Is a dudeist an atheist?

[meekon5]

Dudes, I don't mean to alarm anyone, but I've made a huge realization....

This horse has been dead for weeks!

Dude this just shows a basic misinterpretation of how this forum works.

Basically someone proposes an initial thread then everyone who can be bothered sticks their oar in.

Then it gets sidetracked (usually horribly) and becomes about something completely different then it can even go through a couple of other transformations until we get bored.

No thread dies here they just lay dormant until someone fancies reserecting it like some Voo Doo Zombie corpse.

[Yeti]

Sorry, been gone for awhile. Traveling, business, blackjack, hookers, etc.

Here is the definition of Dudeism from Wikipedia:

"Dudeism's stated primary objective is to promote a modern form of Chinese Taoism, outlined in Tao Te Ching by Laozi (6th century BC), blended with concepts by the Ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus (341-270 BC), and presented in a style as personified by the character of "The Dude"

I don't understand how we get bogged down with so many arguments about Dudeism co-existing, clashing, or blending with religions other than Taoism. I especially don't understand how we're getting atheism mixed up with Taoism.

Unless I've got all of this wrong, and if so, I need to fuck off and find another funtime religion and message board, Dudeism is essentially "a modern form of Chinese Taoism". If that's correct, then the second post of every one of these threads needs to be "How does [fill in the blank] apply to a modern form of Chinese Taoism?"

If anything, let's take all of this time and energy that we're applying to all of this nonsense and instead apply it to studying Taoism! If we do that, we may just improve Dudeism in the process.

[Captain Will]

I don't understand how we get bogged down with so many arguments about Dudeism co-existing, clashing, or blending with religions other than Taoism. I especially don't understand how we're getting atheism mixed up with Taoism.

Unless I've got all of this wrong, and if so, I need to fuck off and find another funtime religion and message board, Dudeism is essentially "a modern form of Chinese Taoism". If that's correct, then the second post of every one of these threads needs to be "How does [fill in the blank] apply to a modern form of Chinese Taoism?"

If anything, let's take all of this time and energy that we're applying to all of this nonsense and instead apply it to studying Taoism! If we do that, we may just improve Dudeism in the process.

Fuckin' A, dude!

I read "The Tao of Pooh" years ago, and my dabbling in Taoism over the last few years is what lead me to Dudeism.  I was drawn to Dudeism because it helped me understand what Lao Tzu was blathering about... really tied the whole philosophy together.

Atheist, theist, anti-theist... fuck it, dudes!  Let's focus on what brings us together!

[meekon5]

...Unless I've got all of this wrong, and if so, I need to fuck off and find another funtime religion and message board, Dudeism is essentially "a modern form of Chinese Taoism". If that's correct, then the second post of every one of these threads needs to be "How does [fill in the blank] apply to a modern form of Chinese Taoism?"

If anything, let's take all of this time and energy that we're applying to all of this nonsense and instead apply it to studying Taoism! If we do that, we may just improve Dudeism in the process.

Actually that's what brought me here in the first place.

And this is exactly how I've been feeling too.

As a teenager I studied Yoga, then Zen, then Taoism, each a development of the proceeding, each leading into the next. My paganist stance does not contradict the taoist stance (quote myself from my blog posting "The Good, The Bad, and The Pagan." this is a lecture I gave on modern Paganism here at the Natural History Museum, it attempts to explain modern paganism and my own stance).

I'm a bit jealous of Oliver having done the same thing (study Zen and Taoism) but having done it properly, then having hit the revelation of Dudeism.

[PriorRestraint]

Sorry, been gone for awhile. Traveling, business, blackjack, hookers, etc.

Here is the definition of Dudeism from Wikipedia:

"Dudeism's stated primary objective is to promote a modern form of Chinese Taoism, outlined in Tao Te Ching by Laozi (6th century BC), blended with concepts by the Ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus (341-270 BC), and presented in a style as personified by the character of "The Dude"

I don't understand how we get bogged down with so many arguments about Dudeism co-existing, clashing, or blending with religions other than Taoism. I especially don't understand how we're getting atheism mixed up with Taoism.

Unless I've got all of this wrong, and if so, I need to fuck off and find another funtime religion and message board, Dudeism is essentially "a modern form of Chinese Taoism". If that's correct, then the second post of every one of these threads needs to be "How does [fill in the blank] apply to a modern form of Chinese Taoism?"

If anything, let's take all of this time and energy that we're applying to all of this nonsense and instead apply it to studying Taoism! If we do that, we may just improve Dudeism in the process.

Agreed, Yeti.
In rereading a fun book on modern Daoism, The Tao is Silent by Raymond Smullyan (check it out if anyone's unfamiliar, very unique weird little book) I came across this gem that feels relevant to this thread:

"At all costs the Christian must convince the heathen and the atheist that God exists, in order to save his soul. At all costs the atheist must convince the Christian that the belief in God is but a childish and primitive superstition, doing enormous harm to the cause of true social progress. And so they battle and storm and bang away at each other. Meanwhile the Taoist sage sits quietly by the stream, perhaps with a book of poems, a cup of wine, and some painting materials, enjoying the Tao to his hearts content, without ever worrying whether or not the Tao exists. The Sage has no need to affirm the Tao; he is too busy enjoying it!

