You’re probably wondering, given the paucity of information here, what this group is or what it is about. Well, it’s quite simple; I, and no doubt many, many others, have vacillated for many years between agnosticism, atheism, and various forms of spiritualism or organized religion, but are unable to accept or gloss over the obvious contradictions and problems inherent in various doctrines, the Bible, etc.
After a while, I decided that the only thing I could do was “create” my own religion out of my beliefs, and given these beliefs are probably shared by a great many, make a space where they can be discussed and fleshed out.
What do I/we believe?
1.) Evolution is obvious, but the origins of the universe itself are far more murky; we believe there was/is an intelligent creator of the universe.
2.) If that is true, then whomever or whatever this being or deity is, liberated us, so to speak, from the darkness of non-existence into being.
3.) Given the lack of instructions that we have received as human beings from this deity, which we believe exists, the only thing we can rationally do is to liberate humanity and fellow human beings in that same fashion, by fighting for civil rights, the ability of all to have their basic needs met, etc.
4.) If we are wrong, then so be it. We still will have acted morally and helped create a better world. If we are correct as to there being an intelligent creator of the universe, but that creator is one which stands by absurd or ridiculous rules or doctrines and does not care either way for the welfare of human beings, then that deity would be contemptible and not worth praise. In any event, we can’t really go wrong.
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This almost sounds like a inverted version of Pascal’s wager 😊
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal's_wager
Pascal contends that a rational person should adopt a lifestyle consistent with the existence of God and actively strive to believe in God. The reasoning behind this stance lies in the potential outcomes: if God does not exist, the individual incurs only finite losses, potentially sacrificing certain pleasures and luxuries. However, if God does indeed exist, they stand to gain immeasurably, as represented for example by an eternity in Heaven in Abrahamic tradition, while simultaneously avoiding boundless losses associated with an eternity in Hell.
Reminds of The Good Place
😂 It is certainly plausible that Pascal would not have thought of this if he had been born in Florida 😁
Ever heard of the Satanic Temple?
I have, the big difference between us and them would have to be the factor of individualism; I would say that we view it much more negatively, on the whole, but I wouldn’t say that there is any negative opinion towards them or ill will there, just a different way of viewing the world. I’d recommend them over a Christian church, for example, ten out of ten times.
I’m with you on 3 and 4, but 1 and 2 are built on us not knowing something. Evolutionary theory is a pretty recent discovery in the history of humanity. Who’s to say that we won’t make huge laps towards understanding the beginning of the universe over the next century or so? Particularly with the James Webb telescope up in orbit.
You’re totally right, we might, and if that happens, then we will and can adjust. I suppose that’s the good thing of not tying ourselves to an ancient book or figure, etc. Belief and ideology can be adjusted as science permits, without causing any cognitive dissonance or hypocrisy.
