Having taken part in several religious debates, many of the debates come down to how each side defines the words. One of the words that often gets defined differently by each side is the word religion.
Here's Merriam Webster's definition of religion:
Generally, I've found:Definition of RELIGION
1 a : the state of a religious <a nun in her 20th year of religion>
b (1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2
: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3
archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness
4
: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith
If you're on the non-religious side of the debate, you'd likely define the word religion very narrowly to include the supernatural and God. It's easier to ague against a narrow definition, so people on the non-religious side usually argue that religion is the opposite of science. Science is verifiable and testable, they argue, while God and religion are not.
If you're on the religious side of the debate, you would tend to broaden the word religion to include ritualized attitude, beliefs and practices since there are a lot of religious activities that can be experienced. Many of these experiences can't be verified and tested, but they also don't necessarily fall under the supernatural category.
Which side of the debate do you fall on? How do you define religion?