It's a nice intentional community. Monasteries are also similar.
Any intentional community has the capacity to be successful like
this. But, it won't replace nations. Things like this only work
for the willing and it's not "no religion". They ARE the
religion. === I'm using the broad form: "a pursuit or interest
to which someone ascribes supreme importance." it works because
of the dedication of the people. I think it's a good model. It
is basically an Epicurean community - a friendship community,
similar to monasteries and other intentional communities. I
don't consider it disrespectful to say that it's religious in
this context. == When i was with the Eastern Orthodox in my
mid-late 20s, I read through the Philokalia. It had JUST been
translated into English, and I eagerly awaited each volume as
the translations were finished and published. In there were
spiritual guides for monks, mostly about controlling what they
called "the passions". My mind, being more secular than
religious even when I was trying, interpreted everything as
practical psychological advice and that's how I took it. And you
know... it works very well. There's good advice to be found in
all of the worlds religions but especially in the spiritual
communities. So, it's possible for this kind of thing to work.
But for just as much work as it takes to plant or harvest the
next crop, 10x as much work is required internally that nobody
can see. That's the realm with the most fruitful planting and
harvesting that keeps successful intentional communities
successful. == I just don't want you taken in by flashy
promotional literature, Roland. These things _can_ work but what
you see in that article is marketing. That doesn't mean they're
bad: I'm sure they are an earnest, hard-working community with
great successes and ideals. But before going around promoting
it, look at it with a necessary jaded eye. All of the good you
find will remain good. The bad does not take away from the good.
But it means you go in with both eyes open. ==
