Designing a New Religion

[Joedjr]

Hi Dream,

Originally Posted by Dream

First, my religion that is no religion has several basic object lessons for people to meditate about that will guide them into a healthy lifestyle!

These "object lessons" are they something you are going to come up with yourself or are they something agreed upon by a group of elders? And if by a group of elders, where are they getting their information from?

Originally Posted by Dream

Secondly, I will make not judging others unfairly a cornerstone of it.

Originally Posted by Dream

Finally, I will place several pleasant and unifying community events in it set on certain days of each year.

Here is sounds like your setting the lemmings up for a trip over the cliff.
Joe

[Tao_Equus]

Originally Posted by Joedjr

Here is sounds like your setting the lemmings up for a trip over the cliff.
Joe

I think you would find Dream the last person to lead people to a brutal end.

[Netti-Netti]

Originally Posted by seattlegal

Perfection also invites in the possibilities of arrogance, Narcissism, and idolatry, which have lead to detrimental results in connection with religion in the past.

This was interesting - as in ironic.

Sacrificial rites and rituals are among the primary features of the major world religions. Sin offerings remind people of G-d dependence and thus underscore the need for humility. Generally speaking, worship serves to invoke G-d's presence and thus fosters a position of humility.

Sacrifices and other forms of of worship are essentially appeals to G-d to do things that humans are unable to do for themselves. They are requests for divine intervention that attest to the inadequacies of the individual being.

Religious ritual is also a way of maintaining social unity in a way that subordinates the individual to the group. Initiation rites in particular can be seen as formalizing an arrangement in which the group is recognized as being more important than the individual. It defines the individual's standing vis a vis the community of faith.

[Joedjr]

Hi Mr. Tao,

Originally Posted by Dream

, I will place several pleasant and unifying community events in it set on certain days of each year.

Originally Posted by Joedjr

Here is sounds like your setting the lemmings up for a trip over the cliff.
Joe

Originally Posted by Tao_Equus

I think you would find Dream the last person to lead people to a brutal end.

Originally Posted by Netti-Netti

Religious ritual is also a way of maintaining social unity in a way that subordinates the individual to the group. Initiation rites in particular can be seen as formalizing an arrangement in which the group is recognized as being more important than the individual. It defines the individual's standing vis a vis the community of faith.

This is by far a more eloquent way to express what I was thinking. Thanks Netti-Netti.
Joe

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by Netti-Netti

This was interesting - as in ironic.

Sacrificial rites and rituals are among the primary features of the major world religions. Sin offerings remind people of G-d dependence and thus underscore the need for humility. Generally speaking, worship serves to invoke G-d's presence and thus fosters a position of humility.

Yes, we humans have developed several means of dealing with a guilty conscience. Where have they gotten us?

Sacrifices and other forms of of worship are essentially appeals to G-d to do things that humans are unable to do for themselves. They are requests for divine intervention that attest to the inadequacies of the individual being.

Does repentance and forgiveness require ritual sacrifice? How about showing mercy instead of demanding sacrifice?

Religious ritual is also a way of maintaining social unity in a way that subordinates the individual to the group. Initiation rites in particular can be seen as formalizing an arrangement in which the group is recognized as being more important than the individual. It defines the individual's standing vis a vis the community of faith.

Like this?

I much prefer this:

[Paladin]

I can't give you any more reps SG but that is soooo right on

[Netti-Netti]

The difference between this
[ ... ...]

and this

[... ...]

may have more to do with the individuals' level of conscious commitment than with a cynical institutional process.

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by Netti-Netti

The difference between this
[ ... ...]

and this

[... ...]

may have more to do with the individuals' level of conscious commitment than with a cynical institutional process.

Commitment? To an Institution?
{Where are those nice young men in their clean white coats?}

[Netti-Netti]

Originally Posted by seattlegal

Commitment? To an Institution?

The body of Christ.

[Tao_Equus]

Originally Posted by Netti-Netti

The body of Christ.

What an utterly meaningless idea.... such talk is what convinces me that to be religious you have to embrace some level of insanity.

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by Netti-Netti

The body of Christ.

Does the Spirit come from the Body, or does the Body come from the Spirit?

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by Tao_Equus

What an utterly meaningless idea.... such talk is what convinces me that to be religious you have to embrace some level of insanity.

Hey, I embrace insanity every time I face PMS. What does that have to do with religion?

[Tao_Equus]

Originally Posted by seattlegal

Hey, I embrace insanity every time I face PMS. What does that have to do with religion?

Would that be Post menstrual syndrome, Pre menstrual syndrome or pre meditated strop?

[Saltmeister]

Originally Posted by Tao_Equus

What an utterly meaningless idea.... such talk is what convinces me that to be religious you have to embrace some level of insanity.

The collective psyche of the Christian community . . .

Oh, by that I'm not talking about insanity, but what he/she meant by "the body of Christ," explaining in as plain as English as I can find. I hope that approaches a level of sanity that would make you feel comfortable.

Yeah it does make me somewhat uncomfortable when people say "body of Christ" because it's not the terminology of the people of today. It makes me think . . . not of a collective psyche, which is what I think it really means (ie. the soul of the community) . . . but arms, legs, a head, brain, heart, liver, eyes, ears and mouth . . . like we're part of a Greater Human Being.

So when is this big baby going to start walking? How long has it been drinking milk? When is it going to start talking properly (and oh boy! What a question to ask)? When is the big baby going to grow up?

Maybe then it'll start sounding more like . . . music to the ears . . .

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by Tao_Equus

Pre menstrual syndrome or pre meditated strop?

Hmm, both are hellish states where you're eager to shed blood...