Extending the
open-source model to
religion.
The open-source model is an approach to
collaborative effort, to solve
engineering problems. The
problems addressed by religion, however, are not such that any
team of
mortals can
solve them. Religion is a
tradition of
revelation and
interpretation of
divine will, not an
exercise in engineering a "
just" or "
free" or "
happy"
society, nor a mere
excuse to
share nice
cookies and
sing pretty songs.
We can
assert that a
Linux kernel or
GNU C compiler "should" do this or that, and if enough people agree, it will be designed to do it. When we assert that a
God/dess "should" do or be this or that, no amount of agreement on the part of our collaborators will change what S/He actually
is. Our collective mortal fallibility and corruption taints and undermines our every attempt at social
progress; a God
designed by committee only terrifies me.
Open-source projects all seem to aim at compliance to some sort of standard (POSIX compliance for Linux, ANSI compliance for GNU C). Wicca, by contrast, has no standards. I think this "standards" problem arises from no authority, the second major contrast between Wicca and the open-source model.
Of course, the God is not the religion - an incomplete God, a God dependent on worshippers for definition, seems hardly worth the worship. In that light, Christianity is an open-source religion. Yesterday's Heretic is today's Founder, and tomorrow's Prophet. Since its inception just about 2000 years ago, generous Christian innovators have steadily tweaked and experimented with various points of doctrine. Whatever your kink or hang-up, short of psychosis, you can probably find a sect that tolerates it and another that condemns it, so long as you agree to the "kernel": God's only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, submitted to Death to absolve you of your sins.
Tsarren, I suspect we'll never quite come to terms, because while I agree a religion must deal with metaphysical questions, I think organization and authority are also defining features of "religion". To my way of thinking, anything else is merely a bunch of people with various belief systems that may or may not agree on various points.