To avoid semantic confusion in our class discussion we should agree on the meaning of these terms.
Here is my proposed interpretation:
RELIGION: what today is called "organized religion": the hierarchy, the buildings, the structure, the holy books, the authoritative interpretation of the holy books, the dogma(ta), the rituals, the collective prayers, the memorized instructions, the official theology, the doctrine, the "sins," the excommunication, plus the popular beliefs.
RELIGIOUSNESS: the general sense of belonging to an organized religion, but not completely, with deviations from the dogma(ta) and beliefs, but a strong sense of spirituality, a belief in life-after-death, in the existence of God.
FAITH: the strong belief that God exists and that s/he intervenes in human affairs, s/he can be moved by prayers and other rituals to perform miracles, to protect from evil and individual tragedies. In some cases, God acts through intermediaries, like angels, saints and prophets who can perform miracles.
POST YOUR COMMENTS:
- Are the definitions clear enough to guide us through the discussion? (We don't want to get bogged down in endless semantic disputes. Rather, we need a basic consensus on the meaning of these terms so that we can make progress.)
- OPTIONAL: do discussions about religion, faith etc. make you uncomfortable? Yes? No? Indifferent? Tell us why.
