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SoftKitty
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23 Nov 2012, 1:46 pm

Is there anybody is is an Eclectic, too? For those who do not understand, the definition in Wikipedia says:

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In religion, Eclectics use elements from multiple religions, applied philosophies, personal experiences or other texts and dogma to form their own beliefs and ideas, noting the similarities between existing systems and practices, and recognizing them as valid. These ideas include life, karma, the afterlife, God and Goddess, the Earth, and other spiritual ideas. Some use a mix of Abrahamic, Dharmic, Neopagan, Shamanism, Daoic doctrines, New Age, religious pluralism and Syncretism. Eclectics are most interested in what really works, personally and communially.


In short, I would say "I believe in everything and nothing", which means that I take bits from various religions (only those in which I believe they could be historically and philosophically right), and I put them in a one huge ball of my personal belief.

I think it is the best way - you cannot offend anybody, YET you have a strong belief, so you are not an atheist.


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KenG
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23 Nov 2012, 4:17 pm

SoftKitty wrote:
Is there anybody is is an Eclectic, too?
When I was about 26, I had an Eclectic period, in which I did form my own religion, which was a mixture of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.
For most of my life until then, and certainly since then, I've been a radical atheist, though.
In hindsight, it seems my Eclectic period was related to a psychotic episode I was experiencing during that time. (my psychotic episode stemmed from the huge stress I experienced living life as an undiagnosed autistic).
I still, however, appreciate the artistic aspects (music, painting and lyrics) of various religions.

During Autscape 2008, which took place in North England, one guy played us a concert of Christian music, on a huge Organ, in a beautiful church within Autscape's venue. It was majestic.
(and loud :) )


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VIDEODROME
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23 Nov 2012, 4:35 pm

I have been one, but maybe like KenG different drop them one by one and steadily drift toward Atheism.

For example, the standard MonoTheism religions have lost my interest, yet when reading of Spinoza's "Non-Personal God" I was kind of intrigued with the PanTheism view.

Also, for a while I was interested in Buddhism, but now I'm more curious about Taosism which may replace Pantheism in my views.



MarketAndChurch
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23 Nov 2012, 6:56 pm

Well I am a religious humanist, I express that through Judaism, I am guided by the thinking of great christian, arab, and atheist scholars, and I have learned a lot about life and myself from buddhism. I don't source my ethics or beliefs from within, however, I source it from the holy texts of Judaism.


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MDD123
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23 Nov 2012, 8:53 pm

To me, the who idea of a religion is identifying the concepts that are tre to you, but can't be proven outside of your subjective experience.

There are parts of Buddhism and Christianity that I agree with, I don't know if that makes me Eclectic too. Taoism is deep, I have re-read the tao ti ching (translated) three times over the years, it really makes me reflect on my experiences, though calling myself a Taoist is innacurate and does a disservice to the concept.



Moog
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24 Nov 2012, 9:26 am

Only by dint of many religions containing essential similarities.

I explore them all.

Buddhism remains an integral bedrock of my beliefs and practices.

Currently, I find gnosticism and orphism very compelling, and not incompatible. In fact, rather similar.

SoftKitty wrote:
you cannot offend anybody


Doubt it :lol:


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JNathanK
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24 Nov 2012, 9:55 pm

Yah, I'm ecclectic. I see religion as ultimately an attempt to frame spiritual experience into language and that really any poetic expression has potential validity when used in the right context.

I see God as a unity or a pattern that runs throughout everything. ...or another way of putting it is that the current of interconnectedness that logically flows through all things, the mutual interconnectedness that all things manifest share, is one in the same with the original concept or notion of God. Nothing is truly separate, and all parts, no matter how contradictory they may seem, are reflected in every other part as one whole. This is the source of my spirituality, and I use poetry, whether in the form of scientific or religious language, to attempt to convey it to other people to find common ground in direct experience that is, in many ways, ineffable, and experienced on a subjective and individual level.

Whether I use Avedic, scientific/ Alchemical, Christian, Qabbalistic, Taoist, or Buddhist metaphor to model direct experience is really beside the point. It only matters what language is most affective in conveying experience, and this depends mainly on the audience receiving it.