Episode:Religion in Depth—Reality of Experience (Part 8)

From Symmetry of Soul


Logic can never succeed in harmonizing the findings of science and the insights of religion unless both the scientific and the religious aspects of a personality are truth dominated, sincerely desirous of following the truth wherever it may lead regardless of the conclusions which it may reach.

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Keywords: Urantia, Religion, Faith, Reason, Logic

Summary by Kermit

Commentary on Review

We commented on the role of imagination and conjecture in enhancing the quest for scientific knowledge, citing the example of Friedrich Kekulé, 19th century German chemist who after experiencing a vivid dream wherein he saw a snake with its tail in its mouth conjectured the ring structure of benzene. However, it is only from a foundation of facts that application of such imagination and conjecture may lead to valid conclusions.

We also reflected a little on the last paragraph of our last broadcast concerning the idea that our pursuit of scientific knowledge is not limited to the life in the flesh, but continues through our superuniverse ascension career. Also we touched on the failings of human metaphysics as stemming from inaccuracies in extrapolating partial understandings to a false wholeness.

103:7.4

Short of the maximum attainment of the Supreme, the harmonizing of mind logic as it fosters the mediation of experiential philosophy, will ever be needed for the union of the scientific attitude and the religious insight. Note here the attempt of the revelators to move us beyond the 4th ER’s awakening to God who is Spirit to a transcendent philosophic concept of Deity. We are invited to expand our concept frame from a monotheistic Godhead to Seven Absolutes of Infinity wherein we must grapple with the complexities of a threefold functional reality and employ this experiential philosophic logic to reach a new holistic way of thinking. However, logic alone is not sufficient to accomplish this harmonization. Successful reconciliation of the realms of things and values also depends on possessing a truth dominated personality, sincerely desirous of following truth wherever it may lead.

The revelators next highlight the role of logic (philosophy’s method of expression) in achieving the constancy and consistency of a cosmic viewpoint. The logic of philosophy strengthened by revelation confirms both the inlooking viewpoint of the scientific approach (reason) and the outward view of the spiritual approach (faith) to understanding the universe. Logic can be thought of as a synthetic wholeness recognition encompassing both science and religion.

We considered our planetary history and the 5th ER from the standpoint of our difficulty in comprehending the true meaning of the words we encounter. The challenge of the revelators to go up from our status as children of God by grace to adults of God through the engagement of the true metaphysics of the revelation is a formidable challenge indeed. We noted the sobering reference to worlds in the stages of light and life where average lifespan approaches five hundred years and the comment by a Mighty Messenger in Paper 55, The Spheres of Light and Life, to the effect that more and more mortals reach the third cosmic circle of co-ordinate mortal attainment during the planetary life span.

The revelators call for current day religionists and scientists to become more self-critical of their facts and abandon their overly confident dogmatism. We discussed the problematic situation reflected in the use of the term “settled science.” We noted that it is progressing civilization that supplies a philosophic context of wholeness wherein genuine science and true religion can flourish. That we are losing this context, which has caused the 5th ER to be given to our world, is a recurrent theme on this program.

Our author expands on the role of the SoT in approaching the truth, which is designated as an understanding of cosmic relationships, universe facts and spiritual values. Criticized by revelation, the SoT functions as a fourth cosmic intuition lending a wholeness to the first three intuitions in the apprehension of triune reality. Key to this paragraph is the point that revelation originates neither a science or a religion, but rather serves to coordinate both of them with the truth of reality. These passages underscore the idea that the 5th ER is in truth a philosophic text. Without revelation let alone morontia mota, man has attempted the reconciliation of the divergencies of science and religion, albeit without satisfactory results.

In the personal sphere, we are attempting to have a relationship with God. God being a word symbol represents an idea and the 5th ER is here to present us with better ideas about God.

We also touched on the importance of taking our salvation for granted, ensuring that our altruism is truly in service of others rather than self.

Our final paragraph describes the contributions of science in achieving control of our physical environment, and religion in supplying the fraternity impulse enabling humans to live together in our complex civilization of a scientific age. It falls to our revelatory metaphysics to achieve the symmetry of a well balanced philosophy of scientific stability and religious certainty.

Notes by Brad

  • The scientific method is precise, but the hypothesis can come from anywhere, even a fevered dream.
    • If this helps get you above the plane, into the synthesizing domain, then okay. Don't divorce yourself from facts, though.
  • Philosophy in the 5th ER is not a "sophisticated opinion scheme."
  • A family pet dying can create tension and conflict in the mind because they appear to be "gone forever."
    • But stay with it, work with this tension, and find the higher path upward (e.g., the animal was never really individuated to begin with). A magical belief in a rainbow bridge isn't true and won't serve you well in anything like the long term.
  • Avoid today's pleasure mania, which is shot through so much of civilization today.
  • We discuss the synthetic wholeness a lot in these episodes these days. And the lower hemisphere and upper hemisphere combining to make the whole sphere.
  • More reminders that we don't have firm grasp on the true meaning of many words in the 5th ER, words like faith and logic.
  • Don't be so buried in science or religion that you cannot step back and allow a synthesis of them to com together.
    • Non-overlapping magisteria probably wasn't an overly helpful notion, if it allowed people permission never to synthesis science and religion.
  • Never more than 1 percent of any generation is the leadership that establishes the context in which civilization carries out its business.
  • What is truth? Well, for starters ensure you're considering triunity: cosmic relationships, universe facts, and spiritual values. Truth is a living wholeness.
  • Imagine running for office with the inevitabilities as your platform. Would you win (not likely)? Until you would, this isn't much of a true civilization.