34 replies to this topic

[Alina]

Hello All!

Growth and progress.

According to UB growth does not always indicate progress. But what is the difference?
I believe that growth can be uneven, can be disproportionate, in which case there would be no real
progress. no?
So, What should we do to make our growth becomes real progress? both in the intellectual, material, social, scientific, mental, spiritual?
What are the factors that influence and what should we do to encourage both individual and collective progress?
For me, here is the core of all viscitudes seriously affecting life on Urantia.
Ideally. growth with progress.

How do you see?

Some quotes as guide:

Growth of the part and the whole

(1268.6) 116:1.1 The experience of every evolving creature personality is a phase of the experience of the Almighty Supreme. The intelligent subjugation of every physical segment of the superuniverses is a part of the growing control of the Almighty Supreme. The creative synthesis of power and personality is a part of the creative urge of the Supreme Mind and is the very essence of the evolutionary growth of unity in the Supreme Being.

(1275.6) 116:6.6 And as it is with the parts, so it is with the whole; the spirit person of Supremacy requires the evolutionary power of the Almighty to achieve completion of Deity and to attain destiny of Trinity association. The effort is made by the personalities of time and space, but the culmination and consummation of this effort is the act of the Almighty Supreme. And while the growth of the whole is thus a totalizing of the collective growth of the parts, it equally follows that the evolution of the parts is a segmented reflection of the purposive growth of the whole.

(54.5) 4:1.2 Can you not advance in your concept of God’s dealing with man to that level where you recognize that the watchword of the universe is progress? Through long ages the human race has struggled to reach its present position. Throughout all these millenniums Providence has been working out the plan of progressive evolution. The two thoughts are not opposed in practice, only in man’s mistaken concepts. Divine providence is never arrayed in opposition to true human progress, either temporal or spiritual. Providence is always consistent with the unchanging and perfect nature of the supreme Lawmaker.

Cultural progress

(578.2) 50:6.2 The development of civilization on Urantia has not differed so greatly from that of other worlds which have sustained the misfortune of spiritual isolation. But when compared with the loyal worlds of the universe, your planet seems most confused and greatly retarded in all phases of intellectual progress and spiritual attainment.

(578.3) 50:6.3 Because of your planetary misfortunes, Urantians are prevented from understanding very much about the culture of normal worlds. But you should not envisage the evolutionary worlds, even the most ideal, as spheres whereon life is a flowery bed of ease. The initial life of the mortal races is always attended by struggle. Effort and decision are an essential part of the acquirement of survival values.

(578.4) 50:6.4 Culture presupposes quality of mind; culture cannot be enhanced unless mind is elevated. Superior intellect will seek a noble culture and find some way to attain such a goal. Inferior minds will spurn the highest culture even when presented to them ready-made. Much depends, also, upon the successive missions of the divine Sons and upon the extent to which enlightenment is received by the ages of their respective dispensations.

Scientific progress

(1457.3) 132:1.4 The materialistic scientist and the extreme idealist are destined always to be at loggerheads. This is not true of those scientists and idealists who are in possession of a common standard of high moral values and spiritual test levels. In every age scientists and religionists must recognize that they are on trial before the bar of human need. They must eschew all warfare between themselves while they strive valiantly to justify their continued survival by enhanced devotion to the service of human progress. If the so-called science or religion of any age is false, then must it either purify its activities or pass away before the emergence of a material science or spiritual religion of a truer and more worthy order.

Religious Growth

(1094.3) 100:1.1 While religion produces growth of meanings and enhancement of values, evil always results when purely personal evaluations are elevated to the levels of absolutes. A child evaluates experience in accordance with the content of pleasure; maturity is proportional to the substitution of higher meanings for personal pleasure, even loyalties to the highest concepts of diversified life situations and cosmic relations.

(1094.4) 100:1.2 Some persons are too busy to grow and are therefore in grave danger of spiritual fixation. Provision must be made for growth of meanings at differing ages, in
successive cultures, and in the passing stages of advance.

(1087.6) 99:2.3 Religionists must function in society, in industry, and in politics as individuals, not as groups, parties, or institutions. A religious group which presumes to function as such, apart from religious activities, immediately becomes a political party, an economic organization, or a social institution. Religious collectivism must confine its efforts to the furtherance of religious causes.

