The Pageless Book

Above Photo by Starbeard. Below Photo by Mamjodh. Final Photo by Virginie.

Today, I have planned a grand experiment! I’m going to start my first blogging meme. Sure, I’ve participated in blogging memes before, but never have I tried to be the cause of one. The theme of this meme? Choose ten people whom you would confer Sainthood on and what that person would be the patron saint of. As with all memes, you can be as serious or as humorous as you please. I personally plan to do a little of both. Here are my list of ten, in no particular order…

Eliphas Levi, Patron Saint of Occultism
If you are going to discuss the history of occultism in any serious manner, this man’s name is bound to come up. While he is not the first occultist, his contributions to occultism are numerous and historical. It was Levi who first married Qabalah, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Rosicrucianism, and Alchemy into the single system of symbolism on which the Golden Dawn would later base their teachings.

Thomas Jefferson, Patron Saint of Democracy
Much of the thanks that people of all democratic nations is owed to this man, who played a pivotal role in crafting Democracy as we know it today. Although many of his views, such as the separation of Church and State, remain controversial, the character of the American political system exhibits the unmistakable mark of his genius.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Patron Saint Spirituality

The words of this famous Unitarian minster still inspire his readers to look deep within themselves for spiritual sustenance. His writings are so influential that they are still read, quoted, and debated by Unitarian Universalists today. If I were to choose one person I wished to emulate as a minster, he would be my choice.

H.P. Lovecraft, Patron Saint of Horror
Everything is better with tentacles. Ancient sleeping demon threatening to enslave humanity? Needs tentacles. Bazaar extra dimensional aliens bent on world domination? Still needs tentacles. Angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream? Tentacles; lots and lots of tentacles. And for this, we can thank the author H.P. Lovecraft.

Mahatma Gandhi, Patron Saint of Peace
Another man who I wish to emulate, Mahatma Gandhi changed the nature of protest and social change. The idea of non-violent protest was is so revolutionary, that it is hard to measure the impact that this man has had on our history. Would Dr. Martin Luther King have ended segregation without Gandhi as an inspiration? I’m not so sure. Would religious intolerance be a larger issue without his teachings? Of that, I am sure.

Albert Einstein, Patron Saint of Reason
For a young man who was bad at algebra, Albert Einstein more than over came this obstacle, becoming the most famous scientist in history. It is important, however, to realize that his fame was not just due to what he did within the confines of the scientific world, but also what he said and wrote during is life time. Einstein is one of my favorite people to quote when it comes to spirituality and religion, not because he was a rational theist, but because his words cut to the truth of any subject on which he cared to comment.

Timothy Leary, Patron Saint of Radical Change
Yet another giant of forward thinking, Leary is often dismissed due to his advocacy psychedelic drug use and radical ideas. I cannot, however, imagine my list of saints without him. His catch phrase, “Think For Yourself & Question Authority” is my personal mantra. For me, this man embodies the potential for radical social change.

Shel Sliverstein, Patron Saint of Humor
When I was seven, I received my first pair of glasses. Along with my glasses, I was given a copy of “Where The Sidewalk Ends.” I still have that book. It has played a large part in the development of my sense of humor, writing style, and common sense that I couldn’t imagine my life without it. Such a small thing can sometimes be the root of large changes.

Kurt Cobain, Patron Saint of Teenage Rebellion
What can I say? I’m a proud member of Generation X. Kurt Cobain embodied so much of what it means to me to be a teenager; the anger, anxiety, and angst. While many would say that his effect on American Culture is greatly exaggerated, I tend to disagree; the changes that his music have made are still being felt today.

Gary Gygax, Patron Saint of Games
Dungeons & Dragons have very much been on my mind since Gary Gygax’s death earlier this month. As I have said before about the game, I don’t know who I would be without D&D in my life. As such, if I had my choice for the Patron Saint of Games, Mr. Gygax would be it.

And now I’m going to tag Julian, Chalicechick, Dianne Sylvan, Bill Cecchini, Ms. Kitty, Tobeme, Hafidha Sofia, My Wife, Evan, Ms. Theologian, Elizabeth, and Shelby. I figure if half the people on this list choose to participate in this meme, it will be well on its way to becoming popular. Please tag three others at the end of your post. Keep it going strong!

