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What I meant by "Religion" is any ideology or dogma which guides the life of individual beyond the day to day struggle for the survival.
Many traditional religion can be "Religion" but also political ideology like Marxism can be "Religion".
I guess these days fighting against global warming might be "Religion" for many people.
I know many people just live the life without the reflection but people with power and money usually have enough resources and freedom for the reflection on life. I cannot see how after reflection on the life people can accept the hard and cold reality without any hope for finding meaning in their lives.
So my question to you all is if it is possible to live a life without a "Religion".
It is possible to live life without religion, but it is impossible to live life without faith. People who are deeply depressed live life without faith or hope, but they mostly won't last long.
I'm glad you clarified your definition of "religion." it can mean so many different things. going off of your definition alone, I would have to say no, it isn't possible. Everyone has an ideology whether they know it or not. Take Lindsey as an example. her ideology involves a lack of ideology, a lack of church, a lack of sports, and a lack of men. But even a lack of ideology is an ideology in and of itself. It is a way of thinking that is guiding her life beyond her basic survival needs. I think everyone believes something even if it is in their subconcious. And if they say they believe nothing...well, that's actually a belief too.
I think we all have some sort of belief system that we live our lives by.
I have not been part of a formal religion for at least 10 years but I have a code or sort of maybe belief system that I live by.
belief1. any cognitive content held as true [ant: disbelief] 2. a vague idea in which some confidence is placed;
I don't know Lindsey but I am willing to bet that she lives her life by a set of rules, some do's and don'ts, rights and wrongs. She just doesn't choose to belong to any formal religion (or deal with men or sports, lol).
If some one asks what religion I belong to I say none or my own. I have my own beliefs taken from various sources; wicca, zen, new age, even catholicism (dang those catholic schools).
All of those tossed into a bag and shaken (not stirred) make up my Goddess of Random Thoughts belief system. (Love that Goddess part)
I think if you put it in terms of: "You can't live life without a knowledge of what is true to you" than I don't think that is possible.
I must point out that most things, even the most simple ideologies are necessary for survival. Babies and animals may not seem like they have an ideology but they recognize positive and negative (as well as many animals). As a matter of fact, I recently read a study (I can try to dig it up later if anybody would like) where at 6 months of age, 100% of babies were able to recognize a "good guy" over a "bad guy" or a "reciprocator" over a "non-reciprocator".
I think the study was done on a computer where babies were shown two shapes such as a triangle and a circle making their way up a steep incline. They were shown in one case the circle aiding the triangle by pushing it up the incline and the response from the baby was positive 100% of the time. On the flip side, they then showed the babies the triangle not helping, but intentionally hindering the circle's path up the incline. I don't remember the exact numbers, but a staggering amount of the 6 month old baby's surprisingly showed negative reactions each time this version was shown. It also worked the same when after the "incline test" the researchers showed JUST the circle and JUST the triangle. The circle was well received while the triangle was ill received. It was recognition of a "reciprocator" and a "non-reciprocator."
What I'm getting at is that most things, humans quite especially, do have a sense of cognicant awareness that they use to survive. I suppose if you call that an ideology (or in this case Religion) than you would be correct in assuming that we couldn't survive without it.
I must say tough, in this sense, religion seems to be the wrong term. Religion infers, on some level, a belief in something greater (Gods typically) and so it is my opinion that we can live quite happily without religion but not certain innate ideologies.
Yes, I do think that it is possible to live life without a religion. I think, however, that one must possess some semblance of self and a sense of true meaning, though.
(Try reading Victor Frankel versus Camus, Sysiphus!)
I think we all have some sort of belief system that we live our lives by.
I have not been part of a formal religion for at least 10 years but I have a code or sort of maybe belief system that I live by.
belief1. any cognitive content held as true [ant: disbelief] 2. a vague idea in which some confidence is placed;
I don't know Lindsey but I am willing to bet that she lives her life by a set of rules, some do's and don'ts, rights and wrongs. She just doesn't choose to belong to any formal religion (or deal with men or sports, lol).
If some one asks what religion I belong to I say none or my own. I have my own beliefs taken from various sources; wicca, zen, new age, even catholicism (dang those catholic schools).
All of those tossed into a bag and shaken (not stirred) make up my Goddess of Random Thoughts belief system. (Love that Goddess part)
We don't live with religion but there is a code of morality that we live by. YES, shock of shocks there is morality without religion and christianity.
I don't care for the title atheist, its a negative conatation to me. I prefer humanist.
What I meant by "Religion" is any ideology or dogma which guides the life of individual beyond the day to day struggle for the survival.
Many traditional religion can be "Religion" but also political ideology like Marxism can be "Religion".
I guess these days fighting against global warming might be "Religion" for many people.
I know many people just live the life without the reflection but people with power and money usually have enough resources and freedom for the reflection on life. I cannot see how after reflection on the life people can accept the hard and cold reality without any hope for finding meaning in their lives.
So my question to you all is if it is possible to live a life without a "Religion".
what is God?
the infinite?
Can a finite being truly know God?
the infinite, the one, the universe, the Godhead?
NO!
Not without help
Maybe not even then
There are certain times
special times
special people
Where god might be more real than otherwise?
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People who are deeply depressed live life without faith or hope, but they mostly won't last long.
).
confusion :)