Thanks in advance!

Alina
***

[Alina]

One of the main, or most important of the causes of growth without progress, is the distortion under which mortals live:

(1118.1) 102:0.1 TO THE unbelieving materialist, man is simply an evolutionary accident. His hopes of survival are strung on a figment of mortal imagination; his fears, loves, longings, and beliefs are but the reaction of the incidental juxtaposition of certain lifeless atoms of matter. No display of energy nor expression of trust can carry him beyond the grave. The devotional labors and inspirational genius of the best of men are doomed to be extinguished by death, the long and lonely night of eternaloblivion and soul extinction. Nameless despair is man’s only reward for living and toiling under the temporal sun of mortal existence. Each day of life slowly and surely tightens the grasp of a pitiless doom which a hostile and relentless universe of matter has decreed shall be the crowning insult to everything in human desire which is beautiful, noble, lofty, and good.

(1118.2) 102:0.2 But such is not man’s end and eternal destiny; such a vision is but the cry of despair uttered by some wandering soul who has become lost in spiritual darkness, and who bravely struggles on in the face of the mechanistic sophistries of a material philosophy, blinded by the confusion and distortion of a complex learning. And all this doom of darkness and all this destiny of despair are forever dispelled by one brave stretch of faith on the part of the most humble and unlearned of God’s children on earth.

(1118.3) 102:0.3 This saving faith has its birth in the human heart when the moral consciousness of man realizes that human values may be translated in mortal experience from the material to the spiritual, from the human to the divine, from time to eternity.

[Alina]

Distortion produces imbalance (unbalanced equilibrium):

(1229.7) 112:2.20 The material self, the ego-entity of human identity, is dependent during the physical life on the continuing function of the material life vehicle, on the continued existence of the unbalanced equilibrium of energies and intellect which, on Urantia, has been given the name life. But selfhood of survival value, selfhood that can transcend the experience of death, is only evolved by establishing a potential transfer of the seat of the identity of the evolving personality from the transient life vehicle — the material body — to the more enduring and immortal nature of the morontia soul and on beyond to those levels whereon the soul becomes infused with, and eventually attains the status of, spirit reality. This actual transfer from material association to morontia identification is effected by the sincerity, persistence, and steadfastness of the God-seeking decisions of the human creature.

Greetings to all!

Alina
***

Edited by Alina, 02 March 2013 - 01:48 PM.

[-Scott-]

Distortion produces imbalance (unbalanced equilibrium):





Greetings to all!

Alina
***

Yea this quote was one I was trying to use to explain how a human being has two selves. The mortal self will die, and the soul-self will survive and luckily for most human beings we all have adjusters so we all have a higher self that will survive death. Jesus' human self died, but his acquired soul-self is now presumabley "residing in the bosom of the father".

Edited by -Scott-, 02 March 2013 - 03:35 PM.

[Alina]

Scott:
Glad you serve this quote , apparently that's the balance that we seek to grow and make real progress.For me, balance is the key to the man, who has become aware of this reality should look first but not vice versa, we too often seek material goods first, thinking that there will be time for the rest. I have received this answer, sometimes, too, when I tried to spread the UB.
Some people have responded me:
- With all the problems I have, I have no time for such things!

As Jesus said:

(1569.2) 140:1.5 “Your message to the world shall be: Seekfirst the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and in finding these, all other things essential to eternal survival shall be secured therewith. And now would I make it plain to you that this kingdom of my Father will notcome with an outward show of power or with unseemly demonstration. You are not to go hence in the proclamation
of the kingdom, saying, ‘it is here’ or ‘it is there,’ forthis kingdom of which you preach is God within you.

But it seems to me, we have to recognize that this distortion, to a greater or less degree is installed in the current culture, not because they not believe in God, but it seems to me that what is missing is the sense of priority and location time and space.


(1269.4) 116:1.5... But this we do know: Whereas physique may attain completed growth, and whereas spirit may achieve perfection of development, mind never ceases to progress — it is the experiential technique of endless progress. The Supreme is an experiential Deity and therefore never achieves completion of mind attainment.

Alina
***

Edited by Alina, 02 March 2013 - 05:17 PM.

