What are the prerequisites for qualifying as a ‘religion’?
Note: The question should not be answered through references of any one particular religion. (i.e. Islam says a religion is a religion because…) Because obviously that would be a biased qualification.
Salaam,
In short, a religion is something you worship, and i suppose worship is something you live for.
Some people may have a religion called football, while others might worship wealth.
regards
A religion is a collection of beliefs and customs, which are meant to satisfy it's followers spiritually and help them lead moral lives.
Usually religions use the idea of one or more supernatural beings called Gods, to give it's tenets an air of unquestionability. The preachers of religions usually link unexplained natural phenomena to God and suggests some really imaginative rituals to go along with the phenomena.
Most religions, over the years, get horribly corrupted by misinterpretations of the initial ideals and become more of a problem than what it solves. People become willing to fight over irrelevant details and this leads to numerous "holy wars" and "fights for truths". Free thinking becomes impossible within the confines of such religions.
The number of religions practised in different parts of the world is clear proof that none of them are true. The only truths one should believe in are the scientifically proved ones.