and there's no precedent for it... I mean at least one of the claims should perpetuate into today like women being born without a hymen.. or such...
A religion is made up of values... belief, and actions that correlate with the beliefs.
And yes, Buddhism is a religion, so is satanism, and environementalism, and vegetarianism, Islam, food, alcohol... gosh!
whatever you worship you can call religion... that's it. Wherever your treasure is there your heart also... that's religion... Sometimes the objest of worship is called a god, because it receives god-like attributes...
Music can be a religion
Sex can be a religion..
Atheism, yeah... sure, why not, they believe in not believing..... and that's theor god... of your own free will .... You can worship a concept, not necessarily a person... dang, if that isn't free will I don't know what is!
A woman you love can become your religion, or a man for that matter... does that take you anywhere??? Possibly. Is it worth it??? You be the judge.
2006-07-16 02:06:03 · answer #2 · answered by Pivoine 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on what definition you use. Here is one definition: A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
By that definition, atheism can be a religion. Haven't you seen rabid atheists on here push their beliefs on others with zeal and devotion? Communism, imho, is a replacement religion. Marx said that religion is the opiate of the masses, and to an extent, he was right. Communism is the opiate of communists. It's what makes them feel good--to which they devote their lives with zeal.
They have meetings; a belief system; a morality (give as much as you can and take only what you need). It's what makes them, at least in their own minds, better than the rest of the world. And they think that eventually everyone will think just like they do because they irrationally believe that their religion is truth.
The communist/atheists try to put the good of the whole ahead of the good of the one irrationally. They don't believe in any true connection--only physical consequence, and by that rule, Machiavelli was right. The first person to take advantage of the situation betters his own position. So as soon as people start to say, to heck with the whole, I don't feel what they feel, the system collapses.
Any system of morality without a belief in consciousness or spirit will eventually fall apart, imho. Buddhism just redefines the concept of God as consciousness. It definitely can inspire devotion and zeal. It includes daily rituals. So yes, I would call it a religion despite some people trying to b.s. their way around doing so by saying it is a way of life. All religions are ways of life.
2006-07-14 17:04:14 · answer #3 · answered by keats27 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Religion is a group of people who have similiar beliefs about the existance and purpose of human beings. Some of this may or may not include the belief in God(s) or it may be mostly spiritual in nature. It is the coming together of humans to practice shared beliefs and practices about how the should live life.
There are religions out there that do not have an emphasis on God(s).
Buddhism is a religion and they have gods but don't worship them the same ways that western judeo-christians do.
2006-07-14 16:56:45 · answer #4 · answered by Big Diesel 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The word religion means simply:The quest for the Values of an Ideal Life. This involves three(3) phases:1.) the ideal,2.) the practices for attaining the values of the Ideal Life, and 3.) the theology or world view relating the quest to the environing universe.
Yes Buddhism is a religion.
2006-07-14 17:14:22 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A religion is a system of belief in someone or something. A god must be present in order for a religion to exist. This god can be anything---a car, a house, a statue, a person (living or dead)--anything. Religion implies worship; therefore there must be someone or something to worship.
2006-07-14 17:01:16 · answer #6 · answered by Preacher 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that it is spiritualy that makes religion a religion
yes religion is possible without a god . Yes buddhism is a way of life just like islam.
2006-07-14 18:16:42 · answer #7 · answered by sash 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, God is opposed to religion, because religion is often legalistic (legalistic being anything that is culturally a rule but gets lumped in with religion, despite the fact that the rule appears no where in scripture). God is interested in being glorified and making you happy. Jesus came to accomplish that task.
Budddhism is a religion, I think.
2006-07-14 16:54:31 · answer #8 · answered by Aaron W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
religion is a concern over what exists beyond the visible world differentiated from philosophy in that it operates through faith or intuition rather than reason and generally including the idea of the existence of a single being, a group of beings, an eternal principle or a transcendent spiritual entity that has created the world ( one of the definitions from webster)
Buddhism is a path
2006-07-14 17:48:38 · answer #9 · answered by hipbohemian 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
religion is belief in a higher being
2006-07-14 16:52:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