Religion: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:56, 25 March 2024

Religion is belief in god in practice. Those that share a common belief system will express those beliefs in their traditions, rituals and worship practices.

Unfortunately no such traditions exist for those with secular orientation. But since tradition and ritual are integral to culture, it is necessary for metaculture to develop traditions and rituals that can reinforce modern values like freedom, reason, science, equality, etc.

In order to remedy this situation, the first step is to enumerate all of the functions that religion serves in our society and personal psychology, in order that we can find secular analogs for each that can perform the same function, or improve upon them.

Essential Components of Religion

A fully fledged religion needs to have

A god
A creation story
An apocalypse story
Cultural history
A system of ethics
Enforcement of taboos
Rituals to celebrate life's milestones like birth, coming of age, marriage and death
A metanarrative that provides meaning, context, and easy transmission of a culture's most critical beliefs
Legal recognition by the government
Enough followers to not be considered a cult

metaculture should provide all of these things in order to fully serve the social and psychological functions of religion without contradicting the rational, materialistic view of the universe.

metaculture's Core Theology

The following theological beliefs have been lovingly hand-crafted to provide the greatest compatibility with both science and an allegorical reading of scripture, while inspiring wonder and awe in the universe and the oneness of humankind.

Evolution of Religion

Throughout history, the traditions of one culture have been coopted and repurposed by the next. Saturnalia becomes Christmas once the Roman Empire becomes a Christian state. This makes sense from a psychological perspective since it is much easier to redirect an existing habit than to form a new one from nothing.

Christmas has already been coopted again by the god of capitalism, and as such it should be embraced. Rather than being a selfish perversion of the teachings of Jesus, it can be a joyous celebration of all the wonderful stuff that capitalism is so good at producing. This is simply acknowledging the evolution in meaning that the Christmas holiday has already undergone.

And this is the nature of rituals. They evolve and change their meaning with the tide of history. Old traditions become new by taking on new meaning imbued by future generations. Rarely are they simply made up out of whole cloth, and when they are it's more likely to become a cult than a religion.

Religion Videos

There are a lot of videos on religion that could be chosen. Here are some of them.

