Religion for Atheists
One-Winged-Angel wrote:
What you describe is similar to LaVeyan Satanism. It's an atheistic philosophy which focuses on rationality, individuality, material success, and carnal enjoyment of the world. Rituals and spells may be performed as psychodrama; most LaVeyan Satanists don't believe in supernatural magic, but there is some tolerance for limited spirituality. There are several internet communities dedicated to this and other forms of Satanism, but if you want to officially get involved with LaVey's Church of Satan, there's a $200 admission fee and and an application form. There are also LaVeyan-based breakaway churches (e.g. the First Satanic Church) which have similar but often slightly differing beliefs and different standards for admittance.
"Satan" is a metaphor they use to be against Christianity. They're atheists that claim not to believe in God/Satan since those are christian beliefs.
The funny thing is that regular atheists mainly target Christianity over other religions for their disbelief the same way satanists do.
BlueAbyss wrote:
GGPViper wrote:
I think ritual helps people form bonds and center ourselves.
For some reason this makes me think of Sports Culture.
Hmmmm....... Sports, Church, or Ritual all suggest what brings in people is really a performance. Not to say it's just about entertainment either.
It's a drama where the audience is vicariously involved. In church they are vicariously "saved" or blessed. While wearing their sports jersey they feel a vicarious sense of victory when their team wins even though they were not personally on the field or in the ice rink.
The closest intellectual pursuit to this I can think of is any significant NASA achievement beginning with the Moon Landing. Also to some extent when there was debate over fixing the Hubble telescope.
VIDEODROME wrote:
BlueAbyss wrote:
GGPViper wrote:
I think ritual helps people form bonds and center ourselves.
For some reason this makes me think of Sports Culture.
Hmmmm....... Sports, Church, or Ritual all suggest what brings in people is really a performance. Not to say it's just about entertainment either.
It's a drama where the audience is vicariously involved. In church they are vicariously "saved" or blessed. While wearing their sports jersey they feel a vicarious sense of victory when their team wins even though they were not personally on the field or in the ice rink.
The closest intellectual pursuit to this I can think of is any significant NASA achievement beginning with the Moon Landing. Also to some extent when there was debate over fixing the Hubble telescope.
But I cannot watch this without feeling soothed by the silence and the grace of the movements. Very different from watching sports or the thrill of the moon walk. It's a form of meditation:
Japanese Tea Ceremony: Tea at Koken
http://youtu.be/7tt7NBIVeMY
_________________
Female
INFP
Interesting. That also makes me think of the popularity of Cooking shows. Maybe there is an innate sense of ritual with preparing and consuming food even if the Western version is not done in a steady meditative way.
The closest thing to this in the West might be Wine Tasting just because that involves slow sipping and savoring of the flavors in the wine, paying close attention to palette, and consuming foods complimentary to the wine being tasted. It is not something to be rushed.
VIDEODROME wrote:
Interesting. That also makes me think of the popularity of Cooking shows. Maybe there is an innate sense of ritual with preparing and consuming food even if the Western version is not done in a steady meditative way.
The closest thing to this in the West might be Wine Tasting just because that involves slow sipping and savoring of the flavors in the wine, paying close attention to palette, and consuming foods complimentary to the wine being tasted. It is not something to be rushed.
Yes. Food is essential to life, so maybe it's not so strange that we would want to ritualize it. Of course ritual can be overdone too. There's definitely a need for balance. But when life gets chaotic and unreliable, I tend to need some calming ritual to counterbalance the chaos.
The closest thing to this in the West might be Wine Tasting just because that involves slow sipping and savoring of the flavors in the wine, paying close attention to palette, and consuming foods complimentary to the wine being tasted. It is not something to be rushed.
_________________
Female
INFP