Reply: Freedom From Religion Foundation
Reply To Freedom From Religion Foundation
What does the scientist state with regard to the relationship of religion and science? Nikola Tesla stated "The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence" Which means that Nikola Tesla has been proven correct. And therein lies the problem as seen in the fact that while the modern cutting edge scientist has proven the wisdom of the mystic correct with respect to the relationship of matter and spirit as the UNSEEN SOURCE of everything we see and experiences in this world. Quoting from the article, Plato - The Physicist http://KnowThySelf.Nazirene.org#Plato : What has in modern times been proven by science, is merely confirming what the mystic has stated for thousands of years. The analogy of Plato's Cave portrays this realm as a prison where mankind only sees shadow-images projected from an UNSEEN SOURCE upon the wall of the cave. And this analogy of Plato has been verified in the quotation of Einstein when he stated: “We may therefore regard matter as being constituted by the regions of space in which the field is extremely intense… There is no place in this new kind of physics both for the field and matter, for the field is the only reality.” What this means is that the ONLY REALITY is in the UNSEEN FIELD, and all the answers and understanding of life must be sought therein. Which provokes the question: How does a person develop the ability to perceive the SOURCE of the images they see in the UNSEEN FIELD? Quoting from the Wikipedia article: "Like the fire that cast light on the walls of the cave, the human condition is forever bound to the impressions that are received through the senses. Even if these interpretations (or, in Kantian terminology, intuitions) are an absurd misrepresentation of reality, we cannot somehow break free from the bonds of our human condition - we cannot free ourselves from phenomenal state just as the prisoners could not free themselves from their chains. If, however, we were to miraculously escape our bondage, we would find a world that we could not understand - the sun is incomprehensible for someone who has never seen it. In other words, we would encounter another 'realm,' a place incomprehensible because, theoretically, it is the source of a higher reality than the one we have always known; it is the realm of pure Form, pure fact."
And therein lies the problem -- i.e., the person we are in this world which is the earthly or ego-self, cannot see the Source of both our True-Self, and because reality is Metaphysical, we remain blind to our True-Source of Being. Quoting from The Supernatural Self http://KnowThySelf.Nazirene.org#TheSupernaturalSelf : Modern cutting-edge science has proven the wisdom of the Mystic that man's True-Self is a Supernatural Being that transcends all physical and metaphysical realities. Which means that unless you prepare and expand the consciousness of your mind to perceptively see and understand the supernatural and metaphysical, you will remain blind and ignorant of not only your own True-Self, but also all realities of Life. Which means that everything you think your know, will be false from the perspective of man's True-Reality.
The Mystic would define religion as the elementary teachings exposing the carnal ego-self to the non-physical reality of the Metaphysical or True Self that is the true Source of that person. The fulfillment of the adage to Know Thyself, is making reference to this Supernatural Self that the vast majority of people remain ignorant of throughout all of their lives. As stated in the Wikipedia article on Plato's Cave: "...the human condition is forever bound to the impressions that are received through the senses. Even if these interpretations ...are an absurd misrepresentation of reality, we cannot somehow break free from the bonds of our human condition - we cannot free ourselves from phenomenal state just as the prisoners could not free themselves from their chains. If, however, we were to miraculously escape our bondage, we would find a world that we could not understand -- ...In other words, we would encounter another 'realm,' a place incomprehensible because, theoretically, it is the source of a higher reality than the one we have always known; it is the realm of pure Form, pure fact." So long as we ignore the metaphysical and evaluate self and reality from the perspective of "...the impressions that are received through the senses", we will remain blind and alienated from our own True Self and Higher Reality. Einstein said of this suppression of the inward-looking attributes of the Intuitive Mind: "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." Which reality was confirmed by Nikola Tesla when he stated: “But instinct (intuition) is something which transcends knowledge. We have, undoubtedly, certain finer fibers that enable us to perceive truths when logical deduction, or any other willful effort of the brain, is futile.”
