What’s In It For You?

There are no divine secrets. No miracles. Nothing supernatural. There is only that which we understand, that which we are yet to understand, and that which we will never understand.

~The Philosophy of the Divine Law

Did a woman called Eve and a man named Adam eat an apple that gave humans forbidden knowledge and ushered evil into the world? Was a man who sat under a tree and meditated for forty-nine days straight, without food or drink, the first to become enlightened? Did the spirit of a god impregnate a woman who remained a virgin yet still gave birth to a child?

Built on myth and legend, many religions, philosophies, and belief systems, to strengthen their credibility, require their followers to have faith. Belief in the absence of evidence. The faith of their followers gives them power and control. Power, in the size of their following, and control in their ability to direct their follower’s actions.

However, where legend and myth are scripture, and faith is paramount, the truth is irrelevant!

The Divine Law does not require faith. It has no mythology. It is not knowledge given in secret to one person but not to another. The gods did not give it to solemn priests to keep in temples built on sacred mountain tops. Or only to people who believe they are the chosen of a deity that has placed them above all other people. Angels did not give it to prophets. A god did not sacrifice its son so it could save humankind.

From the outset, I want you to understand that what we teach is neither mystical nor a spiritual connection to the universe. It will not give you the power to speak your desires into being, reveal your past lives, or put you in contact with your ancient ancestors. And unfortunately, it will not help you to discern tomorrow’s winning lottery numbers!

So, why should you be interested? What’s in it for you?

Our purpose is to empower you, using the tenets of the Philosophy of the Divine Law, with the courage to overcome the bondage of indoctrination and return you to the knowledge of self that is inherent within. To enhance your ability to hear, recognize, and receive God’s guidance through God’s Divine Essence. And in conjunction with the principles of the Divine Law, help you to seek and accept the truth of our shared reality and use the knowledge you obtain to make positive and informed decisions.

What’s in it for you is increased awareness, reduced anxiety and fear, enhanced focus, and a return to your true self and the truth of our shared reality. 

We will not, however, endeavor to convince you of anything! Ours is to provide you information. You can decide its value… yourself.

Thanks for listening.

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

The Problem of Evil

Hi. Welcome to Practicing Truth.

Today's topic: The Problem of Evil

Thanks for stopping by.

I hope you take what I say as food for thought.

For over two millennia, practitioners of Christianity have struggled to find an answer to what those who challenge their beliefs call the Problem of Evil: How to reconcile an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving God with the existence of Evil.

Perhaps the answer has been elusive to Christians because of Christianity's concept of God: an all-powerful, anthropomorphic Father figure ruling from a heavenly realm. Expanded to other beliefs, specifically those that do not claim to know God's attributes, neither the question nor the problem seems as profound.

For many, it is only logical that a god that created "everything" also created Evil. And to accept, at the very least, that an all-knowing god would have to know Evil would be an aspect of its creation's design.

So, how does the Philosophy of the Divine Law address the question? The philosophy acknowledges the reality we share is dualistic. That every aspect of its nature has an opposing opposite. To define darkness, we must first define its opposite: light. Therefore, to define Evil, we must first define its opposite: Good.

The philosophy holds that Good is a conscious and positive decision made from responsible and constructive thoughts to conduct acts of altruism intending to create, cause, or influence a positive outcome or to prevent harm.

It asserts the Good we do is expected of us. That we are to do it without expectation of reward. And defines Altruism as a conscious and affirmative action intending to create, cause, or influence a positive outcome, or to prevent harm to oneself, another person, society, or the environment.

So, Good is when we make a positive decision that leads to a benevolent action. When we decide to do the right thing!

In contrast, the philosophy defines Evil as a conscious and malicious decision made from malignant thoughts to commit Sin or Malevolent Acts intending to cause or allow harm. And defines Sin as a deliberate and malicious action intending to cause physical, mental, or emotional harm or injury to oneself, another person, society, or the environment.

Evil, then, is an opposing aspect of Good. When we make a malicious decision that leads to sin or malevolent acts. When we decide to do the wrong thing!