Above Photo by Joi Ito. Image Below by Chris Gladis. Hebrew Script Photo by Jurek Durczak. Last Photo Below by Jeff Kubina.

In my previous article, Three Serpents, I discussed the symbolism behind the entities Metatron, Sandalphon, and Apollion, as the holy trinity of The Gated Emptiness. They are not the only trinity present in this text, however; we are also presented with a trinity that represents all of humanity. The Gated Emptiness reads:

“The mother is the past, but she shall be ever present. The father is present, but he ever thrusts forward. The child unites both past and future. The child opens the gates of hell, of heaven, of the palaces, and of the worlds. These three enter all gates, and close all.”

The trinity of humanity - man, woman, and child - represents past, present, and future in various stages. They also represent the movement of time. Woman symbolizes the movement from the past to the present while man symbolizes the movement from the present to the future. Yet it is the child, who unities both past and future, that opens the all gates - all of our possibilities. What is meant by these passages and what does it say regarding humanity?

Before we can get to answer that question, we have to understand the language that The Gated Emptiness is using. It is no coincidence that we are introduced to both a holy trinity and a human trinity within the confines of the same chapter. This points to the frame work within which we can better understand what the text is telling us. Not only can this be interpreted as a reference to the biblical account of the Divine making mankind in its likeness, but simultaneously introduces the concept of the infinite cycle of history. In my mind, there is no mistaking this passage for anything but a reference to the Gnostic credo, “As Above, So Below.”

So “Gnostic” is like being agnostic, right? Er, No. Gnosticism was a religious movement which blended Christianity with the popular Greek, Egyptian, and Roman religions or philosophies. This movement was considered highly heretical by the early Christian church which attempted to suppress Gnosticism and was largely successful due to the shear diversity within that movement. Gnostic beliefs later became highly influential in the formation of Qabalah (a Jewish form of mysticism) and medieval occultism.

And what of the gates of hell, heaven, the palaces, and the worlds? Is this, too, a Gnostic reference? Actually, it is a Qabalistic reference, as is the following passage:

“Twelve hands grab hold of the sides of sky and pull the starry hosts towards the center into the eye of God. Six hands go forth and move the fabric of night and day. Eight hands usher the wise towards enlightenment, holding upright the Tree of Life. So are formed the altar and keystone, the foundation of the earth.”

Twelve? Six? Eight? What?! This is going to take some explaining. Pay attention, as there will be a quiz later on… The twelve hands represents the twelve astrological signs, six hands represents the six ancient planets (minus the sun), and the eight hands represent the seven lower Sephiroth of the Tree of Life along with Da’ath. The Tree of Life is a graphical representation of creation, as understood by Qabalists, which has ten Sephiroth or stages of creation along with one Pseudo-Sephiroth named Da’ath. The “altar and keystone” are symbolized by these hands; a cube has six faces, twelve edges (where two faces meet), and eight points (where three faces meet).

If this all sounds like one long convoluted riddle, that is because… it is a long convoluted riddle! Both Gnosticism and Qabalah are extremely symbolic in their language and artwork. These religious movements formed during a time of persecution, so secrecy was an important consideration, but more important was that both of these movements understood that the Divine is beyond our comprehension. Much like a Zen Koan, hiding their meaning underneath layers of symbols ensured that a person had to dismantle their preconceptions before coming to understand its meaning.

Why does The Gated Emptiness include something so arcane that its meaning has to be spelled out? I could give you some pretentious bovine manure, that in order to understand and appreciate the depth of The Gated Emptiness you would need to be versed in several mystic traditions; the truth, however, is not this glamourous. During the period which I wrote this text, I was heavily into occultism, which influenced my subconscious. Whether you believe that The Gated Emptiness is a divinely inspired text or not, it still had to run through the filter of my subconsciousness. If it had not been for this fact, the two above passages probably would have read very differently:

Humanity exists as a cumulation of our choices as a species to date and the possibilities we will have in the future. It is we who choose our own suffering or pleasure, poverty or abundance. The very universe in which we live is there to support us and challenge us. It is in this way that we are in the image of God.

Yes, it is easier to understand, but not nearly as poetic.

Photo above by Janine C. Photo below is Public Domain Courtesy of the National Archives.

