“A Belief Statement for the New Millennium”

Premises of the Belief Statement
Observing, Questioning and Understanding. These three actions are ones that each of us individually can and need to make on our own. True understanding and true growth must occur on an individual basis. Individual awareness is needed for true spiritual awareness.

Its expression should be in simple terms, based on sound science which includes both the physical and humanistic sciences, made with an open mind and open heart, respectful of all cultural influences of man’s many societies and religions.

Usually the simplest answer is the most correct.
Our understanding of science facts and processes as well as our spiritual insights are always growing.

It should avoid the use of any “labels”. Nor should it use as a basis those concepts that are not rooted in true observation available to all. Also it should avoid making inferences beyond what is reasonable.

Further any “Belief Statement” or “Belief System” needs to enable the individual to grow and mature. It needs to empower true individual growth, not just “rule following” or “going along with the crowd”. We have found that nurturing the life within each of us enables true growth and maturity.

It is one that, if you will, is built from the ground up. By observing our place in the world understanding the basic components of our lives we can resolve all issues that arise. We can grow and mature to our full potential with the ability to cope with all that we may encounter in the world.

Is this right for you?
Some will disagree with this. The endeavor is not meant for everyone. Some of us though have this need to refine aspects of existing religious belief systems to gain a more complete understanding of the spiritual questions that we have.

Other belief systems are valid for those that hold them as true. We will find that most spiritual endeavors of man have the same goal. That is to grow into a mature state of spirituality. We can end up in the same place. Some of us simply take a different route.

The following are some questions that you may have asked of yourself.

These are questions that people often ask of themselves that challenge their existing belief system or religious views.

What we have found in common with all of these was a lack of understanding as to the basic nature of life and one’s spirit, hence the questions. Once an understanding as to the nature of life and spirit is obtained then one can better handle these questions and other unknowns or “what-ifs”.

These are in no particular order. If you have unresolved questions like these you to may be interested in this endeavor.

Prove that we each have a soul.
Religions may say that you have a soul that lives forever but how do you prove it? Do you have to have faith in this as its something that we can’t see or prove?
Does God have a purpose for me? Why are we here?
Many of us have asked of themselves the age-old questions “Who am I?” or,” Why are we here?” For many of us we have yet to find satisfactory answers or guidance. This questioning results from our having self-awareness and our desire to find expression.

With the advancements in cloning and stem cell research when does life begin or if and when is one’s soul present?
Medical science has truly been remarkable. These new technologies force us to answer some very elemental questions concerning the nature of life. These include questions concerning the beginning of life as well as it ending.

Does life exist on other planets? What does that mean to our understanding of God? Does that invalidate the world’s churches and our sense of God? Who are we if we are not unique in the Universe?

With additional space exploration the search for life elsewhere has significant implications for many. Our culture has largely developed as though we where alone in the Universe. Many existing religions are not well suited to handle this potential change in the landscape.

Is there a God?
Many of us have asked this fundamental question. Often when we see the suffering that exists in the world or when we feel that extreme sense of loneness and being abandoned we doubt God’s existence.

Will computers ever become alive?
Advances in robotics and artificial intelligence are very challenging to some as human like qualities are being built into machines.

Are other religions right? So many are so different which one is right? They all can’t be right.

Many of man’s religions are at odds with one another. This would include traditional religions as well as “New Age” beliefs. Since all are culturally influenced there are as many variations of religions as there are variations of cultures.

What if the “Paranormal” is true?
Much has been discussed through out time concerning the paranormal. For many the existence of paranormal phenomena would challenge their religious beliefs. As with other questions existing belief systems are not well equipped to handle this.

The Common Problem
The one common underlying cause for the above questions is a lack of understanding of the basic nature of Life and Spirit. For many, modern man believes in only the physical sciences. Only those things that can be proved by means of conventional science exist. If an instrument can’t measure it then it doesn’t exist. There is no room for anything else.

Many religions have as a central premise the belief that a divine presence exists separate from man and the world. This presence created us, all that we see and it has a specific plan for man and the world. These beliefs govern the way we conduct ourselves and greatly influence our emotional dispositions. Our belief system, our religious views impact that sense of self that we each have.

Most existing belief systems do not address all the “observations” that man makes. As a result many people have questions and are left with some uncertainty. These belief systems have developed over time and have their roots firmly embedded in the cultural traditions of their respective society. When you add the complexities of human nature the belief system may end up rather far removed from any semblance of its original divine intentions. These belief systems tend to become unyielding and are not well suited to handling the advancements and challenges brought on by modern day science.

What is needed is another way of looking at things.

What is needed is the return to the basics. We need to re-experience man’s development of his fundamental belief system and in turn our own personal belief system. This is the process of questioning and making observations about the world that we see around us. Man has done this through out history. It is during these moments of true questioning and observing that understanding can that place. All of the existing religions had their start in this process. It’s the cultural influences that are apart of any society’s development that make their religious institutions what they are at any specific point in time.

We need to engage in this process with an inquiring mind disciplined by science or at least a mind capable of making and accepting reasonable observations. We also need an open mind and heart that is unfettered by preconceptions. Also we need to keep the awareness and humility that there is more to be found then that which we can actually see.

The result of this endeavor can be a belief system that lays the foundation for far reaching understanding. It can be one that handles the challenges of day to day living as well as those challenges brought on by large-scale changes to our world.

The Basic Statement and some related general thoughts.
Life is a force as real as any other physical force. We can see its existence through observation. Its manner can be discerned by observing all of nature. Its direction and possible future can be revealed by observing the manifestation of consciousness and freewill.

Faith is no longer a matter of whether there is a God or if there is life after death, it’s a matter of how the force that is life and spirit is expressed in the world that we see around us. One need not worry about any sort eternal future either, as our existence is a matter of the achieving a state of Joy which we find is eternal in and of itself.

Armed with a basic understanding of Life and Spirit then one understands that it doesn’t matter where life exists or where it got started.

We need to be able to open our eyes and heart to see the nature of Life and the Spiritual.

The real question that we each need to answer for ourselves is the nature of God’s existence and how we can promote the life and spirit that we each possess We find that the fundamental endeavor that humans should be concerned with is the nurturing of their own heart. In this way we are continuing the direction that life and spirit is taking.

By being open to additional observations and insights one can see that scientific observations in fact can be used to support the basic tenants of one’s fundamental belief system. Further if you are challenged by technology’s impact on the meaning of life one needs to reexamine their definition of life and the spiritual to realize that technology can never truly challenge the true meaning of life.

It’s a matter of understanding the basic nature of Life and Spirit and then asking the right questions of your self. With this understanding we can better make those personal choices that nurture our human heart towards existing in a state of Joy.

One simply needs to understand the basics of life to assist in your search for answers.

While this is stated as being a simple thing to do it can be the hardest journey that one can take. We are all quite aware of the many distractions that plague our existence. None the less it is a journey that we all must take. n