By religion, then, I understand a propitiation or conciliation of powers superior to man which are believed to direct and control the course of nature and of human life. Thus defined, religion consists of two elements, a theoretical and a practical, namely, a belief in powers higher than man and an attempt to propitiate or please them. Of the two, belief clearly comes first, since we must believe in the existence of a divine being before we can attempt to please him. But unless the belief leads to a corresponding practice, it is not a religion but merely a theology; in the language of St. James, “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” In other words, no man is religious who does not govern his conduct in some measure by the fear or love of God. On the other hand, mere practice, divested of all religious belief, is also not religion. Two men may behave in exactly the same way, and yet one of them may be religious and the other not. If the one acts from the love or fear of God, he is religious; if the other acts from the love or fear of man, he is moral or immoral according as his behaviour comports or conflicts with the general good.
James George FrazerTags: power superstition supernatural definition-of-religion
But I find it necessary to repeat in this particular place that the division into classes, which is so salient a part of modern demonology, had, and has, little significance for primitive man or for the peasant in a comparatively low state of mental development. To such people, spirits of all kinds - fairies, the ghosts of the dead, and even witches and water-kelpies - are all creatures of the supernatural class between which he scarcely differentiates.
Lewis SpenceTags: fairies witches supernatural fairy spirits kelpies
I don't differentiate much, except in degree, between people who believe in religion from those who believe in astrology, magic or the supernatural.
Andy RooneyTags: belief religion atheism magic skepticism beliefs supernatural agnosticism astrology
Hell had been his Vietnam. It had stamped its mark on him for all eternity, and no amount of denial or self-imposed ignorance was going to change it. Ever.
Joe SchreiberTags: suffering hell supernatural vietnam dean-winchester sam-winchester cw
It's like Sheriff Daniels sneezed, and they all caught the misinformation flu.
Joe SchreiberTags: supernatural misinformation cw winchester
Like crucifixions and pornography, it never got old.
Joe SchreiberTags: supernatural crucifixion pornography cw winchester
How do we know that our life really happened and that we are not simply accumulating details, making it all up as we go along?
Rachel KleinTags: life diary supernatural
Writing poetry is supernatural. Or, it should be.
Katerina Stoykova KlemerTags: poetry writing poets supernatural writing-process
Why should I be sad? Everyone has to die. If you have a body, it's too late to cry. It's only funerals I can't stand.
Rachel KleinTags: death diary supernatural
I laughed when I read about being born with two hearts, one of which is devoted only to destroying humanity.
Rachel KleinTags: humanity diary supernatural
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