Would you call religion a meme?

[DarkCrusade]

Simple question, complex answer? From my viewpoint, religion is a meme. By definition, a meme is an idea which spreads from person to person. It can carry ideas, symbols, practices ect. and it can "mutate" / change its shape to fit a new situation.

There are reasons for and against the thesis, and I would like to read your ideas.

[Mittsu]

how exactly does it matter? i'm not saying it doesn't but i have a feeling you're starting this pseudo-intellectual discussion only to boost your ego

[DarkCrusade]

The idea came to my mind and I was asking myself what are arguments for and against. What's the matter with you? I rather think you try boosting your ego by imputing I'd boost my ego by asking pseudo-intellectual questions in an online forum.

Not everything is posted to grow a bigger e-penis, you prick.

[L[0ne]R]

how exactly does it matter? i'm not saying it doesn't but i have a feeling you're starting this pseudo-intellectual discussion only to boost your ego

Or maybe you're just taking it too seriously.
I found that comparison of religion and internet memes to be pretty amusing, since  if you think about it - they do have quite a lot in common.

[DarkCrusade]

I found that comparison of religion and internet memes to be pretty amusing, since  if you think about it - they do have quite a lot in common.

Exactly

[Mittsu]

meme is a psychologic/sociologic term, if darkcrusade meant internet memes it should be specified. I dont really know what would the discussion look like, at most it could be semantics on a very abstractional level which would be just plain fucking boring

[Mitak]

spreads from person to person

Is AIDS a meme then?

[DarkCrusade]

Is AIDS a meme then?

If you ignore the rest of the definition, yes. If you actually read that a meme is an idea, then no.

meme is a psychologic/sociologic term, if darkcrusade meant internet memes it should be specified. I dont really know what would the discussion look like, at most it could be semantics on a very abstractional level which would be just plain fucking boring

I actually mean the psychologic term. But religion also has something in common with internet memes. Everyone is laughing at them or dead serious

And I don't mean to discuss semantics, but reasons for/against my thesis.

[a-4-year-old]

No a religion is spread regardless of culture not just within a culture. Meme is also a bullshit word with a vague enough definition to cover nearly everything.

[Mittsu]

everything man made is within culture, unless you either believe religion is not man made or you have some specific definition of culture in mind

[a-4-year-old]

everything man made is within culture, unless you either believe religion is not man made or you have some specific definition of culture in mind

well by that definition a meme could be literally everything. It refers to one specific culture like your high school's culture could have a meme about an unlucky bus or something. Outside of that culture this is meaningless. The same is not true of Religion in that it transcends, for example, western culture.

[Mittsu]

the thing is that your way of dividing cultures is not universal, you could as well say "christian culture" or that, very commonly in sociology, culture is like a sum of everything man made, so any religion would be within culture in that understanding.


and here we are doing semantics

[Mangled*]

Jesus is a pretty cool guy, eh died for our sins and doesnt afraid of anything.

[a-4-year-old]

and here we are doing semantics

That is what happens when only one of us understands the topic.

[pavliko]

No, religion is not a meme but it is 100% sure to be a successful troll or opium of the people...

[DarkCrusade]

Can you explain why religion should be no meme?

[Marquis]

[Dusty]

pseudo-intellectual

the best word ever to describe dc