In the rollin hills of  Texas
On a cool September morn
In the little town of Elgin
A  baby girl was born

But her Momma couldn’t keep her
And her Daddy walked away
But an Angel down in Texas
Was  watchin her that day

Well the Angels down in Texas
They Got a lot of trails to ride
From the rim of Caprock Canyon
To the Louisiana side
From the sands of old El Paso
To the walls of San Antone
To that little town  of Elgin
And a girl  without a home

Then one day in California
In the hills above LA
That little  girl from Elgin
Found another place to stay

A Mamma who would love her
And a Daddy who would care
And her own Texas Angel
Who  always would be there

Well the Angels down in Texas
They got a lot of trails to ride
From the rim of Caprock Canyon
To the Louisiana side
From the sands of old El Paso
To the walls of San Antone
To the hills of California
That Texas girl calls home

The term “spiritual logic” seems contradictory yet there exists in every major religion a dogma based on suppositions and arguments presented as “facts”…irrefutable facts so unchallengeable that to do so could result in being cast out, tortured, or even killed (think Galileo).  The melding of metaphysics and reason is akin to alchemy in that “spiritual truth” is purported to lie in the bottom of the crucible once doubt and uncertainty are boiled away and a healthy dose of unquestioning faith is added to the mixture.  We base our spiritual and material lives on this logic but can it really hold up to either spiritual or logical critique?

What are the main assumptions that make up the pillars of our religious “faith”?  Where did they originate?  Are they still relevant today?  Is it realistic to base important life decisions on two thousand year old word-of -mouth information from a culture that no longer exists?  Lets examine what supports the platform on which we worship.

Man is inherently evil and born with sin.  This “original sin” that has stained humankind for dozens of millennia was allegedly committed by the first two people to inhabit our planet and God the “Creator” has still not gotten over it.  The sin was disobedience, the exercise of what we now refer to as free will.  The punishment was being banned from a supposed perfect world where carnivores lie next to herbivores which lie next to succulents but noone got hungry until they smelled that freshly eaten apple.  One can only imagine the horrific scene that followed as the stench of death and the screams of predator and prey filled the Garden.

Now lets break this Genesis story  of original sin down to its major assumptions.

1.  There is “a” God that created everything our senses can perceive.

The Logical argument for this assumption goes something like this:
Things exist therefore they must have been intentionally created by a power capable of design of this scale….hardly a compelling logical argument in that this “creator” has never been observed, much less caught creating anything, even a grain of sand.  It is not implausible, just not verifiable.  The “One God-Six Days” theory establishes the assumption that this act of creation was accomplished by one entity in one hundred and forty four hours.  Why not two entities, or dozens?  Why just one and why in six days?

2.  The “perfect” architect of all things created a perfect harmonious world but at the same time imbedded into all things the potential for discord.

So we have this magnificent, infallible Being that created a world where sharp-toothed lions co-existed with cute little tasty lambs and put a naked guy and his significant other in charge of….?  “Tending the garden”?  What exactly would a caretaker do in a perfect garden?  There were, of course, those daily chats with God and that pesky one rule about not eating fruit from that tree that just happened to be in the very center of the garden, the “hub’ if you will.

It would appear from this assumption that all of the  elements of creation were imbued with the potential to act against the harmonious intent of the Creator.  So it was not just the nasty predilection of the original couple that stained this otherwise perfect landscape.  The Garden was literally charged with the energy of potential conflict and rebellion awaiting the singular act of defiance of man to trigger the cataclysmic events of Eden’s final moments.  Keep in mind this “perfect universe” theory is still held today by many theologians

3.  In addition to injecting creation with the potential for rebellion the Creator added an entity designed, it appears, to function as a tempter.

The infamous serpent in the Garden poses a real dilemma to the “perfect world” hypothesis for the clergy.  How could Eden be harmonious with this inciter lurking within the branches of the forbidden tree, waiting for Eve to drop by?  If disobedience of God is evil then Evil existed in the supposedly perfect garden.  This logical problem has caused the church to respond with more stories regarding the fall of the previously angelic Satan from God’s grace…and where does he land but in the apple tree in the center of Eden.  Oh I get it??  Furthermore we are told that Satan’s Fall to Earth brought sin with him and that is why this material world is un-Godly and to be spurned.

Conclusion: There was no “perfect” world as conceived by the church therefore there could not have been original sin.  The “tree” in the garden was referred to as “The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”…wait a minute!  If there was Good and Evil then evil didn’t originate with Adam and Eve.  The Creator did it!

