A New Religion

A New Religion

 

Perhaps it is time for a New Religion?

·         This one will be tolerant- indeed, it will accept all the other major ones

·         It is based on the fact that psychology has proved that religion helps you

·         Religious people live longer, healthier and happier lives

·         The obvious conclusion is to :

 

1.       Adopt a religion that you can believe in: Buddhism, Christianity, Muslim, etc

2.       Perfect a new concept which will suit those not happy with the existing ones

 

·         We should take all that is good and proven and create a solid Faith

·         Compassion and kindness towards others from Buddhism

·         Respect for self, from the same East- where one who does not believe in

·         Oneself is considered an atheist

 

Peace of mind

·         We should exclude the fatwa or the other calls for violence

·         Even if this one would not be a “peaceful” religion at all costs

·         The good of the many will be above the good of very few

 

Science

·         We must extract from science rules that we could apply

·         In a joking manner, we could say that we would “religiously”

·         Adopt the rules of The How Of Happiness for instance, by

·         Sonja Lyubomirsky

Humor

·         Would be included in the ten, twenty or 16 commandments we

·         Come up with

Copyright

·         Already there’s a question of the déjà vu

·         As stated from the start- the plan is to take whatever is good

·         In the existing religions, without a new Messiah, prophet

·         Or just accepting the existing ones

·         In whatever manner we can indulge:

·         I tend to think Jesus has been there and performed miracles

·         Who knows in what form and if He is the Son of God...

Kant

·         Has said that God is a Moral Necessity

·         And he made a very interesting point

·         Which could be perfectly (and morally) right

Miracles

·         I have come to believe that miracles exist

·         I look at the Pygmalion Effect and the Ellen Langer studies

·         On old men who grew…younger

·         And thousands upon thousands of experiments and research

 

Will it work?

·         It does in parts of Africa, where they have populations

·         Who believe in a mixture of two religions

·         Christianity and Muslim religion

 

More thinking, praying (?) and faith is necessary to come up with more and better answers

Do you have feedback? Let’s talk...

We may find the Way…

Insha’Allah!

 

Belief in oneself

·         One important element would be belief in oneself

·         An Indian swami said that in the West, an atheist is

·         One who does not believe in God

·         In the East, one who does not believe in Oneself

·         Is seen as an atheist

·         I can’t remember where I read it and who said it

·         But it would be among the precepts of a “new” religion

·         Which would mix the best, kinder elements of Eastern and Western

·         Faiths – perhaps forgetting about reincarnation and

·         Without any violent fatwas or

·         excommunications

 

 

In fact, this is what struck me at this third installment of Brideshead Revisited:

Religion and the way we change our perspective.

I am not sure about Lord Marchmain aka Laurence Olivier in the series, but I was awed by the completely different view that I have on religion. Lord Marchmain remains a bit of a mystery- he may or may not have changed his atheist beliefs, but in this third look at Brideshead I looked at myself with wonder…

For the first two meetings with Brideshead Revisited I have been somewhat repulsed by the absolute and ridiculous faith of Bridey and Cordelia. Even Julia’s hesitations were kind of disturbing.

Now that I have read scientific evidence, positive psychology research that proves religion to be good for your mindset, overall health, life expectation and more, I no longer regard faith as a stupid predilection.

In fact, I am thinking that a new religion is probably necessary for those who have found no solace with Islam, Christianity and the rest.

The other day I was reading about Isaac Newton, who had his doubts about the official Trinity doctrine and was more inclined, indeed it seems that he believed in One God, not a saintly threesome formation.

Since people like me have trouble with a Trinity, punishment for (often innocent) sins, not to mention the awful sharia which cuts off hands, kills cheaters with stones… perhaps a new set of “rules” would be in order, for a kindlier, more tolerant faith.

The number one rule of that faith would be:

Tolerance! You do not punish with another for “religious” crimes…let him be “infidel”, if he is an atheist for instance, science has proved that he is worse off for that particular reason…he is already punished…let her/him be.

There is more to say and if you are interested, I am making a few more points at

www.realini.blogspot.ro

 

Religion is scientifically proved to help people have happier life, better relationships and careers, higher life expectancies.

Because there are so many good sides to most of the mainstream religions I am thinking that it would make sense to create a new “recipe” for those of us who have a higher intolerance of the more obscure, or aggressive parts of the holy books.

For instance, there is a debate over the cruelest acts happening in the world, the deaths of millions of children, starving in poor countries of Africa and elsewhere:

-          God is omniscient and omnipotent

-          Then how can He let these horrors happen?

-          One answer is the quote:

-          The ways of God are unknown

In my “new” blasphemous religion:

-          The attitude would be way more relaxed-

-          You feel you need a God? Then worship Him/Her

-          You think She is omnipotent- maybe she is

-          But you can question him (also, we can alternate between Him and Her)

-          You do not get hit by a fatwa issued by a fanatic that says

-          “because you wrote the Satanic verses 9for instance) you must be killed”

Magic does happen- look at Brazil “playing ‘against Germany last night. 7- 1 is the stuff of miracles.

It was more like Terry Gillian’s Brazil, where Robert de Niro pops up of thin air, as a plumber from the future to fix an incredibly sophisticated system of pipes, cables in a house that has little that I remember with Brazil.

Last night, the super stars of the host country have taken and incredible drumming from Deutschland. Ubermensch against some guys who win multimillion salaries to play a game they did not seem to know any more.

After that game, it is hard to pretend that magic does not exist and miracles do not happen. It was a very down to earth squad that won, and they are hard working and efficient, earthy nothing to do with the supernatural.

Yet, for me it is proof that mindset and other factors produce magic.

And I am getting more and more religious …or is it religulous?

 

 

Another aspect that strikes me is the gratitude which comes out of the words spoken by the Sisters of the dead man and the aunt of the narrator.

The manner in which their religiosity affects their attitudes, hopes and love of life, their brother seems to offer clues for the question- why does religion give to the faithful longer, happier, more successful and healthier lives?

I am still a kind of a non-believer, but my readings of positive psychology and its research, tests, experiments and discoveries have turned my attitude towards faith upside down.

Like The Sisters, religious people find comfort and guidance in their Lord.

Some of the precepts are like a psychologist's prescriptions:

Look for and try to find

Gratitude, pride, awe, inspiration, amusement, joy, serenity, interest, hope and love in your life…

Moderation is advised and wonderful strategies for coping with adversity and trauma.

I am looking for the way to get religion into my life, even if that means a new religion mixing in elements from Buddhism, Islam and Christianity…Alhamdulillah