If I decide to worship the Sun, does that make me part of a religion?

[flobadob]

What constitutes a religion? If I decide of my own accord to say a few words in praise of the Sun at Sunrise and Sunset, does that make me part of a religion? I am aware that Sun worship is probably the oldest form of worship, but is it a religion?

[MarkRae]

You could always become a Zoroastrian: http://www.experience...Sun_Worship/id/195115

IIRC, for a religion to be "recognised" officially, at least in this country, it has to have a certain number of practising followers. Do you recall the campaign just before the last census to try to persuade people to list their religion as Jedi...?

[ChuckFickens]

Nearly 2% of the population recorded their religion as Jedi in that census :)

[MarkRae]

<blush> I know...

[rowanwitch]

It probably means you are Pagan, but the pathway you follow within that is a matter of your choosing...

[cazzz1975]

of course, even klingons have a religion these days..

http://www.klingon.or....msg6608.html#msg6608

[flobadob]

Yeah Mark, I heard about the Jedi thing, I think there were 15000 people in it or so.

I'm not sure what being a Pagan entails but I was just thinking that with Sun worship, you have actually got something tangible, something that you appreciate and with most people something that you enjoy. So why not show some appreciation toward It, just as an affirmation to yourself as respecting and appreciating something so wonderful and life giving, though not in the sense that It will judge you, should you not practice this rite.

[snags]

''with Sun worship, you have actually got something tangible''

About 2 months of the year, yes...

[cazzz1975]

if the sun is something to worship, what about the rain and the cloud?

on a cloudy day you could say that the cloud is jealous of the sun

[MarkRae]

But worshipping the sun, at least, in a religious sense is nonsensical... You know it's a real thing, not some mystical being or totem. It can't acknowledge your worship, so what good could it do...?

[rowanwitch]

Worship the night.....at least you will never be disappointed

[ChuckFickens]

"in a religious sense is nonsensical"

Can you name one thing that isn't nonsensical in a religious sense?

[MarkRae]

Not from a rational perspective, but blind faith in a mythical creator god is at least understandable from a supernatural standpoint. Unless, of course, the OP doesn't accept our sun as nothing more than a bog-standard star among billions of other bog-standard stars in one of billions of galaxies, just as the ancient Zoroastrians didn't...

[wildwood]

I worship the RainGod. Every time I wish to pray, I wash the car and hey presto.... it rains.

[flobadob]

Mark, when I said "just as an affirmation to yourself as respecting and appreciating something so wonderful and life giving, though not in the sense that It will judge you" that is exactly what I meant. It does not know you worship it, nor will it grant you all that you desire. What I'm saying is that it is real, it gives us life, and it deserves our gratitude for that.

[sandyRoe]

The Sun is just a lamp. Why not worship the one who made the lamp?

[MarkRae]

> it deserves our gratitude for that.

I'm sure it will be very grateful for it...

[flobadob]

Sure he's away talking to the more advanced lamp makers.

[flobadob]

And hey, maybe if we all ganged up and worshipped the heck out of it we may start getting better summers round these parts.

[keyplus90]

You can worship whoever and whatever you like. But if you really do want to worship then why worship creations and not the creator.

[starone]

If it's logical to worship the giver of life, why not worship your mum and dad?