Contemplating Wisdom

While this title may sound theological, it is really about coffee. One day I’ll open a coffee shop for those who desire to simply hang-out and share their experiences of life and the truths they have learned. Okay, got coffee now where was I? Oh, yes, the three similarities in world religions. Perhaps I should clarify for I don't want to give the impression that it is the religious ideas that are similar but rather the general principles under which we operate in our search for that which we call God—by whatever name or title. Ancient worshipers understood there to be an energy or force at the very core of creation that was responsible for holding everything together and empowering nature’s ability to regenerate itself. The seasons of the year, the birthing of off-spring, and the precise repetition in the movement of the stars, moon, and sun were a witness of that invisible force which kept creation in constant renewal. As language became more sophisticated the record

This may take a while so grab your cup. I've been reading for the past two years on the subject of religious development. Archaeological discoveries in the last year allows us to now date religious development as far back as 17,000 years. Though the actual site under examination was uncovered 55 years ago it has taken that many years to begin, literally, mining the artifacts. It is, as you can imagine, terribly tedious work to avoid destroying an ancient treasure that could never be replaced if damaged. Now I know some will find this information heartening while others will find it disturbing. The reason being that many who find their faith in the Judea-Christian tradition take literally the premodern, Biblical assumption that creation began around 6000 BCE. The discovery of early religious development is good but too early can cause issues with some people's faith. In the study of religious life in human existence it is clear that the roots of our tradition don't g

In the movie Avatar there is a scene near the beginning where the female lead rescues the hero by saving him from the wild, dog-like creatures that are about to overpower him. She wounds one animal then, after scattering the others, returns to the body of the dying animal to say a few ritualistic words before ceremonially ending his misery. Anthropologist, paleontologist, and archaeologists who study the paintings and carvings of premodern man suggest that the earliest of rituals were evoked by a supreme respect for all life. The traces of these rituals date back more than 17,000 years when hunting was survival. The rituals were not created for the purpose of worship but rather the expression of what the hunters came to understand as this sacred connection: life was taken that life might continue. There was a bond between the hunted and the hunter. Rites of passage were the means of determining the preparedness of young men to hunt but also how well they understood this connectednes