A New Dawn in the Millennium
Religious Mythologies - A Threat to World Peace and Personal Freedoms
by
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What is truth?
This is the question that Pontius Pilot asked Jesus accusers. In this case it was Jesus' truth against his accusers truth. The dictionary defines truth, "As a quality of being according to fact." In the field of theology, truth is a quality of being according to doctrine.
One simple way to determine whether a fact, an idea, a concept or doctrine is true, is to measure it against the qualities of truth. These are in part, constant, eternal, immutable, incontrovertible, consistent, and indisputably verifiable. If that what is being measured does not meet these simple attributes, then its falsity is exposed.
Today, there is so much diversity in Christian ministries as to the true theology of Jesus, that the simple test for truth needs to be applied to all religious beliefs. If it is assumed that God and truth are one, then one important characteristic of truth is that it is not subject to contradiction nor change. Consequently, any view of God depicted with contradictory or changing qualities of character, such as changing from spirit to matter, cannot be the true view of God.
The Inquisition in Europe during the 14th century is an example how minorities can suffer torture and death by a majority that were misled by religious leaders who believed in a fantasy not supported by truth. Now, seven centuries later, has there been a radical change in theological thought?
Are we not seeing history repeating itself again here in the United States? Ask Reverend Pat Robertson or Reverend Falwell or hundreds of ministers of the Christian Right, if they believe in witches or in the reality of witchcraft. The answer will be a resounding, "no." In fact they may condemn witchcraft as a myth or a cult. Yet, isn't possible that future generations may do the same with today's belief in Creationism, Heaven, Hell and Satan? They all contain the same qualities of myth as witchcraft.
In the meantime, there is a real concern that there are religious zealots who sir up mob mentality to commit acts of violence against any person or group with opposing ideas to these Christian myths. For example, can anyone prove that God condones killing doctors who perform abortions? The religious beliefs against abortions and banning the use of contraceptives would deny a woman's right of choice and the sexual freedom enjoyed by men. These beliefs are promulgated by the Christian Right in defiance to a world crisis in the over population of unwanted children.
If a married couple's expression of love results in an unwanted pregnancy that they cannot afford, as citizens of the United States, they have the inalienable right to privacy, personal freedom, and the right to have an abortion without the interference of a third party's religious belief. This includes the freedom to have or not to have a religion.
The pro-life, pro-choice argument in the United States is another example of the divisive nature of a religious belief that cannot meet the test of truth. But this argument can polarize a nation and cause physical violence among its people. It is amazing that the pro-life advocates do not realize that they are promulgating a strictly religious concept on the pro-choice segment of the body politic. Their complete disregard for the life of the child once they have forced a woman to bring a pregnancy to fruition, displays the hypocrisy of the pro-life advocates. Do they provide food, care and education for those children they force into life? NO! Many third world children die of starvation in view of the church that forced them into childhood.
These are dangerous times for free thinking people. There needs to be a strong vociferous stand for the truth. For every single truth there are hundreds of possible errors, or lies, relating to that truth. The source of those errors is ignorance. Isn't giving reality to, or personifying that ignorance in the form of Satan compounding ignorance with stupidity? Has any human being proved that the original source of evil or a lie is confined to one single entity called Satan. If there ever was a powerful Satan, why doesn't he have the power to protect the lie from the truth? The lie which is an attribute of Satan, will always self-destruct when faced with the truth. The whole of Satan is the sum of his evil attributes. The destruction of one attributes is enough to destroy the whole, because the whole is always the sum of its parts. Isn't it logical that any entity that cannot resist self-destruction for any reason has no power of action nor ability to exist.
Truth is such a powerful entity that it is defined as an attribute of God. When a lie, a mistake, any type of error, fraud, or a misbehavior comes up against the truth, it self-destructs. The truth may be perverted or covered up, but it cannot be destroyed, nor changed from being truth.
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About the Book
Could religious wars ultimately result in nuclear destruction of mankind? Perhaps, a new approach could bring a world at war to a new frontier with regard to theology. This text considers the basic tenets of ancient and modem beliefs in juxtaposition with logic and science.
Monotheism, polytheism and anthropomorphism are presented from the standpoint of origin and historical teachings. The profound differences presented by philosophers, mathematicians and scientists versus theologians are presented from the perspective of reason, truth and fact. Agnosticism, atheism and nihilism are delineated.
The treatment of male versus female must be included from not only an historical view but a 21st century view. Animal dominion and treatment could not be omitted.
It is left to the reader to ponder this writing and draw his or her own conclusions regarding theology versus science. The author's intent is to expose mythological beliefs and to offer a panoply of theological thinking rich with contradictions and emotion.
The spirit of this writing is not to condemn, but to question religious concepts as to their love of logic and truth. Inevitability, religious concepts must compete with science in the ever compelling search to understand our unique universe that reveals its secrets, slowly but surely.
About the Author
As a teenager living in the depression of the thirties with one meal every other day, the author instinctively grew up with an obsession not to remain poor. At the age of 55, he retired with enough accumulated wealth to live comfortably in his old age. Today, as he reflects back on his life, he realizes what a failure his life has been. Money was his God! He never stopped to live, or smell the roses.
Now he ponders whether rich or poor, how could material living with its physical limitations, its pleasures, its discomforts and its old age be the reality of good, or be God’s good creation? Ineffectual prayers made to mythical entities offers no assurance for a present or a future utopian reality. There has to be more to life than the way man lives it. This book is the author’s argument for a higher reality.