Do some bronies treat MLP like a religion?

[Dattebayo 2,850]

Abc

pony for the pony god

horseshoes for the horseshoes throne

We all burn together

[Phill 1,287]

I don't treat MLP like a religion. It is a religion 

 

As a matter of fact I spend all of my free time going people's houses and doing this https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/8181447680/h74869EB3/

[Kurai 304]

Saying that the term brony mean "Person that is obsessed with mlp" is stupid. All it means is that someone likes the show and/or associates with the fandom,
And would it be soooo bad if it was a actual religion? It would be better then the shit out there now.

 

[Magical Anarchy 177]

I'm not obsessed with MLP enough where it's a religion. It's a great show, but honestly, not SO GOOD where it consumes my life.

[simba86 1,541]

I dont consider it a religion.  it is a tv show that I like and that's about it, something that I enjoy

[Syannax the Changeling 101]

I will only say that the love and tolarance theme runs along the lines of christianity in a way: love and your friends, family, and others; tolorate what they do, tolorate other religions, tolorate everything else.

 

I love the show, but not in a way to call it a religion. Main reason is because i have one already, so it would be pointless for me to adopt another.

pony for the pony godhorseshoes for the horseshoes throne

Btw i would of used something else, like from the upheavel seris. King and Queen of the Enternal Herd.

[Guest90210 3,568]

As for the comparison to a religion, as long as it doesn't involve the worship of a divine being, then it isn't being "treated like a religion". I assume you mean, as you said, "revolving one's life around the show" as religious folks do in regards to their church, God, etc. So I'll address that.

 

Everyone likes different things to different extents. For some, their passion is gaming. Some are absolutely entranced and obsessed with sports. Some spend their days creating stories and drawing, and for some, their favorite thing is ponies. In my opinion, as long as it isn't detrimental to one's (or others) physical and mental well-being, there isn't anything wrong with obsessing or having a deep enjoyment for MLP & the Brony fandom. Some may even make a career out of that passion

Edited June 9, 2014 by Rivendare

[LightningCharm 40]

I dont consider it a religion.  it is a tv show that I like and that's about it, something that I enjoy

 

 

This pretty much sums up my thoughts as well.  It's quality entertainment, and something fun to watch in my spare time.

[LordDiscord 289]

pony for the pony god

horseshoes for the horseshoes throne

ALL HAIL PRINCESS CELESTIA!!!

[Banul 3,831]

Things have different levels of meaning for different people. For me, MLP is just a show that I really like. For others, it's something that has deeply touched and enriched their lives. In both cases, the label of brony applies. A brony is a brony if they consider themselves as such.

 

 

As for treating it like a religion, there's a pretty big thread somewhere around here about that. It wouldn't be the first time people worshipped fictional characters. Zing

[simba86 1,541]

i did hear of at least one brony that was going to make it a religion though

write a bible and go all the way with it

[Sugar Pea 2,682]

Good gosh... I was just asking a simple question! Sorry if I offended somepony. I'm only 14... and this is just based on my observations of the fandom. Watch "Bronies: The Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony" for just a little insight of where I'm coming from (and yes, I enjoyed that documentary - I liked it so much that I watched it twice!)

Ignore the nasty comments.

If you feel that way, that is your opinion. They are your observations, whether people like them or not. That's why it's called an observation. You are observing how you feel about the manner through your own two eyes.

 

Don't sweat it kid. Don't sweat it at all. Feel the way you wish to. Sometimes, I think I see the reason why people are too scared to speak their minds sometime. 

 

 

[Adash 193]

It's not a religion, but you can take the lessons being learned in the show and apply them to your life.

[Nulln 755]

Well I think it's harmless.  If revolving their life around ponies makes them happy, then good for them I say!  Life is short, have fun with it.

[GenderIsAnIllusion 2,177]

The same can be said for

 

Whoovians, Trekkies, Star Wars Geeks, Marvel/Capcom nerds, and literally everything that has a major young adult/teenage fan base....

 

So yeah.

[Cassafrass 249]

@Pegamister

 

I too get obsessed with things... and when I get obsessed, I get obsessed. But that doesn't mean that my whole world revolves around ONLY MLP (not saying all fans do this, but some... it seems may), as I have other fandoms that I'm a part of. I'm a Whovian and Disnerd as well, for example... anyways, not sure what I'm trying to say here, but I just wanted to tell you that. XP

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

I'm sure some people treat the show like a religion, but they're surely in the minority.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

I dunno man, there was that guy who married that plushie. And that other guy who married the octavia plushie. And those 4 or so guys on /mlp/ that tried to off themselves to get to Equestria. I agree that OP is making huge generalizations, and that almost none of the fanbase worships the show. But out there somewhere, in the cold, cold, dark never ending abyss that is the American midwest.......someone prays to MLP and Meghan McCarthy..

 

Yeah and there was also that guy who got married to a Dating Sim personality, life is full of weird people, but I say it's better to embrace such eccentricities as long as they are not harming anypony.

I don't treat MLP like a religion. It is a religion 

 

As a matter of fact I spend all of my free time going people's houses and doing this https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/8181447680/h74869EB3/

 

Your neighbors must loooooove you. 

Things have different levels of meaning for different people. For me, MLP is just a show that I really like. For others, it's something that has deeply touched and enriched their lives. In both cases, the label of brony applies. A brony is a brony if they consider themselves as such.

 

 

As for treating it like a religion, there's a pretty big thread somewhere around here about that. It wouldn't be the first time people worshipped fictional characters. Zing

 

There's a church of Jedi after all. I'm also pretty sure that Haruhi Suzamiya has garnered some followers in Japan. So yeah, fictional properties have been launching grounds for faiths before.

