Religious Blending

David · Dec 28, 2016

Has anyone else noticed that Religious traditions in America are really ambiguous? I'm not talking about Universalism but rather distinct religions picking up tenets of other faiths without anyone seeming to notice. This is most obvious with Christians as they are the dominant religion. Even the most fundamentalist, sectarian Christian can be seen going on about Karma (Buddhist; Atheist), cultivating a zen garden at home (Shinto; Pagan) and doing Yoga at the gym (Hindu; Utterly unrelated to Abrahamism). I find the subject absolutely fascinating.

tecoyah · Dec 28, 2016

David said:
Has anyone else noticed that Religious traditions in America are really ambiguous? I'm not talking about Universalism but rather distinct religions picking up tenets of other faiths without anyone seeming to notice. This is most obvious with Christians as they are the dominant religion. Even the most fundamentalist, sectarian Christian can be seen going on about Karma (Buddhist; Atheist), cultivating a zen garden at home (Shinto; Pagan) and doing Yoga at the gym (Hindu; Utterly unrelated to Abrahamism). I find the subject absolutely fascinating.

Though Christians in general have always been a cherry picking crowd and do not seem to have a problem going polar opposite of their biblical teachings....over the last century the stories they champion have been completely destroyed by science and a desperation has set in.

tecoyah · Dec 28, 2016

Aufgeblassen said:
Just curious: Were you jaded by religion at some point? Were your parents religious? :unsure:

I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school/Church until 6th grade. I was removed from the school after questioning about the Noah story and being punished for doing so. Experience led me to read up on everything from Scientology and Islam to Pagan beliefs and Buddhism. For many years now I have a certain disdain for the whole concept of religion because of this and my understanding of scientific principles and rational thought.

numan · Dec 28, 2016

David said:
Has anyone else noticed that Religious traditions in America are really ambiguous? I'm not talking about Universalism but rather distinct religions picking up tenets of other faiths without anyone seeming to notice. This is most obvious with Christians as they are the dominant religion. Even the most fundamentalist, sectarian Christian can be seen going on about Karma (Buddhist; Atheist), cultivating a zen garden at home (Shinto; Pagan) and doing Yoga at the gym (Hindu; Utterly unrelated to Abrahamism). I find the subject absolutely fascinating.

Yes, I take it as an encouraging sign that we may be becoming a mature, syncretic civilization, as the ancient Chinese and the pre-Christian West were.

Anything that reduces the influence of the crude intolerant monotheism of the Middle Eastern religions can only be an advance for reason and culture.
.

David · Dec 28, 2016

numan said:
Yes, I take it as an encouraging sign that we may be becoming a mature, syncretic civilization, as the ancient Chinese and the pre-Christian West were.

Anything that reduces the influence of the crude intolerant monotheism of the Middle Eastern religions can only be an advance for reason and culture.
.

Indeed. I'm a proud (poly)theist but I often come off as an atheist becuase those annoying middle eastern monotheistic cults (which are in fact part of a larger polytheistic tradition :giggle

dominate the argument in the West.

In addition to syncretism I'm also noting a resurgence of native european religions. If I remember the numbers correctly, taken as a whole they're the 2nd fastest religious group (behind Islam and ahead of atheism) in the world. I'm not really rooting for the atheists but I do share their dream of the Abrahamic cults being banished to the wastes from whence they came.

arcturus88 · Jan 2, 2017

tecoyah said:
I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school/Church until 6th grade. I was removed from the school after questioning about the Noah story and being punished for doing so. Experience led me to read up on everything from Scientology and Islam to Pagan beliefs and Buddhism. For many years now I have a certain disdain for the whole concept of religion because of this and my understanding of scientific principles and rational thought.

So yes.

Maybe you're throwing out the baby with the bath water because of some juvenile hurt feelings though.

tecoyah · Jan 2, 2017

arcturus88 said:
So yes.

Maybe you're throwing out the baby with the bath water because of some juvenile hurt feelings though.

Perhaps.....more likely though, I noticed the baby and simply do not wish to throw out the water at all.

arcturus88 · Jan 3, 2017

David said:
Indeed. I'm a proud (poly)theist but I often come off as an atheist becuase those annoying middle eastern monotheistic cults (which are in fact part of a larger polytheistic tradition :giggle dominate the argument in the West.

In addition to syncretism I'm also noting a resurgence of native european religions. If I remember the numbers correctly, taken as a whole they're the 2nd fastest religious group (behind Islam and ahead of atheism) in the world. I'm not really rooting for the atheists but I do share their dream of the Abrahamic cults being banished to the wastes from whence they came.

you are a proud polytheist and hope that other religions (not yours) perish. you sound like every other garden variety hate-filled zealot.

arcturus88 · Jan 3, 2017

David said:
Has anyone else noticed that Religious traditions in America are really ambiguous? I'm not talking about Universalism but rather distinct religions picking up tenets of other faiths without anyone seeming to notice. This is most obvious with Christians as they are the dominant religion. Even the most fundamentalist, sectarian Christian can be seen going on about Karma (Buddhist; Atheist), cultivating a zen garden at home (Shinto; Pagan) and doing Yoga at the gym (Hindu; Utterly unrelated to Abrahamism). I find the subject absolutely fascinating.

I had an epiphany in my younger days when perusing a magazine (maybe national geographic) that delved into a tribe of people who ascribed to the Christian Faith. I can't remember where they hailed, maybe new guinea, but they wore no clothes except penis sheaths or base loin cloths. But they knew Jesus died for their sins and readily accepted this need, and the closure of this.

