(December 21, 2018 at 1:12 pm)Brian37 Wrote: I really hate use of the word "Practice" when it comes to religion, ANY RELIGION in the world.
You practice medicine. You practice music. You practice a sport. You practice law. The only thing you are doing with a religion is following it.
Repeating words in a book or rituals is following. The psychology is for the individual to justify why they are good.
Sorry, but what is to "practice" about being non violent and not steeling from others and having empathy for others? That should be a no brainer.
I don't need a god, or holy person, or old book to refrain form doing harm to others. Refraining from harming others requires no practice at all.
I actually disagree. I am an atheist, but also a U.U. I have friends who "practice" their various beliefs, be it humanism, buddhism, treat-people-nice-ism, or Jesus-was-a-nice-guy-or-myth-ism.
Not all religion is about belief. Belief is nothing to brag about (whether a belief in a god, or belief in naturalism). What matters is how one puts belief into action.
You don't need religion or gods to live a good life, but you need something.
You need a set of personal beliefs, a set of personal values, and a set of personal ethics, and a framework for personal meaning. The "practice" part is acting on them.
If you don't consciously decide how your life embodies your values, you probably won't actually achieve the type of meaningful things you could. Buddhists call their religion a practice, because theirs isn't about belief -- it is about living, experiencing, and being.
To some like me, finding answers to existential and epistemological questions, and consciously thinking about my life choices, is important ... even when not believing in woo or gods.
