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Create your own religion?

Synarch

Once Was
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Oct 14, 2008
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Let's pretend the world is in turmoil. No one knows what to do. People are suffering, rudderless and looking for guidance. Due to your unique point of view on the whole of Creation, you come up with your own religion to unite your people.

What does it consist of? What are your ideas? What are your rules? What do you pass down from generation to generation? What is your revelation?

Be as lengthy or brief as you like.
 

Fiver

New member
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In my religion its a sin to say, "Everything happens for a reason."
 

metaphours

cast shadows
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Assuming the setting is a post-apocalyptic world, I'll take great freedom with this.

My religion would have no name, it would simply be referred to as "the faith." Our creation story would be that eons ago, the universe was sprung from the navel of a large baby that is perpetually floating through time and space. The universe resembles a small marble that is attached to the baby's navel by an umbilical cord.

The faith also states that all of the universe's previous prophets (Jesus, Mohammed, Abraham, etc) were all sent by the floating baby to give the Universians a cause.

The only explicit rule that would be stated in "the faith" would be the golden rule (e.g. "do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.")

Our form of prayer would be simple meditation which is to be practiced once a day for atleast 10 minutes, however it's not compulsory.

Our ideals would consist of extreme praise of one's and others' gifts and using them to the fullest of your ability.
 

poppy

triple nerd score
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Oh this is fun!

After 15 minutes of thinking about it I have determined that it is also hard.

I'll come back to this. :doh:
 

Synarch

Once Was
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My religion:

1. Stewardship and respect for Life. Life has intrinsic value. Each adherent should be required to live for one month in the wilderness when they finish high school. This is a rite of passage into adulthood. This is also when you receive your adult name.

2. Belief in good conduct and positive thinking. One chooses whether to live in a positive or negative fashion, so the goal is to encourage positive thinking and joyful exercise of life.

3. Agnostic with respect to the after life. But, death confers meaning and is therefore worthy of deeper consideration as something sublime and mysterious. No prescribed burial practices.

4. Remembrance of ancestors and loved ones. This strengthens family bonds and anchors identity.

6. Worship rituals are essentially enormous potlucks held at dusk until everyone goes home. They are lit with bonfires in large fields or forests. Somewhere in Nature.

7. Marriage is for the purpose of beginning a family. Premarital fooling around is not controlled, but marriage is strongly encouraged. Divorce is discouraged but not prohibited.

8. Drunkenness and substance abuse is frowned upon. Healthy living without the use of mood altering substances is encouraged. Each person is required to take good care of their body.

9. The poor, weak, infirm, elder, and young are protected.
 

Halla74

Artisan Conquerer
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Let's pretend the world is in turmoil. No one knows what to do. People are suffering, rudderless and looking for guidance. Due to your unique point of view on the whole of Creation, you come up with your own religion to unite your people.

What does it consist of? What are your ideas? What are your rules? What do you pass down from generation to generation? What is your revelation?

Be as lengthy or brief as you like.

You bastard.
You post this when I am finishing a term paper.
BURN! :devil:
 

Fiver

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^Exactly. A longer, drawn out version of my religion.

Can you add something about Rivers and Laughing?
 

Halla74

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Better get back to work. :)

I'll be back...

arnold.jpg
 

poppy

triple nerd score
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After much deliberation on what the point of religion is, at least in my mind, I have determined that it is: to give structure to society, to explain natural phenomenon, and to give people hope.

It would be based on the principles of order, filial respect (which extends into respect for life), simplicity in lifestyle, and scientific truth. The creation of and occurrences within universe will be explained in terms of physics, with the promise that through living righteously (in accordance with the above principles) the meaning of life (unique to each individual) will be revealed to them during their own lifetime. People will be encouraged to help each other find their own truths. Immorality as defined by the principals (chaos, disrespect for life, greed, deceit) is considered to reflect poorly upon the community.

And it'll be called...umm...Vanguardism.

(also, sign me up for those potlucks, Synarch)
 

Athenian200

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1. I would put in the Scientific Method as a method of deriving truth.

2. I would also make mention of the principle of Duality both in nature, and as an artifact in human perception. Consequently, I would point out that balance is usually much more desirable than extremes.

3. I'd include most of Aristotle's "Nichomachean Ethics" as a set of moral guidelines, partially to emphasize the value of order and the undesirability of extremes.

4. I'd mention that slavery was undesirable, and that the mind should be considered more relevant than the body, such that judging a conscious being by physical characteristics (such as gender or race) rather than their mental or moral qualities would be considered unethical and shallow for most purposes.

5. I'd have an interesting theory for creation. I would say that on some level, we all (unknowingly) willed ourselves into existence in this form from a lower state of being, perhaps an animal or vegetable one. Our current goal is to eventually ascend to a yet higher form of being that may or may not exist yet. Our ultimate goal is the unity and perfection of all existence.

6. I would also include the idea that all life is somehow connected, such that when we die, the consciousness of all beings returns to a "pool," and decides whether or not the trek they've started on is worth continuing considering what they've become, or whether they've messed up their goal so badly that they should release their energy back into the pool, thus dividing themselves back into the smallest fragments of awareness/being, wiping out their consciousness, and starting over again as several "new" beings.

