Self Realization And The Fundamentalist Challenge

Religious thought is cluttered with claims of superior knowledge and direct access to God. Statements and iron clad guarantees about what constitutes truth, and in the context of their competitors, untruth. This continual disagreement and debate on what truth actually is leads many individuals to question what they believe in the first place. Its plain to see that a bulk of people do not realize or comprehend the difference between that which is 'believed' to be true, and that which is 'known' to be true. The former originates from opinion, from myth, and of course from personal or so-called experiences from 'other' people; it can be reasoned then quite simply that a belief is a handed down chronicle of history and seen through the eyes and experience of others. The knowing comes from experiencing it directly. Modern man for the most part, has been strongly influenced by religion and has recognized this as the right way of living or the truth. In times past, societies required these structures to make sense of their world and to survive and work functionally together. However any fundamental approach in life whether it be religious or anything for that matter, is limited and needs to evolve further. Evidence of this is shown with the deluge of new ways of doing things that then confront the existing paradigms and fields of thought. The Christian Church and the different factions that have emerged from it over the last thousand years or so, is a good example of this. We see this all over the world right now with the bloody conflicts and religious wars that seem to appear daily in our media. Further complications arise when we see religious factions within major religions exclaim they are representing their faith or belief system yet seem to oppose the fundamental premise of the doctrine implicated. Complications materialize when the truth ultimately gets diluted with the need to be right and holy. The commodity that is labelled truth then, if redesigned or assuaged to the strongest or most influential, isn't therefore fundamentally the truth is it? There still remains to this moment a persistent drive by many incumbent powers that be to maintain their prominent position in being the espousers of truth. So what do we do with this? Do we see this as an opportunity to go away from these flawed fundamental approaches, or do we simply agree to the revised assumptions by the powers that be? To be aware that you are not aware of the facts is a starting point. To begin to be aware of the facts is a further progression to finding what it is that is truth for you. When seeking the truth one should always be vigilant to what constitutes un-truth as well. This means being open to exploration and the possibilities in life that are only there to those who care to find them. Many major religions are often wrapped in fear based safety mechanisms that deter believers from asking too many questions. To even start to infiltrate the secrets within these structures is something that is not achieved successfully by many at all The survival of these paradigms and their ongoing relevance in a modern world depend upon it. And that is where we have witnessed some of the most unfortunate episodes in human history. Its the righteousness and incredible self indulgence of these paradigms that lamentably holds back not only the believers within their ranks, but the populace as a whole. How ironic is it that on a planet with countless numbers of leaders we see so little leadership in such issues. Until the day that we can honestly and coherently discuss spirituality and religious matters with a more inclusive and appreciative approach for all conce ed, we will continue to languish in the depths of ego based paradigms that continue to hold us back individually and as a species.