We can not have lasting Unity if we do not Develop Spiritually enough to break through our "egoic" illusions, which are often too painful for many to "see." With few exceptions, we can not Develop Spiritually enough, if we do not "Consciously" strive to Personally Grow through/from our beliefs/perceptions/experiences/traumas/etc.
As we Personally Grow, we "let go" of what is no longer beneficial to us . As we "let go" of our beliefs/perceptions/experiences/traumas/etc., we begin to be grateful for our pain, as we recognize it is a great teacher. (Of course, we usually do not like it, while we are going through it.). With this recognition, we can begin to break through our "egoic" illusions and Develop Spiritually …or perhaps it would be more accurate to say Develop Religiously.
Whoa there … Wait a Minute … Hold On … Develop Religiously? Why would we want to do that? Afterall, religion is tragically and shamefully responsible for a lot of pain and suffering … Isn’t it?
The answer to that question is NO … It is Religions themselves (note the plurals here), that are tragically and shamefully responsible for a lot of pain and suffering in the world. As we learned last week, mainstream religion assists the (D)evil by functioning as the wild beast. (FMI: please refer to last week’s post: “Where are YOU Marked?”)
“Religions are an organized collection of belief systems, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion)
Religion itself (note the singular here), has nothing to do with religions (plural). Religion is simply man's way of having a conscious relationship with the Creator/God, as opposed to the Creator/God having a relationship with us (which is Spirituality).
“Religion is man relating to God and doing so in his terms of reference. Spirituality is God reaching out to man in love and man responding.” Kenneth Meyers, Berea Teologiese Kollege
So how do we learn to develop and/or improve our conscious relationship with
the Creator/God?
The key to this answer can be found in the Sacred Holy foundational texts. These foundational texts serve as conceptual reference bricks in our very own, personal Spiritual Foundation, and Religious Development.
In order for a Sacred Holy foundational text
to serve as a conceptual reference brick,
it needs to be completely inspired by the Creator and free of dogma (a definite authoritative point of view put forth without adequate
grounds).
For it was not through any human whim that
men prophesied of old; men they were, but,
impelled by the Holy Spirit, they spoke the words of God. 2 Peter 1:21
These Sacred Holy foundational texts
TEACH the same conceptual “WORD of the CREATOR/GOD,”and were given to us by
the same Creator/God. Unfortunately, we often get caught up in the
meaning or translation of words. If we step out of our own individual box
of definitions, and look at the overall concepts these books teach; if we
stop looking at the individual trees, and look at the forest, we will find that
the Sacred Holy foundational texts have stood the test
of time; they have proved themselves to be the “WORD of the CREATOR/GOD.”
Which Sacred Holy foundational text we use is irrelevant. Throughout history, religions (plural) have drawn on each others texts for material. No text is more or less true than another. What is important, is that we pick one that resonates with us; one that will assist us in building our own, personal Spiritual Foundation, and ultimately well lead us into conscious union with the Divine Light/Jesus and the Creator/God.
Whereas we KNOW that the Holy Bible is but one of MANY Books that TEACH the same conceptual “WORD of the CREATOR/God, we have chosen to use the Holy Bible.
Regardless of which text we use personally, it is wise to seek out others who are familiar with the text we have chosen. Do not be afraid to seek advice, ask questions or ask for clarification.
Which Sacred Holy foundational text we use is irrelevant. Throughout history, religions (plural) have drawn on each others texts for material. No text is more or less true than another. What is important, is that we pick one that resonates with us; one that will assist us in building our own, personal Spiritual Foundation, and ultimately well lead us into conscious union with the Divine Light/Jesus and the Creator/God.
Whereas we KNOW that the Holy Bible is but one of MANY Books that TEACH the same conceptual “WORD of the CREATOR/God, we have chosen to use the Holy Bible.
Regardless of which text we use personally, it is wise to seek out others who are familiar with the text we have chosen. Do not be afraid to seek advice, ask questions or ask for clarification.
"It is excellent to
seek advice about everything, but only from those with experience. It is
dangerous to ask questions of the inexperienced, because they do not possess
discrimination." Saint
Peter of Damaskos
Anyone inexperienced puts
faith in every word, but the shrewd one considers his steps. Proverbs 14:15
This where Teachers come into play …
Teachers strive to uphold the pure language of truth, without dogma … Teachers help us learn “how” to think critically, by presenting more than one side of an
issue and encouraging us to evaluate and scrutinize any/all information
presented, make up our own mind regarding what to accept as truth, or reject as
false … Teachers show us, through devotion, how to create a bond of unity with
the Creator/God, and each other, that is impossible to break.
“Real devotion is an
unbroken receptivity to the truth. Real devotion is rooted in an awed and
reverent gratitude, but one that is lucid, grounded, and intelligent.” The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
To be such a teacher is a heavy Spiritual Responsibility. The words teachers use, both spoken and
written, guide people’s thinking. It is
all too easy, for teachers to succumb to their own, imperfect, “egoic”
perceptions (beliefs and biases) and offer explanations based on these perceptions.
“Not many of you
should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we shall receive heavier
judgment. For we all stumble many times.
If anyone does not stumble in word, this one is a perfect man, able to
bridle also [his] whole body.” James 3: 1-2
When this happens, the teacher stops being a teacher, and becomes a
propagandist. Propagandists sift through,
distort and twist facts, and ‘delude us
with persuasive arguments.’ (Colossians
2:4), by only presenting facts that will support their view(s). Once they have convinced us to support their
slanted view, it is easy to then tell us “what” to think.
This training can be provided in
two ways. The first way is via the receipt of the spiritual
gift of the holy spirit. (Acts 20:28; Galatians 5:22, 23,
1 Corinthians
12:10). The second way is via discernment of one or more Sacred Holy foundational text.
These conceptual reference bricks provide great wisdom and serve as guides for our thinking. By keeping an open mind to receive new information, and weighing such new information against the Sacred Holy foundational text(s) we have chosen, we let go of old knowledge that is no longer valid, and attract new experience and knowledge As we attract new experience and knowledge, our truth changes accordingly.
While truth itself does not change, our perception of what is true changes. This is because truth can only be perceived/understood within the context of experience and knowledge. Throughout the centuries, “truths” of all sorts, have been accepted by the masses, only to be proved wrong later. What is true today, may not be true tomorrow. As our truth changes, we adjust our “current” pattern of thinking.
EXAMPLE: The Teaching of
Purgatory:
The doctrine of Purgatory evolved as a clarification concerning the state of souls between death and the judgement (… humans are responsible and accountable for their thoughts and actions, and that in different ways their thoughts and actions now will affect their future outcome. [The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, 1997, p. 514]). The doctrine of purgatory was openly rejected at the Reformation (early 16th century ) and Protestants denied it as unscriptural. (Ibid. p. 777).
Catholics, however, adopted the doctrine. In the 1960’s, their own research (experience & knowledge) proved to them that the doctrine of purgatory is not, in fact, based on scripture. As a result of this new-found truth, they humbly adjusted their pattern of thinking.
After reviewing what Catholic writers have
said... the New Catholic Encyclopedia (1967, Vol. XI, p. 1034) acknowledges: “In the final analysis, the Catholic
doctrine on purgatory is based on tradition, not Sacred Scripture.” “The church has relied on tradition to
support a middle ground between heaven and hell.” U.S. Catholic, March
1981, p. 7.
Let this example serve to remind us to not follow popular opinion …
Let us not be brainwashed by propaganda … Let us not be fools … Instead, let us come back next week and begin to learn the lost art of discernment.
So it is, sealed in trust, faith and truth, in the Sacred Divine
Light (Jesus Christ). Amen
