One With God
A physical force affects all objects in the same vicinity in virtually the same way. Gravity, for example, does not affect bodies of the same mass at the same level of altitude differently. It works the same on all people. The soul also has properties that operate similarly even when the beliefs and memories of the persons do not match.
Think of the soul as an entity that is identical in its energetic properties in all human beings. When two people die at the same time and geographic location and within eyesight of each other, their souls leave their bodies and may continue to look at one another. For both, the realization dawns that their religious affiliation was not determinative of their afterlife destination.
Viewed from an energetic model, there is one afterlife for all human beings and that insight should be a spring board for a discussion about religious diversity. The model of God that has tremendous import is of a single inner Sun on which every human being is represented on a separate ray. That ray represents the Light of God that contains love and the promise of a relationship to those who regularly turn within (e.g., through prayer and meditation) with sincerity and openness. The inner sun is a form of monotheism that is not specific to a religion.
Holy texts (e.g., The Holy Bible, Qur’an, The Mishnah, The Pali Canon) inspire and provide answers to life’s big questions: who am I? What are the origins of the universe? What can I expect in the afterlife? Religion also offers a choice of Teacher (the Messiah at the heart of each religion) and a community of shared beliefs and similar rituals to express devotion, provide guidance, and observe the significant events of life (e.g., membership, marriage, and death). Whether it is Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, or Siddhartha, the Teacher is a special individual whose wisdom and instruction help to develop the relationship individuals have with their Light and with each other.
Where global society has gotten lost is through a focus on the Teacher and the demands those individuals seem to place on us (e.g., exclusive loyalty) or the things they seemingly allow (e.g., violence on those who do not believe in the same way). The Teacher one heeds should be the one whose insights work for his or her relationship with God. There is no restriction that is enforced on adopting the wisdom of other religions.
Do not get lost in the war for loyalty to one Teacher that is foisted on believers by contemporary religious leaders or for adherence to customs that date back millennia ago. Many Teachers have not placed a demand on most people in a long time. Believers animate and replicate what they learn from sacred texts and imitate others. It is the interpretation of religion or voluntary compliance with its edicts that drives war between members of different religions not instruction from Teachers actually communicating from Heaven. Many people allow differences in worship to be fodder for disagreement and conflict. It is this understanding that permits terror by extremists against others.
A new approach is needed to ensure peace. In approaching religion, have an open mind: learn the actual history of religion, try to imagine a conversation with a modern version of the Teacher, ask questions of leaders, adapt what one learns to one’s circumstances, and if in discussion with others, educate them. Accept that different human beings have unique needs which should be respected because each individual has an inherent, inalienable right to make a choice of who they choose to learn from and what they believe. Treat each other like one wishes to be treated.
Viewing the soul as energy, there is no such thing as a Muslim soul or a Christian soul. There is just soul that is connected to the same God irrespective of one’s deeds, beliefs, affinities, or objections to others. Do not let how one self-identifies get in the way of developing meaningful relationships with those whose beliefs differ from oneself.
Muhammad Ali captured oneness well when he said, “We all have the same God, we just serve him differently. Rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, oceans all have different names, but they all contain water. So do religions have different names, and they all contain truth, expressed in different forms and times. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Muslim, a Christian, or a Jew. When you believe in God, you should believe that all people are part of one family. If you love God, you can’t love only some of his children.”
Remember humans are one with the inner Sun.
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