© 2000 The Brotherhood of Man Library
| Religions of the Mind | Religion of the Spirit |
|---|---|
| Are upheld by ecclesiastical authority. | Leaves you free to follow the truth, wherever the indwelling spirit of the Father takes you. |
| Have as their base the intellectual theology and authority of established religious traditions. | Is wholly based on human experience—the revelation of supernatural values, partial insight into eternal realities, a glimpse of the goodness and beauty of the infinite character of the Father. |
| Require only intellectual assent thus affording ready refuge for souls harassed by fear and uncertainty, the price paid being conformity. | Requires active participation of the mind and soul in the faith adventure of grappling with the rigorous realities of progressive human experience. |
| Compromise the sovereignty of personality; debase the dignity of self-respect. | Accepts the most thrilling and inspiring of all possible human experience—the personal quest for truth. |
| Require little or no self-exertion, offering a safe refuge and easy pathway to those who shun the spirit struggles associated with the daring adventure of the struggle for truth. | Its means are effoft, conflict, faith, loyalty to purpose, determination, love, and dedication in the struggle for spiritual progress. |
| Are systems of established intellectual and theological beliefs upheld through ecclesiastical authority such that the appeal of this type of religion is virtually solely to the mind. | Is not a religion in the present-day meaning of the word, making its chief appeal to the divine spirit of the Father which resides in the mind of man. It derives its authenticity from the fruits of the spirit that will so certainly appear in the personal experience of all who became believers in the truths of this higher form of spiritual communion of the individual and his/ her Father-God. |
| May provide a feeling of settled security but at the price of a loss of religious freedom and liberty. | Brings to the individual the supreme experience of human existence: finding God for yourself and knowing him in your own soul. |
| The religions of authority can only divide mankind, hence have the inherent potential to bring people into conflict with one another. | The religion of the Spirit progressively draws mankind together, causing them to became understandingly sympathetic with one another. |
| Require uniformity of belief among their adherents—an impossibility of realization in the present state of the world. | Requires only uniformity of experience— uniformity of destiny—making full allowance for diversity of belief. |
| Naturally crystallize into lifeless systems of creeds. | Naturally grows into the increasing joy and liberty of ennobling deeds of loving servite and merciful ministry. |
| At its best the religion of the spirit is an intimate partnership involving actively sharing every moment of our existence with the indwelling spirit of God while voluntarily seeking to make all of life’s decisions in full accord with the will of the Father. At the present level of development of mortal beings on Urantia, the Will of God under various circumstances is ofen best discovered with reference to the life and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth who always functioned in accord with God’s will. Hence if we are thoroughly familiar with Jesus life, at any moment of time and in any circumstance, we can always ask ourselves, “What would Jesus have done?”—while at the same time striving to be in accord with the spirit within. Experience will teach us to recognize the state of mental peace, assurance, and confidence that accompanies sincerity in our decision making. | |