Exit To Entrance

A Post for NCRcafe: Exit to Entrance
By Marie Schickel Rottschaefer
Vol. 2 No. 6 September 2008

WHAT IS A POST-AXIAL AGE FAITH? WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS?

A New Search

Belief must metamorphose into a credible hope for humanity in the twenty-first century. Because of the circular argument it embodies, the appeal to revelation will likely be supplanted. But as supernaturalism departs, this does not preclude a new search for life’s ultimate meaning, i.e. a new search for Ultimate Reality. I make a distinction between a search for the ultimate meaning of life and the supernaturalism of the axial age religions -- pagan gods and goddesses and the many indigenous religions of today and yesteryear with their beliefs in divine intervention in human affairs. The basis of ultimate meaning is a Supreme Being who is the source of our contingent being where contingent beings in the process of cultural evolution construct and modify their faith and moral beliefs. Arguments about the existence and nature of a Supreme Being have been in the conversation for eons. Advances in the relevant sciences, such as cosmology and astronomy, philosophy of religion (Confer, e. g., Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, J.L. Schellenberger, “The Wisdom to Doubt: A Justification of Religious Skepticism,” Cornell University Press, 2007), philosophy of science as well as technology will add significantly to this discussion.

Another example of a work adding to the discussion, but a bare beginning in my opinion as a layperson, is Wesley J. Wildman’s article in Theology and Science Vol. 6 No. 2 May 2008 “The Import of Physical Cosmology for Philosophical Cosmology”. The discussion needs philosophy of science to challenge the assumptions Wildman makes. A philosopher I know had a humorous take, saying that philosophy ought to be the chaperone for theology and science. Since that time it’s beginning to look more like the chaperone is ushering theology to the wallflower station and escorting science on to the dance floor.

Beyond the scholarly discussions about Ultimate Reality we see almost daily in the media news of new discoveries and their implications for understanding our universe.

The New Search is well underway.

Belief is Belief by Whatever Label

Who cannot consider the possibility of a Supreme Being, originator of this universe and possibly others, that allows evolution to play out the details? The Supreme Being decides on the nature of contingent being; contingent beings do not decide on who or what the Supreme Being is. I mean a personal, original Being, the Origin of our contingent, oh so dependent being! Without contradicting myself, I can believe in and hope for a personal Origin of my being since I believe that my personhood is enclosed in the personal Origin of my being. Where else would we come from?

And yet the United Nations in its environmental project allows for the fact that there are those who do not consider such a Supreme Being possible as well as those who do. Its volume, Earth And Faith A Book of Reflection for Action (Libby Bassett Editor and Designer, John T. Brinkman, Kusumita P. Pedersen, Co-Editors, Interfaith Partnership For The Environment United Nations Programme (UNEP) 2000) has a section on Points Of Religious Agreement In Environmental Ethics. Point Three states, “Non-human living beings are morally significant, in the eyes of God and/or in the cosmic order. They have their own unique relations to God, and their own places in the cosmic order.” Research supporting this conclusion can be found in Kusumita P. Pedersen, “Environmental Ethics in Interreligious Perspective.” (In Explorations in Global Ethics: Comparative Religious Ethics and Interreligious Dialogue, Eds. Sumner B. Twiss and Bruce Grelle, Boulder, CO, and Oxford, U.K.: Westview Press, 1998.)

From my experience in personal discussion, I find that one side is as intransigent and as apprehensive as the other in promoting his/her individual position about the God vs. cosmic order debate. What is unsettling about zealots is that each asserts his or her belief, but without attempting to justify it. But knowledge is justified true belief.

We can move beyond belief versus belief. May it be our goal!

Evolution or Extinction?

We know that we are on an evolutionary journey that permeates some of humanity with wonder and gratitude. Life has meaning and meaning gives us reason to hope. What better thing can we do than meaningful work that promotes fulfillment or stability of all of our fellow creatures, living and non-living? Each accomplishment brings advanced understanding of who and what we are and the potential of the planet. Our evolutionary journey on this planet is part of the larger evolutionary journey of the universe. The successes of meaningful work may indicate with startling clarity where this journey is directing us. Such work becomes the launch pad to a fulfilling future. But that future will arrive only if we restore our past i.e. transform our world of people and planet in dire need. If the dire needs are not fulfilled, we will spiral down to demise and destruction leaving mass extinctions and a barren planet far into the future.

Soon in these posts I will discuss some of the ALREADY scientifically predictable critical time lines of geological factors indicative of this deadly downward decline. As post-axial age faith people, we have our program cut out for us to work with all of the human species to support our collective future, our raison d’etre and the planet from which we emerged, regardless of our beliefs! Our faith seeks Ultimate Reality but our achievement brings present reality a step further on the journey that enables us to understand future reality.

Our faith and achievements will help us to avoid extinction and enable our evolutionary progress.