-5-
(Truth,
Science and Human Knowledge Cannot Be Ignored)
Because
theology deals with the concept of God, it must take into consideration
"all" things. What we know to be the truth in science and human
knowledge must be Divine in origin if we perceive God as the Creator or
designer of this universe. A
responsible theology cannot ignore the other areas of human knowledge in making
its claims about the Divine. God, as a creative force, must be as
connected to the spheres we experience, equal to any connection She may have to a transcendent realm. Philosophy, science
and history are all part of our reality; so when we perceive God as the Creator
of reality, He has to be connected in some way to those things. It would not
make sense that God would violate the very laws She
established in creating; therefore, we cannot ignore the reality of the
universe to make claims about the transcendent nature of God.
Too
often, theology cites faith and mystery to support its rather preposterous
concepts, especially when it comes to literal interpretations of things that
have a much more logical and useful message if seen symbolically. We have
already established one premise about faith: that it should lead us to truth;
and, that the faith of itself is not the truth. Mystery, on the other hand,
unlike faith is not the truth. Mystery implies there is something not known
about something; therefore, by its very definition mystery cannot be truth!
While
we are in control of our lives, beliefs, and choices; we do not in fact control
our existence. The movements of the universe, the energies of the sun, the
interplay of nature, and the existence of life: are controlled by the laws,
which govern the universe - the laws of physics. If a Creator designed these
laws, then, these laws are in fact the laws that govern the reality of what She created. These laws of physics cannot be ignored in any
logical discussion about the Divine; for in reality, they must reflect to some
small degree the intellectual process of the Divine. We use the words
"intellectual process" symbolically, as in our reality God's
Intellectual process could not even be contemplated by our limited thinking.
Very
often theology, and the faiths based upon it, use
miracles as the testimony to their assumptions of truth. While it would not be
impossible for such a Force as God to suspend the physical laws ordained by Her, it does not seem logical that He would. At the very
least, one could speculate that such intervention would be extremely
self-limiting. If God has given us
the best of herself, there should be no need to interfere. Miracles such as
the stopping of the sun, or the parting of seas, or the resurrection need to be
approached for their symbolism rather than their literal truth. This is not to
say that such things didn't happen, for we have already stated the Divine
cannot be limited. But one can be reasonably sure, based on scientific
knowledge, that these events as recorded by our ancestors were not literal
events in the event rather than citing such things as assertions of proof for
their speculations.
Another
approach to this rationalization has to do with the fairness of God. If God
dropped manna from the heavens, or stopped the sun in the sky, or parted a sea,
for one generation: that generation would have had a grossly unfair advantage
at finding their faith over the rest of us. Playing such favorites and giving
such unfair advantage to one people over another doesn't seem likely for a
Creator we claim is all just and fair.
This
approach can also be applied to the punitive nature of God that is often
portrayed in the Bible, where She turns someone into a
pillar of salt, or destroys a city by fire. Here again, it would seem unlikely
that God would give us free will, and destroy us for exercising that free will.
This is especially true for religions which claim there is a final judgment;
for it would be at that point where we would pay our dues. Why bother with
punishment in the afterlife if we were punished in the here and now? Would that
not be the equivalent of double jeopardy?
If we agree with the assumption that all men are
created equal, then the playing field for the entire human species has to be
equal. To cite some examples: God cannot give the Jew supernatural signs
that are not offered to the Egyptians. The Buddhist has to have an equal shot
at salvation as the Christian. If Jesus proved that he had risen to one man,
and he is in fact God, then he has to offer equal proof to all men. To assert
differently is to say God is arbitrary in Her
revelation, which translates into an inequality among the people of the world.
For example, if Jesus is the only way to salvation then the individual born
into a Christian society would have a distinct advantage over the person born
in a Hindu culture. This would hardly be equality in terms of having a shot at
eternal life. To require faith on the part of one man and offer proof to
another would be a gross injustice on the part of the Divine.
So
it becomes more logical to look for the messages behind supernatural tales and
events, seeing them in terms of symbolic inspiration rather than literal events.
