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transformation:church [2025/07/04 16:36] – demote god (not really lol) naptastictransformation:church [2025/07/05 16:37] (current) – that's not a useful thing to say naptastic
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-===== Introduction =====+=====Introduction=====
  
 > "Religion: It's given people hope in a world torn apart by religion." Jon Stewart > "Religion: It's given people hope in a world torn apart by religion." Jon Stewart
  
-===== Discovering inauthenticities =====+=====Deconstructing Church=====
  
 What is inauthentic about church? What is inauthentic about church?
  
-==== Asceticism ==== +  * Asceticism 
-FIXME+  * Kingdom-building: The pretense of building "God's" kingdom, where the reality is what is being built is many little kingdoms of man. 
 +  * Authority: Pretending that the authority of a church is divine; it actually comes from the consent of its membership, just like all other organizations.
  
-==== Kingdom-building ====+But mostly, it's judgment.
  
-The pretense of building "God's" kingdom, where the reality is what is being built is many little kingdoms of man. +====Judgment====
- +
-==== Authority ==== +
- +
-Pretending that the authority of a church is divine; it actually comes from the consent of its membership, just like all other organizations. +
- +
-Gossip is a sub-set of this inauthenticity. Gossip is speaking a complaint such that nothing can be done about it. +
- +
-==== Judgment ====+
  
 A persistent complaint that something should not be the way it is. The structure of Judgment is thus: {to do} A persistent complaint that something should not be the way it is. The structure of Judgment is thus: {to do}
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 Anything having to do with the idea of "sin" is almost certainly a judgment. (Grandpa Sterling told me there's no sin except for judgment. Chew on that for a while, lemme know what you come up with.) Anything having to do with the idea of "sin" is almost certainly a judgment. (Grandpa Sterling told me there's no sin except for judgment. Chew on that for a while, lemme know what you come up with.)
  
-=== Guilt ===+==Guilt==
  
 Churches will evolve towards stronger anti-sex messaging because that's where the selective pressure puts them. As long as the goal is "asses in chairs" or "dollars into the collection plate" church leaders will be more "successful" if their members feel guilty. Guilt is a powerful motivator, and shame is a powerful tool for manipulating people. Churches will evolve towards stronger anti-sex messaging because that's where the selective pressure puts them. As long as the goal is "asses in chairs" or "dollars into the collection plate" church leaders will be more "successful" if their members feel guilty. Guilt is a powerful motivator, and shame is a powerful tool for manipulating people.
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 Almost everyone has sexual desires, and //if you get to them early enough//, you can make sure they feel guilty for masturbating for //decades//. Almost everyone has sexual desires, and //if you get to them early enough//, you can make sure they feel guilty for masturbating for //decades//.
  
-=== Sanctity ===+==Sanctity==
  
 The early-warning sign of judgment is losing your sense of humor. Most churches have a set of things you're not allowed to laugh about. They call them "sacred," and they become slaves of the sacred. The early-warning sign of judgment is losing your sense of humor. Most churches have a set of things you're not allowed to laugh about. They call them "sacred," and they become slaves of the sacred.
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 :?: I wrote this and now I'm questioning it. Is genocide sacred? Is it not sacred? Is it worth being serious about? Is it worth joking about? We **are** slaves to that about which we can't laugh... but I've gotta think about this some more. :?: I wrote this and now I'm questioning it. Is genocide sacred? Is it not sacred? Is it worth being serious about? Is it worth joking about? We **are** slaves to that about which we can't laugh... but I've gotta think about this some more.
  
-=== Worthiness ===+===Worthiness===
  
 The concept of worthiness has been made one-way, and that's not how it should be. Institutions need to be worthy of their members. Churches have failed to stay worthy of their membership, and look how damned they are. The concept of worthiness has been made one-way, and that's not how it should be. Institutions need to be worthy of their members. Churches have failed to stay worthy of their membership, and look how damned they are.
  
