In my non-expert opinion there isn't a clear-cut answer but some simplification can be made by looking at claimed membership and recognition of that claimed membership.
For instance (I'm pulling this out of my ass btw) let's say there is an organized group of people who worship a supernatural entity called The Great Turnip. The Great Turnip dictates that its followers eat turnips daily and attend services in a garden weekly.
For simplicity sake, well call that The Turnip Religion and its members Turnipists.
Someone who follows the tenets and calls themselves a Turnipist will be considered by themselves and the Turnip Religion (and likely outsiders) to be a Turnipist.
Someone who follows the tenets and *doesn't* call themselves a Turnipist may not consider themselves a Turnipist but the Turnipist Religion (and likely outsiders) would likely call them a Turnipist and act accordingly.
Someone who eats turnips and guardens but who has never heard of the Great Turnip would *not* be considered a Turnipist by either themselves or the Turnip Religion (outsiders may have mixed reactions). The Turnip Religion will likely try to recruit such a heathen.
Someone who was born into a family of Turnipists but who doesn't call themselves a Turnipist (whether or not they eat turnips or garden) might be considered a Cultural Turnipist.
Someone who tears up the guarden and gets banned, likely would not be considered a member by the Turnipist Religion but might still consider themself a Turnipist (and outsiders might too).
So basically, it comes down to the question of claimed membership...
Did the individual claim to be a Turnipist? Did the Turnip Religion recognize that person as a Turnipist? Do outsiders label the person as a Turnipist by their actions and claims?
That venn diagram is not 100% overlapping.
Which is why it is so hard to answer your question. The answer, as far as I can tell, is "it depends on the involved parties (person/church/outsiders)".
Toss into that the fact that the First True and Righteous Church of Turnip which splintered off from the Turnip Religion doesn't recognize any of the Turnipists of TR as true Turnipists and doesn't recognize the Parsnip Religion as a religion at all.
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Re: Hmmm
Date: 2011-03-23 06:54 pm (UTC)For instance (I'm pulling this out of my ass btw) let's say there is an organized group of people who worship a supernatural entity called The Great Turnip. The Great Turnip dictates that its followers eat turnips daily and attend services in a garden weekly.
For simplicity sake, well call that The Turnip Religion and its members Turnipists.
Someone who follows the tenets and calls themselves a Turnipist will be considered by themselves and the Turnip Religion (and likely outsiders) to be a Turnipist.
Someone who follows the tenets and *doesn't* call themselves a Turnipist may not consider themselves a Turnipist but the Turnipist Religion (and likely outsiders) would likely call them a Turnipist and act accordingly.
Someone who eats turnips and guardens but who has never heard of the Great Turnip would *not* be considered a Turnipist by either themselves or the Turnip Religion (outsiders may have mixed reactions). The Turnip Religion will likely try to recruit such a heathen.
Someone who was born into a family of Turnipists but who doesn't call themselves a Turnipist (whether or not they eat turnips or garden) might be considered a Cultural Turnipist.
Someone who tears up the guarden and gets banned, likely would not be considered a member by the Turnipist Religion but might still consider themself a Turnipist (and outsiders might too).
So basically, it comes down to the question of claimed membership...
Did the individual claim to be a Turnipist?
Did the Turnip Religion recognize that person as a Turnipist?
Do outsiders label the person as a Turnipist by their actions and claims?
That venn diagram is not 100% overlapping.
Which is why it is so hard to answer your question. The answer, as far as I can tell, is "it depends on the involved parties (person/church/outsiders)".
Toss into that the fact that the First True and Righteous Church of Turnip which splintered off from the Turnip Religion doesn't recognize any of the Turnipists of TR as true Turnipists and doesn't recognize the Parsnip Religion as a religion at all.