In the first place, the dividing arguments over whether they took place at all - cease to be! In other words,
the event, whether it happened or not as a historical fact, is no longer
relevant to the truth expressed in the metaphor. By looking for a
message, which can be applied to life, the event is useful, effective, and
meaningful in our lives whether or not we believe it actually happened.
The
second benefit of looking at religious stories as truth in metaphor is
psychological. If we quit looking for
the supernatural quality to God's presence, we are better able to see the
everyday reality of God's miracle, which truly is existence itself. For
theology to cling to the supernatural, whether it is portraying miracles or
promising eternal rewards or God's magical favor: is to miss its
responsibility. For far too long, we have seen revelation, faith and religion
as being about the transcendent, about the miraculous; when in reality, they
are about life in this plane of existence. As we shall see when we discuss
revelation and inspiration, these things are not given to inform us about God perse'; but rather, given so we can learn more about
ourselves.
We
will deal with many of the specifics as we continue with this text, but let us
cite a simple example here to illustrate our point. The nature of Jesus (that
is, is he in fact God) is a much-debated question. But if we were to view the
Gospels for their messages rather than claiming an accurate portrait of history
- if we were to view the Gospels as about life rather than hidden truth about
the transcendent: the argument is not even necessary.
In
the opening of the Gospel of John we find the words:
"So the word became flesh; he came to
dwell among US, and we saw his glory, such glory as befits the Father's only
Son, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).
This statement is often used in theology
to support the claim that Jesus was God incarnate. If we are looking for hidden
messages about the Nature of Christ, or God, we might be able to accept such an
interpretation.
But if interpreted another way - a
way, which seeks meaning for the reality we partake in, John could be telling
us that in Jesus the word of God, is actualized. Thus God lives in Christ! Or
more accurately, Jesus is the living example of how God would live if he were
incarnate. He is one with the Word because he is living the Word!
Now,
if we look at the affecting nature of the two interpretations, we can
see where the symbolic view and its worldly application might be the better
choice as a theological position. We know that belief in Jesus as God can be
very beneficial, but we also know that this belief often leads to a worship of
Jesus, which sometimes overshadows his message. The worship of Jesus is
absolutely useless if it does not affect our interactions with each other, for this is the whole of what Jesus lived and
preached. Love, brotherhood, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, generosity,
equality, non-judgment, tolerance, peace: are the
essentials of Jesus' message and life. Very often, those who worship Jesus give
very little priority to those virtues attributed to him. In a literal
interpretation of the incarnation, an idea gets planted that Jesus was God, therefore, none of us could ever hope to be like him.
Thus, the worship is sometimes given the priority over the action, and in such
a way we can even legitimize such things as oppression, exploitation, and other
inequalities which are often present and are ignored in Christian Society. The psychological problem with the emphasis of faith
shifting to the Divinity of Jesus is that it tends to make Jesus this personage
which can only be worshipped; for we could never hope to be like him.
In
theory, however, if we seen the Divinity of Jesus in the symbolic
interpretation (as much of early Christianity seen it), seeing him as the
embodiment of what the Divine wants us to be; we would strive much harder to
live in the manner Jesus prescribed. The actualization of Jesus' message would
be more important than either worship or the preaching of it. The affecting
potential of symbolic, and reality based, interpretations do not allow us to
proclaim our worship of Jesus while ignoring the reality of what he preached in
our everyday dealings. We do not become preoccupied with worship or the Word
itself; but rather, what one accomplishes with their belief. We also do not
become as divided by the issue; for in the symbolic interpretation, one would
not criticize a belief in Jesus as God that leads people to see the importance
and significance of his message. The symbolic interpretation also allows the
disbeliever a place in the eyes of God; whereas, the literal interpretation
often leads people to exclusionary doctrines.