[Alina]

Complete the quote above, I thought it was not going to understand, unless we seek, and that often we do not.
Alina said:
"But it seems to me, we have to recognize that this distortion, to a greater or less degree is installed in the current culture, not because they not believe in God, but it seems to me that what is missing is the sense of priority and location time and space"



(1269.3) 116:1.4 The time-space mind, the cosmic mind, is differently functioning in the seven superuniverses, but it is co-ordinated by some unknown associative technique in the Supreme Being. The Almighty overcontrol of the grand universe is not exclusively physical and spiritual. In the seven superuniverses it is primarily material and spiritual, but there are also present phenomena of the Supreme which are both intellectual and spiritual.

(1269.4) 116:1.5 We really know less about the mind of Supremacy than about any other aspect of this evolving Deity. It is unquestionably active throughout the grand universe and is believed to have a potential destiny of master universe function which is of vast extent. But this we do know: Whereas physique may attain completed growth, and whereas spirit may achieve perfection of development, mind never ceases to progress — it is the experiential technique of endless progress. The Supreme is an experiential Deity and therefore never achieves completion of mind attainment.


Thanks...

Alina
***

Edited by Alina, 02 March 2013 - 06:05 PM.

[Bradly aka/fanofVan]

Loving this. While researching more specifics on this, I wanted to suggest that there is a primary factor within all the elements listed for growth to further progress the whole. And that is motivation of individual AND social behaviour, far too much behaviour based on simple fear and anxiety. Humans are motivated exponentially more by fear than by hope of gain (and neither is a high motivation) and this is perpetuated by most of the elements listed - government, commerce, industry (think military industrial complex and pharmaceuticals for example), religion, and our "culture" is created by a media driven frenzy to fit in, be bizarre, be cool, etc. and glamorizes false gods and priorities. Fear in the individual is a great burden and slows or can even prevent progress in the spirit but it is apparent that our institutions promote and profit from fear. Such fearmongering is fundamentally preventing our growth, regardless of progress in other ways and areas.

One of the biggest casualties of fear, and another contributor to retardation is lack of cooperation and trust between the various elements. Science and religion remain embroiled in this polarized view of even basic physics and the creation. Consider a six oar row boat or a six horse tandem team and consider further the potentials of each element working as a coordinated, cooperative, and trusting team - and the multitude of "progress" comedies and horrors without such. Fraternity is taught to be a critical ingredient in this recipe of elements and fraternity cannot come in a world seeped in fear and driven daily by its ruthless whip. To me this is the crux of the matter or fulcrum point upon which rests great leverage and potential. Imagine what our world might be like in even two generations of less and less fear and more and more fraternity, eh?

Thanks Alina....been thinking on this and talking to my wife about. Had to let you know I am enjoying.

Edited by Bradly aka/fanofVan, 03 March 2013 - 08:50 AM.

[Raymond]

Alina gret thread. Do you know if there is a quote in the UB that states that there is no emotional maturity/growth without spiritual progression or words to that effect?

[Alina]

Hi Bradly, Raymond, all!

Thank you!

FanofVan, continue talking and thinking about this with your wife.

Yes... . Fear is a powerful enemy, well you say, is "masterfully" used ...! as it somehow.
The worst thing is that strip us of that legacy costs, in some cases, others acquire ourselves.
Fears, even though we know where they come from, what is your goal and you are a "lie" sometimes we are marked,are like a stick in our mind-memory, as a "ghost" that appears when we least expect.
But knowledge helps us a lot, at least we have identified those thoughts and can scare!
The sad thing is that there are many people who are unaware Who are? and What is your objective ...?
Of course, put a brake on real progress, we grow in some ways, but generates distrust fear the worst, in my opinion, is to become in insecure persons, and in these conditions we can not free to update potential. And so, there is no progress, no growth possible.

Although, this is not the case for everyone, but it is quite common. The day finally break the chains of apparent fears, those who have no justification, is experienced greater sense of inner freedom, something that before was unthinkable for us.
Knowledge, Faith-Confidence are our allies.

Here, two interesting quotes;

Alina gret thread. Do you know if there is a quote in the UB that states that there is no emotional maturity/growth without spiritual progression or words to that effect?

Hello Raymond the first corresponds to your question.

