Ten (10) commandments

    Quote from Don

    I debated whether to weigh in here, but, in the end, I'll err on the side of friendly, respectful, frank speech.

    Thanks. I'm happy and grateful you did. I loved your suggestion on how to approach this matter. Really helpful.


    Quote from Don

    Set sail in your own little boat, free of indoctrination!


    This I'm feeling hopeful about. Coming back to port is the issue. I guess that's why Epicurus suggested to follow the rites. Less painful at times, for sure. The problem is doing this without at the same time inadvertently teaching someone to live by double standards. A bit of a hard concept to wrap you're head around at a young age, where you naturally tend towards simple, back and white, blanket rules.


    However, thanks to the very insightful comments of all of you I have decided to remove the link to the ten commandments, but rather, our own list of rules to live by; that way we could review them, an update them, analyze whether they work or not and why, etc.


    Do we have around somewhere in the forums or in the web a simpler, children's-level-adapted, list of Epicurean teachings?


    Thanks for the Carlin video Cassius - so funny.


    Quote from Don

    Being concerned by their rules, their traditions, their playing field is not required.

    I agree. But we have to acknowledge that in some cases we're navigating "their" waters, most often than not. So I would argue in favor of trying to find common grounds for some of the most important/recurrent rites/teachings/practices. Many times there will be no common ground, like in the case of these commandments, but that's a great realization.

    Quote from Cassius

    You've picked a particular context and within that context we can work toward something that's helpful, but at the same time we have to realize that out of its context it could actually be harmful.

    I appreciate this. I agree. I think in the particular case of the commandments is clear now that they aren't as useful and they indeed can be harmful.

    My kids are still quite young, but I just try to live an Epicurean life, talk about it whenever they bring up what I believe like it were any other belief system and trust they will pick it up through our house culture. When they start asking more directly about religion and philosophy later, it will be more understood why we used phrases like, "how do we ask more pleasantly?" when teaching etiquette growing up, whose that bust is that on the bookcase and when we make decisions during house meeting why we planned ways to have "the most pleaurable time" as we go about living and working.


    As to the Holidays, I have them fairly often as they are fun to plan some kooky social game and/or group building ritual, and makes time stretch out longer. Doing something for Eikas which roughly falls near the Wheel of the Year holidays is a good way to celebrate with friends or to celebrate with just your family. The Atheopagan community has a few calendars built around the Wheel of the Year (solstices and equinoxes) on how to take these holidays and do something non-theist, non-supernatural with them if you can't get people to convene around Epicurean Philosophy every month, which was a problem I ran into. As I said I have fun coming up with, and allowing others to come up with, fun ceremonies or games to do, and sometimes they can be quite moving and brings our friend and family group together - almost like a religion.