<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
</head>
<body>
Jason, you seem to be making a lot of effort to use the word
'religion' to refer to things that most people wouldn't consider to
be religion.<br>
<br>
You can define the word however you like, but that doesn't mean
anyone has to agree with you. All the sources I've looked at define
religion to be related to supernatural powers (like gods), and
people's belief in them. As far as I can determine, 'the
supernatural' does not, and cannot, exist. The word means 'outside
nature', and nature encompasses everything that actually exists. So
religion is primarily about stuff that doesn't exist. The
supernatural can make for good entertainment (depending on the
writer), but that's all.<br>
<br>
For things that actually do exist, I think it just makes sense to
avoid conflating them with things that don't. So we should use
different words to label them.<br>
<br>
That's why I disagree with using the word to refer to things like
systems of ethics, philosophy, personal values etc. I just think we
should maintain a distiction between reality and fantasy.<br>
<br>
I agree that there are some good ideas that feature in some
religions, and there may be some useful things to be learned from
studying them. Just as there are some useful things to be learned
from studying, say, Mein Kampf (though I acknowledge that many
people might struggle to find them). But those good ideas and useful
things aren't exclusive to religions, and can be found in other
places too. My re-writing of the 10 commandments illustrates that.
The only valid items in it are to be found all over the world, in
non-religious contexts. The rest is just scare-mongering and
insecurity.<br>
<br>
Another objection is that using the word to refer to things that,
certainly in my opinion, have nothing to do with it, plays into the
hands of religious apologists who seize on any excuse to claim "Aha!
See? you DO believe something!/have a religion/faith". So I don't
say things like "I believe the scientific method is the best tool
for understanding the world we have discoverd so far", because I
don't trust anyone to understand that this use of the word 'believe'
is a totally different thing from what someone means when they say
"I believe in Inanna!" (or whatever their <strike>chosen</strike>
local deity is).<br>
<br>
Using the words 'religion', 'faith', 'belief' for things like value
system, philosophy, feelings of awe, etc., is stamping them as
belonging to the realm of the supernatural, which, at least for me,
degrades them. I want to be able to marvel at the milky way without
someone tainting the experience with their favourite supernatural
fantasy.<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Ben</pre>
</body>
</html>