[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Definition of RELIGIOUS

1. relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity <a religious person> <religious attitudes>
2. of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or observances <joined a religious order>
3. 1. scrupulously and conscientiously faithful
   2. fervent, zealous

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religious

An ongoing and lively discussion in comparative religious studies today is in fact the precise definition of "religion". It is really not nearly as simple or generic as standard dictionary definitions, and because of its divergent and incredibly varied appearance through time and from place to place, it remains exceedingly difficult to provide an acceptable definition that adequately captures the essence of what religion is and how it functions. This is why I tend to "fudge" a bit when the topic comes up: in actual fact, religion is probably too complicated to properly define.