June 5, 2022 by dancingbottle
What a creature we are! We often fail to understand ourselves individually because the politics of belonging to our groups can blind us to the point where we forget we are human beings. We are each a creature who holds an atom of autonomy—a god-like power to possess a personal sense of justice and decide whether to do good or ill. Examining ourselves critically reveals our progress and potential. Unfortunately, even in team sports, we can lose our personal sense of justice, unable to appreciate or enjoy a good play from an opposing player. If we become so swept away that we commit fouls or spiritual crimes against the opposing team or group, that reflects our individual weakness. We have the choice to use our free will and personal sense of justice to be the humans we are meant to be.
We must understand the power and influence of our political affiliations. Ask yourself why so many of us can’t stand against the wrongs committed by our own groups. If you can’t think for others, at least think for yourself. Be a well-rounded and spiritually evolved human being. To achieve this, you need to acknowledge your power and examine your makeup thoroughly. For instance, you spend most of your time with yourself—don’t you want to know who and what you are? Remember, you have no choice but to live with yourself. Thus, learning to understand yourself and being honest should be a personal quest for all of us, especially knowing that our lives are mortal.
While many prophets, sages, and gurus attempt to clarify what lies beyond or before life, I focus on our physical realities. I don’t venture into speculation; if I’m uncertain about something, I admit it rather than making assumptions. If I discuss the unknown, I refer to it as metaphorical realities. In my view, metaphorical realities should always be secondary to our physical realities. They are our realities but since they can’t be proven like our physical realities, we should refrain from using them as the foundation for our concepts of justice and spirituality.
Unfortunately, we are often hypnotized by the politics of our metaphorical world. Love and religion dominate our discussions, and we are ready to kill and be killed over them, despite lacking physical evidence for thousands of years. Egyptians believed they needed material possessions in the afterlife. Despite our mocking of their beliefs by robbing their tombs, we still cling to similar ideologies. There may be a world beyond our current beliefs, but it’s not the path we walk while alive. The emphasis on life after death is often a means of political control during our lifetime. Logically, life after death is not our ultimate destination since we are relevant only while alive. I prefer to focus on our living years and avoid assumptions about the unknown.
Shouldn’t you question why so much emphasis is placed on what is used to politically control you? Are you questioning everything, or just following blindly? Learning and evolving doesn’t mean you’re done. As human beings, we are constantly growing; even our brains develop new neurons as we learn. There is no cap on our knowledge, despite what we might be taught, especially regarding religion. The divine order of evolution is not tied to race, gender, nation, religion, or any group. Belief in or denial of God is your prerogative, but remember, we are created or evolved simply to learn more—not only to explore our personal potential but beyond ourselves. Since we are independent entities, it’s our responsibility to understand our abilities and potential while acknowledging our mortality.
Knowledge before birth and after death is usually based on metaphorical realities, which are riddled with assumptions and should not be treated as physical realities. Our belonging groups exploit our personal insecurities, manipulating us to make their political agendas seem like our own. We comply because we have been brainwashed by the politics of belonging. This has nothing to do with God. However, in today’s era, individual power has increased. EVERY INDIVIDUAL IS ENTITLED TO BELIEVE WHATEVER THEY WANT, INCLUDING RACISM, BIGOTRY, PREJUDICE, AND DISCRIMINATION. So before you choose, think about who and what you really are.
If you evolve a bit and claim there is no God, it may indicate a decision driven by ego, just as believing in God might. Merging metaphorical and physical realities can create problems, particularly for individuals, because physical reality should always take precedence over metaphorical ones. Understanding your realities is crucial if you want to become an effective leader of your life.
I often use the human body as an analogy for humanity and God. Our body consists of trillions of cells, each serving a purpose. Although they don’t have eyes to see or understanding to grasp the entire body, they have their wisdom. Similarly, we may be more sophisticated but still lack complete understanding. You may not see God, and you might not fully know yourself. All you know is what you’ve been taught by your belonging groups. If you’re learning something, it means you’re not a complete product but a work in progress. Assuming you know everything while still learning would be egotistical. If you don’t fully understand yourself, how can you claim to know everything? You have potential yet to be realized, and knowledge about what existed before your birth or what happens after death is elusive. Other than what we’ve been taught as physical reality, everything is speculative. Thus, I categorize that knowledge as metaphorical reality.
