Which religions promote creativity and self-expression?

Post Reply New Topic

I agree with what some other posters have said. Most religions have liberal and progressive movements. Within my own religion the two I'm most attracted to are

https://www.aleph.org/renewal.htm

which might be better conceptualized by reading Aleph's principles:

https://www.aleph.org/pdf/18AffirmationsApril27,07.pdf

They're a bit more heavy into mysticism. On the more rationalist end is reconstructionist judaism:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructionist_Judaism


I think you can probably find similar movements within Christianity too. Most religions will have their dogmatic extremes as well as those movements that are much freer. Even Buddhism can be very dogmatic. The West was just happier to take the ideas and leave much of the cultural baggage behind.

edit: And if it makes you feel better, I'm spiritually engaged and love Family Guy. Not such a big fan of South Park. The humor doesn't do it for me.

"Foul" language is everywhere though. It's pretty much become accepted in society, and I think there was even a South Park episode on the word "s**t" to satirize people's usage of it. Who cares about the foul language, there's still a message behind it that excusing the language doesn't change.

I don't understand why "foul language" is such a big deal though, I mean theyr just words.... Like I can say poop or crap, but I can't say s**t, even though it means the exact same thing.... I can say "sexual intercourse" but I can't say "f**k", I can say "condemn" but I can't say "damn", I think this is a really stupid tradition that has been built up in our society.

I'VE GOT IT!

I need to start my own sect. The Church of South Park!

I can see it now. "Satan, you will respect my authoritah, or I will kick you in the nads!"

Tim

lol

there's a Phil Collins hill in South Park

I'd join!

Cool!

Tim

Speaking as a sociologist of religion, I think it is problematic to reify religious categories (whether Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, or any other). Reification (reifying) is simply a fancy term for treating a category as a real thing.

There is no such thing as "Christianity." There are many Christianities. Indeed, members of these diverse Christianities frequently attack each other as not being "true Christians." For instance: conservative evangelicals, Roman Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, liberal Christians, and Mormons. Consider, in the U.S., how many evangelicals have said that they would not vote for Mitt Romney because he is a Mormon.

Religious categories are just that: categories. To understand these categories one needs to study the various, and generally very different, religious communities which fall under each of them.

As an example, I am a religious liberal. As such, I generally feel more comfortable with religious liberals in other religious categories than I do with fundamentalists and conservatives in my own category.

i love it

How about the Church of Mega Man?

Tim

As long as it's ok to watch South Park and have sex outside of marriage (only within a committed relationship, though), it doesn't matter what religion I practice.

Tim

Go for it Tim!

I can easily see past foul language -- I even use it myself on occasion. But in shows like South Park and Family Guy, there's not much of value past the language.

Ragtime,

what about the social commentary and satire?

There's some good satire in South Park, but I'm innately irked by most things that are presented in a deliberately annoying way.

And, visually, I just can't take either of those shows. My friend was just remarking to me yesterday that cartoons used to be drawn much better, and more artistically.

I definitely will!

Tim