@Pegamister

 

I too get obsessed with things... and when I get obsessed, I get obsessed. But that doesn't mean that my whole world revolves around ONLY MLP (not saying all fans do this, but some... it seems may), as I have other fandoms that I'm a part of. I'm a Whovian and Disnerd as well, for example... anyways, not sure what I'm trying to say here, but I just wanted to tell you that. XP

 

"Disnerd" huh? Never knew we were called that. Meh, I can think of worse things. 

[Undubbed Wubs 93]

...based on my observations of the fandom. Watch "Bronies: The Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony"

 

That was my big problem with that documentary.  It focused too much on fans using the show as an emotional crutch, leading the viewer to conclude that most bronies must be like that.

 

Honestly, I can see why some might see elements of religion in the fandom and think it therefore qualifies as such.  Religion and the fandom both share morals, virtues, and devotion.

[Neon Fire 473]

I agree that some people act like this.  Heck, some people do actually use it as a religion.

 

As for me, I love the show, but that's not the only thing that revolves around me.

[SnipSnap 432]

This does not surprise me a lot. I have seen a lot of people treat MLP as a religion... and in a bad way too, like go against anyone who actually has nothing to do with the show nor the fandom.

 

I absolutely LOVE the show so much, but not so, SO much that it's the one only thing that my life depends on.

[Washougal_Otaku 1,020]

Absolutely.  It's almost as bad as the Pokemon fanbase.

[Wadusher0 30]

Okay, this discussion is going nowhere fast without the help of some definitions.

 

Religion is, fundementally, bribing someone with something you do not possess and cannot prove exists, coupled with threats that something you also cannot prove exists will kill them. For example - a man might come to your house and tell your child that "HE HAS SINNED!" and that he "MUST PLEDGE HIS ALLEIGENCE TO GOD IN ORDER TO BE CURED!!" and that this made up thing called sin will kill him when this is in fact complete nonsense. I have never seen a brony say something like that in my life, therefore I have doubts that one can rationally argue that any of us bronies treat MLP like a religion. This is NOT THE SAME as simply being "obsessed with the show," but I don't think you folks realize that.

 

Now, bronies are just people who enjoy a specific form of entertainment called My Little Pony. Bronies are not priests. Many of those people are very outgoing about their love of the show, and are often in other people's faces about it, but has anyone ever been threatened with eternal torture after they die for not watching or enjoying this show?

 

Obviously everyone is allowed to beleive in things that cannot scientifically exist, but if any brony not only assumed that Equestria was a real place, but thought that it would be a good idea to make someone think that, say, Princess Celestia herself would descend from the skies to rain down fire and destruction on people who don't like the show, he would be laughed out of the country. This is, of course, what I think of when you all say bronies "treat MLP like a religion", which is ridiculous. 

[Steel Accord 6,660]

Okay, this discussion is going nowhere fast without the help of some definitions.

 

Religion is, fundementally, bribing someone with something you do not possess and cannot prove exists, coupled with threats that something you also cannot prove exists will kill them. For example - a man might come to your house and tell your child that "HE HAS SINNED!" and that he "MUST PLEDGE HIS ALLEIGENCE TO GOD IN ORDER TO BE CURED!!" and that this made up thing called sin will kill him when this is in fact complete nonsense. I have never seen a brony say something like that in my life, therefore I have doubts that one can rationally argue that any of us bronies treat MLP like a religion. This is NOT THE SAME as simply being "obsessed with the show," but I don't think you folks realize that.

 

Now, bronies are just people who enjoy a specific form of entertainment called My Little Pony. Bronies are not priests. Many of those people are very outgoing about their love of the show, and are often in other people's faces about it, but has anyone ever been threatened with eternal torture after they die for not watching or enjoying this show?

 

Obviously everyone is allowed to beleive in things that cannot scientifically exist, but if any brony not only assumed that Equestria was a real place, but thought that it would be a good idea to make someone think that, say, Princess Celestia herself would descend from the skies to rain down fire and destruction on people who don't like the show, he would be laughed out of the country. This is, of course, what I think of when you all say bronies "treat MLP like a religion", which is ridiculous.

That is a highly, highly negative bias against religion as a system of thought, so submitting it as a formal definition is just as counter productive.

 

I humbly submit that people further vote on the definition we are using or at least clarify what they mean as "religion."

 

Either:

 

A ) A system of spiritual thought, often focusing on the metaphysical and moral aspects of life.

 

B ) A central subject by which one conducts their life by to a greater degree than is otherwise stipulated for participation.

 

The two are by no means mutually exclusive, but either should be confirmed as what is being discussed.

[Wadusher0 30]

I wouldn't call it either of those, personally. A system of thought is too vague a definition for something like this, and so is a central subject by which one conducts their life. There are many, many systems of thought out there, and just as many central subjects. Science fits those definitions, but religion is not in any way built upon the scientific method.

 

Yes, I may be biased against religion, but thats because I understand that it is immoral, if morality is defined by avoidence of the initiation of force against a person, as was implied to have happened in the above example. We evolved to be biased against that which is destroys us.

 

But if you want a morally neutral definition with very few biases, then we can define a religion as:

 

A ) A system of thought which is not based on reason and evidence, but on the beleif that entities that defy logic exist and control your life.

 

B ) The assumtion that these entities - we know them as Gods - both know and control everything in the universe. This is, in fact, impossible.

 

C ) Building your life around the assumption that Gods will reward you for obedience to your elders and punish you for disobedience. Punishment being why I bring up the use of force.

 

Is that specific and unbiased enough for you?

Edited June 10, 2014 by Wadusher0