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Finally a sensible religion?

01-13-2009, 09:36 AM

Greg
Cleveland, OH
Posts: 1

Here’s a philosophical/religious manifesto offered for any Earth beings who may be interested. People of a more traditional religious view may be disappointed in it. It doesn’t contain any invisible fatherly figure in the sky looking down at us. It doesn’t contain any divine orders for a people to invade and slaughter other civilizations. It doesn’t contain the blood of a 2K-year-old scapegoat washing away your sins. It doesn’t contain 71 virgins waiting for any martyrs. (Or is it 72 virgins?) It doesn’t contain any karma or reincarnation. It doesn’t contain any rituals sprinkled with mumbo-jumbo. It doesn’t say you’re not saved or you’re going to an extremely hot climate for eternity if you don’t believe it. It’s just some plain common sense that’s consistent with rationality and scientific knowledge. But it provides a basis for a reasonable sense of meaning in one’s life and a decent ethical system by which to live. What else could be asked of a philosophical or religious system? There’s even something that some could name ‘God’, but it’s not a spiritual gentleman up in the sky – it’s not your father’s god. And it’s just offered in the spirit of Socrates, in that if you agree with it that’s fine, and if you don’t agree with it that’s fine also. You’re not “unsaved” if you’re a non-believer. Manifesto of Pantheistic Naturalism Epistemological 1. Knowledge, which is based on factual evidence and reasoning, is a more reliable basis for forming beliefs than is faith, occurring in the form of holding a belief without a basis in knowledge. This difference in reliability is due to the fact that concepts based on knowledge are confirmable and tend to be amenable to correction if in error, while concepts based on faith are assumptive in nature, and tend to not be amenable to correction if in error. 2. The epistemological principle stated above is fundamental and universally applicable. There is no valid reason for any subject to be considered exempt from it, and any such claim to exemption from it is unfounded. Such claims of exemption, regarding any particular subject, tend to occur when the concepts of that subject are not amenable to reasonable inquiry, confirmation, or correction. 3. Mankind’s explanations of the universe and its phenomena have developed through stages that have progressed from mythological beliefs based on faith, to speculative metaphysical propositions, to positivist principles that are based on careful observation and reasoning, which constitute the most reliable bases for beliefs. 4. Many individuals continue to adhere to mythological or speculative metaphysical beliefs due to the strong influence of learned cultural traditions and the emotive satisfaction provided by those beliefs. Cosmological 5. There exists a natural, dynamic and orderly universe which operates according to certain immutable principles, and which exists in perpetuity both past and future, in one stage of development or another within a cyclical progression; and the attributes of being a dynamic and orderly system come from the inherent nature of the universe itself, instead of from any ulterior source. This orderly system has traditionally been called the Cosmos. 6. The best credible evidence, at the present time, tends to indicate that it is more likely than not that everything which exists is contained within, and is an element of, the natural Cosmos and exists in conformity to its inherent and immutable principles, which are discoverable, through observation and reasoning, as natural laws or relationships. 7. The Cosmos undergoes development, both in its overall form and in its numerous, discernable elements, and this development is consistent with, and caused by, the fundamental principles that determine its dynamic and orderly nature. These fundamental cosmic principles constitute what could be called ‘God’, if anything could be designated by that term. 8. Life, including human life, came into being by the natural, dynamic and orderly processes of the Cosmos, and both life and consciousness are functions of the biological activity of living beings, instead of a supernatural entity that inhabits otherwise inanimate forms. Life and consciousness are integral elements of the natural Cosmos and are products of its development. 9. Human beings which have, through natural development, attained the attributes of consciousness and intelligence, can discover and develop both collective and personal goals in life; and humans are able to find fulfilling meaning in their lives based on knowledge and appreciation of their role in the natural Cosmos and its development. 10. Within the realm of nature, of which humans are a part, the primary goal of all human beings is the full development and application of their potentials – both personal and social – along with the state of well-being and satisfaction which comes from that development and its resulting benefits; and by the development and application of their potentials, human beings are realizing their role in the Cosmos and its development. Ethical 11. Ethical principles originate from the natural, intelligent considerations of human beings; and the proper function of ethical principles is to help guarantee an opportunity for the mutual development and application of each person’s potentials, along with the resulting benefits and condition of well being thereof. These rationally ascertained principles are capable of providing the highest possible standards of mutually beneficial conduct for mankind. 12. The above-enumerated natural principles establish a primary ethical rights principle regarding human interactions, which is that all mature humans should be free, as individuals, to pursue, as they deem appropriate, the development and application of their respective potentials, provided they do not use force or deceit to deny others the full and equal benefit of this principle. 13. The natural condition of mankind’s existence establishes a primary ethical pragmatic principle which is that, due to people’s symbiotic relations with each other, they will achieve the maximum realization of their potentials and well-being if they provide help to each other, as well as helping themselves, and treat each other with mutual respect. This principle realizes its maximum benefit when followed, within a system of reciprocity, by all members of a society. 14. Spiritual, or ethical, justification comes from an individual’s honest commitment to follow the above-stated ethical principles, which are based upon respect for an individual’s fellow human beings. Spiritual salvation, meaning release from ethical liability for a wrongful act, comes from an individual’s admitting his or her ethical errors, offering atonement for them as fully as possible to the injured party, and sincerely rededicating himself or herself to continuing a life of following the above-stated ethical principles. 15. The conditions enumerated above are fully capable of directly establishing spiritual, or ethical, salvation. The occurrence of an innocent third party providing atonement for another individual’s ethical wrong is not necessary for spiritual salvation, and atonement is only meaningful and efficacious, in regard to the person who commits the wrong, if that person offers the atonement, and the offer is directed to the injured person, if possible. 16. The only proper basis for human beings forming political institutions, along with any power of proscription regarding human activities that may be delegated to those institutions, is to further their efforts to guarantee the realization of the above-stated ethical rights principle. Voluntary participation, inspired by a goal of achieving mutual benefit and security, is the proper basis for human beings helping to realize the above-stated ethical pragmatic principle, due to individuals having the right to apply their respective potentials as they deem appropriate.

05-11-2010, 02:59 PM

MrWonder
Medium City, TX
Posts: 204

It's difficult to read the above without some white spacing in there.