tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882109133075526069.post2654229634932325436..comments2023-09-05T03:54:01.730-04:00Comments on uujeff's muse kennel and pizzatorium: Atheist Dictionary of Religious Terms - ReligionRev. Jeff Liebmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02553505706735377096noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882109133075526069.post-45936078359728525912009-05-05T12:12:00.000-04:002009-05-05T12:12:00.000-04:00Joel, you of course raise the major sticking point...Joel, you of course raise the major sticking point regarding any religiously-oriented definition. What makes anything (church, prayer, sacrament, etc.) explicitly "religious?"<br /><br />I would argue that what makes anything explicitly religious is that it concerns that which Tillich would say is of ultimate concern. And, you are absolutely right - this can occur in non-church settings, such as a Star Trek convention, if the exchange indeed involves delving for meaning in that which is of ultimate concern. In fact, I consider Gene Roddenberry and Rod Serling to be two of the most important lay ministers of the twentieth century.<br /><br />Now, I would question whether any typical fraternal organization ever engages in this exploration, but that is up to the participants. Likewise, one could argue that some groups typically identified as such are really not terribly religious. For instance, I would suggest that any form of fundamentalist group risks moving beyond concern for the ultimate to the desire to maintain and enforce rigid practices and dogma on adherents and others. I believe that it is important for us to distinguish between purpose and institution when defining something as "religion."Rev. Jeff Liebmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17198231263796984738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7882109133075526069.post-90742008060574654812009-05-05T11:56:00.000-04:002009-05-05T11:56:00.000-04:00How would an atheist differentiate between a relig...How would an atheist differentiate between a religion and a fraternal organization? The Moose, the Masons, the Star Trek clubs, the Greek Letter fraternities, all meet regularly, search for meaning, (indeed, some of the deepest philosophical and spiritual discussions I have ever had occurred at 2:00 am at Star Trek conventions), many perform weddings and funerals, and many go even farther than normal churches in fellowship, such as providing insurance, retirement homes, etc.<br />So what, if any, difference is there to an atheist between the Moose and the Mormon?Joel Monkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10631333436948102576noreply@blogger.com