There are two approaches: the true believers who accept
ancient, mythical descriptions as somehow “real” despite considerable
counter-evidence to many of their traditional details; and the non believers
for whom the question is undefined, like division by zero.
New Whig, being broadly centrist on all issues has a new
understanding based on observation and logical deduction.
The traditional descriptions, Theology, are
mostly a priori. They have been thought
up, not deduced from observation. While God is real, our understanding and descriptions are our own invention. The Humanists' critique that "God" is obviously mythical is valid, but the conclusion that there is no actual God, or that our mental constructs are "dead" is wrong.
Scientific theories begin with theory, but they are rigorously tested against “reality”. Since the development of "modern" Science, the Myths that traditionally explained "Mystery" have been claimed to belong to another aspect of Reality that can be experienced, but only indirectly. It is time they were united.
God Exists
The Scientific investigation of God must start with the simplest, value-free premise:
God exists. It is not a matter up for proof. All the Proofs amount to "If it exists, then it exists" which is perhaps similar to the Biblical version of, "I am what I am".
Apolstles
Let us also assume that those people who thought themselves
somehow divinely inspired with a message to tell people were on to something,
but their self-perception and their understanding of what was happening to them
might have little to do with the reality.
The writer of this Blog has amusingly considered himself in this category. He has never experienced any sort of "religious experience" and is both curious and envious of those who claim to have had this subjective sensation. Attempts included stilling the mind and repetition, but produced nothing more than the gradual recovery from chronic, childhood ailment. All the ideas expressed here and in other places have been deduced logically. They are in accord with observation by a "Flaneur", who bypassed school's brainwashing by being home sick a lot, and whom most people did not notice as he moved through crowds and groups in a lifetime observing the Human Condition, and in particular the Micro-Social systems that exist as living entities in their own right, just as do Ecosystems..
Consciousness
The greatest mystery to Science is no longer beyond Outer
Space, nor at the smallest scale where anything can be detected to exist, but
within the Human Mind. Consciousness is
something we all now acknowledge that all people have, and possibly all “living
creatures”, but its nature remains a mystery.
Most amazing of all is that some creatures would wonder about it and
write this and read it.
Possibly, Consciousness exists at a cellular level, and we
are essentially a vast population of cloned individuals, with a collective
consciousness that is invisible to the individual cells, which each think they
are doing their own whatever. This is
similar to some insects, where the entire hive or hill behaves as if it had a
mind of its own, doing things that no bee or ant could possible understand or
even participate in knowingly. It is
finally starting to be accepted that Ecosystems are also living entities in
their own right, perhaps even sentient in some way. Indeed, the Nature Spirits that were
perceived by our ancestors might well be these Ecosystems, a perception we have
lost with our concentration on the detail and the species instead of the whole
system.
Social Consciousness
There may be a hierarchy of conscious levels, starting with
our cells. We as individuals all perceive
ourselves as each having a single human consciousness (in a supposedly healthy
state). Like Social Insects, our Human
Societies may claim to exist as living organisms. These include Cities and States, as well as
Corporations, Departments, Clubs and Parties.
This explains, for example, the power of what Weber attributed to
Bureaucracy. It is not the
organisational structure that is to blame, but the organisation as a whole,
itself being a living organism with a mind of its own. There are many implications of this for
Society that are beyond the scope of this particular missive.
Mother Earth
For some time people have toyed with the idea of our planet
as a whole being a single, living organism, called Gaia, the mythical Mother
Earth. Science, in adopting this, has
been careful to avoid any hint of mysticism.
Theology into
Science Fiction
Perhaps the hierarchy goes on. If we do assume that our Planet is itself a
living organism, then perhaps it is just one of billions of similar “living
planets” that populate our Galaxy, and which communicate in ways that we have
not yet detected or may be undetectable
Global Mind
Certainly, it is possible to accept as reasonable that there
is a Global Mind and that it is made up of the collective “minds” of all the
Ecosystems and Social Systems, which are in turn comprised of the individual
bees, ants, Ecosystem components and people.
Proof that "There is no god, but God".
If the World as a whole has a mind of its own, clearly there is only one, single such Global Mind. All the different perceptions are just altered perspectives or limited vision, compounded by languages that do not exactly map onto each other. The Hindus teach, “All gods are the same God”. This expresses the Shahada in a
different form, which reflects the Jewish "Call".
The Mind of God.
The collective mind is the emergent property of the vast collection
of individual minds. This is not
apparent to us as individuals, but is something that can be achieved through mental
techniques. Certain individuals have
believed they had a particular connection to the Global Mind. It is interesting how many claimed the
revelation happened while out in the wilderness, on top of a mountain in a
storm, or alone in the desert. These are all places where a mature Ecology would exist, with its own "mind" that could directly connect with the Global Mind.
Mys-thical being.
