Why would anyone want to start a new religion?

MagicaNova is considered by some to be a new religion. Glossing over the distinctions between philosophies and religions and using the term, why in gods names would anyone want to start a new religion? Aren't there enough religions out there?

The simple answer is that humanity is entering a new era. I don't mean some fluffy aquarian age - although the rise of new religious paradigms every 2000 years is curious - I'm referring to a very real change in the situation of humanity. While there are endless changes in history of momentous importance - the rise and fall and rebirth of democracy, the rise and fall of religion, the divine right to rule and whatnot, the discoveries of science, we are currently entering a period of change that is as profound as the birth of civilization, and just as the birth of civilization moved religion from superstitions based around, for example, shamanistic practices and the village herb-healer to monumental state religions, for good or ill, so too will the momentous changes occurring today require a new way of thinking.

Currently, humanity, for the first time ever, is entering an era where the planet cannot provide as much resources as we can use.  Although previous civilizations may have experienced local shortages, even severe enough to end civilizations, there was always the option of migrating elsewhere, either developing virgin resources or wiping out another people and taking their resources. Today, there are few virgin resources left - every corner of the sea is fished, and anything we cant eat, we harvest and feed to something we can eat. We are currently researching how to turn algae and switchgrass into fuel to turn into fertilizer to grow food. That leaves the option of taking the resources of someone else. However, I dont see China readily giving up its resources to India, America or Europe without a nuclear exchange. We have taken the technology of war so far that it cant really be used, except on the remaining technologically backward nations. So we need to adapt to learn how to use what we have and no more. Unfortunately, the big three religions were developed in an era when growth was good. So the memes included in the monotheistic religions are based on "be fruitful and multiply" and the idea of the 'chosen race'. In short, a great idea when you have a big unexploited planet and a tribe on the verge of extinction, but a really bad idea when we're all fighting over a small patch of remaining grass.

 So there is a definite need for a replacement to the outdated thinking that leads to greed and war. Christians might of course say that Christianity stands for love and generosity, and it may be true that certain sects within Christianity might actually believe in social justice. However, in practice, most Christian leaders seem more interested in having their ideas running as many lives as possible, and in supporting wars if necessary to make this possible. The current anti-Muslim hysteria in America is merely one facet of this. You also have a multimillionaire Mormon bishop dismissing half of his countrymen as "takers" and agitating to raise taxes on the poor to pay to reduce his own taxes from 9% to 1%, despite what Jesus taught. This is no accident; it is encoded in the founding principles of Christianity.

Another seriously dangerous concept within Islam and Christianity is that death is to be welcomed, although more often adherents send others to their deaths. The symbol of Christianity is an ancient torture device where people were brutally treated before being killed. Muslims believe that people who die on behalf of the religion will go straight to paradise, while Christians view Martyrdom with equal veneration. Death is not an acceptable basis for a modern religion.

MagicaNova does not claim to have knowledge of the afterlife, if any. We claim to know that there is life before death, and that we do not know what happens after death. Given that death may be the end of everything, it behoves us to value life, this existence, above all else. Should there be an afterlife, we can deal with that when we get there; there is no reason why enjoying life should preclude entry into the afterlife. So lets deal first with what we know.

We are privileged to live in an age when we are discovering the secrets of the universe as never before; it makes no sense to throw these discoveries in the bin to try and shore up our faith.

In a later post, I'll pull these together to explain how these basic problems with current religion can be resolved.

MagicaNova

Obtain Prokoviev Piano Concerto 2 Mvt. 1, Get drunk, listen