Spiritualism

In the beginning Man and God, by most accounts, were on a first name basis.

Then, Man began to explore the world, and soon there was THOUGHT. The first thought was good, but it led to another, and another, until finally Man had invented a NEW God.

And so it has gone over the millennia. Every few generations God is re-invented so that God will fit Man’s paradigm of what God should be.

You may well ask, “Where did this heretical woman get her blasphemous ideas!”

My ideas have come from many places, most recently the Universal Life Church Seminary course “Spiritualism.”

Religious practices of pre-history were based on empiric observations by people who depended in large part on their skills as hunter-gatherers. Their God/s images revolved around the hunt and fertility of the land.

As civilization spread, Man had the leisure to pursue higher thought, and philosophy emerged, changed, changed again, and evolved into formalized religious beliefs.

The advent of scientific investigation began to alter philosophy, turning thought away from empiricism toward reason and scientific observation of reproducible data. These data lead to physical laws, mathematics and facts being the basis for beliefs. Thus began the decline of mysticism, astrology and empiricism.

Thankfully, the pendulum never stops moving, and the writings by early philosophers remain in the world, and are still read by many.

The teachings of Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, the Cynics and Stoics are still revered in our culture, and bring the human race closer to its feeling side.

The more we understand of the elder philosophers the better able we are as ministers to see the vulnerable and helpless side of Man; thus revealing our own weaknesses and strengths. Once we are able to identify these qualities, we can reach out with our good right hand to those whose spirits are in need of support. Then will we be a blessing, as we have been blessed ourselves. 

Rev. Kristine Dice

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.