We are here suggesting a valid, scientific explanation for
what was previously thought to be mythical. Indeed, we are claiming that the
Mystical is not un-scientific fantasy, but has a valid description of a form of
Biology, recognising that Ecology is the study of collective organisms with
their own sentience. We suggest the word
“mysthical”.
The Physics of Soul.
Elsewhere, New Whig has
written on the Physics of Soul, which is totally explicable within existing
Physics, making Theology a branch of Physics. How do I find the hyperlink?
The Nature of God in the different Religions
All this so far before I have even got to the question. Because once the idea of “God” as the Earth’s
Global Mind, being a hierarchy of Collective Minds, is accepted, it is possible
to look at the descriptions of encounters with it, understanding now why and
how they are distorted, and also gain some “a priori” insights into the true Nature
of God.
Disclaimer
This attempt to "test" God in a scientific sense is an extremely pretentious thing to do. It is nearly as bad as wilfully desecrating the Sabbath. So, in
case anyone reading this misunderstands this present missive, or “post” (really
a stream of interrupted electro-magnetic vibrations) let it be clear: This Blog nor its writer it make any claim to Divine Inspiration; This Blog is entirely the result of logical reasoning.
The Message
If this Blog “preaches” anything, it is
the message at the end of the Biblical book, The Preacher: “Love God and keep
the commandments.” Note, it is to “love”,
not “fear”.
Old Errors to be Rejected
The first mistake that must be abandoned is the distinction between “good”
and “evil”, for this is the “Law of the Jungle”. The idea of us as individuals with
egotistical merit is ridiculous, when you consider that we as individuals are
to Mother Nature as the cells in our bodies are to us, or an individual insect
or plant to its Ecosystem.
Justice
There are no bad people, just people who do bad things. Our Criminal Justice Systems are at fault because the "punish" people instead of re-educating them. Like naughty children, the "wicked" must be loved unconditionally and never feel they are being rejected. Punishment ensures recidivism The Law, like Biblical Commandments are intended to lead to good behaviour and a stable
society. They are not to be slavishly followed without comprehension as an act of meaningless faith. Different Religious Legal Systems must co-exist in pluralist societies.
God created the Night as well as the Day
The most contentious change in our perception of God is the (mainly Xian) idea that God is purely composed of "goodness", just as Swans were once thought only to be white. All consciousness emanates from this single Universal Mind, so it must encompass the "bad" with the "good".
Holocaust Theology
We were told in the days of animal sacrifices that God liked
the smell of the sacrifices. One suspects
that the same God might have enjoyed the smell from the ovens during the
Holocaust, though it is probably Jewish Blasphemy to suggest it. Similarly, God presumably delights in the
slaughter in his various names that results from the Wars of Religion. Holocaust Theology has asked how? This is too often, wrongly attributed to an aberration
of Human Free Will for which a “good God” could not be responsible. The idea of testing Jewish faith after two
thousand years of exile frightens most theologians.
Evil
Religions that teach there is a principle of “Evil” in the
world are utterly mistaken and contrary to the true Monotheism that derives
from any scientific understanding of the world as a living organism. People and other organisms do “bad” things for
various reasons, but they are not “bad people”. No one is inherently “bad”. Goodness is its own reward. The reason for the Commandments is to achieve
Harmony with Nature. Because we are not
aware of our existence as elements in a greater consciousness, like an
Ecosystem or a Social Collective, we all follow our own personal agendas and
some social rules are necessary. It is
not unreasonable to think that the whole has slapped its parts into line, from
time to time, or attempted to do so.
Apostles
If we look at the succession of “Prophets”, who all
essentially teach the same message, and how badly their message became
distorted each time, it is reasonable to assume we are now being left to our
own devices. We at New Whig are no doubt amongst a growing
number of people who are coming to similar conclusions without the need for
Enlightened Awareness.
Mys-thical
Sometimes, the Myths are wrong and may need to be abandoned. The greatest problem that results from some Myths
is that they present themselves as the total picture and explanation of the
Universe. They are couched in
terminology and use words and expressions with specific meanings in their
languages. The Myth has become the
Truth. It needs to be universally
accepted that an individual Truth need not invalidate alternatives that appear
incompatible. The complex,
multi-dimensional Universe contains conflicting realities.
Universal Unity
All gods are the One God and there is no god but God, but
that God is not exactly like any of the Mythical description of our traditional religions. Because the Myths are clearly not accurate and total, scientific descriptions there is a tendency to totally reject them. Perhaps there is something to be gained at a
social and personal level by retaining myths and ceremonies as long as they
contain a true awareness that the words and concepts are signposts, not that to which the signs point.
The Apostles keep telling us this,
. . . . . . . . . . . .but we never listen.
What is required from all people is to live in harmony with
Nature, which is a return to Eden. We
must learn to abandon personal ego and “go with the flow”. The aim is not to comply with complex
commandments out of fear, but to comply with rules leading to collective cohesion.
