Welcome to our english friends !

[ This topic is created for the english people that asked for relationship with the spinozists. ]

Citation :

Dear Rory de Chausey,

My name is Jack 'Fack' de Balboa (Hebrew Name Ya'akov ben Kobi), Rabbi of the Nahmanidian Community in England. Let me start off by explaining my faith a bit. Our faith was formally started Jan 21, 1455 (2007). The Community. is based on the teachings of, and is named after, Rabbi Moshe ben Nahman (the Ramban).

Nahmanides was truely an extrodianary man. His faith in Hashem, his dedication to his religion, and his eternal perseverance and wisdom are the cornerstones of the Community. If you want to learn more about the life of this man, send me a letter, or simply look here.

I have known of the Spinozistes since before I started my own Community. However, this is my first opprotunity to have communications with you. My ability to do this is all due to our mutual friend Loyats Bucklin. He is a pious, god loving man, he deserves many thanks!

Thank you for giving me this audience, I cannot wait to be told more about your method of belief, and I cannot wait until I can help!

Your friend,

Jack 'Fack' de Balboa

EDIT: For this interested in our symbol, here it is:

Citation :

Dear sir of Balboa,

I'll be happy to know your faith, cause study and knowledge are the bases of our cult.
We don't have english version of our spinozist constitution, but we'll try to write one in the next weeks.

We don't believe in a transcendant God, but a immanent One.
DEUS SIVE NATURA : God, That means Nature ...

We'll prepare for you a text that will condense our faith, easier for you to understand that our latine (french ) books.


Respectfully,

Rory de Chausey,
Baron de Granville,
Admor de Normandie.

HRP :

We don't want to include IRL religion in our game (the aristotelian church made this mistake, and was modified by the admin himself to correct this ...). So we use some jewish names or rules (shabbat, or rule of nutrition), but change their meanings.

Our dogma is made on the work of the IRL Spinoza, who was ejected from the hebrew community for heretic thoughts, so we follow the will of the admins, that gave this name of "spinozism" to this religion.

Of course, we'll be happy to chat about our differences, and perhaps find some things that could bind us together, but we can't use the terms "jewish" or "hebrew", just to avoid irl conflict (as we don't use "muslim" or "christian" ).

Thanks for coming, anyway !!

Citation :

Dear M. de Chausey,

I am glad to hear that our faithes share the common attribute of respect for learning and wisdom. As the Sages said, "Who is a wise man? He who learns of all men."

I have always wanted to know this: What is the Spinoziste take on our ancient history in Eretz Yisrael/The Levant? Also, how would you describe your relations with the URAC?

That is all, thanks so much for your help!

God bless,

Jack 'Fack' de Balboa
Baron of Pershore

HRP/OOC: Yes, we always try very carefully to follow the admins rules regarding similiarties to real life religions. I usually do use 'Hebrew' though, simply because it is a language used by many secular people and is not strictly for religion. However, every kingdom I've been too has different standards for things like that, and I would not dare argue with a man in his own school!

Speaking of Shabbat, what is your take on it? Do abstain from work and have a service?

HRP/OOC :

What means this "OOC", please ?...

Sorry to discribe our faith to you by this mean, but it's easier for me (my english is too poor to make en difference between RP and OOC, so just imagine that these knowledges are given to your character in a more efficient way).

Spinozism is the faith in Nature, and more specifically Humanity, as thinking mode of an immanent God.
In fact, for us, God is Nature, so some see us as atheists, some as animists, cause we believe in the power of Nature, like a manifestation of the mighty God.

In fact, for spinozists, God has got no will, gives no order, cause It does all It can, so ... All, cause It's allmighty.
God is the sum of all things that exist, that we can feel them or not, and Its will has been included in every modes of Its expression.

What we can is Its will, and doying what we can do is respecting Its will.
The most we're doing what we can, and the closer we're going to It ...
The Man is able to think God, to act, and by this, He could be the equal of God, one day.
In fact, He would reveal the God inside Him, embrass It absolutely.

But a spinozist can't be happy if he's among slaves, so he's got the responsability to help them to free themselves.

So, for these reasons, spinozists don't pray, but do meditation : they don't talk to something out of them, but to themselves ...
The shabbat is the day in the week when they open to the community : they can't work at home, but must work for another one, can't produce for themselves, but for their neighbours.

To remember that they're not alone, but part of a whole thing.


Our organisation is simple and complexe too : four schools have different means to progress in the knowledge of God / the Nature : internal organisation.

And three councils share the protection of the community : the Wised Ones (who know the dogma and can rewrite it, if necessary), the Just Ones (who organize productions, community, and defense), and the admors (who are the teachers of the dogma among spinozists, and ambassadors for the outer-world) : external organization.

The tie between external and internal is the Wised Ones, who are the keepers of the faith, and procced to the exams of the spinozists who want to go higher in the knowledge of God (we got 5 esoteric levels of entlightment inside the cult, from Ignorant to Wised One).



I'm sure I've forgotten many things, and didn't write very well ... But I don't see what to say more ...
So I'm ready to answer to your questions, if you got some !

OOC means Out of Character, when your not roleplaying. Thanks for the help! I will have more questions later!

OOC :

I forgot something for your sect : see with the character "Mirleva", a french spinozist that share your bound with judaïsm !
I don't know where she is exactly, but try in Guyenne.