Non-religious communities: A Thread
Growing up Southern Baptist I was programmed to look for the common thread. Anyone that "Loved Jesus" must be okay. And that would blanket the bad in that person. They would be okay because they were tryin'. This is at the heart of their community. This is a super-power.
#Community
Non-religious communities: A Thread
Once I left religion, I missed the society. We are largely defined by our societies. They give us a context. They give us belonging. Any cause that the leaders of said society rally behind, we are overwhelmingly likely to adopt as our own.
Non-religious communities: A Thread
What you see in societies that don't have as strong of a banner as a deity is fracturing of concerns. Smaller banners, smaller circles, further divides. It is easy to move past most of those divisions with a "live and let live" mentality, but there is no unity in that.
Non-religious communities: A Thread
There have been several attempts at atheist churches, universalist churches, etc. But they all tend to fall into the same disintegration patterns of tribal concerns. This is a problem!
We have to be enough! No one is coming to save us from ourselves. If we can't form a community, we will continue to be overwhelmed by the whims of the people who have the simple banners and the bully pulpit.
@jasod One of the places where you tend to find that kind of solidarity is in the LGBTQ+ community. Sometimes we joke that it's a "community" (due to the cattiness of some), but as a general rule, if you're queer, you can usually trust and be around other queer folks and be comfortable in queer spaces.
It's the family I never knew I needed before I became part of it. 🏳️🌈
@jasod
The trick, and it's not easy, is to create an inclusive community of believers *and* non-believers, from all walks of life, working together for the common good.
Otherwise, you're not creating a community, you're merely exascerbating tribalism.
@stueytheround It is the "Believer" part that is the magic. Believe in what? What is the rallying cry for humans? To each their own? We need a firewall. The line that it is unacceptable to cross no matter the reason. We need a point of intolerance. My belief? All humans have the inalienable right to worthiness and dignity. Anything that denies a human of their worthiness or dignity should not be tolerated.
@jasod I agree with you.
Any community with merit will naturally shun hateful people.
There need be no greater rallying cry than "All you need is love".
By "believers" I mean folk with a spiritual faith of *any* kind. There will always be bad apples, of course, and those people need to be re-educated or avoided.
It *can* be done, but as I said, it's hard work because we need to deal with everyone with great love, including the hateful people.
The MLK "hate can not drive out hate" quote is true.
@jasod
I am not and never have been a member, but I know that the Ethical Culture movement still exists, as far as I know unsplintered, after nearly 150 years.