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Is the Creator a God? - Are We Slaves? - An Alternative Examined

by Daniel J. Shepard


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Speculation. The year - 2100 A.D. continued. Social dilemmas are an inverse function of perceptions: the more short-sighted the perception, the more complex the dilemma and its possible solution. We could also say, conversely, that the more far-sighted our perception, the simpler the dilemma and its solution.

Our present perception of ourselves as servants of God would force us into a bitter and divisive debate. It would be unsolvable in a globally unifying manner. Some would believe that our purpose in reality is to glorify our Creator, others would contend that we have a purpose and significance far beyond that of glorifying our Creator. Ten percent of humanity align themselves with their Creator, their God. Ten percent of humanity align themselves with the concept of our Creator being the Creator of the universe. This ten percent adamantly believe we must not become subservient to this alien life form. The remaining eighty percent of humanity is caught in the middle between these two warring factions. This debate would polarize humanity into two camps: the idealists and the conventionalists. The idealists would work hand-in-hand with God, the Creator of the universe, to expand God’s significance beyond reality. The conventionalists would remain submissive to God, to alien life forms that Created us as their servants, thereby limiting our potential as humans. Does this debate have a solution? Can we successfully resolve it?

If we begin, with our present perception, believing that we are inferior to God, then the problem is surely not resolvable. Through our present perception, we would continue to remain servants of God and would thus be ‘enslaved’ by that perception. Presently we think of ourselves as servants of God, God’s subjects. Is it any different to view ourselves as subjects, slaves, of another intelligent life form that we label as "God?" What is the difference? There is none. But slavery is slavery. Subjugation is subjugation. Are we willing to continue as we are under our present perceptions of theism? Is there any other alternative?

Let’s examine an alternative by beginning with the perception encompassed in panentheism that we are not just simply human but our essence is the soul. Let’s assume religions are correct in stating the idea of God being ‘all present’, omnipresent. If they are correct, then the only place for you and the universe to exist is inside God. This is panentheism. Pan - all, en - in, theism - God. With this concept, the problem is solvable. With this perception, we would understand that God created us to expand his omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence. Even if our original Creator was an alien life form, we would then understand we had evolved far beyond our original purpose. Perhaps this was an inevitable consequence of our evolution. We would now be able to understand the idea of our evolving to the point of being able to become a vessel for a soul, awareness, a piece of God. We would understand we are no longer just a body. Our essence is our soul. Our body and mind are the mechanisms by which our awareness, rationality, essence, and soul travels reality. We travel to learn, experience and comprehend. We travel to explore and grow. Therefore, we have no right to subjugate either ourselves or others. We have no right to relegate the soul to a position of servitude. This conclusion would lead us to the basic principle that no one, not even other intelligent life forms, have the right to subjugate us or others, for we, our souls are a piece of the total awareness - a piece of God.

Embracing this knowledge, in retrospect, will be too late. Much of the damage will already be done. Much of humankind, by continuing to accept a position of servitude and subjugation as offered to them by their religious institutions, will continue to accept their present position of inferiority. For us to accept that we are a piece of God, after we discover an alien life form created us, will be too late. At this point, we would be in a very precarious position. The idealists would continue to cling to their present philosophy with zeal while the rest adopted a position of subservience to their masters.

The pacification of earth and humankind would not take place peacefully, for humankind is not a species easily subjugated. A battle of immense proportions would ensue. The idealists would possess the enthusiasm, motivation and vision, while the subjugated would have the social and numerical advantage. Throughout history, this is the way that it has always been.

Now, however, the subjugated would also have their new masters as their allies. Battles in our history have often centered around attempts to raise humankind to a higher position of significance. These battles have never been easy. These battles are always violent and bloody. This battle will be no different. It will be our most important battle, however, because it will be a battle to maintain, preserve and assert our uniqueness and independence, not just as a species upon the earth, but rather as a species of the universe. It would be a battle to establish our significance and importance within reality. We would, once again be engaged in war against the degrading practice of slavery. Of course, all this could have been prevented if we had accepted a symbiotic relationship with God a long time ago. If we had accepted our soul as our essence, and God as being truly all present. Panentheism would have allowed us to raise our perception of ourselves to that of being a piece of God traveling reality.

Panentheism would unite all of humankind to support a "cause" of universal tolerance. It would establish humankind, along with all other intelligent life in the universe, as equals worthy of respect and tolerance. It would establish the right of all souls to travel freely. With panentheism, people would belong to a camp of allies that would always have idealism, vision and optimism on their side. This is a camp that idealists, intuitively, know must exist someplace in the heavens. This is a camp filled with allies standing firm and being proud of their principles. This is a camp filled with warmth, compassion, loyalty and comradeship.

With panentheism, we could step into the heavens knowing that we had allies even if we didn’t know who they were or even if they actually exist. We could step into the heavens knowing that if opposing camps did exist somewhere among the stars, that we had already committed ourselves to a philosophy of vision and high ideals. With panentheism, we would step, proud and tall, into the heavens. We would find a common cause with other beings. We would share a view that slavery is slavery.

But what if this camp doesn’t exist? Then we would have lost nothing. We would be in a glorious position. We would be members of the first species incorporating such an idealistic, tolerant, respecting and principled philosophy. We would be the leaders and ambassadors for this higher level of idealism.


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