continued from my examiner post http://www.examiner.com/interfaith-spirituality-in-columbus/spirituality-age-and-life-stageThe world is full of people at different stages of development, consciousness, faith and enculturation all at once. You can probably apply the broadest common denominator to legal and governmental systems.
For instance in Kohlberg’s Six Stages of Moral Judgment, Level I ‘Pre-conventional’ shows the reasons for doing right are ‘avoidance of punishment and the superior power of authorities’. One ‘sticks to the rules; adheres to obedience for its own sake; seeks to avoid damage to persons and property’. The social perspective of this stage is an ‘egocentric point of view where one doesn’t consider the interests of others or relate to more than one’s own point of view’. Actions are considered physically, rather than the psychological interests of others.
(From Riemer, Paolitto, Hersch 1983 Promoting Moral Growth: From Piaget to Kohlberg) Moving through the stages, Level III Stage 6 is ‘universal ethical principles’ wherein ethical principles are universal principles of justice, and human rights are more important than laws- which might violate the dignity of human beings.
Now, here’s a wild card discovered within recent years: past, present and future co-exist not only in our memories, but in the collective consciousness and in the quantum realm where time is just a concept and the reality is eternity. To un-pack that, the universe contains and is composed of all the billions of ‘pieces/fields’ of matter and energy all in movement and change, and that includes the sum total of each and all of us; all inter-related. It no longer makes sense to ‘do theology’ or practice faith without considering the findings of science which reveal and shed light on all our beliefs and prejudices alike and the implications of believing/acting that way.
Now, here’s a wild card discovered within recent years: past, present and future co-exist not only in our memories, but in the collective consciousness and in the quantum realm where time is just a concept and the reality is eternity. To un-pack that, the universe contains and is composed of all the billions of ‘pieces/fields’ of matter and energy all in movement and change, and that includes the sum total of each and all of us; all inter-related. It no longer makes sense to ‘do theology’ or practice faith without considering the findings of science which reveal and shed light on all our beliefs and prejudices alike and the implications of believing/acting that way.
However, the mythological dimension from our ancient faith traditions may offer the metaphors for understanding life in a rich new way through artwork, chant, music, dance and other symbolic ways. Science and faith can marry beautifully. For example, the benefits of meditative practice are confirmed through neuroscience and 'best practices' uncovered. (See my earlier posts).
It’s an important time to view ourselves in a compassionate light as works in progress, cultures in progress, civilizations in progress, theologies in progress. I’ll reflect more on this in an upcoming post on ‘sin’ versus ‘ignorance’. Until then, ask yourself, what’s your Weltanschauung/(worldview)? How has it changed since your infancy; through each decade or less . . . what pivotal events rocked your world and ‘God concept’ beyond those taught by your religious tradition? Until next post, Peace, Pax, Pace.
It’s an important time to view ourselves in a compassionate light as works in progress, cultures in progress, civilizations in progress, theologies in progress. I’ll reflect more on this in an upcoming post on ‘sin’ versus ‘ignorance’. Until then, ask yourself, what’s your Weltanschauung/(worldview)? How has it changed since your infancy; through each decade or less . . . what pivotal events rocked your world and ‘God concept’ beyond those taught by your religious tradition? Until next post, Peace, Pax, Pace.
[Photo by Madman- Creative Commons Attribution license 3.0. A
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