{"id":5490,"date":"2018-11-15T13:04:39","date_gmt":"2018-11-15T21:04:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/scientologybeliefs\/?p=5490"},"modified":"2018-11-15T13:36:41","modified_gmt":"2018-11-15T21:36:41","slug":"scientologists-and-individual-purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scientologybeliefs\/2018\/11\/scientologists-and-individual-purpose\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientologists and Individual Purpose"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Originally posted on the STAND (Scientologists Taking Action Against Discrimination) website<\/a> and republished by its permission.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The composition of a society is rooted in the purposes of its individuals. Intertwined, those purposes fuel the dynamic evolution of a culture.\u00a0They comprise its life-force, establishing, and then reflecting, its mores, values and goals<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Take away the creative potential of individual purpose, and a culture devolves into a listless collective, driven forward by the purposes of, and the fear instilled by, its rulers. Take away individual purpose, and the possibility of individual happiness is lost.<\/p>\n

As a Scientologist<\/a>, I believe that individual purpose, and the achievement of the goals which front that purpose determine the happiness of an individual. A person without purpose, drifts aimlessly, lacking the pride of accomplishment, be it large or small.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve seen the result of forced-collective, social experiments. They fall before the productive drive of the culture which rewards individual success and allows the energy of individual purposes to combine into a commonality of drive toward a common goal. A drive powered by choice, not by coercion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy Are We Here?\u201d<\/b>A friend of mine once said to me
\nthat he wasn\u2019t really clear
\non the reason behind existence,
\non the answer to: \u201cWhy are we here?\u201d\n

Are we here to forge a cleaner soul,
\nto take our turn at bat?
\nTo wrap ourselves around a pole,
\nand learn great things from that?<\/p>\n

Are we here to learn great truths
\nand tip the scales to balance true?
\nAre we here to keep the game in play,
\nto give Karma something to do?<\/p>\n

Are we here to find the perfect match
\nof fortune and true love?
\nAnd to find out after searching
\nthat they rarely go hand in glove?<\/p>\n

Are we here to cook the perfect batch
\nof some outrageous dish?
\nOr grant a dying child the right
\nto have his perfect wish?<\/p>\n

Are we here to solve deep mysteries
\nthat make the world go \u2018round?
\n(If a tree falls in the forest, alone,
\ndoes it really make a sound?)<\/p>\n

Are we here to differentiate
\nminutiae from profound?
\nOr thinking, transubstantiate
\nour way out of the ground?<\/p>\n

And having done so, will it mean much,
\nas one\u2019s life unwinds;
\nto solve the deepest mysteries,
\nto find the greatest finds?<\/p>\n

Now I suppose, to some degree
\nthese things have some import;
\nand some of these will give one peace,
\nif only of a sort.<\/p>\n

But really, when the course is run,
\nhow much of it will matter?
\nSee, one might save the universe, or
\nbe trapped by senseless chatter.<\/p>\n

To make a choice between these paths;
\nwhich one will carry true;
\nis truthfully the only thing
\nof value to me and you.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a stupid question, though.
\nI\u2019ve given it some thought.
\nThe answer my friend,
\nto \u201cWhy are we here?\u201d
\nmay simply be: \u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Originally posted on the STAND (Scientologists Taking Action Against Discrimination) website and republished by its permission. The composition of a society is rooted in the purposes of its individuals. Intertwined, those purposes fuel the dynamic evolution of a culture.\u00a0They comprise its life-force, establishing, and then reflecting, its mores, values and goals. Take away the creative […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":219,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1722,1320,1374],"tags":[414],"class_list":["post-5490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-scientologist","category-scientologists","category-stand","tag-purpose"],"yoast_head":"\nScientologists and Individual Purpose<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As a Scientologist, I believe that individual purpose, and the achievement of the goals which front that purpose determine the happiness of an individual. 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