Anais Nin said, "We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are."
I believe in absolute truth; but, I think our inherent subjective nature keeps us from knowing that truth. In order to see things clearer; I seek to venture beyond my distorted perceptions. I study all different religions, world views, and personal spiritual beliefs. When I put these together I look for common themes. I think that these common themes are closer to absolute truth. Such as love, the golden rule, karma, charity, etc.
I personally believe that there is something that unites us all (life and the universe). We are all one. That some people sense this or have subjective experiences that attest to this. But I don't believe humans are capable of finding objective metaphysical evidence.
Instead of believing all religions are true. I believe they are all useful in seeking the truth. While I don't believe anyone can find the truth; seeking is a beautiful thing.
I believe everyone is a teacher. Whether through observing their actions, their history, their ideas. How they have overcome, how they have accomplished their goals, how they have failed. It is all valuable.
I believe in human autonomy. Due to our subjective natures, we are all unique individuals with unique paths ahead and behind us. No one can truly direct the steps of another. Even though you want what is best for another; doesn't mean you know what is best for them. I know that what works for me may not work for someone else. Better to assume my advice is just another option that they may not have considered.
Really, that's all we can offer each other in the realm of knowledge: many options.
The best thing we can offer is love and support as we journey together into becoming more. Also, to treat people as they wish to be treated.
10 comments:
If you believe in absolute Truth, who sets the standards for that belief?
Do you also believe that there is an Ultimate Authority by which we use to determine what absolute Truth really is - or is that belief somewhat relative?
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BTW Jacks - there are two responses to the comment you left on my blog => HERE.
"If you believe in absolute Truth, who sets the standards for that belief?"
Most people call it God. Some people call it Jehovah, some people call it The Way, Brahman, Allah, the Great Spirit, some people think it's the unified essence of all life. I could call it Love.
I don't think anyone really knows, they just put a name to something they perceive or experience.
I've come to believe that all life is united so relativity is a false way of viewing life; but it's all we have as mortal beings.
Like I said before, no one really knows what the Ultimate is; no one can communicate it in terms that would do it justice. We can only explain spiritual things from our limited point of view which is inherently flawed.
All we can hope to do is put our experiences together and come to some common ground.
29 February, 2008 11:49
"Like I said before, no one really knows what the Ultimate is"
Are you absolutely sure about that?
How many of these religious figures that you study claim to be the ONLY Way?
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My friend Paul left the following comment for you on my blog:
Jacks,
I have one more link for you. Please listen to this podcast (~ 40 min.). The host presents biblical support for the fact that Jesus Christ is the eternal Creator God, the second person of the Trinity -- so that He's not just one among several guides who leads us to spiritual truth. He is the Truth.
Jacks -- Also, please listen to this:
"Is This Man God?"
"...Most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." - Jesus
Sorry...I messed up the last link.
Here ya go => Is Jesus God?
Of course the Bible says that Jesus is the only way. Just as Buddha said his teachings are the only way. Just as Muslims believe there is no other authority besides Allah.
This is what humans do.
Human Authorities will tell you they have the truth by which they judge all. Many cannot operate in the realm of uncertainty.
Many will think their experience is universal.
Just because one claims to be the only way doesn't make it so. Even Jesus said, "If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid"
Using the Bible to support Jesus is not a valid defense.
I am not calling Jesus a liar; Just that in his realm of existence and knowledge, he truly believed he was the only way.
Is there any document independent of the Bible that states Jesus is the only way? By independent, I mean something that does not reference the Bible in any way.
So, I'm absolutely sure that everyone's knowledge is suspect.
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If you are interested in some new ideas on religious pluralism and the Trinity, please check out my website at www.religiouspluralism.ca. It previews my book, which has not been published yet and is still a “work-in-progress.” Your constructive criticism would be very much appreciated.
My thesis is that an abstract version of the Trinity could be Christianity’s answer to the world need for a framework of pluralistic theology.
In a constructive worldview: east, west, and far-east religions present a threefold understanding of One God manifest primarily in Muslim and Hebrew intuition of the Deity Absolute, Christian and Krishnan Hindu conception of the Universe Absolute Supreme Being; and Shaivite Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist apprehension of the Destroyer (meaning also Consummator), Unconditioned Absolute, or Spirit of All That Is and is not. Together with their variations and combinations in other major religions, these religious ideas reflect and express our collective understanding of God, in an expanded concept of the Holy Trinity.
The Trinity Absolute is portrayed in the logic of world religions, as follows:
1. Muslims and Jews may be said to worship only the first person of the Trinity, i.e. the existential Deity Absolute Creator, known as Allah or Yhwh, Abba or Father (as Jesus called him), Brahma, and other names; represented by Gabriel (Executive Archangel), Muhammad and Moses (mighty messenger prophets), and others.
2. Christians and Krishnan Hindus may be said to worship the first person through a second person, i.e. the experiential Universe or "Universal” Absolute Supreme Being (Allsoul or Supersoul), called Son/Christ or Vishnu/Krishna; represented by Michael (Supreme Archangel), Jesus (teacher and savior of souls), and others. The Allsoul is that gestalt of personal human consciousness, which we expect will be the "body of Christ" (Mahdi, Messiah, Kalki or Maitreya) in the second coming – personified in history by Muhammad, Jesus Christ, Buddha (9th incarnation of Vishnu), and others.
3. Shaivite Hindus, Buddhists, and Confucian-Taoists seem to venerate the synthesis of the first and second persons in a third person or appearance, ie. the Destiny Consummator of ultimate reality – unqualified Nirvana consciousness – associative Tao of All That Is – the absonite* Unconditioned Absolute Spirit “Synthesis of Source and Synthesis,”** who/which is logically expected to be Allah/Abba/Brahma glorified in and by union with the Supreme Being – represented in religions by Gabriel, Michael, and other Archangels, Mahadevas, Spiritpersons, etc., who may be included within the mysterious Holy Ghost.
Other strains of religion seem to be psychological variations on the third person, or possibly combinations and permutations of the members of the Trinity – all just different personality perspectives on the Same God. Taken together, the world’s major religions give us at least two insights into the first person of this thrice-personal One God, two perceptions of the second person, and at least three glimpses of the third.
* The ever-mysterious Holy Ghost or Unconditioned Spirit is neither absolutely infinite, nor absolutely finite, but absonite; meaning neither existential nor experiential, but their ultimate consummation; neither fully ideal nor totally real, but a middle path and grand synthesis of the superconscious and the conscious, in consciousness of the unconscious.
** This conception is so strong because somewhat as the Absonite Spirit is a synthesis of the spirit of the Absolute and the spirit of the Supreme, so it would seem that the evolving Supreme Being may himself also be a synthesis or “gestalt” of humanity with itself, in an Almighty Universe Allperson or Supersoul. Thus ultimately, the Absonite is their Unconditioned Absolute Coordinate Identity – the Spirit Synthesis of Source and Synthesis – the metaphysical Destiny Consummator of All That Is.
For more details, please see: www.religiouspluralism.ca
Samuel Stuart Maynes
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