What is religion really? according to Civilogy

civilogy 2012+4
What is religion really? 
One way we can define religion and understand it properly is to study, without bias, its fundamental purpose (not from the angle of an outsider's opinion of that particular religion).  The actual purpose of any and all religions is to teach an approach towards human living & reality, which is purportedly better than any other approach/religion.  This approach is usually introduced in a catchy manner during the proseletyzing phase.  Key points will be promoted and joining the religion will be made available, then revealed to be comprising a set of rules, a daily practice, and a dogma, doctrine, or belief system.  There is a process of induction of new members and also an operational structure of hierarchy, including a provision for coordination of elder members/leaders.  How "organized" a religion becomes, does depend upon the level of success and expansion that it attains.  If the religion becomes larger and more widespread, it develops into a more organized group; that is, complex, systematized, formulaic, and hierarchical.  Hence the popular denotation of "organized religion", as if there was any sort of religion category or level, which is "not organized", implying merely that it is not large enough, nor successful as of yet.

So let's compile a list of examples of specific religions: starting with the larger, more established ones.  There is Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Ba'Hai.  There are also recently in the modern-postmodern era, some religions which its adherents claim adamantly to NOT be religion; these are the "anti-religion religions".  The main category is that of Science-religion, which has many branches or sects.  Other related categories are the Atheism-religion, Agnostic-religion, as well as the UFO/aliens/extraterrestrial religion.  A major division of the Science-religion is the Technology-religion, which in some manner, is actually indivisible and could be overall understood as a Science & Technology-religion.  The first is the religion of the mental knowledge of such a reality and the latter is the physical tools and inventions of the first, which are derived from the application of this intellectual knowledge.  Some religious members of the Technology division seem to be primarily focused upon these things, which would therefore categorize them as a Materialism-religion.

One specific form of a Science religion is named, Scientology.  We could understand Scientology as a Science religion which is based upon a particular formulation and use of psychological knowledge.  Whereby the scientific discipline of psychology was fashioned into a more definitive religion, other sciences could also be observed to have spawned their own.   For example, Psychiatry, the relatively new division of Science and Medicine   has become its own religion.  It has a religious tome or "bible", in the widely promulgated Psychiatry Desk Manual.  It has a superior hierarchy embodied in the A.M.A.  It has a priestly caste, which it names, its psychiatrists or doctors.  It indoctrinates new members as its medicated patients.  It enjoys the support and acceptance of the reigning secular governments.

Secular government is as well, to be comprehended as the currently-reigning Government-religion or State-religion.  The concept of the "state itself" or nationhood, is founded upon the religious belief of imaginary/fictional entities, which primarily exist only as ink on pieces of paper, as names, descriptions, along with territorial details.  These papers are basically "fiat documents", fiat being "that which is agreed to exist and have any value or meaning".

It is well to admit that the civilogical definition and grasp of religion is a broad and all-encompassing school-of-thought.  However it is not to be disparaged as being too broad and loose nor generalizing of the diverse human activity.  It is not for the sake of over-simplification of our study.  Rather, this method has its necessary use, as the civilogy-student should come to discover.  We are paving the way for an intense examination and comparison of the forces in civilization, including but not limited to: religion, government, science, technology, business, culture, and myth.



copyright 2015 Ahgamen Kyyboa/ EnternetGlobal Inc.