Can The World Survive Without Religion (Yes or No) A Hindu P (General)

by satyansh , Saturday, December 04, 2010, 08:02 (4913 days ago) @ Balance_Maintained

"I am actually just starting work on my B.A. in History/Philosophy/Religion(it is so cool that you can specialize degrees like that now). So I am really looking forward to studying Hinduism and other Eastern philosophies. Regardless of what Hinduism may have started out as, however, it is indeed a religion. And it is set up as a religion from the time of the Vedas. For example the Bhagavad-Gita starts off as a conversation between God and Man. You can't exactly get more 'religious' than that. That is not to discredit or belittle Hinduism in anyway, just trying to keep things in their proper perspective. For that matter, any idea that has enough followers and contains a structure of beliefs is a religion, and in that respect DHW is correct in saying that even Atheism is a religion."-I agree with you if you believe any idea that a certain number of followers is a religion. then yes Hinduism is a religion. but than that would make some seriously weird things religions too. -But what intrigues me is that you ask any Sanskrit scholar and tell him the word for religion in Sanskrit and he cannot give you a word. i haven't found a word which is used to pronounce religion in Sanskrit.-Because Dharma does not mean religion and Hinduism is called Sanatana Dharma which means Eternal law. Now thats what makes me question that is it really a religion.-Another thing this is just a suggestion. You really want to form an opinion about hindu philosophies than read the vedas first. you will never get a true hindu perspective until you do not read the vedas. geeta is a small part of the vast hindu philosophy. do not form opinions based on the geeta. i am not disrespecting the geeta but honestly i think it doesnt do justice to hinduism.