(1097.3) 100:3.6 The association of actuals and potentials equals growth, the experiential realization of values. But growth is not mere progress. Progress is always meaningful, but it is relatively value less without growth. The supreme value of human life consists in growth of values, progress in meanings, and realization of the cosmic interrelatedness of both of these experiences. And such an experience is the equivalent of God-consciousness. Such a mortal, while not supernatural, is truly becoming superhuman; an immortal soul is evolving.

(1097.4) 100:3.7 Man cannot cause growth, but he can supply favorable conditions. Growth is always unconscious, be it physical, intellectual, or spiritual. Love thus grows; it cannot be created, manufactured, or purchased; it must grow. Evolution is a cosmic technique of growth. Social growth cannot be secured by legislation, and moral growth is not had by improved administration. Man may manufacture a machine, but its real value must be derived from human culture and personal appreciation. Man’s sole contribution to growth is the mobilization of the total powers of his personality — living faith.

Alina
***

Edited by Alina, 02 March 2013 - 10:01 PM.

[Raymond]

Thank you Alina for finding those quotes. The reason I wanted to review them was that Bradly pointed out fear dominance as an overriding problem. I don't necessarily disagree. As an inherited animal attribute for survival I see its good. Also see the need for humanitarian secular values that may or may not be elevated to a spiritual level at some point in one's life. If done so then the individual may or may not utilize spiritual values in cultural, scientific, or religious activities. As of today though, such use of values seems to be or must be done discreetly when applied to cultural and scientific arenas. The blending of these three arena has seen today a fanatical offshoot - which to me tells us we are not ready to harmonize these three aspects of living in an harmonious environment. Even if I see the cup half filled, we have a long long ways to go. I believe the revelations of the restated gospel of Jesus Christ will in time make its impact in the not too distant future. In brief, what I am saying is that we can't live in an ivory tower while we progress in an unnatural or not normal progression as on other advanced worlds.

[Raymond]

Addendum - also see humanitarian values as necessary for the promotion and protection of the more advanced societies of today.

[Pike aka Hrvoje Pajk]

Hello,

I agree with Bradly and would like to share personal experience.
Fear is one great obstacle in human progress, material and spiritual.
In last year, most of above quotes past through my personal experience and it sat in place.
Battle with fear started one evening with simple question which appeared in my mind:
What bad can happen to me? And I remembered following Jesus sentence:


(100:2.7) Jesus portrayed the profound surety of the God-knowing mortal when he said: "To a God-knowing kingdom believer, what does it matter if all things earthly crash?" Temporal securities are vulnerable, but spiritual sureties are impregnable. When the flood tides of human adversity, selfishness, cruelty, hate, malice, and jealousy beat about the mortal soul, you may rest in the assurance that there is one inner bastion, the citadel of the spirit, which is absolutely unassailable; at least this is true of every human being who has dedicated the keeping of his soul to the indwelling spirit of the eternal God.

If I have to leave this plane of existence today, I'm assured that journey continues.
So: - fear of death - un logical. Life doesn't end with end of material life.
- Fear of common day challenges - un logical. All challenges have it's purpose. As soon as we master one challenge, new one begins
- Fear of opinion of other people - un logical. Everybody has right on his opinion. It is not necessary that everyone likes us.
- etc.

General conclusion, Fear has no sense and I should leave it behind me and start to live without it.
And it was good decision. Life without fear is really beautiful.

Another qoute which really set me free from material worries is:


(140:6.13) And then Thomas asked Jesus if they should "continue having everything in common." Said the Master: "Yes, my brethren, I would that we should live together as one understanding family. You are intrusted with a great work, and I crave your undivided service. You know that it has been well said: 'No man can serve two masters.' You cannot sincerely worship God and at the same time wholeheartedly serve mammon. Having now enlisted unreservedly in the work of the kingdom, be not anxious for your lives; much less be concerned with what you shall eat or what you shall drink; nor yet for your bodies, what clothing you shall wear. Already have you learned that willing hands and earnest hearts shall not go hungry. And now, when you prepare to devote all of your energies to the work of the kingdom, be assured that the Father will not be unmindful of your needs. Seek first the kingdom of God, and when you have found entrance thereto, all things needful shall be added to you. Be not, therefore, unduly anxious for the morrow. Sufficient for the day is the trouble thereof."

