Religion substitutes for the non-religious?
I'm not talking about some other belief in the supernatural or spiritual.
By "religion substitute", I mean, do you have something you turned to when, say, you're down or trying to make sense of the world? Or something to help you feel connected to something bigger and more powerful than yourself?
I make a joke of it, but in some ways it's true.
I say music is my religion. Live shows are my church services. And music festivals are my holy days!
Like how some people turn to The Bible to understand and make sense of the world, I will sometimes turn to music, specially the punk and alternative music I grew up on, though I listen to a lot of different music today.
The Violent Femmes got me through college, as well as other points in my life. Cracker got me through my first divorce. Lipstick Homicide got me through my depression.
And Star Wars is a secondary source I use a lot too.
And for others it made not an art form or art piece. Maybe it's something non-fiction? A group you belong to? An activity you enjoy?
Anybody else have a religion substitute?
As an observer I suggest celebrity culture is the new church. Individuals once revered saints or relics in medieval Europe, then the Enlightenment and on to Darwin removed the need for God/gods, the 'One God' of Christianity rallied with the advance of Protestantism, now the doctrine is to be famous for five minutes. The texts are the endless supply of reality TV shows, the deities are those that become celebrated individuals, the belief - that you too can be like them, the ritual - to ensure you don't miss an episode. The Gods of The New Church seem even less reliable than the ancient deities of Sumeria, Mount Olympus and Babylonia.
I’ve always turned to myself. It’s worked out so far.
literature, art, science, philosophy, meditation