What is Religion?

I know several atheists that admit they worship the sun.

What does worship mean to you with regard to religion?

What is needed to act upon a belief?

Ok so something abstract is needed then?

What does dogma mean to you with regard to religion?

What does sacred mean to you with regard to religion?
What does symbols mean to you with regard to religion?

What does objects mean to you with regard to religion?

what kind of organization with regard to religion?

What does ritual mean to you with regard to religion?

What does value mean to you?

why is tradition necessary?

At this point I need to understand the definitions and manifestations thereof that you are using for those words

 

"this conflict is a residue of evolution." As are all manifestations of human evolutionary behavior including-- language, education, commerce, war, migrations, deities and religion. The list is long and varied.

( don't mind me--I'm just passing through)

 

When is religion revolutionary?

 

Thanks couple more before I dive into this.

Your answers sound pretty Catholic

Ok first is a yes/no does God exist?

Second you did not tell me the meaning of 'value' as you understand it.

One more for the moment, If I remove all the drops of water from a beaker but one, is the remaining drop still characterized as H2o?

 

God exists. No respect required. I exist, same. How do I define I exist? I relate.
My philosopy is Relationalism. I've realized this by a universal language.common
to every child born. One thing about it- there is after-laugh.

 

Religion supports tradition. It's usefulness is what it is. Does tradition support family? Yes.
My family is not gay: it reproduces. Well, somewhat. I need to be father to my nephew. I
hope he may have yet a child.

 

I dont define God because I do not know what you see in your minds eye which is what this question is aimed at understanding.

If you have 10 different definitions for God and different answer for each thats fine, please elaborate which ones you believe and which ones you dont so we can at least sing from the same song sheet.

You still have not given us a definition for value in usable terms beyond its independent existence....also I cant relate experience to value, not sure how we get to that either?

 

So then no thought process is required, value can be a reaction to a pin prick for instance if someone sticks you with a pin?
If that is the case then getting shot of penicillin to cure you of infection has no value because it hurts?
Your examples seem to say value is solely dependent on 'reactional' experience rather than independent?
This seems nonsequitur to me?

Ok so this means existence outside human thought processes which ultimately means no?

 

Below was in reference to the God exists question not values.

 

cool, thanks!
So do you believe in any other God or god?
If so which and under what circumstances.
Sorry for so many questions Im trying to get a foundational understanding how you are launching your arguments

 

Not at all. But they can be, when combined with group observance and ritual, as in the atheist megachurches.

I also get together regularly with a group of atheists who do just that. I don't consider it religious, because there are no real rituals, and the general purpose is informative rather than expressive. Although we hold the values that you mentioned, they are mostly implicit and informal, instead of explicit and formal. Unlike the atheist mega chuches, no creed, code, or cultus, and nothing that could be considered celebration of the sacred, metaphysical, spiritual, transcendental, or supernatural. But as I said, many of the members belong to the UU church where the meetings are held, and they have regular services and rituals, although no common creed. I consider the Unitarian Universalists a religion. So does the IRS.

I'm planning to shift my attention to the Origins of Religion section, where I plan to consider ritualistic behavior in primates. Don't stroke out or have a coronary. I don't consider this to be truly religious (although some do)--proto-religious at best. But from an evolutionary standpoint, such manifestations may provide clues as to how paleolithic shamanism might have developed, hundreds of thousands of years before any gods.

 

I think it would depend on the content of the values. There would have to be a sense of the sacred, the spiritual, the transcendent, the metaphysical, and/or the supernatural. In a group of atheists, this may be difficult to achieve, but some are giving it a try. Many secular humanists do not care for the term “spirituality,”for reasons that I think are similar to your objections to religion. Yet a quest for ultimate meaning beyond self is sufficient. C. R. Snyder and Shane Lopez. (2007) Positive Psychology, p. 261. The Humanist Manifesto of the American Humanist Association expresses dedication to principles of naturalism and humanism which emphasize connection to nature and each other, as well as dedication to high human ideals and a meaning to life beyond mere physical existence of self. The phrase "spiritual but not religious" seems to mean a belief that there is more to being human than day-to-day physical existence and serving the material needs of the self. "Spirituality is the broad concept of a belief in something beyond the self. It strives to answer questions about the meaning of life, how people are connected to each other, truths about the universe, and other mysteries of human existence." Spirituality Can Improve Many Aspects of Your Life and Health

Sorry, I don't have that information. But if you're interested, perhaps you can track them down through these.
Atheist 'mega-churches' take root across US, world
Atheist 'mega-churches' taking root across US
Atheist 'Megachurches' Springing Up Across US
Why atheist megachurches are a great thing, and should be encouraged – Uncommon Descent
atheist megachurches in america youtube - Yahoo Video Search Results
Besides these, of course, there are the American Humanist Association, the International Humanist and Ethical Union, the American Ethical Union, and the Council for Secular Humanism. You can look up the addresses. The Oklahoma Atheists (AOK) engages in charitable drives and celebrates the solstices, but functions more as a support group for otherwise isolated atheists in the "Buckle of the Bible Belt". I consider it non-religious.