Religious Philosophy Lesson 3 - Rev. Murman

 

Religious Philosophy

Lesson 3 ~ Organized Religions and Cults

By:  Trent Murman

 

How do they match up with the 'five criteria'?

(a) There is no powerful, charismatic leader or leaders for their communities, although there is a strong leadership in each local congregation;

(b) there is a rigid discipline that essentially enforces a high level of group think in the community;

(c) friends and relatives are included only if they are a part of the community, with those that leave (apostates) being shunned;

(d) financial abuse takes the form of financial limitations that result from members living to the strictures of the Ordnung (often called the 'Amish Charter'); and,

(e) they are carefully segregated from the surrounding society.

 

The US Marine Corps! Is it a cult? Consider each of the 5 questions posed above, and see how many of them you think the Corps meets.

Does that make it a cult? Probably a cult?  Maybe a cult?  Probably not?  No way?

I was stationed with the USMC for a total of four years during my service in the USN.  I have the utmost of respect for these men and women in the Corps.  In my judgment the only 1 of the 5 criteria that may "fit" the USMC is number 5…they are carefully segregated from the surrounding society….this is a must with their training and "esprit des corps"  these men and women have definitely bonded from boot camp thru their military careers.  However, they are not segregated from their families only during their duty hours and training missions.  There is NO WAY this could be considered a cult in my judgment.

 

How about the Parent-Teacher group at your local school? How many of the 5 questions do they meet? How would you classify them?

The Parent-Teacher group may fall into numbers 1, 2, 3 and 5.  Most PTA's do have a structured and charismatic leadership within the organization and is needed for fund raisers, persuading    parents to their way of thinking concerning their child's good or bad accomplishments in school.  As long as every child is encouraged in the same manner and to the same standards.  They do have a high degree of influence in the way teachers think and in turn they influence the way the parents think regarding their child's accomplishments within the school system.  The relatives are included in the group if they choose to be, there is no segregation in that manner.  However, those children and parents that leave the particular school system are not shunned as might be in a true "cult" society.  I feel this may be considered a cult in some respects.  It does meet some of the criteria, marginally more than half of the 5 points to the criteria.

Lesson 16 - Master of Spirituality class

I very much enjoyed your lesson Nietzsche.  I was fortunate to go through my "mid-life crisis" some time in my 30's.  At that time, I decided that everything I'd ever been taught about God and man was just silly and I stopped believing.  It was a struggle, but I was determined to turn my back on everything and everyone who'd influenced my religious and philosophical views of life, so I wrestled with it until one day, I could firmly, confidently say that there was, indeed, no God and that I had no spiritual nature of any kind. 

 

On that fateful day, at that astounding moment (which I remember vividly), it was like someone pushed me into a soundproof box and shut the door.  There was no inner diaglog to guide me, no intuition that I depended upon to get me safely through my day.  There was the loudest silence I'd ever heard and it was unlike anything I could've imagined.  Even if I'd been shut into such a room, I would still have heard my heartbeat or my breath rushing in my ears.  There was nothing.  I thought for a moment that I'd gone suddenly deaf until someone nearby spoke and I heard them distinctly; probably, more distinctly than I would have a moment before my declaration as there was no background noise of my thoughts. 

 

I stayed like this for a few days, maybe a week or two, I don't really remember.  I just recall that it felt like I was having to remember things that should be famliar; simple, daily task types of things that I did by rout with the direction of my intuition and subconscious thoughts.  I had to make a very conscious effort to brush my teeth, pour my coffee, eat my breakfast, drive my car.  I was on a kind of autopilot only in that I was aware that I knew how to do these things and was doing them as normally as possible.  Imagine that you've always had a director quietly telling you every move and then all of a sudden, they were gone.  You know what to do, but you're so accustomed to following instead of leading, it truly throws you. 

 

Then, one day, as I sat in the silence of my no-thoughts, it struck me that I'd been given a very great gift.  It was the gift of knowing, of gnosis, of understanding what those who have no faith in anything beyond themselves experience every day.  I can understand why Nietzsche went mad, or as a boyfriend once called, "Full Tilt Bozo Crazy," because if I had not come to my senses, it would not have been long before I would hear the clang of the bells and the buzzer would sound.  Very slowly, very gradually, my thoughts started to be heard again and my intuition returned stronger than ever.  It was like stepping out into the beautiful world of sights and sounds after a long illness, and I enjoyed every moment of it.

 

I have since run across people who said they believe that death is the end of their existence.  I think of my own experience into my mini-Nietzscheworld and I wonder how long they will believe it, and if for long, how will their mind stay intact.  I also don't stick around to find out.  Dem peoples crazy!