The elements of nature we observe today, toothy and potentially dangerous, have always been that way and the only time a lion laid down with a lamb was for dinner.  If there was a Creator(s) then what we see in our world is what was intended.  Sin is an invention of the church.  The church stands in judgement of not only mankind but all of Creation.  This pompous indictment comes from an organization as far removed from the beauty and understanding of nature as could be imagined. It was not until the end of this past millennium (1992) that the Catholic Church (Pope John Paul II) absolved Galileo Galilei of his sin of presenting a heliocentric model of the universe wherein the Earth was no longer at its center.

To respect and be inspired by nature or to see God’s Spirit in all things is deemed idolatry and polytheism.  Many religions have staked out an antagonistic position regarding the very Creation of which they claim a part.  There is a reason that the world is blocked out by stained glass windows in most churches.

If there was no “original sin” then we, as part of this experience we refer to as life, were born into spiritual innocense.  Additionally we have no need for the “salvation” offered to us by human beings presenting themselves as special emissaries to God.  Essentially, without sin, the Church is out of business.  Don’t expect the “original sin” tenet to disappear anytime soon!

God has his favorites.

Well we know that Abraham and the Israelites were supposedly “chosen’ by God to be his favorites despite the fact that they were querulous, unappreciative, and often downright rebellious.  One can only imagine what the other tribes must have been like.  This tenet is central to the development of three major religious movements: Judaism, Judeo-Christianity, and Islam.  Flowing from this notion of a special covenant with the Almighty comes the “teachings” of God as presented to the chosen ones in the form of The Ten Commandments and, literally, the entire Old and New Testaments of The Bible and the Koran.  These teachings are the bedrock of modern faith and man’s understanding of spirituality and his relationship with Creation.  From the Burning Bush to the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and Mohammed we are informed that only in this lineage can we find Spiritual Truth and the true Will of God.

Conclusion:   There is absolutely nothing presented in the tomes of religious history to indicate why God would have selected one tribe of people over another.  Following on the heels of the Old Testament we are expected to believe further that those ignorant of the teachings of Jesus or Mohammed were/are condemned to eternal death.

Throughout history we have seen the most heinous crimes committed by this unholy triumvirate of religions against the “unbelievers” in the name of God.  Native American “heathen” were butchered for their Paganism and their children forced into spiritual bondage for hundreds of years by the churches in America.  Wars are fought between these major religions over variances in their beliefs and hundreds of millions of people have been slain as a result.

Can one hold the notion of a God partial to perfection and harmony choosing a lineage so fraught with violence and arrogance?  Take away this central tenet of the special covenant and three major religions come tumbling down immediately and all their teachings seem suspiciously self-serving.  The message of “Love of fellow man” found in both the New Testament and the Koran has certainly not been acted out by those wearing the mantle of Christianity or Islam.

To be continued

In the beginning…….
That was the first clue…”The Beginning”
“Since the Beginning” is everything that followed.
The “Beginning” marks the advent of Time
“Time” is necessary to understand the relationship between what is now and what preceded it.
Not just preceded it but gave birth to it
What is “it”?
That which split off from that which was “before time”.

Imagine experience not walled in by time.
Imagine that which just “is”
There you have it!.
“Before the Beginning”

Without “Space” there is no need for “Time”
Material expansiveness creates Time
Time exists at the advent of the First Dimension
Before the Beginning there was no dimensionality.
Before the Beginning there was “One”
Mathematics is only relevant since the Beginning.
Language and Thought developed to explain dimensionality and “time experienced”.
Concepts such as Life and Death evolved Since the Beginning
“After Life” as a concept is a continuum of “Time Consciousness”.
“Heaven” is a material space located within the life-afterlife continuum.
Spiritualism tied to Time Consciousness is a form of Materialism.
To discover the “One” requires abandoning all forms of Materialism
Individuality is materialism
Intimacy is the process back towards the One..
True Spirituality is Regressive
Civilization and its elements are Progressive, moving Away from the One.
Religion is progressive and material, addressing itself Since the Beginning
The afterlife is conceptualized as infinite separation from the One
Since the Beginning intimate existence with the One is conceptually impossible

And as to the “age” of the universe I say to you that you share this experience concurrently..  It can be no other.  “It” and all its wonders exist in the bowl of your own private consciousness.  It need only exist as long as your consciousness holds it for there is no “collective consciousness” to relay it from one to another.  If there were we would have no need for oral and written history.  “But”, you ask, “what of the births and deaths of those who precede me or will certainly succeed my presence”?  “What of their consciousness”?  Again I say that all is held within the crucible of your own personal consciousness.  You and all your perceptions are immortal and “creation” began at your first awareness and will pass at your last.  In your consciousness abides all that might be and has ever been for it has lived within you for all eternity.

