And Why Do We All Have One? What is Religion? And Why Do We All Have One?

Some Definitions A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. [Dictionary.com]

Atheistic (Epithumic) Religion is something left over from the infancy of our intelligence; it will fade away as we adopt reason and science as our guidelines. [Bertrand Russell]

Dynamic Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet. [Napoleon Bonaparte] …the opiate of the people. [Karl Marx]

Substantivist A religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden [Emile Durkheim]

Functionalist A set of symbolic forms and acts which relate man to the ultimate conditions of his existence. [Robert Bellah]

Some Problems All of these definitions are problematic. All the problems come down to this: Having too narrow a definition of religion tends to exclude groups we think of as religious. Having too wide a definition of religion tends to make everything count as religion.

Substantivist A religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden [Emile Durkheim]

Some Problems (Substantivist) Substantivist definitions think of religion as a systems of beliefs and practices that have something to do with gods, the sacred, or something transcendent. Some religions (e.g., Buddhism) don’t have any gods. Others (e.g., Confucianism) don’t have any concept of transcendence. Broadening those definitions too much (in order to include things like Buddhism and Confucianism) makes pretty much everything religious. (i.e. flags are “sacred”)

Things That Can Be Transcendent Nations Lands Sports Teams Reason/Abstract Principles People/“Saints” or Heroes

Functionalist A set of symbolic forms and acts which relate man to the ultimate conditions of his existence. [Robert Bellah]

Some Problems (Functionalist) Functionalist definitions think of religion as the much broader and basic way symbols, stories, beliefs, values, and goals (etc.) provide a structure of meaning to people’s lives. The problem here (in addition to the fact that this also tends to describe just about anything) is that this definition is the same thing as a worldview. The term “religious” is then redundant and misleading.

Other Religions… Nationalism (Americanism) Science (Empericism/Logical Positivism) Sports Teams (Dallas Maverickism) Families (Pierceism) Food (Baconism) Television (AdultSwimism)

Ultimate Concern Religion is the state of being grasped by an ultimate concern, a concern which qualifies all other concerns as preliminary and which itself contains the answer to the question of a meaning of our life. Faith is the state of being ultimately concerned. [Paul Tillich]

Why Everybody Is Religious Everybody has beliefs and values upon which they make decisions and determine meaning in their lives. Nobody has absolute knowledge (knowledge beyond a shadow of a doubt) of Reality. [Empiricism has its limits, it can only speak to what can be tested, and there are things in the universe that cannot be tested.] Someone who doesn’t believe in God still has beliefs about the world, things that he/she thinks are more valuable, and (most importantly) ideas about what is most important in life. This is called “ultimate concern” and this is the thing that they “worship” (the thing that they are dedicated to).