A daughter of Hope and Fear, explaining to Ignorance the nature of the Unknowable. "What is your religion my son?" inquired the Archbishop of Rheims. "Pardon, monseigneur," replied Rochebriant; "I am ashamed of it." "Then why do you not become an atheist?" "Impossible! I should be ashamed of atheism." "In that case, monsieur, you should join the Protestants."

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.

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.

A system of beliefs and practices oriented toward the sacred.

a complex network of ideas and actions (ethical and ritual) that express a group's sense of ultimate meaning of life

a cult that HAS allegedly been accepted by the general public

a cult that has been popularily accepted

a 'cult' that has officially received its IRS tax exemption

( generic definition of): A means of getting in touch with and of attaining at-onement with "ultimate reality." In slightly different words, a religion is a system of symbols (e.g., words and gestures, stories and practices, objects and places) that functions religiously, namely, an ongoing system of symbols that participants use to draw near to, and come into right or appropriate relationship with, what they deem to be ultimate reality.

an especially good vehicle for inciting violence because of the aforementioned lack of a need for reality to intrude

a way of ultimate transformation

a way to reach reality beyond the confines of human sense organs without resorting to artificial means

a group of people who believe in the same things

a marketplace thing

an organization which professes to provide spiritual experience to groups of people

a personal thing

A monastic or religious order subject to a regulated mode of life; the religious state; as, to enter religion.

a body of absolutist assertions designed to shelter those who cannot abide the cold, hard uncertanties of real life

a path of obtaining 'Peace of mind', a 'structured life' or a 'disciplined way of life'

a system, a program, a way of life

A system of thinking that recognizes a supersoul and performs some sort of adoration of that supersoul.

an ideology of sorts, and we are allowed to criticize most ideologies

a world view, and if you really believe in it ought to affect both what you think the world is like and what you want