As some of you know - I am the First one of the Church of Reality and I'm working on an interesting question that many people are asking. The question - will the Church of Reality lose it's focus and become corrupted like all the other religions.
Isn't it inevitable that if the Church of Reality becomes successful that it has to become corrupted by its success? That's what most people believe - and - am am attempting to address this issue. The real question is - what can I do now to prevent it from happening. How is the Church of Reality different than other religions?
Other religions are based on mythology. Thus if one myth evolves into another myth it's really not a significant change. How does one argue that one myth is better than another myth? But the Church of Reality is dedicated to reality. So if the Church of Reality converts to mythology then that is a more fundamental form of change that from myth to myth.
Reality doesn't go away after you stop believing in it. So if the Church of Reality gets off course - it can always come back to reality. Reality is the solid rock - the lighthouse - and it is always there no matter if people believe in it or not.
I have a joke about if a Christian who believes he can fly and a Bhudist who believes he can fly both jump off a bridge at the same time - who will hit the water first? The point you see is gravity applies equally to all religions and belief doesn't change reality. So - there is reason and hope to believe that the Church of Reality is different in that it is a religion that is grounded in the real world and therefore has a way to repair itself and get back to it's roots.
Reality is like a rock - it's solid - it's real - and it can be found if someone get lost. All you have to do is let reality back into your heart and let it guide you back to realism.
But - that doesn't mean that it can't be corrupted. So - I'm working on a plan - some tests - so that these become automatic clues that the Church of Reality might be straying off course. And - I'm looking for suggestions on how to keep reality real - and not become RINO - Reality In Name Only.
So - for example. If the Church of Reality becomes about me - Marc Perkel - then it's off course. I am not a diety - I have no special "powers" and I'm just a guy with an idea. If this doesn't work out someone else - hopefully - will come and do it right. But reality is still there no matter what. So - if the Church of Reality starts worshiping me - it's off course.
Or - if you are being forced to believe in things that are not supported in logic or science - that's a bad sign. The Church of Reality is to be judges by it's fruits and not just on what is being preached. It has to produce results.
Of course - several of the Sacred Principles are specificly there to help prevent this and all the sacred principles were written with keeping the Church of Reality always tied to reality. The Principle of Self Scrutiny deals specifically and directly with the idea that this church is about Reality and should always be tested to make sure it's on course. The Principle of Bullshit declares that bullshit is always bullshit no matter how many people believe it. So - if the Church of Reality becomes a cult and starts forcing people to believe in bullshit - it's still bullshit. The Church of Reality doesn't change reality - reality changes the Church.
The Principle of Humility also addresses this issue. To be humble helps avoid various ego traps. For example - suppose this church take off big time and I become some big celebrity for starting it. It would be really tempting to start believing tha there's something special about me and let my ego separate me from reality. But the truth is and always will be that I am just some random guy with a briliant idea. If I hadn't thought of it - eventually someone else would have. And - whoever thought of it would be tempted to think they are special. This principle is in fact a message to myself and all my sucessors in case we get a little two self absorbed to put us back on track.
But - reality was there long before Marc Perkel existed (at least - I think so) and will be there long after Marc Perkel dies. Reality is not about me - it's about reality. And thus the Principle of Humility reminds us that we are just life forms of a spec of dust and our only significance is in relation to what we accomplish on our spec of dust.
Posted by marc at July 17, 2004 07:14 AM | TrackBack