Non-theistic religion

[Norsefire]

Quite commonly, people assume that a religious person is the same thing as a theist. Not quite. All theists are religious, but not all religious people are theists. Theist means you believe in deity, or multiple deities.


What about non theistic religions? Such as Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, etc?

 

[Hapsburg]

Shintoism is theistic.
It has many gods in addition to the animism thing.

But with Buddhism, you have a point. If it's taken to the point of being a religion.
Confucianism, likewise. In the West, there are several Unitarian Universalists who are atheistic.

Oh, and not all theists are religious. Deists, for example, believe in a deity, but do not belong to any one religion.

 

[one_raven]

Saying that Buddhism is not theistic is misleading.
People often talk of Siddhartha as being an atheist, yet he often referred to deities and what others would certainly refer to as Gods.
He talked of them as if everyone knew they existed.
He claims to have wrestled with Mara - a Hindu Goddess.

While the Buddha rejected the predominant Brahman religious beliefs of his time, he certainly did have belief in deva's and supernatural realms.

I have a very difficult time referring to Confuscianism as a religion at all.
If a group of people held closely to Nietzsche's ideals, would that be a religion then?

I'm not convinced that a belief in the the supernatural beings/realms is not part and parcel to religion.

 

[Hapsburg]

True, Buddha was polytheistic. He was a Hindu, after all.
But the philosophy laid out by him, was neutral on the subject, and allowed followers to make up their own minds. Much the same with Confucianism.

 

[Norsefire]

I consider Confucianism a philosophy, although it is classified as a religion.

I have, however, read all of the Analects and studied them thoroughly

 

[spidergoat]

What about them?

As far as Buddhism, Buddha acknowledged Gods at the time, most people did, but it isn't an essential aspect of Buddhist thought. Contrary to Christianity, Buddha was just a guy, we don't have to believe everything he believed.

 

[Carcano]

Religion by my definition would have to include the 'worship' of spiritual entities.

Confucianism does incorporate ancestor worship...does it not?

 

[Norsefire]

I am interested in hearing atheist views on non theistic religion.

 

[Crunchy Cat]

I think religion that doesn't assert the paranormal as truth is a good thing.

 

[one_raven]

I think religion that doesn't assert the paranormal as truth is philosophy.

 

[one_raven]

Or maybe Theoretical Physics (though much of what they suggest seems pretty paranormal to me).

 

[Crunchy Cat]

I think religion that doesn't assert the paranormal as truth is philosophy.

Think about it. A bunch of people get together, do their little traditions, play pretend... and ultimately satisfy their psychological needs without having to accept fantasy as truth.

 

[one_raven]

Think about it. A bunch of people get together, do their little traditions, play pretend... and ultimately satisfy their psychological needs without having to accept fantasy as truth.

Would that really be a religion? :shrug:

 

[one_raven]

As far as Buddhism, Buddha acknowledged Gods at the time, most people did, but it isn't an essential aspect of Buddhist thought. Contrary to Christianity, Buddha was just a guy, we don't have to believe everything he believed.

He also spoke of the realms of Hell as if he assumed they existed.

How is that really any different from a man named Jesus who acknowledging the Gods and concepts of his day and placed his philosophy within the confines of those ideas?

I see no real difference between Jesus and Siddhartha.

 

[Crunchy Cat]

Would that really be a religion? :shrug:

You bet. Buddhists and Taoists get pretty close. I would argue that any religion that doesn't make you sacrafice truth and yet still provides the same level of psychological satisfaction as traditional religions is a good thing.

 

[one_raven]

Buddha, as I was saying above, believed in Gods and Hell, and spoke of them in his sermons.

Besides, most Buddhists will tell you that Buddhism is not a religion.

What defines religion and separates it from philosophy, then?

 

[Crunchy Cat]

Buddha, as I was saying above, believed in Gods and Hell, and spoke of them in his sermons.

Besides, most Buddhists will tell you that Buddhism is not a religion.

What defines religion and separates it from philosophy, then?

I said they were close but certainly by no means there. Religion is a set of methods for human relationships and psychological satisfaction.

 

[one_raven]

Religion is a set of methods for human relationships and psychological satisfaction.

So is psychotherapy.
So is many philosophical systems.
What makes it a religion?

 

[Crunchy Cat]

So is psychotherapy.
So is many philosophical systems.
What makes it a religion?

Doing it in a social setting.

 

[one_raven]

Discussing philosophy in a social setting is religion? :bugeye:

I think your definition is lacking.