Jump to content
  • Welcome to the TransPulse Forums!

    We offer a safe, inclusive community for transgender and gender non-conforming folks, as well as their loved ones, to find support and information.  Join today!

Secularism


Guest Elizabeth K

Recommended Posts

Guest Elizabeth K

I found this while researching truisms - whadda ya think?

"A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death." -Albert Einstein

I have posted many times in Spirituality, most people know. I feel I am a spiritual person, of course, and look to a working between me and the CREATOR - maybe best said as 'trying to follow the Will of the Creator.' As I see the Creator not as a deity, but just 'what is," I can best post here in non-deistic spirituality - duh... took me a while to figure that out.

However, I 'approach' the CREATOR through the aspects = God / The Goddess / the Spirit, so there is a kinship I feel toward the more organized religions.

Heaven vs. Hell

How does that work? OH MY - I see so much troubled discussion on all that! Many religions subscribe to a good and bad - essentially a placemnent of the immortal soul (you) on one side or the other after you return to your origins. Of course that is not universal in all religions and beliefs, but in the Western world it tends to be one of the main basis for faith.

So now? DANG

Another option? OH NO!

Secularism. You may want to look it up... no room to go into detail here - basically it is a matter of living your life based upon ethics, which I suppose I now need to explain... I mean why I get so 'antsy' thinking about all this!

DANG DANG DANG

Here goes: 'DEFINE ETHICS?"

I feel this is a really slippery slope! Maybe its this modern world we live in that has me upset. Just a simple example: remember when government was supposedly for the good of the people? You could trust the Federal government to enforce everyone to be on a level playing field. Government lands were set aside for conservation reasons. Government enforced the laws, which were supposedly the will of the people. We were under an umbrella of ethically reasoned-out law.

Does anyone believe in that now? I mean in my 2/3rds century, I have seen a huge shift in ethics... or have I?

Maybe I am just wiser- having been deceived and lied too so much... oh my ... so cynical.

But the point is again, 'DEFINE ETHICS?" My ethics or yours? Our ethics or the Federal Government, or State Government... or City Government... or...

Or what?

Are our ethics set by Judo/Christian morality? Is Taoist, Islam, Buddhist, et al - to be included? Well certainly we need to be ethical... BUT

Are we? That is the reason Secularism frightens me.

What do I do? I ask my CREATOR... when I want to know.

So what is heaven and what is hell? My opinion?

If I can be with the CREATOR, I have achieved 'heaven.' To not be there is 'hell."

But the CREATOR doesn't chose where we go - we do.

My opinions of course.

Lizzy

Link to comment
Guest April63

I view the Judgment (or Judgement Day) as more of a debriefing and assignment. We are not rewarded or punished, but rather, we reflect on what we have learned and how we have acted in this life to determine where we will best be able to serve our Creator. I also believe that heaven can be defined as being in the presence of our Creator. Our other option will be to be cast out, but ultimately, that is our decision. Not only do we choose how we live now, we will also choose when that final decision is made.

Our life here on earth is our mortal probation for us to learn and grow in ways that we couldn't do previously. After this life, many things will still be the same--we will still be able to make our own choices, but these choices may be very different than the ones we make now in mortality.

Whose ethics? The Creator's. Those are the ones that matter. When you are at work you don't act the way you want to act--you act the way your boss wants you to act. The same should apply to our lives. We won't be able to progress at all if we don't adhere to the standards set by He who has the power to advance us.

Link to comment
  • 5 months later...
Guest roxannemariska

Lizzy, thanks for this. I abandoned the god delusion a few years ago, so I don't even personify the random chaos that coalesced into life here on earth. I will say that the ethics of the gods I know of not only do not bear emulation, they bear condemnation. Both the godless and the godful have the same capacity for ethical and moral behavior. God bless you Albert Einstein. LOL

Link to comment
  • 7 months later...
Guest Weaver

Secularism is a good idea. It makes church and state separated. Simple as that.

I would not like to live in a country like Saudi-Arabia, it's in my opinion a theocratic toilet.

Neither would I like to live in the US, because of christians being a majority there.

I have nothing against the christians personal beliefs, I have something against

them taking Jesus into the booth with them, when voting.

Not that I think that matters anyway. Politicans in the US are bought and paid for by large, multi-national companies.

Ethics are personal, and they differ from person to person.

When the ethics are twisted by money, then that's where we have a problem.

Politicians all have a price.

The protective federal government you're talking about has been gone for a long time.

It's been replaced by puppets, and the people are just consumers.

It's not a problem of ethics, it's a problem of corruption.

The people who do this, have either very twisted ethics, or none.

Whose ethics? The Creator's. Those are the ones that matter.

And on the case of a creator or deity, I am a separate being.

No deity can demand of me that I behave in a certain way.

I behave certain ways when I am with people, because I desire

the effects of how I was behaving to them.

I have no obligations to any creator, be it a supreme deity that created this

universe or my parents. I may come off as an ungrateful and spoiled child, but with

all the things I've been through and all the pain and suffering I see in the world;

I would rather have not been born. I am honest when writing that.

