Part 2: Why I'm Creating My Own Religion (that no one else can join)

I've met plenty of people who think that they're smart.

I'm neither smart nor stupid. I oscillate between the two (as do we all)

Creating my own religion might be stupid idea, but all of that stupidity is on my shoulders. I see no reason to potentially "hot potato" any dumb ideas to anyone else.

My goal is to create a system that works for me. I can't imagine it's possible to create a system that works for everyone. Along those same lines...

This is one of my biggest gripes with people who preach about ANYTHING, not just religion.

Diet is a good example. Someone will find success with a certain set of rules, then they become a dietary zealot, insisting that EVERYONE should eat the way that they eat.

We all have different bodies. How each responds to particular foods is a nuanced issue.

We all have different minds. How each responds to a set of beliefs, rules, and guidelines is a much more nuanced issue.

Seems oxymoronic, but the only way I can INCLUDE everyone is to EXCLUDE everyone.

This way no one gets special treatment. There's me, and there's everybody else.

And I love everybody else.

When religions get bigger, they inevitably become institutions.

Flawed people develop a flawed hierarchy upon a flawed set of beliefs.

This leads to groupthink and status games and a whole bunch of other nonsense.

Assumptions are inevitable, but I don't want assumptions based upon a label.

If you say "I'm Catholic" or "I'm Mormon" or "I'm Jewish", people create a narrative in their head. They make a whole set of assumptions about you based upon what they know (or think they know) about whichever group.

I want people to judge ME, not the label.

(Actually, I'd prefer if they didn't judge me at all, but I'm a realist).