GLOBAL SPIRITUALITY : ADDENDUM A TO PARTS 1 & 2
by
Dick Rauscher
A Brief Comparison of a Religion Based on the Consciousness
of a Primitive Ego versus a Religion Based on the Consciousness of an
Enlightened Ego:
1) The
goal of the primitive ego of the inner child is to keep the world safe
and manageable. Thus it splits the world into right and wrong and passionately
believes that it’s beliefs are right and that it alone possesses
“THE” Truth on all matters. The only outcome possible from
this primitive way of thinking is the creation of pain and conflict which
always emerges from the critical and judgmental categories of “otherness”
created by the black and white primitive ego.
A religion that uses this primitive type of thinking
will place great value on evangelizing and selling it’s orthodox
theology as “The Truth” to new converts, it will passionately
and aggressively defend itself against criticism or challenges to the
orthodox interpretation of its sacred texts, and the primary focus of
it’s members will be on achieving a blind obedience to the orthodox
teachings.
Only obedience to orthodox teachings will insure a member
of this religion that they will survive death and earn the right to spend
eternity in heaven with God. Disobedience will be labeled as sin and sin
is punishable by God. Heaven is good, hell is bad. Obedience is good,
disobedience is bad.
A religion that uses this primitive kind of thinking
would be capable of crusades, witch hunts, inquisitions, and acts of terrorism.
A primitive religion preaches “The Truth” out of the assumption
that ignorance is not knowing. It would not understand that ignorance
is knowing something for certain or having THE truth on any subject. It
would not understand the painful reality that any individual or religious
institution that claims to already have THE truth reflects a closed mind
that is unable to learn or grow.
An enlightened middlepath religion would reflect a strong
faith in it’s own beliefs, but it would recognize that there many
paths to God. It would work to find the truth that is in all things and
it would be comfortable with a middlepath spirituality that embraces paradox
and not knowing. It would teach that all truth is relative and subjective.
Such a religion would recognize that the judgment, criticism, and suffering
that comes from having THE truth is what the enlightened founder of the
religion was trying to remove from the world.
A religion using a matured and enlightened thinking
process would focus its energy on creating a transformative spirituality,
it would embrace and welcome new scholarship and it would be open to new
interpretations of it’s sacred texts. Members in this religion would
always attempt to manifest a middlepath compassion so as to enable the
spiritual transformation of all humanity in this
life, not the after life.
The members of enlightened religion would embrace the
middlepath spiritual practice of humility, vulnerability, and not knowing
so as to keep an open heart capable of manifesting the unconditional love
of the essential self.
2) The
primitive ego of the inner child assumes that happiness will always be
found out in the world; thus the accumulation of money and possessions
becomes its life focus. Generosity is a difficult concept to embrace.
It watches others very carefully to see who might have gotten “more”,
and it carefully avoids anything in life that is painful or uncomfortable.
Prayer in a religion based on the thinking process of
a primitive ego would therefore tend to focus on individual happiness,
individual needs and wants, and individual concerns. Its members would
place a high value on being cared for and rewarded by God, and they would
work very hard to insure that they get
into heaven. The “institutional focus” of the religion would
be on the accumulation of money and resources, and growing its membership
numbers through evangelism.
Resources and encouragement for the spiritual formation
of its clergy and the authentic spiritual transformation of its members
would be available only after the institutional
needs for survival were met. The rhetoric of the religion would be compassion
for others, but the overwhelming focus and use of financial resources
of such a religion would be for its own survival.
Members in an enlightened religion would know that they
already possess all the happiness in the universe. They would know that
consciousness is the greatest gift they could every hope to have. They
would know that happiness is found only when one looks inside and intentionally
grows in self awareness toward enlightenment. They would understand that
unhappiness is caused by distorting reality and the unending desire for
“more”; that happiness is being with the reality of what is
without any wants or should’s. Members in the religion would work
for justice in the global community but they would not be attached to
the outcome of their efforts.
Prayer in an enlightened religion would focus on learning
to give thanks and staying awake to the light of consciousness, living
fully and compassionately in each moment, and praying for the spiritual
transformation of all people, regardless of their ethnic or religious
beliefs. The institutional focus of an enlightened religion would be simply
teaching the skills and spiritual practices needed by all of God’s
children to become conscious co-creators capable of creating an enlightened
compassionate global community that honors the sacredness of all creation.
They would understand that to live life fully means embracing both the
pleasures and the pains of life.
