Is Community a Part of Your Belief or Faith?

[SalixIncendium]

I've been told that many seek community as a part of their beliefs or faith (or even lack thereof).

Why is community necessary for one's personal beliefs? Is it because humans tend to be social creatures and feel the need to have other believe as they do? Is it because those that do need others to corroborate their beliefs? Is it something else?

I ask because my worldview requires no community. It is based on my own personal experiences and does not require another to have a worldview similar to mine. While it's interesting to see others that have had similar experiences, knowledge of their worldview isn't integral to support mine. Even having been raised in a community based religion, I never saw the need for community to support belief.

Help me to understand why this is needed in some belief structures.

 

[Rival]

If I sought community I've failed horribly. This is the loneliest faith ever.

 

[bobhikes]

I've been told that many seek community as a part of their beliefs or faith (or even lack thereof).

Why is community necessary for one's personal beliefs? Is it because humans tend to be social creatures and feel the need to have other believe as they do? Is it because those that do need others to corroborate their beliefs? Is it something else?

I ask because my worldview requires no community. It is based on my own personal experiences and does not require another to have a worldview similar to mine. While it's interesting to see others that have had similar experiences, knowledge of their worldview isn't integral to support mine. Even having been raised in a community based religion, I never saw the need for community to support belief.

Help me to understand why this is needed in some belief structures.

I have a theory that all human discord comes from our internal fight of wanting our own individuality and our need for community. You say that your worldview requires no community but that is impossible. Unless you grow and cook your own food, build your own house, doctor your own sickness and wounds...etc. You have to deal with the rules of community to some extent. You are on the internet so you are dealing on some level with community.

Each of us being individuals have different amount of needs while I am comfortable with my individuality I have a high need for community. You seem to be comfortable with your dealing with community but have a high individuality need. That's just as we are no two of us the same.

 

[Marcion]

A number of special practices such as dharma chakra (weekly collective meditation), akhanda kiirtana ("never-ending" kiirtan), collective meditation retreats and collective seva (selfless service) cannot be enjoyed outside my community and have a special meaning to me.

But more importantly my tantra-yoga practices (not a so-called 'faith' or 'belief') require service to God or the highest Self in the form of beings in need which involves active social involvement with society and not the life of a renunciate recluse.

 

[Rival]

You say that your worldview requires no community but that is impossible. Unless you grow and cook your own food, build your own house, doctor your own sickness and wounds...

These things are not part of a worldview, that's a way of life.

 

[ChristineM]

I've been told that many seek community as a part of their beliefs or faith (or even lack thereof).

Why is community necessary for one's personal beliefs? Is it because humans tend to be social creatures and feel the need to have other believe as they do? Is it because those that do need others to corroborate their beliefs? Is it something else?

I ask because my worldview requires no community. It is based on my own personal experiences and does not require another to have a worldview similar to mine. While it's interesting to see others that have had similar experiences, knowledge of their worldview isn't integral to support mine. Even having been raised in a community based religion, I never saw the need for community to support belief.

Help me to understand why this is needed in some belief structures.

I dont believe community is necessarily a function of faith but it is a feature of a high percentage of the animal kingdom, including the human animal.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I've been told that many seek community as a part of their beliefs or faith (or even lack thereof).

Why is community necessary for one's personal beliefs? Is it because humans tend to be social creatures and feel the need to have other believe as they do? Is it because those that do need others to corroborate their beliefs? Is it something else?

I ask because my worldview requires no community. It is based on my own personal experiences and does not require another to have a worldview similar to mine. While it's interesting to see others that have had similar experiences, knowledge of their worldview isn't integral to support mine. Even having been raised in a community based religion, I never saw the need for community to support belief.

Help me to understand why this is needed in some belief structures.

I only know Catholicism. My belief doesn't require a community but it's ideal that we listen to Dharma talks with The Monks and at least a couple retreats but none are required. It's personal choice. With art, I wish I had people of like minds to bounce things off of. Working on it.

Catholicism requires community. The purpose is that christ taught there was One Body of Christ. There is one unit of brothers and sisters worshiping christ father in the name of his son. When you sin, you harm the community. So, confession makes it right to self, others, and Church. Community, by its nature, supports each person's spiritual growth.

There is nothing bad or less spiritual in a community than individually. Some people feel spirituality, like a family, is a union with humanity working together to better the whole. No one can save the world individually only collectively. So, it depends on how you want to help others and self. It's a preference not one or the other.

 

[Dawnofhope]

I've been told that many seek community as a part of their beliefs or faith (or even lack thereof).

Why is community necessary for one's personal beliefs? Is it because humans tend to be social creatures and feel the need to have other believe as they do? Is it because those that do need others to corroborate their beliefs? Is it something else?

