Theos-Talk Archives (April 1996 Message tl01153)

At 07:24 PM 4/25/96 -0400, you wrote:
>>>>cut<<<<<
>
>If they were all dead, the "Christian Right" would have no influence in
>the U.S.A.

The "Christian Right" is not a religion, as you would know if you lived here
and experienced it in all it's ugliness. It is an entirely political
phenomenon wherein the semblance of religion has been created by the
entirely unscrupulous to take advantage of the existential needs of the
ignorant and insecure!
>
>In my understanding, your objection is to *organised, hierarchical, and
>power-dominated* religion(s).  Insofar as there is a "religious" impulse
>in muman beings (and both history and psychology suggest that there is)
>it is an impulse to "bond" [the origin of the latin *religio* acc. to
>many] and to do so in a spiritual context for spiritual nourishment
>(whatever that may mean to whoever does it).

Alan: I believe you very well know that my opposition, and it is implacable,
is not to the dictionary definition of religion, or to any definition (like
yours which states what religion "should be" , OH NO! My opposition is to
religion as it manifests, especially in the Judeo-Christian-Islamic Triad,
which is, was, and always will be, entirely oppressive and cruel and whose
only goal is the attainment of power, control \, and profit. That has
nothing to do whatsoever with "the religious urge" except in so far it
manipulates it.
>
>There *is* an "inner light" in religious practice - such is my
>empirically-discovered experience.  In an ideal future, it may well take
>on an anarchic form such as you suggest, but we are not in an ideal
>future, and pro tem must make the best of what we've got.  That's
>exactly what you do with your Shamanism, as I understand your telling of
>it.  Which could [stands back in defensive posture] be interpreted as
>your presenting yourself as a priest of the Shamanist religion ...

Alan, say rather "There is an "inner light" in valid spiritual practice and
I will hardly disagree. I seek spiritual practices whose goals are not
power, control and profit. Of course we do not live in an "ideal world" but
we can work at making it so. Now, Shamanism isn't a religion in any way
because there is no object of worship, in fact there is no worship at all!
But given that context, I am in fact a Priest of Shaman ism, in fact due to
the spirits with which I cooperate, I am more of a Shamanic High Priest. And
that's what makes Shaman ism so different from Religion the spirits are
colleagues and not deities.

>
><ENORMOUS INGRATIATING SMILE>
>
>Alan
>---------
>THEOSOPHY INTERNATIONAL:
>Ancient Wisdom for a New Age
>TI@nellie2.demon.co.uk
>http://www.garlic.com/~rdon/TI.html
>
Your ENORMOUS INGRATIATING SMILE is accepted gladly, I will NOT turn you
into a toad. I would happily turn Rich Tay into a toad but someone beat me
to it! Chuck?

alexis dolgorukii, MTI., FTSA.
the eclectic theosophist
satyat - nasti - paro - dharma
Shaman, Healer, Psychic, Tulku, Priest