Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronin4hire
My professor defines religion academically by saying it is "philosophy + ritual". What we've done in the West is create a whole new paradigm called "religion" which exists APART from Philosophy AND ritual. The Japanese simply haven't made this seperation and that is why religion doesnt translate into "Shuukyou".
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I would not say that this definition is wrong, but that it is incomplete. Of course my opinion is influenced with a life spent in the midst of western thought and organized religions, but with faiths securely bound in eastern spirituality.
Philosophy and Religion are destined to overlap and influence each other. Philosophy exists totally separate from Religion in limited instances and Religion can exist apart from philosophy.
There is a endless supply of instances of the latter, which I consider one of the primary causes for failure of mainstream Religion. Its seems when ritual supercedes understanding and relies purely faith, and even defies accepted philosophies the result is commonly conflict and crisis on a personal and/or cultural level. As for ritual, I regard it primarily as simply the vehicle/tool for expression of that which cannot be completely verbalized. And thus, essential to expressions of faith and sprituality. Religion (as often defined in the west) has too often made ritual a tool merely for perverting faith to power for those who would enforce ritual observances.
In the same vein, it seems to me, that when philosophy is isolated from the spiritual realms, it becomes cold, nearly inhuman and of little use beyond a mental exercise.
OK, the mind is diverging in soooo many directions now that I will stop and wait to read more from everyone.