Questions of faith.

[Flynn]

Let's talk turkey:

1) What are the sacred texts of your faith?
2) What is the central teaching of your faith?
3) How does your faith define sin? What are the major sins, and how is
one absolved?
4) Roughly how many adherents does your faith have?
5) What does your faith teach about the afterlife? Is there heaven, and
how do you get there?
6) What are the practices of your faith? (Daily, weekly, etc.)
7) How is your faith organized? Are there priests and bishops and
archbishops (oh my!)?
8) Are there regular services available to you locally? If so, where?
9) How did you come to be a believer?
10) What do you wish others knew about your faith?


These questions and more brought to you by the Pontifex Niger at www.blackvatican.com.

Also, white chocolate is neither white nor chocolate, discuss.

[Vexx]

Hm....are these questions directed at Googleists in general or us, seperately?

Also, white chocolate = teh tastiness

[Digs]

I guess Flynn's looking for answers from individual Googlists, as some of his questions utilise the second person.

1) What are the sacred texts of your faith? We don't really have any.
2) What is the central teaching of your faith? Its purpose is to spread knowledge and love of learning through Google, so our central teaching must be that learning is good and should happen more.
3) How does your faith define sin? What are the major sins, and how is
one absolved? Google has very little in the way of any view on anything, so if Googlism has any standpoint on sin, then sin must be the suppression of knowledge or learning.
4) Roughly how many adherents does your faith have? I lack the data to answer this usefully.
5) What does your faith teach about the afterlife? Is there heaven, and
how do you get there? Heaven is, by the official word of it, being archived and remembered by Google. This is kind of tongue in cheek, like much of the religion.
6) What are the practices of your faith? (Daily, weekly, etc.) N/A, really. Use of Google or GIS come to mind.
7) How is your faith organized? Are there priests and bishops and
archbishops (oh my!)? We have ministers, admins and regular googlists.
8) Are there regular services available to you locally? If so, where? The forums and Googling. Our services are available anywhere a connection to the internet is available.
9) How did you come to be a believer? A friend whose opinion I value invited me, so I checked the site out. Liking their ideas, I decided to hang out and help wherever possible.
10) What do you wish others knew about your faith? We're actually mostly secular humanists with a weird sense of humour.

White chocolate is kind of off-white and in my opinion tastes much better than regular chocolate.

1) What are the sacred texts of your faith?

Googlist Answer: http://www.thechurchofgoogle.org/Scr...le_Is_God.html

http://www.thechurchofgoogle.org/Scr...mandments.html

http://www.thechurchofgoogle.org/Scr...e_prayers.html

Real Answer: As an atheist, I guess I could say biology / evolution related books.

2) What is the central teaching of your faith?

Googlist Answer: http://www.thechurchofgoogle.org/Scr...mandments.html and that Google is the closest thing to God that we can prove exists.

Real Answer: If you consider atheism a faith, the central teaching would be tolerance and respect for all, regardless of gender, sexuality, color, and religious ideas.

3) How does your faith define sin? What are the major sins, and how is
one absolved?

Googlist Answer: Breaking any of the Commandments, I'd assume, but I do not think that committing such a sin is in need of purifying. Just don't do it again.

Real Answer: There are no sins and virtues, just deeds. As there is no God to punish me, why should I seek forgiveness from Him? I'll seek it from those who I've done wrong.

4) Roughly how many adherents does your faith have?

Googlist Answer: It is too hard to know or even accurately (to a point that we kinda know it's right) estimate. I'd say less than a million but more than one.

Real Answer: Honestly, I'd have to say quite a few million. Excluding agnostics.

5) What does your faith teach about the afterlife? Is there heaven, and how do you get there?

Googlist Answer: Nothing, that I'm aware of.

Real Answer: There is no afterlife as far as I'm concerned, but since no one has ever been to the afterlife and back.. who knows what the hell to expect after we die.

6) What are the practices of your faith? (Daily, weekly, etc.)

Googlist Answer: Following the commandments, using Google to search for information to better myself. That's daily. Monthly, I think the 14th of every month is Google appreciation day.

Real Answer: Follow the rules of common sense and courtesy. Be intelligent and question things; always open minded. Daily basis.

7) How is your faith organized? Are there priests and bishops and
archbishops (oh my!)?

Googlist Answer: Ministers

Real Answer: There are only organizations of atheists (such as Atheists of America) that I know of, which follow regular organization hierarchy. President, VP, etc.

8) Are there regular services available to you locally? If so, where?

Googlist Answer: Don't think so. I don't live near any of the other followers, nor do I hear of anything specifically Googlism related about meetings.

Real Answer: In my local area, the main population are God fearing Atheist hating Christians. Bad idea.

9) How did you come to be a believer?