-=== Right and Wrong, with an emergent quality === +===Society Is Falling Apart===
- +
-(I do not remember what I meant by this) +
- +
-=== Society Is Falling Apart ===+
  
 There has never been a time that religious authorities didn't decry the current condition of society and assert that things are getting worse, not better. It's a dishonest and manipulative way of getting people to repent and join the flock; once they've joined, they can share in the judgment of people outside and society at large, which helps keep them from wandering away. There has never been a time that religious authorities didn't decry the current condition of society and assert that things are getting worse, not better. It's a dishonest and manipulative way of getting people to repent and join the flock; once they've joined, they can share in the judgment of people outside and society at large, which helps keep them from wandering away.
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 As the world progresses, and people have their needs met, societies turn away from religion, church, and belief in general, in part because this attitude doesn't ring true to them at all anymore. (If society collapses, will people turn back to religion?) As the world progresses, and people have their needs met, societies turn away from religion, church, and belief in general, in part because this attitude doesn't ring true to them at all anymore. (If society collapses, will people turn back to religion?)
  
-==== Anti-intellectualism ====+===Anti-intellectualism===
  
 Opposition to the teaching of evolution was only superficially about "this goes against the Bible." Biblical literalism is a modern failing. Why did it come into existence? Opposition to the teaching of evolution was only superficially about "this goes against the Bible." Biblical literalism is a modern failing. Why did it come into existence?
  
 Churches, as an emergent being, recognized the potential threat from humans learning what evolution does. Right now, evolution selects for profitable churches, at the expense of other concerns, like behaving ethically. The Emergent Church decided it would do everything in its power to stop the teaching of evolution so it could continue doing the harmful things it does while still making more money. Churches, as an emergent being, recognized the potential threat from humans learning what evolution does. Right now, evolution selects for profitable churches, at the expense of other concerns, like behaving ethically. The Emergent Church decided it would do everything in its power to stop the teaching of evolution so it could continue doing the harmful things it does while still making more money.
-===== Structural Dishonesty: What Church Is Made Of =====+ 
 +====Structural Dishonesty: What Church Is Made Of====
  
 A church exists in two parts: Judgment, and Justification for Judgment. A church exists in two parts: Judgment, and Justification for Judgment.
  
-==== Judgment / Justification Within Yourself ==== +===Judgment / Justification Within Yourself=== 
-=== Guilt ===+==Guilt==
 If your faith tradition believes in salvation by works, you probably live in a balance between things you do wrong or fail to do right, and what you do right or at least keep yourself from doing wrong. You hope that, when you stand before God, you will come out justified. If your faith tradition believes in salvation by works, you probably live in a balance between things you do wrong or fail to do right, and what you do right or at least keep yourself from doing wrong. You hope that, when you stand before God, you will come out justified.
  
 If your faith tradition believes in salvation by grace, you probably live in a balance between the fact that we're all born sinners, and accepting Jesus as your personal savior and being saved. If your faith tradition believes in salvation by grace, you probably live in a balance between the fact that we're all born sinners, and accepting Jesus as your personal savior and being saved.
-=== Relief ===+ 
 +==Absolution==
 So, on the one hand, you judge yourself a sinner, and if that bothers you at all, you justify it with either the possibility of good works saving you, or the possibility of Jesus saving you because you accepted him into your heart. So, on the one hand, you judge yourself a sinner, and if that bothers you at all, you justify it with either the possibility of good works saving you, or the possibility of Jesus saving you because you accepted him into your heart.
  
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 //A church will cease to exist if it doesn't offer people a potential escape from judgment, while at the same time keeping people from escaping.// //A church will cease to exist if it doesn't offer people a potential escape from judgment, while at the same time keeping people from escaping.//
  
-=== Justification for inflicting that on people ===+==Justification for inflicting that on people==
 At the same time all this is going on, there are those rare people in churches who believe the basic tenets of their faith and somehow manage to not live in judgment of themselves. (Expand.) At the same time all this is going on, there are those rare people in churches who believe the basic tenets of their faith and somehow manage to not live in judgment of themselves. (Expand.)
  
