Build Your Own Religion

Mankind appears to have some deep and perhaps inexplicable need for religion. Unfortunately, existing religions are severely broken. They are historical vestiges of more primitive pre-scientific times. The represent not victory over fear, shame, and guilt, but enslavement to them.

The primitive religions are tools for small groups of men to wield power over large groups. What is needed are tools for individuals to wield power over themselves.

Religion is a powerful force across almost all cultures, and I cannot see that as an accident or an aberration. There is something about religion that is strongly desired by humans -- often more than their own lives. Because of this, I do not see the destruction of religion as a useful strategy for civilizing the human race. Instead, I have come to believe that we must replace the existing pre-scientific barbarous religions with a new religion -- one founded on science and benefiting from all that we as a species have thus far learned about ourselves and our world.

I believe that this new religion should be built upon knowledge gained from physics, astronomy, biology, chemistry, anthropology, psychology, sociology, and all of the other scientific boons which have done so much to improve our lives.

I have many thoughts on this issue, but I am also very much interested in hearing your thoughts. If you were to create your own new religion, what would it look like?

 

I've no thoughts about this..!
go ahead count me in for your thoughts ..!

 

The problem already is new made up religions, Judaism - Christianity - Islam, as examples. They are based on no more than Atheism, which is not a religion?

Perhaps those sciences are inseparable and parcel to the true and living religion and Creator of our origin which is the Garden and are the tools for its understanding.

Those others and Atheism as well that reference the final demise of mankind are predicting no less its destruction as that of their own Creator and indeed the final chapter to their fraudulent quests.

 

There are already known technologies which can make food from light , can drive car from solar light (the car need not cost millions of dollars).
But your government/ heads of science institutes/oil mafias/billionaries are not allowing these technologies to come out in open else who will remain
slave of science or religion ?

How would you take care of the destruction that science caused so far in your new religion ?

Here could be the first few commandments for your religion

1. Thou shall have sex with any consenting entities (does not matter which species or which sex the entity belong to)

2. Thou shall not slap a sexual harrassment case after few years of having sex with mutual consent

 

Instead of building own religion, build your relationship with God. In that way, no religions are needed. Just you and God.

 

As I am my own god, that relationship is pretty solid.

 

very true, and religion is dam good at its job. so the big question why the "small groups" want to change the rules. they want some ordinary joe to do the dirty job. now why the ordinary joe will do the dirty job. mix a potion of religion (or patriotism) and there you go.

the "large groups" get exactly what they deserve.

ancient scientist, sociologist etc had two thing in mind. how to spread their knowledge (ya they had no net) and more importantly how to preserve and pass on the same to the future generations. for that they took refuge in religion, which as usual did a great job. Zeitgeist for example, argue that Christianity (25 december etc etc) is nothing but the pegan astronomical learnings. if you remove the spirituality from Hinduism you will find how those gods, demi-gods and the numerous mythical stories chants the knowledge as acquired my our ancestors, be it in physics, medicine or even sex as a matter of fact.

 

Karen Armstrong strongly disagrees with your "assessment" of the situation.

You sure have a large ego, don't you?

 

Excellent, excellent, post. One of the best post I've ever seen here.

The fact of the matter is, if we're being completely honest here, we can only speculate on the validity of the claims of all the existing religions - rightly or wrongly. However, we can conclusively postulate that religions are shaped and molded by the society of whence they emerged. Hence the reason why religions/doctrines/dogmas (call it what you want) appears to be so region-centric.

Religions are no accident, as you rightly pointed out. There is a psychological yearning in humans to look for something, anything, that can/would provide a crutch against the travails of existence - which explains why oppressed minorities are where religions normally originates from. By denying humanity this crutch, we are merely hastening their demise, at societal/communal/national level.

I believe the religion of science will arrive - it is only a matter of time. I was dumbfounded a couple of years back reading of a study where scientist discovered that neutrinos were observed to be literally leaping in and out of existence - which effectively implies that we are, as well. I was equally struck reading of conjectures on dark energies, an undefined, invisible element that fills over three quarters of the known universe and capable of physically affecting heavenly bodies. That said, I do not believe for a second that it will be a standalone, pure science religion. Elements of existing religions will be incorporated in it, that I am certain. After all, humanity has proven for the past thousand of years that, they will not let go of a good concept. Consider the 'sun god' phenomena - its birthing on the lowest day of winter solstice is a dead giveaway for many leading religious figures.

