Let us talk about religion, but not in the way you think.

[Speaker to Animals]

A religious ideology is a transformative worldview in which a person must live in order to seek some perfection. When the perfection entails something in this world, then it's either some future perfection (progressivism) or a return to some past perfection. That kind of religion tends towards utopianism. Puritans were of that sort. Virtually all contemporary leftists are of this type. They speak of an "arc of history", progress towards some ideal political and economic organization in the future -- if only everybody were made to comply.

Add to that a distinction between evangelical and those that are not evangelical. Or, put another way, some religions seek to convert all people to their ways in order to achieve this state of perfection.

The kind of religion to which Monty subscribes is future perfection based (utopian) and evangelical to the core. Infidels are a threat to the Earth, to progress, to women, etc.

The political ideologies of the old political parties were not religious at all. Whether we used silver in addition to gold coinage was not a religious issue. It was not to create some utopia in the future, nor to restore us to some utopia in the past. But the Puritan strain was strong and remained throughout. Sometimes that was a good thing (abolition). Other times it creates destructive tendencies as we see today (e.g. feminism).

[DBTrek]

But Monte's religion is godless . . . and a deity is a fairly important feature for a religion.

Or maybe not.

We should start a thread asking if atheism is a religion, I guess.

[Speaker to Animals]

But Monte's religion is godless . . . and a deity is a fairly important feature for a religion.

Or maybe not.

We should start a thread asking if atheism is a religion, I guess.

Religions do not need God. Buddhism believes in no God. It's still a religion.

Religion is more about providing an overarching meaning to human existence. That meaning can derive from God, gods, or just some transcendent state as Buddhism does. We need religion because we evolved this way. The people who convince themselves they are anti-religious become the most fervent believers (and the most dangerous).

[DBTrek]

I'd call Buddhism a philosophy, not a religion.
My definition of religion includes a deity or deities. Otherwise you wind up splitting hairs over what is an ideology and what is a religion.

[Speaker to Animals]

I'd call Buddhism a philosophy, not a religion.
My definition of religion includes a deity or deities. Otherwise you wind up splitting hairs over what is an ideology and what is a religion.

An ideology that applies to your life and gives you meaning, and becomes the overriding program you follow in life.. that's a religion, DB.

[DBTrek]

re·li·gion
/rəˈlijən/Submit
noun
the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
"ideas about the relationship between science and religion"
synonyms: faith, belief, divinity, worship, creed, teaching, doctrine, theology; More
a particular system of faith and worship.

/shrug

[brewster]

re·li·gion
/rəˈlijən/Submit
noun
the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
"ideas about the relationship between science and religion"
synonyms: faith, belief, divinity, worship, creed, teaching, doctrine, theology; More
a particular system of faith and worship.

/shrug

I agree this is where the line is, philosophy and ideology can resemble religion, but stop at this point of believing in the supernatural. Simply believing in the unsubstantiated and unproven is not religion, that's Supply Side Economics.

[Montegriffo]

But Monte's religion is godless . . . and a deity is a fairly important feature for a religion.

Or maybe not.

We should start a thread asking if atheism is a religion, I guess.

Gaia is my God. Mother Earth in all her diverse and wonderous beauty.
All power to her in her fight against the consumerist infidel.

[C-Mag]

But Monte's religion is godless . . . and a deity is a fairly important feature for a religion.

Or maybe not.

We should start a thread asking if atheism is a religion, I guess.

Gaia is my God. Mother Earth in all her diverse and wonderous beauty.
All power to her in her fight against the consumerist infidel.

How can you cook for film productions then. Film producers damage gaia with all their unnecessary travel, and excess.

[Montegriffo]

But Monte's religion is godless . . . and a deity is a fairly important feature for a religion.

Or maybe not.

We should start a thread asking if atheism is a religion, I guess.

Gaia is my God. Mother Earth in all her diverse and wonderous beauty.
All power to her in her fight against the consumerist infidel.

How can you cook for film productions then. Film producers damage Gaia with all their unnecessary travel, and excess.

Not the low budget shit I'm currently doing.
PS. I've capitalised Gaia for you. I always show respect to your fictional deity by using a capital G in God. Please return the compliment to my fictional deity in future.