This qoute made me think: Was I ever hungry? Was I ever without shelter? Was I ever without human love of any kind?
Answer on all this question is NO!

After this realization I started looking on common day problems as challenges from which I had to learn something.

All of this must added to my growth but as It is mentioned above, Growth is unconscious. You can't see it if you search it, but when it accumulated you can see that you changed. It is like with children, If you see them everyday you don't realizing that they are growing. But if you don't see them for a while you are surprised how they have grown.

[Bradly aka/fanofVan]

Pike, so glad to hear this. Thanks for sharing. Courage comes as fear flees....and courage fades as faith emerges. For what need of courage to the valiant faithful, forged in the fires of assurance and experience.....the act is ours, but the consequences are Father's, eh?


(1220.7) ^111:4.8 You cannot completely control the external world — environment. It is the creativity of the inner world that is most subject to your direction because there your personality is so largely liberated from the fetters of the laws of antecedent causation. There is associated with personality a limited sovereignty of will.

(1220.8) ^111:4.9 Since this inner life of man is truly creative, there rests upon each person the responsibility of choosing as to whether this creativity shall be spontaneous and wholly haphazard or controlled, directed, and constructive. How can a creative imagination produce worthy children when the stage whereon it functions is already preoccupied by prejudice, hate, fears, resentments, revenge, and bigotries?

(1220.9) ^111:4.10 Ideas may take origin in the stimuli of the outer world, but ideals are born only in the creative realms of the inner world. Today the nations of the world are directed by men who have a superabundance of ideas, but they are poverty-stricken in ideals. That is the explanation of poverty, divorce, war, and racial hatreds.

(1220.10) ^111:4.11 This is the problem: If freewill man is endowed with the powers of creativity in the inner man, then must we recognize that freewill creativity embraces the potential of freewill destructivity. And when creativity is turned to destructivity, you are face to face with the devastation of evil and sin — oppression, war, and destruction. Evil is a partiality of creativity which tends toward disintegration and eventual destruction. All conflict is evil in that it inhibits the creative function of the inner life — it is a species of civil war in the personality.


The reduction of fear in the minds of others is righteous ministry for that mind which has vanquished its own...and is something every believer can do in their family, community, and as we walk by. Do we comfort and guide others to the peace we know? Can we not help others to fear less....and less from our own fearlessness? For as Brother/Friend Pike quotes above: what does it matter if all earthly things crash around us? And most chronic anxiety does not spring from any true or reasonable expectation of actual difficulties or challenges at-hand....it becomes a crippling state of "being"....shutting out the light and driving us deeper into the shadows of doubt and further distortions of fear.


(1223.4) ^111:7.2 May I admonish you to heed the distant echo of the Adjuster’s faithful call to your soul? The indwelling Adjuster cannot stop or even materially alter your career struggle of time; the Adjuster cannot lessen the hardships of life as you journey on through this world of toil. The divine indweller can only patiently forbear while you fight the battle of life as it is lived on your planet; but you could, if you only would — as you work and worry, as you fight and toil — permit the valiant Adjuster to fight with you and for you. You could be so comforted and inspired, so enthralled and intrigued, if you would only allow the Adjuster constantly to bring forth the pictures of the real motive, the final aim, and the eternal purpose of all this difficult, uphill struggle with the commonplace problems of your present material world.

(1223.5) ^111:7.3 Why do you not aid the Adjuster in the task of showing you the spiritual counterpart of all these strenuous material efforts? Why do you not allow the Adjuster to strengthen you with the spiritual truths of cosmic power while you wrestle with the temporal difficulties of creature existence? Why do you not encourage the heavenly helper to cheer you with the clear vision of the eternal outlook of universal life as you gaze in perplexity at the problems of the passing hour? Why do you refuse to be enlightened and inspired by the universe viewpoint while you toil amidst the handicaps of time and flounder in the maze of uncertainties which beset your mortal life journey? Why not allow the Adjuster to spiritualize your thinking, even though your feet must tread the material paths of earthly endeavor?

Edited by Bradly aka/fanofVan, 03 March 2013 - 11:25 AM.