The viability of the religious institution would always
come secondary to the needs of God’s children. An enlightened religion
would comfortably let go of what needs to die within the institutional
structure and would trust that new forms would emerge naturally to replace
the old. This would include the institutional structure itself.
The members of an enlightened religion would embrace
the middlepath spiritual practice of learning to live lightly and simply
in each moment with what is so as to
remain conscious and self-aware of what they are manifesting to the world.
They would know that the choice is simple; the judgmental “otherness”
of the primitive ego or the happiness that comes from manifesting the
unconditional love of their essential selves.
3) The
primitive ego of the inner child believes that it is the narcissistic
center of the universe. It expects obedience from others, and it takes
everything personally. Its ability to manifest empathy is very low and
its primary way of “being” in the world is by manifesting
a narcissistic self-focus.
A religion that uses this primitive kind of narcissistic,
self-focused thinking will be convinced that it, and it alone, has the
only path to salvation. It will evangelize with little or no acknowledgment,
appreciation, or empathy for the feelings, beliefs, or faith of others.
Anyone who openly disagrees with the orthodox teachings of such a primitive
religion will immediately experience the narcissistic, self-righteous,
judgmental criticism of its members. Members will label those who persist
in disagreeing with their religious orthodox teachings as evil and then
project their self-righteous feelings and aggressive behaviors onto “them”;
a label or category of “otherness” that comprises all those
evil people who disagree.
When the survival of a religion that uses the thinking
process of the primitive ego is threatened, it will fall back to an ever
inflexible, protective, conservative, “fundamentalist” interpretation
of its various tribal theologies. The greater the threat, the more the
religion will utilize the simplistic thinking of the primitive ego.
Members in an enlightened religion know that their faith
and their religious beliefs are relative; not “absolute truths”
that need to be defended. They know that their internal sense of ego/self
is nothing but their consciousness simply paying attention and observing
what “is” in each moment.
Instead of blaming others, they have learned to own
their own feelings and to look within when they experience emotions. They
see and deeply honor the sacred essential self of each person. They know
that all creation is sacred and that everything is simply part of the
oneness we call God.
The members of enlightened religion would embrace the
middlepath spiritual practice of non-violence by knowing that the universe
is impersonal; that it is their own primitive ego that is reactive and
takes everything personally, by owning their own feelings, and by emptying
their own ego’s of all rigid beliefs, opinions, and certainties
through contemplation and meditation.
4) The
primitive ego of the inner child strives for perfection in all things
so as to earn the love and avoid the punishment of its parents. It is
very concerned about the expectations of others and of what others think.
Because there is no such thing as perfection, the self esteem and self
worth of a primitive ego is very low. Anxiety and depression are common.
Members in a religion that uses the thinking process
of the primitive ego are very concerned with what God thinks. They believe
God to be punitive if they do not manifest the virtue of blind obedience
to what the religion says God demands and expects from them. Paradox,
uncertainty, and not knowing for sure what is expected creates intolerable
anxiety, thus orthodox teachings become the sacred Law and the word of
God cannot be questioned.
Since blind obedience is a struggle for perfection,
and since perfection is always an illusion and not attainable, members
in such a religion inevitably experience themselves as sinners, imperfect,
and flawed. Thus a blind obedience to the Law will eventually lead to
exhaustion, depression, and a pervasive sense of powerless and hopelessness.
Because salvation and heaven are not attainable without
the perfection of blind obedience to the Law, prayer in such a religion
will be focused primary on the attainment of God’s forgiveness and
grace. Members are quick to spot and comment on any deviations from the
Law in others. Deviations are labeled as sin.
An enlightened religion knows that perfection is not
attainable or expected by God. Members in an enlightened religion believe
that God simply wants them to be all that they are capable of being; to
be the authentic person they were created to be. They know that they are
responsible, conscious co-creators with God and therefore simply strive
to manifest the unconditional love of their essential being in each moment.
An enlightened religion knows that all authentic spiritual
growth toward enlightenment is simply growth in self-awareness, thus the
focus in an enlightened religion is always on the beam in one’s
own eye, not the speck in the neighbors. Members know that they cannot
love others unconditionally until they have learned to love themselves
unconditionally. They know that loving one’s self has to come first
because unconditional love requires an authentic spiritual transformation
of the primitive ego; it is not possible through force of will.
The members of an enlightened religion would embrace
the middlepath spiritual practice of encouraging every human being to
live an authentic life; knowing that God simply wants them to love one
another and be all they can be in each moment.
