Morse
To Extinguish
Alright, I've finally gotten around to posting what I personally believe. But before I do, I would like to give the readers a disclaimer.
Disclaimer: Do not adopt these beliefs for yourself after reading this, I know that a vast majority of RFers will either be unswayed in their faith by what I say, or know that they need to follow their own path.
I encourage every person to seek their own beliefs. If their personal path leads them to a similar understand that I have come to, then that is fine by me.
My religion is technically called Eclectic Paganism, I take pieces from different sets of beliefs or ideas and use them in my own personal code. The only similarity between Eclectics is the fact that they are Eclectic.
In no particular order:
1) A higher power exists. By whatever name you choose to call it, I believe that a higher power exists. The nature of this power will be revealed soon.
2) The Bible was created by man to describe a higher power. The bible is not the word of a higher power. The bible is the word of men. It was created by man, a flawed being, and thus it is flawed.
How exactly does a group of men write a book about a perfect being when they themselves have never experience, witnessed, or conceived something that is perfect? Throughout history, the works of man have been flawed, the bible is not an exception. Thus, I regard the bible as a text that was written by men to be interpreted by men to teach virtues. Many literalists have said the bible contradicts itself and teaches one sided or outdated values, but the bible was meant to be interpreted and applied to today's world. Does the bible give us a decent example for moral teachings? Yes. Is the bible the word of a higher power? No.
I say bible because I was raised as a christian and my mind set is geared towards Christianity. But this applies to every religious text.
3) The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. One of a characteristics of a complex machine (As opposed to a simple machine) is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I consider this to be a characteristic of the higher power I claim patronage to. The pieces of the machine we have in our possession (The Qu'Ran, Bible, Book of Mormon, Etc..) are insufficient in describing the nature of the higher power because the entirety of that power is greater than all of its parts combined. Not to mention that those pieces may not even be Relevant to the higher power. All we have are what we believe to be pieces that describe the nature of a higher power.
4) Because the only attempts to explain the higher power are flawed, and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, the higher power cannot be clearly ascertained. I almost say incomprehensible, but it is clearly not incomprehensible because I have come to a certain understanding of the nature of this higher power. This understanding is that I will never clearly understand the way it works and that it is greater than the documents and pieces we have accumulated. That already lends a degree of comprehension, so this higher power is not incomprehensible.
5) Beliefs should be personal. Each person should seek their own path, and not attempt to conform another to their personal set of beliefs.
6) Because Beliefs should be personal and the higher power cannot be clearly ascertained,what is the use of organized religion? Organized religion is actually very counter productive. I do not believe that any will attain a greater level of understanding (Whether it be about the world or about the self) by attempting to fit themselves within an organization and listening to that organizations agents preach their interpretations of flawed documents. That benefits nobody. The path to understanding should be walked alone. Other religions may act as a wheel on your vehicle, but not the vehicle itself.
7) Science and Evolution work. They do not contradict religion either. The only circumstances under which religion and science clash is when one takes a literalist stance when approaching one or the other. Science is the vehicle of progression for the world.
8) Always seek learning and a greater understanding of the world within and around you. This is something I adopted into my beliefs because of my personal craving for knowledge and secrets. Knowledge is the vehicle for progression, and as you learn new things and allow for growth, you reach a greater level of understanding. This applies to not just beliefs, but science, yourself, and the world around you. (The desire for knowledge is the basis for Occultism, is it not?)
9) Never take the life of another. No person has the right to steal the breath from another being. Those with the audacity to do so must be punished, but also given a chance at redemption. I do not agree with many of the values of Catholicism, but one incident I find admirable was that of Pope John Paul and his would be assassin. The man almost took the popes life. But after the fact, Pope John Paul sat down and spoke with the man, offering him forgiveness. The Pope and his would be assassin became fast friends.
10) Ask, and you will receive; Listen, and you would already have known. Many people become so caught up in their personal needs, problems, and beliefs that they have forgotten how to listen to others.
11) There is always a pattern, and there are always connections. No matter what you do in life, realize that there is always a pattern, and everything can be connected. Realizing these opens new doors and perspectives. Just consider how you interact with other people, what is the pattern, and how does it mean to other people?
12) Don't teach people, inspire them to learn. There is a great difference between telling somebody what to do, and telling them to figure out what to do.
13) Nothing is perfect. The works of a flawed creator can only bring about flawed products. A wonderful example is this code, it is far from perfect, and fails to address many points that may be brought up. I encourage people to question my sets of beliefs, that I may better understand them.
That is essentially my code of beliefs. I'm sure I've left out something, but it may come to me later. Here are some questions I've been asked.
Kerr asked: "What would be your ideal deity if you could conceive it? How would he function and what would he be like?"
I think: "What I have to say about a higher deity is just speculation, and I try not to consider any intricacies related to it since I obviously cannot prove anything. But we were to say that my fantasy of a deity was correct, he'd be something of a recorder. He would function through a design he has created. The design isn't WHAT will happen, its every possibility of what MIGHT happen. It lays out the progression of every conceivable and inconceivable topic, and thus is akin to infinity in that it can only be discussed in theory. We cannot view or possess any details of this design, like infinity, it just encompasses everything. The higher power wouldn't have any shape or form, it would simply manifest itself through this formless design it has created.
Whenever I'm in a poetic mood I like to imagine the design like the stars, we can see a portion, and we can imagine a portion, but the entirety is so lost upon us that all we can do is say its there.
I am often in a poetic mood.
But that's just my speculation within the boundaries of my beliefs."
We believe that the idea is also one expressed in quantum physics, an interesting article he proposed to me was that of Schrödinger's cat.
