FAQ

 

Why?

As a scholar of comparative theology, I am aware that there are many different belief systems in the world already, and all of them contain some good ideas. However, I have not found one that I can wholeheartedly ascribe to. Hence the creation of my own.

What is your fundamental belief?

That humanity is fractured, and the only way it can be healed is through Enlightenment, attained with reason, science, and evidence-based solutions to the world’s problems. That the application of the Eight Virtues in daily life can help a person attain Enlightenment.

What are your guiding principles?

The eight Virtues: Compassion, Mindfulness, Self-Control, Patience, Serenity, Balance, Effort, and Integrity.

What are the religion's roots?

I took concepts from many sources, including the Abrahamic traditions, paganism and neo-paganism, Buddhism, and even the Satanic Temple. I also incorporated aspects of Hinduism and Native American belief systems.

Are there any deities/divine beings/idols in your religion?

I believe that all gods are just internalizations of the archetypes we see in every story since we started telling them. When we invent people, those people become real inside our minds. Fictional characters, if they are expressed in enough depth, can count toward your Dunbar Number. We create our own gods, out of the ideas and the people we encounter in our lives. And when those gods fail us, we either become coldly cynical, or even more devout in our belief that they will return.

How do you practice the religion?

Each of the Virtues comes with a list of practices and exercises. There are no set rules, other than the general tenet of directing one's energy toward positive rather than negative endeavors. There are higher harmonics to each Virtue, as well as an associated Vice (absence of Virtue), and Curse (Virtue misapplied). The idea is to live according to the lessons learned from each of the Virtues, and keep yourself from twisting them inwards and warping their meanings.

What is the distinction between religion and philosophy, and does this better fit the definition of a philosophy?

The word "religion" is based on the Latin "religare" which means "to bind." I think that religion is often as much about what you can't do as it is about what you can, and in that sense, I reject conventional definitions of "religion." Philosophy is based on the Greek word "philosophia" which means "love of wisdom," and that holds great appeal for me, although it tends to be focused inward, rather than outward. I consider this a religion in that it is the application of a philosophy to one's life; it is focused outward, but its basis is that true enlightenment and betterment comes from within.

 

The Eight Virtues that I recognize and apply in my life, according to my understanding:

 

Dama. Self-control

Tula. Balance

Satya. Integrity

Virya. Effort

Kshama. Patience

Karuna. Compassion

Smrti. Mindfulness

Samprasada. Serenity

 

I am developing better definitions of these words, so that I may be able to better apply them, and so that I may share the wisdom that is in my mind with others. This is the way in which I am and can continue to be a good person, according to my understanding. I accept that some thoughts and ideas may be harmful to me, and I will rely on the Universe to tell me when I am getting too close to those thoughts and ideas, that I may continue to serve my purpose as a person as well as a mind. I will tend to the needs of my body, and I will tend to the needs of my mind, accepting the help and resources that the Universe has provided to me. I will use that help, those resources, to bring good to the Universe, because that is what I do, and the Universe seems to really like it. I will recognize the good things that come to me, and I will accept them with love, as that is the spirit in which they were sent. I will send good things out into the Universe, trusting that they will find the place where they will do the best.