Zygopetalum: Appreciating the very varied Non-theist Friends' logics we're all sharing in writing, Community too is something that Quakers have focused on creating in Friends' own peculiar ways through centuries ... and this unfolds as I see it in new ways with NtFs on the internet and at FGC too ... Wondering about further with regard to NtF translating religion into non-theism is the role of identity in religion, in many many ways (Am an anthropologist, sociologist and social scientist in these regards), Quakers NtFs differentially raise interesting identity questions for me too, But I come back too - re all of this NtF reasoning - to explorations of positive eliciting of loving bliss neurophysiology, which I think can emerge from writing as well as NtF conversation

Appreciating the very varied Non-theist Friends' logics we're all sharing in writing (where logic isn't religion's strong suit, some including Dawkins' would argue).

Re this NtF email list, I have some UU background too Diggitt ... Appreciating in these regards these 7 principles - https://www.uua.org/beliefs/what-we-believe/principles - which have bearing on UU translation of religion into non-theism, I'd suggest ... 

“The Principles are not dogma or doctrine, but rather a guide for those of us who choose to join and participate in Unitarian Universalist religious communities.”

What I find potentially salutary about Quakerly (and NtF as well) community (conversation / discourse too) in its ethical ways is its friendliness (where religion to say the least hasn't always been very friendly:). Community too is something that Quakers have focused on creating in Friends' own peculiar ways through centuries (e.g. the Peaceable Kingdom idea) ... and this unfolds as I see it in new ways with NtFs on the internet and at FGC too ... 

What I wonder about further with regard to NtF translating religion into non-theism is the role of identity in religion, in many many ways. This can include the very positive identity of Friends doing the right thing - ie conscientious objection-wise in war tax resistance, for example, and re a myriad of approaches to doing the right thing via activism (walking the talk some have called this too) - and in creating, living and shaping positive change. But religious identity and thus religion has down-sides to my way of thinking, which both Dawkins explains in the concerns he writes about, but also re what psychologists / psychiatrists, might and have called narcissism, for example, as another expression of identity. (I'm an anthropologist, sociologist and social scientist in these regards). Yet I affirm too that NtFs' identity by developing this multi-faceted reasoning conversation via writing and thus becoming aware of (learning about) a wide variety of aspects of 'religion' in new ways, and thus potentially translating them into non-theism with a kind of reasoning consciousness (which I find sensible and beneficial). The power of identity as religion (re social theory, anthropology-wise & sociology too - as in Manuel Castells' book "The Power of Identity," which is the middle book in his "Information Age" trilogy, now in its 2nd edition - where Castells' successfully has 'theorized' the information technology revolution (some would suggest), comparably with both of the great sociologists' Weber and Marx's works - with a focus on social change and justice via the internet) ... often seems to be overlooked by the non-theist friends such as Richard Dawkins, for example, in his critiques of religion in a debating-reasoning informed way. Identity, and religious identity are mixed-bags both historically and re religion, and reasoned conversation is one way through this mixed-up-ness. 

Quakers < > NtFs differentially raise interesting identity questions for me too ... and yet still seem to get mingled up together with regard to religion as identity questions in this group writing discernment process ... And yet perhaps we can make some further headway in focusing on 'translating religion into non-theism' re A) un-programmed Quakers as identity (per Diggitt's observation that historically Quakers in their independent religious thinking have defended a kind of implicit non-theism), and B) re (un-programmed) Non-theist Friends / NtFs as an identity ... while affirming the many positive aspects of what these (religious?) identities give rise to, in terms of community, and re discernment conversations about aspects of life we deem of some vital significance in each of our ways. 

But I come back too - re all of this NtF reasoning - to explorations of positive eliciting of loving bliss neurophysiology, which I think can emerge from writing as well as NtF conversation ... and all re 'translating religion into non-theism' and not throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

NtF cheers, Scott

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NtF warm regards, Scott

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can't seem to find "Angel orchid (Zygopetalum rhein)" mentioned here in Wikipedia / Wiki commons 

All of are interesting orchids!

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