The elements that make religious ideologies attractive, also make them so susceptible to abuse. ” PAY ATTENTION Isreal, God is your master, God is one” is some of the most powerful words of the Old Testament. The oneness of God is a concept very few religious traditions pay attention to or even understand. God is portrayed as an external force which watches, judges and eventually punishes those who do not follow the protocols of the faith.
In that statement the word used for god is “The Name”. The ancient Israelites had the foresight to incorporate attributes to describe the deity. Not convinced with the physical manifestations other cultures used to represent forces which influenced their environment, the early Israelite tribes attempted to define the unknowable. Human attributes of justice, mercy, strength and intelligence are just a few of the terms ultimately used to describe their new invisible deity. In this regard, Judaism, Christianity and Islam ultimately project a picture of the deity made in the image of man.
Oneness is a term that goes beyond any human attributes. Like infinity everlasting, oneness is a concept of unity which we have a sense about, and using logical deductive reasoning, we can better appreciate the concept. As scientists search for the unified theory in physics, a growing consensus of spiritually minded humans concur as to the oneness of our universe. Meaning that on a deeper level all things in our universe consisting of matter and energy are deeply related. Scientific research is proving that the our limited human sensory generated perceptions are not representative of our universe.
Religious ideologies fall way short of the mark when they describe their deities with human form, human emotions and concerns. The creation of a “personal deity” is nothing more than an immature attempt at coercion. If we understand human perceptions to be incomplete and flawed, then human emotions based purely on those perceptions have no place in gods world.
Early Jews and christians referred to the polytheistic world around them as idolators. Stories abound in the traditions where they mocked and violated those who worshipped idols. There are stringent laws that orthodox jews follow today, just to differentiate themselves from idolators of old. And yet judeo-christian gods take human form, get angry, jealous, fight wars and they alter nature to protect their followers. Repackaged as monotheism, the big difference is that the new deity is now chaste. Debasing human sexuality, our new deity rises above the din of the older polytheistic gods that seemed to enjoy copulation with other gods and humans.
Big Brother Burt does not see much discrepancy between polytheistic and monotheistic religions. Both ways of representing god(s) to suit human needs has yielded the same catastrophic effects. Religious ideologies based on the unknowable, regardless of version, have an unacceptable high level of abuse potential. In each case unscrupulous individuals seize the opportunity to control others. The religious observant follower, having taken the leap of faith, is directed to take council from leaders within the faith. We as the human community need to re-evaluate our position on personalized gods as presented to us by the great religious ideologies. Lets separate fact from fiction and focus on solving problems that will make life on this planet more enriching for all of us..
My greatest hope is that humanity will adopt those attributes that you my friends have reserved for your deity. Let us be just and act compassionately. May we raise children that see the value in formulating their own moral compass, and continue to pursue just and fair causes. If there is a god or force that sustains the world, I am sure he would want us to effect these changes in the world. If not, it is our birthright to pursue a life of integrity and equality to all.
Big brother Burt