 

You're right when you say that poor ol' Nietzsche didn't take into account the inherent evil nature of humans, but he also missed the inherent good in us as well.  We cannot deny our spiritual nature, which embodies those loving qualities that we simply must exhibit in order to have balance in our lives.  It's true, too, that what we put out into the world comes back to us and if you are putting nothing out at all, as apparently Nietzsche did not, then it won't be long before you are living in an emotional vacuum.  That is a very dark, lonely path to walk. 

 

Thank you for the intriguing lessons and for this class.  I've always been interested in philosophy, but have never had the patience to study it indepth.  Your lessons give just the right amount of information to explain these great thinkers' ideas well.  I truly appreciate it!

 

Best to you -

Penny

 

 

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil:
God will not hold us guiltless
Not to speak is to speak.
Not to act is to act." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Religious Philosophy ~ Lesson 2 by Trent Murman

Religious Philosophy ~ Lesson 2 ~ Essay

Religions, Ethical Systems &Fundamentals

By Trent Murman

 

Part 1 ~ Concept and Precept

In the construction world one might have concepts to include:

1 A vision.  To precept this would include all interested parties come together over planning meetings such as financing, laying of the corner stone, preparing the dig site and discussing city ordinances such as codes, permits and locations to be considered.  How long is the community going to be inconvenienced by closed roads, detours and filth created by the project? Finally a start and expected completion date.  2 The project planning.  The need for arranging subcontracting companies that are experts in their particular fields such as masonry, electrical, building machinery to construct multiple floors, cranes etc.  3 The building of the project.  Precept or orchestrate from day one when the expert companies would come into play such as getting proper permits to include seismology, noise levels, work hours allotted not to disturb community noise curfew hours.

 

Part 2 ~ The subject of monistic.

If the concept of "One is All" is to be adhered to by a group of people it is my theory that to not be perceived with the original thought there would need to be sub "Ones" for different clicks or parts of the original "One", such as a person controls a four city block area.  "One" person is not physically able to patrol or know what is going on  in all areas of  his "domain" (the four city block area).  So, in this "domain" this person would most likely need to have people loyal to  him in charge of each block that would report to him on an arranged meeting schedule to bring the "One" up to speed on moral and incidents occurring on each particular block.  Especially if another "One" is attempting to move into his four block area to take control and acquire more blocks under his control. 

 

I believe there is such a thing as evil.  In a world that is morally run by entities and "all is good" there has to be an "evil" side to maintain checks and balances for a stable world or society.  I feel people would not know if "all is good" if there was not temptation from evil to tempt them to stray, thus the "all is good" entity to bring them back to the good path.  I believe matter does exist, however in many forms and concepts.  The "One" originally was sent here to earth in the physical form as whatever deity a particular religious group refers to as their "One" be it God, Buddha etc.  Most people need to see a physical thing/person to relate to so the theory of God and not being able to see Him can be disheartening to these people and we might call them skeptical or even non-believers.  Do I exist?  Yes, I think and believe we do exist having interaction with others sharing concepts etc.  There are some that believe we do not exist and once this body or shell ceases to function that is it, there is nothing more after the ceasing.  Interestingly, do these people go to heaven or hell post mortem?  Or, are they simply in limbo some place bound to this through eternity?  Most people need to at least visualize in their mind that there is something post mortem and this "Something" is going to take care of our sole/being post mortem.  This gives them peace of mind that we all need.  So, are we real?  Is this world real?  I think these questions/concepts need to be answered by each particular person contingent on how they were raised, what was instilled in their minds commencing when they could start the thought process and reasoning for this is what separates us from the lower forms of the animal kingdom, the ability to think and reason.

 

 

 

Part 3 ~ The correct practice of a religion.

Is there a correct practice?  Most people need to know and/or follow a structure when it comes to religion, because, if they are not the one's governing the practice of this religion but followers of the "Shepard" they believe the "Shepard" is in control and his beliefs coincide with theirs.  If this doesn't happen then the followers would most likely seek out a new "Shepard".  I have always felt somehow they structure within the Catholic religion brings its followers closer to "God", let me explain, from the Priest to the Pope the followers know they are required to do certain things to be a "good Catholic" i.e. pray, go to confession, go to Mass regularly, ask for absolution, there are nuns, priests, and up the structured ladder to the Pope.  Some have a hard time dealing with the concept of one human being granting absolution to another…why not just talk to God directly, why go through another human?  Or is this person giving the absolution a vessel through which God speaks and he is only carrying out His orders?  Whichever it is, most people I feel need a structured system to "correctly practice" a religion.