Quote: Look, sorry it steps on humans toes, but there is NOTHING original about any human invented religion.
wow, that's a doozie. you contend that every posit put forth by every religion existed outside of that religion and was merely copied?
okay, do you understand the role of religion/ideology in state formation? tribal states, usually kingdom, are one stage, but eventually a kingdom will conquer its neighbors and a multiethnic state will be created - usually with one tribe on top. this is unstable. the solution is using religion and/or ideology to unite different ethnic groups. the soviet union is a perfect case - but its founders clearly did not understand the process of human cultural evolution. rather than erasing all those religions and ethnicities, the state ended up turning marxism into a religion, complete with a sacred text, martyrs and heroes, heretics and a nice inquisition or two, and even a shrine with the messiah's pickled body. the usgov hit on something special - the ideology of keeping religion out of politics, which has been very successful. still, there are people who believe in 'freedom, justice and the american way' with absolute fanaticism. many of them are christians, the camp that thinks the usgov is a 'christian nation' but by and large we've avoided the fate of marxism in the ussr. that doesn't mean we can't concoct some Secular Humanist shit and make it our state ideology and run with it - frankly, that's exactly what people like you are trying to do. hell, no. fanaticism is the enemy of peace. if you think you know the absolute truth, and have some right to force it on others, that's you, regardless of what you believe, even if i share many of your beliefs. these are the first three of the fourteen precepts of engaged buddhism. consider:
Quote: 1) Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.
2)Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice nonattachment from views in order to be open to receive others' viewpoints. Truth is found in life and not merely in conceptual knowledge. Be ready to learn throughout your entire life and to observe reality in yourself and in the world at all times.
3)Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever, to adopt your views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda, or even education. However, through compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrow-mindedness.
My book, a setting for fantasy role playing games based on Bantu mythology: Ubantu