5) To
feel safe, the primitive ego of the inner child needs to manage the world
and be in control at all times. It uses a vertical “power-over”
mentality called survival of the fittest. Cooperation, teamwork, and vulnerability
are not concepts understood by the primitive ego.
A religion using the thinking process of the primitive
ego would thus value vertical power and control in its basic institutional
structure. Power would flow from the top down; pope to cardinal, cardinal
to bishop, bishop to clergy, clergy to deacons, deacons to church political
leadership, church political leadership to general laity. Obedience to
religious “authority” would be expected. Disobedience would
be punished.
Power in such a religion would be controlled by the
physically stronger males. Women who are physically weaker than men would
be considered second class, or sub-human property of the males. The vertical
power structures used to define the religion would be unambiguous and
explicitly defined by God’s word in sacred scripture. Compassion
and grace would be possible only as long as the vertical power structure
of the religion was not being challenged, or when it is in the interest
of the religious institution achieving more power and control. For example,
nuns and lay women would be allowed to contribute their time and energy
for the good of the institution but they would not be allowed to be part
of the power structure.
A religion built on the thought process of the primitive
ego would have no problem scripturally or institutionally affirming slavery,
condoning caste systems, relegating women to a sub-human status under
men, affirming that homosexuals should be killed, labeling Jews as evil,
burning heretics, burning witches, funding inquisitions, or financing
crusades. Prayer in such a religion would focus on offering grace and
compassion to those “less fortunate”. Giving away actual resources
that define the religions “power” would be much more difficult.
A true distribution of wealth would be embraced and valued as an ideal
to strive for, but neither the institution or many of its members would
actually participate in such a distribution.
An enlightened religion would embrace the diversity
and sacredness of all of God’s creation. No
one would be excluded from an enlightened church or denied a leadership
role. The institution and its members would model what it means to have
an open and vulnerable heart. It would model and teach a horizontal power
of equality, cooperation, and team work. The assets and resources of the
institution and its members would be offered to those in need. Manifesting
the unconditional love of the essential self would be the highest ideal
of the institution and its members.
All people, regardless of racial, religious, cultural,
or ethnic background would be seen as equal in the sight of God and any
sacred scriptures that affirmed differently would be understood to be
the writing of people from a different time and culture and thus would
be abandoned or rewritten so as to reflect the unconditional love of God.
The members of an enlightened religion would honor and
value the equality of all humans by embracing the middlepath spiritual
practice of simplicity, silence, and deep listening to the views and beliefs
of others, and always searching without judgment for the truth in their
views, beliefs, and opinions so that the horizontal power of openness,
vulnerability, team work, and cooperation would always define the institutional
structure.
6) The
unconscious primitive ego of the inner child is simply “old brain”
and is unable to change because childhood is finished. Thus it is forever
stuck in the past, perpetually evaluating people, events, and relationships
through the eyes of childhood; the eyes of a second grade, eight year
old child. The primitive ego protects its self identity, and keeps the
world predictable and safe by vigorously resisting change.
A religion built on the thinking process of the primitive
ego would passionately resist changes in scripture, theology, or liturgy
regardless of modern biblical scholarship. For example, it would insist
on a literal translations of scripture, maintain a sub-human role for
women, continue its homophobia against homosexuals, and it would adamantly
refuse to embrace evolutionary theory.
Even when science could prove that the earth indeed
revolved the sun, and that creation takes place through evolution, a religion
based on primitive ego thinking would vigorously resist acknowledging
such new ideas for hundreds of years. The sub-human status of women would
remain unchanged for thousands of years.
Pastors who advocate for change or initiate discussion
designed to bring the religion into the 21st century would not only be
vigorously resisted and criticized, they would also be held personally
responsible by the institutional power structure for any conflict resulting
from their insistence on change. As a result, worship in this religion
would tend to be irrelevant and boring for educated 21st century members.
A high priority on administrative duties designed to
insure survival of the institution, and the endless maintenance of the
status quo would be the primary responsibilities of clergy. As a result,
discouragement and burnout of creative, well educated clergy in this religion
would tend to be high.
An enlightened Church would understand that change is
reality, and that God uses change to create all things. It would embrace
the reality that there is nothing that does not eventually succumb to
change. It would know that a values and ethics system written 2000 years
ago that is primarily focused on getting individuals into heaven is clearly
not relevant for the needs of humanity living in the 21st century.
