If you define religion too broadly, won't you be destroying it's meaning entirely?

Question

If you define religion as "A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion" in order to classify atheism as a religion, wouldn't such a definition also include jet-skiing enthusiasts, gay right activists, Trekkies, role playing gamers, even lawyers or bus drivers or teachers or janitors (so long as they pursue their cause or activity with zeal and devotion), etc?

Do you really think the standard for classifying something as a "religion" is set so low?

Or can we all agree that the word is defined as such for use in the context of describing a habitual or customary behavior? As in "I'm up every morning at 5am to jog 3 miles; I do it religiously" or "He follows the Nicks games religiously as he considers himself their biggest fan".

Answer 1

There is a difference between using "Religion" as a noun and using "Religion" as a metaphor.

To say that someone jogs "religiously" or that "coin collecting has become my new religion" is the metaphoric use, drawn upon the zealous pursuit of the "religious" who typically were those whose devotion was so great that they entered monasteries or convents.

The noun "Religion," however, refers to the dogma, practice, and rules of a particular faith tradition or all faith traditions considered together. It is not metaphoric, but descriptive of a particular cultural phenomenon.

Atheism may be pursued religiously (in the metaphoric sense), but it does not qualify as a religion in the descriptive sense, but rather a stance in opposition to the practice of any religion whatsoever.

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Answer 2

You make an interesting point with your question. I feel that people often confuse religion with spirituality. Sometime, in my more cynical moods I do think the bar is set too low in how religion is classified. I hardly think that the definition could be applied to jet-skiing enthusiasts, unless they jet ski as a spiritual practice of transcendance or meditation through movement.

As for gay rights activists, advocating and raising awareness of the human rights of human beings regardless of their sexual orientation is, in itself, an act of faith, and therefore a religious practice.

Trekkies...ahhhh, I am an old time Trekkie from wayyyyy back and you would be surprised at how many of the themes Star Trek dealt with had to do with religious tolerance.

I do grant that Role playing gamers are sometimes quite religious in their devotion to their roles and games, and, if one's role is a Cleric or Mage, that is religious in nature.

Leave us face it, regardless of a persons' occupation, avocation, interests, or dedication could be classified as religious...if what they do they do from a motivation of connecting with Deity and their human "Bretheren" which, after all, is the essence of all religion.

Answer 3

To be fair, I'm comfortable of different meanings for the same words, I assume you are, too if you really think about it. If I say I have a theory about the times milkman arrive, you'd know I meant something different to theory of gravity.

Similarly, I'm happy for someone to say they go running religiously and I know they mean something different from if they'd said my religion is Buddhism.

Atheism is a lack of belief in god or gods. I tend to use religion in the sense of supernatural sky people and such. If someone is calling atheism a religion just politely point out that they're wrong. It would be like calling baldness a haircolour.

Answer 4

Well, any social activity (in my field, art) is subject to problems of definition. I was a philosophy and religion major and thus use a more broad definition of religion, more akin to sociological uses. I would include atheism a religious belief, but not a formal religion and certainly not institutionalized (save Communist uses). The same difficulty of definition comes with art and even science. Often, definitions come by way of needs to exclude something. In the case of science, it was the need to demarcate it from astrology and the like. Thus Karl Popper offered the falsification method. Yet, falsification is not actually used in several of our own sciences, such as theoretical physics. The same problem comes with definitions of art. There is a tendency to define art in order to exclude questionable practices (or just conceptual clarity0, but lines of demarcation never quite hold. This is probably true of any human "activity" as opposed to a concept or stable idea. They are always plagued with vaguenesses.

Answer 5

Depends on the religion in particular, or in general. Some religions are very eclectic and have little if any structure or organization (some forms of paganism), where as other religions are more well defined in terms of what it's expected for its members to believe and practice (Catholicism). So I guess it may depend on who you ask. But to include all religions in a singular description, the definition would have to be very broad and generalized. Some religions then may be diffused in some way if defined in general terms whereas other faiths encourage as little definition as possible. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

Outstanding post. The term religion and religious are given too haphazardly to be of any true meaning any more.

From your own definition, and explanation, then I would consider patriotism a religion because of my zeal and devotion to the troops. I don't, of course, but I guess by your definition of religion I could.

Wonderful.

Answer 7

Fabulous question. Star for you. I consider religion to be organized belief in the supernatural. That pretty much fits every mainstream and tiny religious belief, while leaving atheism and agnosticism in their rightful place -- a lack of believe in things without evidence.

By some conservative definitions of religion (Ann Coulter considers Liberalism a form of religion), anything from fly fishing to joining a book club would be considered an act of belief.

Answer 8

Most religion,s are about God,but the way the world
has got and the evilness that is happening I would not
be surprized at any time for some nut to claim religion
is about game,s or what ever.

Answer 9

Religion is self-defined; the meaning invested is personal, and need not recommend itself to anyone else. With that in mind, anyone may set whatever standards they please for religion, so long as they do not try to impose these standards on another. This is the true meaning of religious freedom.

Answer 10

you have answered quite intelligently the questionable claims by theists that there is in fact an 'Atheist Religion', though how they come up with this analogy is really quite perplexing due to the fact that 'Atheist religion' is the epitamy of an oxymoron.

excellent statement, ST