RidingAgain Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 (edited) I recently posted a couple of comments in response to someone's comment about "...church..." and riding trails on a Sunday morning. This was on the Brushy Creek thread in the MTB section of this website. I did this because I have experienced this dilemma myself... Even as far back as when I was racing cross country mtb in the mid-90s. Back in '97, I was being sponsored by a bike shop and the first of a really big annual mtb race event was being held at Oleta State Park, which was right up the road from it. So of course they wanted me to compete. Not because I could win, as this event was attracting many way stronger riders, even in my Clydesdale class. The owners of the bike shop just wanted to have their name seen. Thing is... The race was on a Sunday morning... And I had "...church..." to go to. What to do? Long story short... I went to the "...church meeting..." for a bit, then cut out early and just managed to get to the park in time to get my kit on and hit the start... Which BTW, I led right up to the first trailhead entrance (after which I just fell way behind). Put me on flat open ground and I was very fast. Technical trail was another matter. But I digress... The matter brought up in the Brushy Creek thread was, for me, touching on a matter that I have personally encountered for over twenty years... Riding trails on a Sunday morning, or meeting with the church. And I know there are other riders on this website who have encountered the same dilemma. Shoot... The Christian life is filled with similar dilemmas... Every day it's a life of doing this or that according to your sense of what you've come to believe about your relationship with the God who is revealed in Judeo/Christ scriptures. And for those of us who mountain bike, our mtb activity is just one more matter added to the mix. And this is where clarity of what the Christian life actually comes into play... And the Christian life, contrary to what most people may think... Is not a life of religion. The Christian life is simply a matter of... Life. But to come to understand this, from my own experience, there is the need to become clear regarding what exactly religion is. Hence my reason for creating this thread. So in following comments I'll explain what religion actually is... How it differs from what scripture tells us regarding the type of relationship the God revealed in Judeo/Christ scripture actually desires with us... And how this affects a person's participation in activities... Such as mountain biking. Edited October 22, 2019 by RidingAgain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidingAgain Posted October 23, 2019 Author Share Posted October 23, 2019 Okay then... Religion... What exactly is it? First, something about the etymology — the origin of the word and the historical development of its meaning — of the word religion... Regarding its more contemporary meaning... Religion (noun) c. 1200, "state of life bound by monastic vows," also "conduct indicating a belief in a divine power," from Anglo-French religion (11c.), Old French religion "piety, devotion; religious community," and directly from Latin religion (nominative religion) "respect for what is sacred, reverence for the gods; conscientiousness, sense of right, moral obligation; fear of the gods; divine service, religious observance; a religion, a faith, a mode of worship, cult; sanctity, holiness," in Late Latin "monastic life" (5c.)... In English, meaning "particular system of faith" is recorded from c. 1300; sense of "recognition of and allegiance in manner of life (perceived as justly due) to a higher, unseen power or powers" is from 1530s. Regarding its origin... According to Cicero derived from relegere "go through again" (in reading or in thought), from re-"again" (see re-) + legere "read" (see lecture (n.)). However, popular etymology among the later ancients (Servius, Lactantius, Augustine) and the interpretation of many modern writers connects it with religare "to bind fast" (see rely), via notion of "place an obligation on," or "bond between humans and gods." In that case, the re- would be intensive. Another possible origin is religiens "careful," opposite of negligens. Okay... So as with most words, over the course of human history we can see that the word "...religion..." took on a somewhat specific meaning that was somewhat related to a specific application... Meaning, it was kind of hijacked for application to something specific... In this case... Particular systems of faith. But this hijacking didn't negate what is thought to be the original meaning of the word "...religion...". Therefore... The word "...religion..." simply means... To repeatedly bind through a system of social reading/thought... Which is to say, through a social system of laws, doctrines, ordinances, and traditions. And this can be applicable to the smallest social system... Or the largest social system. This repeatedly binding through a system of social reading/thought is the basis of social institutional thinking/activity. Here's a basic definition of a social institution... "A social institution consists of a group of people who have come together for a common purpose. These institutions are a part of the social order of society and they govern behavior and expectations of individuals." In my following comment below I'll give a list of the types of social institutions that are common in our society... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidingAgain Posted October 23, 2019 Author Share Posted October 23, 2019 Social institutions are commonly defined as communities, organizations, systems, institutions, and groups. Here are some examples... Community - a group of people in the same area and under the same government. Examples are: Boroughs Burg Castle towns Cities Company towns Hamlet Metropolis Military posts Municipality Shanty towns Suburbs Towns Townships Villages Community is also a group of people that share common attitudes or interests. Examples are: Communes Convent Gated community LGBT community Nudist community Professional learning community Retirement community Senior living communities The bisexual community Community Service Organizations - Boys Clubs Boy Scouts Girls Clubs Girl Scouts Kiwanis Rotary Clubs Soup kitchens Educational Institutions - Teach skills and knowledge to individuals. Examples are: Colleges Community colleges Graduate school Junior colleges School districts Trade schools Universities Ethnic or Cultural Groups - Social institutions that include a group of extended family groups related by a distant, common ancestry. Examples are: African Americans Asian Canadian Hispanic Navajo Pacific Islanders Families (an extended family is a social organization with several generations or several nuclear family groups. Families and households are usually parents and children living under the same roof.) Governments and Legal Institutions - Social institutions. Examples include: Air Force Army Coast Guard Congress Marines Navy State legislatures