The Free Talk Live BBS
Free Talk Live => The Polling Pit => Topic started by: Zhwazi on December 22, 2006, 07:45:57 PM
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Think of an imaginary entity...there is no evidence that it exists short of the actions and sayso of it's representatives or followers. There's a widespread belief that it "just exists" or "has to exist". It demands your unquestioning obedience. You give it's representatives a percentage of your income. They may give you help if you ask for it, as they do want your voluntary support if they can get it, but if you defy it or it's representatives, it's representatives kill you. Children are taught that it exists from an early age. When closely examined, one discovers that what it's representatives say it says is contradictory to what it's repesentatives do. It's representatives claim to protect you from a certain doom which probably doesn't exist, and that in forcing your obedience they have only your best interests in their deluded little minds. Am I describing Church or State?
The government is the "God" of statism.
Laws are it's holy books.
Democracy is sacred.
Voting is it's ritual.
It has worship.
Wars are it's crusades.
Intervention is it's inquisition.
Death in defense of the faith is glorified.
I've come to the conclusion that statism is a religion.
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Yes.
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Religion, by core definition, doesn't necessarily mean something mystical, it just means a firm set of community values and traditions that each individual conforms to.
For example, Star Trek is a religion to some people - all their friends are obsessed with it, they've read all the books, never missed a local convention, etc. Their mental map of knowledge could be centered around Star Trek, and when discussing a philosophical or scientific idea, for example, they think back to the episode that touched upon it.
If you're involved with an open-source project, use it regularly, read its community forums and hang out in its chat-room, you might say it's a religion you subscribe to, probably one of several.
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Religion, by core definition, doesn't necessarily mean something mystical, it just means a firm set of community values and traditions that each individual conforms to.
For example, Star Trek is a religion to some people - all their friends are obsessed with it, they've read all the books, never missed a local convention, etc. Their mental map of knowledge could be centered around Star Trek, and when discussing a philosophical or scientific idea, for example, they think back to the episode that touched upon it.
If you're involved with an open-source project, use it regularly, read its community forums and hang out in its chat-room, you might say it's a religion you subscribe to, probably one of several.
So by your logic I'm a member of the geek religion...
Convert or die jocks! :lol: