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Which
Assumption is Correct?
I
ask, “So which of the three basic assumptions
is correct?”
“No
living human being can answer that question with
tangible, provable certainty.
If you are asking, ‘What do we know
about God?'
and 'What do we know with absolute
certainty?’
The answer is absolutely nothing.
We know that whatever-it-is that we call
God has a profound effect upon us.
Beyond that, everything is speculation.
Using
scientific analysis, we’ve figured a few
things about our physical environment, but what
presently passes for knowledge about God is
purely conjecture, speculation, guesswork, or
outright fantasy.
Joseph Campbell who was probably the
greatest scholar of myth and comparative
religions in the twentieth century expressed it
this way:”
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God'
is an ambiguous word in our language because
it appears to refer to something that is
known.
But the transcendent is unknown and
unknowable. . . We want to think about God.
God is a thought.
God is a name.
God is an idea but its reference is
to something that transcends thinking.
The ultimate mystery of being is
beyond all thought.
As Kant said, “the thing in itself
is no thing."
It transcends thingness,
it goes past anything that could be
thought.
The
best things can't be told because they
transcend thought.
The second best are misunderstood
because those are the thoughts that are
supposed to refer to that which can't be
thought about.
The third best are what we talk
about.
And myth [religion] is that field of
reference to what is absolutely
transcendent.  17-3
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“So
which of the three assumptions I should I
use?”
“There
are no ‘shoulds’ in life, only choices.
And, as for which assumption to follow,
you’ll have to answer that question for
yourself.
The best suggestion I can offer is to
hold each of the three assumptions as an
untested hypothesis.
Test each assumption against the
circumstantial evidence of life and let the
evidence speak for itself.
Notice
to which assumption the evidence most frequently
points.
Look with an open mind and with the
intention of finding an answer. You will soon come to your own conclusions.
Remember, the choice is still yours to
believe whatever you choose to believe.”
I
ask Herbert, “But what if I’m wrong?”
“When
deciding what action to take, it’s always
advisable to consider how you will correct your
mistake later if your action turns out to be
wrong.
You’d be wise to look at the three
assumptions in detail and then live your life in
a manner where, as much as possible, your errors
are correctable.
For example, if you live an exemplary
life and atheism turns out to be the correct
assumption, your error is all but meaningless.
You’ve lost little or nothing; however,
if you’re a perpetual badass and Christian
one-life-ism turns out to be the truth, you
spend eternity burning in hell.
That’s a heavy-duty, non-correctable
error.
And,
personally, as far as my being wrong is
concerned, I say ‘so what!’
This whole human life thing is probably
just a big illusion anyway.”
I
ask, “If you believe life is an illusion, how
do you manage to live?”
Herbert
laughs and says, “I play life as a game.
The game is:
I am
here now.
I want to be there then.
I play the game in the ways that bring me
the most joy and in ways that are also
beneficial or neutral in their effect on others. I seek the truth above all else, and I regularly ask
myself one very important question.”
“I’d
like to hear more about playing life as a game,
but based on your invitation to a baseball game, I’ll bet
that’s another story for another time.”
“Yes,
it is.
When you come to a baseball game, we can
get into that, if you like.”
“OK.”
I ask.
“What’s the question you ask
yourself.”
Herbert
replies with,
“Does this belief, this thought, this
emotion, and/or this action appear to be taking
me toward what I say I intend to be, do
or have, or is
it taking me somewhere else?”
"Just
a moment ago, you said you couldn't tell what
activities would lead me to my goal and which
lead elsewhere. Now I'm hearing
something else."
Herbert
replies, "Then you'd best become aware of
the distinction between actions you take and the
external experiences that seem to come to you
from somewhere out there in the
world. Yes, it's true that when an
event occurs, you don't know what will also come
as a result of it; however, when it comes to
deciding what actions are appropriate for you to
take, the results are usually much easier to
perceive.
It's still true that you don't know all the
ramifications of your actions; however, since
action is essential in accomplishing anything,
take actions that seem to lead to your
goal. For example, if you're going
to a job interview and want to be hired as a
bank teller, would you dress the way I'm dressed
or would you wear a suit?"
I
answer, "Obviously, I'd wear a
suit. This brings up another
question. How do you relate to the world
with your long hair and you casual
clothing.
Don’t you get ridiculed and put down a
lot?”
“Not
so much any more.
My position here at the center, my
financial success, my reputation as a highly
skilled therapist, my good health, my years of a
joy-filled home life, all put a damper on my
detractors.”
“Why
don’t you talk like this to most people?”
“Because
most people don’t want to hear anything that
might upset the status quo or threaten their
personal beliefs.
That’s why the most popular talk show
hosts on radio and TV are far right
conservatives who support the status quo and
want to take everyone back to the way things
used to be.
I
ask, “How do you feel and how to you react to
someone who puts you down?"
“First,
I’m no longer concerned about what anybody
else thinks about me, and, second, I no longer
react.
I simply respond by saying ‘thank
you.’
Remember the law of allowing that I just
explained to you.
When I do get put down, that simply gives
me another chance to walk my talk.
It also gives me another opportunity to follow
the teachings of Jesus. You may recall his words: When
someone slaps you on the right cheek turn to him
the left’.” 17-4
I often take that teaching a step
further.
I turn to him two more cheeks and simply
walk away.
I realize that I am not responsible for anyone
else’s feelings, beliefs, behavior, or their
attitude toward me.
Neither am I responsible for fixing or
changing them in any way.
I have a full time job, being responsible
for and managing my own life.
If I can be a role model, or if I can
bring someone joy when he laughs at me, that’s
fine with me.”
“So
why do these assumptions create so much
trouble?”
“The
assumptions themselves don’t create the
problems.
The problems stem from the misuse of the
assumptions, from rigidly believing an
assumption as if it were an irrefutable fact.
You can be very logical, very reasonable
and even find what appears to be factual
evidence in support of your belief; however, if
one or more of your basic assumptions is false,
then everything based on that false assumption
becomes open to question.”
At
this point, I turn to Jazbell.
“You’ve been unusually quiet since we
got here.
Do you have anything to say about
all of this?”
“It’s
wonderful to sit here and hear the life
principles expressed from a different
perspective.
Intendr taught me most of these concepts
when I was still a teenybopper and yet each time
I hear them, I see them from a broader
perspective.
There is one perspective, though, that I
would like to hear more about.”
“And
what is that?” Herbert asks.
Jazbell
answers, “Earlier you made reference to
atheism and the worship of ‘The Great God
Money.’ It sounded as though you look at money and atheism as
though they were both a religion.”
“Ego-atheism
17-5
has many of the attributes of a religion.
Money is God and Ego, Fame, and Power are
the archangels.
And no one can dispute that there is a
great deal of worshiping going on regarding
money; however, money itself is not a religion.
Money is simply a convenient form of
goods and services designed to be a measure of
value, a storage of wealth, and a medium of
exchange.
It is the worship of money that has
become a religion.”
Jazbell
say, “Please explain what you mean.”
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