So, what do you think? Interesting? I suppose I'd call it Accelerism.
 

poppy

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^That is interesting, especially the last point, which is like a new spin on reincarnation that I find strangely agreeable. I don't really know anything about Aristotle's "Nichomachean Ethics", so I can't comment there.

I'm curious though, because you mention that it is unethical to judge based on physical characteristics, whether your belief system encourages a totally spiritual/mental view of evolution (as in becoming an intellectually advanced and more spiritual species) or whether you would also strive for physical improvement within the species (not necessarily Eugenics...but something like that)?
 

Amargith

Hotel California
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I'd keep my own religion and use that. Nature will be very important to provide food and survive, so it would only stand to reason, imo.
 

Athenian200

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^That is interesting, especially the last point, which is like a new spin on reincarnation that I find strangely agreeable. I don't really know anything about Aristotle's "Nichomachean Ethics", so I can't comment there.

I'm curious though, because you mention that it is unethical to judge based on physical characteristics, whether your belief system encourages a totally spiritual/mental view of evolution (as in becoming an intellectually advanced and more spiritual species) or whether you would also strive for physical improvement within the species (not necessarily Eugenics...but something like that)?

Well, I suppose we could strive for physical improvements that directly led to mental improvements, but we wouldn't be focused on the physical. The primary goal would be becoming an intellectually advanced and more spiritual species, though.
 

ajblaise

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I really like secular humanism, so I'd basically take it and rename it after myself, and then re-model society after it.


Its tenets are mostly antithetical to religion:

Need to test beliefs – A conviction that dogmas, ideologies and traditions, whether religious, political or social, must be weighed and tested by each individual and not simply accepted on faith.

Reason, evidence, scientific method – A commitment to the use of critical reason, factual evidence and scientific methods of inquiry, rather than faith and mysticism, in seeking solutions to human problems and answers to important human questions.

Fulfillment, growth, creativity – A primary concern with fulfillment, growth and creativity for both the individual and humankind in general.

Search for truth – A constant search for objective truth, with the understanding that new knowledge and experience constantly alter our imperfect perception of it.

This life
– A concern for this life and a commitment to making it meaningful through better understanding of ourselves, our history, our intellectual and artistic achievements, and the outlooks of those who differ from us.

Ethics – A search for viable individual, social and political principles of ethical conduct, judging them on their ability to enhance human well-being and individual responsibility.

Building a better world – A conviction that with reason, an open exchange of ideas, good will, and tolerance, progress can be made in building a better world for ourselves and our children.
 

BlueScreen

Fail 2.0
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Let's pretend the world is in turmoil. No one knows what to do. People are suffering, rudderless and looking for guidance. Due to your unique point of view on the whole of Creation, you come up with your own religion to unite your people.

What does it consist of? What are your ideas? What are your rules? What do you pass down from generation to generation? What is your revelation?

Be as lengthy or brief as you like.

I just had the same idea, then saw there is a thread on it.

Except my version was: Religions have things which appeal to certain people, but I'm sure we can do better. Create a not-too-ridiculous better religion which you would enjoy the beliefs of more, and would seem more like an ideal scenario.
 

r.a

meat popsicle
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Jul 4, 2009
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496
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this is assuming that religion would be necessary after the collapse...

one idea for this new religion would be based on the abandonment of previous belief systems, basing the most important part of the mythology on the now, going in depth on different forms of astrology and personal archetypes (so people can better figure out their individual role in this new society) and the advancement of the siddhis (merkabah's and such).

influence wise, there will be psychology mixed with buddhism mixed with sufism, tantra, bahai, qabalah, jainism, holographic theory, yoga and shamanism.

the arts will be very important as well as survivalism and science (including alot of quantum theory). like mormanism, there will be no priests but there will be personal testaments from other members as far as preaching the word goes.

the creation myth would be based loosely on egyption creationism with starseed theory mixed with some luciferian rebellion (not as a scare tactic) and heavy importance placed on sacred geometry. creation will center on the individual being the creator above all and everything around them being their manifestation and projection. "God" is First Source, and we are striving to be better sovereign-god-entities.

revelation would be open ended, with multiple realities able to unfold and the true outcome depending on the will of the collective conscious.
 

Blank

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I would make a religion based upon self improvement so that all members of my "religion" could become healthy, balanced individuals. The tenets of my religion would be based on the platinum rule (treat others how they would like to be treated + treat others how you would like to be treated.) The ultimate goal of the religion would be to produce members who are tolerant, comfortable with themselves, and willing to "mentor" less balanced members.

Members would have a list of realistic personal goals they would like to accomplish, and work on a daily task of meeting their goals. They would write down their fears and would work to overcome them. Members would state what they dislike about themselves and their lives as well as what they like about themselves and their lives and work to improve their strengths and weaknesses, but increase their acceptance as well.

Goals would be kept note of relatively consistently and things that need to change or be worked on would be consistently updated until a person has completed their goals or become self-actualized.

That's the gist of it, anyway, I guess.
 
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