-A religion should never take you out of society... Christianity states that you are to be IN the world but not OF the world. Meaning, you should be a part of society but not their values, you are to be set apart.
-Secondly, a religion should never brake off communication from current of former members, if you don't trust the people in your group to talk about anything, then you shouldn't be a part of that group.

There are many other signs and things to watch out for when it comes to cults but it think that these are the biggest things to look out for.

Tyler Andor wrote:
> What do you think is the most important thing for people to know about cults?

The relationship between Hinduism & Buddhism reminds me of Judaism and Christianity. The Buddha was born into a Hindu family just like Jesus was born into a Jewish family, both of them branching out of their religion changing it to make a new.

I think that out of the two, Hinduism interested me the most. The fact that it has no unified system of belief or declaration of faith or creed is different from any other religion. Which is why I can understand how some people argue that it isn't a religion. I also think that it's interesting that it's so old that it can't be traced back to a complete history or founder.

Tyler Andor wrote:
> What did you find most interesting about the first two eastern religions we have covered?

I agree with Michael R. People are just lazy. Of course more Jews today are secular instead of religious, it's easier. Like in America, polls say that 85% of Americans are Christians, but that's not the percentage of practicing Christians. They claim the beliefs but not the lifestyle. It's easier that way.

Tyler Andor wrote:
> Why do you suppose so many Jews today are more secular than religious?

I agree with Judy whens she says that defining religion is a very personal matter. It's hard to have one true definition of religion that encompasses everyone's beliefs.

Tyler Andor wrote:
> After discussing various definitions of religion, are you persuaded that any of them is acceptable, or the best? Are there others you would like to contribute to the discussion?