Googlist Answer: Was looking at parody religions on Wikipedia. Saw a link to here and checked it out. Thought it was intelligent and true.

Real Answer: Got beat up on my way home after I questioned (in a debate) the logic in Christianity. No way am I going to be a follower of those close minded people. I just don't see the logic in religion.

10) What do you wish others knew about your faith?

Googlist Answer: That we DO NOT CLAIM that Google IS God. We claim that she is the closest thing to a God that we can prove exists, and therefore is a great human achievement.

Real Answer: That we are open minded and intelligent people who respect others' beliefs and want to live life our own way: by logic, not faith.


On a more serious note, White Chocolate is Nerdy Chocolate or chemically altered chocolate. Either way, it was developed by nerds in white lab coats that thought white chocolate would put a hit in the sales of Reeses Peanut Butter cups, which were created by a head on collision of two truckers, each carrying one vital ingredient in those Cups. Officer Reeses found them, discovered their candy, and finished off the two truckers with his sidearm.

[Vexx]

Originally Said by Digs

I guess Flynn's looking for answers from individual Googlists, as some of his questions utilise the second person.

Well, my main question was to answer these in the eyes of our own religion or as a Googleist. I'm assuming it's the latter, since everyone's answering with Google-related info....

[Digs]

I kind of mixed the two, heh.

[Alice Shade]

1) What are the sacred texts of your faith?

All the available knowledge? Frankly, what kind of sacred text could be for a religion centering around search for information?

2) What is the central teaching of your faith?

Seek, and thou shalt understand.

3) How does your faith define sin? What are the major sins, and how is
one absolved?

No sins. No absolvation. You`re on your own with your conscience and common sense.

4) Roughly how many adherents does your faith have?

Unknown. Googlism had been manifested sponteneously throughought the world in several separate cases.
Outspoken members of this particular church - over hundred so far. About five times more of passive supporters.

5) What does your faith teach about the afterlife? Is there heaven, and
how do you get there?

No afterlife. If there is one, you`ll have to discover it yourself.

6) What are the practices of your faith? (Daily, weekly, etc.)

No daily rituals. Semi-holiday monthly on each 14 day - time to search for something to make your life better and reflect on how Google helps you.

7) How is your faith organized? Are there priests and bishops and
archbishops (oh my!)?

No. Structure is mostly anarchic - with occassional dictatorship and democracy elements.

8) Are there regular services available to you locally? If so, where?

No. Googlism is centered solely in the internet and is not profit-making organisation, therefore possesses no real estate.

9) How did you come to be a believer?

Googled it.

10) What do you wish others knew about your faith?

That it`s as valid as any other.

[Serenstar]

Firstly I would like to say that I'm Neo-Pagan. I don't class myself as one specific denomination like Wicca, Druidry etc. So I'll answer the questions regarding as to what I believe.
1) What are the sacred texts of your faith? None
2) What is the central teaching of your faith? Here I would probably put the Wiccan Rede: "An it harm none, do what ye will." As to how I apply that in my daily life, don't ask. I can't explain it in words.
3) How does your faith define sin? What are the major sins, and how is
one absolved? See above.
4) Roughly how many adherents does your faith have? Haven't got a clue.
5) What does your faith teach about the afterlife? Is there heaven, and
how do you get there? For me personally I'm still a bit iffy on this one. I don't really believe in an afterlife but a huge part of me wants there to be one where my dogs who've died will be. Not really fussed about seeing people again.
6) What are the practices of your faith? (Daily, weekly, etc.) Daily I meditate. At the Full Moon and on the Sabbats I do rituals. I will do rituals at other times as well.
7) How is your faith organized? Are there priests and bishops and
archbishops (oh my!)? Ummm.... I'm solitary so it's just me!
8) Are there regular services available to you locally? If so, where? See above.
9) How did you come to be a believer? Not quite sure. I was brought up Christian but always had problems with it. I've always had a lot to do with nature. About a year ago I was sitting at my computer and I just decided to type "Wicca" into Google, not quite sure why. Anyhoo, from Wicca it went onto different types of Neo-Paganism.
10) What do you wish others knew about your faith? First the obvious one: No, it's not Satanism. Secondly: No I'm not Wiccan. Thirdly: No, it isn't a phrase and I'm not going to "grow" out of it.

[SAVAGE]

Originally Said by Serenstar

Firstly I would like to say that I'm Neo-Pagan.

The problem with people that lose their favourite dad to wank is that they then become hippy all dad wankers.

Basically they lose Jesus so they then believe in everything. Grow some balls and just be atheist.

let me guess you believe in all that exploding chakra, third brown eye, I believe that the universe will bring it all in place dad wankery...how fucking pathetic the pagan, wiccan. noeo dad wankery "religion" or should I say cult is.

I'm a something. Not sure what.