subject: Religious Software [print this page] Author: Ernie Fitzpatrick Author: Ernie Fitzpatrick
We obviously have moved deeply into the digital age. Who doesn't use a computer these days? Who's without a cell phone (we ditched our land line phone years ago) that can actually ACT as a phone but is used more often for email, internet access, photos, daily planner, and text messaging. Remember when the phone was for calling people? Thus you should be able to relate to what I'm about to write. God is the HARDWARE, the only one; however, the software program abound. The Bible, Koran, Torah, Vedas, Bhagavad Gita, and other such sacred books are the SOFTWARE! I happen to come from a part of the planet where the software of choice was the Bible. And more specifically, the King James Version which was my default program. Thus "de-faults" I had grew! :-) Software (computer) is a general term primarily used for digitally stored data such as computer programs and other kinds of information read and written by computers. Today, this includes data that has not traditionally been associated with just computers. I lived life and saw it through the digitally stored KJV data. Too often I kept getting an "error" reading and had to reboot. Russell Targ writes, "The formal doctrine taught by each religion can be viewed, without disrespect, as a kind of sacramental software. The original intent of each religion was to offer us a sacrament or ritual to allow us to experience and talk with God." How wild is that? Religion was meant to CONNECT us to God! And all along I thought it was to perfect us in doctrine and dogma so we could FORCE it on others! NOT! But, that's what goes on too often. Convert or go to hell is the mantra too often employed by people of all religions. The history of the Crusades, Inquisitions, and other atrocities unfortunately leave us no place to deny such. May we use whatever software takes us into the PRESENCE of the ONE God, and as Ken Wilber has said, "Spiritual paths are not beliefs, not ideas, not ideologies, and not doctrines. Rather they are vehicles; they are experiential practices, they are experiments to perform." Too often performance meant converting others to what we believed and not to serving them in love regardless of what software they were using. Know what I mean? :-)About the Author:
As a spiritual-futurist, I have a BA degree majoring in history. One cannot know the future without knowing the past which holds clues to what is on the horizon. The world is in such a rapid expansion of knowledge that we are close to entering a tipping point that will forever change earth as we know it.