Our politics of belonging not only hinders our evolution but also contributes to violence against one another. While our science, technology, and medicine have advanced, spiritually we remain stuck because our religions have been corrupted by group politics. When we kill each other, even in the name of God, we inflict pain on the divine. If all cells in the body were to die, what would happen to us? Would God matter if we all perished in a nuclear war driven by politics? Our survival is essential for God’s existence. If you don’t even know yourself well, how can you claim to know everything? If someone believes in God but kills others in the name of God, it’s perplexing. On the other hand, people receive life-sustaining oxygen, favorable circumstances, and functioning bodies without their control, yet they deny a connection to God. If we over-intellectualize everything, we risk failing to enjoy our mortality healthily. For instance, if you view life exclusively as a physical journey, you might seek physical comforts while spiritually starving.
Our mortal nature demands a balanced life experience, integrating spirituality and physicality. In the realm of political belonging, achieving balanced living with honest reciprocation is challenging. Exclusively physical life preaches taking without giving, similar to business practices that invest less than they make. This can lead to internal conflicts with our atom of autonomy because of our mortality. We are physically separate but spiritually connected to God through our atom of autonomy. Our nature is to evolve, but that doesn’t mean we know everything with minimal progress. Some focus on physical growth over spiritual, so understanding the power of political influences is crucial, especially with modern weaponry. Science, technology, and medicine have advanced, yet many are taught not to explore religion and God but to accept them blindly. This limits our ability to see ourselves as sources of goodness.
Regarding books considered ultimate human knowledge or claimed to be God’s words, the problem arises when every group claims to have a divinely inspired text. This creates issues because these groups are politically motivated and use religion to further their agendas. The emotional charge from belief systems can lead to violence, with historical evidence of countless deaths in the name of God. Despite our progress, we can’t physically prove the existence of God, leaving it as a metaphorical reality. Metaphorical realities shouldn’t override physical realities like the murder of a human being in the name of religion.
The question of whether to have a strong government or not boils down to individual rights. Religious rights are now on par with scientific rights, so human individual rights must be protected from political or religious override. Justice must be equal; otherwise, it ceases to be justice and becomes political mass control, disconnected from God and spirituality.
Books are streams of knowledge. An individual should decide whether to live by one book or integrate streams of knowledge into their personal ocean of common sense. If your group emphasizes protecting group integrity, recognize it as a political issue. If you discover that following your group’s politics was wrong, it’s too late to change the past, but you can evolve and take charge of your life before committing spiritual or social crimes.
Consider the Pope’s apology to the natives of America. It’s not about what a book says, but how we individually act towards each other based on our beliefs. If all major religious books are God’s words, something is deceiving us into killing each other for political reasons. Spiritually, this can’t be God’s will, as humans are God’s hands. Why would God instruct us to kill each other by providing different books? Spiritual knowledge across books is universally consistent, yet we have been killing each other for thousands of years. It’s time to uncover the real culprit behind our problems: the politics of belonging. Whether based on race, color, gender, nation, or religion, the individual must use their common sense to decide.
Equal human rights should be a fundamental spiritual principle, representing a new religion. Failure to adopt a justice system based on common sense keeps us entrenched in prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination—sacrificing lives over metaphorical realities. While we may not call it human sacrifice, it is. Books are streams of knowledge, and claiming that all human knowledge can fit into one book is miraculous. Different groups believe their sacred texts contain all necessary knowledge, but today’s advancements in science and technology challenge outdated beliefs. For example, refusing blood transfusions today is inconceivable given the lives saved by them. As our knowledge evolves, we must reassess our beliefs and adapt to scientific progress, leaving behind unproven metaphorical realities.
Belief in God doesn’t mean sacrificing others for political or religious reasons. Every individual should examine their own purpose and knowledge without harming others. Although God may be beyond human understanding, our quest for divine truth should be personal and compassionate.
Final Thoughts
Justice should be our guiding principle, not metaphorical realities of life after death. We are not equipped to determine what’s beyond our mortal life, but we can shape our existence with fairness and compassion. Exploring human potential and evolving beyond our political and religious affiliations allows us to honor our humanity and our quest for divine understanding.