It is essential to understand that neither Good nor Evil are actions. They are the decisions we make that lead to either Altruism, Sin, or Malevolent Acts. Which are the actions we take based on the decisions we've made.

Good and Evil are not separate entities but opposing aspects of a single identity. Duality! Like the two sides of a coin, one does not exist without the presence of the other.

Nothing exists we can decide to use for good that we cannot choose to use for Evil or vice versa. The hand that caresses can also kill. That which, in moderation, might nourish, done in abundance, might cause harm. Someone else can co-opt our acts of altruism and use them to sin. And though the philosophy asserts that God, through Divine Essence, is natural to creation, it holds that God is not accessible for personal use. However, governments, religions, and ordinary people have invoked the name of God to justify the atrocities they have committed throughout history. 

The effect of Evil is harm and suffering. However, we must distinguish the harm and suffering caused by an evil decision from the harm and suffering caused by natural phenomena. As I stated earlier, Evil is a conscious and malicious decision made from malignant thoughts to commit sin or malevolent acts intending to cause or allow harm.

Hurricanes, tornados, droughts, avalanches, and other weather events are natural phenomena, and do not make conscious and malicious decisions. Consequently, they are not evil. While they certainly cause harm and suffering, they are natural occurrences in the world and the reality in which we live.

Meteorologists and other scientists have conducted many studies of the planet that illustrate how the Earth's weather works. We no longer have to accept ancient mythologies and superstitions as plausible explanations for naturally occurring events. And though many stories in the Bible and other religious texts claim God uses natural phenomena to punish people for their sins, the Philosophy of the Divine Law does not share their beliefs.

The philosophy holds there is only God. And rejects the existence of angels, fairies, ghosts, devils, demons, and other such non-entities. It asserts that unseen or unknown forces do not compel us to be charitable, to sin, or encourage our malevolent acts. But contends that the decisions we make, and the actions we commit based on them, are individual and personal choices we make of our own volition. Even when we are acting within a group!

Although other group members might influence our judgment and subsequent actions, we are not sheep overseen by shepherds. Our minds are our own. The decision to commit the acts is still an individual and personal choice!

Why we exist and where we come from are yet unanswered questions that have led humankind to mysticism and the bondage of religion. That we exist, and are here, are concrete facts that allow us to awaken ourselves to the truth of the reality we share.

Though many want us to believe they do, no one speaks for God or knows God's reason or method of creation.

However, throughout human history, observation, scientific discovery, and sometimes mere curiosity have helped us to accumulate vast amounts of information about how our shared reality functions.

Every increase in our knowledge has led to more intelligent questions—and we continue to learn how much we do not know. 

What we may be sure of today, new information may cause us to be skeptical of tomorrow. Therefore, we must continue to seek and accept the truth.  

Although there is much more we have yet to learn, our current comprehension of the laws that govern this reality and how it functions is more than adequate to help us determine its truth and constancy. This knowledge gives us the insight and confidence to predict what these laws will support and reject what they will not, such as talking animals, magical spells, and people returning from the dead.

Those who promote or hold such beliefs have divorced themselves from reality or have embraced viewpoints unsupported by facts.

Not that everything in this reality operates within a predictable norm. There are anomalies we are yet to understand. However, though abnormality and unpredictability exist—they are not commonplace—and we do not live in a reality where they are the norm and the truth is unknown.  

Except for some primates and animals such as elephants, big cats, wolves, foxes, and high-functioning mammals such as dolphins, whales, seals, and other creatures that display a consciousness beyond basic instinct, Homo sapiens is the only species we know that has developed an awareness to our level of knowledge and understanding. This means Evil, as we practice it, might only exist within the domain of humankind.

However, after all I've said, the question remains: why does God allow Evil?

Everything God has created within our shared reality is dual in its use or nature, including Evil.

The question, then, is not why God allows Evil, a natural aspect of reality's creation, but what has God provided to enable us to counter Evil?

