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What's In It for me? The Practicle Side of Religion.

JustGeorge

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
Heyo said:
This is about religions, not about faith. Specifically it is about religious practice.

What is your religion/church giving to you and what does it expect from you?

Are you expected to wear special clothes, hold to a special diet, refrain from certain activities (other than those that are illegal/socially unaccepted)? What about tithing?

What do you get in return?


Note that this in a discussion forum. If you want to debate some practices, create a thread in a debate section. (In fact, I may do so myself.)
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Required from me? Not much is required. There are things I choose to do, but nothing terrible will become of me if I don't, nor will any offense be taken. Unless I wear shoes in the temple. You gotta take your shoes off at the temple. But who wants to wear shoes, anyways?

But, take the Navaratri fast for example. Its a 9 day fast I do every year(not total fast) during the festival of Navaratri. Its not required, but I enjoy it. I generally feel healthier after it. And, its kinda nice not to mess much with food for 9 days. A break.

As to what I get? An infinite supply of stories, rituals(which I find fun), artwork, traditions, sage advice and practicle :D methods to improve/enrich life(none of which are required, but can be partaken of as one chooses).

My son's in it for the prasad, though. One of his first words. (The food given out from the pujas.)



Nakosis said:
Cheaper food?
You don't live in the US?
In the US markets it seems they have found a way to exploit the vegetarian diet.
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Vinayaka said:
That's because many people don't know how to shop. We know how to shop. Lentils, chick peas,, rice oatmeal are all core to my diet. We buy them dry and bulk at import stores. I can grow veggies in my back yard, but it would be illegal to raise animals there. I never buy veggie burgers or processed vegetarian food, but we make our own.

But yes, capitalism has a way of exploiting nearly everything, and you're most likely right for the vast majority of people.
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Yup, its totally the 'specialty' products that get you on expense. Go without them, and watch your dairy consumption, and its pretty cheap.
 
The Sum of Awe

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Audie said:
Humble and wrong aint the same word
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If you disagree with something I've said then
yu-gi-oh-time-to-duel.gif
 
CharmingOwl

CharmingOwl

Member
In Lavenderism it's more of an occult pro-worker practice or lifestyle than it is a religion. What you gain is what you do for yourself through meditation and supernatural accomplishment. In a way it's almost like cheating because you are getting all this occult knowledge and not very much is expected from you.
 
RestlessSoul

RestlessSoul

Well-Known Member
Audie said:
No doubt there are dentists who feel they
are honest, etc. Even some religionists too
So?

I know a few atheists who need their delusions,
or think they do. Take my Uncle, late of the
Red Guard. He did some bad xxxx!
I don't know if he is remotely capable of
accepting the evil of Mao, but he shows
no sign of it. Comfortable narrative is safer.

Atheists, though, do not as a whole, glory
in and find a highest virtue is self deception.
Comfortable narrative that brings peace
and comfort

That's a religionist thing. It's what
religion is for.

Your "isn't that something we all do?" ?

No, it isnt.
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The prejudices you hold against religious people is just your own narrative framing your perceptions. This story you tell yourself, that as an atheist you eschew self deception, is simply that; a story, in which you cast yourself as superior to others.
 
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Audie

Audie

Veteran Member
RestlessSoul said:
The prejudices you hold against religious people is just your own narrative framing your perceptions. This story you tell yourself, that as an atheist you eschew self deception, is simply that; a story, in which you cast yourself as superior to others. Only you know why you have this need to feel superior, but I suspect you know it is not deserved, and that’s why you cling to it. A genuinely self assured person wears their wit and wisdom more lightly than that.
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A person with something worth saying
generally does not need to make things
up, though you do in claims against me
personally in lieu of countering
the ideas I expressed.

Quite the combo.

As for "eschew (try to avoid) self deception",
it's a remarkable andmissionon
your part that you do not even try!
But while it demonstrates what I said
It still puzzles me that anyone chooses
to fool themselves-as in the list of claims
against me you made up and choose to believe.


Nobody always succeeds in avoiding
all self deception- as I was at pains to
say ( you missed that in your rush to attack?),
but my observation about religious people,
that they tend to make a virtue of self deception,
stands not just unassailed, but further
demonstrated in your post.
 
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Secret Chief

Secret Chief

nirvana is samsara
Heyo said:
Specifically it is about religious practice.
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Ok...I think...

Heyo said:
What is your religion/church giving to you and what does it expect from you?
Click to expand...

Giving and taking? :shrug:

My religion is I suppose a vehicle for worldview and personal psychology/behaviour. Nothing is expected of me.

Heyo said:
Are you expected to wear special clothes
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Nope. I'm not a monk. ;)

Heyo said:
hold to a special diet
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Nope. The precept about refraining from killing is I think a common reason those in the Mahayana tradition are vegetarian/vegan. But then the Buddha supposedly ate meat so what does he know?!

Heyo said:
refrain from certain activities (other than those that are illegal/socially unaccepted)?
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The precepts and eightfold path are not rules enforced with a wagging finger. "Socially unaccepted" can of course vary according to country, but I suppose the best example is the precept to refrain from intoxicants.

Heyo said:
What about tithing?
Click to expand...

Nope.

Heyo said:
What do you get in return?
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I "get"? I don't think I really view this all as some kind of bargain, deal or exchange. It's not like a gym membership. :D
 
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