A while back, a friend and atheist brought up an interesting question regarding religion. We were in the midst of a conversation about pluralism when he asked why we needed religions at all. If the central message of all religions is the same - that we should all strive to be better human beings - why not pursue that central tenant without religion? His argument was that religion is merely one more way for humanity to be divided against itself. I have to admit, I didn’t know quite how to tackle that question at the time it was asked. For whatever reason, I remembered his question today, and began seriously reconsidering his words… and he is correct.

If all religions had the same message, we would not need religion at all. Notice how I worded that; I said “had” and “would.” In our conversation, I was the one to propose that all religions have the same central message. Under that presumption, my friend is correct. I, however, was incorrect on several levels. Not all religious entities share the message that we should all strive to be better humans. Even when talking about life affirming religions, such as Christianity, there are individuals, churches, and sects within those religions that undermine the message of refining what it means to be a human being.

I could argue that those religions, sects, churches, and individuals that undermine the tenant of becoming better humans do not represent “true” religion, but instead are a perversion of that religion. Of course I then run into the problem of trying to define “true” religion and “false” religion, which reeks of hubris and delusions of adequacy. However, let’s suppose I can get away with dividing religions into two piles of “true” and “false.” Even the so-called “true” religions give nuance of meaning to the pursuit of becoming a better human.

Christianity speaks to the innate flaws of our human nature and how we must overcome these flaws. Islam reveals how submission and humility is a strength, even when it would otherwise seem to be a weakness. Hinduism encourages us to evolve through our understanding of how we are all interconnected, even though we are each unique. Buddhism shows us the meaning of suffering and how to grow in spite of - perhaps even because of - suffering. These nuances each appeal to people in a different manner, so that no matter what their situation and personal condition, they can find reason to seek out self improvement through spirituality. But the net result is the same; I cannot successfully argue that all religions have the same message.

The flaws in my thinking go deeper, however. Do we need religion at all? Seeing that it has been used to divide mankind against itself since its inception, shouldn’t we just do away with the whole idea? The truth is, we don’t need religion.

We do need community, which can be found outside of religion. We do need moral teachings, but these can be found in nonreligious stories and parables. That sense that we are a small part of something greater, sometimes call spirituality, can be found by believers and non-believers alike gazing into the night sky. Secular and private ritual can easily replace any need that religious ritual filled. And what of that desire to become a better human being, or the need for narratives that speak to the multitude of perspectives on the human condition? We can find that in art, literature, and theater just as well as we do in religion. Yet, I would be hard pressed to find an establishment that combines the best of all of these, if it were not for religion.

Religion is flawed - you won’t find me arguing against that. But I also think that it is a work in progress… much like government, the internet, and humanity itself. Throwing out the good with the bad and the admirable with the awful seems such a waste. I guess that is why I am so fascinated with religion, even though I am often times so at odds with it; I see that which is redeemable and good. And although this means my belief that all religions are essentially teaching the same thing rings hollow and trite, it still doesn’t discourage me from looking for the good within all religions.

First photo from David Boyle. Final Image from “wotthe7734″.

I am honestly disappointed in the way you’ve been ignoring your goals lately and concerned that you are losing your focus. Life isn’t something that you can just wait for to happen; it is something you must actively pursue. You haven’t written in almost a month, your work habits have become sloppy, and you can’t even be bothered to take care of yourself. Something has to change.

What is the problem? And I don’t mean that you should try placing blame on your personal circumstances, time limitations, or some outside influence; what is it, within you, that keeps you from aspiring to something greater? Have you just given into the idea that you will never aspire to anything? Have you settled for what you have, thinking that there is nothing better? Are you afraid of making the sacrifices necessary to succeed? Are you truly content just to be a dreamer and nothing more?

Look, I don’t mean to belabor the point, but it has been a year since you’ve decided that you want to become a minister, and you are only a fraction closer now than you where then. You have made little effort to return to school or even be consistent in your writing. And despite how much you would like to believe that your drinking is not excessive, it is impairing you from reaching your goals and making you complacent. I know it stings to hear that. I know perfectly well how it irritates you when your wife tells you she is concerned about your drinking. Yeah, well, it should irritate, but not because you resent the implication. You should be irritated because you’ve thought the same thing yourself. No one thinks you are an alcoholic, but you need to cool it before your become one. Not just for a day, not for a week, and not for a month, but for a substantial amount of time.