The Philosophy of the Divine Law asserts God is innate to creation. An integral aspect of creation's composition. Inherent, through Divine Essence, within all that exists. Thereby, God and God's creation are never separate!

To counteract Evil, God has provided humankind God's Divine Essence. A distinct and instantly recognizable presence of thought, inherent within, that guides our actions toward the most favorable outcome for ourselves, other people, and our current environment.

Though inherent within all, God's Divine Essence is not apparent to all.

Millennia of fear-induced indoctrination, false teachings, mythology, and superstition have curtailed our awareness of its presence. Though we all hear its guidance, most dismiss it. And do not receive its benefits.

God's Divine Essence guides us toward, but not directly to, the most favorable outcome of a particular situation. However, the choice to comply with its guidance is our own.

We can choose not to follow its guidance. There is no punishment for not doing so. The consequence, however, is that we become susceptible to the outcomes God's Divine Essence guides us towards preventing.

Many Christians would regard God's Divine Essence as their concept of the Holy Spirit. And its actions as God's Grace or blessings. However, it is neither of those.

Unlike the concept of the Holy Spirit, God's Divine Essence is not a mediator and does not intercede in our lives. But offers guidance toward the most favorable action necessary to help ourselves.

God has already provided us with everything we will ever need, and God's Divine Essence to guide us. In contrast to the concepts of grace and blessings, the quality of our lives is determined by whether we live within the parameters of the Divine Law and meet the requirements to attain what God has provided.

God neither rewards nor punishes. Reward and punishment are human constructs. And our actions, in this here and this now, determine which we will receive. Therefore, humankind is the only entity that sits in judgment of human behavior.

God's Divine Essence will not directly tell us what we should do, nor will it speak for us, pay our bills, or find us a significant other. It will neither suspend the laws of physics to help us, magically remove us from danger, nor protect us from the hardships caused by the choices we make. Nor will it prevent the actions of malicious people from affecting our lives. And most importantly, it will not punish us if we do not follow its guidance.

It will, however, guide our thoughts toward making choices that will lead us to the most favorable outcome for our current situation. Ours is but to learn to recognize its voice and follow its guidance.

Thanks for listening.

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

Sunset

There is dust on my dreams.

In the room where I store them,

The air is musty, and the light is dim 

The shelves along the walls sag under the weight of unfulfilled goals

Every nook and cranny, stuffed with unpublished poems and songs.

Lamentations of love lost and life’s longings. 

The winged horse I rode as a child

has grown fat and lazy and doesn’t want to fly anymore

His coat is unkempt, and his once glorious mane is almost bare 

The mountains I used to climb seem taller

Their snowcaps, more massive, extend farther down their slopes.

The forest at their base seems thicker, darker, and more forbidding. 

They no longer seduce me. Instead, they frighten me and warn me away. 

And my Superman suit

Wrinkled, and tossed across the back of my easy chair,

is missing its cape!

Derek Crockett

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

Mass Hypnosis

Welcome to Practicing Truth.

Today's Title: Mass Hypnosis.

But first, let me credit today's featured music. Hypnotized by Fleetwood Mac.

Thanks for stopping by.

I hope you take what I say as food for thought.

Have a fabulous day!

In his forty-five-page indictment of Donald Trump, Special Counsel Jack Smith outlines with expanded detail the actions the former president and six co-conspirators took in their attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election to ensure Trump would remain president. It should be, required reading. If not for all Americans, at least for those of voting age.

That a lie can grow to such a proportion that it erodes the public trust in our electoral system and threatens the fundamental values and stability of our Republic, until now, was unthinkable!

But, here we are. Divided, our constitution endangered. While Donald Trump's election lie and the myriad other lies it has spawned, obliterate commonsense and transcend that which is in America's best interest.

Most won't read Smith's indictment. Some, because it's forty-five pages long. Some because they think things will work themselves out. They won't. Not without our participation. And others, because they are not paying attention!

Many of the Republican party's politicians and most Trump supporters won't read the indictment because the truth would just get in their way. Regardless of his lies, abhorrent behavior, disregard for the Constitution, and America's tradition of the peaceful transfer of power, these patriots, as they call themselves, still want to return Donald Trump to the presidency!

