It's A Lifestance -- Not A Religion

[R. S. Martin]

I came across this in wikipedia last night and thought to share it for what it's worth.

 

A person's life stance or lifestance is his or her relation with what he or she accepts as of ultimate importance, the presuppositions and theory of this, and the commitments and practice of working it out in living.

 

 

 

Etymology

Life stance is a neologism apparently coined within the humanist community.^[5] The term was introduced out of a concern that the lack of non-discriminatory terminology could contribute to a failure to protect the rights of those with a life stance not corresponding to a traditional religion.

 

I think it might serve well for those of us caught without a word for our position of atheism or humanism, etc., yet Christians charge us of being religious when we're not.

 

Sorry, forgot to include the link. Here is it. Gotta go but if I remember correctly, religion is one of many possible lifestances. It will be interesting to see what the Christians make of that.

[The-Captain]

Usually just say belief system myself, but this a nice way of saying it too.

[R. S. Martin]

I never thought of it that. I've used "religious position." I don't know if my beliefs are systematic--maybe that's just me being overly categorical coming out of systematic theology.

 

I shy away from "unbeliever" because I believe in a lot of stuff, just not in the supernatural. I like what the article says:

 

In particular, the term non-believer has sometimes been used to refer to those not associated with traditional religions, misleadingly conveying a lack of convictions equal in depth to those of religious adherents.

 

And here I see it comments on "belief system," though it doesn't really say enough to satisfy me:

 

A life stance differs from a worldview or a belief system in that the term life stance emphasizes a focus on what is of ultimate importance.

 

I would like descriptions of the terms: worldview, belief system, and ultimate importance. While wikipedia describes some of them at other links, it does not describe them all and I've got a headache right now...

[AbsurdFreedom]

I don't like the term. 'Life' tends to denote a lifetime commitment - as it does in the term 'life partner' - and I change my mind too often about too many things to entangle myself in that implication. I need the freedom to make the disclaimer that my beliefs and attitudes may change in the future if I deem it necessary.

I thought I'd be a Xian forever, but obviously I was wrong to assume that I could doublethink and deny reason for that long . In the same way I don't want my wording to inadvertently tie me to any particular system of thought. For example: I have mixed feelings about Buddhism and other eastern philosophies right now, but that could swing one way or the other over time, and I don't want to have to eat my words.

 

I prefer 'belief system.' I disagree that it doesn't (or can't) imply a sense of ultimate importance, and I certainly think it suffices for common use, at least.

[florduh]

I really don't have anything to add to what words we can use to describe our world view, but every time I see this topic title I misread it.

 

I see, "It's a life sentence - not a religion"

[R. S. Martin]

Somehow, I can't see myself using "life stance" either. At least, not for now. I keep changing, too. Maybe someday I will feel comfortable with the word but for now, I'd feel self-conscious with using such a new word that no one understands. I really don't know what word or term I will find myself using next time. "Belief system" somehow never occurred to me so I found myself using "religious position," and I wasn't sure that it gave the right connotations for a person who claims to be nonreligious.

 

There's a word German philosophers of the 19th or 20th have used, "sitz im leben" (position--literally seat--in life), that I think is very similar to life stance. I wonder if perhaps the term life stance is formed from that term. I don't know but I've been wondering.

 

The evangelical Christians use the term "world view." I absolutely hate it. They claim to know exactly what constitutes the "atheistic world view"--but they're totally wrong and refuse to listen to what atheists actually say for themselves. I've asked how they can be so sure about themselves on this and they said it's just the way it has to be if there is no god in the situation. Inside their "world view theory" philosophy that makes sense, but it does not apply in real life. At least, it does not apply to me. There could be people to whom it does apply.

 

I've read posts of one of their own who was in a faith crisis. I'm not sure that he's really solid even yet. If he does eventually lose his faith, and if he also fails to pursue till he finds peace outside of religion, I can see him becoming that kind of person. That could make for a terrified raging maniac enslaved to a devilish deity he denies. That would be the stereotypical atheist the Christians love to talk about. Atheism for him could very well be a "religion" and the "atheistic world view" the Christians love to posit. But for those of us who pursue till we find peace outside of religion it simply does not apply.

[R. S. Martin]

I really don't have anything to add to what words we can use to describe our world view, but every time I see this topic title I misread it.

 

I see, "It's a life sentence - not a religion"

 

 

Maybe I should not have posted it when I did. I think I was in a bit of a hurry because I had to catch a bus or something.

 

So far as I am concerned you are free to change your views any time you like. No life sentence so far as I know.