What's a religion you don't believe in that you find interesting and what about it piques your interest?

I was raised Catholic, but I've been an atheist for—oh fuck I'm old—more than half my life. But... Monastic life seems pretty dope. Why can't there be a secular order that's just devoted to knowledge/contemplation for its own sake (or the betterment of humanity). I know it kind of sounds like I'm describing a university, but I mean with the personal discipline, strong communal bond, and simple lifestyle.

You and me both. Also means giving up certain comforts, but that's kind of the point. Maybe that's why the secular monastery doesn't exist- it'd be a huge sacrifice for those who would participate in it and still require some cooperation/consent/aid from others in the community/society (as much as self-sufficiency would be ideal). I'm thinking about how much people (and governments) already don't want to fund universities which give tangible benefits, and how much worse it'll be for secular monasteries.

But hey, I also want this, and it'd be interesting to see what insights would come from a place of thinking unconstrained by the trappings of modern society.

(Or it could basically just be libraries and being a librarian but more extreme lol)
Religion of science. Where sheeps just believe whatever these so called "experts" spout without doing your own research.
- When people talk about “doing your own research,” I think they underestimate how difficult and slow actual research is. For physical and biological sciences it also requires heavy investment in equipment, but you can save money by sharing resources and collaborating with others doing similar research. For social/politics/history/economic research, I would imagine you need access to primary sources, maybe some modeling software, and years of learning to understand the context of anything you’re researching. I think people who say “do your own research” don’t understand the significance of understanding context, which leads to some…interesting ideas.

Jainism, their core tenet of Ahimsa (non-violence) applies to literally every lifeform, even plants and bacteria. Jain monks that take this to the letter make your standard vegan look like a hypocrite - they cannot even eat roots, as that would kill the plant it comes from. They also must take extreme care not to accidentally harm any lifeform, so they have to take measures such as turning off all fire during the night so that insects don't accidentally burn themselves in them, or brush the soil they'll walk on to avoid stepping on an animal by accident.

Zoroastrianism.

Sikhism.

> Sikhism rejects claims that any particular religious tradition has a monopoly on Absolute truth. Sikhism emphasizes simran (ਸਿਮਰਨ, meditation and remembrance of the teachings of Gurus), which can be expressed musically through kirtan, or internally through naam japna ('meditation on His name') as a means to feel God's presence. It teaches followers to transform the "Five Thieves" (i.e. lust, rage, greed, attachment, and ego).

All sounds pretty cool, but I have always liked that it's one if the few that outright rejects any religion's monopoly on Absolute Truth.

As mentioned sikhism but also i find occult and exoteric stuffs pretty cool. Even though they are not real, some teachings are systematic and that makes it fun to learn

The newest one. Politics. I find interesting how his followers believe that the world problems will be solved by politicians.

Sikhism was already mentioned here. Also, Scientology. I find it quite fascinating and would love read the SciFi story behind it.

Also, all these smaller groups where something weird is behind it. Jonestown, Waco, and so on.

Scientology may seem interesting out there with especially the attandence of famous people but before making assumptions check this out: https://youtu.be/NDAZOCakXVo
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Buddhism in the sense of the actual forsaken nirvana and reincarnation aspects, but the dedication to enlightenment and what I perceive (as someone not in anyway well versed in the totality of it) as a willingness to guide and teach but not seeking to compelle others to abide by it are refreshing in the modern 'my way or fuck you' world.

I find Sikhism interesting. My reading thereupon suggests that it has generally positive pro social values. There’s some gender stuff that I don’t like, but no major religion is free of that. Moreover, I can really get behind the dictate to carry a knife to defend the innocent.

Sikhism. I've picked it a lot in my playthroughts of Civ6 just because its icon there just looks so cool.

I've always liked the personal empowerment and coupled responsibility of Wiccanism.

Also the driven personal improvement aspect of Buddhism.