Exaltist Ethan
Bridging the Gap Between Believers and Skeptics
This is going to be a different type of thread.
When I created the idea of Exaltism, I thought it was novel, new, fresh, until I realized that many religions incorporate their own exaltist attitudes and some religions, specifically those of the transhumanist origin - Syntheism, Terasem, Earthseed, to name just a few, not only incorporate it into their religion, but their driving force and main point is focused directly on the exaltation of nature. Teilhard popularized it over 50 years ago into the Catholic tradition, incorporating a striking Christian element to it that I've adapted partially into my own practice.
So, this question isn't to ask what is IN religion, but more specifically, what is left out. With thousands of traditions worldwide and an idea of divinity that is different for each and every individual, is every idea that could possibly be already been taken? I get that more people will be created, new religions will emerge from that and new ideas will constantly spread forth from that. But, be honest with me - can you name an idea that hasn't already been taken from by some religion, whether it be from an established religion or a new religious movement?
My problem wasn't that there wasn't religions that espouse my beliefs - there's plenty of them now that I've properly looked for them, it's that the movement is very splintered and the collective whole of religious and spiritual transhumanists worldwide is probably about ten thousand people altogether. And just like the Baha'i Faith you can find them in almost any country, so there isn't a focal point I can focus on. Many spiritual transhumanists are online, and I've met a considerable amount of them, both as leaders and followers.
I get the fact that much of religion is made up and people can make stuff up like an elaborate lore they claim is true. But they're going to have to incorporate some ideas from some religions that already exist to build some foundation, a base, for their ideas. @Eddi came with up a really new and novel idea by basically adopting the idea of The Matrix into a religion. He's now a Christian Methodist and no longer believes the same. But I've been searching for new and unique religions with different ideas and his idea seemed to me to be the most novel that I have come across - although I don't and have never believed in it.
Religion is an old idea that seems to have been replaced by secularism. People no longer fear religious law but now fear breaking political law instead, because there's consequences to doing so. Almost every institution that religion once held is now being replaced by technology and the scientific method. Religious and spiritual transhumanism tends to take that evolving technology and claim that some part of that is divine. And there's at least half a dozen movements that firmly believe in something like this, ones that I've come across anyway. They are all very similar but use different language to express the same sentiments.
TL;DR - Is there a religious or spiritual idea out there that hasn't already been taken? Are the agnostics right by saying that humans don't or can't understand the true meanings behind God, the afterlife and the meaning of life? Is it possible that all current religions are incorrect and an idea in the future will create the correct religion? Do you ever feel like your spiritual concepts don't have a religion to call home and you end up drifting towards non-creedal religions despite having a personal credo?
According to Wikipedia there are 4,200 religions. With that number of religions, is it still possible to create a new and novel idea? Let us know what you think below.
When I created the idea of Exaltism, I thought it was novel, new, fresh, until I realized that many religions incorporate their own exaltist attitudes and some religions, specifically those of the transhumanist origin - Syntheism, Terasem, Earthseed, to name just a few, not only incorporate it into their religion, but their driving force and main point is focused directly on the exaltation of nature. Teilhard popularized it over 50 years ago into the Catholic tradition, incorporating a striking Christian element to it that I've adapted partially into my own practice.
So, this question isn't to ask what is IN religion, but more specifically, what is left out. With thousands of traditions worldwide and an idea of divinity that is different for each and every individual, is every idea that could possibly be already been taken? I get that more people will be created, new religions will emerge from that and new ideas will constantly spread forth from that. But, be honest with me - can you name an idea that hasn't already been taken from by some religion, whether it be from an established religion or a new religious movement?
My problem wasn't that there wasn't religions that espouse my beliefs - there's plenty of them now that I've properly looked for them, it's that the movement is very splintered and the collective whole of religious and spiritual transhumanists worldwide is probably about ten thousand people altogether. And just like the Baha'i Faith you can find them in almost any country, so there isn't a focal point I can focus on. Many spiritual transhumanists are online, and I've met a considerable amount of them, both as leaders and followers.
I get the fact that much of religion is made up and people can make stuff up like an elaborate lore they claim is true. But they're going to have to incorporate some ideas from some religions that already exist to build some foundation, a base, for their ideas. @Eddi came with up a really new and novel idea by basically adopting the idea of The Matrix into a religion. He's now a Christian Methodist and no longer believes the same. But I've been searching for new and unique religions with different ideas and his idea seemed to me to be the most novel that I have come across - although I don't and have never believed in it.
Religion is an old idea that seems to have been replaced by secularism. People no longer fear religious law but now fear breaking political law instead, because there's consequences to doing so. Almost every institution that religion once held is now being replaced by technology and the scientific method. Religious and spiritual transhumanism tends to take that evolving technology and claim that some part of that is divine. And there's at least half a dozen movements that firmly believe in something like this, ones that I've come across anyway. They are all very similar but use different language to express the same sentiments.
TL;DR - Is there a religious or spiritual idea out there that hasn't already been taken? Are the agnostics right by saying that humans don't or can't understand the true meanings behind God, the afterlife and the meaning of life? Is it possible that all current religions are incorrect and an idea in the future will create the correct religion? Do you ever feel like your spiritual concepts don't have a religion to call home and you end up drifting towards non-creedal religions despite having a personal credo?
According to Wikipedia there are 4,200 religions. With that number of religions, is it still possible to create a new and novel idea? Let us know what you think below.
