Throughout human history the evident powers of nature, the vision of stars and external planets have provided the impetus to seek explanations of mankind’s place in all of this infinite immenseness. Admiration and veneration of the sun, the moon, visible planets and stars, the fear of the unpredictable devastation caused by nature have spawned various interpretations. This has led to the formation of many religions and belief systems focused on some sort of transcendent, supreme being.
We have attributed various names and descriptions to this seemingly all-powerful entity. Interpretations have varied over time and in different historical environments. This differences often caused conflicts as one or another community tried to impose its beliefs on others, often through force. One common denominator was that we needed to appease the visible and invisible powers that were behind the cycles and events on which we were dependent for our very existence. This spawned practitioners and interpreters who resorted to magic and myths focused on anthropologically-based definitions of powerful deities.
Cause of Conflicts
Some religious organizations were mobilized by the politically powerful to fulfill their own earthly aspirations and ambitions for dominance. By becoming champions of one set of interpreters and prophets they contributed to make their beliefs dominant while suppressing others. The politically powerful used religious teachings to further their own causes and dominate their citizens. To a certain degree they were also transformed by the religious movements, and were thus motivated to ensure their survival. There were also many elites that sincerely embraced specific religious dogmas and helped to propagate them among their subjects and followers. However, any slight to the religion that they supported often resulted in armed conflicts among nations with different religious convictions.
Over the years, religious leaders and their theologians continued to develop and embellish the fundamental teachings of the founders to make them more relevant to their followers. They often used the carrot and stick method with some form of reward now or in the afterlife for those who followed the rules, or eternal damnation for those who wouldn’t. Competing belief systems made sure that there was no crossing over to another faith by emphasizing that only their beliefs ensured salvation and a place in “heaven”. All others would be ostensibly condemned to “hell” where they would be subjected to some type of eternal suffering to punish them for their sins.
Self-Serving Hierarchical Structure
In a less educated and naiver world of just a few centuries ago the old religious organizations had a much easier time to control their flocks. This was assured through the network of places of worship dedicated to particular dogmas that tolerated no divergence from their particular “truth”. In many cases powerful hierarchies of intermediaries formed organizational structures to ensure the survival of the system, and provide a source of revenues for proselytizing and expansion. The elite members of this hierarchy ingratiated themselves to politically powerful monarchs and political rulers. The latter reciprocated by providing the necessary security for the survival of the religious organizations. In fact, it is not necessary to go back a few centuries to witness this type of state/church cooperation. Religious fundamentalism still thrives in the twenty first century, and in many cases dominates the sociopolitical agenda of many countries.
The Eastern Influence
In the second part of the twentieth century, we witnessed the transfer and absorption of the Eastern belief systems in the West. Although subjected to the same sociopolitical influences and upheavals as the Judea-Christian and Islamic religions, it provided a seemingly fresh approach to spiritual expression. The deeper inner peace that formed the basis for various forms of Eastern meditation was embraced by many as an improvement over incantations and rote prayers. There was a feeling that a deeper level of consciousness was being reached. This fascination was further entrenched by many prominent celebrities that embraced this new approach to spirituality.
This accent on a different form of communication with the spiritual world, where one required no intermediaries, transformed the way that established religious societies were viewed in the West. It undermined their great influence, which was promoted in all areas of human activity. To some extent this contributed to the greater secularization of the West. But secularism does not necessarily mean a total lack of spiritual interest, just a different, more individualistic approach to seek answers. The Eastern influence prompted many to question the the morality, humility, and love, which the old religions preach.
Science to the Rescue
The great leaps in science in the last three centuries progressively pushed aside some of the superstitions and naive assumptions that were spawned by the old religions. However, scientists have made a valiant effort to explain everything rationally but leave many unconvinced that creation is a consequence of random quantum particle and molecular interactions that have formed our physical reality. Even those who claim to be total secularists or even atheists still harbor some slight hope that they may be proven wrong by logical arguments supported by physical evidence. If only faith systems could be subjected to the same meticulous, empirical proof and give undisputed evidence of the existence of an underlying primal cause of everything.
What if we asked the old religions to provide us with objective proof and subjected them to offer logical answers to their claims. We know for certain that many of these, like the central primacy of our planet, have been irrefutably proven to be wrong by scientific evidence. More people now are demanding a greater correlation between science and religion.
Potential For a Quantum Leap
The fact that so many are seeking more logical answers to spiritual questions is potentially beneficial. It has created many laboratories of febrile thought and experimentation reminiscent of the trial and errors associated with scientific breakthroughs. These incubators of spiritual investigations form the nucleus for a quantum leap at some time in the future. Perhaps the underpinning morality of the old religions can be combined with the new physics to arrive at valuable answers as to the true purpose and destiny of our human lives. It is also possible that the destructive creativity that was facilitated by the informational revolution can be applied to the spiritual world. Today’s advances in cosmology, biology, and progress in different scientific fields facilitate the arrival at conclusions that were unfathomable in the past. It provides us with more tools to reach deeper spiritual conclusions. Perhaps, once we achieve a critical mass of spiritually evolved individuals, we will recognize our true nature and purpose to conduct our lives in harmony with all species, and serve as the embodied conduits of Eternal Light’s love.