The first experience with racism was when I was five or six… but it was not as you might think. I accused a black child of drinking my beverage when I wasn’t looking. My so-called proof was the swirling of my own saliva in my cup. I believed, at that time, that what I was looking at was his ‘blackness’ that had come off from his skin. When I told an adult, I felt the squirming warmth of revenge uncoil in my heart and was satisfied that justice had been done.

Later, when my mother had pointed out that it was my own saliva I was looking at, I felt guilty and foolish. However, for a brief moment hatred had taken seed in me. Now, it would be easy to dismiss this childhood memory as a simple misunderstanding. You shouldn’t. That is how any form of bigotry takes root - from the inability or the unwillingness to understand one another.

And to be completely honest, that isn’t the last time I have had to struggle with my own innate racism, or the racism of others. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I’ve heard disparaging remarks about African Americans and did nothing. My own cowardice is proceeded only by my arrogance in thinking that I am not racist. No matter how many times I say I am color blind, I still see black and white. No matter how friendly I am towards those who are different than me, there is a part of me that is trying to prove something. And the more sensitive I am about another person’s race or ethnicity, the more I avoid trying to understand them.

February is Black History Month, a month long reminder of the great accomplishments and contributions that African Americans have made despite their struggle against racism in the States. If you haven’t guessed by now, I have a lot of mixed feeling about Black History Month. The fact that we have to attribute a full month to one racial minority is a tribute to how little we understand each other as human beings. That so many other minorities, such as the American Indians, do not have the same distinction also makes my heart uneasy. But it is our history as a species, blighted by so many atrocities, that worries me the most. I’m not entirely sure that we are making progress.

It isn’t enough for individuals to hide their misunderstandings of each other under thin veils of politeness. Race deserves open and honest discourse through which we can come to understand each other. We need to each admit to ourselves our own blind spots and try to broaden our vision. Without that, we are merely ignoring the problem.

Of course none of this is easy. If it were, my parent’s generation would have eliminated racism long before my conception. Its specter still looms over American history, threatening to taint our future and darken our doorstep. I don’t believe that this is a lost cause, but I still have trouble taking anyone who says they are color-blind seriously.

With this in mind, I humbly pray for mutual understanding among all people. God, we are your children; Please make us see!

“God enters by a private door into every individual.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803 - 1882.

As I gradually have come to share my new found desire to enter ministry, I’ve found myself in the situation of trying to explain Unitarian Universalism. Friends and family want to know what Unitarian Universalists believe. When asked, I respond with an authoritative voice and a look of pride, then… admit that I have no bloody idea of how to explain it.

How do I explain to my mother that we occasionally sing hymns originally written and sung by The Beatles? Should I even mention that a large number of my fellow worshipers are agnostic or atheist? Would telling my friends that we use quotes from The New Testament, Buddhism, and English literature help them understand my faith, or just confuse them further? In an attempt to set myself straight as to the meaning of our faith, I thought it would be an excellent idea to write an article explaining the origins and evolution of Unitarian Universalist theology.

Unitarian Universalism (a.k.a. UUism) is actually the union of two different Christian denominations - Unitarianism and Universalism. As a result, in order to truly understand UUism you have to trace the history and understand the theology of both original denominations. Of course this makes any attempts to explain UUism that much harder, which is probably why the majority of us choose not to even try. …But I will try.

What is Unitarianism?

Unitarianism, first popularized by Arius in the early 4th century, is the belief that the Christian God is one entity as opposed to three distinct persons. While the Council of Nicea condemned this view in 325 C.E., it became so popular that it was dominant over the belief in the Trinity for a period of twenty years. In the 16th century, Unitarianism emerged again as a result of theologian Faustus Paulus Socinus and Doctor Michael Servetus. This was, of course, believed to be heresy, and resulted in the conviction and burning of Michael Servetus in 1553 C.E.

In removing the Trinity from Christian doctrine, the Catholic Church’s claim to absolute spiritual authority would be weakened. The implication of Unitarianism is that Jesus Christ was not God’s son in a literal sense, but accepts him as a prophet anointed by God. If Jesus was not the literal son of God, than what other sayings of Jesus were figurative? Most Christians would argue that the definition of Christianity is the belief that Jesus Christ is the literal son of God. Without that affirmation, the God of Abraham would be subject to new prophecy.

What is Universalism?

