Post by robincragin on Nov 5, 2015 11:44:40 GMT -5
There is a monotheistic philosophy of deity that operates behind the scenes in most of our mainstream religious thinking. It not only permeates religion, but popular culture as well. Monotheistic religions propose that if you are a reasonable person, it should be clear to you that there is an intelligence behind the design of the universe. After all, “Figs do not grow on thistles. Grapes do no grow on thorns.”
At this point, an unwarranted leap in logic takes place. Monotheistic religious paths usually jump to the conclusion that the intelligence behind the scenes is, in fact, a specific, singular god—-the Biblical Yahweh, for instance. Along with this assertion comes the belief that this god governs all affairs, much like a monarchy, and he has some definite opinions and regulations about how things “should be.” Monotheistic religions (which are usually those of “the book”) therefore conclude that human beings should be vigilant lest they violate the fundamental grain of the universe, as established by this watchful (and often vengeful) god.
Does this mythology shape your worldview? You bet it does. Joseph Campbell says, “What if the Lord’s Prayer began with ‘Our Mother’ instead of ‘Our Father’?” The gender of deity, its location, presumed purpose, and its number are all features that shape how we live and act in the world. Now let’s pull the rug out from beneath ourselves and wonder about a “god” that is nothing like what we might suppose.
There is an old joke about the person who has a near-death experience and who comes back to tell the tale. When asked if he saw god, he says, “yes,” When asked for a description, he says, “she’s black.” This story amuses us because, in the back of our minds, many of us hold onto the image of god as an old white man with a long beard. This is an institutionalized, well-disseminated cultural image that many of us take for granted. It rarely occurs to us that god may be something else entirely. Perhaps god is not something that we can understand through rationalization or through philosophical inquiry.
*** A Word to the Wise: In Wicca, the divine is not a person, not is the divine something that is “greater than” each of us. Wiccans view the divine as an energy that manifests through us at all times. It is who and what we are. In addition to that, it is a good practice to begin deconstructing and closely observing cultural customs that incite emotional or mechanical reactions. ***
Take time today to contemplate and commit to paper your thoughts about the following questions:
* What images of god did you hold as a child?
* How have these childhood images influenced your understanding of the divine today?
* Are the images of god that you know actually representative of god’s fundamental nature?
* Are images of god important? Why?
* What is the purpose of believing in deity?
* Do we cheat ourselves at any level by characterizing god through image? Why? Why not?
* Does it bother you to see the word “god” not capitalized in these lessons? Why?
* Does the word “god” need capitalization?
* What automatic, conditioned responses do you have in relation to words, letters, and grammatical formalities?
At this point, an unwarranted leap in logic takes place. Monotheistic religious paths usually jump to the conclusion that the intelligence behind the scenes is, in fact, a specific, singular god—-the Biblical Yahweh, for instance. Along with this assertion comes the belief that this god governs all affairs, much like a monarchy, and he has some definite opinions and regulations about how things “should be.” Monotheistic religions (which are usually those of “the book”) therefore conclude that human beings should be vigilant lest they violate the fundamental grain of the universe, as established by this watchful (and often vengeful) god.
Does this mythology shape your worldview? You bet it does. Joseph Campbell says, “What if the Lord’s Prayer began with ‘Our Mother’ instead of ‘Our Father’?” The gender of deity, its location, presumed purpose, and its number are all features that shape how we live and act in the world. Now let’s pull the rug out from beneath ourselves and wonder about a “god” that is nothing like what we might suppose.
There is an old joke about the person who has a near-death experience and who comes back to tell the tale. When asked if he saw god, he says, “yes,” When asked for a description, he says, “she’s black.” This story amuses us because, in the back of our minds, many of us hold onto the image of god as an old white man with a long beard. This is an institutionalized, well-disseminated cultural image that many of us take for granted. It rarely occurs to us that god may be something else entirely. Perhaps god is not something that we can understand through rationalization or through philosophical inquiry.
*** A Word to the Wise: In Wicca, the divine is not a person, not is the divine something that is “greater than” each of us. Wiccans view the divine as an energy that manifests through us at all times. It is who and what we are. In addition to that, it is a good practice to begin deconstructing and closely observing cultural customs that incite emotional or mechanical reactions. ***
Take time today to contemplate and commit to paper your thoughts about the following questions:
* What images of god did you hold as a child?
* How have these childhood images influenced your understanding of the divine today?
* Are the images of god that you know actually representative of god’s fundamental nature?
* Are images of god important? Why?
* What is the purpose of believing in deity?
* Do we cheat ourselves at any level by characterizing god through image? Why? Why not?
* Does it bother you to see the word “god” not capitalized in these lessons? Why?
* Does the word “god” need capitalization?
* What automatic, conditioned responses do you have in relation to words, letters, and grammatical formalities?