-----
Alright, if anybody has any challenges or questions, please please please post them!
Disclaimer: Do not adopt these beliefs for yourself after reading this, I know that a vast majority of RFers will either be unswayed in their faith by what I say, or know that they need to follow their own path.
I encourage every person to seek their own beliefs. If their personal path leads them to a similar understand that I have come to, then that is fine by me.
My religion is technically called Eclectic Paganism, I take pieces from different sets of beliefs or ideas and use them in my own personal code. The only similarity between Eclectics is the fact that they are Eclectic.
In no particular order:
1) A higher power exists. By whatever name you choose to call it, I believe that a higher power exists. The nature of this power will be revealed soon.
2) The Bible was created by man to describe a higher power. The bible is not the word of a higher power. The bible is the word of men. It was created by man, a flawed being, and thus it is flawed.
How exactly does a group of men write a book about a perfect being when they themselves have never experience, witnessed, or conceived something that is perfect? Throughout history, the works of man have been flawed, the bible is not an exception. Thus, I regard the bible as a text that was written by men to be interpreted by men to teach virtues. Many literalists have said the bible contradicts itself and teaches one sided or outdated values, but the bible was meant to be interpreted and applied to today's world. Does the bible give us a decent example for moral teachings? Yes. Is the bible the word of a higher power? No.
I say bible because I was raised as a christian and my mind set is geared towards Christianity. But this applies to every religious text.
3) The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. One of a characteristics of a complex machine (As opposed to a simple machine) is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I consider this to be a characteristic of the higher power I claim patronage to. The pieces of the machine we have in our possession (The Qu'Ran, Bible, Book of Mormon, Etc..) are insufficient in describing the nature of the higher power because the entirety of that power is greater than all of its parts combined. Not to mention that those pieces may not even be Relevant to the higher power. All we have are what we believe to be pieces that describe the nature of a higher power.
4) Because the only attempts to explain the higher power are flawed, and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, the higher power cannot be clearly ascertained. I almost say incomprehensible, but it is clearly not incomprehensible because I have come to a certain understanding of the nature of this higher power. This understanding is that I will never clearly understand the way it works and that it is greater than the documents and pieces we have accumulated. That already lends a degree of comprehension, so this higher power is not incomprehensible.
5) Beliefs should be personal. Each person should seek their own path, and not attempt to conform another to their personal set of beliefs.
6) Because Beliefs should be personal and the higher power cannot be clearly ascertained,what is the use of organized religion? Organized religion is actually very counter productive. I do not believe that any will attain a greater level of understanding (Whether it be about the world or about the self) by attempting to fit themselves within an organization and listening to that organizations agents preach their interpretations of flawed documents. That benefits nobody. The path to understanding should be walked alone. Other religions may act as a wheel on your vehicle, but not the vehicle itself.
7) Science and Evolution work. They do not contradict religion either. The only circumstances under which religion and science clash is when one takes a literalist stance when approaching one or the other. Science is the vehicle of progression for the world.
8) Always seek learning and a greater understanding of the world within and around you. This is something I adopted into my beliefs because of my personal craving for knowledge and secrets. Knowledge is the vehicle for progression, and as you learn new things and allow for growth, you reach a greater level of understanding. This applies to not just beliefs, but science, yourself, and the world around you. (The desire for knowledge is the basis for Occultism, is it not?)
9) Never take the life of another. No person has the right to steal the breath from another being. Those with the audacity to do so must be punished, but also given a chance at redemption. I do not agree with many of the values of Catholicism, but one incident I find admirable was that of Pope John Paul and his would be assassin. The man almost took the popes life. But after the fact, Pope John Paul sat down and spoke with the man, offering him forgiveness. The Pope and his would be assassin became fast friends.
10) Ask, and you will receive; Listen, and you would already have known. Many people become so caught up in their personal needs, problems, and beliefs that they have forgotten how to listen to others.
11) There is always a pattern, and there are always connections. No matter what you do in life, realize that there is always a pattern, and everything can be connected. Realizing these opens new doors and perspectives. Just consider how you interact with other people, what is the pattern, and how does it mean to other people?
12) Don't teach people, inspire them to learn. There is a great difference between telling somebody what to do, and telling them to figure out what to do.
13) Nothing is perfect. The works of a flawed creator can only bring about flawed products. A wonderful example is this code, it is far from perfect, and fails to address many points that may be brought up. I encourage people to question my sets of beliefs, that I may better understand them.
That is essentially my code of beliefs. I'm sure I've left out something, but it may come to me later. Here are some questions I've been asked.
Kerr asked: "What would be your ideal deity if you could conceive it? How would he function and what would he be like?"
I think: "What I have to say about a higher deity is just speculation, and I try not to consider any intricacies related to it since I obviously cannot prove anything. But we were to say that my fantasy of a deity was correct, he'd be something of a recorder. He would function through a design he has created. The design isn't WHAT will happen, its every possibility of what MIGHT happen. It lays out the progression of every conceivable and inconceivable topic, and thus is akin to infinity in that it can only be discussed in theory. We cannot view or possess any details of this design, like infinity, it just encompasses everything. The higher power wouldn't have any shape or form, it would simply manifest itself through this formless design it has created.
Whenever I'm in a poetic mood I like to imagine the design like the stars, we can see a portion, and we can imagine a portion, but the entirety is so lost upon us that all we can do is say its there.
I am often in a poetic mood.
But that's just my speculation within the boundaries of my beliefs."
We believe that the idea is also one expressed in quantum physics, an interesting article he proposed to me was that of Schrödinger's cat.
-----
Alright, if anybody has any challenges or questions, please please please post them!
