Sovereignia

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In what sense is Sovereignia a religion?

There is, apparently, no scholarly consensus on what precisely constitutes a religion.

But here's an attempt at a definition:

A religion is a social-cultural system that may serve many purposes, particularly advocating and passing on behaviors and practices that help to organize and orient one's life, often including presenting a foundational view of reality, morality or ethics, and practices and strategies for living, and often incorporating "supernatural", "transcendental", and "spiritual" elements.

More metaphorically, a religion can provide a lens, a compass, and a map for navigating life. It can provide a candle or a bonfire or a search-light for the darkness and the cold. Nutrition and inspiration for a healthy and energized life. A rock to weather the storms. Lessons to learn how to fish, not just the fish. Lessons on how to find and create maps as needed, not just a single map. It can provide a homebase, an extended family, a whole society.

Sovereignia is not a comprehensive religion, meaning it does not provide answers to all of the questions that one may typically have regarding the universe and our place in it and how to live one's life. It is a kind of minimal religion to satisfy the vision and purpose set forth at its outset, more focused on an intuitive level of morality, applied epistemology, and oriented action than on specific detailed beliefs about reality. In fact, the specifics of the religion have not been settled at its inception; for instance, the boundaries for membership and non-membership have not been determined. So one may consider Sovereignia a proto-religion at its outset. But the intention is still to provide much of the value that other religions provide, as just illustrated metaphorically.

To follow the Way of Sovereignia, one may have any among a variety of fundamental beliefs that are consistent with the Sovereignian system of operating assumptions, agreements, commitments, and so forth. Hence, one may be a member of other religions or adherent of other philosophies as well as a member of Sovereignia. However, some religions (or specific sects of a religion) run counter to Sovereignia, so some religious combinations with Sovereignia are impossible.

Sovereignians support critical thought, and so they will offer critique of all religions, attempting to provide a variety of fair-minded assessments of the pros and cons, benefits and risks, assets and liabilities, the virtues and vices of other religions and of itself.

Sovereignia recognizes the importance and power of mythic stories, of ritual, artwork, music, dance, meditation, embodied practices, and communal experience. Furthermore, there is great value in responsible exploration of altered states and psychedelic experiences.

Although the Sovereignian religion is non-comprehensive, it is intended to be a holistic and deeply supportive structure for a person's spiritual journey. Sovereignia may be sufficient community for the whole journey. For some, the journey may lead to seeking further guidance from other people and institutions within religious or philosophical traditions consistent with Sovereignia, or it may lead one completely out of Sovereignia, and Sovereignians may bid a fond and friendly farewell to the individual or give a stern warning against a descent into vice or delusion, or some other approprate parting actions. Exploration, in any case, will be recommended, so that a variety of perspectives can be tested as genuinely as possible and the resulting conclusions can be as sound as possible.

For those who are interested at the foundational stage of this religion, join the conversation and help shape the specifics as they come together.