Though religions often endeavor to answer the age-old questions of existence and our reason for being, some have evolved into vehicles primarily devoted to extending the ego beyond physical death. This concept of spirit or soul should be considered when developing your religious architecture. Is it important for you to be united with lost friends and loved ones in the afterlife? The mere thought can be comforting and can even evoke tears of joy. On the other hand, the longing of reunion may overwhelm some to the extent that the burdens of their daily lives feel heavier than necessary. What is absolutely not necessary is a personal religion that pains more than comforts. Of course there are plenty of icon wielding and sword swinging adherents that would shout otherwise, but as has been stated at the outset, this book is not intended for them. Besides, they probably never get presents from Santa Claus.
This example of how the soul can exist in the afterlife follows a traditional view, but you could deem that the soul enters some new life in a different world that bears challenges and experiences similar to those we face now; or does the soul go on to some great spiritual journey? Redefining and breaking free from the cobwebs of passed down religions that are still clinging onto you with all their strength may be required.
What about reincarnation? I'd recommend Kim Stanley Robinson's The Years of Rice and Salt for an experiment in that as well as a culture that is based on the black plague wiping out all of western europe, so Buddhist and Islamic religions and cultures dominate.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I've sat back and kinda lurked about on this post for nearly a week now for several reasons; First and foremost, because I have been in awe of the concept of you having this debate to begin with and second and more importantly (my concept of awe with you don't last too long, does it?) I am deeply conflicted about my feelings on religion.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a deeply religious family and that religion played such a huge part in comforting my dad and my mom in their last days that I have a hard time slagging it. It's so deeply ingrained in my Irish Catholic DNA!
That said, I've struggled so hard to find MY identity within the church and it AINT there, kids. I absolutely do believe in a higher power. I find it impossible not to believe in that after being out in the ocean, or seeing a newborn baby. But I also believe that that higher power works hand in hand with science/nature. There is no ONE answer.
Maybe my DIY religion is a different kind of trinity. God/Earth Mother/Science and the struggle they have to find balance.......
Hey, I like it: GEMS!!
GEMS! You should delve deeper!
ReplyDeleteWould anybody mind if I post your responses here on the blog as ANON?
I would consider myself spiritual, but not belonging to any organized religion.
ReplyDeleteLike Pat, I and B were raised Irish Catholic. While I practiced it as a kid, it never really felt quite right to me. There were things I just didn't believe were right the way they were taught.
"Why can't women be priests?" "And if you're a priest you can't get married or anything?" "This Jesus guy was killed and came back to life?! Freaky!"
"Confession?! Um, no thanks!" I actually bailed out and refused to do confession in sunday school.
Later it was the catholic church's position on birth control that made even less sense. I just couldn't get on board.
Judaism and Islam held no attraction for me either, since they came from the same roots. Just the details were different.
Later I studied some buddhism, american indian & eastern philosophies and of course read up on some of the old religions and mythology. Hell, I even did a little reading on Zoroastrianism! Really only the buddhist stuff made any connections with me as far as any of it went. Mindfulness is an important idea in my personal philosophy.
I guess I'm as DIY as they come. I'm still looking....
The way I see it, there is nothing that cannot be explained by the interconnectedness of the GodEarthMotherScientist. Why not take the best parts of a benevolent, All knowing Father, The mother of all and perhaps a very smart.... I dunno, Uncle (if you need a family dynamic).
ReplyDeleteGod and science are NOT mutually exclusive. You just need to understand that the Bible is a sort of guide. The only part that was written in stone were the 10 Commandments! And even then, the Earth Mother can condense that down to ONE: An it harm none, do as you will.
Bible thumping christians who believe that the Earth is only what, 6 thousand years old or some bull, have no clear concept of science.
I cannot say that I am a Wiccan. Like Denis, I have done a lot of reading about different religions over the years and I haven't found the *one* that makes sense to me. Perhaps I should give GEMS a chance.....
At least women can be priests and we have no problems with birth control, gays and we don't want to hear your petty little confessions. I think a lot of my philosophy will to apply the Golden Rule. And if you Screw up, FIX IT.
It's interesting that among the Christians it's the Catholics who believe in evolution and the scientific approach to the possible age of the earth. Popes and priests have said that it all fits perfectly into the genesis story. It seems that the evangelical and literal Christians who do not understand the importance of explaining things via a good yarn cannot quite come to terms with this. I'm sure this phenomenon is spreading back across the globe, but I thing these Christians are predominantly in America. So, "the Church" has actually modernized and become dynamic with some of its thinking in comparison to some of these new, fancy, slick, big-money mega churches of the evangelicals. They all still do have that one idea that seems to be common though...ya know, that Jesus had magical powers. Abracadabra!
ReplyDeleteThe Catholic church does tend to try to keep up in a half-assed way with science, albeit unevely and often in direct contradiction.
ReplyDeleteThe heliocentric model of the catholics was proved to be conclusively wrong and despite some initial ugliness, it was accepted by the church. I think the faith does that out of a need to survive.
Evolution as a divine process? Who knows.
Intelligent design? I'm not so sure. I think the unintelligent designs were exhausted.
ReplyDeleteHumans made in god's image? I had no idea he/she could be so imperfect.
Anyway....
I greatly appriciate the fact that the catholic church acknowleges science. It may give it a big FU as to the conclusions, but the fact that it gives at least lip service to the concept is a huge step forward compared to the vast majority of xtian groups out there. Catholics progressive...who woulda thunk it?
Faith is borne out of the need to survive. To make sense out of the senseless. The need to believe in order in the presence of chaos.
Hope - it's really what faith is built upon. Is giving up on faith giving up on hope? Probably for a lot of people. It explains people not letting go of the irrational. Otherwise you descend into Crumb-like wierdness.
Maybe Lennon got it right in his drug-crazed mind:
"I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together"
We are all together, and we control this moment in time that humans roam the earth. If one assumes there's some all knowing, all powerful god:
Why should we assume that we are so important to him/her that he/she would pay attention to us kneeling in front of him?
If he/she wanted us to be on our knees and sacrifice everything to him, you'd think he/she would make his/her presence known? Or compel us to do so. To me, this is evidence enough that if god exists, she is a high school sophomore.
Why would he/she listen to one of our prayers anyway? Doesn't he have more imporant shit to do with the universe?
I've mentioned this, I'm sure, to most of you, but even if a higher power exists, it's much like my "church of god's science project." Completely hands off.
yeah, don't get me started on the whole Intelligent Design folks. It's an insidious way to sneak religion in to schools under the guise of "noone can prove it so here's a theory that relies on invisible sky pixies" as an equivalent for real science.
ReplyDeleteIf there is something out there I'd have to agree, my wager is on us being a science project. And not one that got an A, either.
Really, if I feel the need to pray to a deity in an extreme circumstance, I think it will go much like that of the learned sage and barbarian, Conan:
"Crom, I have never prayed to you before. I have no tongue for it. No one, not even you, will remember if we were good men or bad. Why we fought, or why we died. All that matters is that two stood against many. That's what's important! Valor pleases you, Crom... so grant me one request. Grant me revenge! And if you do not listen, then to HELL with you!"
You said it, Brother! and that's a fantastic quote!
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