The name, itself, does have a very specific meaning. First, it is related to an actual prism; that which takes the unseen light, and converts it into visible rays of the spectrum. The sect itself is like a prism, serving as a tool to take one?s Higher Power, Is, God, Force, or whatever one choses to call It, and make It more real, more visible in the seeker?s life.
Another analogy is likening one's own personal concept of the Divine, or even the Higher Self, to a rainbow, itself. Two people looking at a rainbow may call it the same thing; may even think they are looking at the same thing, yet they are not. Each rainbow is individual to the viewer. Each viewer sees their own prism, their own reflection of the light. So it is with the PRISM sect. The PRISM seeks to lay no dogmas, or change personal beliefs. Seekers are encouraged to seek their own truth, to experience that which they may or may not call the Divine directly. No two seekers experience God (a term used loosely) in the same way. Spirituality is a unique, individual experience, and should be left that way.
The PRISM Acronym:
Progressive Realist Individual Spiritual Movement
The Acronym is, obviously, where the term "Progressive Realist" comes from. It is also accompanied by the following essay regarding its meaning:
To fully appreciate what each letter of The PRISM Acronym stands for, one need do more than look at the acronym as a whole. It needs to be broken down, letter-by-letter, and then seen in its entirety to appreciate the meaning. PRISM = Progressive Realist Individual Spiritual Movement. Followers of the sect may be referred to as Progressive Realists, Progressive Spiritualists, Individual Spiritualists, or simply members of the PRISM.
Progressive - This is in no way a political innuendo. Progressive means the sect changes with the times; is open to new ideas and new truths. There is very little in the way of dogma within the religion. What little there is, is subject to change at any time. When new truth is discovered, we embrace it. When old myths or beliefs are found to be inaccurate, we discard them. Of course, no one is obligated to embrace or discard anything. The word "progressive" also implies freedom.
Realist - This means we do not blindly follow emotion and scripture. We rely on our direct expeience with that Power greater than ourselves, as opposed to simply "having faith". We are not Realists because we are non-belivers, but because our individual experience is "real". As individuals we experience our own spiritual reality. As a religion we explore with an open mind, and keep the group free of speculative dogma. Emotion is a valuable tool. Scripture can provide one solace and guidance. However, we are also endowed with intellect. Progressive Realists embrace science as readily as spirituality. In fact, they do not necessarily see the two as opposites, or opposed. PRISM doctrine does not attempt to explain that which we do not know for certain. The spirituality of science may be described as unraveling the mystery, or even acknowledging mystery as such, and living it!
Individual - This is pretty self-explanatory. Each individual's concept of Spirit is his or her own. PRISM does not tell a person what they must believe. PRISM members are actually free to believe in unscientific, religious dogma if they so desire. The purpose of PRISM is to help each individual directly experience his or her own concept of the Is, or God, or spirituality. Many of our members may be considered atheist by conventional means, though they profess a belief in God.
Spiritual - Yes, for all the talk of science and realism PRISM is fundamentally about spirituality. It is a movement of people who want ritual, and value religion, yet find most religion outmoded, inadequate, or too narrow. Life itself is a spiritual experience. We define spirituality as finding, experiencing, and maintaining inner-peace. Whether your inner-peace comes from the solace in believing you will live forever, or from seemingly knowing that you have a nihilistic, finite existence, accepting your personal truth brings about peace. Practicing this peace, allows for a joy in life. This joy is manifest as spirituality.
Movement - It would almost appear to be an oxymoron, the words individual and movement in the same acronym. However, we are a religion, a group, a movement: People united in action for a common cause. While our spirituality is very much a personal matter, we come together in that which we have in common: our open-mindedness, our quest for spirituality outside the confines of traditional dogmas. We do participate in common ritual, and do have some loose-knit common beliefs. The significance and meaning of our ritual and doctrine, however, are up to each individual to decide for him or herself.
Having now gained an understanding of each part of The PRISM Acronym, one can now appreciate it in its entirety: Progressive Realist Individual Spiritual Movement - We are the PRISM.
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