About Spiritual Hedonism

What is URCH all about?

ORGANIZATION

• URCH Inc is a Non-Denominational Non-Profit Corporation registered as a Church Ministry in the State of Florida. Although not required, we will be seeking 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status with the IRS. As a Church Ministry, all donations are tax deductible.

DEFINITION and CORE BELIEF

• Hedonism is philosophically defined as "The doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good", and the practice of hedonism as "Devotion to pleasure as a way of life". At URCH, we do not ascribe to the strict philosophical definitions. We believe that pleasure and happiness is good and it is the divine spiritual intention for all human beings to seek pleasure and happiness. Many, in fact most, world religions teach that an Absolute Being created human kind and placed us upon this earth as a test; only by resisting all pleasure and happiness presented to us can we be saved and move on to a more meaningful existence after death. We believe nothing could be further from the truth, and that this is nothing more that a front for manipulation and control. The fact is that the time and the gifts which have been provided are here for us to enjoy. We believe that true joy can only be achieved with selfless, unconditional love shared among all.

HISTORICAL ORIGINS

• URCH Inc is Non-Denominational, and therefore does not prescribe any one specific philosophy. We welcome all with unconditional love and acceptance, and find joy in discussing the various aspects of hedonistic philosophy. Throughout history, many cultures have embraced the practice and many renowned philosophers have advocated for it. Most who have argued against hedonism have done so from two differing viewpoints. First, that it cannot be proven that pleasure and happiness are the highest good attainable. Dismissing pleasure and happiness completely, simply because it may not be the the ultimate achievement of human kind, is mere academic folly. Second, that pleasure and happiness are a trap, set by some divine being with a cruel sense of humor to test us, and we only pass the test by resisting all we find pleasurable or which brings us happiness. Dismissing pleasure and happiness completely, and doing so in hopes of being awarded pleasure and happiness in an afterlife, is mere religious folly. We encourage anyone interested to do their own research; the list below is not meant to be comprehensive but us a good starting place to do some reading and subsequent contemplation.

  • Ancient Sumeria: Siduri (Epic of Gilgamesh)

  • Ancient Egypt: Pharaohs of the 12th, 18th, and 19th dynasties

  • 7th Century BCE: The Indian philosophy of Cārvāka

  • 5th Century BCE: The Greek philosophy of Cyrenaic led by Aristippus

  • 4th Century BCE: The Greek philosophy of Epicureanism led by Epicurus

  • 3rd Century BCE: The Chinese philosophy of xing (性) led by Mencius

  • 15th Century CE: The Dutch philosophy of Christian Humanism led by Erasmus

  • 17th Century CE: The French philosophy of Libertinism led by François

  • 18th Century CE: The British philosophies of Prudential, Utilitarian, and Motivational hedonism led by Bentham

  • 19th Century CE: The British philosophy of Qualitative hedonism led by Mill

  • 20th Century CE: The American philosophy of Christian Hedonism led by Piper

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES

• Genesis 1:26-31: Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." God said, "See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.

• Ecclesiastes 2:24 : There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God.

• Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

• 1 John 4:7-8: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.