And for God’s sake, instead of ignoring your emotions and opting to numb yourself with food, television and other distractions, you need to confront your personal demons and tackle them head on. You know how important it is to work on yourself; although it is hard, it is also very necessary. Growing as a person doesn’t happen without effort. Constant effort and an honest desire to become something - to make something of yourself.

John, In seven months you will be thirty. I know you’ve never been the type to count down the days of your life - you are not afraid of getting older. However, you have said that you want to make a difference in this world. If you think that is accomplished by just letting the years slip past you without taking initiative, you will be sadly disappointed when your time is up. You are a good person, despite your flaws and fears. That doesn’t give you an excuse not to live up to your own potential. No excuses - do what needs to be done. Be the person you want to become.

Love and Namaste,
Your Better Self.

Photo by Marshall Astor.

If we were to work together, famine, disease, poverty, and war could become distant memories. We have the technology to feed the entire world and heal those suffering from the deadliest of viruses; because we believe we are separate, we don’t take the initiative to resolve these issues. We, as individuals, believe that we can’t trust others to do the right thing or share their wealth, so we hoard power and money, creating war and poverty as a result. This is the cause of the majority of human suffering. Can we all agree that is evil?

Previously, I’ve argued in favor of relative morality and against absolutes in morality. While the conclusions of my reasoning have stayed the same, the actual reasoning itself has been evolving. I no longer feel that the dichotomy between relative and absolute morality is as clean as I previously believed. There is an absolute to morality; to sustain the survival of humanity under the best possible conditions for the longest period of time.

Morality is, at its very core, a function for the survival of social creatures. During the dawn of humanity, morality meant to have loyalty to one’s family, clan, or tribe. A moral person had to defend their people against outsiders, who brought with them disease and war, or at best were competition for valuable resources. Men were expected to hunt, women were expected to bear children, and life was short and violent. This isn’t the best possible condition we can expect today, but with their limited technology, it is the best that could be hoped for at that time.

As our technology has changed our circumstances, the restrictions that were at one time necessary to maintain our species have become less meaningful. The problem is that human morality is lagging behind the morality that our technology can afford us; we are still caught up in the “us against them” paradigm, when our technology can support a “one human family” paradigm. This is hindering our evolution as a species and causes far more human suffering than is necessary.

Yes, we as a species have made some progress; racism, sexism, nationalism, and bigotry of all forms have been cast as shadows by the light of reason. Yet they still linger in political and public discourse. We still harbor this “us against them” mentality that unnecessarily hampers our ambitions as a species. I’ve come to the conclusion that evil isn’t a metaphysical entity with malicious intentions. Instead, evil is the divisions within humanity which hinders us from achieving world peace and prosperity. We are one people. Once we realize this, all obstacles become surmountable.

First Image from Bob Bobster. Second Image from “Headovmetal”. Final Image by Jason Ford.

Life is conversation between an individual and the circumstances in which he finds himself. That interaction between one part and the whole is the conversation between a creature and his creator. But such a conversation is not possible if the creature fails to pay attention.

Spiritual insight arises naturally from living life. With open eyes you learn your surroundings, and with that knowledge can make better decisions. This is called Understanding. In making your decisions and paying attention to the outcome of those decisions, you learn yet more about your surroundings. This constant refinement of knowledge is called Wisdom. It is through these that we touch the hem of God’s robe; it is through Understanding and Wisdom we approach the Divine.

None of this is possible without first turning within. The first step of any journey is to know were you are starting. You start by questioning yourself. You start by exploring the maze of your past and playing with the puzzle pieces of your present. You start with daring to answering the riddle of your existence with ever increasing curiosity and humility.

Why curiosity? The curious accepts both positive and negative with equal zeal. Curiosity is interest in both the depths of the earth and the reach of the winds, yet does not judge either. Why humility? Humility means to be human; to be willing to honor that which is greater than oneself. Humility is the position of learning.

Yet none of what I say can impart any of this to you. No platitudes can substitute or satisfy individual spiritual exploration. I cannot make you know yourself. I cannot live your life for you. I cannot make you see that which you choose not to. If you dare not turn within, there is no threat I can make to persuade you. Asking that you be curious and humble is as meaningless as asking you to feel well when you are ill.  You have got to make that choice, and no outside influence can make that choice for you.

So, in writing this short instructional on how to be human, I prove only my own hubris. I think that some how in relating to you what I know from my own experience, I can open your eyes and make your curious. I cannot make you do anything. Sadly, I can just make vain conversation…

But if that conversation gives rise to a good question, is it truly vain?

Above Image of the Orion Nebula.