I thought, hmmm. People can be Christians even with non-Christian beliefs or traditions, and that's Ok.

It makes sense, If you consider that Jesus' disciples asked him what commandments where most important and his reply was that there were two. in essence:

-Love God
-Love people

So if you believe in salvation through Jesus, you're good.
All other traditions are human-bound anyway.

arcturus88 · Jan 3, 2017

Aufgeblassen said:
Be nice now!

just an observation on what was said. not being nice or mean really, just pointing it out.

tecoyah · Jan 3, 2017

arcturus88 said:
I had an epiphany in my younger days when perusing a magazine (maybe national geographic) that delved into a tribe of people who ascribed to the Christian Faith. I can't remember where they hailed, maybe new guinea, but they wore no clothes except penis sheaths or base loin cloths. But they knew Jesus died for their sins and readily accepted this need, and the closure of this.

I thought, hmmm. People can be Christians even with non-Christian beliefs or traditions, and that's Ok.

It makes sense, If you consider that Jesus' disciples asked him what commandments where most important and his reply was that there were two. in essence:

-Love God
-Love people

So if you believe in salvation through Jesus, you're good.
All other traditions are human-bound anyway.

And therein lies my biggest issue with Christians.

They claim to love God yet do not seem to like other people very much judging by attitude and action.

arcturus88 · Jan 3, 2017

tecoyah said:
And therein lies my biggest issue with Christians.

They claim to love God yet do not seem to like other people very much judging by attitude and action.

Christians are human and will fail like other humans. A Christian may have better behavior than a non-Christian and vise-versa.

Its like a boatload of drunks that cause their own ship to wreck. Another boat pulls up and throws a life-preserver to the drunks in the water. Some accept it, others try to swim for shore or hang on to the remnants of the sunk boat.

Are the ones who accepted the life-preserver better people than those who didn't?

tecoyah · Jan 3, 2017

Aufgeblassen said:
Well, arcturus & I are good friends, even though he is Christian & I am not. So don't paint him part of a broad brush.

I rarely (if ever) paint in such a way. The religion however gets seriously whitewashed and general attitudes based on cherry picked ancient fiction even more so. Trying to control the lives of strangers and painting others seems their forte.

David · Jan 3, 2017

arcturus88 said:
you are a proud polytheist and hope that other religions (not yours) perish. you sound like every other garden variety hate-filled zealot.

The Abrahamic cults (aside from Christianity) are racist (favoring semites), sexist, warmongers, engage in cultural appropriation and have 0 tolerance for outside faiths. Their conquest of Africa, Europe and the New World saw the fall of ancient and culturally rich civilizations from Rome to the Mississippians while leaving a cultural legacy of relative blandness in their wake. Wanting them to limit their damage to the Mideast where they came from is hardly hatful. You don't see me going after the Hindu, Zoroastrians, Shinto, Confucianism, etc. after all which I would if I truly wished other religions to parish.

You can take your sectarian projections elsewhere. We're all aware of your own zealotry, even to the department of fellow Abrahamics.

arcturus88 · Jan 4, 2017

David said:
The Abrahamic cults (aside from Christianity) are racist (favoring semites), sexist, warmongers, engage in cultural appropriation and have 0 tolerance for outside faiths...

calling them cults is a pejorative way to diminish them and build up your own faith.
the rest is very broad brush don't you think?

anyways you are entitled to your own opinion about it. I said you were sounding like a zealot, not that you are one.

arcturus88 · Jan 4, 2017

David said:
This is most obvious with Christians as they are the dominant religion. Even the most fundamentalist, sectarian Christian can be seen going on about Karma (Buddhist; Atheist), cultivating a zen garden at home (Shinto; Pagan) and doing Yoga at the gym (Hindu; Utterly unrelated to Abrahamism).

maybe Christians are just more open-minded than you suspected.

numan · Jan 5, 2017

arcturus88 said:
I had an epiphany in my younger days when perusing a magazine (maybe national geographic) that delved into a tribe of people who ascribed to the Christian Faith. I can't remember where they hailed, maybe new guinea, but they wore no clothes except penis sheaths or base loin cloths. But they knew Jesus died for their sins and readily accepted this need, and the closure of this.

I thought, hmmm. People can be Christians even with non-Christian beliefs or traditions, and that's Ok.

It makes sense, If you consider that Jesus' disciples asked him what commandments where most important and his reply was that there were two. in essence:

-Love God
-Love people

And people can be non-Christians with Christian beliefs or traditions.

Although traditional religions fill me with disgust and loathing, I regard with gentle benignity religions regarded as metaphors. It is just uncritical belief in literal dogmas which I regard as Satanic.

I cannot think of anything more abominable and idolatrous and offensive to any possible Deity worthy of respect as those who believe that a form of words or ritual is more important than a human life.

Somewhere in the Shorter Catachism of the Anglican Church occurs:

"What is the purpose of life?"
(answer): "To glorify God and enjoy Him forever".

Well, the word "God" to me is meaningless, and just a muddle of oxymorons.
However, if I make a slight change, I can agree whole-heartedly:

To glorify Divine Beauty, and enjoy it forever.
.

Ralph47 · Sep 1, 2018

David said:
Has anyone else noticed that Religious traditions in America are really ambiguous?

Hey, that sounds like a good name for a brand new religion: AMBIGUISM!