What Gives You Peace....

[Neo-Scholastic]

The point is, all religious groups are coercive to some degree (even if it's very minor).

Fixed that for you… 😊 As I may have mentioned before, I’m a rather shitty example of Chrisitian living, as in, I am not a regular church-goer nor do I adhere rigidly to any doctrines (though I may passionately advocate for them in a discussion forum)…hence my choice to identify as a “non-denominational Christian.”

Anyways, not being a church-goer reflects less about my attitude towards religion than it does about being a joiner. I don’t have any interest in joining a local church, sure, but I don’t have any interest in the Lions either. I did join the Masons, which is kinda cool, and I’m in good standing but I haven’t been to Lodge in ages.

Or maybe I’m just kinda selfish, because 1) a mature Protested who is versed in Scholasticism and fascinated by Swedenborg isn’t likely to find much intellectual stimulation at the local “Bible” church…and 2) I can privately direct my own charitable efforts without the overhead or community building effort. That said, there is a lot of bullshit in every church. And that’s because there’s just a lot of bullshit in every group for the art leagues to quilters’ guilds.

What I'm asking is: can religious belief provide a sort of happiness that is on par with nonreligious ways? Or is the "bad" that comes with embracing a religious outlook so great, that the best answer is to never even attempt to bolster your happiness with religious experiences?...William James's thesis above is: Belief or religious activity opens you up to religious coercion. That may potentially outweigh any potential benefits it provides.

When I was a youthful atheist of the existentialist nihilist kind, I found some peace in the idea that nothing really mattered. There was no Grand Narrative oppressing me or Divine Judgement awaiting me. And yes, some very harmful ideas propagate in tightly knit literal-minded and dare I say ignorant communities. But that is the opinion of a once weirdly intellectual kid raised in the 70’s when Billy Graham was at his height and an evangelical was in the White House. I didn’t value as a teenager the very human social function of collective caregiving provided within a rural congregation. Are there secular organization that could do that without the cognitive baggage? Maybe they do; I don’t know.

A believer I’ve grown more mystical and increasingly fascinated by the role of intangibles, and not just religious one, have in human life…concepts such as ownership, sentimental value, and similarity, obligations. Are they so deeply ingrained in our intuitions that for all intents they are real? If these are just patterns found in nature what are they patterns of?

I think that can be true if you separate the repressive behaviors of religion from the religious awe. …when I was a believer…it would immediately be spoiled by the invasion of concepts of worthiness/unworthiness, … I was focused on my manufactured guilt and manipulated into submitting to the control and authority of others.

It would be fine if religious feelings were all about the wonder of nature, the excellence of the human mind and progressive thought, and this embrace of an unwavering confidence of who you are and your placement in "what does it all mean?"

You and me both…you and me both. Some…most religious organizations heap on the guilt. So does the ballet company. Every time I went to a performance (when there were such things) there'd be a pitch to donate some memorial fund or educational programs. In the case of the church however the there seem to be more opportunities to manipulate people by appealing to scripture, or purgatory,…I don't know...personally, I believe we have been going through a protracted moral panic and I am hoping some kind of second Great Awakening will bring much needed reforms to how people in America think about religion.