We can stop the cycle.#faithdeconstruction #deconstruction #exchristian #exfundie #exvie #exevangelical #exvangelical #emptythepews #religoustrauma #indoctrination
For a time in my very checkered life I took a Philosophy class in a high school that was mainly for the ruling class - Corona Del Mar in Newport Beach, CA. Our teacher always maintained that philosophy was a sort of balm to make us feel better about unfair circumstances.
Ultimately we can't tell if this or that religion is true. But some are less evil than others. Your UU or my Shin Buddhism seem to be on the less-harmful end of the scale.
I agree some religions are far less evil than others. The ones that seek to impose belief on others definitely are the most evil: evangelical Christianity for instance. At least in the UU, it is okay to say we don't know what is exactly true. The ones that claim to have all the answers are a problem. I know Buddhism is different in a good way too from that. I never had had a philosophy class isn't that odd, never learned much about it. I think my high school although public was too conservative and fundie Christian to have the philosophy taught which is sad since that's a hole in my education. I read on a few here and there, but just have a few snippets in my head.
The Abrahmic religions start from Judaism, which is thought to be a great advance because of the belief in one god, but the idea of some kind of big brother in the sky seems even sillier than the ideas of the Greeks or Pygmies or followers of Shinto, of various gods for various purposes.
You can find out more about "American" Buddhism here: https://www.buddhistchurchesofamerica.org/ if you fish around you can get sent a lot of free books and stuff.
Have you ever read a magazine called "Lion's Roar?" I got some junk mail for it. I think it's because I subscribed to The Sun magazine. I may get it. There was this other Buddhist magazine I read from the library, I think some local Buddhists and UUs were leaving those there, LOL I was reading some UU World magazines they left too. Yeah a big man in the sky stuff is far sillier, Buddhism is far more advanced in ditching those ideas of divinity. I tend to dabble as UUs do with ideas of the Source or pantheism.
I think the two big Buddhist magazines in the US are Lion's Roar and Tricycle.
Shin Buddhism's not perfect. They weren't exactly out there protesting the war when Japan entered WWII. But it's not an all-out loony death cult like any of the Abramic religions are.
I've seen Tricycle. Yeah no religion is perfect, not even the UU, the UU has it's class issues, some are definitely working on this now, I saw positive changes since I happened. The UU is very wealthy demographically, there are people like me who don't fit "the norm" but at least they support social and economic equity. I know I rant about rich people but some do care, and do try to change the world for the better.
With Buddhism I have read some dark sides of the religion, different variations of Buddhism teaching there is a hell, oppression of women, yes the war stuff you mention. I agree with you Buddhism ignores the loony death cult stuff.
I found a UU church in my town, been riding past it for ages w/o realizing. I'm sure it's full of snooty upper-middle-class (or upper-middle-class wannabee) white people and I have no interest in it, it's just kind of interesting that there is one here. I thought the only UU outfit in this area was the one you can't go to unless you own a car (it's tucked away in the mountains) and preferably a huge gas-guzzling SUV.
Sometimes there's small fellowships in smaller areas though as a rule, most small towns or rural areas don't have a UU. I lived 100 miles from any UU churches in my rural county. Glad there's one there, I hope it's not full of snooty people. I know the class issues in the UU can be pressing ones. I've experienced them myself so what can I say. I chose to overlook the class stuff doing my return but the evangelical world the class barriers were there too but more oppressive with the Republican politics added in.
I've got no interest in the UU downtown though. I can rub shoulders with all the white liberals I want in my area and they're disgusting.
A lot of the Japanese-Americans in my temple have been in the camps. Keep in mind this is a group that tends to be long-lived, and to have a nice couple who I'd take to be maybe in their 70s to cheerfully tell me "We met in camps" is really something. The thing is, this group has little in the way of illusions.
The thing with whites is very few actually believe that they could be thrown into camps or just plain offed for their political beliefs or for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Regardless of the fact that that's exactly what Trump's mob tried to do at the White House - off a lot of politicians with "wrong" beliefs.
I just feel that in the temple, I'm among "my" people.
