Bulletins of the Coming Nonviolent Revolutionary Religion Revolution

Hey y'all, if you've been here before you may notice, that in this, the fifth bulletin, I changed the title of these postings... whereas it previously read simply "Bulletins of the Coming Revolution", I decided that I wanted a title that more aptly described exactly what this coming revolution will attempt to be. Which in turn made me question what exactly the hopes of the revolution are. I've been greeted with general warmth (and the predictable bemusement-- all you doubters check back in 17 years or so) by the postings thus far, but also a dose of uncertainty and curiosity, some of which I'll try to satisfy tonight.... particularly in describing what sets this apart from most revolutions. And people, I want for y'all to be more vocal... if what you read here inspires any thought, post it in the guestbook (yeah, I know, i'm working on a message board). If it strikes a chord with your thoughts, say so. If you think I'm a complete crackhead, rip my ideas to pieces. Whatever. Thanks for leading the way Aaron. Anyways, without further ado, I offer you: A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE COMING NONVIOLENT REVOLUTIONARY RELIGION REVOLUTION The essence of the revolution can be expressed in three words, all of which are located in the title: Nonviolent Religion Revolutionary All of these are fundamental and I'm going to try to explain their basic importance. I'll start with nonviolence, as it represents the one piece of dogma of the religion: NONVIOLENCE: Humans most fundamental and morally inviolable right is the right to life. "Thou shalt not kill." Capital Period. This principle is basic and essential... Violence sows the seeds for hate, resentment and future violence. Only by nonviolence can we break the cycle and form a truly better world. Much, much more on this in the future. RELIGION: Those of you who know me may be confused by this, as I've shied away from established religions in the previous years and have attempted to discredit them as holding people back on their individual spiritual journeys. Furthermore, if I do hold any one accomplishment of the founders of the United States in reverential esteem, it is (ironically) their seperation of church and state. Yet the religion aspect of the coming revolution is critical because it describes the manner in which the revolution will seek to function. This isn't about political agitation or seeking outward causes... it is precisely the opposite. Its an effort to resolve the pervasive spiritual disharmony that is caused by our basic humanity and mortality, and furthered by an unjust system. It is a group effort to help each of us find true individual expression and unity. THEN, after this is accomplished, come the efforts to change the outward society. Its an inside out thing... open your mind, change yourself, then change the world. Top down efforts, even in the form of revolution, merely foster intellectual tyranny the same way that violence fosters future violence. If, as you should be, you're questioning the role of religion in political affairs, whether it is its primary or secondary function, I offer you the following quote: "Any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them, and the social conditions that cripple them is a spiritually moribund religion awaiting burial." -Martin Luther King Jr., from "Pilgrimage to Nonviolence" REVOLUTIONARY- Calling a revolution "revolutionary" is seemingly pointless and repetitive, but I feel it calls attention to an essential part of this revolution that is different from others. See, what we're attempting to do is truly open minds and have a radical shift... not to proselytize and change opinions, but to change methods of seeing the world by challenging dogmas and perceptions. We're not seeking a certain political or economic system, though those things may be byproducts... we're seeking true consciousness and awareness. Its about beating the system itself, not the semblances of it... and that takes a truly completely open revolutionary attitude thats not easy to give up to. We're going to open those doors of perception. I give you Mr. Robert Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: "People arrive at a factory and perform a totally meaningless task from 8 to 5 without question because the structure demands it that way. There's no villain, no "mean guy" who wants them to live meaningless lives, its just that the structure, the system demands it and no one is willing to take on the formidable task of changing the structure just because it is meaningless. But to tear down a factory or revolt against a government or to avoid repair of a motorcycle because it is a system is to attack effects rather than causes; and as long the attack is upon effects only, no change is possible. The true system, the real system, is our present construction of systematic thought itself, rationality itself, and if a factory is torn down but the rationality which produced it is left standing, then that rationality will simply produce another factory. If a revolution destroys a systematic government, but the systematic patterns of thought that produced that government are left intact, then those patterns will repeat themselves in the succeeding government. There's so much talk about the system, and so little understanding." Well, I know this has been a somewhat tedious posting. Its just one I had to write at some point, to get "on the record". And it goes a little ways towards explaining, in lackluster terms, what I'm talking about. But its an explination based on a semi-rational system of classification, and thus inherently flawed... for a much better portrait of what I'm talking about you'll have to check back frequently and read the many rants on politics, spirituality, philosophy, daily life, etc... but this is a helpful launching pad, I hope. Its frustrating trying to express it this way... I don't feel like I've really accomplished my goal for the night. Oh well, the posting goes on regardless...