FG est Charlie et bien les autres - Sept 2017

FRIENDS GAZETTE
Your articles look at moral reasons for being
vegetarian or vegan which is a very
interesting mix and unique . . .
Tim Barford - founder VegFestUK

SEPTEMBER 2017 (mini-edition) ISSN 2053-4426 UK and FRANCE - e-mail:

friendsgazette@gmail.com

FG moves to
group format
FRIENDS' thrash out
philosophical basics
Gazette, the unique
like "from here,
online mag, praised where?", "from the one
for its compas- to the many" and "if
sionate stance on not now, when?".
diet and lifestyle, is Members will have
caught individual
undergoing a facelift glimpses of alternative
- with a difference. realities and be
Now, instead of reading desirous of expanding
about alternative these experiences,
philosophy, ethics and similar to the
way of life, fans can underground
community in the
choose to discuss their
1960s across Europe
views and thoughts in Article as it appeared in the Midi-Libre newspaper in France - (clearer photo used)
and the world.
person in small groups They'll probably be outside Avignon in the renovationists - if there is
building up a dynamic, veggies or vegans or that south of France. such a word!"
interactive experience. way inclined. "Like the French we abhor It is hoped that as time
A newspaper article which FG editor, Stephen Ward, the personification of deity goes by recordings and
appeared in a south of who was interviewed for the in any way, shape or form. reports of the Avignon
France paper recently set Midi-Libre, said: "We will "We believe 'spirituality is group could be posted on
out the parameters and follow the shining French caught not taught', as a line to encourage others.
intention of the groups principles of equality, very well-known and Advice on setting up
which has already started brotherhood and freedom. highly-respected Indian groups elsewhere can be
recruiting. "So it's really quite yogi once said. freely obtained.
Called "The philosophy convenient that the first "We're not so much 60s Just write to:
corner" members will group will be set up just revivalists as 2017 friendsgazette@gmail.com
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 FG est Charlie et bien les autres - Sept 2017

Cucumbers with
anxiety by Stephen Ward
SOMEBODY once said: "If the human body is 90%
water we must just be cucumbers with anxiety!"
But the FG can reveal that ubiquitous statistic is wrong.
Most scientists nowadays agree the average human
male is 60% water. Quite enough to be getting on with
when you think of how "solid" we seem.
The US Geological Survey reveals: "Water is of major
importance to all living things; in some organisms, up to
90% of their body weight comes from water. Up to 60%
of the human adult body is water."
The survey also
reports on the unique
qualities of water. It
quotes Dr Jeffrey Utz, of
Allegheny University,
who points out: "There
just wouldn't be any
you, me, or Fido the dog
without the existence of
an ample liquid water
supply on earth."
So forget the
cucumber sandwiches
lets just pour ourselves
a nice glass of water, lift
it to the heavens, from
whence it originally
came, of course, and
say: "Cheers!"

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 FG est Charlie et bien les autres - Sept 2017
Special feature

fosters a sense of the sacred and sub-

Dogma or lime. "Spiritually religious" people dont

feel any animosity to other religious
groups; in fact, theyre happy to inves-
tigate other beliefs, and may even go
to other groups temples and services.

spirituality
Its often difficult to tell the difference
Whereas the purpose of dogmatic
religion is to strengthen the ego,
through beliefs, labels and group iden-
tity, the purpose of spiritual religion is
the complete opposite of this: to tran-
between a spiritual and a dogmatic scend the ego, through compassion,
Steve Taylor altruism, and spiritual practice.
religion. Steve Taylor investigates.
The acts of savagery carried out in the
WE NEED to distinguish between ist, an American, a Republican, or as name of dogmatic religion dominate the
two fundamentally different a fan of a sports club. headlines, but we can take some com-
types of religion: dogmatic reli- Dogmatic religion is dangerous because fort in the knowledge that at the same
gion and spiritual religion. it creates an in-out group mentality. time, more quietly, some spiritually reli-
Dogmatically religious people are But spiritual religion is different. gious people are expressing some of the
those who think that theyre right "Spiritual" religion promotes the highest aspects of human nature.
and everyone else is wrong. higher attributes of human nature, Steve lectures in psychology at Leeds Becket. This
For them, religion isnt about self- like altruism and compassion, and article appeared in full in Psychology Today.
development or experiencing the
transcendent, but about adhering to
a set of rigid beliefs and following
the rules laid down by religious au-
thorities.
Dogmatic religion stems from a
psychological need for group identity
and belonging, together with a need
for certainty and meaning.
There is a strong impulse in human
beings to define ourselves, whether
its as a Christian, a Muslim, a social-

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