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For many years our next door neighbor was a sociologist, whose specialty was the Sociology of Religion. She studied several of the major religions, how they work, how they recruit participants, by what mechanisms do they change with time...
She would have been amused by the recent appearance of a Parody religion, Pasta-worship----flying spaghetti-ism.
Let's try an experiment. This is a sociology THOUGHT EXPERIMENT. Let's assemble the essential details of a serious religion: with heaven/hell polarity and articles of faith and all that good stuff. Try to imagine how it could gain adherents and whether it would work.
Please suggest some articles of faith. Here are a few possible things to believe, see if you think they are OK---if not propose alternatives.
1. He who believeth that his body parts were designed should be condemned to eternal fire.
2. He who believeth that an intelligent being interferes with the working of natural law should roast in everlasting flames.
3. He who believeth in the random evolution of species from single-cell organisms is worthy of eternal bliss.
4. Nature shall not be mocked by the setting up of false Design principles. The worship of an imagined Designer is idolatry---morally debased, irreverent and a blasphemy against natural law. Idolators are worthy of the pit, where they burn with unending torment.
5. He who teacheth little children about the big bang is worthy of eternal life, but he who strives to substitutute mythology in its place let his tongue be consumed by maggots.
She would have been amused by the recent appearance of a Parody religion, Pasta-worship----flying spaghetti-ism.
Let's try an experiment. This is a sociology THOUGHT EXPERIMENT. Let's assemble the essential details of a serious religion: with heaven/hell polarity and articles of faith and all that good stuff. Try to imagine how it could gain adherents and whether it would work.
Please suggest some articles of faith. Here are a few possible things to believe, see if you think they are OK---if not propose alternatives.
1. He who believeth that his body parts were designed should be condemned to eternal fire.
2. He who believeth that an intelligent being interferes with the working of natural law should roast in everlasting flames.
3. He who believeth in the random evolution of species from single-cell organisms is worthy of eternal bliss.
4. Nature shall not be mocked by the setting up of false Design principles. The worship of an imagined Designer is idolatry---morally debased, irreverent and a blasphemy against natural law. Idolators are worthy of the pit, where they burn with unending torment.
5. He who teacheth little children about the big bang is worthy of eternal life, but he who strives to substitutute mythology in its place let his tongue be consumed by maggots.
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