> The secular world would benefit from adopting more formal definitions of their belief system. I think that would reduce the conflict and neurosis that comes from engaging a nebulous system.
If it did that, it wouldn't be able to use it a source of social control. What we have is a society of true believers, that's why they can't see it as a religion, it's just reality to them. I really don't think you can be a true believer and call your religion anything but "reality," especially a "religion."
Anyway, there have been some attempts at documenting American religion:
> If you believe you are not religious, it just means that you don’t have the cognitive tools to recognize the secular ideology that you have adopted.
I think there are still a few people who aren't religious and I don't really think your criterion here is the most useful. It just begs the question.
If it did that, it wouldn't be able to use it a source of social control. What we have is a society of true believers, that's why they can't see it as a religion, it's just reality to them. I really don't think you can be a true believer and call your religion anything but "reality," especially a "religion."
Anyway, there have been some attempts at documenting American religion:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_civil_religion
> If you believe you are not religious, it just means that you don’t have the cognitive tools to recognize the secular ideology that you have adopted.
I think there are still a few people who aren't religious and I don't really think your criterion here is the most useful. It just begs the question.