What
is important to keep in perspective here is the importance of the inspiration
in its relationship with reality, and, the lessening of those interpretations,
which make assertions about God that simply cannot be made. Too often, profound
theological thinkers, such as Augustine as an example, get so hung up on the
concept of the Divine that they loose sight of inspiration being a guiding
force for living. When this happens the theology concerns itself more about
answering questions that are unanswerable, loosing sight of possible solutions
the inspiration may have to the problems of reality. We make all these
assertions in theology about the Nature, the Will and State of
Keeping
the interpretation in line with a message in reality also allows the theologian
to be compatible with science such as physics. Literally, a story of Creation
such as the one found in Genesis is not compatible with the known physics or
the theories they lead to. No matter how hard certain fundamentalist's
theologies try to make creationism (the literal interpretation of Genesis) fit
into science, their arguments must distort facts, live in somewhat of a denial
of reality and are often accusatory in their nature. They would have us teach
as truth in our schools a story, which is contradictory of itself,
as well as contradictory to what is known about our reality.
But
if you look at Genesis for its symbolism, such arguments are unnecessary; and
yet, the story comes to life with every bit as much meaning as a literal
interpretation.
Theology
must reexamine any speculations it asserts as truth when those speculations are
in direct contradiction to the discovered and known laws of the universe. Reality is God's truth and we must be willing to
examine its relevance to what we assert in faith. Faith is a matter of
belief, and history has shown us repeatedly that what we believe does not
necessarily have to be the truth; but, truth does not need to be believed to be
reality. Faith needs to be rooted in reality, at least it must be harmonious
with such if it is to have meaning, purpose and affect in our world. Based upon
this logic, responsible theology has to consider the collective knowledge of
mankind in its approach toward a spiritual understanding of mankind. Life
is that part of eternity we are experiencing in the now; therefore, Divine
revelation has to be seen in terms of that life. Man lives in the realm of
the body; the spirit at some level is part of that body. It would only make
sense that any revelation God has given to us is in reference to what we can
understand - and that understanding is life.
In
a sense, what we know about our history, our philosophies, our sciences, and
psychologies, are every bit as much a part of Divine revelation as any of the
sacred text. By this we mean: t hat God has allowed us the potential to record,
discover, and share this knowledge; therefore, it is part of Her
plan that we can know such things. To know the chemical composition of water,
for example, gives us insight into the creative process. This is how nature,
God, physics (whatever you want to call it) operates.
If
our belief in God is to survive and be useful to our societies, the reality of
the creation cannot be in opposition to what we believe about the Creator.
Historically, religious beliefs have always been in harmony with what men knew
and understood about themselves and the world around them; otherwise, they did
not survive. Religious ideals, which
stand in opposition to the knowable laws of science, are in fact in opposition
to the Creator they claim to believe in. Faith is a powerful tool, which can
lead us to God, but when faith stands in opposition to reality, it is advisable
and healthy to examine the faith. Blind faith is as useless, and even more
dangerous, than no faith!
We
have all heard the creationist argument that God only makes a rock look a
billion years old. Another is, it only appears that
the dinosaur lived millions of years before man. But such arguments turn the
Image of God into nothing more than one of a deceitful God of deceit. A God who
gave us the ability to seek out these things; the curiosity to encourage such
seeking; but then, as He is described by many, would give the appearance that
things are in fact different than our perception allows. What would God gain by
such deceit? Why give us the ability to understand what would amount to
trickery?
Our
challenge today is harder than our ancestors' challenge. We understand more;
therefore, we must seek more. But even many of our ancestors
seen the myths and sacred stories of their age for what they were, and that is
symbolic of truths that are not easily put into literal concepts. Many
of the prophets, philosophers, and sages of the past knew what many of our most scholarly theologians fail to see: God
is unknowable as God.
It
is imperative that responsible theology consider the enlightenment of our age
which is as much a part of Divine revelation as any ancient truth. It is not
the absence or ignoring of modern thinking that will lead us to God but the
incorporation of such intellect into our interpretation of the ancient
messages.
Here
we will examine just a few of these fields to demonstrate how they can
influence a responsible approach toward faith and God.
PHYSICS - as already implied gives us
insight into the methods, laws, and processes of creation. Such knowledge can
do nothing but give us insight into the mind of the Creator. To know the
"how" things work does nothing to shatter the miracle of
"why" they work. To understand the complexities of the laws of the
universe is to stand in awe at the miracle that it works at all. Many of the
processes that go on in our world, and around us in space, are more inspiring than
any tale we have written. The true miracles of reality happen every moment of
existence; all we have to do is take note of how miraculous they truly are.
