Include all known religions. Define

Include all known religions.
Define the person and the religion. Your definition/opinion not wikipedia or Webster’s, etc

Don’t worry I will give my definitions but, I need to think first, I will go scrub walls to bring out the thinker.

Be polite; no bashing or attacking, disscusions of definitions are heartily encouraged. Lets see how far across the board we all are.

All religions? In that case, I’ll do this bit by bit.

But first, explain what you mean by “define the person”? Are we supposed to characterize the typical Christian/Jew/Muslim/etc.?

This is where our opinions and thoughts come in, Stereotyping if you will. personality, behavior, etc…

How we look at the religion and our ideas of what it is could be or should be might be different then how we see the followers, perhaps… I read alot of posts that claim another person has hypocracy. So we shall see. possibly

Taking it bit by bit is probably the best way to do it. I am mostly wondering just how diverse we actually are by laying our cards on the table. If there might be some valuable insights or connections we may pick up.

This is for the religious and non religious. Include the Atheist and Agnostics as well, since they hold a tie to religious beliefs.

(Generalizing)

Atheists - Slightly pessimestic. Justified in not being able to know. Still moral I suppose, but to no extreme.

Wiccans- Like new-agers, they seem a bit too far into a fantasy. Most aren’t so bad.

Christians- Have an immoral morality. They seem to want to impose their ideals on everyone else. Most are way off in how they are supposed to conduct themselves.

Islamics- I haven’t met too many, but the extreemests are pretty violent.

Bhuddists- Moral and sound for the most part.

Jews- Somewhat paranoid.

For all the rest I have nothing to say really.

Atheism- practical and pragmatic belief in only what can be verified
Athiests- Constantly searching for truth

Christianity- Forgiving open and caring
Christians- judgmental, loving, caring, back patting and self important.

Ilsam- honor, god and family first, Pride

Islamics- cold , confused family at all cost and god at all cost.

Judeism- Love joy, honesty pragmatic

Jewish- Good, caring pragmatic and always must be right.

Wiccan- Not a clue but, they seem to have fun

Agnostic- foot in both doors but leaning more towards belief than fact.

Bhuddism- earthbonded

Bhuddists- confused but trying.

Mormonism- Alternative Christianity, emphasizing importance of family, duty, community, and abstinence.

Mormons- Caring, generous, honest, not very open, reserved, somewhat ascetic

Atheists - religious sceptics
Agnostics - scaredy-cat fence-sitters
Christians - hypochondriacs on ecstasy
Muslims - totalitarian prescribers of fear and partriarchy
Buddhists - pychologists with a hint of mysticism
Standardism - the one true path

Mormons are one of those toe-steppers too. Spreading your religion should by all means not be a requirement of a belief system.

Deism: Advocates reason, naturalism, and good morals.

Deists: Think they’re cool enough to chill with other skeptics, but are afraid to let go of God.

Just had make fun of my own religion. :laughing:

So flawed, on so many levels.

The religion doesn’t make the person and the person doesn’t make the religion.

Experiences make the person and the person makes the experiences.

never said it did warlock, but, we still see people in specific ways and attach our own meaning to that group of people. The type of group is seen as; supposed to be this way but, the members are seen as that way.

Look at the way people have descibed the person and the religion. Close but, not the same. The religions are given a high standard but, the human seems to fall short of that standard. Standard is probably not the right word. Its not as if the religion’s standards are out of reach either.

The stereotyping is worth exploring and the comparisions are too.

A belief does make the person and a person makes the belief.

As a Religious Studies Major in College, and a Pastor-in-Training, I feel a sudden compulsion to add to this one. Of course, that may be fueled by an intense respect for all religious beliefs anyway…

Judaism: Belief in a single god and the maintenance of the Covenant with Him.

Jews: Generally pragmatic, but very open for religious discussion, particularly the rabbis.

Christianity: A reform of Judaism, believes the Messiah of prophecy has come to the world in the form of Jesus of Nazareth.

Christians: Many hypocrites, sadly, but there are a few that are genuine in their faith. (I hate this one because I consider myself a Christian.)

Islam: The final incarnation of the Judaic tradition. Contains many prophets, including Jesus, but differs in the belief that the Messiah has not yet come, and that the one Jesus prophesied was Mohamed, not Paul.

Muslims: Fairly similar to Christians in most respects of their lives, but the extremists get A LOT of attention.

Atheism: The practical belief that nothing exists out of what one can sense with their own five sense, or can be scientifically proven.

Atheists: Very practical people, although some hold contempt for the faithful. (I still haven’t been able to figure out why that is, but that’s just from my experience.)

Agnosticism: To not firmly claim the existence of God or deny said existence.

Agnostics: Mostly good people, although confused, and not knowing which way to go on that particular debate.

Sikhism: Primarily a derivation of Islam with some Hindu inflections, they believe in a single god that manifests itself in various gurus. (This is as far as I know, I could be wrong. I am terribly sorry if I am.)

Sikhs: Very similar to Hindus in attitude, although the men are off-putting as they carry a large knife in their belt as a symbol of their faith.