The Origins of Religion

The History of Religion

The Neuroscience of Spiritual Experiences - Patrick McNamara

The Neuroscience of Spiritual Experiences - Andrew Newberg

Mahavishnu Orchestra - Visions of the Emerald Beyond

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Religion is belief in [[god]] in practice. Those that believe in a [[god]] that has certain qualities will express those beliefs in their [[traditions]], [[rituals]] and worship practices.
+[[File:Religion-Universalism-Pantheism-Coexist-Bahai-Peace.jpg|thumb|Can't we all just get along?]]
+Religion is belief in [[god]] in practice. Those that share a common [[belief system]] will express those beliefs in their [[traditions]], [[rituals]] and worship practices.
-Unfortunately no such [[traditions]] exist for those with [[secular]] orientation. But since [[tradition]] and [[ritual]] are integral to [[culture]], it is necessary for [[metaculture]] to develop [[traditions]] and [[rituals]] that can reinforce modern values like [[freedom]], [[reason]], [[science], [[equality]], etc.
+Unfortunately no such [[traditions]] exist for those with [[secular]] orientation. But since [[tradition]] and [[ritual]] are integral to [[culture]], it is necessary for [[metaculture]] to develop [[traditions]] and [[rituals]] that can reinforce modern values like [[freedom]], [[reason]], [[science]], [[equality]], etc.
-Throughout history, the [[traditions]] of one [[culture]] have been coopted and repurposed by the next. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia Saturnalia] becomes Christmas once the Roman Empire becomes a Christian state. This makes sense from a [[psychological]] perspective since it is much easier to redirect an existing [[habit]] than to form a new one from nothing. Christmas has already been coopted again by the [[god]] of [[capitalism]], and as such it should be embraced. Rather than being a selfish perversion of the teachings of Jesus, it can be a joyous celebration of all the wonderful stuff that [[capitalism]] is so good at producing. This is simply acknowledging the evolution in meaning that the Christmas holiday has already undergone.
+In order to remedy this situation, the first step is to enumerate all of the functions that religion serves in our [[society]] and personal [[psychology]], in order that we can find [[secular]] analogs for each that can perform the same function, or improve upon them.
-And this is the nature of [[rituals]]. They evolve and change their meaning with the tide of history. Old [[traditions]] become new by taking on new meaning imbued by future generations. Rarely are they simply made up out of whole cloth, and when they are it's more likely to become a [[cult]] than a religion.
+== Essential Components of Religion ==
 A fully fledged religion needs to have
-<ul>
+* A [[god]]
-<li>A [[god]]</li>
+* A [[creation]] story
-<li>A [[creation]] story</li>
+* An [[apocalypse]] story
-<li>Cultural [[history]]</li>
+* Cultural [[history]]
-<li>A system of [[ethics]]</li>
+* A system of [[ethics]]
-<li>[[Rituals]] to celebrate [[life]]'s milestones like [[birth]], [[coming of age]], [[marriage]] and [[death]]</li>
+* Enforcement of [[taboos]]
-<li>A narrative that provides [[meaning]], context, and easy transmission of a [[culture]]'s most critical beliefs</li>
+* [[Rituals]] to celebrate [[life]]'s milestones like [[birth]], [[coming of age]], [[marriage]] and [[death]]
-</ul>
+* A [[metanarrative]] that provides [[meaning]], context, and easy transmission of a [[culture]]'s most critical beliefs
+* Legal recognition by the government
+* Enough followers to not be considered a ''cult''
-metaculture should provide all of these things in order to fully serve the social and psychological functions of religion without contradicting the [[rational]], [[materialistic]] view of the [[universe]].
+[[metaculture]] should provide all of these things in order to fully serve the social and [[God Concept|psychological functions of religion]] without contradicting the [[rational]], [[materialistic]] view of the [[universe]].
+== metaculture's Core Theology ==
+The following theological beliefs have been [[Love|lovingly]] hand-crafted to provide the greatest compatibility with both [[science]] and an [[Allegory|allegorical]] reading of [[scripture]], while inspiring [[Wonder|wonder and awe]] in the [[universe]] and the [[Universal in-group|oneness of humankind]].
+* [[God|Definition of god]]
+* [[Pantheism]]
+* [[Universalism]]
+* [[Fractal|The fractal geometry of god]]
+* [[God Concept|The god concept]]
+* [[Sierpinski Trinity]]
+* [[Utilitarian|Morality and Ethics]]
+* [[Dogma|The Dogma of No Dogma]]
+* [[Faith|Faith and Certainty]]
+* [[Creation Story]]
+* [[Afterlife|The Afterlife]]
+* [[Apocalypse Prevention]]
+== Evolution of Religion ==
+Throughout [[history]], the [[traditions]] of one [[culture]] have been coopted and repurposed by the next. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia Saturnalia] becomes Christmas once the Roman Empire becomes a Christian state. This makes sense from a [[psychological]] perspective since it is much easier to redirect an existing [[habit]] than to form a new one from nothing.
+Christmas has already been coopted again by the [[god]] of [[capitalism]], and as such it should be embraced. Rather than being a selfish perversion of the teachings of Jesus, it can be a joyous celebration of all the wonderful stuff that [[capitalism]] is so good at producing. This is simply acknowledging the [[evolution]] in meaning that the Christmas holiday has already undergone.
+And this is the nature of [[rituals]]. They [[evolve]] and change their [[meaning]] with the tide of [[history]]. Old [[traditions]] become new by taking on new meaning imbued by [[future]] generations. Rarely are they simply made up out of whole cloth, and when they are it's more likely to become a [[cult]] than a religion.
+== Religion Videos ==
+There are a lot of videos on religion that could be chosen. Here are some of them.
+{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9mFNgu6Cww||center|The Origins of Religion|frame}}
+<br>
+{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge071m9bGeY||center|The History of Religion|frame}}
+<br>
+{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYjqu09dudo||center|The Neuroscience of Spiritual Experiences - Patrick McNamara|frame}}
+<br>
+{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqgPWx7wGSY||center|The Neuroscience of Spiritual Experiences - Andrew Newberg|frame}}
+<br>
+{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GTWnU_IPdg||center|Mahavishnu Orchestra - Visions of the Emerald Beyond|frame}}