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'''Yoism''' claims to be the world's first [[open-source]] [[religion]]. According to the Yoans, people's beliefs must be consistent with their own experience and with their own sense of what is [[right]], and this is the only viable path toward [[Truth]]. Yoan beliefs are not based on received [[wisdom]], such as from long-dead [[patriarch]]s. Rather, Yoan beliefs are based on the consensus of the Yoan community in a continually updated, open-source ''Book of Yo''.

Yoans build their [[community|communities]] on an open-source process of consensus, striving to express what everyone in the community finds to comport with their experience, scientific data, and the aspirations of the community.  From this consensus on scientific and open-source truth, Yoans strive to improve their world. Yoans state several goals in which they are united:  world-wide justice, environmental sanity, and healthier communities.  From these goals, Yoans hope that humanity will achieve a status of sustainability within the worldwide [[ecosystem]].

== Yo ==

Yoism is the community dedicated to the worship and study of ''Yo'', a place-holder, a symbol for a person's experience of divinity, or to god, reality, the universe.

Yoans (that is, followers of Yoism) claim that Yo is a place-holder name that stands for the [[universe]] and everything within the universe, the trees and bugs and animals, the rocks and rivers, the stars and [[galaxies]]. Yoans say that they know that what "Yo" stands for exists, as evidenced in feelings, thoughts, and experience. Yoans claim that the experience of Yo gives comfort and strength.

==History of Yo==
The earliest Yoist writing listed on the Yo website is the [[October 27]], [[1998]] presentation ''The Word According to Yo, as Told to Daniel'' by Dr. [[Daniel Kriegman]] [http://www.yoism.org/document.php?id=word]. The article implies that in addition to Dr. Kriegman there were other yoists involved in Yoism at the time.

Starting in June 2003 the Yoist community in Boston began holding weekly ''gatherings'' in a space rented from the First Congregational Church of [[Sommerville]], Massachusetts.  
== Abortion ==

In Yoism the question of [[abortion]] is considered from all angles.  Over population is a critical problem of religious significance. Human beings are putting tremendous strain on the earth by senselessly reproducing. They are bringing children into the world who cannot be cared for, nourished and loved. No matter how much progress humans make there will probably still be some unwanted pregnancies.  Thus Yoism takes the stance that there is a religious obligation to support family planning, education, birth control, and even the preservation of the option of abortion. In Yoism its NOT imoral to have an Abortion and people shouldn't feel ashamed about it. Its actualy a sign of strength and moral fortitude to be able to make such a decision. There is deeply ingrained emotional difficulty (both nature and nuture here) for many women to choose to have an Abortion. To do so anyway out of a mature recognition that one is not ready to have a child, wouldn't be able to offer the child all the love yo deserves, and that there are simply too many people on the planet already too bring more who aren't totaly wanted, shows great strength, maturity, and commitment to the belief that we must give every child the love they need to reach their greatest potential.

See also: [[religion and abortion]]

==External Link==
* Yoism website: http://www.yoism.org/