PSYCHOLOGY - As demonstrated by C.G. Jung
and others, can work hand and hand with religious views, giving empirical
evidence to support many religious beliefs. This science, in conjunction with
history and sociology, can be used to effectively evaluate the affecting nature
of theological opinions. Theology is
the basis for religions, religions are the basis of faith; it is the
responsibility of both to see to it that they are responsible for a healthy
mental attitude on the part of the individual who seek their guidance.
HISTORY - History can give us information
about our errors of the past. It is full of atrocities committed in the name of
God. Responsible theology can use history to prevent its speculations from
being used to enslave men and avoid some of the mistakes of the past. All we
need do is look at the historical consequences of many of our beliefs. History
also helps us to understand the peoples, cultures, and age in which inspirations were given. This can be
very helpful in looking for the messages of ancient inspiration. Very often the
interpretations of our ancient writings were a lot closer to the intent of the
inspiration as understood by the people of the age then they are after being
filtered through our philosophical and theological conjectures.
MATHEMATICS - One might call mathematics the
language of God, for all creative processes can be explained in terms of
mathematical equations. If we assign Intellect behind the design of the
universe we cannot ignore the rational, logical, and orderly perspective of
that Intelligence. Mathematics also demonstrates the powerful use of symbols to
express reality. If we looked to our scriptures in the same manner as we look
at equations, those writings would come alive with meanings and applications
for the real problems of our world.
PHILOSOPHY - This is not a new tool for
the theologian. Christianity and its theologies are heavily influenced by the
minds of people like Plato and Aristotle to name just two. Very often
philosophy has as much insight and inspiration as the sacred works we revere so
much. Philosophy is about the existence of man and his reason for being; in
dealing with God such profound thought cannot be ignored.
ART, MUSIC, POETRY, LITERATURE - are forms
of knowledge and expressions that embody the emotional side of man. They can represent
our innermost feelings, our highest goals, our darkest sides, our dreams, our
fears, and our potential to love. We have already established that God is best
understood at an emotional level; that is, when we experience Her. What better
medium for God to blanket His inspiration with than these areas where the
abstract can be portrayed in symbol that relates to reality? What better way to
express that which cannot be known intellectually than in those things, which
help us to feel?
MYTH - Defined - as "Sacred Stories" a term used
by John Romer in his work "Testament".
Myths in this sense are not seen as untruths, which is the common accepted
understanding of myth. The myths and folklore's of peoples, like art and the
previous categories, can embrace the truths of the affecting nature of the
abstracts upon the reality of our lives. Often ancient myths are every bit as
much a part of revelation as the Sacred scriptures we cite, and those same
myths Can be used to help us understand the messages Of the
Divine in the wider perspective.
While
these are just some of humanity's knowledge, they demonstrate what we said in
the opening of this section. If we are to concern ourselves with God, we must
embrace the "All". A
responsible theology cannot put its head in the sand and ignore the knowledge
of the reality, which surrounds it. Albert Einstein said it well when he
stated, "Science without religion is lame; religion without science is
blind." And the same concept can be applied to all the other knowledge
disciplines of mankind, which have been discussed.
If
we are to ever have our equations about human existence right; that is, the
right formula for living - we cannot remove God from the equation, because
whether we believe in Him or not, She has an affect. For theology to cite a God
who is removed from the reality of the creation, which we attribute to Him, is
to refuse to see the very truth that God has written.
It is irresponsible of theology to examine the
scriptures and proclaim God said this or that. If we are truly seeking the
inspiration of God, we need to look at the reality of what we are saying - we
need to examine the consequences of our message. Such an examination should
lead to responsibility on the part of the individual as well as being
compatible with the known laws of universe. We need to take a look at the
historical results of particular beliefs so that we may responsibly examine the
psychological implication of what we are proposing as the Nature of God.
Responsible theology cannot view itself as knowledge; rather, it must treat
itself as a discipline, which is constantly trying to improve its affect on the
human condition. Theology, if it is to be responsible, must plant the feet of
every person it serves upon the ground of reality.
NEXT
CHAPTER-6-Avoidance of Negatives
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