"I am my own free spirirt, hence I will not rest."

And "Who so ever lays a hand on me to govern me is an usurper and a tyrant.".

The argument that I chose this before I was born can of course be made, but it's invalid.

I do not remember signing any such contract, and I am not that same being. Hence this

being that is "me" was condemned by its previous self, which was another separate entity.

But, I have faith in my fellow man. People are my friends and people are my enemies and

if they can be your friends, then we can make this world a better place.

An incredibly naive thought, but it's what's keeping me together right now.

Edited by Cynthia Rae
offensive language at the end of 2nd line removed.
Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...
Guest kelise

Ethics are very simple. It is not set by government, though sometimes, it is enforced by government. We don't have to vote on it, or debate about it. It just is.

If it causes harm, it is unethical.

Period. That's all there is too it. No God or religion is needed to explain it, interpret it, or enforce it. Religion didn't invent it. You can live your life by it, without need of the threat of post-death punishment in hell or reward in heaven.

If I harm someone, I will face consequences, here, on earth, while I'm alive. The consequences may be through legal punishment, or from retaliation from those I harmed, but I will be punished.

Conversely, if I help people, I will likely gain benefit from it.

Why is this so complicated a concept for people?

Link to comment
  • Admin

For every right a person has that is burdensom duty on his neighbor, there is an equally burdensome duty on the person toward the neighbor from whom he has been receieved his right. (not too many people get that one)

For every wrong, there is a remedy!!

Maxim's of U.S. Jurisprudence --

Link to comment
Guest LizMarie

"Sin lies only in hurting others unnecessarily. All other "sins" are invented nonsense. (Hurting yourself is not sinful —just stupid.)" -- Robert Heinlein.

Link to comment

Sounds good LizMarie, though I presume there might be some debate as to what is meant by "unnecessarily", lol!

A friend boils it all down to "Do Good, Avoid Evil...". He was a priest in training who either strayed or regained his senses.

Michelle

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Who's Online   7 Members, 0 Anonymous, 83 Guests (See full list)

    • Heather Shay
    • Mirrabooka
    • Ashley0616
    • Betty K
    • AllieJ
    • April Marie
    • Petra Jane
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.5k
    • Total Posts
      767.2k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      11,942
    • Most Online
      8,356

    taxicab
    Newest Member
    taxicab
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Amyjay
      Amyjay
      (58 years old)
    2. bettyjean
      bettyjean
    3. Breanna
      Breanna
      (52 years old)
    4. Emily Ayla
      Emily Ayla
    5. JET182
      JET182
  • Posts

