Redefining God For 21st Century Man

"Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature because we ourselves are part of the mystery." Max Plank, Physicist, Nobel Prize 1918 

[Disclaimer: I am neither religious nor atheist. I identify myself as human. My loyalty is to the greatest good of all concerned --one choice at a time.] 

BLOOD - The twisted body of god TS

Whenever I tweet or blog about 'God' I sense a disturbance in the 'Force'. Meaning, often the readers who take time to comment do so because my entry has agitated them. They assume the worse. Verbally attack me. Then advise me to "read a book".

To the other extreme there are a few cuddlers that give off the 'can we pray together vibe'. It seems, however, there are far more people who assume the worse and go directly to verbal attack. To what purpose does this serve? I do not know.

Because the word "God" does cause commotion, I'll be using It freely --and in a good way. Get past the drama and read on.

The Buddy Christ - Dogma, Kevin Smith

To be fair, for the context of discussion I provide a brief definition of God in an effort get everyone on the same page with our evolving perspective. It is not necessary to agree with the definition for it to be useful. Although, be aware,  to have a productive discussion about the Nature of God requires some fundamental common ground -- especially when the content is so emotionally charged.

A non-dogmatic common definition of God supports peaceful discussion. 

God Is All of Existence, animate and inanimate, seen and unseen. God Is, that which has no beginning and no end; Omnipresent. Omnipresent Is The Body of God.

I arrived at this definition through years of loving research into the nature of world religions and belief systems as both a participant and an observer, forever fascinated by the contradiction, or lack thereof, among believers and their faiths. Me? I'm not the joining kind.

My question is this: Will the fighting ever stop? Just when you think you've had enough fighting about which religion is superior, enter Atheism, demanding its due and promising to be more of the same, same. 

"There is God vs There is not God."  

I look at that statement and wonder how do we not recognize that these two concepts cancel each other out? Somewhere therein lies clarity. Let us attempt kindness in our discourse and not let arrogance get in the way of what is good and what is right.

Human Evolution: A spiritual endeavor

My background in education and training, with experience in a range of industries, has taught me a great deal about various methods and styles of delivering education to young people, teachers and the general public. As an individual who advocates for progressive, inclusive thinking and learning, I favor a 'holistic' approach to our education system.

 

Holistic education focuses on intellectual, emotional, social, physical, creative and spiritual potentials. It engages students in the teaching and learning process. A key goal is to develop life-long learners capable of thinking at a systemic level. 

Holistic education encourages personal and collective responsibility while honing critical-thinking skills in an effort to examine the moral, cultural and political context of one's life --from a world view.

The aspects of spirituality in Holistic Education are of particular interest to me. Humanity is losing connection with the unseen aspects of our existence.

Spirituality is defined as 'a state of connectedness to all life. The honoring of diversity in unity. It's an experience of being, belonging and caring; sensitivity and compassion; joy and hope. Its purpose strives for harmony between inner and outer life; to create a sense of wonder and reverence for the mysteries of the universe, and to experience the feeling of a purposeful life.

These are the values I believe move the human spirit towards its highest endeavors. The evolution of human potential. 

Resources:

Holistic Education: An Introduction

A Brief Introduction to Holistic Education 

School of Teaching and Learning, Ohio State University offers M.A. in Holistic Education

Ron Miller, founder of the journal Holistic Education Review (now entitled Encounter: Education for Meaning and Social Justice)

WHOLE --Integrating holistic practices into the education system Blogger at whole.org

Seeking a Brain, Heart and Courage: On Becoming a Holistic Teacher Research article

Holistic Education Network - Tasmania, Australia