3 definitions by Lindsay Archer
One who has chosen a religion, merely because it contradicts the religion forced upon them by their parents or an outside source. Regardless of the beliefs themselves or any positive content of the religion, a rebel religious will choose something of a contrary nature in an effort to passive aggressively strike back at the person/persons who pushed religion upon them.
This is brought on by seeing a great division between what the parent preached and how they behaved, in essence a hypocrisy in the pusher, or simply a response to childhood Narcissism with an inability to cope with the fact that adults are flawed. Therefore to punish the parent for not living up to their ideal, they choose another path by going to the opposite extreme.
A rebel religious is also characterized by severe criticism of the religion they once ascribed to.
This is brought on by seeing a great division between what the parent preached and how they behaved, in essence a hypocrisy in the pusher, or simply a response to childhood Narcissism with an inability to cope with the fact that adults are flawed. Therefore to punish the parent for not living up to their ideal, they choose another path by going to the opposite extreme.
A rebel religious is also characterized by severe criticism of the religion they once ascribed to.
Kevin was the son of a Baptist preacher turned rebel religious, when he became Hindu.
Tom was rebel religious when he became Jewish after being raised to hate Jews by his Muslim parents.
Tom was rebel religious when he became Jewish after being raised to hate Jews by his Muslim parents.
by Lindsay Archer June 16, 2007
Fortune Cookie Religion describes religious beliefs that are not based on reading religious texts in their entirety but by reading one disjointed verse at a time, as though getting small doses of wisdom akin to a fortune cookie.
The reader then forces that one short verse to apply to their lives and those around them without reading the chapters before or after. This style of religion creates a tendancy for the words to be misinterpretted or taken out of context. Also the reader usually does very little to understand the culture at the time, or other inferences surrounding the time and place that the scripture was written.
In essence it is a shallow religious base comprised of little effort or research on the part of the person. Someone who is Fortune Cookie Religious likes little sayings, quotes, and things with bits of scripture on them, to outwardly show to others that they are religious, but rarely do they read their religious texts themselves. They wait for someone else to tell them what to believe.
The reader then forces that one short verse to apply to their lives and those around them without reading the chapters before or after. This style of religion creates a tendancy for the words to be misinterpretted or taken out of context. Also the reader usually does very little to understand the culture at the time, or other inferences surrounding the time and place that the scripture was written.
In essence it is a shallow religious base comprised of little effort or research on the part of the person. Someone who is Fortune Cookie Religious likes little sayings, quotes, and things with bits of scripture on them, to outwardly show to others that they are religious, but rarely do they read their religious texts themselves. They wait for someone else to tell them what to believe.
Jane's Fortune Cookie Religion involves her reading her Zen Calendar every day.
Tom's made a Fortune Cookie Religion out of reading his horoscope.
Sally's turned reading the Bible into a Fortune Cookie Religion with the way she opens it and points to a random verse, hoping that it will show her the way.
Tom's made a Fortune Cookie Religion out of reading his horoscope.
Sally's turned reading the Bible into a Fortune Cookie Religion with the way she opens it and points to a random verse, hoping that it will show her the way.
by Lindsay Archer June 16, 2007
Someone who makes themself the central focus of their religion, regardless of what faith they claim to ascribe to. It is practiced by those who use religion in a self serving manner, changing the religion from its intended form to be about what they get out of it, who they can control with it, and what religion "fits them" as opposed to seeking truth, enlightenment, or what pleases their god. Subconsciously they take the god position and tailor the religion to fit them instead of changing their life to fit the religion. They do not truly worship the image or spirit of a god but their own self image or public image. Socially they present a religiously perfect image, while inside they often vastly different and continually self seeking, using the religious image to gain social status, influence, or have their egos stroked by being told how "good" they are. Most people who are Meists do not think they are Meists, but would quickly point out a few other people that they think are. Meists are the most offended at being called one, when in honesty most religious people have had to cope with some of these qualities, if not all, at one time or another in their faith.
The pharisees and sadducees that Jesus often reprimanded were Meists, as they claimed to be men of God, but used religion in a self serving manner.
A person who manipulates a holy text, through either omission or intentional forced interpretation, to excuse or condone self serving actions, would be considered a Meist.
A person who manipulates a holy text, through either omission or intentional forced interpretation, to excuse or condone self serving actions, would be considered a Meist.
by Lindsay Archer January 5, 2006