[Raymond]

In some other thread Bradly exponded the virtues of western capitalism - be it humanitarian values - had on world economy and the subsequent value it produced in third world countries. I applaud those shared insights. Much food for thought. Even idealistic and spiritual thought. What I also see historically is that two of our greatest enemies Germany and Japan - let me throw in Vietnam - are now great trading capitalist societies. In short, America's big footprints currently in Iraq, Afghanistan, will eventually include the democratization of countries in the MidEast Spring Uprising - which I believe will include influence on Syria and Iran. Military occupation, corporate capitalism, the military-industrial complex, apparently has human sectarian value. Does might make right? It appears at the very least a necessary step in getting attention. The fact is that we don't force religion upon anyone. Regardless of all this, the secretarian humanistic values can be used as a starting point to jerk someone into a broader realization of current realities. I often wondered why the UB was revealed in our Western Civilization - especially in the USA. Not that it should be forced upon anyone - but that its revealed in such an environment that is at its peak of materialism and yields such worldwide power.

[Bradly aka/fanofVan]

Raymond - I do not find much that is "virtuous" in western capitalism so much as progress made thereby, similar to slavery, warfare, ghost fear, etc. There is little virtue and nothing endearing in profit or capital. This but a step upon another bridge to something far greater and better. The democratization of capital is a progressor when the capital is redirected away from its earner/holder to others in loving service and kindness. THIS is one result of western style capitalism. The FUTURE of capitalism is being written now in the third world or emerging economies and rewritten in the USA because we must respond to this ever enlarging force of democratized capital.

I am not convinced the Most Highs are quite finnished with America's leadership role in this regard either. I don't buy into the decline argument (not economic decline I mean) for the largest economy, the most racially admixed, and culturally diverse, and most religiously free nation on our planet. It is helpful in this regard to study on the Neighboring Planet. America has much to be ashamed of....and yet we rise to defy much that is evil in the world on many levels. Other hills of hope and powers are rising but we remain the beacon of progress in my mind. Let us see if we are worthy to hold that leadership into the challenges and changes to come. Too many democracies are of one people and one religion and one culture and one race and use majority rule/democracy/mob rules that will forever be inferior to that glorious constitution of inclusion, protection of individual FROM the majority, and the melting pot of all peoples in one nation. This is the example the world must follow....tolerance of all and service to all. (do not mistake this for blind nationalism or pride USA for it certainly is not....but any objective evaluation of inclusion vs. exclusion results in few peers in this regard)

[Bradly aka/fanofVan]

Raymond - forgot to acknowledge a VERY important point you raised. Just what was it that made the citizens and government of the USA to pay for the reconstruction of all of Europe, but especially Germany and Japan - our enemies, horrific enemies?? We were dragged, kicking and screaming, from isolationism into global war in the midst of the great depression with few enough resources for ourselves. And yet...... This, I think goes to Alina's topic here. Progress. Growth. One aspect of humanity races forward but must await other aspects to progress for the whole to grow. There are many chicken and egg paradoxes to examine in this becoming and progress.

Edited by Bradly aka/fanofVan, 03 March 2013 - 01:09 PM.

[Raymond]

Not in disagreement with you Bradly. Was making the point of material secular values are a starting point for transference for higher spiritual values. Humanitarian aid advances both human values and spiritual values. What I'm saying, being human we sometimes have to start from this lower virewpoint to progress to the higher.

[Alina]

Hello!

Thank you all!

I believe that all change, involving growth and progress, is based on personal ideals, I say this because ideas abound in this world, I would say too many, but there is a lack of ideals.What happens when a man wakes up and realizes that we are part of an organized whole? and that the world is not just this speck of dust in space, nor the center of the universe
It seems to me that our vision is much broader, and with it Ideals born, but these do not appear in land massively, not suddenly, but are the result of a process of personal growth and individual.
Therefore, the UB, tells us that i we are who must "provide the conditions" but this I think is really going to be ready when those ideals do not fall into idealism, and when we find the method that we will use.

