Our basic freedoms!

[BikerDude]

On the point of revolution, I see a Dudeist Revolution as an oxymoron any way, much like the revolution we allegedly had in the UK (late 1700-1800's), it rained so everyone went home (I don't know how much of that is apocryphal, but it makes my point.

Ditto.
Dudeism would disappear in the face of conditions that truly warrant revolution. By definition revolution is deciding that some things can not be abided.

[BikerDude]

I doubt it. As I've said they won't go quietly.
I firmly believe that the "true believers" would pull the temple down on there own heads before they would allow "godlessness" and communism to triumph. Heck they positively long for the end of the world. You think they are gonna bat an eye all out thermo nuclear war. Hell no they'd hail the very nut that goes ahead as the second coming of Jesus.
It really is that bad.

I know what you mean about the christians not giving up, imagine a whole cuntry going the way of the Branch Davidians? But on the subject of china taking over the world:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23517837-how-chinas-taking-over-africa-and-why-the-west-should-be-very-worried.do

You don't have to go so far as cults. Just look at the dark corners of many totally above board religions.
Or even the light corners of things like Pentacostalism.

[Rev. Gary (revgms)]

If you don't have metaphysical claims, are you a religion?

We make no claims to anything "mystical", does that mean we are not a religion? Or is the concept of religiosity compatible with a community that is coherent through a shared world view?

Clearly these wackos are a religion that has a world view, but are we a world view that has religion?

I am not sure we are a religion, I also don't think Zen is a religion or Taoism, there is no "revelations" in them, it is all observational not esoteric offerings of a god-being.

[meekon5]

If you don't have metaphysical claims, are you a religion?

We make no claims to anything "mystical", does that mean we are not a religion? Or is the concept of religiosity compatible with a community that is coherent through a shared world view?

Clearly these wackos are a religion that has a world view, but are we a world view that has religion?

I am not sure we are a religion, I also don't think Zen is a religion or Taoism, there is no "revelations" in them, it is all observational not esoteric offerings of a god-being.

Then we get stuck with what is a religion?

I have always believed we are a spiritual movement. Yes this is semantics but it's in line with "What is a religion?"

I gave a lecture on modern Paganism here at the museum, and my first ten to fifteen minutes was trying to define Paganism, I eventually had to stand with "This is what I define as Paganism, and am going to talk about that!"

This is quiet a good link on the subject:

http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/advice-and-guidance/your-rights/religion-and-belief/what-is-a-religion/

I am running the Religion and Belief group here at the museum, unfortunately it is mostly christians but they are not that bad a lot.

[Rev. Gary (revgms)]

The problem with Christianity is it's populated with people, I love people, but sometimes I just can't abide by what they do or believe.

The fellow who was on O'Riely, when Billy boy said "tide comes in tide goes out", was saying that a vast majority of Christians don't actually buy the shit the church is selling. But then you get the groups like these.

[meekon5]

...The fellow who was on O'Riely, when Billy boy said "tide comes in tide goes out", was saying that a vast majority of Christians don't actually buy the shit the church is selling. But then you get the groups like these.

Unfortunately "Mob" psychology is very different from personal psychology, put a bunch of christians high on the love of god in a room together and their likely to start "sanctifying" anything they think is out of place (and causing a dreadful mess in the process).

[cckeiser]

http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/fa/2011/08/20110824_fa_01.mp3?dl=1

Sorry dude, but that's a download. I do not down load anything. Can you send a link to a web site or something? What does it say?

[Rev. Gary (revgms)]

There are bad people claiming to be Christians who want to rule the world for Jeebus. Think Christian Taliban.

[BikerDude]

http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/fa/2011/08/20110824_fa_01.mp3?dl=1

Sorry dude, but that's a download. I do not down load anything. Can you send a link to a web site or something? What does it say?

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/24/139781021/the-evangelicals-engaged-in-spiritual-warfare

The mp3 is safe.

[BikerDude]

If you don't have metaphysical claims, are you a religion?

We make no claims to anything "mystical", does that mean we are not a religion? Or is the concept of religiosity compatible with a community that is coherent through a shared world view?

Clearly these wackos are a religion that has a world view, but are we a world view that has religion?

I am not sure we are a religion, I also don't think Zen is a religion or Taoism, there is no "revelations" in them, it is all observational not esoteric offerings of a god-being.

I'm glad you said this. I've been having a tough time classifying Dudeism as a religion.
A philosophy I can buy.
I guess it could pass muster as some kind of eastern thing but it is not uptight enough to pass as true religion IMHO. But the fun of it is elevating slackerism and the dude character. Even if it has a passing resemblance to a religion in doing that I find a certain comfort in knowing he's out there.

A lot of the eastern stuff seems to indicate a sort of "god in the machine" thing. Within and without. Deism with some incense and chanting and stuff.

[BikerDude]

...The fellow who was on O'Riely, when Billy boy said "tide comes in tide goes out", was saying that a vast majority of Christians don't actually buy the shit the church is selling. But then you get the groups like these.

Unfortunately "Mob" psychology is very different from personal psychology, put a bunch of christians high on the love of god in a room together and their likely to start "sanctifying" anything they think is out of place (and causing a dreadful mess in the process).

A person is good. People are full of hatred and prejudice and capable of all sorts of nasty stuff.

Or
All things being equal, good people will do good and bad people will do bad. If you want good people to do bad you need religion.

[BikerDude]

There are bad people claiming to be Christians who want to rule the world for Jeebus. Think Christian Taliban.

And many are running for office and finishing pretty high in the polls.

[SpaceDog]

Talking 'bout a  Revolution (yeah, yeah), here's some new shit :

https://occupywallst.org/

[SpaceDog]

BTW: talking of the deity schmaltz, there's a great & extremely far out book written by the Professor Of Quantum Information Science at Oxford University, Vlatko Vedral called Decoding Reality ...

The premise of the book is that the fundamental fabric of reality is information & that "everything" is, some sense, "infomation".

Funny how he finishes the book with a quote from the Tao Te Ching ...

[BikerDude]

BTW: talking of the deity schmaltz, there's a great & extremely far out book written by the Professor Of Quantum Information Science at Oxford University, Vlatko Vedral called Decoding Reality ...

The premise of the book is that the fundamental fabric of reality is information & that "everything" is, some sense, "infomation".

Funny how he finishes the book with a quote from the Tao Te Ching ...

The Hawking Paradox.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hole_information_paradox

It claims that information is lost in black holes. Which violates the most basic principles of the universe. I could be crude and mention Oprah Winfrey in support of the principle.