The Spiritual Path
I have collected together a number of different spiritual paths representing the evolution of life and consciousness according to various traditions and viewpoints. I'm not advocating any particular one. My intention is to present all of them all as I have found a number of these models useful. Consider each viewpoint as an attempt to describe the evolution of consciousness. I don't see these as separate models, rather as different ways of viewing the same thing.
Science, Philosophy and Theology
In the Introduction of Bertrand Russell's "History of Western Philosophy", in defining philosophy Russell defines:
- Science - all definite knowledge. Science tells us what we know.
- Theology - all dogma, as to what surpasses definite knowledge. Introduces new ideas, fears, uncertainty.
- Philosophy - the no man's land between Science and Theology. Questions of interest to speculative minds to which science cannot answer, and theological answers are not convincing.
It seems that today science rules the planet, but it has not always been so. Until comparatively recently (the past few hundred years), Theology ruled. Science is very much concerned with the observable physical world, and solid, factual knowledge. Yet by itself it is a closed system. Theology, religion, channelling and the paranormal seem to provide a connection to some external unlimited source of knowledge and energy. As the new knowledge enters, perhaps being discussed by philosophers in the process, science gradually incorporates the ideas into definite knowledge and the new concepts become widely known and accepted in the physical world. In recent times, as well as technological and scientific advances, there has also been a resurgeance in Theological connections, yet we are also dependant on philosophical thought to make sense of the new information and develop arguments that Scientists can work on.
© In the Light, 17 September, 2009 , Disclaimer, Son of Suckerfish drop-downs from HTML dog