I don't quite know if this is the best place to put this since Universism has little to do with spirituality, but I think more people will notice it here.

I have discovered a new religion. It is not a religion in the "normal" sense of the word. It doesn't focus on dogma or beliefs. It is a rational religion, a phrase previously though to be an oxymoron. We apply personal reason and experience to the fundamental questions of human existence. We don't rely on some book to tell us the answers to those questions. God is not some old guy sitting up in some fictitious heaven. God is in nature. God is in the Universe. The Universe is God.

I cannot adequately explain Universism in my own words, so I'll direct you to their website for more information. I encourage you all to look into it, but I won't press you. Of the people I've debated with on YN, I know many of you believe the same as I do. You are atheists, agnostics, deists, and the like. Universism encompasses all of those concepts. Check it out. "It's not what you believe, it's how you believe it."

Universism encourages you to ask questions and find your own answers to whatever...

Other god-based religions don't. They tell you to follow a book or the teachings, not to ask questions.

It seems like a cool religion/belief system. I would be described as agnostic, deist, unitarian, universalism, etc. But I suppose this kind of covers them all too... I'll have to look into this further, but I may just stick with what I've got...

quote:

Originally posted by Greenleaf771:
Deism is encompassed in universism, is it not?

It's encompassed but I for one don't consider myself a universist. They're similar ideas, but I don't feel the need to mass together into an organization of "free thinkers" which is sort of an oxymoron. Deism is a philosophy, Universism is clearly a new spin on it, which I'm always skeptical of. Deism is not broke, there is no need to "fix it" by grouping everyone together into this grand "The greatest knowladge is realizing that you know nothing" circle-jerk.

Also there is constant mention of the metaphysical. This doesnt' exist to me. They say that God exists beyond science in the FAQ, but the only way to explore God is science?

It's stuff like that. I love Deism because it is based on reason and reason alone. You don't assume anything untill you have a logical reason to.

I rather like it for the reasons that you've stated. Universism seems very open to any ideas. It makes me feel like I'm not bound to anything imparticular. Deism is encompassed in universism, is it not?

I prefer deism simply because it's not so, for lack of a better term, wishy-washy as univerism. It's always seemed like Deism rehashed and dipped in New-Age, vauge, spirituality.

Cool! I guess that sort of makes may a universist, as I'm agnostic. Universist agnostic sounds very cool, even though its kind of redundant.

Universists are cool, but they beleive in about the same thing I do, and I'm an atheistic humanist (hehe, I made that term up). I could be Universist....but I'll stick with my atheistic humanism.....I like saying that...