TL;DR  It's undude to argue about anything really, so take it easy and abide contentedly!

[jgiffin]

"At all costs the Christian must convince the heathen and the atheist that God exists, in order to save his soul. At all costs the atheist must convince the Christian that the belief in God is but a childish and primitive superstition, doing enormous harm to the cause of true social progress. And so they battle and storm and bang away at each other. Meanwhile the Taoist sage sits quietly by the stream, perhaps with a book of poems, a cup of wine, and some painting materials, enjoying the Tao to his hearts content, without ever worrying whether or not the Tao exists. The Sage has no need to affirm the Tao; he is too busy enjoying it!

TL;DR  It's undude to argue about anything really, so take it easy and abide contentedly!

That's a helluva quote. Really wraps 'er all up. I gotta check out that book.

[meekon5]

I always return to my copy of the Jane English translation of the Tao Te Ching (the one with the beautiful pictures).

But will be putting this book on my must get list now.

[Bullett00th]

It's undude to argue about anything really, so take it easy and abide contentedly!

Once upon a time a wise old man was asked:
-How did you live so long and stay so happy throughout this life?
-That's easy, - said the old man - I never argued with anybody.
-Anybody at all? But that's impossible!, - exclaimed the listeners.
The old man smiled and answered:
-Well, impossible it is, then.

[TheMacDude]

So I guess I would be called an anti-theist. Fuck the church.

I just want to highlight this comment because it's genius, dude.

Here's the thing about Dudeism. We are all about being cool, man. The state of coolness is what matters, man.

It's important to remember that we have a text called the Dude De Ching. Our text borrows heavily from the Tao De Ching, so with that in mind, I am going to share with you the following quote:

While a number of immortals or other mysterious figures appear in the Zhuangzi, and to a lesser extent in the Dao De Jing (e.g., the "mysterious female" in chapter 6), these have generally not become the objects of cultic worship. Academic commentators on Taoism are rather more likely to focus on the divinity of the Dao itself, which might be fruitfully compared to (and contrasted with) Western conceptions of God.. I'd post a link to the source of that quote, but I'm not yet allowed to post external links. It comes from religion facts dot com.

Anyway, so, like a Taoist, Dudeists should not concern themselves with a personified God, but rather a state of being, i.e. the ultimate divinity, or rather dudevinty. If you want to believe in a God, fine, but that God better be cool, man. As soon as that God gets all wrathful and threatens to judge you for your sins, then I think you've lost the way, man. You've lost your cool and you're focusing on the uncool. Such a God would be powerful, an authoritarian and you'd be feeble. Such a dynamic just does not jive with the way, man. 

I believe in a conscious universe, which is largely (not entirely) composed of our collective unconscious. And, I feel that I can say that because it's far out! Yeah, I think I can hang with the Universe and I'm one with it, especially when start gazing after consuming a Caucasian.

It's been a 120 day since anyone has posted to this thread... I hope somebody reads this.

[TheMacDude]

"...Meanwhile the Taoist sage sits quietly by the stream, perhaps with a book of poems, a cup of wine, and some painting materials, enjoying the Tao to his hearts content, without ever worrying whether or not the Tao exists. The Sage has no need to affirm the Tao; he is too busy enjoying it!

For the Dudeist: ... Meanwhile the Dudeist sits quietly on his rug, perhaps listening to the day before yesterday's voicemails, a White Russian in hand, sun glasses shading the sun, enjoying the Dudeness to his/her content, without ever worrying whether or not the Dudeness exists. The Dude has no need to affirm the Dudeness; he is too busy enjoying it!

[TheMacDude]

"...Meanwhile the Taoist sage sits quietly by the stream, perhaps with a book of poems, a cup of wine, and some painting materials, enjoying the Tao to his hearts content, without ever worrying whether or not the Tao exists. The Sage has no need to affirm the Tao; he is too busy enjoying it!

For the Dudeist: ... Meanwhile the Dudeist sits quietly on his rug, perhaps listening to the day before yesterday's voicemails, a White Russian in hand, sun glasses shading the sun, enjoying the Dudeness to his/her content, without ever worrying whether or not the Dudeness exists. The Dude has no need to affirm the Dudeness; he is too busy enjoying it!

[The Guro]

A "Dudeist" can be an Atheist... although to split hairs that is basically being a Nihilist according to strict definition Agnostic would be better as I am sure many have replied.

I am a Christian Dudeist. And from everything that I have seen and read from the movie and two of the Dudeism produced books I bought... there is no problem being a Dudeist and First -Draft Christian. In fact I challenge that the message of The Big Lebowski isn't suggesting there is a better Dudeway to be achieved via the words of "The Stranger".

Applying the principles of Dudeism is a personal path independent of the concerns of spirituality or lack thereof IMO.

"No matter what an individual?s beliefs are, it is their capacity to abide and take it easy that matters in Dudeism and the Dudeist community."
~Sermons From the Sofa  | Date: October 29th, 2015 | By Rev Gary M Silvia

Welcome to the Church of Latter-Day Dude... You Heathen

Abiding in Christ,

Christian Dude