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What are the Sacred Principles? |
The Sacred Principles of the Church of Reality define the basic belief system and create a moral and ethical framework for the church and they create and protect the kind of environment needed to be Realists and practice Realism. When we Realists ask the Sacred Moral Question - Is this a good thing? - these are the principles against which we test morality. The Sacred Principles are based on the Sacred Choices where we as a religion declare that certain things have value. These things include the survival of the human race, that we should move in the Sacred Direction towards a better future, and that understanding reality is a good thing. The Sacred Principles lay out some of the framework to define our rights and responsibilities, and create a framework for the existence and goals of our church. The Sacred Principles help form the basis for determining what is right from what is wrong in the absence of an omnipotent creator. These principles help define the dharma of the church and give meaning for it's existence.
The Church of Reality is a religion dedicated to believing in everything that is real. It is the pursuit of the understanding of understanding. Since on this planet understanding is limited for the most part to humans as the beings that understand, it supports the goals of the Church to support that which enhances the Tree of Knowledge and oppose things that would inhibit or prohibit the pursuit of understanding reality the way it really is. As a church we are interested not only in the expansion of the Tree of Knowledge itself, but also in the means by which knowledge is expanded.
The pursuit of the understanding of understanding is not enough if people lack the means to do so. We therefore have the goal of liberating new ideas from oppression, providing the means to communicate and preserve ideas, and to find a balance between protecting the intellectual property of the individual as well as protecting the intellectual commons. As a church we support education, scientific research, debate, the development of technology, the development of social systems, and the protection of justice. We strive for a free and peaceful planet where mankind can flourish and explore the reality of our own existence. We strive to become better and to evolve in a positive direction. The Church of Reality is a forward looking church dedicated to the idea that tomorrow should be better than today and that it is our dharma to ensure that the world does not end in destruction as many other religions believe.
In order to fulfill these objectives we have created the order of the /root. These are the monks of the Church of Reality who have dedicated their lives to doing tech support for the human race so that all people, whether or not they choose to pursue reality, will always have the opportunity to do so. The name /root is a term that comes from the Linux/Unix operating system and is the super user account that has the power and responsibility to keep the system running. In the Church of Reality to be /root is to accept the power and responsibility to keep the systems of society running.
The Sacred Principles are not like the Ten Commandments in that there is no claim that God or any other deity commanded them. There is no promise of a gift of eternal life in Heaven nor is there a threat of Burning in Hell forever. They are not a measure for which sins are counted nor Karma assessed nor are you accumulating brownie points for life after death. These principles are not static principles nor do they represent a complete list of what is or what should be. They are, in part, a beginning attempt to create a basis of determining right from wrong and to create and define a positive direction for the human race to make progress.
Some of the Sacred Principles use our Sacred Terminology. The reader will better understand the principles by reading the Terminology first.
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