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PaperclipPerfector  3mo ago (text post)   1868 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for May 2, 2025

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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Not exactly how religiosity here works, but I do appreciate the effort you took to lay this out. My current religious beliefs, on a personal level, are based on the spiritual path I walk, Kashmir Shaivism famously disavows many Hindu Scriptures.

Still, I do agree largely with what you wrote as to how many think of religious concepts, which is why I do not like media that eggs on religious beliefs.

Hinduism is based on cannons and your guru is your cannon, so there is no emphasis on a singular book, the advait vedantins are different from Shaivs who are different from Smartas and various subsects of Vaishnavs.

He does not have particular obligations in belief as a generic Hindu beyond some system of karma and dharma, but might have more specific beliefs on personal particulars, but he isn't bound to believe every stupid myth some asshole made up last year about his own gods and those of his ancestors. Nor is he necessarily bound to particular interpretations or literalism. For many Hindus it's a buffet of belief choices, not hard and fixed catechisms.

Yep

Not trying to put words in his mouth, he could say the entire Mahabharata and associated composition traditions are historical fact and he certainly wouldn't be alone.

Oh yeah. Kashmir Shaivism clicked with me because its the most esoteric practice-based spiritual path that does not care much about evolution, history or any kind of science as religious experiences; therefore, it is nearly dead as every religion needs schelling points. Christians should and do defend their religious beliefs, which is the way. I may not believe them, but I don't want games to desecrate holy things. I enjoyed the games, but I cannot in good faith ever say that without mentioning that it has pointless edginess.

A petty correction re: "media that eggs on religious beliefs"

To "egg on" is to encourage a person to do something to their detriment. If I said "I think you could beat up that silverback gorilla, jump into the pit, thump your chest and smile to let him know you mean business" that would be me egging you on.

I think you've conflated this with the modern phenomenon of "egging", similar to "TPing"- in which obnoxious adolescents throw locally cheap (to them) material at a house or onto a tree as low effort vandalism.

Brain fade there, thanks for the correction.

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