Not Christianity, But Something Similar...

[Exaltist Ethan]

I have a belief that borderline makes me Christian. Let me explain.

I believe that Christ was born of Mary and Joseph, that Mary wasn't a virgin when she conceived Jesus, and that the miracles that Jesus supposedly performed during his lifetime either didn't happen or were greatly exaggerated. I also don't believe he resurrected at the time of his death and I don't believe you need to believe in order to have your own Heaven; he didn't die for anyone's sins...

However, I do consider Jesus the primary example of human extropy. According to my belief system, extropy is a divine concept. I believe Jesus will be resurrected one day, as everybody else will be too, but he will be the first person to be resurrected from science. I also think that Jesus will be the overseer of Earth, the Milky Way galaxy, and even one day, the entire Universe we inhabit now. Jesus probably isn't perfect, but the amount of good works and inspiration he led on atone for those past transgressions. And he's the only one who has been entirely sanctified his entire life.

Christianity has a lot of made-up type terms that describes someone's belief in it. While I do not consider myself a Christian, this idea lingers in my head and does place significance towards Jesus. There's probably some post-Christian religion that believes something similar, like the Unitarian Universalists or Unity church. But I want to know specifically where this kind of thinking is practiced.

If there is a theological concept similar to this, great, but if there is a religion that believes this, even better. I know there are certain types of Christian eschatologies that fall into this, more specifically, the futurist-types of Christian eschatologies. But I do not know how to properly explain these beliefs to someone without first explaining the entire belief to that person, and I want a term or religion I can point to and say, "this is or is similar to what I believe."

For those who know a lot about Christian belief systems and different view points of Christianity, I could really use your help right now. What is this belief called?

 

[IndigoChild5559]

I have a belief that borderline makes me Christian. Let me explain.

I believe that Christ was born of Mary and Joseph, that Mary wasn't a virgin when she conceived Jesus, and that the miracles that Jesus supposedly performed during his lifetime either didn't happen or were greatly exaggerated. I also don't believe he resurrected at the time of his death and I don't believe you need to believe in order to have your own Heaven; he didn't die for anyone's sins...

However, I do consider Jesus the primary example of human extropy. According to my belief system, extropy is a divine concept. I believe Jesus will be resurrected one day, as everybody else will be too, but he will be the first person to be resurrected from science. I also think that Jesus will be the overseer of Earth, the Milky Way galaxy, and even one day, the entire Universe we inhabit now. Jesus probably isn't perfect, but the amount of good works and inspiration he led on atone for those past transgressions. And he's the only one who has been entirely sanctified his entire life.

Christianity has a lot of made-up type terms that describes someone's belief in it. While I do not consider myself a Christian, this idea lingers in my head and does place significance towards Jesus. There's probably some post-Christian religion that believes something similar, like the Unitarian Universalists or Unity church. But I want to know specifically where this kind of thinking is practiced.

If there is a theological concept similar to this, great, but if there is a religion that believes this, even better. I know there are certain types of Christian eschatologies that fall into this, more specifically, the futurist-types of Christian eschatologies. But I do not know how to properly explain these beliefs to someone without first explaining the entire belief to that person, and I want a term or religion I can point to and say, "this is or is similar to what I believe."

For those who know a lot about Christian belief systems and different view points of Christianity, I could really use your help right now. What is this belief called?

It is not uncommon in this day and age for people to compose their own personal religions. Such religions don't have names, unless you want to give it a name. You can call it Ethanism or anything else you want. But it's your private religion. It is not an example of some organized religion.

 

[Exaltist Ethan]

It is not uncommon in this day and age for people to compose their own personal religions. Such religions don't have names, unless you want to give it a name. You can call it Ethanism or anything else you want. But it's your private religion. It is not an example of some organized religion.

That's actually what Exaltism is for me. Exaltist Ethan -> Exaltism. But if I'm going to use my own terminology, I'm going to confuse a lot of people who don't know anything about me. If you ask ChatGPT what is Earthseed it tells you what it is, when you ask ChatGPT what is Exaltism, it's clueless and asks for more information to give a more thorough and complete answer. I already throw in terms like synverse, something that apparently nobody but me understands, and I want to be able to connect to people at their level, not my own. Telling me to invent words to describe my beliefs isn't going to be very helpful in the ways I intend on using those words.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

That's actually what Exaltism is for me. Exaltist Ethan -> Exaltism. But if I'm going to use my own terminology, I'm going to confuse a lot of people who don't know anything about me. If you ask ChatGPT what is Earthseed it tells you what it is, when you ask ChatGPT what is Exaltism, it's clueless and asks for more information to give a more thorough and complete answer. I already throw in terms like synverse, something that apparently nobody but me understands, and I want to be able to connect to people at their level, not my own. Telling me to invent words to describe my beliefs isn't going to be very helpful in the ways I intend on using those words.

