Spiritual Humanism

[Opsa]

...with croutons!



I suspect that there are more religious scientists and scientific holyfolk that are in agreement than aren't. It's just that controversy yelps the loudest.

I'd like to make demonstrations in the streets that say "Hell yes! We Agree!" and the like, just so people know it's possible to keep an open mind about the unknown.

[Sibling Qwertyuiopasd]

one thing 'bout the UU tenets is that they're likely to change, and are actually under consideration for some editing. might happen at UUA this summer. dunno the details of what would be changed though.

[Opsa]

They should be changed to include the toadfish. 

[Sibling Qwertyuiopasd]

perhaps if we took over the UUA. it's not out of possibility with my plot. but i think we're better off independant. we could do a simmilar thing we did at TOP, be a sub-group. of course, we'd probably be planning to spread away from the UU church at some point.

~Qwerty

[Sibling Chatty]

Goatie Dear, there were some spectacularly sucessful socialistic/communistic societal groups in the Bible. A certain amount of socialistic thinking is alive within the framework of a number of religions, including some of the traditional ones.

Athiesm doesn't HAVE to be a part of the equation, you know. It's limiting to the progress of humankind toward an equitable distribution of the material wealth of society to exclude people of faith as a part of the process.

[goat starer]

Chatty. That is a great answer and merits a hug (100 beckons!).

Interestingly one of the early influences on my politics was an old book from mothers largely Catholic (big C) bookcase called something like Communism Christian and Marxist. I am not sure that you will move me from my position of thinking that capitalism and religion are both examples of woolly thinking but it is certainly true that many christians have well developed concepts of social justice. Credit Unions, Fairtrade movements, Debt Campaigns, Anti War movements etc have largely grown out of the camps of the religious or the socialists (and if I am honest more often from the religious). I am certainly not in the "ban all religion" school of thought as I believe all major religions have played a vital role in developing the ethics and social structures of the world. People should be allowed to believe and express what they like UNLESS doing so is detrimental to the development of our understanding of the world (this was the reason I was drawn to TOP in the first place).

So enjoy the hug and understand I wish you only well. 

[Opsa]

Hee hee, you two are reminding me of Scene 7 from "Life of Brian":

REG:
    Right. You're in. Listen. The only people we hate more than the Romans are the fucking Judean People's Front.
P.F.J.:
    Yeah...
JUDITH:
    Splitters.
P.F.J.:
    Splitters...
FRANCIS:
    And the Judean Popular People's Front.
P.F.J.:
    Yeah. Oh, yeah. Splitters. Splitters...
LORETTA:
    And the People's Front of Judea.
P.F.J.:
    Yeah. Splitters. Splitters...
REG:
    What?
LORETTA:
    The People's Front of Judea. Splitters.
REG:
    We're the People's Front of Judea!
LORETTA:
    Oh. I thought we were the Popular Front.
REG:
    People's Front! C-huh.
FRANCIS:
    Whatever happened to the Popular Front, Reg?
REG:
    He's over there.
P.F.J.:
    Splitter!

[goat starer]

I'm NOT the messiah! Honestly!

[Bluenose]

That's right, you're just a naughty boy!

[Sibling Chatty]

A really whacked religious whack-a-doo I met one time was convinced that Christ would return again to save the world, this time as a woman.

After about 6 months, he was convinced it MIGHT possibly be me.

I helped his family get him a nice 6 month stay at the Padded Wall Hilton.

Not over the me bit, per se, but over the going through my garbage, climbing over the fence into my patio and burning candles on my car...

While I have no problems with a female as sacrifice or saviour, I do have a problem with it being me.

[Opsa]

He burned candles on your CAR?

It would be a pain in the neck to be the second coming. Everyone would compare you with the first one. "That's not the way Jesus did it!" they'd all say as you hung on the cross. Then you'd have to yell "Piss off! I did it my way!" and they'd yell back "That's not the way Sinatra did it!" etc.

I wonder if we aren't too jaded for a messiah at this point in history?

[The Meromorph]

He burned candles on your CAR?

It would be a pain in the neck to be the second coming. Everyone would compare you with the first one. "That's not the way Jesus did it!" they'd all say as you hung on the cross. Then you'd have to yell "Piss off! I did it my way!" and they'd yell back "That's not the way Sinatra did it!" etc.

I wonder if we aren't too jaded for a messiah at this point in history?

Wel, somebody certainly is! 

[Opsa]

Take the Dalai Lama, for instance. If anyone's a messiah, it's him. But do we listen? Not nearly enough.

I guess the problem is politics, really. If a messiah could be heeded by the world leaders, we would have no more war. But messiahs only seem to reach individuals without power. They talk to the common man. What we'd need is someone who could convince those in power to stop acting like self-interested money-marionettes and start making positive steps to improving the world.

Is all I'm saying...

[goat starer]

Only the true messiah denies his divinity!

[Sibling Lambicus the Toluous]

I guess the problem is politics, really. If a messiah could be heeded by the world leaders, we would have no more war. But messiahs only seem to reach individuals without power. They talk to the common man. What we'd need is someone who could convince those in power to stop acting like self-interested money-marionettes and start making positive steps to improving the world.

The trouble is, when someone who comes along who says "you know how I'd change things?", it's not the folks who are profiting from things being the way that are that are the most receptive.