    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
      Having just a normal emotional day.
    • Heather Shay
      AMUSEMENT The feeling when you encounter something silly, ironic, witty, or absurd, which makes you laugh. You have the urge to be playful and share the joke with others. Similar words: Mirth Amusement is the emotional reaction to humor. This can be something that is intended to be humorous, like when someone tells a good joke or when a friend dresses up in a ridiculous costume. But it can also be something that you find funny that was not intended to be humorous, like when you read a sign with a spelling error that turns it into an ironic pun. For millennia, philosophers and scholars have been attempting to explain what exactly it is that makes something funny. This has led to several different theories. Nowadays, the most widely accepted one is the Incongruity Theory, which states that something is amusing if it violates our standards of how things are supposed to be. For example, Charlie Chaplin-style slapstick is funny because it violates our norms of competence and proper conduct, while Monty Python-style absurdity is funny because it violates reason and logic. However, not every standard or norm violation is necessarily funny. Violations can also evoke confusion, indignation, or shock. An important condition for amusement is that there is a certain psychological distance to the violation. One of the ways to achieve this is captured by the statement ‘comedy is tragedy plus time’. A dreadful mistake today may become a funny story a year from now. But it can also be distant in other ways, for instance, because it happened to someone you do not know, or because it happens in fiction instead of in real life. Amusement also needs a safe and relaxed environment: people who are relaxed and among friends are much more likely to feel amused by something. A violation and sufficient psychological distance are the basic ingredients for amusement, but what any one person find funny will depend on their taste and sense of humor. There are dozens of ‘humor genres’, such as observational comedy, deadpan, toilet humor, and black comedy. Amusement is contagious: in groups, people are more prone to be amused and express their amusement more overtly. People are more likely to share amusement when they are with friends or like-minded people. For these reasons, amusement is often considered a social emotion. It encourages people to engage in social interactions and it promotes social bonding. Many people consider amusement to be good for the body and the soul. By the end of the 20th century, humor and laughter were considered important for mental and physical health, even by psychoneuroimmunology researchers who suggested that emotions influenced immunity. This precipitated the ‘humor and health movement’ among health care providers who believed that humor and laughter help speed recovery, including in patients suffering from cancer1). However, the evidence for health benefits of humor and laughter is less conclusive than commonly believed2. Amusement is a frequent target of regulation: we down-regulate it by shifting our attention to avoid inappropriate laughter, or up-regulate it by focusing on a humorous aspect of a negative situation. Interestingly, amusement that is purposefully up-regulated has been found to have the same beneficial physical and psychological effects as the naturally experienced emotion. Amusement has a few clear expressions that emerge depending on the intensity of the emotion. When people are mildly amused, they tend to smile or chuckle. When amusement intensifies, people laugh out loud and tilt or bob their head. The most extreme bouts of amusement may be accompanied by uncontrollable laughter, tears, and rolling on the floor. Most cultures welcome and endorse amusement. Many people even consider a ‘good sense of humor’ as one of the most desirable characteristics in a partner. At the same time, most cultures have (implicit) rules about what is the right time and place for amusement. For example, displays of amusement may be deemed inappropriate in situations that demand seriousness or solemness, such as at work or during religious rituals.
    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
    • April Marie
      Good morning, everyone!!! Two cups of coffee in the books and I am just feeling so wonderful this morning. Not sure why, but I'm happy and smiling.   Enjoy this beautiful day!!!
    • Heather Shay
      A U.S. dollar bill can be folded approximately 4,000 times in the same place before it will tear. -You cannot snore and dream at the same time. -The average person walks the equivalent of three times around the world in a lifetime. -A hippo’s wide open mouth is big enough to fit a 4-foot-tall child in. -Chewing gum while you cut an onion will help keep you from crying.
    • Susan R
      Love it! This is great news. We need more of this to combat the excessive hate-filled rhetoric and misinformation. 👍
    • Susan R
      The experience was the same for me @April Marie. I slept much deeper and I woke up each morning feeling so much more restful sleeping with forms solidly in place. For me, wearing breast forms at night started when before I was a teenager. I had no access up to modern breast forms and certainly no way to buy mastectomy bras back then. I wore a basic bra my mom had put in a donation box and two pairs of soft cotton socks. I have some crazy memories of things I did in my youth to combat my GD but regardless, these makeshift concoctions helped me work through it all.   All My Best, Susan R🌷
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Colorado isn't exactly a Republican place, and won't become one anytime soon.  I think those folks might be better off not spending their time playing Don Quixote.    We certainly have our share of California "refugees" moving into where I live, so I wouldn't be surprised to start seeing Coloradans too.  I suspect the trend over the next few years will see the blue areas getting more blue and the red areas getting more red as anybody who can relocate tries to find a place where they fit better.   
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Well, at least it'll be a place some folks could choose.  Options are a good thing.
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      My family would have gobbled that jar up in a minute or two.  When we do have pickled herring, its usually for Christmas.  I didn't grow up with that particular dish, but I grew up in a Greek family so I like just about any kind of fish if I can get it.  However, ocean fish and freshwater fish taste so different.  We usually have more catfish and tilapia to eat than anything else.    What I can't quite get used to is the tons of cabbage my GF insists on eating.  When you live with a Russian, there is always cabbage soup.  Always.  When I first moved in with her, breakfast was "shchi" for soup and either bread or "kasha" which is a bowl of boiled buckwheat with butter and salt.  Those dishes can be made in any number of ways, some are better than others.  In the winter, it can even be salty and sour like kraut.  Not exactly sauerkraut, but packed in tubs with vinegar and salt so it keeps partially for the winter.  But I drew the line when the cabbage soup included pieces of fried snake one day.  😆
    • Ashley0616
      Good evening to you as well @Mmindy   That is awesome that you have support from her side. My dad has communicated with me once and that was because he was forced to. His new wife wanted to spend time with my kids. He hated me so much he was in the process of taking my rights away as a parent to my two boys. He was talking to a lawyer and I called him out on it. I don't love him at all. I'll respect him because I wouldn't be here without him but I wished I had another father. My uncles don't talk to me and unfriended me on Facebook. Almost all cousins except for two are still Facebook friends but they don't give me any support. My mom said she won't support me with that but she has said that she loves me. I have nieces and nephews that are still Facebook friends but they have yet to talk to me. I have one sister that supports me out of three. The other's disrespect me by deadnaming me. They have never called me their sister. I think for them they think it's still a phase. They don't ask questions about me being trans. I have to bring it up and on the look of their faces they don't look comfortable about it. 
    • Mmindy
      Good evening @Ashley0616,   I just got offline with HP tech support trying to get my printer tool box icon locked to my tool bar. This is one of the most important features of my printer that I like because it keeps track of ink, paper, and scanned documents. I'm diffidently not a computer geek.   I'll catch up with the other bookmarks next week. We leave to go home for the Easter Holiday with our families. Saturday with her side, and Sunday with my side. What's odd about that is I'm out to more of her side and they're reluctantly supportive. My side on the other hand are less supportive, and my sister just under me in age will not acknowledge my being there. She will be constantly moving to keep from dealing with me. I'm dead to her.   Hugs,   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋  
  • Upcoming Events

Contact TransPulse

TransPulse can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: Click Here.

To report an error on this page.

Legal

Your use of this site is subject to the following rules and policies, whether you have read them or not.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
DMCA Policy
Community Rules

Hosting

Upstream hosting for TransPulse provided by QnEZ.

Sponsorship

Special consideration for TransPulse is kindly provided by The Breast Form Store.
×
×
  • Create New...