But why? One would think that after four years of Trump waging personal vendettas, making poor foreign policy decisions, nepotism, and creating abject turmoil in the White House, most Americans would be thankful that, though battered and bruised, America and its constitution are still intact. But, for many GOP politicians and most of Trump's supporters, oh no, it's, again! Into the breach!

One more chance for Christian nationalists, dominionists, and their white evangelical Christian allies to use a constitutionally uninformed, lying, narcissist con man to help them replace America's Republic and its ideals and values with the racist inequality of an American pseudo-theocracy.

However, don't despair; all is not lost! Those who Trump hasn't conned with his delusion and are not suffering from mass hypnosis or psychosis can prevent Donald Trump's return to the presidency.

The key is to recognize that no matter how much media coverage Trump and his supporters receive or how large the media makes their numbers seem, all across America, rational and ethically minded people from all backgrounds outnumber them! Especially in many so-called red states where Republicans use voter elimination, voter suppression, and other repressive tactics to disenfranchise opposition voters as critical components of their election strategy.

Motivate yourself. Get involved in the future of America. Do not allow yourself to be dissuaded by the GOP's tactics. If you are of voting age and not currently eligible to vote, get yourself qualified. Then vote!

Encourage others!

But, before you can understand what's going on, you've got to wake up!

Contrary to the current Republican narrative, being woke is not a bad thing. Let no one convince you otherwise. The GOP, Christian Nationalists, and Trump's other core supporters want you asleep. Why? Because sleeping people don't go to the polls!

Thanks for listening.

 © 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

A New Day!

Welcome to Practicing Truth.

Today’s Title: A New Day!

But first, let me credit today’s featured music. Feeling Good by Nina Simone.

Thanks for stopping by.

I hope you take what I say as food for thought.

Have a fabulous day!

Every day presents us with another opportunity to grow and develop. To improve or add to what we accomplished the day before. Yesterday, where we fell short, having rested; today, we can try again. It brings a big Kool-Aid smile to my face to know that I might meet a new friend, clear up a misunderstanding with an old one, and make new positive memories with those I currently have.

It fills me with joy to know I have a renewed opportunity to approach everything more positively than I did the days before.

I can be more understanding. And not write my narrative about why someone did not do what I expected and accept theirs.

I can spend more time with my significant other, children, extended family, and friends. And bring positive energy to every interaction.

Today is a new day. A unique opportunity to create yet another scene on an unused portion of the canvas we call life!

Another day to recognize we are all equal as human beings. Codependent. All to be loved and respected, all owners of this reality. This house we share.

A new day! A renewed possibility to overcome our divisions. To work toward preventing our social destruction and the human-caused ecological devastation of our planet. A new day! To breathe, to enjoy the sunshine, the rain. Another day to live!

So, what are you going to do with it?

Thanks for listening.                                   

 © 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

The Reality of Living

Welcome to Practicing Truth.

Today’s Title: The Reality of Living.

But first, let me credit today’s featured music. That’s The Way of the World by Earth, Wind, and Fire.

Thanks for stopping by.

I hope you take what I say as food for thought.

Have a fabulous day!

The Philosophy of the Divine Law holds that God has already provided everything we will ever need to build a quality life in this reality, including a clear path to obtaining it. Ours is only to put forth the labor to meet what it requires to get what we want. Sounds simple enough. But is it?

Many would say it’s not. That, for some, every day is a struggle. And they would highlight how political, socio-economic, and other inequalities, such as totalitarian governments, war, and civil strife, keep many poor; and far from being able to meet their basic needs.

And there is truth in what they say. However, the tenets of the philosophy still apply.

Today, I’m directing my commentary to those living in countries that allow their citizenry the freedom to thrive. People whose circumstances leave them unencumbered to determine their own destinies. People like me. And most of you.