As with Unitarianism, Universalism has deep roots in the early history of Christianity. The belief that salvation is universal (hence “Universalism”) is first encountered in a number of early theologians, such as Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 - 200 C.E.), his student Origen (c. 185-250 C.E.), and Gregory of Nyssa (c. 330-390 C.E.). This was, of course, eventually declared heretical in 534 C.E., but reemerged as a protestant religion in 18th century America.

If all people are assumed to be saved through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, this would include those individuals who choose not to convert to the Christian religion. With the Kingdom of Heaven open to all of God’s creation, there isn’t much incentive to join the church. Additionally, Universalism could (and does) open Christianity to possibility of accepting the practices of other religions as valid. As with Unitarianism, this weakens the authority of the Catholic Church.

Avoiding The Question

In 1961 C.E. the Unitarian and Universalism churches combined to form the Unitarian Universalist Association. In combination of these two liberal Christian doctrines, I have to ponder the implications on the rest of its theology. Where do these two philosophies lead us when combined? Can UUism still claim to be Christian? What is the future of UUism?

In trying to define UUism, I’ve painted myself into a corner with questions. Don’t worry, I have a plan on answering these questions and more in the second part of this article. For now, however, I’m more then delighted to leave the initial question unanswered and allow you, my reader, a chance to mull over the possibilities for yourself.

Photo by Javier Cruz Barranco

In the entire history of the world, there has not been a civilization as successful as Western Civilization - except maybe the Roman Empire, but please let’s over look that. And perhaps the Ottoman Empire… and can we ignore the Chinese Celestial Empire as well? Well, our society may not be unique in terms of successfulness, but there’s no arguing that our civilization is pretty spiffy, in the grand scheme of things, and worth the time and effort to understand.

For better or for worse, the origins of our civilization are rooted deeply into the historical soil of Christianity. By extension the religions that it has came from or have come from Christianity are also important us. Trying to understand the origins of this religion, as well as how this religion has evolved over time, gives us a better understanding of where we have been and where we are going. With this perspective upon our own history, we can better grasp our identity as a civilization, and come to terms with the problems facing us today.

Given this, I present to you a time line of holy texts that have been influential to, or influenced by, Western Civilization. By no means is this a complete list of texts. Although I have tried to include all the major influences on our culture, I may have left a few out. Nor can I claim that all the information is completely accurate. The information I present here is a brief summary and may miss important details. If you find that I have inadvertently excluded something that you believe to be important, feel free to let me know.

• The Zend Avesta - c. 1200 BCE.

This is the Holy Book of Zoroastrianism, the first prophetic and monotheistic religion. This religion became prominent between 560 BCE and 650 CE, and shares many similarities to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Like these religions, Zoroastrianism professes the existence of a heaven and hell, the belief in one God, and in the belief that this holy text is the word of God. You can find the text of The Zend Avesta here.

• The Torah - c. 1200 BCE Authorship, c. 450 BCE Canonized.

Also called the Pentateuch, these five books are considered the word of God as written by Moses in traditional Judaism. The Torah itself has undergone several revisions throughout history. When Israel split from Judah, the two priesthoods began to support slightly different copies of the text. Originally, the Torah was four books, but would later became five books in c. 625 BCE, when the priesthood of Judah claimed to have discovered Deuteronomy. In c. 450 BCE after the exile in Babylon, these two text were combined with other versions of the Torah as well as Deuteronomy and finalized into the book we have today. You can find the text of The Torah here.

• The Tanakh - c. 1000 - 100 BCE Authorship, c. 75 CE Canonized.

Better known to Christian readers as the Old Testament, this holy text includes the Torah along with nineteen other texts which form the core of the Hebrew Religion. It includes the writings of prophets, the poetry of kings, and the histories of the Hebrew people. You can find the text of The Tanakh here.

• New Testament (KJV) - c. 50 - 75 CE Authorship, c. 400 CE Canonized.

Twenty seven books make up this text, and form the corner stone of the Christian faith. Although there are several inconsistencies in the text and mistakes made in the scribing of them, it is believed to be an historically accurate account of Jesus’s life and death. In 1611 CE, the most popular English Translation of the Bible, both New Testament and Old Testament, was published as The King James Bible. You can find the text of the Christian Bible here.

• The Gnostic Gospels - c. 75 - 150 CE.

