Does your religion, worldview or belief inspires you to perform certain acts or practices on a routine basis? Would you not have performed these acts if you did not hold your current beliefs or worldviews?

Do you know anyone who have been inspired to act in one way or another solely as a result of their religious worldview and can you state precisely which elements of their religious dogma compelled them to act in that way? Would it have been impossible for them to act in this way if it was not for their religion?

Hello Huxley and Happy new year.


Yes my religion causes me to routinely practice certain things. I would not do these things if they did not hold with my beliefs.

But hey, isn't that a obvious thing. Everyone, religious or otherwise, has their behaviour informed to some extent by what they believe.

The man who BELIEVES that the next big industry in the world is going to be in processing Rare Earth Metals will have his behaviour informed by that belief. He might quit his job and go by to college to do a course on Rare Earth Metals.

Pastor AIO:

Hello Huxley and Happy new year.


Yes my religion causes me to routinely practice certain things. I would not do these things if they did not hold with my beliefs.

But hey, isn't that a obvious thing. Everyone, religious or otherwise, has their behaviour informed to some extent by what they believe.

The man who BELIEVES that the next big industry in the world is going to be in processing Rare Earth Metals will have his behaviour informed by that belief. He might quit his job and go by to college to do a course on Rare Earth Metals.

Happy New Year, Pastor.

OK, can you tell us some of the things that you do routinely that are the direct result of your religion? And can you say whether you would not have done these things if it were not for your religion?

Some people are forced into doing certain things by their religion. Paying tithes for example.

Not everyone is generous or charitable at heart. But for many people, giving to the poor is a ceremonial part of their religion.

Doubtless, doing such things ceremonially and without gut feeling is empty and almost valueless in spiritual terms.

For me, as you well know, i do not have a religion: my worldview, other than the fact that i categorize myself as an empirical and intuitive deist, centres around humanism.

This is my belief.

It goes without saying that if i did not have a humanist worldview, i will see no big point in going the extra mile to be charitable to strangers.

Without a doubt therefore, belief does colour behavioural patterns.

Now understand clearly and do not muddle this up: I am not saying that it is not possible for other persons outside my own worldview to be charitable as well: they certainly can. I am saying that what informs MY being charitable is my humanist tendency.

huxley:

Happy New Year, Pastor.

OK, can you tell us some of the things that you do routinely that are the direct result of your religion? And can you say whether you would not have done these things if it were not for your religion?

Huxley, sorry for the delay, yesterday was a tough day. This is a big topic that I'd like to take time with but alas I'm short of time at the moment.

For starters I would say that due to my religious practice I seek to eschew all contrivances from my actions. In other words I try not to do any thing by-force by-force. I believe in a natural flow to events that it is best that I flow with rather than strive against.

na wa for you o, Huxley!

Pastor AIO:

Huxley, sorry for the delay, yesterday was a tough day. This is a big topic that I'd like to take time with but alas I'm short of time at the moment.

For starters I would say that due to my religious practice I seek to eschew all contrivances from my actions. In other words I try not to do any thing by-force by-force. I believe in a natural flow to events that it is best that I flow with rather than strive against.

Hello Pastor AIO,

Sorry - I just did not know what to make of your response above. What do you mean by "I seek to eschew all contrivances from my actions"? Please can you make that more concrete?

Okay, let me put it like this.

Because I believe that there is a natural flow to events in the world,

and I believe that I am also able to act outside of this natural flow (I call it Art, or Artifice),

and in fact I believe that many people act outside or contrary to this natural flow (What I call a contrivance) thus causing all manner of distress for themselves,

I consider it very important that I am aware of the flow, tuned in to it, and act in accord with it.

This is what I mean when I say that I try to eschew all contrivances from my actions.

ps. I am very happy for your line of questions because it introduces a new kind of thread to NL. One that is not about theories and notions, but rather is about practicals, and day to day living.

Sometimes I really tire for the theoretical christianity. And the doctrinal arguments.

@ Pastor. Is this your "worldview" related the alchemy stuff I read the other time? Seems like it

Pastor AIO:

Okay, let me put it like this.

