Through out history man looked to the spiritual for answers to every question. The occurrences of each day were the responsibility of the gods. Life was absolute; control was in the hands of beings whose slightest whims led to life or death. Now the spiritual fights for life as a modern world tries desperately to smother it or place it in the realm of philosophy, a kind of therapy for weak minds to cope with a counterfeit reality. This is the struggle in which I live. My generation is looking desperately for meaning in any realm it can be found. Religion and science seem at odds each trying to explain a world in which neither has complete understanding. Who can we look to? What should I look for? What is absolute and what is relative? My faith leads me to acceptance of certain absolutes; such as there is a God, one God that cares deeply for this broken planet. However, it is faith that struggles at times to reconcile the pain I see with the love I know. I am not a scholar, some have even suggested my thoughts heresy, although, heresy lies in statements, not questions. My talents rest in a desire for truth and a wish to see the world healed. Here, I wish to explore a conversation I have been engaged in with my creator, my friends and myself. I hope to pose questions. Possibly, they will lead to truth revealed. It is questions that lead to truth, not acceptance of another’s teaching. If I am not allowed to question then what is life? If questions are not allowed then truth cannot exist, but a clever façade created to control with fear. This is the fear instilled in religion. No questions, no problems, blind acceptance, a life that is easy. There are no variables. Unfortunately this is not real. Even so millions follow.
In every religion there are those that can be categorized as radical fundamentalist. These are the few that have opted for the extreme absolute of a single aspect of their religion. In doing so they remove the need for questions, they simply accept whatever their spiritual authority tells them. Many times this leads to false teaching. There is no accountability for those at the extremes. Questions are not asked, those following want truth fed to them rather than discovering it and those in leadership do not tolerate the few that question. This is also true of those that are not fundamentalist, but simply extremist. For example new age cults such as the one led by Charles Manson or the Branch Davidians. In these instances it was not at all fundamental. Both were able to convince a group of people that what they taught was truth, with out question. It is those that allow me to question that I trust the most. Especially in matters of my faith.
While questions are imperative for healthy living, trust is also. If questions are all that we base our existence on we become cynical and unhappy reaching a point of trusting no one and no thing. Questions must be in the pursuit of truth with no other agenda. If they are to undermine authority or to prove ones intellect over another then questions serve a purpose other than that of truth. Questions can become religion in themselves, worshiping the pursuit of the unknown. The pursuit of truth and the use of questions, I believe, should always lead to dialogue in which questions are followed by listening, leading to understanding, an application of truth.
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1 comment:
Definately, I couldn't agree with you more regarding this blog.
I'd like to add only this;
The really great thing is that with the diversity of the world and the way people look differently at life, questions will always be invigorating and thought provoking. There will always be challenges and forward momentum. It would be a tradegy to lose that, to become so similar in our beliefs and understanding that progress stood still. It is possibly even essential for human survival.
Questioning, as we have assertained, is very important in life, but mindless questioning is maybe not so good. I think humans need to start asking the right questions to progress our understanding further. Forming the right question is as important as finding the answer because it is the question which will determine the outcome. I am on a personal goal to ask the questions which will give meaningnful answers. I won't let it consume me, however, I will use it as a guide, like you suggest, to use it where 'questions are followed by listening, leading to understanding, an application of truth'.
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning." Albert Einstein.
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