Is "that" label Important?

zenzero said:

Friend Nowhere Man,



The journey is all about removing all the labels, lol!
Then only does one see TRUTH behind those labels!

Love & rgds

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Know your right Zenzero. This is a huge mental challange for most of us. For some the label stills the mind from searching too much or from straying. The mind appears to be more settled with a label, until the day comes when it can dropped like an autumn leaf. Admire your ability to feel satisfied with that.

tumbleweed41 said:

Since most people outside this forum do not even know what a deist is, it gives me a chance to let them know, I have run into quite a few that say "hey, that is kinda what I think, now I have a name for it."
But I only bring it up when asked about my beliefs, or if the conversation is leaning toward theology.

(And it confuses the hell out of the proselytizers who come to my door.)

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Agreed! I keep meaning to put "deist" into a search enginee when I read your posts and find myself nodding in agreement hahaha. But still not sure if deism is the answer of if you add more to your posts than just deism.

Greetings!

Nowhere Man said:

Do you find the designations that you use to identify your religious, and/or philosophical position(s) to be important and or necessary?

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They're sure quicker and easier than having to explain fully every time you answer a question about your affiliation!

So simple names and logos (such as the nine-pointed star we Baha'is use are a wonderful form of shorthand, yes!

Best regards,

Bruce

BruceDLimber said:

Greetings!



They're sure quicker and easier than having to explain fully every time you answer a question about your affiliation!

So simple names and logos (such as the nine-pointed star we Baha'is use are a wonderful form of shorthand, yes!

Best regards,

Bruce

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Good point. But don't you find people say "but whats that?" and "shouldn't you be doing this or not doing that or wearing this or thinking so and so". Isn't it limiting?

I will not forget when I went for Christmas at a friends house and everyone was given present except the Jehova's witness who was also invited. The person giving the present explained to her that they "didn't want to offend her".

Onkarah said:

Good point. But don't you find people say "but whats that?" and "shouldn't you be doing this or not doing that or wearing this or thinking so and so". Isn't it limiting?

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Not in the least!

We're more than happy to converse with others, including about the Faith, and to answer any questions they may have!

Best regards,

Bruce

Nowhere Man said:

Do you find the designations that you use to identify your religious, and/or philosophical position(s) to be important and or necessary?

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Yes and no. I delight in discussion, so clear communication is, of course, important to me. I've also been known to tell people to feel free to label me differently, if they find it more accurate (thinking of me as a pantheist rather than a panentheist, for instance).

It's the ideas that matter, and the efficacy of transmitting them.

Do you at times, discover that using a particular label to be a hindrance due to the obvious limitations that labeling can bring, especially when your view and perspective doesn't happen to always line up in lockstep with what that label represents? What is the best way to deal with this?

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I just developed my own terminology. I got sick of saying "well what I mean by "soul" is..." so I started calling it "rhys."

most people assume that im an atheist/agnostic simply by my appearance, so it dosent much matter if i like the label or not. and that wouldnt bother me if people didnt have an unreal opinion on what an atheist is. but as it is, they tend not to think highly of me based on this.

Storm said:

...It's the ideas that matter, and the efficacy of transmitting them...

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Right on!

I've never been much one for that saying "labels are for shirts", but it's apt here. Think about it: if a size 16 women's shirt said "men's trousers 34-24", would you keep the label on it? Or if you start storing sugar in the jar you used to use for flour...you either have to start putting flour back in that jar, or change what you label the jar. I think it's probably healthier to change your label than your beliefs/soul, though...

Unless everybody agrees on what a label means, it's pretty useless.

Onkarah said:

A question I often consider is my label, or which religion, philosophy I feel most comfortable with.

I do find that there are ideas or rituals in certain religions or philosophy which hinder me. They hinder me because I feel the way I am must change to fit into them if I am going to fully commit to the philosophy or religion. In fact it causes more problems than solutions. I have not yet left or stayed, I find I just keep growing and never find the right one that fits me. I have considered compromise, but that too can only be possible if I can full still benefit fully.

I would be interested in your experiences which make you raise this quesiton.

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Well first off is the reason why I would go out and seek a religious banner in the first place. My answer to that is such banners oftentimes represent the cumulative thoughts and experiences of people who generally think and view things in the same fashion of which a good obvious benefit is that it's a refinement of the many thoughts, perspectives, and experiences that have been brought together over the years which can provide a "tried and true" template to go by based on the trials and errors of others. The downside of it however, and its a big one, is the splitting and factioning (not always hostile) that naturally and expectedely occurs as things progress and change in light of new discoveries and insights. Yet the same banner can be highly frustrating and confusing in way if interpreting its "original" context.

The crux for me then is how does a person deal with this?
My approach for the moment, is to regard the adopted religious label as being general in its premise, and not to be geared towards any specific or uniform idea or beliefs that can will eventually crop up in passing.
-OR-
I can drop entirely usage of any religious labels in the future in way of affiliation and mention (perhaps more truthfully) that my perspectives are heavily influenced by such and such as opposed to being such and such. Much like what Alan Watts did.

Thanks for replying, Nowhere Man.
Could it be as simple as keeping politics out of it? A label is more appealing when it has spontaneity to offer. Don't things turn bitter when politics or oligarchy takes hold?

Katzpur said:

Unless everybody agrees on what a label means, it's pretty useless.

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It seems to me that some people use either disputed labels or disputed definitions to emphasize their "otherness".

I think a disputed label can be used to emphasize a certain take on a position... e.g. Loyalist, Lollard, "neo-_______". Even when their appropriateness is under dispute, they can be used to create positive or negative connotations or associations for the subject of the label.

I only use labels online and even then the labels change as I change, which seems to be constantly.