ALL OF THE WRITINGS IN THIS BLOG have been my attempt to explain, as well as succinctly articulate, some aspect of my views in relation to, first of all, my exit from church and then from Christianity altogether.
Not surprisingly, many of my past church friends have gone to these writings to find out what the heck happened to Abraham. Some have commented, in more or less kind hearted ways, hoping to help me regain my obviously lost relationship with God. These comments have generated, in my opinion, some very stimulating and healthy give and take. This, of course, was my desire all along.
All of this has helped to further deepen my own personal conviction that human society as a whole would be much better served if we could come to a place of releasing our religious exclusiveness.
It is a growing concept in my mind that the “we have the truth” mentality is actually holding mankind back from the recognition that our greatest oneness is in the simple universality of our common existence.
The Christian, for example, cannot easily do this. And the reason has to do with the belief system itself. Although many Christians recognize their common heritage with other fellow human beings, they nonetheless hold to the belief that the true “brotherhood” is formed by their faith in Christ. Those who do not share their faith are by Biblical definition outsiders who need to repent. Therefore, “superiority of belief” is built into the very structure of the religion.
From what I know of Islam the same is true and maybe more so, depending on what particular sect of that religion you focus upon.
So… if we could, and I do mean “IF”… if we could manage to let go of our seemingly narcissistic need to “be right” or “to be on the right side” we might have a greater opportunity to develop an objective openness to the views of others. I happen to think that would be a good thing for us all.