Still, even those of us who are fortunate enough to live in relative freedom, have, at some point, been unable to get what we want or have fallen short of achieving a particular goal. And then rationalized why we didn’t reach it. Lack of time, finances, family or job issues… and many others. However, under an honest reexamination, we would mostly find we didn’t get what we wanted or achieve a particular goal because we didn’t do what it required and quit!

No matter the scenario, dropping out of school, quitting a job, giving up on business ownership… And no matter the reason, I had to care for my ailing mother. The people at my job were racists. I haven’t lost faith; I’m waiting on God… It all involves quitting! And when we quit, we do not achieve our goals.

So, don’t quit! Determine what you want, and don’t stop working towards it until you’ve achieved it!

We don’t live in a vacuum. And the Philosophy of the Divine Law recognizes that building a quality life is not all life is about. Life is also about living. In fact, life is primarily about living. Intimately sharing our lives with another. Interacting with others. Going to parties, weddings, funerals. Doing our part to prevent humanity’s social destruction and the human-caused ecological devastation of the Earth. And so much more!

It’s about successful and failed marriages. Having children and being fearful of what might happen to them. It’s about trying and failing and trying again!

Living is a tall order. And we don’t do some of it, well! But, to thrive in this reality, to do it… we must!

Thanks for listening.

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

We Are One!

Hi. Welcome to Practicing Truth.

Today's topic: a brief reminder that no matter our differences, we are all equal as human beings!

But first, let me credit today's featured music: We Are One, by Maze, featuring Frankie Beverly.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you take what I say as food for thought.

Have a fabulous day!

Male, female, race, ethnicity, nationality, socio-economic status, we are all equal as human beings. We all have the right to live and breathe free from oppression, tyranny, and the threat to life and limb. Whether the threat to freedom is local or across miles of ocean, it concerns us all.

To ignore or debate whether to aid another in their fight against oppression and tyranny is to ally ourselves with it. Though we are ultimately responsible for ourselves, we are our brother's keeper. And also responsible for each other. Our survival as a species depends on our cooperation with each other. Divided, we will not endure.

That which measures and divides us by our differences is unnatural. One group of people chosen by God over another; slavery; indentured servitude; wives submissive to their husbands or vice versa; and other manners of division are all human-created concepts. And to accept such, under any pretense, is to hasten humanity's social demise.

The Divine Law's first tenet is to love God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your being. And the Foundation of Understanding further explains that to do so, we must first, love ourselves, the humanness of other people, and the inherent divinity within all God has created in the same manner we are to love God. Unconditionally!

We cannot meet this requirement divided!

We are one. Our differences do not make us enemies. And it is long past the time to recognize that we have outgrown whatever teaches us otherwise!

Thanks for listening.

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

Know Yourself

Hi. Welcome to Practicing Truth.

Today's Topic: Knowing yourself. Knowing what you want!

But first, let me credit today's featured music: Let's Stay Together, by Al Green.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you take what I say as food for thought.

Have a fabulous day!

Relationships, even exceptional ones, are sometimes difficult. They go through good times and bad. Sometimes, almost effortlessly, things go so well between you and your significant other that it seems you're one person. And you think, jackpot, I've found my soulmate! This is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. And then, over time, things change. And you wonder what you ever saw in this person. What made you think you could make a life with them?

It's at this point relationships with weak communication break down. When neither of you can find a bridge across whatever divides you. And the fragile foundation you've built cannot support your remaining together. However, relationships with effective communication and a sound foundation can weather moments of miscommunication, doubts, and minor arguments. And they usually do.

So, how do we build a strong relationship? Or, assuming we want to; strengthen a relationship that is weak?

Well, first, they're not the same thing. Building a strong relationship is like building a new house. When carefully thought out, it will be precisely what you want. However, strengthening a weak relationship is like renovating an established house. Changing things. Making major adjustments. Difficult, but not impossible.

Building a strong relationship starts long before a relationship begins. It starts when you know who you are. What you stand for. And have established principles. Solid principles that you live by no matter what! Strong relationships result from empowering yourself and taking control of your life. And recognizing that no matter the stimuli, the final decision to do or not do is yours. And that regardless of the consequences, you never relinquish the power to say yes or no.

