Open Source Religion?

Gnomie Jonathan Vasquez (FearedBliss from our chatroom) writes:

Hey, Chris.

I was just wondering something and I wanted to ask you your opinion on an Open Source Religion. I’m hoping to get a good response from you since your Facebook’s religion status gives me the feeling that you aren’t religious. Anyhow, let me explain.

Nowadays I believe that religion shouldn’t be about spirits or things that we don’t know the answers to. People try to pass information as factual even though it has never been or cannot be proven, but I think a religion should be about sharing the knowledge or techniques one can use to improve or guide someone’s life. I’d propose this Open Source religion to include the following:

• A higher power that doesn’t care whether or not you believe in it, but it just wants you to be a good person and one that won’t commit malicious acts.One should not be penalized to “hell” just because one doesn’t believe in something. There are millions of good people out who don’t believe but are subject to eternal torture because of their rejection.
• Sex shouldn’t just be part of a “legal marriage” thing as people assume it to be, but something deeper. I think sex is what comes out of when you love someone, and I mean truly love someone. Not some 13-year-old girl that is going out with a boy and automatically assumes that just because she is going out with this person that they are in love.
• No alterations to your body. This should be defined as illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, LSD, etc. Marijuana is subject to a lot of controversy, but until it is proven that it’s safe, it should be avoided.

This is by no means meant to be the whole thing — I’d like to see what others would add or take away from it. Remember that this is an Open Source religion, so things are bound to change!

It’s just meant to be a pathway to happiness — a guide for someone to follow their life. It shouldn’t be taken as something you “have” to do, or something you are forced to do, but just something that makes sense and inspires.

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