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[Urist is dead tome]

Actually, I'm a shamanic practitioner who sometimes hangs out with the cool kids at the local monthly pagan ritual.  They've got some awesome statuary and an absolutely enviable stone circle (biiiiig).  Plus, clothing-optional heated indoor pool, complete with attractive pagan folk, and on occasion even a band.  Either that, or the smaller pagan group who uses the UU church a mile up the road.  Mostly I just do shit with my drum, journeying healing etc, chill in the high desert, and try to talk to coyotes or at least collect their dead parts.  My GF's getting initiated with a local group soon too, which is cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA-cpzGWVwE

Do you happen to be from Europe?

[Sowelu]

Real answer.  Search Google Maps for either longhouse near redmond, or venusian church longhouse, or something.  The stone circle's pretty visible on the satellite view.  The other place is the Woodinville Unitarian Universalist Church.

And nope, that's Seattle eastside.

[CoughDrop]

Right. And we also know that being nice to people is good.

Edit: That is not to say I agree with your fetus thing, but since I am pro choice I will let it slide.

I don't get what you're trying to say.

Edit: I went to a Unitartian Universalist Church and was rather surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Half the sermon, the pastor was handing around a microphone to people who had something to add. Loved it.

[Criptfeind]

Well, the shamanism explains the strange reading I am getting from you.

Right. And we also know that being nice to people is good.

Edit: That is not to say I agree with your fetus thing, but since I am pro choice I will let it slide.

I don't get what you're trying to say.

The same thing I have been trying (and have bluntly said twice so far) this whole thread.

Religion is good for society.

[CoughDrop]

Religion is good for society.

Sure, but why not change it into facts? You don't have to believe in fairy tales to get the benefits that come from them.

[Sowelu]

Edit: I went to a Unitartian Universalist Church and was rather surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Half the sermon, the pastor was handing around a microphone to people who had something to add. Loved it.

Unitarian churches can give WILDLY differing experiences.  Some of them have some real flakes, some of them are awesome, it's an example of the huuuuge difference that experience and training in a preacher can make (to call back to earlier discussion).  But then, a lot of them have different congregations/faiths that use the same church, so you might be in luck.  Yeah though, the difference between two UU churches can be as big as between any two Christian sects, including Catholicism.

Religion is good for society.

Sure, but why not change it into facts? You don't have to believe in fairy tales to get the benefits that come from them.

Philosophy, ethics and morality are not easily converted into "facts".  When they are, it's scary as fuck half the time.

...I have a date with some lavender sugar cookies.  *sneaks off*

[fqllve]

Sowelu, that sounds pretty awesome. I know I would be much more interested in attending religious services if they were basically just awesome parties with live (non-preachy) music.

Not to discount any spiritual aspects of it, it's just that stuff has always seemed more personal to me.

Religion is good for society.

I've occasionally considered starting the group Atheists for Religion. But I don't think it'd get many members.

[Criptfeind]

Um... Cause that wont work?

You can not change the gathering, support, purpose, ect, into facts. And many things we simple don't know.

I've occasionally considered starting the group Atheists for Religion. But I don't think it'd get many members.

I would join it. If, you know, I was feeling Atheist that day.

[Vector]

Religion is good for society.

Sure, but why not change it into facts? You don't have to believe in fairy tales to get the benefits that come from them.

Because not everyone is as intelligent or as well educated as you are, sweetling.

There's a reason why Jesus was said to preach in parable, rather than just saying "Okay, kids, here's the Ten Commandments and please stop fighting."  There's also a reason why cathedrals have Poor Men's Bibles in them, and all of that.  Education is not a guarantee, and one of the nice things about religion is that it doesn't forget the poor.

[Askot Bokbondeler]

doesn't forget the poor? some religions would disagree

[freeformschooler]

Sowelu, that sounds pretty awesome. I know I would be much more interested in attending religious services if they were basically just awesome parties with live (non-preachy) music.

Not to discount any spiritual aspects of it, it's just that stuff has always seemed more personal to me.

Well, I go to one and I can highly recommend that. Like I've said, it's not so much worshipping anything as it is celebrating the wonders of life. Although I'm sure they wouldn't have any problem with you worshipping things.

[Vector]

doesn't forget the poor? some religions would disagree

I can't think of any off the top of my head.

[ChairmanPoo]

Scientology?

[fqllve]

Well, I go to one and I can highly recommend that. Like I've said, it's not so much worshipping anything as it is celebrating the wonders of life. Although I'm sure they wouldn't have any problem with you worshipping things.

I'm all about celebrating the wonders of life. Life is pretty fucking awesome.

I would join it. If, you know, I was feeling Atheist that day.

Well, don't tell anyone but I'm actually a naturalistic pantheist.

[CoughDrop]

Religion is good for society.

Sure, but why not change it into facts? You don't have to believe in fairy tales to get the benefits that come from them.

Philosophy, ethics and morality are not easily converted into "facts".  When they are, it's scary as fuck half the time.

Sure, nobody wants to tell their child that grandma died and there's a chance you'll never see her again, but having a substitute makes the later realization even harder.

Religion is good for society.

Sure, but why not change it into facts? You don't have to believe in fairy tales to get the benefits that come from them.

Because not everyone is as intelligent or as well educated as you are, sweetling.

There's a reason why Jesus was said to preach in parable, rather than just saying "Okay, kids, here's the Ten Commandments and please stop fighting."  There's also a reason why cathedrals have Poor Men's Bibles in them, and all of that.  Education is not a guarantee, and one of the nice things about religion is that it doesn't forget the poor.

Yes, but with the internet, education is SO much easier. I think its potential just needs to be better refined, ya know?
(I dropped out of highschool courses, and the majority of my education comes from the internet. I guess you could say that without school, I wouldn't have had the will to learn in the first place, though)


I'm rather pessimistic myself that the majority of future generations will become free thinkers instead of relying on centralized ideals. I do hope I'm wrong.