I ask because my worldview requires no community. It is based on my own personal experiences and does not require another to have a worldview similar to mine. While it's interesting to see others that have had similar experiences, knowledge of their worldview isn't integral to support mine. Even having been raised in a community based religion, I never saw the need for community to support belief.

Help me to understand why this is needed in some belief structures.

I think its important to acknowledge we're not all the same, but as humans we're fundamentally social beings.

My faith is rather ambitious. It has as at its centre a God who is concerned for all humanity and wants to enable and empower us all to become the best we can be. As I understand Him He is the same God who inspired and touch every living being and is both part of every atom in existence yet transcendant above it. That same God from time to time with the decline of righteousness in the world and the rise of darkness, manifests Himself to bring forth the light and push back the darkness.

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.
BG 4:7

The desire to pray, study and work together for the better of all is a strong motivation personally and one the I know pleases the Supreme Being and His part of His plan.

 

[bobhikes]

These things are not part of a worldview, that's a way of life.

If one way of life is not part of ones worldview surviving would be quite hard.

 

[Rival]

If one way of life is not part of ones worldview surviving would be quite hard.

I think you are misunderstanding here. My worldview is, there is G-d, He gave me Laws to follow. This does not require a community. It requires me and a belief, my way of seeing the world.

 

[Flankerl]

If I sought community I've failed horribly. This is the loneliest faith ever.

You need to hang with more Jews.

 

[Rival]

You need to hang with more Jews.

I live in a small village in a rural shire. Yorkshire! Most of the Jewish places are down south and even the most local one I can't afford to go to Really banking on finding work soon and leaving.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

I've been told that many seek community as a part of their beliefs or faith (or even lack thereof).

Why is community necessary for one's personal beliefs? Is it because humans tend to be social creatures and feel the need to have other believe as they do? Is it because those that do need others to corroborate their beliefs? Is it something else?

I ask because my worldview requires no community. It is based on my own personal experiences and does not require another to have a worldview similar to mine. While it's interesting to see others that have had similar experiences, knowledge of their worldview isn't integral to support mine. Even having been raised in a community based religion, I never saw the need for community to support belief.

Help me to understand why this is needed in some belief structures.

Just from my own observation I believe community is essential to any faith. I believe community substantiates belief because likeness fortifies the individual’s thought and belief structure.

 

[Quintessence]

What do we mean by community?

I do not believe there is such a thing as opting out of community. It is there whether or not we acknowledge it (and often we do not). This is what community means to me:

• A community is a group of interdependent organisms living together in a particular habitat

Yes, I'm an ecologist, so my baseline understanding of community isn't anthropocentric. From this standpoint, community is necessary because.... well... there is no you without the community in the first place. In fact, a major component of religions are teachings for properly navigating relationships between yourself and other members of the community (whether you consider them part of "your" community or not). Like it or not, your own personal experiences never happen in isolation and community supports your existence - including your beliefs. Estis, ergo sum - you are, therefore I am.

I had some other stuff written after this. It seemed unnecessary, so I deleted it. It suffices to say that if we believe we don't have a community, it behooves us to take a closer look. It's there. And we can cultivate a more mindful relationship with that community when we notice it.

 

[Flankerl]

I live in a small village in a rural shire. Yorkshire! Most of the Jewish places are down south and even the most local one I can't afford to go to Really banking on finding work soon and leaving.

Good luck Rival!

 

[David T]

I've been told that many seek community as a part of their beliefs or faith (or even lack thereof).

Why is community necessary for one's personal beliefs? Is it because humans tend to be social creatures and feel the need to have other believe as they do? Is it because those that do need others to corroborate their beliefs? Is it something else?

I ask because my worldview requires no community. It is based on my own personal experiences and does not require another to have a worldview similar to mine. While it's interesting to see others that have had similar experiences, knowledge of their worldview isn't integral to support mine. Even having been raised in a community based religion, I never saw the need for community to support belief.

Help me to understand why this is needed in some belief structures.

Different folks. I say know yourself and go for it.

 

[bobhikes]

I think you are misunderstanding here. My worldview is, there is G-d, He gave me Laws to follow. This does not require a community. It requires me and a belief, my way of seeing the world.

A worldview of there is a god still requires community unless your god requires you to be a self sheltered monk. You are online and debating another human. You are doing so for a reason perhaps it is just enjoyment and not a requirement of your god but your god allows for enjoyment and that enjoyment comes from community.

 

[Rival]

A worldview of there is a god still requires community unless your god requires you to be a self sheltered monk.

Can you believe in G-d on a desert island?

There you go.

 

[sojourner]

These things are not part of a worldview, that's a way of life.

If your world view does not include a way of living, it’s an incomplete world view.

 

[sojourner]

I think you are misunderstanding here. My worldview is, there is G-d, He gave me Laws to follow. This does not require a community. It requires me and a belief, my way of seeing the world.

Is your world no larger than you?