parks@noao.UUCP (Jay Parks) (11/15/84)
In today's modern society, there is a vast population which is not
religious. That is to say, they are not members of any recognised
church, nor do they actively believe in the teachings of any recognized
church. Does this mean that they do not worship? No, it does not.
Now, many people ignore the church entirely, but they still need the
things which a church has to offer. Because of this, substitutes exist:
First off, there is the psychic movement. Certainly, this has been
around in one form or another for thousands of years. It has often run
in direct competition to religion (God advised never to consult mediums).
Now, consider the TRUE BELIEVER. Not the casual believer, or the person
who is moderately interested, but the deeply faithful one. The type that
believes that astrology will give them true guidance through life, or that
the tarot can predict the best course of event for them. It is my contention
that these people have found a form of worship outside of religion.
Then there are dozens of pop psychology movements. There is EST,
TM, and a variety of other movements which have a centralized hierarchy
to gain new members and spread the word. (Some will correctly point out
that TM is a religion. True, but many beginners do not know this, and
consider it a simple scientific technique.) These movements, when
closely scrutinized, have many things in common with religion. They are
charitable, they seek to improve the lot of those who are unaware, they
attempt to expand their membership, they revere the words of the founder
as potent wisdom. This is not to deny the movements their truths, or to
say they do not have points. It seems to me, though, that they are
churches without gods. Pop psychology is the atheist's religion.
My own failing is Science Fiction. This can be generalized to many
clubs and organizations. We science fiction fans band together, hold
private meetings and large scale-conventions, discuss arcane topics of
interest to no one else. Most importantly, we are *different* from the
others (mundanes) out there. We have a certain superiority. We hold
importance in our small groups, and we take care of our own. We like to
think of ourselves as more open-minded than the rest of the world,
smarter (as a group), better able to cope with the future. We have our
oracles, and they are Clarke, Asimov, and Niven. (Let me convert you,
here -- read this book.)
I could go on, but this must be starting to sound far fetched
already. My point is, the church fills a variety of needs for us: it
comforts us, make us superior to the non-member, answers our questions
about the world, gives us methods for self improvement, gives us
leadership, it makes us important, and above all -- it lets us BELONG.
The thing is, man is a social animal. He needs these groups. He
needs to believe in things which are not true. Are you superior to your
neighbor? Are you more important? Are you better?
The church provides these things. *I* believe that is the main
reason churches exist. But, for the non-religious, there are other ways
to get similar comfort, companionship, and spiritual belonging. There
always will be.
Now, answer for yourself the following questions:
1. Are you a member of a group which you consider to be superior,
in any way, to the common mass of humanity?
2. If so, do you share any of the questional beliefs of this group?
3. Does the group ask for your loyalty, and in return provide
belonging, guidance, and a sense of importance?
4. Does your group seek new members?
If you answered "YES" to most or all of these questions, then, Welcome to
the faith, brother.
One of the few, the proud,
Jay Parksjimc@haddock.UUCP (11/17/84)
Your article really is not all that offensive, as what you have said about the EXTERNAL realities of the Judeo-Christian churches is basically true. However, your article seems to entirely exclude the possiblity that God is a reality in human life, and that we, as His children, can learn and grow through His guidance. Therefore, I add a fifth criterion to your assessment of organized worship: 5) Does your organization seek to draw you closer to God, from Whom all good things come, and with Whom our destinies lie? THAT is where our churches differ from these cults and sects you describe. Jim Campbell "Catholic and proud of it... "
hardie@uf-csg.UUCP (Bruce @ Univ. of Wallamaloo) (12/13/84)
On the (added) 5th criterion for a faith/religion: If you assume God, you can then require a faith to draw you closer to God. If you don't assume God, why should your faith do anything about God??? And what about the Hindus, Buddhists, Moonies, etc??? -- Pete Hardie, Univ. of Florida, CIS Gould acct:..!akgua!uf-csv!uf-csg!hardie