Justice System - Appeals courts District attorneys District courts Federal courts Judges Law enforcement officers Lawyers State courts Supreme Court Traffic court United States Court of Appeals United States Court of International Trade United States Court of Military Appeals Health Care Institutions - Adult daycare Doctor's offices Clinics Hospice Hospitals Sanatoriums Market Institutions - The industry that buys and sells goods. Examples are: Banks Businesses Corporations Credit unions Insurance companies Limited partnerships Stock Market Trust companies Mass Media Institutions - Mass media shapes communication and opinions. Examples are: Books Cartridges Cassettes CDs DVDs Gramophone records Internet Mobile phones Movies Magazines Magnetic tapes Newspapers Pamphlets Radio Television Political Institutions - These social institutions influence the process of government, such as political parties. Examples are: Authoritarianism Conservative Democracy Democratic Party Green Party Independent Party Libertarian Party Liberal Lobbyists Monarchy Republican Party Totalitarianism Religious Organizations - These are groups of people that have similar beliefs in the existence of God or gods. Here are examples: Abbeys Bible Societies Buddhist organizations Churches Church of All Worlds Dioceses Hindu organizations Jewish organizations Mission organizations Monasteries Mosques World Pantheist Movement Social Welfare Institutions - These include non-profit organizations and charities. Examples are: ABC Nepal - Agroforestry, Basic health and Cooperative Nepal ASPCA - American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals American Cancer Society Catholic Charities USA Feeding America Food for the Poor Goodwill Industries International Humane Society of America Li Ka Shing Foundation - Hong Kong Robert Bosch Foundation - Germany RSPCA - The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Salvation Army St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Task Force for Global Health United Way Wellcome Trust - UK World Vision YMCA These examples of social institutions show the wide breadth of groups that come together in the world for common purposes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidingAgain Posted October 23, 2019 Author Share Posted October 23, 2019 (edited) Now... According to the origin of the word "...religion...", all of the above listed activities could be defined as a religion. But perhaps you noticed that the word "...religion..." was used in specific reference to faith-based communities/institutions/systems/organizations/groups. This is indicative of the hijacking of the word "...religion..." by human society. But for what purpose? Why couldn't faith-based communities/institutions/systems/organizations/groups be called communities, institutions, systems, organizations, groups? Truth is... Any gathering that is faith-based could be called by any of the above, and often are. And the funny thing is... Any gathering of people that has a specific purpose is actually a gathering of faith-based people. And no... I'm not saying faith-based as believing in a God that is presented in some book that we refer to as scripture... I'm saying that any gathering of people that is for a common purpose is... Faith-based... As the common purpose is based in and out of the faith of those who are gathering together for this common purpose. Take for instance a group of mtb riders who agree to get together to ride a trail on a specific morning... These riders agree to do so out of faith. They don't know for sure that they will... The best they can do is exercise the faith that they will. And the same goes for when they actually come together at the trailhead... None know for sure if they will get past the first corner... They simply are exercising faith that they will. Therefore... Even this gathering of mtb riders for a group ride is... Faith-based? And as such... According to contemporary thinking... This group ride could be termed religious. Just as the political system in Washington DC could be termed religious. Military organizations could be termed religious. Health organizations could be termed religious. Why? Because they are all, in the most basic sense... Faith-based. In fact... Human society on a whole is... Faith-based. Which means... Human society on a whole can be termed... Religious. That's right folks... The world and it's human... Get this... System... Is faith-based... And therefore... According to even the contemporary understanding of the word religion... Yep... The world and its human system is... By its own definition of the word... Religious. Next I'll speak to the matter of how the word religion came to be associated — in absolute error I might say — to Judeo/Christ scripture, and those who believe in what they speak to... Edited October 23, 2019 by RidingAgain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Posted October 24, 2019 Share Posted October 24, 2019 (edited) Guidelines Austin Mountain Biking Forum Guidelines and Rules The goal of the Austin Mountain Biking Forums is to promote intelligent discussion about mountain biking and cycling of all types, as well as allow for off-topic discussion in the forums designated as such. To help promote friendly discussion, we have put some guidelines and rules into place to make it clear to members what behavior is and is not acceptable when posting to the forums. When creating new topics or responding to an existing thread, please try to be positive, constructive, polite, and on topic. We do not censor opinions or ideas on our forums but we do take action against posts and/or topics that could cause unrest in the community beyond a civil and polite disagreement. We reserve the right to remove any topics we deem inappropriate or disruptive to our community. 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RidingAgain Posted October 24, 2019 Author Share Posted October 24, 2019 (edited) Yeh... I agree... Now why don’t you post this under the real trolls who have no problem with continual personal attacks and just being all round as@&ole jerks? And BTW... This thread is about the proper use of the English language and its history... And was in response to a comment someone else brought up in a thread on the mountain bike section of this website. And this thread is in the General Chat thread. (Notice that I didn’t bring it up in the mountain bike thread but instead came to the General Chat thread.) Maybe you can tell the real trolls to actually ignore the threads of people they claim to have on “...ignore....”. It’s really easy, but does take some self discipline. Kind of what I’ve expressed over the past month or so. Thanks for the rules reminder though. Edited October 24, 2019 by RidingAgain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted October 24, 2019 Share Posted October 24, 2019 Locking this thread. If there's another thread where religion came up, please let me know. ..Al 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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