An enlightened Church would have transformed itself
by eliminating all primitive thinking processes and theologies based on
the primitive ego so as to be leading the world in defining and creating
the middlepath ethics and values that are so badly needed to intentionally
evolve the consciousness of humanity and cope with the overwhelming complexity
of the world we live in today.
An enlightened religion would understand the complex
issues facing humanity and be working to create
the spiritual foundation for the ethics and values that will be required
to help humanity keep its evolutionary bearings as it sorts through the
critical questions that are already beginning to confront our global community.
An enlightened religion would be looking forward and
accepting responsibility for the important contributions it could make
toward the development of a middlepath spirituality capable of liberating
the co-creative force of unconditional love that resides inside the essential
self of every human being. It would know that no
other force or energy in the universe is capable of creating the evolutionary
growth in complexity necessary for the conscious evolution of human consciousness.
It would understand both the amazing potentials and
the inherent dangers that face humanity in the areas of genetics and biotechnology,
the computer technology and communication systems that are now showing
third world nations the inequity that exists between the haves and the
have not’s in ownership and access to the worlds’ resources,
the extinction of a growing number of species caused by humans, the destruction
of the worlds ecological infrastructure, the overuse and dwindling of
global energy resources, the complexity of a global economy, global warming,
world population growth, our ability to sustain and feed the growing number
of people populating the planet, the problem of dwindling energy reserves,
nanotechnology, and the rapidly approaching crisis of a critical shortage
in fresh water for drinking and irrigation.
An enlightened religion would know that these
are only some of the critical issues that humanity will be facing within
the next two to three decades.
The members of an enlightened religion would embrace
the middlepath spiritual practice of accepting and supporting change as
the essential creative force in the universe, and they would understand
the evolutionary imperative to create the conscious evolution of an enlightened
humanity capable of being fully conscious co-creators of change. They
would know that only an observing adult self, living fully awake and willing
to look within at the beam in its own eye, is capable of the growth in
self-awareness necessary to lead the human species into enlightenment.
7) The
primitive ego of the inner child insists that it’s “self”
is a totally separate, unique, individual being. It is unable to see itself
an integral, systemic part of all creation. As such, it struggles with
loneliness and the concept of team work or cooperation, and perceives
nature and ecology as external “objects” to be used.
A religion built on the thinking process of the primitive
ego would see itself as a separate, unique institution and its members
as individual objects to be used by the institution for the good of the
institution. The mind set of the primitive ego is that of a tough, independent,
self-reliant, Marlboro man riding alone on his horse out into the desert
of life.
Members in this religion would not understand the reality
that all of creation is inter-dependent; that they possess nothing that
didn’t come from some one or something outside of themselves. A
meaningful sense of belonging or being part of a “conscious, living,
creative, loving universe” would be beyond the cognitive ability
of the primitive ego to imagine or experience. Dominion over the earth
and all it creatures would be affirmed by the word of God in its sacred
scriptures.
Despite the fact that one of the most basic needs of
all human beings is the need to belong and be a part of something larger
than themselves, in this religion there would be virtually no use of horizontal
power or working cooperatively with other religions, the local community,
the global community, social or governmental agencies, or cooperatively
supporting other independent agencies or social service providers.
A meaningful sense of “belonging
and being an integral co-creative part of the very universe itself”
would be missing. The institutional religion would have its own
mission programs, its own soup kitchens,
its own ministries, its own
shelters for the homeless, its own call
or vision of ministry, and its own theology,
rituals, and separate self-identity.
An enlightened religion would see all human beings and
all human institutions as an integral, systemic part of the oneness we
call God. It would work cooperatively along side of other social, religious,
and governmental agencies toward the growth and conscious evolution of
the whole human species. Independent programs would be created only when
there were no other organizations or agencies providing the service. Even
then, there would be an intentional effort to network and bring other
individuals and agencies together in a cooperative team effort to provide
the service.
An enlightened religion would honor and value the radical
diversity of our universe and it would teach the idea that every single
person is a systemic, sacred, and necessary part of the whole; that there
is no number 2, there is no “other”, there is only the oneness
of all Creation. It would understand that nothing can stand alone; that
no person or institution is an island.
Members of this enlightened religion would experience
themselves as systemically connected co-creators with the conscious, living
universe around them. They would know that separateness is an illusion
perpetuated by the primitive ego.
Members in an enlightened religion would know that the
achievement of enlightenment and a deep self-awareness is not possible
without the guidance and wisdom of gifted teachers who have themselves
already journeyed through the middlepath cloud of unknowing and into the
desert of spiritual enlightenment. They would search for these enlightened
teachers in every culture, in every religious institution, and every educational
and social institution.
