New Age woo, pantheism, "connected"

[Dystopia]

There's clubs for everything. I'm naturally interested in politics and I developed my individual political beliefs - Because of that, I want to associate myself with people who think alike. You are criticizing clubs and tribalism while you're posting on an internet forum for atheists (a small example of clubs and tribes)

[Mudhammam]

Manners! We don't need no stinking manners. Especially, when the OP is just a collection of ignorant shit. But yeah, I'm feeling a little pissy today. I've decided to drop the illusion that I will receive intelligent replies to rationally presented arguments.

Have you ever presented one to test your hypothesis before drawing such a hasty generalization?

[Brian37]

There's clubs for everything. I'm naturally interested in politics and I developed my individual political beliefs - Because of that, I want to associate myself with people who think alike. You are criticizing clubs and tribalism while you're posting on an internet forum for atheists (a small example of clubs and tribes)

ARRRRGGGGGGGGG!

When I start sticking rivals in ovens, then you can get worried. I am not criticizing clubs. I am going after claims in any "club".

[Brian37]

There's clubs for everything. I'm naturally interested in politics and I developed my individual political beliefs - Because of that, I want to associate myself with people who think alike. You are criticizing clubs and tribalism while you're posting on an internet forum for atheists (a small example of clubs and tribes)

ONCE AGAIN CONTEXT,

Of course we flock to like minded people. Our evolution makes us social and thus we evolved to value that cooperation because it helps create safety in numbers, opportunity at resources and offspring. The criticism of that isn't trying to stop it from happening at all. The criticism is to make people aware that our perceptions in doing that natural thing, can cause us to group around very bad ideas.

That includes atheists as well. There are atheists who for example, are stuck in the same climate change denial of what we see of the right because they, like theists, stupidly think our global market is something you worship blindly and can never do anything wrong.

It isn't the grouping you can stop, but we do as a species need to stop thinking loyalty is more important than quality of data.

It is about fostering a better filter to weed out our own personal bias. The clubs are going to happen, no way to stop them. But we at the same time as a species can work to a natural understanding of why we do things, how things work, and put those differences on the back burner.

The unfortunate part of our existence is that our perceptions are notoriously flawed and we have to constantly question those perceptions and should, even within our own clubs.

[Smaug]

In terms of ignorance New Age stuff actually easily rivals mainstream fundamentalism. Only it is even more dangerous in some aspects. New Agers seem to be considerably more common to get into severe pseudo-science than your average fundies. They are well-known for spouting scientific terms such as 'energy', 'quants' and other left and right and spreading pseudo-scientific theories as if they know what they're talking about. Keeping in mind that there are plenty of swindlers that make money of off pseudo-science and the New Age movement and invest money into encouraging such systems of beliefs said movement actually poses a cultural threat to the society by spreading severe ignorance. New Age movement is heavily based upon and encourages mythical thinking. It's interesting to note that certain individuals easily manage to combine New Age and mainstream beliefs.

[Brian37]

The only difference between a religion and a cult is size and political power.