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*1st Post*
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I went to the Terasem website but couldn't find the "religious practices" in question.
I agree with many of the posts here stating, religion and spirituality are not inseparable. Religion is a means of explaining the spiritual. Spirit, I would define as consciousness at a fundamental level. The fact that we can
think at all, or ponder the cosmos remains one of the greatest mysteries man has ever encountered. That said, before the methodology of science, mans' pursuit of answers, desire to control others' actions and thoughts, and a reassurance in a life after this life, were left to fable, mythology, and metaphor. "Faith" is a term used across media and is expected to be revered. By definition however, faith is believing in
something without evidence. In any other facet of your life, having "faith" is never an acceptable
reason for believing one thing over another. The scientific method has brought us technology, modern medicine, it sent man to space, and brought mankind together through the World Wide Web. Evidence is key! What has religion brought us? War over, "my God is better than your God", genital mutilation, the justified rape and torture of women, mass murders, suicide bombings, etc. etc. etc. Christopher Hitchen's famous question to drive this point home; "Think of a moral/righteous act a religious person might do that an atheist could not have done. Now think of an immoral/evil act that a religious person might do that an atheist could not have done."
Again, I couldn't find the practices vog referred but if they only
seemed like (or reminded him) of religious practices on the basis of being traditional, I would like to deter people (for whom don't have extensive religious knowledge) from viewing religions as, simply, traditions. This seems obvious to some degree but as someone who calls himself an "Atheist 2.0" (Google), seeing a list of "traditions" (i.e. "We meet every Sunday at 9 am", "You must wear [color]", "Men cannot wear hats inside", etc.) a
secular organization participates in, may raise red flags. I'm an active member of the Greek fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha, and trust me, there are traditions dating back and unchanged from 1868.
To wrap it up (I know I may have gone off on a
bit of a tangent - I'm sorry, on vyvanse
). When we are faced with a groups' "
[color="#282828"]rituals and other trappings", the question we have to ask ourselves is, "Does this ritual/tradition make ANY claim about the world?" If the answer is "yes" then it is your obligation as a sentient being to delve deeper into the claim and its support or lack-thereof. If the answer is "no" then the gut feeling you're experiencing is simply your uncomfortability with something that is different (a completely natural response). If you answered "no" then I recommend you take a moment and analyze "the why." Why do people participate in this? Why/how does this practice draw in followers and retain a congregation? In this moment you are witnessing religions' most prized attribute: its ability to gather people, tell stories, and move its participants through traditions, rituals, and a general consensus of what is "good" and what is "bad." [/color]