Hinduism: The belief in a multitude of Hindu gods, and the Vedic Scriptures. This belief can be manifested in three distinct paths… The Path of Duty, the Path of Contemplation, and the Path of Devotion.

Hindus: Friendly, and also willing to talk about there faith in an open and easy way.

Jainism: The belief that this world is a section of the Universe in which the human soul is trapped in an illusion. In order to escape the trap, one must deny all aspects of the dream and harm no living things.

Jainists: Similar to Hindus except the priests, who live in self-imposed exile, begging for food, and gently sweeping the ground before them as they walk, to prevent stepping on bugs.

Buddhism: Believes that belief in a god is irrelevant, but focuses on the pursuit of enlightenment through meditation and contemplation.

Buddhists: Easy-going people, most of which have their own personal beliefs along with the tenants of Buddhism.

Daoism: The belief that human will interferes with the Dao, the natural order of the universe. Thus, humans must not interfere and let the Dao do as it will.

Daoists: Interesting, although confusing. I guess I’m just too Western, but the cyclical logic found in the I Ching is ridiculous (Just my opinion, I don’t mean to offend).

Confucianism: A derivation of Daoism which focuses on the affects of the Dao on human behavior, and consists of good manners and practical advice.

Confucianists: Effectively the same as Daoists, although more practical in that it applies the Dao to everyday life.

Zen: A derivation of Buddhism that believes humanity’s greatest hurdle in reaching enlightenment is the logical separation of themselves from the rest of the world. Therefore, to reach enlightenment, one must teach oneself to think illogically to realize that there is no separation.

Zen Practitioners: Interesting people, although sometimes frustrating in trying to get them to explain their religious beliefs in a rational way. But of course, to do so flies in the face of Zen anyway.

Wicca: Originally a derivation of early Celtic Pagan beliefs, Wicca is comprised of a worship of spirits that preside over the natural world, and the utilization of those spirits to obtain a certain outcome (i.e. spells).

Wiccans: Fairly laid-back people, although few are willing to impartially discuss their beliefs, especially to a Christian.

Neo-Paganism: An attempt to blend Wicca and Christianity by declaring the Christian God the divine rendition of masculine forces in the universe, and the Wiccan Goddess as the same rendition of feminine forces in the universe.

Neo-Pagans: Basically the same as Wiccans, although they are more open to discussing their religious beliefs.

Those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head. But I think this is a very good thread because stereotypes must be addressed. If they are not, how can they be overcome? And, if they are not overcome, how can we ever learn to respect and tolerate our differences, which is necessary to our survival as a planet.

I think just seeing these generalizations helps. They are true, just in a general sense.

Yes but a belief =/= religion. One is how you conduct yourself, the other is what you believe to be the reason to live… if that makes any sense. I can believe it’s wrong to steal, but not believe Christ was the messiah or (vice versa).

Stereotyping is silly. It’s merely a way for someone to propagate ignorance. I judge people on their actions, not what religion they pay lip-service to. Most people are full of shit when it comes to religion anyways… very few are convicted enough to do everything they believe at all times.

I would agree with you, Warlock, that stereotyping is silly. However, if it is not fully explored, how can it be fully overcome for all of humanity? In this sense, I would say that it is very worth exploring. And, sadly, I would also agree that most do not have the conviction to fully follow their beliefs.

missed one!

Bahá'í faith: Belief in a single God for ALL religions with all the prophets being part of a progressive revelation from God. Next coming of said prophet with a message for the world to unite and work together towards peace and happiness for all.
Bahá'ís: Very devoted, open for conversation, welcoming to all people. Practice alot of apolegetics.

check on wikipedia, it’s actually a pretty cool for a religion.

Ya know, I have Baha’i friends… I can’t believe I forgot about that one! #-o

Stereotyping is essential in order to survive. If you saw a grizzly bear 6 feet from you when you turned around, would you go to pet it, or would you run away?

Not quite a logical analogy. Humans aren’t animals, even though some do act like animals. Humans have reason, animals do not. Besides we have instincts for a reason, depending on what posture the bear was in, we would pick up on it and hopefully act accordingly. If it’s threatening, we’d feel fear and/or apprehension.

People are can look a certain way and it isn’t absolutely for sure that they’re a certain way. I.E. I’m 6’3" 275lbs with a bull ring, most people are intimidated by my appearance… yet I’m probably one of the least aggressive people around. I dress the way I do on purpose, to see whose ignorant and whose not. I don’t want to know more ignorant people than I already have to, I deal with plenty every day. Well that and I enjoy the look of shock on their faces, when I first meet them also.

As for exploring stereotyping… to what end? Stereotyping serves a purpose, just as many ignorant things do. Humanity would falter if the ignorant didn’t exist. Do we not have disclaimers on virtually every type of product? God forbid, common sense is used to weed out the moronic. Alas, we need people to sweep the halls and work the fields.

Okay, if you turned around and saw a dude 6’3" 275lbs with a bull ring, how would you react?