Rejection of Biblical Revelation (International Pagan Values Blogging Month)

8 Comments | June 27, 2009 at 8:18 pm by mahud
Filed under mythology, Blogging, Paganism, Sprituality, Christianity

Another contribution to the International Pagan Values Blogging Month

I don’t believe we live in a universe where two opposing truths can both be true. Maybe that’s a little bit simplistic and un-philosophical of me. And I find myth a more helpful spiritual guide than philosophy. I’ve never been much in to scientific theories beyond my love for science fiction, which I enjoy more as a vehicle for storytelling than anything else. Regarding Evolution, I have doubts and queries, probably because as a Christian I read quite a lot of material casting doubt on the idea that one species can transform into another, but also because I am heavily influenced by myth as metaphor, and see Evolution more as another cosmogonic myth, that perhaps will end up being discarded in the unforeseeable future and be replaced by something even more wonderful unimaginable and fantastic. I’m not against evolution either. Bottom line is (and this is pretty much my approach to my spirituality (not that I actually believe literally in “spirit” either. Again another metaphor that doesn’t really factually tell me anything that can be empirically proven)) I’m some breed of agnostic that at some level believes, but has reservations regarding what I can actually know. I’m more of a intuition fanatic. Not because I know for sure it’s the best way, but it works and makes sense to me.

Christianity (as I see it) gets around this problem with the concept of revelation. While the world does not immediately fully reveal an otherworldly reality that can be collectively proven, beyond our own individual ‘hearts and minds’ (more metaphor. We use it so much!), God can. I think this is a fair point if you are willing to except the possibility that a single God with a mind and personality can exist. Again I think if we as individuals were able to possess ultimate spiritual truth, we would need to be such as God, that is, we would need to consciously maintain knowledge about everything. Not only the cosmic, but what exists beyond the cosmos (or hidden within physical existence itself). I think that’s what Paul is talking about at the beginning of the first letter to the church of Corinth, where he speaks of humans not having unrestricted access to the All-Searching All-Knowing Spirit of God, which is obviously going to be a bit of a problem if your path incorporates undeniable yet unprovable spiritual truths. God knows only truly about himself, while a human being can only try to fully understand themselves. I may be well off with that interpretation, but anyway… At this point I think Paul is talking about the ‘Spirit’ of Paganism. Pagans can only interpret through themselves. This isn’t a problem to me. I think that’s how it should be, but rather than accepting that, Paul reminds the church that while we do not possess a readily accessible infinite mental capacity (Or, I’d say the time needed to learn everything there is to actually know, all things being, I feel, extending for eternity with infinite creative-destructive combinatorial possibility), the divine mind and spirit is finitely accessible through Christ.

While this ‘may be’ true, I, despite arguments for the viability of divine revelation, am still stuck with myself. I still have to accept this ‘truth’ via a mind limited by time, space and matter, regardless of the possibly that God himself also clothed himself with these attributes to eventually become a conduit to himself. And so I think its fair not to choose to believe something I cannot know in my own heart and mind, as that is the way I’m forced to exist. It’s like I’m denying and deceiving myself regarding my own humanity, while filtering out (and demonizing) countless other divine truths of other forms of spirituality, equally dubious, yet maybe spiritually fuelled vehicles capable of carrying us toward the infinite and glorious unknown of true freedom in the divine WHATEVER.

If I were to be a Christian, I think I’d have to accept predestination. Some are chosen and some are not. And if that’s the case I’m not one of the chosen, not because I deny a Christian God (although I’m far from holy, so yeah, that’s debatable, but again, I’m all human, so…) but on the basis that what I know as a person doesn’t really amount to much more than my immediate circumstances allow.

I guess that’s pretty much why I’m no longer Christian and why I find refuge in Paganism with its possibility to be all-embracing toward differing beliefs (and the divine be it one/many/all/everything and beyond) or non-belief, as it were. Regardless of our personal acceptance or rejection.

Finally this is all a prelude to why I do not insist my beliefs are right and yours are wrong. Why my lifestyle is loved and yours is hated by the divine. I try not to manipulate others or prove I’m right and your wrong. I try to accept my humanity and discover what life here and now has to offer in the only way I can and let death do its (I hope, glorious) thing when I, Mahud, have physically and mentally crossed over the threshold of resistance. No deathbed conversions from me (I find them horrible). And I find it really really hard to believe that God would have a problem with that