What we call religion is therefore the elementary preparation -- i.e., the baby-steps that is portrayed as the "milk" of the Gospels (see Animal-Soul http://AnInconvenientTruth.org#animal ), in order to develop the Intuitive Inward-Looking aspects of the person's mind to begin the process of embracing abstract thought. Quoting from Abstract Thought http://KnowThyself.Nazirene.org#AbstractThought : The Mind of Man is in the Etheric-Field that surrounds and immerses the physical, thereby interacting through the body which is itself an allegorical image of man's consciousness. The Source of Mans' Mind exists in his un-manifest Soul that is beyond the perceptive vision and understanding of man's earthly consciousness. Which means that any system -- whether academic, cultural, philosophical, religious or scientific that is based upon non-metaphysical concepts of man's reality, is a detriment to his life and wellbeing. One of Pythagoras’s most important contributions to the development of philosophy was the idea that abstract thinking is superior to the evidence of the senses. This was taken up by Plato in his theory of Forms, and resurfaced in the philosophical method of the rationalists in the 17th century. The Pythagorean attempt to combine the rational with the religious was the first attempt to grapple with a problem that has dogged philosophy and religion in some ways ever since. Abstract thinking can be defined and and understood as the ability to think and perceive beyond the shadow-images that is seen and observed by concrete-linear thought -- and intuitively perceive the deeper meaning of what the shadow-images signify on a higher reality. Therefore, Abstract thinking is the ability to think and understand the higher reality of the objects, principles, and ideas that are beyond physical manifestation. Abstract-Intuitive thinking is therefore not contrary to concrete or linear thinking -- but rather, explains and reveals the higher nature and reality of concrete thought and the meaning of the images that we physically observe and interact with in the physical world. Why? Because Concrete-Linear thinking is based solely upon the (allegorical) shadow-images that are themselves incomplete from a linear-perspective. Therefore when the Linear-Concrete thinker concludes that "...the claims of metaphysics are invalid and have no bearing on reality. The physical cosmos is all there is" (see Wikipedia AND/OR the article Science Vs Scientism at https://www.intellectualtakeout.org/blog/science-versus-scientism/ ), then the Linear-Concrete thinker is acknowledging his blindness. Einstein concurred with this reality when he stated of the scientific conclusions: “The more I study science, the more I believe in God.”
The scriptures were written by Mystics as a means to develop the inward-looking attributes of mind of the elementary believer in search of acquiring Self-Knowledge and the Mysteries of Life. Not only does academia fail to develop these aspects of human mind and consciousness, their focus only on the physical shadow-images actually atrophies the development of mind beyond the sense-bound outward-looking linear. Thereby alienating the student from their own higher True-Self. Again, turning to the scientist, Nikola Tesla presented the solution to man's acknowledged blindness to the UNSEEN SOURCE: "If you wish to understand the Universe you must think ...in terms of frequency and vibration" -- and from the wisdom of the Mystic, the scriptures and religion is the starting point of changing the "...frequency and vibration" of the mind that enables the ego-self to develop the inward-looking Intuitive aspects of Mind -- thereby enabling the person to see the UNSEEN, and begin to connect with their True Supernatural-Self in fulfillment of the ancient adage to Know Thyself. In the words of Jesus as preserved in the Gospel of Thomas: "(3) Jesus said ...But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty". Therefore, the elimination of religion would be synonymous with eliminating grades K thru 12 and enrolling five year olds at a university level of education. In the words of Ludwig von Mises: "Many who are self-taught far excel the doctors, masters, and bachelors of the most renowned universities". Why: Because academia inhibits and even atrophies the inward-looking attributes of mind that enable the ego-self to tap into the True-Self that is a being of pure Intellect and Light (see http://BeingOfLight.com ). Which means that it is the atheist and the vast majority of intuitively-disenfranchised scientists whose "...frequency and vibration" of mind remains earth-bound and blind to their own Higher Soul-Reality.I was asked as to why I hassle the Atheists. I wrote in answer: The Atheists are only there to condemn and find fault and belittle what they don't understand. I reply to them in order to show the believers which they abuse, that facts can be set before the Atheist's which prove their fossilized Scientism wrong. And I can accomplish this by quoting the words and findings of the more advanced scientists.
The ONLY limitations of man are those he embraces for himself. The Atheists are not necessarily wrong. The Gentile followers of Jesus rejected the whole of the Old Testament, portraying it as a demiurge of the Jews own creation. The political Gentile Church adopted the Old Testament, to advance their own political image and power. The Atheists should be helping the blind-believing Christians to seek out the Spiritual meaning of the allegorical scriptures. Speaking of the son's of Abraham: "Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all" Gal 4:24-26). The reference is to the freedom of the Inner Kingdom, which is allegorically portrayed as the Jerusalem from above -- and not of this world. And this is why Jesus said that the Kingdom will never come upon the earth, because it is within you -- and you must enter in at the "narrow gate" to enter is (see The Narrow Gate And The Enigma Of The Law Of Octaves http://TheLawOfOctaves.com#Intro ). To enter into the "narrow gate", you must transform the "frequency and vibration" of your own mind, that will enable you to obtain the open "eyes of the heart" (see The Eyes Only See At The Level Of Comprehension http://TheLawOfOctaves.com#TheEyesOnlySee )
The mystic transforms the inward-looking aspects of mind that earth-bound man totally ignores the development of. In the transformation, the mystic changes the "frequency and vibration" that permits him to see into Spiritual/Source. (see Tesla - The Bridge Between Religion And Science http://TheLawOfOctaves.com#bridge ).