I just saw a video over on Matt Dillahunty’s channel, which I’ll link to below, about a new “secular religion” called Mystrikism. He went through some of the stuff on their website, which I’ll also link to below, but I had a lot more to say on the subject.
So here I go.
First off, here’s Matt’s video. It’s almost 40 minutes long, but you’re welcome to go and check it out.
Let me get this out of the way first. I see no need for religion. I see no need for any of the trappings associated with religion. I agree, to some degree, with Matt, that there are a lot of things that religion co-opted that have nothing to do with religion at all. Morality, ethics and community are three of the ones that immediately come to mind. You don’t need religion for any of them, but you don’t need secular versions of religion for any of them either.
I’ve been a long time critic of things like Sunday Assembly, not because, if you really want to hang around on Sunday morning with a bunch of atheists, I want to stop you, but because it shouldn’t be necessary. This is just people who have been scarred by religion, trying to carry on the religious traditions. Just stop. Saying “we’re going to do all the things that religion does, just without religion!” is stupid. Stop it. Seek help. It’s time to grow up and stop being brainwashed by things that were done to you against your will as a child.
If you need a community, go find friends. It’s honestly not that hard. I don’t need a set place to hang out with other people of like mind. I just fine people that I like and I spend time with them. The idea that you need a church, any church, to have a community is as dumb an idea as they come. You don’t. Grow up. Stop being an immature child.
Let’s get to the Mystrikism website though because that’s going to take a while. Like Matt, I’m not going to go through all of it, that would be a complete waste of time, but there are some points that just need to be made.
Their first paragraph on their ABOUT page tells me all I need to know to avoid them like the plague. “Mystrikism is a sensible set of philosophical principles that offers a rational alternative to religion. We aim to provide a naturalistic identity that values critical thought, scientific inquiry, and ethical tenets based on empirically measurable well-being, completely devoid of supernatural elements.” I don’t need your philosophy. I’m just fine on my own. If they valued critical thought, they wouldn’t be starting a religion or a philosophy, they’d just get the hell over the mind poison that religion has infected them with. I can live my life completely devoid of all supernatural elements and I don’t need to attach a stupid name to myself, and I agree with Matt, this is a really, really stupid name. However, let’s continue and pick out a few choice chunks of stupidity.
“Why should we write “no religion” or merely “agnostic” or “atheist” on a census form when we embody so much more? We find marvel and sublimity in the world like any other intelligent beings, except we don’t attribute these experiences to any supernatural interpretation.” Why? Because that’s what you are! You are an atheist whether you like it or not! This is just immature children looking to feel special and stand out. Grow the hell up!
This really feels like they’re still clinging to some part of the religious mind poison. It’s like I’ve said before, and Matt brought this up too, that if you get rid of cancer, what should you replace it with? NOTHING! You get rid of the bad stuff and don’t find something else to plug the hole. You shouldn’t need a secular religion. You just get rid of religion altogether and some people, sadly, don’t seem to be able to manage it. I find that terribly sad.
Of course, the real problem is that Mystrikism is entirely pointless. “We invite those seeking a like-minded identity and sensible values to live by. If you have any interest, please explore our website to fully grasp what we represent. For ANY questions or more details, feel free to email us ANYTIME. If our philosophy resonates with you and you wish to identify as a Mystrik and live by our principles, we invite you to drop us a line, and we will contact you. ” Why? Why do I need you at all? From what I’ve seen on the website, they don’t actually do anything but have a website. They don’t have meetups. They don’t have classes. They don’t do anything. If you look on their FAQ page, they only want people who already “believe”. They’re not out to convert anyone. They don’t even seem to be after money like most religious scams. This is just “call yourself this word and go on about your day!” WHY??!?!?! What is the point? This seems like one of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen. Appeal to dumb people who can’t throw off their religious chains by giving them some secular chains to wrap themselves in.
Are you really that fucking stupid? Sadly, I would have to say yes. There’s a lot more to read if you really want to, but my eyes have rolled into the back of my head. I agree with Matt, this sounds like a dumb idea, but more so, it’s not something that I think any mentally healthy adult ought to be interested in at all. One of the major strengths of atheism, at least in my opinion, is developing the ability to leave childish things behind. It’s not to invent all new childish things for yourself, which is all Mystrikism is doing. It’s all any “secular religion” is doing. Grow up already! This is just a half-way point, for people who can’t handle the God-crap anymore, but can’t handle growing the hell up either.
These people have problems. Most people do. It’s time to stop coddling the immature and delusional. Just stop making fools of yourselves already and join reality. Stop being a child. Try adulthood. It’s honestly not that hard.