Index > What is God? > The fourth day
No.
Religion is a subset of culture. It's the subset that relates to Godliness.
A particular style of food or dress would be part of culture, but generally not part of religion--though some food and some dress can be part of religious rituals.
The matter is confused for several reasons.
- For one thing, many religions are associated with a Nation (that is, a People). A Nation while have a comprehensive culture, which includes religious and non-religious elements. Further, religion and Godliness have some relationship to Nationhood. For example, Nationhood is helpful for theogenesis, because many elements of God are elements you are supposed to work out as a large community.
- For another, there's no sharp boundary.
- Many elements of culture are not themselves especially Godly or unGodly, but might be generated by theogenic elements. For example, playing a team sport is not especially (un)Godly, but it can be a kind of exercise in theogenesis.
- For example, in Judaism there is a distinction between law about human's relationship with God and law about human-human relationships. But law about human-human relationships is not strictly non-religious. For example, setting up a court system is human-human law (I think?), but it is an essential part of theogenesis relating to the Justice aspect of God.