THE PHILOSOPHICAL COALESCENCE OF SCIENCE, SPIRITUALITY, RELIGION AND CONSCIENCE IN THE GLOBAL GREEN NEW DEAL
Science operates in the field of knowledge, which is human, spirituality in the field of understanding, which is divine. These two fields overlap, as every human being partakes of the divine.
The field of knowledge consists of facts, things done or performed, particular truths known by actual observation or authentic testimony. Truth for science is the coincidence of a subject with its object. What can be proven scientifically expands as far as the mind of the scientist can make an induction or an intuition and then back it up with fact. For instance, ‘the world is flat’ was proved to be an untruth when Columbus sailed around it. ‘The world is round’ then became the truth. A fact, however, a datum of experience is limited by the capacity of the human mind which is finite.
In spirituality on the other hand, scientific affirmation is possible but never scientific confirmation as its field of understanding partakes of the infinite. The infinite is the only thing which is non-exclusionary. We can never prove that something which is exclusionary is true for all time. The finite mind cannot comprehend the infinite. What the finite mind can do is partake of TRUTH, an inherent characteristic of the infinite once we can figure out how to tap into or access the field of understanding.
In spirituality, what we are seeking then is not a ‘fact’ but a principle of operation of the universe. We are seeking to understand the movement of the Life Force of the universe, and everything knowable about it which will keep expanding all the time, as well as what can be apprehended of the infinite.
This ‘principle of operation’ or Life Force has been called ‘God’ but the use of an apparent substantive has caused some religions to attempt to concretize this ‘God’. There are two fallacies here. One fallacy is the apparent attempt to make the infinite finite and the second fallacy is the linguistic one which lures a moving principle of operation, or Life Force toward a concrete symbol.
If the religions can come to this scientific awareness of the Life Force as the moving God then many apparent inconsistencies can become comparatively insignificant.
Ideally, each religion is the means whereby a human being can at least seek – through ritual and a certain measure of conformity – this field of understanding where TRUTH becomes real and the unity all-encompassing.
There can be many diverse journeys that people take on their way to this oneness. The journey itself is significant for each individual. Comparisons for the sake of comparison while educational, may not add to quality for humans individually. The study of other religions gives knowledge. The contemplation of one’s own religion or one’s own journey, accesses spirituality.
The function of each and every one of us includes inherent responsibility to act in harmony with the Life Force of the Universe and to act in an ethical manner. The birthright is the equal conscience and the meaningful life is achieved as each person acts upon his/her dictates with a free will directed towards the Good, the harmony with the movement of the Life Force, known as Goodwill.
Reverence for Life implies goodwill. Goodwill in the affairs of mortals is the thread that connects divinity and belongingness with ethics or the affairs or actions of mortals.
Humanity’s function in the Universe is to be its conscience.
Each human being has a unique conscience or a unique connection to the Life Force where it merges with all other unique consciences to become the collective conscience of humanity. This must then accept the responsibility of acting upon this spiritual awareness to assume its now conscious role of preserver, up to the outer limits of its ability, of every aspect of the universe over which it may, by the exertion of its free will, exercise any control.
Control of resources carries with it the responsibility of maintaining the harmony of the Life Force.
From World Scriptures Volume 2
Ed. Leland P. Stewart
