Archive for the 'Beyond Theism' Category

One of the most known quotes by Plato is, “Know Thyself”.

One of the most misunderstood quotes attributed to God is, “I Am”. 

Let’s look at those two paradigms. According to history as we know it, the words attributed to God were written some 400 years before Plato gave his assessment of what it takes to navigate the journey of life. Who really knows anything about who they truly are? How many decades does it take to even get a clue about the reality of life much less how we fit into the scheme of things? 

So, what’s the reality or the mechanisms within which we KNOW SELF? 

Knowing self is really knowing the ego and or the CONTENTS of the ego. Our ego is a basket full of thrills and spills. It’s a library full of the dramas of our life, our social identities, judgments, and opinions of how the world has and is treating us. The ego travels in a circuitous route (much like the Hebrews in the wilderness, walking in circles and only reaching decisions that it wants to find. In other words the ego presents the world to itself and says- that’s me. 

Discovering the I AM is a totally different approach. 

The ego can’t relate to I AM because it involves a DETACHMENT from the world and whatever the ego might think. I AM is without opinion, judgment, or bias. It just IS, and in fact, everything else is neither right nor wrong, but BEING. Say what? Exactly! Rust is neither good nor bad, but the result when iron is exposed to humidity. The go can’t handle things just BEING: it needs to label and judge. 

Knowing thyself is a good place to start, but the end game is I AM.

Christianity orthodoxy teaches that the majority of God’s creations wind up on the short end of the stick. How many BILLIONS of God’s creations came with a built-in flaw? Why would God do such a thing, knowing in advance as He (no gender intended) does. He is omniscient isn’t he? And omnipotent too? Then how in the “proverbial hell” can He allow US, His creations to have the LAST WORD? Tell me how that works. Continue reading ‘God’s Final Word’

As I was pondering some of the orthodoxy of my Christian faith, this rainy Sunday, I wondered what my life would have been like had there not been such an emphasis on a patriarchial deity. Would I have been a better husband? What is gnosticism had won out the day 2,000 years ago: how would things be today? And with the discoveries at Nag Hammadi, how have the gnostic gospels changed some of our thinking, if at all? After all gnostic religion is greatly different than orthodox religion as we know it. Continue reading ‘Gnostic Religion’

It’s time for “spiritualists” to take over where the church has decided not to go- establishing the Kingdom of God! The world is essentially caught up in it’s own doings: shackled with fear and judgments. And both are at play at an increasing and alarming rate. Radical Islam is being stood up to by Christian fundamentalism and the results are not good for anyone! It’s time that we awaken and see that RELIGION (of whatever branding) is primarily the agent for social CONTROL and CONFORMITY. It’s time to break away from that which is not working! Continue reading ‘Trapped & Disempowered!’

It seems to me that too much of what’s called the church today is highly arrogant! I used a less offensive title above; however, as Proverbs 13:10 tells us, where there is contention, their is pride. Just look at all the divisions within the church, the incessant breaking of fellowship because someone believes in a virgin birth and someone else does not. Do you think God cares what you BELIEVE as long as you are FOLLOWING Jesus? Isn’t it possible to disagree on theology (which is partial and provisional at best), and still felllowship? Wouldn’t a body which did such be stronger? Continue reading ‘Mired In Apathy & Complacency’