Building
the Foundation for a Universal World View
To find a universal approach to religion, we must find a universal world
view. Let us begin by recognizing the fact that there are certain laws
that are not affected by our opinions and beliefs.
By Kim Michaels
Imagine that
we invite a representative from each of the many religions on Earth
to a gathering. We have the representatives line up, each person holding
a book that contains the scriptures of his or her religion. We now ask
each person to throw the book up in the air. What would happen?
We can probably agree that each of the books would fall to the ground.
The reason being that each book would be affected by a universal principle,
or law, namely the force of gravity. This force works the same on all
physical objects. In other words, the contents of the many religious
books have no influence on the force of gravity. This force simply doesn’t
care what we humans believe or don’t believe. It does its job
independently of our opinions.
While this might seem like a silly example, it can actually teach us
a profound lesson in humility. And if we embrace this
lesson, it can have a profound impact on how we approach religion.
Universal laws
We all experience the force of gravity, so we must conclude that the
world in which we live is designed according to certain universal principles.
These principles are completely independent of our beliefs. The force
that keeps our bodies on the ground works the same way whether we call
it the law of gravity, the law of attraction, the principle of action/reaction
or the force of universal love.
The law of gravity limits us in many ways. Yet we have now discovered
other universal laws that allow us to design machines that can fly through
the air, thus circumventing the force of gravity. Different companies
have used these principles to design a multitude of different aircraft,
such as helicopters, jet airplanes, gliders, balloons and parasails.
Yet none of those companies have a patent on the law of gravity or other
natural laws. They are simply applying these universal principles in
different ways. No matter how a universal principle is applied, our
theories and designs do not affect the principle itself.
Does God grant patents?
This leads us to a profound conclusion. Many people tend to believe
that their religion gives an absolute and infallible description of
God. Yet we must now consider that God is a universal principle or a
universal Being. Therefore, God is not affected by our beliefs or theories.
Many Hindus are familiar with the saying, “Man may come and man
may go, but I go on forever.” In the Bible we find the quotes,
“God is not mocked” and “God is no respecter of persons.”
The message seems clear. God is what God is no matter what we human
beings might believe or not believe.
What we see here is that there could be a difference between the reality
of God and our beliefs about God. And the reality of God will in no
way be altered by our beliefs, no matter how firmly we cling to those
beliefs and no matter how convinced we are that our beliefs give us
an absolute, complete or infallible description of God. If our beliefs
are out of touch with the reality of God, then it will affect us, but
it will not affect God. God is what God is.
This leads us to the understanding that the universal nature of God
is above and beyond human beliefs and opinions. So perhaps a religion
is not meant to give us an absolute or infallible description of God?
Perhaps a particular religion is simply one way to describe God, but
not the only way to describe God. A religion might be a way to apply
the universal laws of God to our daily lives, yet it might not be the
only way to apply these principles.
Both a helicopter and a glider can fly through the air, but they make
use of different natural laws to accomplish this feat. The aircraft
manufacturers have no patent on applying these principles, and a particular
application will not alter the principles that it uses.
What if God simply doesn't grant patents? What if religion is meant
to help us make use of God’s universal laws to enrich our lives
and soar towards the heavens? What if there are many ways to apply God’s
universal laws? What if many of these ways are equally valid? What if
each way is the best way for a certain group of people, but not the
best way for all human beings?
One God, many religions?
Might
it be futile to attempt to make everyone else apply the universal principles
of God in the same way we do? Might it be better for us to focus on
truly understanding, embodying and applying the universal principles
of God through our religion, letting other people apply these principles
as they feel is right for them?
These considerations lead us towards a profound question. As spiritual
and/or religious people, do we want to know the reality of God, or do
we settle for a description of that reality? Suppose you have been brought
up in a particular religious culture based on a set of doctrines. Now
suppose one of these doctrines was out of touch with the reality of
God. In other words, the doctrine gave an incomplete, perhaps even an
incorrect, image of God. Would you want to know this fact, so you could
adjust your beliefs and bring them into alignment with the reality of
God? Or would you, as most extremists do, refuse to raise your awareness
and understanding by clinging to the “infallible” doctrine?
A universal language of ideas
If we are to find a more universal approach to religion, we might need
to look for a universal language, a language of words, concepts and
ideas. Where can we find such a language?
In our modern world we not only see conflicts between different religions,
we also see a conflict between religion and science. This has caused
many religious people to hold a negative opinion of science. However,
if different religions are simply different ways to describe and apply
the universal principles of God, then perhaps science is simply another
way to do this. So perhaps religious people might benefit from taking
another look at science?
The importance of science is that it has given us a better understanding
of some of the universal laws of nature. One might say that science
has given us a universal language for describing these laws. The strength
of science is that it can be applied by people with varying beliefs
and opinions. Whether a scientific experiment is performed by a Jew,
an atheist or a Christian, the result will be the same,
So why not use the universal language of science to find a more universal
approach to religion?
A new world view
One of the most stunning discoveries of modern science is Albert Einstein’s
theory of relativity. This theory opens up for an entirely new world
view, a view that finally sets us free from the influence of the physical
senses.
Before Einstein, physicists had a dualistic view of the world. Scientists
believed the universe was made from two fundamentally different elements,
namely matter and energy. This world view was very much based on the
physical senses. The senses experience matter as solid and energy as
transparent and moving. The senses see no connection between matter
and energy.
With his simple formula, E = mc2, Einstein shattered this world view.
His formula states that the world is made from only one element, or
substance, namely energy. In other words, we live in a world in which
everything is energy.
It is a peculiar fact that while modern science is good at telling us
how things work, it is not so good at telling us what things are. Ask
a scientist what electricity is, and you might get a blank stare. Yet
science can tell us a lot about how to make use of electricity. So if
you ask a scientist what energy is, the most common answer is that energy
is a form of vibration. However, even this incomplete answer can help
us establish a new world view and thereby find a more universal approach
to religion.
Let us now take a look at the energetic
world view.
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Copyright
© 2005 by Kim Michaels |