The members of an enlightened religion would embrace
the middlepath spiritual practice of living their lives knowing that they
are integrally connected co-creators with everything in the conscious,
living universe. As such, they would actively search for and honor any
spiritual teachers capable of leading humanity into the deep self-awareness
of an enlightened middlepath consciousness; regardless of where they are
found.
8) The
primitive ego of the inner child is very reactive to criticism or any
perceived threat to it’s cherished beliefs, opinions, and assumptions..
Since it already possesses THE truth, the primitive ego perceives any
challenge to its beliefs as a threat to the power and control it uses
to keep the world consistent, predictable, and safe. Because it is the
narcissistic center of the universe it expects obedience, it wants what
it wants, when it wants it, and its ability to delay gratification is
low. When frustrated, the primitive ego often resorts to anger and temper
tantrums to get what it wants.
A religion employing the thinking process of the primitive
ego will often look homogeneous and peaceful on the surface. This peaceful
facade is simply reflecting the outward tranquility of what Scott Peck
refers to as a pseudo community. Despite the fact that there may be many
different beliefs and opinions regarding theology, liturgy, interpretation
of sacred texts, church politics, church programs, and church goals, individuals
members are reluctant to openly speak out or disagree for fear of the
conflict that they intuitively know will result from such vulnerability.
In other words, a religion using the thinking process
of the primitive ego will reflect a peaceful facade only as long as everyone
appears to hold the same basic beliefs.
The moment any individual or group of people voice a dissenting opinion
that challenges the beliefs of the community, conflict will erupt. Angry
temper tantrums are common.
It is common that a small group of reactive, outspoken,
and volatile members of the congregation will generally make most of the
policy decisions regarding control of the finances, the politics, the
policies, and the vision and programming of each individual church. Rather
than confront issues, disgruntled members of the congregation avoid conflict
by simply dropping their involvement and membership.
Members of an enlightened Church are non-reactive to
criticism because they know that their beliefs, opinions, and assumptions
are both subjective and relative; not absolute truths that need to be
defended. They look for the truth in everyone’s position and are
willing to be open and vulnerable in the sharing of their essential self
with others.
They know that creative change and the vitality required
whenever a community grows and evolves always requires the input of all
its members; both young and old. They approach all discussions from a
place of silence and not knowing. The reactivity of their primitive ego
has been replace with the non-reactive, non-violent listening of a contemplative,
co-creative adult consciousness. Their focus is always on the good of
the larger community.
The members of an enlightened religion would embrace
the middlepath spiritual practice of living each moment with an open,
patient, and vulnerable heart knowing that every human being on the planet,
and the gifts they each bring to the global human community are all necessary
to achieve wholeness. Impatient control of others is not needed since
they know that it is the cooperative inter-dependent effort of the whole
community that creates responsible co-creative change.
9) The
primitive ego of the inner child is not able to love unconditionally.
It can only offer a conditional love that is based on a “because”.
Members in a religion using the thinking process of
a primitive ego offer a conditional love to others that is always based
on a “because”. The “because” may or may not be
conscious or readily apparent, but the conditional love will always end
the moment the primitive ego experience a threat from any of the items
#1 though #8 above.
An enlightened Church knows that unconditional love
cannot be maintained by a force of will; it requires an authentic spiritual
transformation or evolution of consciousness. An enlightened Church and
its enlightened members love unconditionally because that is who they
are; it is who they have become. An enlightened
Church knows that the light of the essential self cannot shine through
the opaque beliefs, opinions, expectations, assumptions, fears, desires,
wants, and needs of the primitive ego.
Thus the members in an enlightened religion will have
learned to pay attention to the beam in their own eye so as to “empty”
themselves of their many primitive ego beliefs and opinions. They have
learned to evolve a middlepath consciousness that is capable of manifesting
the enlightened middlepath spirituality of an essential self; the sacred,
fully conscious, co-creative self, the “i am” that resides
at the center of every homo sapiens sapiens.
In other words, members in an enlightened religion are
always working to authentically transform and enlighten their consciousness
through contemplation and deep self-awareness so as to enable the unconditional
love of their essential self to shine brightly in the world and light
the evolutionary path into the future for all humanity.
The members of an enlightened religion would embrace
the middlepath spiritual practice of always paying attention, through
contemplation and meditation, to the beliefs of the primitive ego that
are embedded in their conditional loving until every “because”
that makes their loving conditional has been identified and emptied from
their consciousness.
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