Everyone ought to worship God according to his own inclinations, and not to be constrained by force.
- Flavius Josephus, 37 AD - 100 AD.

Omnitheism. It’s one of those words I like to throw around that no one quite understands. From an etymological standpoint the word is no different then pantheism in that both “pan-“ and “omni-” means “all” in Latin and Greek respectively. “Pantheism”, which is the worship of all things as collectively being God, is a well established word in the English language. This is in contrast with “Omnitheism” which can only be found sparely used by a handful of people on the internet and does not have a definition from an authoritative source.Why use a word that has so little history to describe my religious inclinations? It may seem silly, but I don’t believe any of the other words properly describe how I view the Divine. I’m not saying that there has not been others throughout history who share my particular understanding of the Divine. I’m not saying that I invented the word “Omnitheism” either, as there are currently at least three or four people who could lay claim to that title, none of whom are myself. I am going to work towards giving this word a proper definition that everyone can understand and appreciate, that clearly differentiates it from other religious terminology.

So what is Omnitheism? There are two ways in which you can define this word. One method of defining this word by dropping large theological concepts into the collective laps of my readers and elaborating on them with the eloquence of an 18th century philosopher. The benefit of defining a word this way is appearing intelligent and well educated to the two, or maybe three, readers that might be able to follow my train-wreck of logic. Seeing as I do not yet have a theological degree, I don’t see the point in trying to fool with break-teeth words; I would probably end up using the words incorrectly anyway.

The other method of definition looks at how we relate to the Divine and practice of our spirituality. This method, unlike the other, would give you an idea of what Omnitheism looks like. This is the method I want to use because I want to give you a working understanding of what it means to be an omnitheist. No pretense, no twelve syllable words, and no bull.

As you may have guessed, Omnitheism is a melting pot of religions and philosophies. Omnitheism is the belief that no single religion, philosophy, or science can ever accurately explain or describe in full the nature of reality, the nature of the human experience, or the nature of the divine, yet each contributes to an over-all understanding of such. In addition, Omnitheism encourages constant spiritual exploration and experimentation in contrast to the unyielding belief or dogma of many religions. This may lead to many interesting questions. I’m not going to attempt to answer them all in one post, but I will attempt to touch on what omnitheists believe concerning God, what makes Omnitheism different from other spiritual paths, and how omnitheists worship.

To an omnitheist, the Divine is both distant and personal, a part of creation and apart from creation, many entities and one, intelligent and a force of nature. The metaphors and examples of what omnitheists believe concerning God could very well fill an entire book. I’ll spare you the repetition; the bottom line is, our language and logic are not able fully explain the nature of the Divine. Seemingly contradictory statements made about the Divine could very well both be true in one sense and both false in another sense. Omnitheists don’t pretend to know the nature of God, but still can form their own opinions based upon what is known to be true and their own personal spiritual experience.

One thing that all Omnitheists agree on is that the Divine does not seem to differentiate believers in one religion from the other. Members of all religions and paths have similar profound experiences, although they might be interpreted differently depending on the culture. Omnitheism takes that observation and brings it to a logical conclusion. It doesn’t matter how you define the Divine, all that matters is that it is experienced by all people.

How is Omnitheism, then, different then deism or spiritual atheism? It is how omnitheists relate to the collected wisdom, practices, and stories of other religions. Unlike deism or spiritual atheism, Omnitheism still finds validity in the holy texts, practices, and the ideas of other religions. Omnitheism teaches that the Divine speaks to different people in different ways. Just because the Divine reveals itself to one person in one fashion and other people in another fashion does not mean one must be true and the other false.

As already discussed, our language and understanding are not fully able to comprehend the Divine, so what the Divine gives us are allegories and symbolism. While this makes all holy texts inherently flawed, through attempting to understand what is being said and the essential truths behind the words and practices, we begin to be able to realize more of those truths. That realization and work cannot be done by someone else; it has to be done by each individual for him or herself.

That leads us to the issue of worship. The problem, if you can call it a problem, is that Omnitheism is a belief that can manifest itself in a large number of ways. You could almost imagine this faith as an empty white room that you are expected to paint in any color or combination of colors that you desire. This differs from mainstream religions, in that the work of building a relationship with the divine isn’t already done. You must put forth the effort to find what colors, or what means of worship, work for you.