Because I believe that there is a natural flow to events in the world,

and I believe that I am also able to act outside of this natural flow (I call it Art, or Artifice),

and in fact I believe that many people act outside or contrary to this natural flow (What I call a contrivance) thus causing all manner of distress for themselves,

I consider it very important that I am aware of the flow, tuned in to it, and act in accord with it.

This is what I mean when I say that I try to eschew all contrivances from my actions.

OK, assuming such a natural flow exists - what aspects of your day-2-day life are you compelled or guided to do as a direct result of this natural flow. And can you envisage other people not being able to act like you because they do not believe in this natural flow?

Krayola:

@ Pastor. Is this your "worldview" related the alchemy stuff I read the other time? Seems like it

I can see why you'd think so because of my mentioning Art and Artifice. The answer is yes and no. That terminology was just current with the way everyone spoke back then when the Rosarium was written. Actually now I think more about it. Yes, it is related.

Pastor AIO:

I can see why you'd think so because of my mentioning Art and Artifice.  The answer is yes and no.  That terminology was just current with the way everyone spoke back then when the Rosarium was written.  Actually now I think more about it.  Yes, it is related. 

haha. I just remember u said something to the effect nature having it's course, and man being outside of this but can do things in alignment with nature. But u mentioning Art and Artifice triggered the connection.

So those days when I just feel like staying in bed and soaking in my own fart and cookie crumbs, i could actually just be going with the natural flow? 

huxley:

OK, assuming such a natural flow exists - what aspects of your day-2-day life are you compelled or guided to do as a direct result of this natural flow.  And can you envisage other people not being able to act like you because they do not believe in this natural flow?

Well first I need to be tuned in to the Flow.  I find that the best way to do so is to empty my mind of all sorts of hi4lootin thoughts and notions.  plans and schemes, things I wanna do next week, Places I wanna be next year, Things I should have said to that guy that was rude to me, What I shouldn't have said to that girl who wanted to follow me home before I had to open my mouth and blow it.  

I find that if my mind is emptied of all these extraneous thoughts that I am aware of the flow better.  

You don't need to 'believe' in the flow, you just have to be tuned in to it.  I do see people everyday not being in tune with it.  I am often out of tune with it myself.  It is a source of much angst and sense of impotence.  There is an easiness to things and a harmony when you act in accord with it.

Krayola:

haha. I just remember u said something to the effect nature having it's course, and man being outside of this but can do things in alignment with nature. But u mentioning Art and Artifice triggered the connection.

So those days when I just feel like staying in bed and soaking in my own fart and cookie crumbs, i could actually just be going with the natural flow? 

That depends on the source of the feeling to lie in bed soaking in your own fart. The human psyche has many sources for the impulses that it experiences. it is important to be aware of them and to be able to distinguish them.

For many people their contrivances do not feel like contrivances because they have repeated them everyday through the most part of their lives so there is a kind of habitual 'flow' to them, but Habits is not the Flow that I am talking about.

I know what u mean pastor. . . I know exactly what u mean. It's weird, but trust me. . . I understand.

I wonder if anyone has anything else to add to this thread cos I think it is a very useful and interesting topic. It seems Huxley has abandoned it like a baby cast into the evil forest. I would really like to adopt this baby rather than leave it to die from exposure to the elements. I wanna be a kinda Mary Slessor for this thread.

LOL @ Pastor AIO and Krayola

@OP: I live

Davidylan is worried that certain people are no longer contributing to this forum. In his list he included Huxley. This was the last thread that Huxley opened. I suspect that after consulting his textbook on how to attack religion he opened this thread. However it did not take the direction that he hoped, or that the textbook said it would and so he abandoned it. Huxley is not gone, he is just reading up on more way to attack religion and he will be back once he feels he has stocked up on enough ammunition. The opening of this thread it seems was rather premature and so he's had to go back to the drawing board.

I wonder, Is there anything that anyone does due to their religious beliefs that they wouldn't do otherwise?

Some christians say that if they didn't believe in God they would have no morals and they would just go out there and kill people. Do others agree?

Seventh Day adventist take a rest on saturdays. I wonder, if they weren't SDAs would they still take a day out in the week to chill?

Some muslims are prepared to kill themselves in the belief that it will earn them a place in heaven. Do other moslems agree?

For my world-view I want to get a sniper rifle and "off" crooked pastors, that sell people bulls.hit, for as long as I can. I think this is my calling