The core of the Gnostic Gospels are the books found in the Nag Hammadi Library in 1945 CE. Gnosticism is one of the many minor off shoots of early Christianity that were suppressed and became extinct. Gnosticism became the foundation of Hermeticism, which then gave root to Occult practices in Medieval Europe. You can find some of the texts of The Gnostic Gospels here.

• The Kebra Negast - c. 300 CE.

This text was presented at the First Council of Nicaea for possible inclusion into the Christian Bible. It later became the Holy Book of the Rastafari movement, which began c. 1930 CE. The book is an account of the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Ethiopia. You can find the text of The Kebra Negast here.

• The Qur’an - c. 600 CE.

As the sacred book of Islam, the Qur’an is believed by Muslims to be the final revelation to humanity. The book was first written by followers of Muhammad as recited by Muhammad the prophet over the course of 23 years. The text itself is poetic in nature and often alludes to stories of the Tanakh and the New Testament. You can find the text of The Quran here.

• The Adi Granth - c. 1600 CE.

The Adi Granth is the holy book of the Sikh religion. The text itself is a collection of the poetry, spiritual insights, and songs of the first five Gurus of the Sikh religion. Because the Sikh religion is a blending of both Islam and Hinduism, it also recognizes and included information from a number of Muslim and Hindu saints. You can find the text of The Adi Granth here.

• The Book of Mormon - 1830 CE First Publication.

Found and allegedly translated from golden plates by Joseph Smith, The Book of Mormon is the sacred text of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Copies are often given for free by missionaries, and who could probably give a better review of the text then I can here. You can find the text of The Book of Mormon here.

• The Kitab-i-Aqdas - c. 1840 CE.

Written by Bahá’u'lláh, the founder of the Bahai faith, this book claims to be the next revelation of the God of Abraham. The Kitab-i-Aqdas accepts of the account of Muhammad, Jesus, Buddha, and Abraham as revelations of God, and also asserts that there will be yet other messengers of God in the future. The Bahai faith is often described as a blended religion, combining the teachings of several earlier religions. You can find the text of The Kitab-i-Aqdas here.

• The Urantia Book - 1935 CE.

This text is a compilation of papers that were collected by a group known as the Forum. The members of this Forum claim that the papers materialized as a response to questions they have asked between 1925 and 1935. Although The Urantia Book shares several teachings that are similar to Christian beliefs, it also diverts from Christianity in regards to the birth, life, and death of Jesus Christ. It also delves into the study of the universe, presenting several theories on the makeup of reality. Currently, no single religion is associated with this text, although it is popular in New Age circles. You can find the text of The Urantia Book here.

Photo by Henri Bergius

Religions evolve. This has been true since the first time a human being prayed. The evolution of religion and how that evolution is taking place has been one of the more important messages I’ve been conveying on The Pageless Book since its inception. What I haven’t pointed out, is how important it is to understand the past in order to move forward into the future.

Because I am an Omnitheist and a Unitarian Universalist, I cannot limit myself to the history of just one religion. Doing so would be against my religion… Even though I pride myself on being a heretic’s heretic, there are some limits I must obey. I believe it to be important to read and understand all the holy texts of all religions. Yet, I have not even began making way in accomplishing this goal. Why not? To put it lightly, it is a time consuming endeavor.

I will, however, persist. It may be a daunting task, but have a few holy texts crossed off my list already. In order to help myself understand the evolution of these texts, I thought it would be interesting to write a time line on when these texts were written, who wrote them, and their significance. When I set out to do this, I thought it would be interesting to post my time line on The Pageless Book for your enjoyment. Then, I was knocked down by the shear weight of the material I had to wade through. This is not an easy project.

Yet, I had already mentioned this project in one of my earlier articles and I wasn’t about to let my readers down. I decided to break the time line into three sections: Western Civilization, Eastern Civilization, and Alternative Movements. Western Civilization includes such religions as Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Mormonism. Eastern Civilization includes such religions as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Shintoism. Alternative Movement would include Paganism, Gnosticism, Occultism, Theosophism, and New Age Spiritualities.

When I can, I will including link to the actual text in question so that it may be read. I will also include affiliate links to Amazon.com so that copies of the texts may be purchased. The next post in this series, Western Civilizations, will be up either tomorrow or the day after. Please tell me if there is anything missing from my time lines that you would like to see included, and I’ll see to it that it is included. My hope is that you find this information useful.

Thank you and Namaste.