When you haven't established who you are, what you stand for, and live in the moment without established principles to live by, like a bottle floating in a river, you're doing whatever the river decides.

When you don't know who you are, it's difficult to determine the type of people you want to allow to share your life. You enter a relationship not because you've vetted the person based on the principles you live by and determined that they hold many of the same values. That they complement and positively add to your life and will act in your best interest and help strengthen you.

Instead, your criteria might be based on their appearance. Their job. What they seem to have. Or simply that they've taken an interest in you!

Weak relationships don't just happen. We create them!

Thanks for listening.

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

An American Theocracy

Hi. And good, whatever it might be, wherever you are. Welcome to Practicing Truth.

Today's Topic: An American Theocracy

But first, let me credit today's featured music: Cruel World, by Active Child.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you take what I say as food for thought.

Have a fabulous day!

Have you given thought to what a Christian theocracy in America would be like? The laws of the Bible governing our lives? Why would anyone want our country to be ruled by such cruelty? By laws that subjugate and punish non-believers and use division as a control device?

Consider the following verses:

"When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer terms of peace to it. And if it responds to you peaceably and it opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall do forced labor for you and shall serve you. But if it makes no peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. And when the LORD your God gives it into your hand, you shall put all its males to the sword, but the women and the little ones, the livestock, and everything else in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as plunder for yourselves. And you shall enjoy the spoil of your enemies, which the LORD your God has given you."

Deuteronomy 20:10-14 ESV   

However, under the same edict, the cities of inheritance fare far worst.

"But in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, but you shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the Lord your God has commanded, that may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you sin against the Lord your God."

Deuteronomy 20:16-18 ESV

Without hesitation, most Christians will tell you that Jesus loves you. That, when challenged by the Pharisees, Jesus proclaimed, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," is the second great commandment. And illustrated his point with the parable of the Good Samaritan. Unfortunately, however, the love displayed by today's Christians does not extend to all. Transgender persons, the LGBTQ community, immigrants, other religions, and many others don't receive their love. But aren't they people too? And if it is, as Christians claim, weren't they also created by God?

What will happen to these people if America becomes a theocracy? What will Christians then decide will be the final solution to their question?

Will we have a repeat of the genocides committed during World War II? 

What do you think?

Thanks for listening.

 © 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

Time For An Awakening

Hi. And good, whatever it might be, wherever you are. Welcome to Practicing Truth.

Today's Topic: Time for an Awakening

But first, let me credit today's featured music: Living In America, by James Brown.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you take what I say as food for thought.

Have a fabulous day!

I find it hard to believe, as some news outlets report, that Donald Trump is thriving, politically. Yes, Trump's supporters saturate the news with their antics and outrageous comments almost daily. But are there enough of them to vote him back into the White House?

Personally, I don't think so.

Many, if not most Americans, have tired of Trump's and the GOP's disruptive tactics and want a government that will get things done to ensure America's future viability. Homophobia, denying women the right to abortion, attacking and sabotaging social programs, and trying to return the country to a time that never was, has impeded America's progress for five decades!

We cannot continue as we have. And returning Donald Trump to the presidency ensures the divisive governing that has, for so long, held us hostage while keeping us stagnant as a nation will continue.

Every day, the news media, social influencers, conspiracy theorists, and anyone who wants to do so feed misinformation, disinformation, and outright lies to the inter-verse. Attacking just about anything or anyone. Lately, the target du jour is wokeness. A term most of those attacking it can't even define!

When popular TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender, posted a video on her Instagram page to promote a Bud Light contest, many on the right seemingly lost their minds. How dare they! How dare Bud Light normalize a transgender!

The definition of wokeness, at least in Bud Light's case, seemed to mean approval: as in Bud Light, signaling approval of a transgender person.

Wow, that can't be right. Oh my God, she's transgender! Why is she doing that? Why is Bud Light letting her do it?

