Star man,.....
why dont you join My Church... of which i am the founder.
The Empirical Church of Humanity .
Founder : Mosheh Thezion
radicalman@surfside.net
First : None of the beliefs of the church are fixed. I.E. the beliefs of the church are forever dependent on the abundant evidence from the sciences, and as such, will be ever evolving with the advancement and development of scientific knowledge. However, as founding principles on which to base our efforts, we take all theories as being the basic forms for proposals, which we as church members may consider in detail.
Second : Truth, and what a person chooses to believe in, as a whole or in part, is always a decision for the individual to make personally, and it is not the duty of the church to force or make assertive efforts to make people believe in anything other than a God.
Third : It is the duty of the church to make available all of the evidence as found by the sciences, and all the theoretical proposals developed to explain for all of it, as well as making available all forms of scripture, without bias, and over interpretation.
Fourth : There must be a standing rule against being fanatical in any way. For if an individual is incapable of calmly arguing and discussing the evidence and scripture in an open forum, where any number of opposing views maybe discussed, then eventually fights and hurt feeling will develop, and such negative behavior benefits no one.
Fifth : People who chose to join this church do so with the understanding that they need not give up on any specific faith which they may already have, as it is the effort of the church to strengthen ones faith, not change and alter it, and we do so with evidence.
Sixth : It is the serious open and daily effort of the church to pursue science and do the research, which the individual members of individuals church groups choose to pursue. All in the effort to develop our understanding, and advance our technology, for in doing so we not only increase our understanding of Gods creation, but increase our human potential as living beings… allowing us to manipulate our environment and daily lives.
Seventh : The church is fundamentally founded on one belief that should be acceptable to people of all faiths and cultures. “Where there is charity and love, God is there!”
Such that it should be the daily effort of all humanity to, by their will and effort commit acts of charity and love when ever possible, for in doing so we increase the level of good and joy and prosperity in our world, and so, it can be imagined that the level of Gods presence is directly increased, and is thus directly a function of our will to be Godly.
Eighth : The day to day operations and efforts of focused study will be divided into the 7 days of the week. Where Islam may be studied on Friday, Judaism on Saturday, and Christianity on Sunday, with Metaphysics on Monday, and Hinduism on Tuesday, Buddhism on Wednesday, and perhaps Taoism on Thursday. Of course such schedules will be up to the individual members of individual group churches. However, the study of science and efforts in research are to be incorporated 7 days a week, and 24 hours a day.
Ninth : The effort to interpret and consider the many varied scriptures will and must always be weighted and considered against the evidence, and it’s proposals. With the understanding that our interpretation of the evidence may in fact be flawed or wrong.
Tenth : The study of scriptures must always be from the oldest to the newest, as we can interpret the New Testament using the scripture of the Old Testament, but we should not use New Testament scripture to interpret the Old Testament. For as is logical, the newer scripture was inspired by the old and as the old was written long before the new, its inspiration must of come from still earlier scriptures etc. And so, when we endeavor to study scripture it is only reasonable that we approach all the abundant scripture in the same pattern in which it was written. From oldest to newest…
Eleventh : In the daily study of scriptures, it is only logical that we endeavor to take notes and make summaries, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, where by we seek to see patterns in the discussion, and can thus be sure of our proposed interpretations. It is thus the duty of those who run the church efforts to make these notes and summaries, which shall be critically considered by members who come to listen, and argue.
Twelfth : The church is divided into areas of effort. First in proportion to the available funds and man power, free housing and food for the homeless, under the conditions that such downtrodden persons turn not to a religion, but to a faith in themselves. A faith, which tells each of us that, we are capable of being so much more than we may presently be. When one human falls, humanity in brother-hood should be there to help them up again. Then a discussion hall of needed size, then a library/ laboratory for member use.
Thirteen : The laboratory efforts are to be taken in the most serious of views, as the potential for danger and accidental stupidity is possible. Therefore, only adults of sound mind shall be given access to the lab facilities, at the church leaders discretion.
Fourteen : On each of the seven days, an open forum of discussion will be held on the desired topic or form of scripture and or faith. Church leaders will lecture on notes and summaries made, yet it will and must be an open forum, to be peacefully and calmly organized by the church leaders, where by any member who wishes to speak shall and must be granted a time to speak as is needed, within a time limit to allow for arguments.
Fifteen : If the resources and manpower are available then another church area of effort will be made as an entire school, or possibly as a rehabilitation program, available to all people who would enjoy and make use of a supplementary education in science and the pursuit of serious research. Or who are in need of serious rehabilitation.
Sixteen : Individuals who might join the brotherhood area of the church, as someone in need, maybe given employment directly from the church, as commissioned salesmen of the many booklets developed. When possible as farmers and laborers in the many humanitarian efforts which the church may pursue, as a whole, or in part as individual groups and persons. However, volunteerism is one with the concepts of a brother-hood of humanity, where in, the rewards come from our accomplishments, not profits.
Seventeen : It is the effort of the church leaders to develop further works for publication, being ideally, focused analysis of the many varied scriptures in relation to the abundant evidence of the sciences.
Eighteen : No chemistry laboratory experiments are to be permitted without the strict supervision of church leaders and the advice of professional chemists, as chemistry is not something to just play around with.
Nineteen : Every church must strive to establish the most comprehensive library possible for use as reference material for its branch members, in their daily pursuit of understanding nature and Gods creation, and so science.
This library should be open to all, yet books should never be checked out.
Twenty : In order to facilitate the survival of the church, all people who would enter the doors to make use of the church and forums, should donate at least one dollar per visit. Children and the poor being of course exempt.
Twenty one : While the church does not promote a specific faith as scripture, it does with an assertive effort strive to convert atheists, for the main argument of the un-believers is regarding the evidence and how they believe that it does not support a belief in a God. And so, it is the duty of the church leaders to take the steps to calmly argue with those atheists who may be open minded enough to make an honest effort to hear our proposals.
Proposals based fundamentally in evidence, described by theory.!
Twenty two : One of the founding beliefs of the church, is that God as presented in scripture doesn’t need or demand our worship, God asks us to obey. To obey as children should obey their parent. And it is the bulk of scripture, which serves as the arguments for why individuals should obey. As should be obvious, if an individual lives a life of sin, then no amount of worship and prayer can make up for it. The only way to make up for sins is by serious acts of charity and love. Acts which may improve a souls overall quality.
Twenty three : One of the founding beliefs of the church is that it is not enough to worship God and Jesus, instead we as human beings should make it our daily effort to be Godly, to be like Jesus, and build Gods kingdom now, in our lifetime. Why wait? Calm, rational, adult thinking gives humankind a potential limited only by our imagination.
think about it.
-MT
