" 

 There might be similarities, but what you are doing is undermining the term religion. You say: A, B and C are religions because they have these specific characteristics. Then you say: although these things right here (let's call them X, Y and Z) don't have the above characteristics (that make A, B and C into religions), they still are religions. Do you see the paradox? 
 All I'm saying is that you can't use the term religion for Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. if you simultaneously use it for Christianity and such. You undermine the meaning of the word if you do so. It seems to me like you use an awfully broad concept of the term. By doing so, you eliminate all meaning from it. Further, you run the risk of classifying many things that have absolutely nothing to do with religion, as a ""religion"". 
 I just took a class on ""Buddhism"" at my university by an Indian professor. He taught us the above by means of the book he wrote (see the reference to Balagangadhara in my previous post). He said the West started this farce of calling Buddhism and all a ""religion"" and what's even more sad is that most of the Indians themselves are continuing this farce even today. He also taught us though, that, from the viewpoint, the religous background (cfr. Reformation) and understanding of the world of the missionaries who started the farce, it is perfectly understandable that they did so. Religions can't see ""otherness"", can't see different things that they are different in a ""different"" way, but can only recognize false variations of themselves.  
 Pretty interesting class it was. Throughout his book he told about Roman times, the Reformation period, Enlightment period, what the missionaries' expectations were before going to India, how the missionaries frame of mind was fitted onto Indian culture, how both sides misinterpreted eachother etc. By doing so he explained HOW the situation today came to be. And to tell you, it is indeed perfectly understandable from both the Western ánd the Indian viewpoint. It is an unfortunate collusion of misunderstandings and accidents. I can really recommend the book. [30 June 2005 10:41h] Dries."