I am eager to hear your thoughts on the matter.

 

I'd hardly call it an "excellent" post from someone who is a rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth militant Atheist who seems to have a grudge against every single religion in the world not related to him. I'd suggest that you actually read Karen Armstrong's work which I linked to above in my previous post. Too tired to deal with this at the moment, since I am still in the middle of the fast.

 

Thank you for the pointer Awins, I appreciate it. You may be right, but I'd like to make my own opinion on the matter here. However, at the moment I am inclined to disagree - there is a sly air of wit about him with streaks of independent thoughts. And this post, while potentially appearing a little biased, can actually turn into a rather educational one, I believe. Hence my participation, and commendation here.

Btw, I have read Karen Armstrong's book. If you'd like a copy, I would be happy to email you a text file. Just PM me an address. Oh, happy fasting Awins

 

His name is MENJ and he's a radical Muslim activist who has been exposed in the past (on this forum) as an owner of a porn site empire. If you'd like a copy of the evidence, I would be happy to email you a text file. Just PM me an address.

 

Seems that you are pretty intent on repeating a slur that has been dealt with elsewhere. Try again.

 

Thank you for the reply, I do appreciate it although we may have to agree to disagree on the nature of the OP.

 

5 pages worth of evidence to start with over here: http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=1852156&p=14504395#post14504395

 

Already addressed in the forum thread linked to previously, unless someone here is blind or unable to read.

 

Piling lies upon top of other lies doesn't count as "dealing with" an issue in any system with which I am familiar.

Admitting you have a problem, or several, is the first step to recovery.

 

I am making a concerted effort to create threads which have little or nothing to do with the favorite topic around here: Islam.

I am beyond the point where such speculation holds intellectual appeal. Admittedly, I do enjoy history. I just lost about an hour reading up on various texts which did not make it into the Christian bible. However, to move forward on this as a useful project I am defining the limits of this project as only those things which are supported by scientific evidence. I am purposefully excluding faith from my religion as a design decision.

Religions are shaped by the cultures from which they emerge, and at the same time religions shape the cultures over which they obtain power. It would be nice to call this symbiotic, but from the outside it looks more like a parasite which grows to the point that it takes control of the host organism.

I want to get the good (relief from fear, explanation of place in the world, supportive social system) without the bad (imposition of additional fear, imposition of shame, imposition of guilt, destruction of self-esteem, degradation of humanity, senseless dogmatic rules).

In effect, I want to replace Muhammad with Tony Robbins and I want to replace dogma with Digg.

Instead of a canonical holy book which states "this is good; that is bad; this is good; that is bad" I want a body of knowledge which is drawn from all the known sciences and a system of voting where each church member can say "this helped me" or "this did not work for me."

In addition, I want to replace the stark individuality of traditional Atheism with the more warm community environment seen in traditional religions. I want to build Atheistic churches where people meet to listen to lectures on how to achieve happiness, where people go to meet like-minded individuals, and where communities are formed and nurtured. Atheism has failed as a religion because it does not provide comfort and nurture to it's adherents. Atheism, in its current form, has appeal only to the most intellectually and emotionally strong individuals. This will always be a tiny portion of humanity.

I am not going for "standalone", but I am going for pure science. Instead of standing alone, I want to stand with physics, biology, chemistry, anthropology, sociology, and psychology.

I don't see a value in incorporating elements of existing religions which exceeds the monumental risks of doing so, but I do see significant value in incorporating the structure of existing religions. "How to run a religion" is knowledge which has been perfectly over many millennia, it would be foolish to ignore everything that mankind has learned from hundreds of generations of trial and error.

So maybe our holidays will be on the same days as their holidays, but we won't worship a Jewsicle.

But that's my new religion. What about yours?

 

Now every one get educated,Why the
people are thinking about religion.Religion
does not change the relation between
people.Friend is the best example of
this.

 

Ah... but this is an excellent example of just how invasive and pernicious religion is. Consider this quote from the Quran:

Sura 5; Verse 51: O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. They are friends one to another. He among you who taketh them for friends is (one) of them. Lo! Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.​