So, the genuine progress is growing and provides a new evolutionary turn, knowing more about the truth
together with the intelligence and genuine spirituality and rising steadily growing, is itself a fact that produce a new man.
Let's not forget "Progressive Civilization" (576.4) 50:5.1

To see that seem these quotes:

(1097.4) 100:3.7 Man cannot cause growth, but he can supply favorable conditions. Growth is always unconscious, be it physical, intellectual, or spiritual. Love thus grows; it cannot be created, manufactured, or purchased; it must grow. Evolution is a cosmic technique of growth. Social growth cannot be secured by legislation, and moral growth is not had by improved administration. Man may manufacture a machine, but its real value must be derived from human culture and personal appreciation. Man’s sole contribution to growth is the mobilization of the total powers of his personality — living faith.

(1133.2) 103:4.2 When primitive man felt that his communion with God had been interrupted, he resorted to sacrifice of some kind in an effort to make atonement, to restore friendly relationship. The hunger and thirst for righteousness leads to the discovery of truth, and truth augments ideals, and this creates new problems for the individual religionists, for our ideals tend to grow by geometrical progression, while our ability to live up to them is enhanced only by arithmetical progression.

Greetings...

Alina
***

Edited by Alina, 03 March 2013 - 04:52 PM.

[Bradly aka/fanofVan]

Friend Raymond - I did not take your point as arguementative or as disagreement. Just didn't want to defend any notion that I'm a supporter of capitalism...except as a progressive step in the evolutionary process leading to the service economy to come. Many "improvements" are only superior for a short time, eh? Now there is something superior to capitalism. Wish I knew what it was or how to get there. You certainly are welcome to disagree with me anytime it may happen.....as I am often wrong or perplexed to be sure, but, I understood your point and we do agree on this.

So, I wonder what the economic system is like when it radiates outward from the Prince's headquarters and the Material Son and Daughter schools and the Temple? I would assume that money or currency exchange is a normal and functional element since craft and trade are certainly mentioned. Currency has taken many forms over time but its purpose is simple: a common unit of exchange to replace barter - item for item or labor for item. It is an efficiency driver so I presume it is a normal form of core economic development. Read recently that in Light and Life, it takes about 2-3 hours of work per day per person to support everyone's material needs - the rest of the time is education, relaxation, child rearing and care, worship, and talent/skill development (I am assuming the rest of the day's activities here but the hours is text). Two generations ago, my family worked 7 days a week on the farm (except church on Sunday and dinner with extended family) and 14 hours a day did not get it done - just beat back hunger and homelessness. My dad worked 2 jobs while going to trade school for 2 years, working 20 hours a day. There is still those who work - hard - all day just to have water, meager food rations, and a little heat around our globe. This necisity, by itself, is a retardant of personal and spiritual development IMO. Imagine - 12-16 hours a week for peace, prosperity, and personal progress. Now, that's a functional and efficient economic system.

I think it important to remember that planetary progress is in the hands of those who know what they're about and are experienced and capable. Perhaps we are not such a challenge as we appear or imagine? As Raymond points out - our point of view (perspective) is from underneath or from within the transformation and our time here so short to witness progress - it's hard to see the horizen from the aligator pit. And as Sister Alina demonstrates in this topic - growth is hard to discern when progress in many ways is so uneven....I mean America put a man on the moon within 12 months of the civil rights and voting rights act and students on-campus being shot by the National Guard and while napalming innocents in the villages of a jungle half way around the world. Strange. Disjointed.

But, as Raymond also points out, in the midst of all this change and turmoil, there is an emerging and growing humanitarianism that is getting brighter and brighter as he puts it: "material secular values are a starting point for transference for higher spiritual values." I agree. We witness economic transformation today. The more society creates sufficient "liesure" time for education, philosophy, religiousity, art expressions, and talent/skill development and brings wealth/capital into the hands of humanitarians and spirit filled minds, the faster we accelerate toward Light and Life and our next Son dispensation. A wonderful view to witness if one has but the eye to see it.

Edited by Bradly aka/fanofVan, 03 March 2013 - 07:21 PM.

[Raymond]

Dear Bradly , thank you - I now dare to ask if socialism and comminism in theory is to be viewed as anathem to our econmic capitalistic system or cannot something be learned and utilized to progress to a service motive? Would that not be a sign of progress and growth? Or do you see or foresee something other not yet conceived or tried as of yet. Your economic knowledge would have a deeper insight than mine. Knowning full well that communism is atheistic in practice and in theory. Socialism as far as I know is not this. I believe you do have something in mind that might be on the horizon.