Diversity of Thought

Warning: This post will ask you to question everything you have ever been taught. The subject is very sensitive among many, and if you are a defensive type, please do not take this the wrong way. This is not a case of shaken Faith but one of someone noticing what's really going on.


Here's a dream I had recently:

There were seven influential individual that were viewed as good an wholesome people. For the most part, they were friends and worked together to solve their problems, overcome enemies, and support the weak. One by one, they all began to be influence by their own interests. Although they acted as individuals rather than a team, I considered their actions to still be in line with the original goal of the group.

 I observed how the main enemy actually represented a neutral view rather than wickedness that I once believed through my interaction with the friends. Slowly, I began to notice how the group never overcame any problems but pushed their issues on to others. I finally saw that they were not supporting the weak but ostracizing people that did not share the same motivations as these seven friends. The divide among the members continued to show the truth in the character of each as well as their good intentions.

 The end of the dream contained images of a war and the bodies of fighters as well as civilians that were considered as collateral damage. Context clues would suggest that the individuals were world leaders of sort. The enemy they fought was the idea of personal freedom and was represented by a woman draped in a navy blue from head to toe only revealing her mouth. The casualties that I witnessed were not faceless souls but people that I have known or know in life. I jumped up as the images of destruction continued to flood my mind.

 I wish I could understand my dreams and their origins on most nights. This particular one came rather easy through images and the dialog that I recall. The clues that led me to understand that the friends were world leaders also introduced me to the idea that their friendship was rooted in a religious belief. The growth and interpretation of that belief is what caused to act on individual goals. I found it interesting once I gather my thoughts because I went to sleep thinking about ways to convey this thought.

I have been raised to know that only one way of living is the "right" way to live. There is only one "true" believe. All others will not grant one happiness. Throughout life, I have noticed how that one way is viewed from so many different angles and that only one of these angles are actually correct though. This one tree of life has sprouted many branches, only one of which will grant the Perfect Fruit, and has many roots, only one of which was sprouted from the original Seed. 

During my Papa Smurf phase, there was this one particular church that was a pillar of influence in my small community. The day came that the long time pastor stepped down, and the members were faced with the decision of finding a replacement. There two major opinions for the future of the institution that could not be resolved to the point that a whole new church was established. What could be so unresolvable that would cause people to invest their time, money, and effort (none of which will have much tangible return) on such an undertaking? Pride? Dignity? Faith?

I have lived in the Bible Belt for most of my life, and the one consistent fact is that there are churches everywhere. No matter how scarce the population, it is not uncommon to see multiple places of worship within a few miles of one another. All seek to worship The Almighty while remaining open to new souls. Each church was founded on a particular set of principles and may be governed a central body. One may ask why are there so many different institutions serving the same purpose in such small communities; the answer to which is the interpretation of teachings. Some people try to downplay this diversity of thought, but the differences are enough to poke holes in the belief structure of the religion altogether.

As time passes and people die, few will remember the beginnings of the institutions and will romanticize the motivations of the founders when in actuality those emotions were rooted in a difference of opinion that could not be resolved. My mind cannot help but make the jump to the formation of organized religion on a holistic level. The Jewish, Christian, and Islamic views of worship are so similar that they can all be separated by a simple difference of opinion by a close group of friends who became influenced by personal goals. The translation of ancient languages can easily be shifted to support these difference. People often glaze over this fact all while perpetuating that this is a game of everlasting life vs. eternal damnation. Siding with the wrong side could be soulfully fatal; being neutral is just as bad. 

These games of opinions have made people put their mortal lives at stake as they have been used as a driver of wars. These lives have been sacrificed to support a diversity of thought because in some cases, they are afraid to develop their own or challenge the status quo. Here's something to think about...What if we're all wrong (Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, atheist, etc) about what is expected of us?  That's just my opinion so take it for what it's worth.