FAITH
Throughout the ages, prophets, priests, theologians and religious zealots have been urging on mankind the supreme duty of having 'faith' - always providing, of course, that it was faith in the teaching in which they themselves believed. Those who have declined this 'duty' have been persecuted in this world and promised eternal damnation in the next.
The truth is that what is usually meant by 'faith' is simply a child-like acceptance of the views of the preceding generation, particularly those of parents and other authoritative figures
- an acceptance of the brainwashing imposed in childhood.
If anyone doubts this harsh judgement, let him explain how else to account for the fact that the overwhelming majority of 'believers' belong to their particular sect of their particular religion for one reason and for one reason only: the so-called 'accident of birth'.
Far then from accepting that such 'faith' is a sublime duty, my philosophy rejects it - rejects it on two counts. First, it is a degradation of the divine individuality and free-will of man to surrender to others the development of his own opinions and his own principles and values. Second, such 'faith' can actually pollute and distort the true message of Conscience, which arises from man's direct communication with God.
But to question the faith and beliefs of others is not a matter of arrogance or hubris. To challenge the theology of a priesthood is not to challenge its right to seek spiritual obedience from its converted.
For it is only the imposition of faith, or its blind acceptance, that I am rejecting. I am certainly not rejecting religious belief as such, nor the right, indeed the duty, of every man and woman to communicate the truths that he or she has perceived. To urge disbelief would be to negate the purpose of this book!
Of course it would be the most arrogant stupidity to ignore the views and teachings of the great prophets and thinkers, the thoughts of mightier minds and of more highly evolved spirits. I am simply urging that we should study all these, but in a critical and creative fashion, deriving our own personal philosophical and religious beliefs from that study, from our own contemplation and reflection, and from our own communication with God.
It is for this reason and because the phenomenon of the 'appeal to authority' is one of the most powerful influences on the thought of man, that I now propose to appeal to the authority of the giants of religion. If I am to do this successfully, I shall have to show that my philosophy is in harmony with much of their teachings.
It is true that the efforts of our limited, lower-order spirits to grasp the Infinite, to conceive the Inconceivable, must be pitifully imperfect. Even more imperfect are the verbal tools we have to express our thoughts about the Inexpressible.
It follows therefore that all the great religious and philosophical teachings must always be fields for individual conceptual interpretation. Hence the proliferation of sects and dogmas. For this reason I suspect that the ecumenical movement will fail and perhaps that will be as well.
The interpretations I shall now be putting forwards in support of the philosophy I have just described may well be less true than the interpretations of others, but I claim the right and dignity of the divine spark, which is the essence of every man and woman, to advance the ideas I believe in.
So now let us see what the great religions have to say. I hope and believe that you will be struck, as one of the most exciting discoveries of this metaphysical investigation, by how far I can appeal to their authority to support the world view I have put forward. Since I am not an authority on comparative religion, most of this discussion will focus on Christianity.