Many people in this age believe that the religious landscape is very diverse. This is one of the chief arguments used to rebuff the authority of Christianity and the Bible. However, I believe that this diversity is rather misleading. While the religious landscape would seem diverse when measured in terms of differing perspectives and interpretations, when seen in terms of basic meta-narratives, there are only two religions: Mystery Babylon and Judeo-Christian meta-narrative
Mystery Babylon
In Mystery Babylon Rising, I wrote that most religions of the world hold to evolutionary naturalism as their meta-narrative1. This meta-narrative asserts that the godhead is a product evolution, is itself undergoing evolution, and the product of its evolution is the created universe. The evolutionary process is the march of god in history. I also wrote that the logical conclusion of faith in the evolutionary process leads to belief in the emergence of both a global state and a world leader as god on earth.
Materialists are not the only ones who uphold naturalistic religion. Most of the major world religions uphold a naturalistic spirituality: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, NeoPaganism, and Hermeticism/Gnosticism, and various strains of mysticism.
Materialists are not the only ones who uphold naturalistic religion. Most of the major world religions uphold a naturalistic spirituality: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, NeoPaganism, and Hermeticism/Gnosticism, and various strains of mysticism.
Mysticism appears in almost all religious traditions. Mysticism asserts that we live in a two story universe. The lower story is the domain of facts and reason discernible through the natural senses or the scientific method; these are given generally to people. The upper story is beyond naturalistic reason and given only to an enlightened elite. Wherever Mysticism appears in naturalistic religion, it is always a disguise for Hermeticism or Gnosticism.
Materialism appears to deny the upper story, but there are three reasons to believe that materialist, in actuality, embrace the upper story. The impossibility of living life in a logically consistent manner in just the lower story, the mysticism underlying the materialist’s faith in science and evolution, and the political convergence between the materialistic interpretations of evolution and that of other naturalistic religions.
It is impossible to live life in a logically consistent manner in just the lower story. Because the lower story consists only of what is scientifically testable, many things in ordinary life are outside of the lower story. There is no scientific method that can confirm whether it is possible for one to be truly in love. Furthermore, there is no scientifically testable way to infer an “ought” from an “is;” ethics cannot be scientifically proven.
Mysticism underlies the materialist’s faith in science and evolution. This is because science cannot be used to prove science is valid. Science is based on inductive reasoning. In 1959, Karl Popper demonstrated the futility of inductive reasoning from a materialist perspective. Popper, in his book The Logic of Scientific Discovery, proceeded to unveil his criterion of falsification. Even then, he qualified his endorsement of falsification by calling it a “convention” rather than strict logic. Materialistic science is based on a blind leap of faith.
Evolution is based on an even blinder leap of faith. Evolution, of the scale and type described by the theory of evolution, has not and cannot be tested by actual observation. Scientists take a blind leap of faith concerning events of the distant past based on an interpretation of current scientific knowledge, with no clue whether that knowledge is representative of the whole.
There is also a political convergence between the materialistic interpretations of evolution and that of other naturalistic religions that exist as a result of the commonality of thought amongst different branches. This convergence will put pressure on materialists to move closer to their pantheist brothers by mean of a mystic leap of faith.
Materialists are already making gesture to bridge the gap between them and other naturalistic religions. A movement called trans-humanism is seeking to turn humanity into gods through the use of advanced technology.
Mystery Jerusalem: the Judeo-Christian Meta-narrative
The Judeo-Christian meta-narrative begins with the existence of a Self-Existent God who created the universe. God also created man in his image. While we do not have the same essence as God, the state of being created in God's image means that we have the categories of God. These categories are hardwired into us, giving us a minimal amount of hardwired knowledge. The knowledge of the law of non-contradiction leads us to the knowledge of God. In my book, The Logic of God, I describe how man's hard-wired knowledge leads to God
God not only reveals himself to individual consciences, but acts within human history. He reveals Himself both to specific individuals and to groups of people. Because God is perfectly coherent, His actions leave a footprint on history. This book is dedicated to the historical flow of this meta-narrative. History is basically a conflict between the meta-narrative of the Judeo-Christian God and the god of Mystery Babylon. This battle is getting particularly intense in the age of globalization; the ecumenical movement is drawing together all of the religions that uphold the meta-narrative of Mystery Babylon together. The more the majority of the world’s religions, and people, come together, the further the Judeo-Christian meta-narrative is pushed towards the margins. During this time, as in all other times of persecution, the supernatural presence of God sustains His people until they get the victory.
Chapter 2>>
Materialism appears to deny the upper story, but there are three reasons to believe that materialist, in actuality, embrace the upper story. The impossibility of living life in a logically consistent manner in just the lower story, the mysticism underlying the materialist’s faith in science and evolution, and the political convergence between the materialistic interpretations of evolution and that of other naturalistic religions.
It is impossible to live life in a logically consistent manner in just the lower story. Because the lower story consists only of what is scientifically testable, many things in ordinary life are outside of the lower story. There is no scientific method that can confirm whether it is possible for one to be truly in love. Furthermore, there is no scientifically testable way to infer an “ought” from an “is;” ethics cannot be scientifically proven.
Mysticism underlies the materialist’s faith in science and evolution. This is because science cannot be used to prove science is valid. Science is based on inductive reasoning. In 1959, Karl Popper demonstrated the futility of inductive reasoning from a materialist perspective. Popper, in his book The Logic of Scientific Discovery, proceeded to unveil his criterion of falsification. Even then, he qualified his endorsement of falsification by calling it a “convention” rather than strict logic. Materialistic science is based on a blind leap of faith.
Evolution is based on an even blinder leap of faith. Evolution, of the scale and type described by the theory of evolution, has not and cannot be tested by actual observation. Scientists take a blind leap of faith concerning events of the distant past based on an interpretation of current scientific knowledge, with no clue whether that knowledge is representative of the whole.
There is also a political convergence between the materialistic interpretations of evolution and that of other naturalistic religions that exist as a result of the commonality of thought amongst different branches. This convergence will put pressure on materialists to move closer to their pantheist brothers by mean of a mystic leap of faith.
Materialists are already making gesture to bridge the gap between them and other naturalistic religions. A movement called trans-humanism is seeking to turn humanity into gods through the use of advanced technology.
Mystery Jerusalem: the Judeo-Christian Meta-narrative
The Judeo-Christian meta-narrative begins with the existence of a Self-Existent God who created the universe. God also created man in his image. While we do not have the same essence as God, the state of being created in God's image means that we have the categories of God. These categories are hardwired into us, giving us a minimal amount of hardwired knowledge. The knowledge of the law of non-contradiction leads us to the knowledge of God. In my book, The Logic of God, I describe how man's hard-wired knowledge leads to God
God not only reveals himself to individual consciences, but acts within human history. He reveals Himself both to specific individuals and to groups of people. Because God is perfectly coherent, His actions leave a footprint on history. This book is dedicated to the historical flow of this meta-narrative. History is basically a conflict between the meta-narrative of the Judeo-Christian God and the god of Mystery Babylon. This battle is getting particularly intense in the age of globalization; the ecumenical movement is drawing together all of the religions that uphold the meta-narrative of Mystery Babylon together. The more the majority of the world’s religions, and people, come together, the further the Judeo-Christian meta-narrative is pushed towards the margins. During this time, as in all other times of persecution, the supernatural presence of God sustains His people until they get the victory.
Chapter 2>>
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