INTRO: Take your time reading the following article. Please comment if you agree or not with the recommendation that Scriptures need to be revised. The minds of religious leaders are constrained within the cage of worn out dogma, which restricts their ability to revise their Scriptures. However, if the Priesthoods of Ancient Egypt were astute enough to revise their beliefs from many gods to one universal God many times, there is hope our religious leaders realize improvements are needed in our world today. Many men and women gifted with perceptive, intelligent minds, and loving hearts will surely assist their efforts.
Needed Changes to the Holy Scriptures
The god many believe in today has been revealed through man’s spirit, imagination, and love for the god he created in his own image. The philosophical questions of who created the universe, the first atom, and the enormous amount of matter, galaxies, and stars lead one’s mind to ponder the wonder of it all. The world has become much larger than it was to the minds of men four thousand years ago. Today, many realize that there may be other intelligent life in the billions of galaxies in the universe. This leads one not only to revere life on this planet but also to eventually love and respect alien life that may come to visit us in the future. Our future depends, first, on how much sisters and brothers, throughout our world, love one another.
The evolution of our monotheistic God took thousands of years and, in the process, underwent many changes. This should come as no surprise, for each generation has developed concepts that were embraced and improved upon. This has been true in the scientific and technical spheres, whereby scientists have developed ways to communicate at the speed of light. Change also occurs within religions. In the past, Egyptian priests revised and updated their beliefs to keep pace with the advances in their culture and intellect of their people. Judaic, Christian, and Islamic religious must embrace change to improve the relationships between people of different lands.
Many passages in scriptures are out of date and many that once served to unite a unique people are no longer applicable. One need only to turn to the Torah to see outdated passages dealing with ancient animal sacrifices, specific details for the garments of the priest, and detailed measurements on how to build a place of worship, an altar, and its accessories (refer to Exodus 23, 25-31). The book Allah, We, Our and Us, is replete with abominable passages that incite hatred, bigotry, violence, and the killing of innocent people not willing to worship the Islamic God Allah.
Change is essential if religious institutions are to keep pace with worshippers as they acquire more education and the ability to examine their religious beliefs and seek meaning in their lives. If religious leaders continue to cling to worn, outdated passages of their holy scriptures, they will only become an embarrassment to discerning and intelligent people. By not acknowledging the need for change, they will find their religious myths ridiculed and their institutions laughed at because much of their dogma no longer provide moral and spiritual guidance.
Can our religious institutions, be they of Jewish, Christian, or Islamic origins, afford an outcome that is a disbelief in God? This outcome is sure to develop in the future as they continue to believe they have the only true religion and true God. There are many brilliant minds that would gladly assist in the reformation of their religious institutions and holy scriptures. But will those entrusted with the responsibility of religious leadership be courageous and perceptive enough to accept assistance and improve their doctrines? Or are they so indoctrinated that they cannot search their hearts and minds to find the truths and words of love that can truly guide their worshippers?
As a man who has learned to love all people, the sisters and brothers of this world, there is hope for change. Human beings are born with the gift to love; it is the one gift that ensures their survival. The recommendations presented in Allah, We, Our and Us for religious leaders and worshippers from all nations. They are provided as a starting point for many more necessary changes. Surely, there are men and women who have the talent and gifts to implement the recommendations offered and commend many more to improve the morality and spiritual nature of mankind.
In the final chapter of Allah, We, Our and Us, this author appeals to the followers and leaders of the Judaic, Christian, and Islamic religions to work together to unify their beliefs in God. This novel informs people all over the world that so far, unintentionally and by forceful aggression, these very religions have caused bigotry, hatred, violence, and the killing of innocent people. To assist in ameliorating this path of destruction, it reveals the abominations of these three religions. However, it is not the author’s intent to cast blame on any one religion but to wake up the religious leaders to understand that the very existence of human life and our planet is headed for a disastrous outcome unless they work together to unify their beliefs and teach the Word of God.
In Future of God Amen, the last thought was a question. Who will dedicate their lives to becoming the daughters and sons of God? A proactive solution is to not wait for several outstanding individuals with loving hearts and perceptive minds; it will be us, the millions of people around the world, who must stand up to the religious leaders and demand they all teach the Word of God—love one another. Nothing will happen by continuing to rely on the bureaucracy and entrenched institutions that follow worn-out dogma. Their Holy Scriptures must be revised. We are all children of God, and we are responsible to guide our own destiny for a belief system that is capable of change. Change is possible by being involved to improve the character and integrity of all people, which can be accomplished with a unified belief in God that is truly guided by the Word of God.