We can stop the cycle.#faithdeconstruction #deconstruction #exchristian #exfundie #exvie #exevangelical #exvangelical #emptythepews #religoustrauma #indoctrination
For a time in my very checkered life I took a Philosophy class in a high school that was mainly for the ruling class - Corona Del Mar in Newport Beach, CA. Our teacher always maintained that philosophy was a sort of balm to make us feel better about unfair circumstances.
ReplyDeleteUltimately we can't tell if this or that religion is true. But some are less evil than others. Your UU or my Shin Buddhism seem to be on the less-harmful end of the scale.
I agree some religions are far less evil than others. The ones that seek to impose belief on others definitely are the most evil: evangelical Christianity for instance. At least in the UU, it is okay to say we don't know what is exactly true. The ones that claim to have all the answers are a problem. I know Buddhism is different in a good way too from that. I never had had a philosophy class isn't that odd, never learned much about it. I think my high school although public was too conservative and fundie Christian to have the philosophy taught which is sad since that's a hole in my education. I read on a few here and there, but just have a few snippets in my head.
DeleteThe Abrahmic religions start from Judaism, which is thought to be a great advance because of the belief in one god, but the idea of some kind of big brother in the sky seems even sillier than the ideas of the Greeks or Pygmies or followers of Shinto, of various gods for various purposes.
ReplyDeleteYou can find out more about "American" Buddhism here: https://www.buddhistchurchesofamerica.org/ if you fish around you can get sent a lot of free books and stuff.
Have you ever read a magazine called "Lion's Roar?" I got some junk mail for it. I think it's because I subscribed to The Sun magazine. I may get it. There was this other Buddhist magazine I read from the library, I think some local Buddhists and UUs were leaving those there, LOL I was reading some UU World magazines they left too. Yeah a big man in the sky stuff is far sillier, Buddhism is far more advanced in ditching those ideas of divinity. I tend to dabble as UUs do with ideas of the Source or pantheism.
DeleteI think the two big Buddhist magazines in the US are Lion's Roar and Tricycle.
DeleteShin Buddhism's not perfect. They weren't exactly out there protesting the war when Japan entered WWII. But it's not an all-out loony death cult like any of the Abramic religions are.
I've seen Tricycle. Yeah no religion is perfect, not even the UU, the UU has it's class issues, some are definitely working on this now, I saw positive changes since I happened. The UU is very wealthy demographically, there are people like me who don't fit "the norm" but at least they support social and economic equity. I know I rant about rich people but some do care, and do try to change the world for the better.
DeleteWith Buddhism I have read some dark sides of the religion, different variations of Buddhism teaching there is a hell, oppression of women, yes the war stuff you mention. I agree with you Buddhism ignores the loony death cult stuff.
Since I happened should be since I returned--correction above.
ReplyDeleteI found a UU church in my town, been riding past it for ages w/o realizing. I'm sure it's full of snooty upper-middle-class (or upper-middle-class wannabee) white people and I have no interest in it, it's just kind of interesting that there is one here. I thought the only UU outfit in this area was the one you can't go to unless you own a car (it's tucked away in the mountains) and preferably a huge gas-guzzling SUV.
ReplyDeleteSometimes there's small fellowships in smaller areas though as a rule, most small towns or rural areas don't have a UU. I lived 100 miles from any UU churches in my rural county. Glad there's one there, I hope it's not full of snooty people. I know the class issues in the UU can be pressing ones. I've experienced them myself so what can I say. I chose to overlook the class stuff doing my return but the evangelical world the class barriers were there too but more oppressive with the Republican politics added in.
DeleteI've got no interest in the UU downtown though. I can rub shoulders with all the white liberals I want in my area and they're disgusting.
DeleteA lot of the Japanese-Americans in my temple have been in the camps. Keep in mind this is a group that tends to be long-lived, and to have a nice couple who I'd take to be maybe in their 70s to cheerfully tell me "We met in camps" is really something. The thing is, this group has little in the way of illusions.
The thing with whites is very few actually believe that they could be thrown into camps or just plain offed for their political beliefs or for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Regardless of the fact that that's exactly what Trump's mob tried to do at the White House - off a lot of politicians with "wrong" beliefs.
I just feel that in the temple, I'm among "my" people.