Well, yes. Anytime you do something unique to yourself, no one is going to understand you unless you take the time to explain, because there is no label for it to give anyone a shortcut.

Case in point, the US has two main parties, Republicans and Democrats, and a handful of what we call third parties. I am not a member of any of those parties. I can tell people that I'm a moderate and an independent, but they still don't have a lot of information of what I hold to. I have to go into detail of I believe this about this and that about that. You are in the same position -- you have to go into the details of what you believe, because there is no label for your beliefs.

 

[Hamilton]

I have a belief that borderline makes me Christian. Let me explain.

I believe that Christ was born of Mary and Joseph, that Mary wasn't a virgin when she conceived Jesus, and that the miracles that Jesus supposedly performed during his lifetime either didn't happen or were greatly exaggerated. I also don't believe he resurrected at the time of his death and I don't believe you need to believe in order to have your own Heaven; he didn't die for anyone's sins...

However, I do consider Jesus the primary example of human extropy. According to my belief system, extropy is a divine concept. I believe Jesus will be resurrected one day, as everybody else will be too, but he will be the first person to be resurrected from science. I also think that Jesus will be the overseer of Earth, the Milky Way galaxy, and even one day, the entire Universe we inhabit now. Jesus probably isn't perfect, but the amount of good works and inspiration he led on atone for those past transgressions. And he's the only one who has been entirely sanctified his entire life.

Christianity has a lot of made-up type terms that describes someone's belief in it. While I do not consider myself a Christian, this idea lingers in my head and does place significance towards Jesus. There's probably some post-Christian religion that believes something similar, like the Unitarian Universalists or Unity church. But I want to know specifically where this kind of thinking is practiced.

If there is a theological concept similar to this, great, but if there is a religion that believes this, even better. I know there are certain types of Christian eschatologies that fall into this, more specifically, the futurist-types of Christian eschatologies. But I do not know how to properly explain these beliefs to someone without first explaining the entire belief to that person, and I want a term or religion I can point to and say, "this is or is similar to what I believe."

For those who know a lot about Christian belief systems and different view points of Christianity, I could really use your help right now. What is this belief called?

I hardly know all the variants of Christianity. The one which I know of, that has elements similar to some of which you have described, would be "Christian Theosophy." Full-blown Blavatsky Theosophy is more outrè. You might also find support in "Natural Theology", although that is a philosophical methodology, not a religious community.

 

[Exaltist Ethan]

I hardly know all the variants of Christianity. The one which I know of, that has elements similar to some of which you have described, would be "Christian Theosophy." Full-blown Blavatsky Theosophy is more outrè. You might also find support in "Natural Theology", although that is a philosophical methodology, not a religious community.

Every time someone uses the term "natural theology" to describe my beliefs I 100% agree with that assertion. In RF I am a natural theologian. I agree with this idea so much that I changed my RF title from, "Synverse Shaper", despite really liking that title, to, "Natural Theologian", as it will help people understand where I am coming from (and also the signature helps too).

 

[syo]

For those who know a lot about Christian belief systems and different view points of Christianity, I could really use your help right now.

Ditch it. Become pagan, instead.

 

[Exaltist Ethan]

Ditch it. Become pagan, instead.

Natural theology and pantheism are pagan ideas for the modern age. Both believe that nature is God, but there's a lot less magic and hocus pocus with straight up monist pantheism than there is in neo-pagan revival religions. Sometimes I feel as if my beliefs border on animism or Shinto, which I would contend are pagan-esque religions.

 

[Karolina]

I find myself in a similar position as you. I have researched religions for decades, and there isn't one already out there that 100% resonates with me. And yet, I feel inadequate to just accept that I have my own personal belief system. For whatever reason, I feel compelled to seek out that needle in a haystack and find "my people". Perhaps G-d is working on making me pliable enough to embrace what I've already rejected in the past. At any rate, it is reassuring to read that someone else is having a similar conundrum.