Photo by M.H. Johnston

Ritual is one of those things that is so intrinsic to human nature that it has been present in every society and culture since the beginning of recorded history. Whether it’s form is as primitive as dancing and singing around a bonfire, or as sophisticated as the swearing-in of the United States President, ritual speaks to the human psyche on a deeper level than words alone. Yet, in this modern day and age, we see ritual in decline. I can’t help but think that perhaps this has more to do with our present misunderstanding of what ritual is and its purpose.

I’ve had the chance to witness a Catholic Mass three time in my life. Twice, I have come away with the feeling that the priests were just going through the motions, soullessly reciting the words from rote memory like a child rambling off dates in history class. If I were to judge all ritual based on those two experiences, I would have to say that it’s dull and lifeless. The priest obviously did not invest themselves into the meaning of what they were doing.

The third time I had attended a Catholic Mass, it was a funeral for a family friend. The man had been a member of the Knights of Columbus, a fraternity of lay members of the Catholic Church. The priest who presided over the Mass and the Last Rites was a personal friend of the deceased, and meant every word he said with every fiber of his being. I still get chills thinking about the power in the father’s voice, and gravity behind every action that he took.

What was the difference? Was it the situation or was it the man? It is neither the situation or the man, and yet it was also both. Ritual, you see, is an art form. Unlike other art forms, the primary audience of this art form is the artist. If the ritual does not have meaning for the performers, then what we are left with is an empty shell - actions that have no effect, and words without definition.

Outside observers can easily see the through the veil of insincerity. So much in this society depends on appearance, that we are exposed to empty ritual on a regular basis. Eventually, anyone would get bored of hearing the same meaningless sentiments and seeing the same limp motions. Why concern yourself with something that is so obviously pretentious and vapid? The impression is that all ritual is just rote recitation.

Western society has come to distrust ritual in all forms, and yet it is still very much apart of our human nature. I think it’s time we take back ritual. I don’t mean just for religious purposes, but for our own well being.

I want you to do something meaningful for yourself - perform a ritual. You don’t have to believe anything beside the meaning inherent in the ritual. Just try it. If you have a loved one who is currently overseas, light a candle and place it in your window to light their way back home. If you have regrets that you never had the chance to share with a departed love one, take a white lilies and name each of your regrets as you place the flower upon their grave. If you have succeeded in something you never expected to, give yourself time to dance, howl, and sing in the moon light. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as it has meaning to you.

Try it, then come back here and tell me how it felt to reclaim ritual for yourself. I promise you that there is nothing to lose, except some old preconceptions.

Namaste.

“In the ages that past, many books were pieced from the words grasped through the smoke and scent of the mind. Some were warped by the poisons mankind had consumed, others were broken and still others were misunderstood… All these books where once in time one page and again shall return to one page.” - The Gated Emptiness.

Last night, I was taking a walk and looking at the stars when I began to ponder what religion would be like in the future. I wondered if each individual would one day be able to understand their spiritual experiences for themselves, instead of having them interpreted for them by religious leaders. Then I realized that if each individual were to interpret their own spiritual experiences, what we would have is a society of modern shaman.

As much as mainstream religions would like us to believe it, religion didn’t just spring from the lips of God fully formed - religion evolved. This idea is rather upsetting for anyone who wishes to believe that their particular religion is somehow unique in its interpretation of the truth. The well supported theory that religions evolved doesn’t just suggest that no one particular religion has a monopoly on the truth, but also demands that we recognize that religions borrowed from each other and changed over time. Can you see how this might be a problem for religious zealots?

If we accept that religion evolved, we have to ask from what it evolved. Although we know only very little of how the first humans lived, scientists have surmised a number of details. The first humans were hunter-gatherers, had little to no time for anything other than hunting and gathering, knew little else besides what they needed to survive, and died at a comparably young age. Yet, we also have to assume that at some point, one of their number had a powerful experience.

Whether that experience was the result of ingesting a psychedelic chemical or some crude form of meditation is anyone’s guess; the important thing is that it occurred. When that individual had this experience, they attempted to describe this experience to others. This individual would have had a very limited vocabulary with which to describe this experience and wouldn’t be entirely sure how he would go about recreating this experience. However, the experience would be deemed important enough that this individual would try to have that experience again, if only because that experience may have value to his tribe. This individual would become the first religious leader, who would then go on to teach another what he had seen and learned, who would then add their experiences and understanding and pass it along to the next generation.

