Post #90 "Shattered Faith"

We know through the Knowledge of Faith or through the Knowledge of Reason. These are rarely, if ever, compatible. Do we want to know what is real or do we want to know what is not real? As discussed in previous posts in this writing, most living is on surface levels of Truth. This is surface truth. Surface truth is true only to itself and within itself. Actual Truth can only exist to what is Real. If there is no concern with Reality, it should not be shattering when faith betrays. Post #1 was based on an article in Scientific American entitled 'What is Real' The gist of the article is that physicists are not sure of their theories and speculations, consequently, Scientists are not sure what is real. 

If science is not sure what is Real, can faith be sure of what is Real? What does Real even mean? Maybe what we think of as Real is not real at all. To make any sense of this or get any understanding, we must allow for the Reality of non-reality. The Reality of non-reality or the existence of 'nothingness' is what this writing, all its 90 postings, is all about.

Religion, once confident of its hold on truth and morality is no longer as secure in its beliefs and teachings. World wide church scandals have rocked belief in a system that has through history dictated faith and morality. How can this not shatter faith? How can this not cause untold pain and suffering? How can this not pull the bottom out of lives? A careful study of church history will show that the scandal lies in horrendous crimes of the ordained, but also in the covering up and holding in secret untold abuses that have, under severe threat, never been brought to light. History has shown itself as a struggle for power. No greater struggle for power is the history of the early to present day church. Belief and trust must begin with the witness of the values that are taught and enforced through threat of sin. But sin is not in talking about the problem. Sin is in doing the problem.

Religion, in some form or another, has directed politically, culturally, and socially, much of the world's societies. Through political, cultural, and societal control, religion provides answers to the basic life questions. Thus, religion has set and determined the basis for past and present world morality. Religion has assumed, and been given, authority over the basic issues of life, but as religion has assumed and been given total authority through its moral code of good and evil, it could be determined that religion can and should be held responsible for creating a world morality that thrives on war and destruction, a world morality that allows the powerful to feed on the vulnerability of the weak. Religion has established and nourished a power-based, class conscious, gender conscious, in other words, a victim /bully world. Religion has been the basis that has established and nourished world attitude, world structure, world systems, and world conscience. A study of the history of religion will show what example religion has set for its own values. It is well noted, however, that there are and have been throughout history, religions that have been caring and unconcerned for power. Unfortunately, many of these have been eradicated, their writings destroyed, and all evidence of their existence destroyed, when they proved threatening to prevailing power structures.                 

(This post is just introductory to this title of Shattered Faith......more to come in future posts.)