What's your politics. also, religion?

[Nellamkuyzhil]

I'm curious. I know of one guy in BM who I suspect is a Nazi.  So any lefties here??

BTW, I'm a communist-anarchist from Delhi, India. Born Roman Catholic but practising athiest (I like kids but not in that way).

[Ehndras]

My views are a bit too complex to really fall into any particular category, but by-and-large, I'd be considered an anarchist by most.

I was born into a mixed Christian/Catholic family, but chose to be a pagan-inspired Pantheist myself.

I somewhat accidentally created a cult a few years ago, whose high priest is an Autistic-savant genius programmer from London. :) Somewhat accidentally being that I never intended others to take it seriously, and only sought to explain to someone what my personal beliefs are - a mixture of facets picked from every existing faith whose mythology and beliefs I've gained access to, added to literary concepts, ancient and modern philosophy, all rolled up into what I call "Vox Stellarum," a (quasi-, and I say this because some folks just don't like mixing science and faith)-scientific approach to spirituality. Insert Scientology joke here.

Its pretty much looking at the sciences from a pantheistic approach. Everything is divine in and of its own right, simply by virtue of existence, life is the manifestation of "God," and thus we ARE God, so on and so forth. With my own unique little deviation, of course: a concept I've held all my life, now rooted in scientific studies of quantum physics and the like, that there may be an underlying "code" behind all of existence. Thermodynamics, gravity, speed of light, and such, as mere facets of a grand mathematical mechanism spanning all creation, destruction, the nature of the void of space, our potential origins pre-Bang, our eventual spread unto the very stars, and merely hypothetically, beyond the manifold of space and thus time, as we all know Time isn't really a "thing," but a perspective bias.

[Nellamkuyzhil]

Might be. But unless it helps us reach the basic point of human liberation in the physical, economical sphere, spirituality and study into our 'purpose' etc seems merely a kind of vain exercise to me. This is of course just my opinion.

Iv heard there are a lot of really active anarchists who are spiritual/religious (and I'm told pagans are the most dedicated). And iv always wanted to ask - how do you reconcile being a politically concerned human being and a pursuer of spirituality when the present world has so much inequality to be dealt with first before humans can even think of teaching their potential?

[Vita`]

Because ultimately, controlling the world is a fool's errand. We can only control our reaction to the world. That doesn't mean do nothing. But it does mean to recognize that you cannot fix everything wrong in the world yourself. It means to make what you do do, count. And when your efforts fall flat, recognize that you have still done what you can do. Because ultimately, it is about each of us as progressing as individuals than as a group; the ultimate help to another is in helping another progress beyond their mental confines.

[GundamMerc]

Atheist here that feels the advancement of the species takes precedent over individualism, and feels that the focus on individual liberties has led to a diffusing of our energies to the point where our technological development is heavily curtailed. The reason it hasn't stalled is because the development of the internet allowed individuals to work as a collective.

[Ehndras]

Aye, the earlier comment summed it up quite nicely.

We're all, in the end, working toward the exact same goal - regardless of whether you're an atheist, christian, muslim, jew, taoist, buddhist, or what have you, we're all suposedly doing what we do for the good of mankind.

If we actually practice what we preach, perhaps Humanity has a chance.

I've done a ton of volunteer work throughout my life, and I just met an inspirational author and poet in florida who told me tonight that my work is a thousand times better than his. His literary agent wants to represent me and help me publish my hundreds of poems and short stories, and eventually my scifi novel series I've been working on for the better part of a decade in practice, and over a decade in spirit. This guy has been on tv, the radio, and made many contacts in the process, and wants to help me walk a similar path to relative fame and hopefully, eventually, wealth. (local, in Florida, of course, but the dude's an amazing guy with a heart of gold.)

Me, I'm just happy I'll get a chance to actually help other people with my work. My passion is to inspire and help others walk a better path in life. That's my source of happiness, and what makes me tick. I'm supposedly a natural-born leader and powerful speaker, and people are moved by my thoughts and words.

If I can put that into proper practice, pull my life out of the whole I'm in, and help others in the process, I'll be a very happy man.

[Nellamkuyzhil]

I agree with every word Vita says but it still doesn't answer my question.

I understand and even encourage people celebrating their religious heritage and culture.  It's part of our identity and something our ancestors worked hard at preserving and each generation of our predecessors has left a part of them in it. Hell I myself wear this old wooden and iron rosary most of the time cause I have reason to be proud of belonging to one of the oldest Christian community in the world.

That lies apart from the fact that I can in no way condone genuine religious worship or prayer etc. I mean even if we believe that one is spiritual, is there a better mode of expressing it than working to improve society and accelerate the process of freeing mankind from its silly and dangerous chains?

I know people are going to state that they can do both things in their own time but isn't wasting time in rituals and worship etc voluntarily and publicising your 'religion' a kind of traitorous behavior when you could be doing better things with your time or at least not enabling the idiots who identify their and live their lives solely by the rules of such religion and see you as a source of validity and inspiration in their faith?

[Nellamkuyzhil]

As for Gundam, I would like to state that sacrificing individualism for collectivism should always be a purely voluntary decision.

Judging people on this ground and mentally forcing them into sharing or caring for the collective is basically bullying. And humans are a socially oriented species unless capitalism and enforced structures force them to behave otherwise. Or else a psychopath.

After all, all of us are rumored to be crazy for social approval at the end of the day over everything else.

[jaune]

About politics... i hate it.
Democrazy works only in small communities, in big picture it is the !@#$. I would change this !@#$ty democrazy system to good Tyranny at any second. Notice word good :) Too bad very often tyrants arent too good :P

About religions, i dont know exactly how to describe my religious believes. I believe forests, lakes, rocks, christian god basicly i believe any entity what is worshipped.... I do not worship anything. I respect "spirit" of forest.. .some places are simply "holy". You know the moment when you get on place like this. Usually those are some sort of hills, ponds, lakes...

I dont like organized religions, those are always just tool of politics and control.

[Ehndras]

Likewise. Organized religion is a power-play, and a massive time-waster. While the Vatican hordes countless trillions of dollars in priceless relics, spends untold billions on pushing their faith down others' throats, people continue starving and dying. If the religions of the world put aside their differences for the span of a single month, week, hell, DAY, and worked together to alleviate poverty, unnecessary crime in desperation, psychological instability in people denied help, and other worthwhile endeavors, the world would change practically overnight. It would usher in a new era of Humanity in which people finally believe some GOOD is possible and, hell, in the end it'd be a worthwhile investment - the downtrodden would FLOCK to their faiths as a result...

But no. Religions bicker and pledge superiority, hoarding their wealth among the elite, building million-dollar temples while their own people die on the streets by the hour.

!@#$in' stupid Humans, man. That's like the dumbass whose an American gun safety advocate but the god damn idiot forgot to check the chamber, popped out the clip, and shot himself in front of an entire classroom. Sadly, COMMON SENSE seems to be the least common denominator amongst Men...

[Fleugs]

Enlightened despotism!

[GundamMerc]

Enlightened despotism!

The only reliable government by far, as the Chinese proved with their meritocracy in ancient times.

[Tom]

Religion: Militant atheist in the Dawkins sense.

Politics: Read Hakim Bey and Noam Chomsky. Mix well and let stir. Add some european perspective and more historic approach and let it simmer for half an hour, then you're pretty close.

[Deprived_silhouette]

My political views are more libertarian, though no completely. It's not exactly defined and I am still exploring my views, and developing new ones. As for religion, I am agnostic. I reject religions, concept of god, but i do think there is something like a soul perhaps