As writing developed, someone would have started writing the stories down. With writing came permanence - the teachings now didn’t have to be reinterpreted by each generation. Unfortunately, with writing also came the idea that the interpretation that had been written was the only ‘correct’ interpretation. The spiritual teachings became a political resource and a means of a few individuals controlling the multitudes. If one person’s spiritual experience contradicted the written teachings, that person also threatened the power of the priesthood that was already in control. Even those spiritual experience which where in agreement with the written teachings were only in agreement because that individual knew of no other way to interpret that experience.

As we became more advanced, we began to realize that literal interpretations of written teachings did not agree with the reality that we were experiencing. We became more numerous, and religions came into in closer contact, each threatening the other for dominance over their society. Humanity began to find new ways of expressing itself and more people had time to discuss and understand their individual spiritual experiences. This of course leads us to the situation we have ourselves in today.

The dominance that religious institutions hold over our society is already waning. Every conversation concerning religion regains some of the authority over our own spirituality from religious institutions. Eventually, each person will become their own priest and spiritual experience will be interpreted by each individual for themselves. Again, this is nothing less than a return to shamanism. This time, however, we will understand better our experiences and will know that how we describe these experiences to each other are not literal, but are figurative.

The most basic truth about religions is that they are institutions. From the perspective of any institution, questions that threaten the purpose of that institution also threaten the existence of that institution. The continued existence of an institution, while not necessarily its primary purpose, often becomes a primary decision making factor. As a result, most institutions seek to silence or invalidate those brave and perhaps foolish enough to question the establishment. Religion is no different in this respect, as history plainly shows several instances when the dominant religion in a given society becomes violently defensive.

Do religions differ from large corporations, political organizations, and the dominant nations of the world? Are we to believe that religion is nothing more then another social construct used to manipulate humanity? There are those who would argue that it is, indeed, just a monolithic entity of oppression. These individuals are missing half of the truth regarding religion.

Religion is an institution of asking questions that cannot be answered. Questions such as “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “How did we come to be?” and other questions concerning the human condition, dominate religious conversation. Spirituality, from which religion evolved, is nothing less than an act of creative and curious questioning. This sets religion apart and makes it a living self-contradiction. By its very nature, religion inspires people to question the validity of religion.

Of course, this doesn’t let religion off the hook for the horrific history it brings to the human experience. Although it would be easy to dismiss the whole sordid affair on the inherently violent and malicious nature of humanity, to do so one would have to turn a blind eye to the religious intolerance and violence that still exists. Today, religion is just as hateful as has been throughout history. Just because western society does not condone violence on behalf of faith does not mean it never happens.

What it does mean is that religions, in order to find their place in modern society, must be willing to accept a lesser role then what they have had throughout human history. No one religion can ever again be a monolithic force that dominates every level of society. Religion’s place in society is not all encompassing. Religion exists to enrich our lives, to ask important questions concerning the human condition, and to serve as a preventative measure against mental illness. No longer can religion be considered an infallible source of knowledge, morality, and truth. It is only by accepting this lesser role that religion can continue to serve humanity.

I’ve learned, just last night, that this week is Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week. I hardly have had any time to digest this tidbit of information and already the synapses in my brain are organizing in protest. Why didn’t someone tell me? Had I known, I might have written a series of articles on this subject all this week.

To what shall I compare this pig-headed grab for attention? That is all it boils down to - a grab for attention. It isn’t even a well thought out grab for attention. Somewhere between “Islamo” and “Fascism”, they are also debunking global warming. Michael Crichton already wrote that work of fiction; we really don’t need to improve on it by adding Muslims!

Damn! Just damn! Is there anything else I can say about this? Is there anything positive about something so blatantly racist and religiously intolerant? Perhaps there is something to be said about intolerance of intolerance, but right now I can’t quite grasp what.

No, I know what needs to be said about this issue - nothing. The best way to combat this obvious cry for attention is just to ignore it. I am, of course, painfully aware of the irony in saying this and then posting this entry to my blog. This situation does make me question how I should respond to religious intolerance.

I want to know what you think. Let me know your idea of how best to spread religious tolerance. How should people who support religious tolerance oppose intolerance? I look forward to reading your comments.