Bill’s next concern was religion. “There are many organized religions in the world. Can you help me understand, first of all, the need for religion? And which of the many religions is the true religion? Is there a personal god? Is prayer a direct connection to god? Is there a hell and a heaven and does our soul go to one or the other after death? What is the primary or most important function of the church? Are the religious morals written in stone? If we disobey these rules, do we do so at our personal peril? Are we born in sin? Is God a loving God? I So, why does He allow so much misery? I have never found a satisfactory answer to these questions. Can you help me to understand?”
As Bill spoke, his friend gazed out toward the distant mountains as if there were an invisible connection between him and the tranquillity of nature. With a comforting manner he replied, “Yes, religion, as you understand the institution, just like all institutions, is subject to evolution. At one time in history there were many gods. They have now been reduced to one god. The religious god is a personal god. Religion will next change into a spiritual understanding. Instead of praying to God, you will pray to the spiritual mind. The spiritual mind is beyond definition. It is the spiritual mind that gives life to all organic matter. It unites the energy of nature into a condition, which we refer to as life. The spiritual mind does not show a preference toward life forms. The spiritual mind does not recognize death; it recognizes only change. Death is a change from one life to the next. The next life begins with the wisdom of the past life and the circle repeats into what you refer to as infinity. We are born with a personal level of wisdom. What you may call instinct is really wisdom. You have noticed that children born into the same family are different from one another in many ways. As we go through life we add to or subtract from our early wisdom.”
Bill interrupted. “You speak of wisdom as if wisdom were the primary difference between life forms. Please define your terms. What do you mean by wisdom?”
“Wisdom occurs when one arrives at a correct attitude toward or decision about a situation or problem. How can you be certain that the answer is the wisest answer? Only time can determine whether you were wise or unwise. You will either gain or sacrifice wisdom from how you react to the outcome of your decision.”
Once again Bill was shocked by the simplicity of the answer. Then he added. “Have you just answered the question of the ages, What is the purpose of life? Why am I here?”
“Yes, your only purpose in the cycle of life is the search and the development of wisdom. All life is striving toward the spiritual mind! There is no wisdom to be gained or lost between lives. At death your soul mind leaves the body and resides within some form of the universal cosmic spiritual mind until it finds what it considers to be a suitable body and family in which to be reborn. The soul has limited control of its newborn life environment. Mistakes are often made as to choice. The nurturing and the learning, which were expected, may not turn out as desired. Because of this, nations should strive for wisdom in their laws. You are born with your nature but nature and nurture will function together to determine your progress through your present life. “
Bill carefully sifted through this information. The visitor dropped back into focusing on the distant landscape to await the next question. Bill then continued with his questions about religion. “The church”, he inquired, “what will be the function of the church?”
He replied “The church is political. Politics will no longer exist. In its place there will be a location to go to meditate or pray to gain emotional stability and inspiration. The emotional mind requires guidance toward maturity. The spiritual teachers will use the church where the individual will go for prayer, emotional understanding and guidance.”
“Prayer will be in the form of what you know of as creative visualization. You will visualize success! Whatever your goals might be, when you strive toward excellence, you will meditate, pray and visualize their achievement. The spiritual mind will tune into your goals and help you to focus and attain success. Trained leaders will guide you in meditation while the church environment with its spiritual atmosphere and music can provide a tranquil atmosphere. Meditation soothes the emotional mind and creative visualization stimulates the thinking mind.”
Bill pondered the consequence of the relationship between religion and politics. “Yes, it is so simple. Politics and economics are two sides of the same coin. Politics is controlled by economics and economics must support the business cycle. Business prospers or dies with the flow of money. Money value and money flow depends upon industrial scarcity but scarcity vanishes with the exponential growth of industrial modernization. Wars return inventories to a scarcity level and prosperity is restored, and then the cycle begins again but at an accelerated rate with wars becoming more and more deadly. Religious dogma and hate are often used as a motivation for these economic -political wars. Yes, politics, economics, and religion are all strongly affiliated, and all are created from the same social concept.