If you thought you were going to get off easy and that the Church of
Reality believed that everything was ok - you're wrong. The Church of
Reality supports a lifestyle the reflects our Sacred Mission and our
Sacred Principles. If we support The Principle of Positive Evolution
and want to move society forward in the Sacred Direction then we need
to live our lives in a progressive manner. We are people who are good
citizens, productive members of society, and we live our lives to make
our world a better place to live.
We however do not require a bizzare lifestyle like other religions. You
don't have to shave your head, wear an orange robe or burka, go around
knocking on doors asking people to accept Darwin or Newton, no praying
or chanting is required, no strange rituals, holy books to swear on, no
robes, beads, prayer cloths, piercings, snake handling, or special
diets. You don't worship a diety, not required to honor the sabbath,
(although getting some rest is a good idea - work hard - play hard) we
don't control who you vote for, no mass weddings, no vows of celebacy
or silence, no female oppression, no holy wars, and no deities will
order you to kill anyone.
We believe in promoting a common sense healthy livestyle where everyone
is encourged to be a productive upstanding part of society. We are to
be "good people" - the kind of people that others look up to - who
other want to be around - who others consider to be honest, reliable,
trustworthy, respectful, humble, and helpful.
Generally the Church of Reality subscribes to the principles of Secular Humanism with the addition of the religious responsibilities, as outlined by the Sacred Missions, added to it. The Humanists have already done a lot of work in this area and although no one it perfect they seem to be on the right track in general. So - until something better comes along, we endorse Humanism as the recomended lifestyle for Realists.
The lifestyle of Realists in general is based on personal freedom. We aren't here to tell you how to live your life. But we hope to be able to help provide assistance and structure in developing a good lifestyle template. |
The Church of Reality supports personal choice and personal freedom. We believe in people making their own decisions to as great of an extent as possible. Our position is that anything is permitted unless there is a good reason to not permit it. We believe the individualism and self expression are necessary for positive evolution to occur. A free society allows the individual to experience their own lives in a manner of their choosing and it creates a positive atmosphere for diversity and tolerance which promotes peace and harmony. We are a church of diverse people who have chosen to unite behind reality as our common goal.
Individualism and diversity are good things because if everybody thinks alike and looks alike and acts alike then they are less likely to come up with new innovative and interesting ideas that are necessary to improve ourselves and evolve forward. We don't want Realists to all act the same and thing the same. Although it is often true the "great minds think alike" it is also true that if everyone thinks alike that it stifles creativity.
We also believe in giving the individual as much control of their personal life as possible. We believe that people have the right to make their own lifestyle choices even if it's what most people would consider a bad choice. What is a bad choice for one person might be a good choice for another. Furthermore, even if a decision is a bad choice the individual has a right to make their own mistakes. We can and perhaps should try to talk people out of making bad decisions but ultimately we hold self determination in high regard.
The primary limitation on personal freedom is if one person's freedom significantly imposes on the rights and freedoms of others. A person can't choose to be a cannibal for example because it is unlikely that the person being eaten would choose to want that. Playing loud music might keep the neighbors awake. In cases where the freedom of one person infringes on the freedoms and rights of another then one has to apply wisdom to the situation to figure out the best solution to the problem.
Examples of Church of Reality supported freedoms include:
- Abortion - Women in the Church of Reality have the right to control their reproduction. We recognize that often birth control fails and that Abortion becomes a means of birth control of last resort.
- Assisted Suicide - Ultimately the individual has the right to choose not to continue to live. This is especially true when a person is nearing the end of natural life and is faced with choosing how they will die. A person has the right to ask for and to receive assistance in termination their own life within the context of wisdom and sane policy to protect society from abuse.
- Same Sex Relationships - The Church of Reality considers sex between consenting adults of legal age to be an issue of personal choice.
We as Realists assert that our personal freedom is something that is deeply rooted in the practice and expression of our religion and that freedom is necessary in the pursuit of the understanding of reality. |
The Church of Reality avoids the concept of church intrusion into a
person's lifestyle. We are not here to dictate how you live your life.
We are explorers - not oppressors. We are here to serve - not to
dictate. We are not here to threaten people with eternal damnation or
to issue fatwas to nonbelievers. We believe that the Sacred {ln:Principle
of Freedom} gives the individual choice in their own destiny.
This doesn't mean that everything you do is sin free and often Reality
itself will punish you for your transgressions. If you ignore the law
of gravity there could be serious consequences involved. As they say, "186,000 miles a second - it's not just a good idea - it's the Law!"
Having said that - this religion is based on what you do - not on what
you believe. It's not about your personal relationship with a deity,
but on what you accomplish. And - if your lifestyle isn't at least
somewhat consistent with the Sacred Principles then why would you call
yourself a Realist in the first place?
We don't however set standards for sexual conduct, sexual preferences,
who your friends are, what drugs you're into, or you're music and video
preferences. Ultimately you can destroy yourself if you want to. But -
if your choices start to significantly infringe on others then it
becomes a community issue.
In general - "good behavior" is encouraged, and "bad behavior" is
discouraged. And you are expected to be able to make a reasonable
effort to figure out which is which.
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