Reply #26: The picture [View All]

[bloom]

- god/goddess as an "aspect of one's personality".

I think it's interesting that so many people feel connected to "god" is when they are out in nature - though some people feel more connected in a crowd.

I think it is a matter of being connected to life - connecting one's own life (which could be seen as "personality" or "soul") to the life all around - and to the universe. I think it is taking everything that you have learned - that which clicks with you - and helps give meaning to your life - and basically being happy to be alive and connected to the larger world in a way that uses ones mind and emotions.

Some people call that "god" or "goddess" - some people don't call it anything. I don't know if some people do not acknowledge it - or don't experience it - or what. Since some people see "God" as a force which controls them and their life - as described by organized religion - this idea seems to get lost in our culture/overlapped together.

I suppose some people don't love life and some people never learned to express it if they did. I think that the expression can bring out the sense of it more.

Some people, like Chulanowa, have figured out how to connect with this sensibility and to express it through drumming in the woods. Others go frolicking in the woods with people who love life in the same sort of way that you do.

Einstein referred to "Cosmic religious feeling" and I think that he was talking about this same sort of thing. He also acknowledged the importance of art.

A lot of people see art - or at least some kinds of art - maybe the better art - as expressing this sensibility. It can come in the form of art by Mozart or Jackson Pollock or Mary Oliver. In our culture - it can seem that the poets and musicians express this for us - people defer to their voices. Thus we have people recreating the music and the retelling of poetry/stories.

That is where we have the overlapping of art/religion - the creation of rituals. Native Americans and other groups had their community dances/drumming and their stories. It gives people an opportunity an avenue of expression of life and what it means to be alive.

A lot of western culture encourages people to be so stiff and self-conscious.

This desire to express this sensibility might explain groups like the Pentecostals who run around and express joy in church. Church is the place where they have been given the sanction to do that. The rest of society does not.

While many churches are more "Liberal" in their reasoning - many of the "Liberal" churches do not have a good expressive outlet. People sing hymns. But it's not that expressive. In a Methodist church if you start singing too exuberantly - people think you're weird - it's discouraged.

While people can certainly go off on their own - I think community celebrations are good concepts. I think our culture could be a lot more open to this. Instead we have sports and other rituals...


P.S. UU Churches try to do this - I think - be a blend of reason mixed with art and music that expresses the joy of life and the search for meaning. As far as something in the community - where people who are interested in this can come together. Of course there are other secular but religious groups - like some of the pagan ones. I think that there is room for more, though. More options.