Can you think of any non-soteriological religions?

[Onkara]

Soteriology is the idea that we need or can be saved from something. A salvation of some kind. I am interested to know about religions which say there is nothing to be saved from.

Can you think of any religions which do not require being saved etc?

My guess is paganism could be adapted to being so. Taoism too. Any others?

 

[Vultar]

The "Universal Basic Belief" would fall into that category.
You do not need to be saved as there is nothing to be saved from.
It would probably be classified as paganism as it is the root of Druidism
(real druidism, not the bark eating, tree hugging kind from the 18th century revival)

 

[tumbleweed41]

PS: Mods' would appreciate you changing relgion to religions in the title, please, whilst I nip to the opticians.

Done.

 

[tumbleweed41]

Soteriology is the idea that we need or can be saved from something. A salvation of some kind. I am interested to know about religions which say there is nothing to be saved from.

Can you think of any religions which do not require being saved etc?

My guess is paganism could be adapted to being so. Taoism too. Any others?

Deism holds no dogma of "needing to be saved" from anything.

 

[Quintessence]

The notion of needing to be saved from something gives my theology a big red "404 error."

Yeah, Neopaganism and probably Paganism more broadly don't so much get on the "you need to be saved from something" boat. In Neopaganism, the closest thing to that would be the pervasive undercurrent of environmentalism. When your gods are immanent within the world around you, you tend to get kind of ****** that your fellow humans pillage them with barely a moment's hesitation. Personally, I'm of the mind that what will come will come. If humans are really stupid enough to continue their destructive (and self-destructive) patterns, Gaea will unleash a can of whoop-**** on them. It kind of is already, slowly but surely.

 

[Willamena]

Deism holds no dogma of "needing to be saved" from anything.

What does diesm do for you? What is the reason for indulging in it? These questions hint at soteriology.

 

[Skeptisch]

Does Atheism count as a religion? :sarcastic

 

[tumbleweed41]

What does diesm do for you? What is the reason for indulging in it?

It give me direction to appreciation, even if it is likely that it is unreciprocated.

 

[Onkara]

The "Universal Basic Belief" would fall into that category.
You do not need to be saved as there is nothing to be saved from.
It would probably be classified as paganism as it is the root of Druidism
(real druidism, not the bark eating, tree hugging kind from the 18th century revival)

That's interesting, I haven't heard of that. I will look into it.
I assume it means that one acknowledges that God has always been a part of man and universally. So is is about a relationship with God?

Deism holds no dogma of "needing to be saved" from anything.

Good point, I had overlooked Deism, thanks for changing the typo too.
Would you say an 'insight' awareness of God comes close to God being "a revealed message" due to the fact that some people deny God?

The notion of needing to be saved from something gives my theology a big red "404 error."

Yeah, Neopaganism and probably Paganism more broadly don't so much get on the "you need to be saved from something" boat. In Neopaganism, the closest thing to that would be the pervasive undercurrent of environmentalism. When your gods are immanent within the world around you, you tend to get kind of ****** that your fellow humans pillage them with barely a moment's hesitation. Personally, I'm of the mind that what will come will come. If humans are really stupid enough to continue their destructive (and self-destructive) patterns, Gaea will unleash a can of whoop-**** on them. It kind of is already, slowly but surely.

My impression is that it would work as you want it to work?

What does diesm do for you? What is the reason for indulging in it? These questions hint at soteriology.

Good question, I saw Tumbleweed's answer Can you see a way to avoid soteriology, Willamena?

Does Atheism count as a religion? :sarcastic

LOL, yes, Atheism is a belief after all.
Pantheism (and panentheism) is probably non-soteriological, wouldn't you agree?

Thanks all for the replies!

 

[Willamena]

Good question, I saw Tumbleweed's answer Can you see a way to avoid soteriology, Willamena?

Does it need to be avoided?

 

[tumbleweed41]

Would you say an 'insight' awareness of God comes close to God being "a revealed message" due to the fact that some people deny God?

Speaking for myself, I do nor feel my 'insight' awareness of God is a revelation, but rather a personal belief based on a desire for there to be a God.

 

[Onkara]

Speaking for myself, I do nor feel my 'insight' awareness of God is a revelation, but rather a personal belief based on a desire for there to be a God.

That's a new thought for me.
So your conviction of God is through reason alone, that makes sense as to why you would say insight is desire (correct me if I am jumping to conclusions)

I am not over keen on dismissing insight but I would like to look into Deist reasoning in that case for further investigation, as perhaps insight can be dismissed as a method of knowledge (of knowing God).

 

[Onkara]

Does it need to be avoided?

For me it implies that we need to do something in order to arrive somewhere. That's fine, it is up to each individual to call the shots on what they need, but in my case I feel like there is no place to go and nothing to know which isn't here already. Hence I feel non-soteriological religions might have something to offer me personally.

What do you think, is it something which helps or hinders?

 

[Willamena]

For me it implies that we need to do something in order to arrive somewhere. That's fine, it is up to each individual to call the shots on what they need, but in my case I feel like there is no place to go and nothing to know which isn't here already. Hence I feel non-soteriological religions might have something to offer me personally.

What do you think, is it something which helps or hinders?

Depends on where you want to get. Behaving according to moral values, for instance, to ensure a seat with God is not all that different from behaving according to similar values to arrive at a place of honor, or a life well-spent.

 

[Vultar]

That's interesting, I haven't heard of that. I will look into it.
I assume it means that one acknowledges that God has always been a part of man and universally. So is is about a relationship with God?

Actually the UBB does not believe in there being a God. It does however believe in spirits which are simply the next stage in human life after the physical (afterlife). Some offshoot sects have in the past placed some higher members into a demi-god status, but there is no requirement to worship anyone as it is believed that only evil has a desire to be worshiped.

 

[Onkara]

Actually the UBB does not believe in there being a God. It does however believe in spirits which are simply the next stage in human life after the physical (afterlife). Some offshoot sects have in the past placed some higher members into a demi-god status, but there is no requirement to worship anyone as it is believed that only evil has a desire to be worshiped.

That's new to me. So how to they explain creation or the universe?

 

[Onkara]

Depends on where you want to get. Behaving according to moral values, for instance, to ensure a seat with God is not all that different from behaving according to similar values to arrive at a place of honor, or a life well-spent.

Hi
Yes, I think it comes down to the Problem of Evil or reward for behaviour whilst living. I was thinking about it a bit more after I disconnected and I think many religions use a carrot on the stick approach.. a future reward or punishment.

 

[Vultar]

That's new to me. So how to they explain creation or the universe?

The UBB believes that the universe has evolved over time. Also, that life on earth is not the only life in the universe, however distance makes it "currently" impossible to contact such life while in physical form and difficult while in spiritual form.

It is actually not "new" but more anchient and forgotten (mostly eliminated by the Romans) and parts have become other religions (example the original Wiccan religion is a direct offshoot of the Ovate division of the original Druidism)

 

[9Westy9]

Does Atheism count as a religion? :sarcastic

nope :no:

 

[Shuddhasattva]

I don't think any religion is purely non-soteriological. Everything religious has a goal that involves some sort of delivery from a less-than-optimal state to a more-optimal-state.