What constitutes an organized religion.

So I stated in another topic that I a practicing member of two organized religions. And then was asked what made me think those religions were organized so I'm going to state why that is here. I believe the person who asked this question is confusing organization with size or mainstream. I believe what organizes a religion is one: there is a main body that establishes at first what gods or entities are being worshiped, written material, education or certification of priests/reverends, ceremonies involving birth/ death/marriage. Two: that even if there isn't necessarily a main body that addresses those issues there's certainly some sort of unifying principle where those issues are addressed. Three that that religion is acknowledged by federal organization to be tax exempt and it designated religion for soldiers and their grave sites. This would also include allowing people to have clergy from that religion attend them at the hospital or funeral services. Do you feel any of these are inappropriate? What do you think should be added to constitute an organized religion?

Who are the official authorities or clergy regarding Heathenism and secondly, Spiritualism?

There are several different organizations that you can connect yourself with as a Heathen. The more general consensus on heathenism is the worship of the pre-christian gods of Northern Europe. Norse hethenism and Germanic heathenism had two different sets of books or written material that reference creation stories and things of that nature so it's not necessarily unified but it is organized. There is a general consensus that there are a group of gods that are ancestors from that area worshiped and it's a combination of written folk tales and archaeological study on how to do rituals. Clergy tend to be at those local organizations there isn't a national clergy. There have been lawsuits that forced the US government to adopt a universal Heathen symbol to put on veteran's graves and that's the Thor's Hammer. Spiritualism has been established since the late 1800s. 

The fact you call them folk tales, already hints at me that you aren't a 'true believer' but maybe we use the term 'folk tale' differently.

Can you explain the rules and criteria that one must adhere to, as well as perhaps traditions, in order to be 'in the religion' as opposed to just saying they are? This tends to be more difficult, the less organised that the religion is.

Also, the first youtube result regarding 'what is taoism' is completely wrong when it calls it an organised religion. In fact, Taoism is one of the only theological groups where there's no equivalent to priest, only some sort of thing like a monk (but they tend to grow long hair instead of being bald kind of like Sikhs but not as extremely against trimming).

There is no 'official' figure in Taoism because that fundamentally runs against it. You are just as entitled to be the highest 'bishop' or 'imam' equivalent in Taoism as another practitioner. The same would be true if I founded my own religion which is sort of an evolution of Taoism with a more elaborate physical explanation of reality and the yin-yang is four-ways in my religion with a red vs blue dichotomy on top of the black vs white. If you studied my religion and came out an expert at it, go ahead and claim yourself an expert equal to me, nobody is less entitled to do that however equally everybody is entitled to question your authority.

Implying someone is lying about their religious belief is incredibly insulting. I'm not sure why you would say you don't really believe I practice but tell me what your practice is. You're already basically saying you don't believe anything I'm going to follow up on. 

Where did I say you were lying?

You called your own religious scripture 

folk tales are generally fiction and achaeological study is about recovering past events of living creatures (especially humans) but not really about god(s) that I know of. You can study ancient tradition and religious beliefs but that has little to do with a genuine teaching, regarding god, that followers can take in as a revealing truth.

Actually, a large reason I avoid debating religion in general is everything gets real personal real fast. I can 'take it' but I don't enjoy dishing out offense to those that can't take it.

You made this thread so I assumed you'd consented to debating the things you posted in it.

In good faith. You're basically your first post here was you don't really believe what you're saying so I don't know what to tell you. As far as Spiritualism there are nine principles and a national org as well as state/ local level orgs. There are by- laws, member criteria and dues. 

Does it disgust you how many con artists make a living off of fake tarot, fortune-telling, dead-speaking efc rituals and events under the guise of Spiritualism?

And now you insult my business. We are done. 

How was it an insult, are you a con artist?

I've had enough of your bull**** today. 

@NoOneInParticular

I suppose that centralized and decentralized governments exist.

If a religion has a 'group identity, or set number of values/beliefs.

. . .

Unorganized Government. . . Organized Government. . .

Organized Religion. . . Unorganized Religion. . .

Do religions take place within governments,

Or do governments take place within religions?

Either or maybe.

I'm rambling.

I'd suppose an unorganized religion would be one without set values, beliefs, said set values can even be a bit malleable.

But if there's 'no organization, can it even be called a religion?

Even folk tales, stories if spoken enough, become set, learned from, followed.

Same as even a tribe has it's own government of a sort, laws, leaders. .

Government isn't a religion  but thanks for your input. I don't know the Buddhist seem to get by without there being too much organization there.

Government isn't a religion,

But government 'or religion, they are groups of people,

That I thought the differences might not matter too much, when referring to organization.

I don't know much about Buddhism,

But I assume it had founder/s teacher/s,

That writings, established ideas/values of it exist/s/ed.

That governments have sponsored it at certain time, locations, that required accreditation of sorts, a following of standards.

That sects/groups/temples of Buddhism have existed, that have exerted power or influence over their surrounding areas.

Though I know little of it,

I've heard that Oda Nobunaga of Japan, considered Buddhism a threat to his power in Japan, due to the political influence groups of Buddhists held.

I assume Paganism 'also has political power of 'sorts, if 'only enough to have themselves recognized, respected by law?

Schools are also groups of people so schools, religion and government are all the exact f****** same thing makes perfect sense thanks for playing. Bowling leagues are groups of people so bowling leagues are religions or are they governments wait they might be a school I'm not sure let's try to work this out before the day is done.

- What does it matter if it's the Truth!

Education 'can be organized or disorganized,

Though it seems to me even if a school existed that told it's teachers to just teach whatever, that'd 'still be a 'tiny bit of organization,

To my thinking, unorganized only exists when there's 'no structure at all.

Though one can still use the words more or 'less organized, when speaking of established structures.

I'm not saying a bowling league is a religion,

But it 'is a group of people,

And I think identifying what makes bowling organized or unorganized 'could be helpful in identifying what makes a religion organized or unorganized.

If someone or a group just bowls by their own rules, it'd be unorganized, even if they came together in a bigger group, anarchy.

Even if you give people the same materials, if they invent their own rules with no common ideas, 'THE game doesn't exist, only many different games.

But bowling Leagues usually have established rules, organizers.

What an interesting question.  

I would think that a set of consistent beliefs and set of rules would be necessary.  

This is why I would call atheism a disorganized religion.  It only has one consistent doctrine. 

I don't think it would need an organizing body - although it would be helpful.  

Christianity is organized religion - and yet it has several denominations. And many Christians not part of any denomination.  

Yet for the most part Christians hold to about 95% of the same doctrines.  

Define the word religion.

Already have. 

No.

Organised is organised as opposed to not organised.

One could argue that everything has to be organised, or is organised to some degree.

All religions must have been organised to a certain degree.

I think that a better topic for discussion would perhaps be:

In terms of it's organisation, what constitutes a sensible religion.

Of course, the answer would always be the same.

There is no such thing as a sensible religion, despite the complexity or simplicity of it's organisation.

Religious tax exemptions!!!  If the IRS believe you are running an organized religion they will offer you tax exemptions.