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To: Tired of Taxes
I always respond to a challenge to "look it up myself" in the dictionary, by the way. Shall we play a guessing game? I will guess that your definition came from an edition of the New Webster's Dictionary published after 1991, am I correct?

I only mention it because I have a '91 and it's the crappiest dictionary I've ever owned. I figure it only got crappier after '91 if your definition is even shorter than this one--"Religion: Belief in supernatural power which governs universe; recognition of God as an object of worship; practical piety; any system of faith and worship."

The definitions aren't even well written; "belief in supernatural power which governs universe" sounds like Frankenstein or Mongo talking. That's because New Webster's has no relationship to Original Webster's or its successors. I won't settle on tht definition. Recognition of the fact that God is worshipped does not constitute religion. Worship constitutes religion.

Anyway, here's what dictionary.com yielded up for "religion"---

American Heritage:

1. a.Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
b.A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
2.The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
3.A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
4.A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.

Webster's Revised Unabridged:

1. The outward act or form by which men indicate their recognition of the existence of a god or of gods having power over their destiny, to whom obedience, service, and honor are due; the feeling or expression of human love, fear, or awe of some superhuman and overruling power, whether by profession of belief, by observance of rites and ceremonies, or by the conduct of life; a system of faith and worship; a manifestation of piety; as, ethical religions; monotheistic religions; natural religion; revealed religion; the religion of the Jews; the religion of idol worshipers.
2. Specifically, conformity in faith and life to the precepts inculcated in the Bible, respecting the conduct of life and duty toward God and man; the Christian faith and practice.
3. (R. C. Ch.) A monastic or religious order subject to a regulated mode of life; the religious state; as, to enter religion. --Trench.
4. Strictness of fidelity in conforming to any practice, as if it were an enjoined rule of conduct. [R.]

Wordnet: n 1: a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny; "he lost his faith but not his morality" [syn: faith, religious belief] 2: institution to express belief in a divine power; "he was raised in the Baptist religion"; "a member of his own faith contradicted him" [syn: faith]

79 posted on 06/28/2002 1:21:28 PM PDT by hellinahandcart
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To: hellinahandcart
"I will guess that your definition came from an edition of the New Webster's Dictionary published after 1991, am I correct?

The first, shorter definition was from a Webster's that I probably bought in the early 90's. But the second, longer definition was from a 1967 American College Dictionary. The entire definition reads:

1. the quest for the values of the ideal life, involving three phases: the ideal, the practices for attaining the values of the ideal, and the theology or world view relating the quest to the environing universe.

2. a particular system in which the quest of the ideal life has been embodied: the Christian religion.

3. recognition on the part of man of a controlling superhuman power entitled to obedience, reverence, and worship.

4. the feeling or spiritual attitude of those recognizing such a power...

There's a 5, 6, 7, and 8, too, but I can't type all day. :)

Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.

Your definitions, such as the one above, seem to say the same. The wording is only slightly different.

82 posted on 06/28/2002 2:17:07 PM PDT by Tired of Taxes
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