In the land of the Banyan Tree a great battle was raging.  An invading army was gathering its forces for a final attack and their victory seemed imminent.  A spy returned to the camp with the news that the invaders would attack before dawn because their food and water supplies were exhausted and their forces were growing restless.  The Emperor’s Generals all advised to hold their defenses one last time knowing that, if thwarted, the enemy would be forced to retreat and victory would be theirs.

The Emperor weighed all the options gravely as he listened to each General in turn.  When the last adviser had finished he addressed his leaders:

“While it is still dark break camp and retreat out of range of the enemy.  Take only your weapons and leave the food and water stores along with all your valued possessions behind.”

The Generals and advisers were incredulous.  Had their Emperor lost his courage and his honor?  Why hand over to the enemy everything they wanted and needed to declare victory and to survive?  Surely it would be better to meet them on the battlefield and at least exact a price for their victory.  One General suggested that, if a retreat was in order, at least poison the food stores and  water they could not take with them.  The Emperor declined the advice stating that it was pointless and too time consuming, they would suspect the poison and not consume either the food or the water until it had been tested.

The treasurer pleaded with the Emperor to take as much of the kingdom’s riches as possible in order to purchase exile in a neighboring kingdom.  Again the Emperor declined, to the astonishment of all, stating they could not travel fast enough with the additional weight!

As ordered by the Emperor, while still dark the Generals had their men gather only their weapons and quietly retreated several miles to safety with neither food nor water to sustain them.

While the Emperor’s army was  retreating the invaders were preparing for battle.  Their Generals were inciting the army into a blood frenzy and their forces spent the night preparing for the pre-dawn  attack. Just prior to first light the invaders attacked their enemy only to find the camp completely unguarded and all the stores and valuables left behind.

After the invading generals established order and had the stores tested they sent a company of soldiers out to follow the vanquished army only to discover that they had retreated far into the hills with neither food nor water.

Too exhausted and famished to pursue them in force the invading army set up camp and began their victory feast.  The generals quarreled over who should be credited with the victory as their men fought one another over the abandoned riches not claimed by their leaders.  Barrels of wine were opened and consumed by the victorious warriors during their celebration.

Finally satiated, the drunken and exhausted army fell into a deep slumber.  Guards were posted but the victory over their cowardly enemy was so complete that soon they too fell asleep

As the invaders celebrated, a few miles away the Emperor addressed his demoralized generals and his soldiers: “We are now in almost the same position as the invaders were a few hours ago.  We have no food, water, nor any of our valuables.  At dawn the invaders, freshly rested and fed, will surely pursue us and put us to death or enslave us.  Those who may escape will only die of starvation or thirst. The only hope for survival each of us has rests in our returning to the camp immediately and attacking them while they sleep.

And so it was, after a mighty battle,  many of the befuddled invaders were slain and their disorganized army driven away by the wise Emperor’s warriors.

e.d. rowe

In a lifetime of seeking answers I finally realized that everything I need to know can be found in Nature.  I believe observation is the way the Creator intended for us to learn. Any “wisdom” that has been passed on to me in this setting is certainly not my own but a gift of understanding, a window opening into the Great Mystery.  The value of the thoughts expressed here are determined solely by each person who reads them.

e. d. Rowe

Suspend judgement of others. Anger may be Fear and  Hunger may be Thirst.

Feed your enemy. Satiation leads to contentment which leads to complacency.

A caged tiger seeks only reassurance.

Only the burning sun can cast a cooling shadow.

Retreat in the face of wrath.  Advance on uncertainty.

Discipline is far more valuable than gold.

Seek your advice from the Banyan Tree.  It will never mislead you.

Do not spend more to redress a grievance than you have already lost.

The pursuit of greatness will diminish you.  The pursuit of emptiness will fulfill you.

The island which joyously saved you from the sea may become your hated prison.

Truth is like a poison if delivered on the tip of an arrow.

One who takes with force is both feared and admired but acknowledges no debts.  One who must borrow to survive is loathed by everyone who knows him.

Solitude provides endless possibilities.  Intimacy locks many doors.

One step behind your enemy is better than ten steps ahead.