What Is Religion?

June 1986

There is religion.   Belief and value systems dealing with interactions within ourselves and interactions between ourselves and others based on interactions between ourselves and God are religious systems.  Religious systems set rules to these interactions, rules evolving out of interactions between ourselves and God.

There is God.  God is behind religious systems.  The rules of religious systems are based upon those interactions of previous men, the men who we follow, with God, and the revelations to these men manifested by God.

There is truth.  Religious rules reflect truths.  The truths are manifested by God and are behind our beliefs in and value from religious systems.  Whether it is obvious, immediate, happening in the short- or long- term, or is never consciously made aware to us, when we violate the rules there is suffering.  Religious systems evolve to minimize this suffering in the first place by arriving at the rules.  An example of such rules in the Judo-Christian tradition is the Ten Commandments.  Belief and value systems not striding to minimize suffering are not religious systems.

There is good.  Good is synonymous with God.  Religious systems deal with the interactions between us and God (good).  Jesus Christ refined an understanding of good (God) for Christians.  The interaction between ourselves and God is in effect an attempt by us to arrive at good (God).

Interactions within ourselves and between ourselves and others can be based upon good (God) without recognizing that in fact the belief and value system driving these interactions is a religious system.  When we recognize that interactions within ourselves and between ourselves and others are based upon God and is a religious system and we pursue these interactions through our interactions with God then this is religion.