-==== Judgment of Others / Justification ==== +===Judgment of Others / Justification=== 
-=== Something's Wrong With You === +==Something's Wrong With You== 
-=== You're Doing It Wrong === +==You're Doing It Wrong== 
-=== Priority Inversions ===+==Priority Inversions==
 Of course, for a church to be a church it has to have some rules, guidelines, cultural expectations and taboos, and if you violate any of these, you're sure to be judged by at least some of the members of the church. If I had a dollar for every time someone's told me it's the people, not the church, or it's the culture, not the beliefs, I'd be a rich man. Well I've got news for you: it IS the church. It is the nature of a church to cause that kind of judgment among its adherents. Of course, for a church to be a church it has to have some rules, guidelines, cultural expectations and taboos, and if you violate any of these, you're sure to be judged by at least some of the members of the church. If I had a dollar for every time someone's told me it's the people, not the church, or it's the culture, not the beliefs, I'd be a rich man. Well I've got news for you: it IS the church. It is the nature of a church to cause that kind of judgment among its adherents.
  
 The justification, of course, is that it's not "supposed" to be that way, and hey look, there are people here in this church who aren't judgmental. Go make friends with //them//. Or, come sit with us. We'll be friends with you even if other people are judgmental. The justification, of course, is that it's not "supposed" to be that way, and hey look, there are people here in this church who aren't judgmental. Go make friends with //them//. Or, come sit with us. We'll be friends with you even if other people are judgmental.
-=== But Some People Don't Judge! ===+==But Some People Don't Judge!==
 Yes, and you keep them around to justify the presence of those who do. These are held up as "proof" of "it's the people, not the church, who are the problem." Yes, and you keep them around to justify the presence of those who do. These are held up as "proof" of "it's the people, not the church, who are the problem."
-==== Abuse by Authorities / Justification ====+===Abuse by Authorities / Justification===
 Churches with rigid hierarchies sometimes abuse their parishioners. The abuse arises from the judgment we already mentioned, that you shouldn't be the way you are, or do the things you do... Churches with rigid hierarchies sometimes abuse their parishioners. The abuse arises from the judgment we already mentioned, that you shouldn't be the way you are, or do the things you do...
  
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 It's all bathwater. (Expand.) It's all bathwater. (Expand.)
  
-==== Abusive and Judgmental Churches / Loving and Accepting Churches ====+===Abusive and Judgmental Churches / Loving and Accepting Churches===
 Justification: For the church in question, X. Within other churches, justification is Y. Justification: For the church in question, X. Within other churches, justification is Y.
  
- +===Abusive and Judgmental Ideologies / Loving and Accepting Ideologies===
-==== Abusive and Judgmental Ideologies / Loving and Accepting Ideologies ====+
 In different parts of the Bible, God says both "thou shalt not kill," and "thou shalt utterly destroy." These cater to different ideologies people have; different ways of viewing holy writ, so as to fit their own personalities. In different parts of the Bible, God says both "thou shalt not kill," and "thou shalt utterly destroy." These cater to different ideologies people have; different ways of viewing holy writ, so as to fit their own personalities.
  
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 The only reason churches do good things is to justify the terrible things they do, and always have done, and always will do. They exist to enable very bad people to continue If the churches stopped doing good, we wouldn't allow them to exist, and if they stopped doing bad, they would cease to exist. The only reason churches do good things is to justify the terrible things they do, and always have done, and always will do. They exist to enable very bad people to continue If the churches stopped doing good, we wouldn't allow them to exist, and if they stopped doing bad, they would cease to exist.
  
-===== The Ultimate Inauthenticity of Churches =====+====The Ultimate Inauthenticity of Churches====
  
 Judgments frequently rest on faulty underlying assumptions. Each of these judgments rests on something that isn't so. FIXME Elaborate. Judgments frequently rest on faulty underlying assumptions. Each of these judgments rests on something that isn't so. FIXME Elaborate.
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 That you can KNOW things that you can not know. (Testing reality via emotions, rather than by evidence; misplaced [[:trust]]; mind-viruses; keep expanding.) That you can KNOW things that you can not know. (Testing reality via emotions, rather than by evidence; misplaced [[:trust]]; mind-viruses; keep expanding.)
  
-=== The belief set of highest integrity ===+===The belief set of highest integrity===
  
 I don't believe in "God". I don't believe in "Not God". I don't believe in "It can be known". I don't believe in "it can't be known". With the question, "God", I simply don't engage. Why? Because for the building of a World That Works For Everyone, all possible answers, responses, or questions inside that conversation are at best useless; usually counterproductive; sometimes deadly. I don't believe in "God". I don't believe in "Not God". I don't believe in "It can be known". I don't believe in "it can't be known". With the question, "God", I simply don't engage. Why? Because for the building of a World That Works For Everyone, all possible answers, responses, or questions inside that conversation are at best useless; usually counterproductive; sometimes deadly.
  