The majority of omnitheists will be those who strive to worship God through the practices of several different religions. It only makes sense; most people would become omnitheists because they see similarity and beauty in more then one religion. Does that mean that the practice of these omnitheists are cobbled together like some strange Frankenstein monster? No. Omnitheism is not only the view that all religions are valid, but also is the view that all religions should be respected. What it means is that omnitheists will try to relate to God in a way that is completely unique unto themselves, making a subtle art out of their own worship. One might find regular prayer and meditation important to their individual worship, while another omnitheist might preform rituals of her own design. Yet another omnitheist may forgo all means of worship, concentrating instead in honoring the Divine by living a life of integrity and joy.

I’m not claiming that Omnitheism is for everyone, nor am I suggesting that this spiritual path is more valid just because it is broader in scope. Each person needs to find their own way to relate to the Divine; no one religion or path can ever satisfy everyone. As someone who has taken a serious look at several different religions and realized that they each have something to offer, I found “Omnitheist” to be the only label with which I felt comfortable. I suspect that there are more than a few other individuals who might feel as I do, but just do not have the word to describe what they believe. Perhaps you feel that Omnitheism fits you, or perhaps someone you know, as well?

First Image by Jared Tarbell. Second Image from John Guano. Third Photo from David Shapinsky. Final Image by Charis Tsevis. Originally Published October 12th, 2007.

There are basically only two choices. You could either save face, distance yourself from the current administration and their policies, expecting to lose this up coming election, and prepare your party for a comeback two years from now. This would take a tremendous amount of restraint and humility. Alternatively, you could lie, cheat, and manipulate in the most desperate of ways to win this election. Nothing less could even bring you close. Can you guess which of these two strategies I am going to suggest that John McCain is using?

The Republicans have proven that they are desperate not to lose this election - and that is their greatest weakness. Because of their desperation, they chose to run a woman with little political experience, Sarah Palin, as the vice presidential nominee. This choice could only be an attempt at syphoning off disgruntled Hilary Clinton supporters from Barak Obama. But it isn’t all about her - it is about how their whole campaign has ran.

Think back to every criticism the Republican party has made concerning Barak Obama; what attacks *didn’t* seem desperate? The controversy regarding his minister? Desperate. The repetitive inference that Barak is of Muslim faith? Also Desperate. The ads comparing Obama to Paris Hilton, claims that Obama will increase taxes, inferring that his support of educating young children about sexual predators is some how perverse…. These acts of desperation know no limits, apparently.

But lets not fool ourselves - we Democrats are desperate too. Desperate to see our troops brought home from Iraq, our military repaired, and our standing in the world as a great nation restored. We are desperate to fix an increasingly failing economy, to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil, and to provide adequate health care to the impoverished. We are so desperate that we are afraid to move, afraid to yell or scream, afraid to speak the truth regarding John McCain and his lies. And the recent polls seem to justify these fears: Obama and McCain are dead-even in the race for the presidency.

Well, I’m not so sure if those fears are truly justified. Sure, I’m as nervous as anyone else; I check election news once or twice daily in hopes to bolster my own confidence in the outcome of this election. But there is one thing that we need to keep in mind - keep drilling into our head. There are many more newly registered voters this season, and they are all energized and focused to make one Barak Obama our president. The polls don’t reflect these first time voters. The polls don’t mean anything.

So we should let the Republicans be desperate while we speak the truth unabashedly. Let them be desperate - and we can be hopeful.

First Image by Springhill2008. Second Photo by Derek Nola. Final Photo by Thomas Roche.

I have a formula I’ve been working on. Now, it isn’t a perfect formula, nor is it a particularly original formula, as bits and pieces of it has existed since before the fall of Rome. It is just another iteration of what philosophy, religion, and science has been telling us for hundreds of years. What makes this formula different is its brevity. This is the God Equation…

God = Truth = Life = Love

God is Truth, God is Life, God is Love, and all three of these concepts are also equal to each other. Now, for all those who like to think literally, I’m well aware that the dictionary definitions of these four words do not lend itself to my formula. However, from a philosophical and theological point of view, this formula makes sense.

In the Christian tradition, there are a number of bible verses that support my formula. John 8:32: reads: “…you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 2 John 1:2 reads “…because of the truth that resides in us and will be with us forever.” What other truth do these verses refer to other than the Holy Spirit? John 1:4 reads: “In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.” In John 6:48, Jesus said: “I am the bread of life.” Does it not sound like Christ is equating himself with life itself? 1 John 4:8 reads: “The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” In John 15:12, Jesus said: “My commandment is this - to love on another just as I have loved you.”

