What makes a Religion legitimate?

Question

What makes a Religion a Religion? And what is the difference between a Religion and a cult? Is Pagan still considered a Religion

Answer 1

well first you have to know the difference and the difference is

There are many definitions of religion, and most have struggled to avoid an overly sharp definition on the one hand, and meaningless generalities on the other. Some have tried to use formalistic, doctrinal definitions and others have tried to use experiential, emotive, intuitive, valuational and ethical factors.

Sociologists and anthropologists see religion as an abstract set of ideas, values, or experiences developed as part of a cultural matrix. Primitive religion was indistinguishable from the sociocultural acts where custom and ritual defined an emotional reality.

Other religious scholars have put forward a definition of religion that avoids the reductionism of the various sociological and psychological disciplines that relegate religion to its component factors. Religion may be defined as the presence of a belief in the sacred or the holy. For example Rudolf Otto's "The Idea of the Holy," formulated in 1917, defines the essence of religious awareness as awe, a unique blend of fear and fascination before the divine. Friedrich Schleiermacher in the late 18th century defined religion as a "feeling of absolute dependence."

The Encyclopedia of Religion describes religion in the following way:

"In summary, it may be said that almost every known culture involves the religious in the above sense of a depth dimension in cultural experiences at all levels — a push, whether ill-defined or conscious, toward some sort of ultimacy and transcendence that will provide norms and power for the rest of life. When more or less distinct patterns of behaviour are built around this depth dimension in a culture, this structure constitutes religion in its historically recognizable form. Religion is the organization of life around the depth dimensions of experience — varied in form, completeness, and clarity in accordance with the environing culture."

(Winston King, Encyclopedia of Religion, p 7693)


and the definition of a cult would be

, a cult is a cohesive group of people (often a relatively small and recently founded religious movement) devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture or society considers to be far outside the mainstream. Its separate status may come about either due to its novel belief system, because of its idiosyncratic practices or because it opposes the interests of the mainstream culture. Other non-religious groups may also display cult-like characteristics.

In common usage, "cult" has a negative connotation, and is generally applied to a group by its opponents, for a variety of reasons. Understandably, most, if not all, groups that are called "cults" deny this label. Some anthropologists and sociologists studying cults have argued that no one yet has been able to define “cult” in a way that enables the term to identify only groups that have been claimed as problematic[citation needed].

The literal and traditional meanings of the word cult is derived from the Latin cultus, meaning "care" or "adoration", as "a system of religious belief or ritual; or: the body of adherents to same"32. In English, it remains neutral and a technical term within this context to refer to the "cult of Artemis at Ephesus" and the "cult figures" that accompanied it, or to "the importance of the Ave Maria in the cult of the Virgin." This usage is more fully explored in the entry Cult (religious practice).

In non-English European terms, the cognates of the English word "cult" are neutral, and refer mainly to divisions within a single faith, a case where English speakers might use the word "sect", as in "Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism are sects (or denominations) within Christianity". In French or Spanish, culte or culto simply means "worship" or "religious attendance"; thus an association cultuelle is an association whose goal is to organize religious worship and practices.

The word for "cult" in the popular English meaning is secte (French) or secta (Spanish). In German the usual word used for the English cult is Sekte, which also has other definitions. A similar case is the Russian word sekta.

and paganism as it is commonly know as is

Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "a country dweller" or "civilian") is a term which, from a western perspective, has come to connote a broad set of spiritual or religious beliefs and practices of natural or polytheistic religions. The term can be defined broadly, to encompass many or most of the faith traditions outside the Abrahamic monotheistic group of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This group may include the Dharmic religions, which technically incorporate characteristics of paganism such as nature-worship, polytheism and reverence of female deities, and are thus diametrically opposite to the Abrahamic faiths. "Pagan" is the usual translation of the Islamic term mushrik, which refers to 'one who worships something other than The God of Abraham'. Ethnologists avoid the term "paganism," with its uncertain and varied meanings, in referring to traditional or historic faiths, preferring more precise categories such as shamanism, polytheism or animism. The term is also used to describe earth-based Native American religions and mythologies, though few Native Americans call themselves or their cultures "pagan". Historically, the term "pagan" has usually had pejorative connotations among westerners, comparable to heathen, infidel and kaffir (كافر) in Islam. In modern times, though, the words "pagan" or "paganism" have become widely and openly used by some practitioners of certain spiritual paths outside the Abrahamic and Dharmic religious mainstream to describe their beliefs, practices, and organized movements.

so under religion would be the form of religion known as paganism
but also most forms of paganism are known today as cults

so the belief in paganism is considered a form of religion but eh specific religous beliefs about paganism and most followings today are commonly know as cults

Answer 2

Legitamacy comes from the Faith of the believers. A person may hold a belief, but when two people share that same belief, then it becomes a religion.
A cult is a religion that YOU do not belong to. Oftentimes, people will use it to describe a religion that they do not agree with.

My EX described the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints as a Cult and I am pretty sure that they are a religion and do not consider themselves to be a cult.

Pagan is a word used by members of a certain religion to describe unbelivers in THEIR religion. If all the people described as 'Pagan" decided to share the same religious belief, then they would have formed their own religion.

Answer 3

I think any religious path that helps someone connect with their spiritual self is a legitimate religion. Yes - even worshipping the Pineapple God in all of his sweet, tasty deliciousness.

Religion becomes a cult when the people follow the leader of the religion/church blindly and that leader controls them. There is nothing spiritual about a cult. Or at least by modern definition. There's a lot of negative connotation with that word nowadays.

Pagan refers to a large group of religions that are poly/pantheistic. It's not just one religion.

Answer 4

To Vulcan: yes lol i luv it The the ? At hand. I belive that there is no right or wrong religion. While religion is man made i feel there i nothing wrong with it. I do have a problem with religious groups denying ppl human rights. Religion is what helps many make it through the day. Its also a coping mechanism and a way to justify prejudices. But all in all that is what seperates us from our not so distant primative fellow monkeys. We have beliefs each person is different and we all have our own needs. My fav. Is reform judiasm even tho im not a jew. The jews r the ****. Who doesnt want to wear a yamulke and grow squiggliez.

Answer 5

Religion is full of Dogma, the only real faith is that in Jesus Christ our Lord died for all sinners, this is what is called a relationship with the Lord, not a relgion. cults teach false doctrine to try to control a group of people, pagans are just another cult or sect of people, the bottom line is God loves them all because he created them all.

Answer 6

Any religion that gives freedom to use your brain is a legitimate religion.

Answer 7

A religion must have a belief in a Supreme Being. Doesn't have to be God, necessarily.

Answer 8

Religion is the knowledge that there is some controlling factor beyond man kind that is making thing happen. You can call it GOD, GREAT SPIRIT, ALLA, HOLLY GHOST, what ever one likes still it is a power beyond man kin's control. Each belief has it's own idea of heaven, the after life and how one gets there as well. It gives those that believe something to look forward to after death. Basically people believing in that religious concept gives any religion it's legitimate nature.

Answer 9

science . therefore no religion is legitiment .

Answer 10

the will full suspension of reason.