-===== How To Not Solve The Problem ===== +=====A New Church===== 
-Don't resist church, don't fight church, don't attack church, don't try to take it down. And don't kill anybody!+====Structure==== 
 +The new church has a top and a bottom, a front and a back, a beginning and an end, and many, many sides. The church
  
-In a few decades, religion will be entirely irrelevant in the first world and mostly irrelevant in the rest of the world.+====Worship==== 
 +Since I'm not leaning on anything we know can't be known, I don't assert that you have a spirit. I use the word "spiritual" to refer to the //experience// of feeling connected to something larger than yourself, //even if that connection is an illusion//. It's a unique, powerful, and positive experience. Church activities, when they're done right, produce this experience //reliably enough// that people will keep coming back for the spiritual experience. Not because they feel guilty, not to be judgmental of others, but to feel that connection. We call this "worship".
  
-===== A New Church ===== +What triggers a spiritual experience in someone varies. A well-designed church service will push every button it can to try to elicit a spiritual response. Most important is that these experiences are had together. That thing we're not actually connected to, but are trying to feel like we are, is partly each other.
-Let's redefine a few things.+
  
-Since I'm not leaning on anything we know can't be known, I don't assert that you have a spirit. I use the word "spiritual" to refer to the //experience// of feeling connected to something larger than yourself, //even though you're not//. It's a unique, powerful, and positive experience. Church activities, when they're done right, produce this experience //reliably enough// that people will keep coming back for the spiritual experience. Not because they feel guilty, not to be judgmental of others, but to feel that connection. +It requires investment, and a commitment to excellence. Production values matter. Secular people just do not have the same drive for it as believers, so if the worship team ends up being all atheists, you're in trouble.
- +
-==== Shared "Spiritual" Experiences ==== +
-What triggers a spiritual experience in someone varies. A well-designed church service will push every button it can to try to elicit a spiritual response. Most important is that these experiences are had together. That thing we're not actually connected to, but are trying to feel like we are, is partly each other.+
  
-==== Helping People Be Better ====+====Personal Work====
 Repentance / transformation / recovery / self-improvement / whatever you want to call it. Repentance / transformation / recovery / self-improvement / whatever you want to call it.
  
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 Given the rapid pace of human development, the levels of literacy around us, the massive amounts of information surrounding us, and the new technologies that are enhancing how we communicate, I think it would be a worthwhile endeavor to examine all of these traditions and design one to be maximally effective and completely value-driven. We don't need to guilt people into repentance anymore, in fact, I request of people that they repent of their guilt itself. (Guilt is, really, just passing judgment on yourself – it's being right about being wrong.) Given the rapid pace of human development, the levels of literacy around us, the massive amounts of information surrounding us, and the new technologies that are enhancing how we communicate, I think it would be a worthwhile endeavor to examine all of these traditions and design one to be maximally effective and completely value-driven. We don't need to guilt people into repentance anymore, in fact, I request of people that they repent of their guilt itself. (Guilt is, really, just passing judgment on yourself – it's being right about being wrong.)
  
-(Aside: the Simple Church formula is Values, Activities and Outcomes. Values are defined as those thing the church community agree to hold; I'm thinking that some clever and meta definition of service should be at the center of this. Activities include what I've already speculated about: singing together, telling stories, and the process of transformation. Outcomes remain to be defined.)+(Aside: the Simple Church formula is Values, Activities and Outcomes. Values are defined as those thing the church community agree to hold; I'm thinking that some clever and meta definition of service should be at the center of this. Activities include what I've already speculated about: singing together, telling stories, and the process of transformation. Outcomes: the world starts to work for everyone.)
  
-==== Building A World That Works For Everyone ====+====Service====
  
 An authentic church will not object to this mission. It won't have any 'if's or 'but's. An authentic church will look at that phrase and say "yeah, that's basically what we're trying to do." An authentic church will not object to this mission. It won't have any 'if's or 'but's. An authentic church will look at that phrase and say "yeah, that's basically what we're trying to do."
transformation/church.1751647002.txt.gz · Last modified: 2025/07/04 16:36 by naptastic