Granted, I do not consider myself a Christian, and read into scripture the meaning that I understand as a Unitarian Universalist, and an Omnitheist. As such, I know that Christian readers may not agree with all the conclusions I come to further in this article. I’ve also have utilized only one of the four Gospel writers. What can I say? Guys named “John” tend to be great writers…

What does it mean to equate God with Truth? Does this mean to say that God is undeniable real? Yes and No; it means that our understanding of what God is should be grounded in that which is undeniably real. If I believe that God is literally a great, thunderbolt wielding, old man in the sky, I’m going to have a hard time proving this. To quote Michael Dowd, a fellow UU, God is nothing less, but may be infinitely more, than the totality of reality.

Everything that can be proven to be true reveals something about the nature of God. Science can be and should be viewed through the lens of understanding the creation in order to understand the creator. The God and Truth does not change - only our perspective changes; there are hundreds of religions only because there are so many different ways of relating to God. Even more interesting is how misunderstanding and deliberate falsehood actually reveal more about the nature of the Truth and God than it obscures… At least that is my observation.

What does it mean to equate God with Life? Far too many people concern themselves with the noun “God,” and yet pay little attention to the verb “God.” God is in every moment, every choice, and every outcome of every “thing.” God is a process, just as Life is a process. This is what is meant by “Process Theology.” Every moment of our lives is a new revelation of our God’s glory, as is every moment of all other life. Some would claim that the sum of all things are encompassed by God. I would correct them and say that the sum of all change is encompassed by God.

When I say that every moment of our lives and the lives of others is a revelation of God, I am not being figurative. Even our dreams, hallucinations, and fantasies reveal some part of God that we might not have known of before. Every reaction to our action is a lesson waiting to be learned - a teaching of God. Sometimes the lesson is obvious… other times the lesson challenges us to find meaning in that which seems senseless.

What does it mean to equate God with Love? Think about what love is for one moment; it brings parts into something greater than there sum. Two human beings that share love towards one another, lift each other up, learn from each other’s differences, and become stronger individuals through that relationship. What happens when we apply love to all things? We become one with all things as mystics. We learn from all things, are lifted up by the totality of reality, and become stronger individuals through that relationship.

Through our understanding of Truth, Life, and Love, we gain a better understanding of God. This is far better an understanding than what we could ever achieve through rote memorization of Holy Text or constant theological philosophizing (of which I am just as guilty as anyone else). The God Equation puts all of religion and spirituality in perspective, allowing each human being to follow his or her own path. I think this has the potential of creating harmony between religions while maintaining the viability of all religious traditions… but I’m sure some would differ with my assessment.

First photo by Got Jenna. Second photo by Bart. Third Photo by Alice Cornelia. Final Photo by Jennifer R.

So for the past two weeks or so, I haven’t had a new post. Truth is, I have one post half finished up on my computer screen right now, but I’m just too worn out from work to complete it… I’ve been working quite a bit of over-time; this is the start of the busy season for my company. Despite having sworn off coffee and other caffeinated beverages a few weeks ago, I’m now gargling with the stuff to stay on top of my game. I doubt this is going to change much over the next few months - it won’t be until mid-January that everything settles down at work.

I’ve been thinking a lot about politics recently, and nothing would please me more than to find the time to write a political article. After witnessing Obama’s official nomination as the Democratic Nominee for President, I felt genuine hope and excitement for the future of this country. Since seeing the disgrace of the RNC - both the speeches within and the protests outside - I’ve also never been more fearful. I don’t want to know what four more years like the last eight will do to this country. All the polls show the race as being too close for comfort - it seriously shakes my faith in humanity that so many people think that they would be better off under McCain.

I’ve also been thinking quite a bit about sex, and it’s place within the folds of spirituality. I haven’t written about sexuality on this website, and I think I may never… I personally have too many hang-ups and issues regarding sex to be comfortable discussing it in an honest manner. At the same time, my personal struggles with that particular subject have brought me to new spiritual insights about myself. This is a potential place of growth for me, but it is also too close for me to discuss in detail.

Finally, I’ve been crazy-obsessed with the idea of getting a new tattoo. Next year, I’ll be thirty - and while it is still over nine months away, I would like to celebrate it with a new ink. The only problem is that I have so many ideas of what to get, that I cannot decide… Should I get the image of a pregnant goddess tattooed on the outside of my thigh? Perhaps I should get a half-sleeve done of the Tree of Life, in Celtic-knot style… I’ve also been thinking of getting some Hebrew lettering. I keep changing my mind! I have nine months to decide, anyway.

So, anyway, that is what has been happening with me. I hope to find more time to write over the next few weeks, but if I don’t, at least now you know why. As always, Namaste…

Image by William Murphy.