See and we differ in this. In my eyes I would be delusional.
Something becomes a religion when the delusion reaches some kind of critical mass where it’s suddenly accepted and legitimized; where the followers are suddenly no longer laughed at like the village idiot, but taken seriously and protected by society because for some reason ‘we should respect every religion;’ where the organization suddenly gets tax breaks and political power.
The delusional get ridicule, or maybe medications. The organized delusional get religious exemptions and their own public holidays.
Village idiots aren’t dangerous. Millions of them organizing, well, there’s christianity.
Religion is a subset of delusion based on the supernatural, yes.
Someone who believes lizard people run the government is delusional but not religious. Someone who believbes lizard people run the government and by praying to the snake god Glycon they can become a lizard person too is both.
No, that person would be delusional until he can find enough other people who believe the same thing to become a religion. :p
Don’t get me wrong, I think religious people are delusional. It’s just that society doesn’t treat them that way, because we have somehow convinced ourselves that mass delusions are special.
Anyway, it’s clear we pretty much agree except on the definition of the word ‘religion.’ Shall we just leave it at that? ;)
Well, excusez-moi, I didn’t know imaginary utopias were part of this discussion. At least in that we are 100% agreed, that’s what I would want too.
Although technically, 10 million people with individual beliefs is exactly what you describe. It’s not a religion until it’s organized. :p
I disagree. The phrase “organized religion” exists for a reason. Most people do not seem to use the word religion the way you do.
Alright, so if I really believed an invisible purple elephant controlled people around me, in your eyes I would be religious?
Yep.
See and we differ in this. In my eyes I would be delusional.
Something becomes a religion when the delusion reaches some kind of critical mass where it’s suddenly accepted and legitimized; where the followers are suddenly no longer laughed at like the village idiot, but taken seriously and protected by society because for some reason ‘we should respect every religion;’ where the organization suddenly gets tax breaks and political power.
The delusional get ridicule, or maybe medications. The organized delusional get religious exemptions and their own public holidays. Village idiots aren’t dangerous. Millions of them organizing, well, there’s christianity.
Religion is a subset of delusion based on the supernatural, yes.
Someone who believes lizard people run the government is delusional but not religious. Someone who believbes lizard people run the government and by praying to the snake god Glycon they can become a lizard person too is both.
No, that person would be delusional until he can find enough other people who believe the same thing to become a religion. :p
Don’t get me wrong, I think religious people are delusional. It’s just that society doesn’t treat them that way, because we have somehow convinced ourselves that mass delusions are special.
Anyway, it’s clear we pretty much agree except on the definition of the word ‘religion.’ Shall we just leave it at that? ;)