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2004.01.31
Church v. State II
Recently, I've been getting emails telling me to "Get God before you go to Hell and it is too late."
Discussion of my Christian background should help you know, I'm no stranger to perspectives of such strategies. Curious, the senders don't have courage to stand up for who they are. Do they fear getting some uninvited email? How many adult websites are pestered by these kinds of amusements?
It's so trivial and funny, I usually hit the delete key and move on. But, since I like to think about God quite a bit, it's a good launch for another "Discourse."
As you can tell, I've been interested in the Church v. State controversy for awhile. Certain Faiths have been justifiably feeling a governmental conspiracy of censorship--while others feel offended that some ethical systems keep imposing their personal beliefs and traditions into public arenas. The American Constitution is so broad on this topic that it is continuously challenged and reinterpreted. It seems we need a new approach, altogether.
The U.S. Constitution supports "Freedom of Religion." Separating God from Government comes with the intention of preventing One Thought System from becoming a Tyranny. What's supposed to happen is that One Order of Government makes it viable and comfortable for Many Religions and Ethics to co-exist thru their personal voices. America's Governing Approach needs to separate constructiveness from destructiveness--not people from government. Remember, the government is supposed to be FOR its people, not against them? In the sense that Everyone votes and lives from their personal frame of values and ethics--We cannot separate Church and State. We can't get around it. Therefore, it's manadory to structure our Law in ways that "Honor and Respect" the Whole WellBeing of America--Majority AND Minority--the broadest spectrum of Thiest and Athiest, alike.
Yet, the American platform of Democracy drives by a majority conviction! Is this the same thing as One Religion being capable of dominating over the freedom of Others? If the State restricts all expressions of religion, spirituality or philosophy in public--is this becoming its own oppressive religion? What historic story do you want to use to answer that question? America's immigration of variety has slowly challenged the purity of a Majority standing. Does this mixture beg us to agree with history's perpetual demonstration that "the Majority" and "Most Powerful" are often NOT the highest direction? Is the "majority rules" the best governing theory possible? Might the progress of humanity demand reconsidering this and inventing something better?!
Ever since the American White Man's confrontation with respect for the minority--there has been confusion about what is "politically correct." Practicing "tolerance and celebration" for diversity has been "the" Lesson at hand. Are we achieving mastery? Getting better--but, mastery? Not yet!
This is because we confuse "familiarity" and "preference" for "righteousness." We confuse "belief" and "faith" for "fact" and "truth." We confuse "biggest" and "most" with "bestest" and "rightest." We forget that "perspective" and "personal experience" is only a part of Reality, not the whole of Reality. Objectivity only comes thru open mindedness, expanding awareness and the "test of many" experiences. Most of us want to survive, hence we "need" the mechanism of "judgement." But, it is thru refining the accuracy of our premises and practicing higher reason which protects, nourishes and evolves us. Nothing happens by shutting everything out and sitting still!
"Reality" consistently offers Material and Logical answers about what is spiritually and physically constructive. We recognize it in results of health, strength, flexibility, vitality, progress, cooperation, creativity, confidence and joy. To me, "this criteria" is what points the way to "God." Therefore, results of bigotry, hatred, illness, weakness, separation, depression, dissent and jealousy--are against "God." Really, this just means: we are working with or against the Laws of Life.
We can postulate, pontificate and preach all we want. But, "Reality" will always remind us what is concrete and practical--what hurts and what makes well--what's abstract and ideal--and what's illusion and fact. Aspirational Ideals (Religion, Ethics, Philosophy) "need" to exist--as the conceptual blueprints for guiding our physical expressions. But, we are Fools if we believe our practical demonstrations will ever "perfectly" achieve our Abstract Ideals or that we already know Everything we Need to know about what is True. The Earth is not the Center of the Universe, nor is Einstein the last word on Physical Law.
Elevating ourselves must come with understanding the process of Mastery. Progress occurs one step at a time...always with tons of mistakes, experimentation and adjustment along the way. Mastery, however, flourishes much better thru nourishment, coaching, cheerleading and invitation than it does thru punishment, policing, judgment and coercion. Think about how "you" learn best.
Christian Zealots: don't waste your time telling me to get your God. Use your Action to Be an example of your Ideals and let your Light so shine. Take care of "yourself"...Show Everyone how Healthy and Happy you are before you worry about taking care of me. If your demonstration is not a compelling invitation--maybe, you're missing the target, somehow.
Few will argue with things like Gravity, hunger or death. Is this because they are Facts of Life that consistently compel Everyone? We "accept" and "work with it" or we choose the inevitable consequences. Even tho, things like Love and Goodness are abstract--do we not notice some fairly consistant causes and results--that almost everyone agrees upon?
To me, God is "the Reliabilities found in the richly complex Order and Variety of All Our Experiences"--not "the inconsistent Chaos and flat Singularity in the Myths and Hypotheses of Some Individuals' Wishes." My God guarantees that Healthy Physicality is created from Healthy Spirituality in much the same fashion that a fertile cosmos (spontaneous luck) and a good farmer (intentional skill) can guarantee a fruitful crop...No Heaven or Hell necessary.
It's like this, American Society must focus on building an Artfully Diverse Symphony rather than insisting Only One Monochromatic Empty Note should DOMINATE. A One Note Song, with all of its glorious power, will eventually implode--as it has so faithfully proven to do, throughout the course of History.
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