During my walk yesterday aft and in the later notes at Savour’s, I was working out the idea of the various human religious traditions now meeting in our global village like merchants in the market square. The commons of the market could then be noted as Existence Divine, which includes all that is, the various traditions being revealed expressions of that knowable Mystery. The common market allows for unique expression, but there are rules of appropriate behaviour, complete with fees and fines.
The mentioned notes are on pp. 10 and 11 in my Book1 of ‘Field Notes’, titled ‘The Human Narrative’. The previous entry is dated Feb 15 this year, so it is not very continuous, but the booklet fit nicely in the breast packet on my walks!
I close those notes [p.11]with the need for an ‘Inner Mission’ for all religions, replacing the traditional Missionary effort aimed at converting others. Today we need to convert ourselves by looking at what was and is taught and the acts that were committed, with an all out effort as finding ways and means of mutual accommodation.
I’m elaborating a bit here on my notes, which shows that this idea has ‘legs’!
Later in the evening I tried out some write-ups for my talk in the mentioned Blue Norcom Cahier, pp.21 and 22. I’m still not settled on the final words, but am getting closer.
On going to bed I entertained the idea that we are ‘passing the baton’ at our stage in human history. Religions are a part of the human identity and heritage, but need to be restructured to function in our globalised world.
What to leave behind from the previous stage and what to pass onto the future? This image reflects the threshold idea, which illustrates us being at the verge of entering an important state of transition, fraught with instability and loss of treasures, but unavoidable in the creative process of continued evolvement.
A double example of the need for such inner criticism can be found in the Old Testament.
One thought that emerged this morning, from that late night ‘baton’ notion, is that we should consider ‘inner criticism’ of the handed down wisdoms in the human traditions. This in analogy the so called ‘higher criticism’ of the past two centuries. Inner criticism looks at the content of what is taught and considers its appropriateness for today’s community.
If the teaching still has value in today’s society, then it can be accepted, otherwise it can be validated as an instance of historical development of human rules for social orders, experienced as being revealed at one time. This might then also serve as a warning that revealed ‘truths’ need to be tested against human accepted ethics, often based on those handed down traditions.
What I am suggesting here is that we do not accept the content of the handed down teaching as beyond criticism, when we examine their compatibility with society’s requirements and our better knowledge today.
A double example of the need for such inner criticism can be found in the Old Testament. The prophet Samuel orders king Saul not to spare anything or person in a battle Saul is about to wage. On victory Saul does spare the lives of some people, which earns him Samuel’s condemnation.
Later on Saul exits the narrative as a fallen and dishonour hero and is replaced by David. He too had his various missteps, which are mentioned, but are not detrimental to his reputed reputation.
What I am suggesting here is that we do not accept the content of the handed down teaching as beyond criticism, when we examine their compatibility with society’s requirements and our better knowledge today.
The scientific knowledge and insight that we humans have acquired over the last few centuries are part and parcel of human adaptation and evolution. If we fail to apply such hard gained knowledge, then we discard the fruit of evolution that has been acquired and imperil our own future.
<10:03am and 10:34am~