However, the Right's attack on the College Board, a billion-dollar nonprofit that administers the SAT and A.P. courses, gave Woke another definition. Stemming from the Right's opposition to the board's initial offering of its Advanced Placement African American Studies course. Woke, in its case, appears to mean ignoring history. Keeping people ignorant.

Yes, ignorant! As in not knowing. Being uninformed. As in wanting to be uninformed!

If being woke: being considerate and aware of the equality of other people is a bad thing. What is it like not being woke?

Governor Abbott, the Governor of Texas, might have given us a clue.

Last Friday, a man killed five people in Cleveland, Texas, including an eight-year-old boy. In his condolences to their families, while offering a reward for information about the killer, Abbott, a person apparently not woke, saw fit to point out that all involved were illegal immigrants. Hmmm…

It is long past the time for an awakening in America. For America's citizens to accept that this country does not belong to only one race, but to us all! And time to ensure America's laws are fair. That they don't give extra rights based on one's race, religion, culture, or whatever! But apply equally to all its citizens. But we can't just wish it were so. To make it happen, we have work to do!

And we can start by addressing what Donald Trump has shown us is an illusion of checks and balances; by creating an impeachment process for unethical congressional representatives and Supreme Court judges. And for the betterment of our republic, we can stop electing and reelecting representatives whose true loyalty is only to their political party.

We, the people, have the power to change how our government works. To make it work for us. For all of us!

However, as long as we continue to pay attention to the hand distracting us with nonsense, the hand we are not watching will continue to erode our rights and freedoms.

Aren't you tired of the way things are? The way they have been for quite some time? I know I am.

Thanks for listening.

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

A Past That Never Was

Hi. And good, whatever it might be, wherever you are. Welcome to Practicing Truth.

Today's Topic: Speaking The Truth

But first, let me credit today's featured music: Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) by Marvin Gaye.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you take what I say as food for thought.

Have a fabulous day! 

On April 9, 1865, after allowing the General-in-Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States, Robert E. Lee, to surrender with honor, Ulysses S. Grant, General of the Army of the United States, left Appomattox courthouse under the mistaken belief that the War Between the States was over. Lee, however, knew better. Although he would not participate further, Lee knew the Southern states would never quit. And they haven't!

From the lie of the "Lost Cause" to the oppression of "Jim Crow" laws, to attempting to revise history, to impeding social progress, the Southern states, their right-wing nationalists and evangelical Christian allies, mired in a past that never was, have continued to fight the Civil War. And, unfortunately, have been winning it!

Offering nothing to future generations, their only tender is the past. A time when, according to them, all was well in America. All was in order. When white people were in charge. However, they don't mention that. And truth be told, all wasn't well for everyone. For example, until the 1828 presidential election, only property-holding white males could vote. White males without property, white women, and slaves, could not!

Consumed by the fear of losing control of what they no longer control. And their longing for a time in an idyllic past that never was, right-wing conservative Republicans would rather destroy America than share it with all its citizens. Yet, they claim to love America. And call themselves… patriots!

But even now, after four years of lies, political corruption, increased racial violence, and an attempted coup based on his lies about the election, they want to return Donald Trump, the most divisive president in modern history, to office. Why? Because he promised to make America great again. Which is nothing more than a euphemism for returning America to White control. Patriots? Not likely!

From the present, we build toward the future. And we remember the past as it really was. Lest we repeat it. Forward, America. Not backward. Forward!

Thanks for listening.

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

Speaking The Truth

Hi. And good, whatever it might be, wherever you are. Welcome to Practicing Truth.

Today's Topic: Speaking The Truth

But first, let me credit today's featured music: I Won’t Back Down by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you take what I say as food for thought.

Have a fabulous day!

According to the Gun Violence Archive, 11,523 people have died from gun violence in the U.S. as of April 10, 2023. 398 of them were teens, and 71 were children. An average of roughly 115 deaths each day.

Although death by suicide made up about 57% of gun violence deaths, there were also 378 police-officer-involved shootings, 409 "unintentional" shootings, and 146 mass shootings where an assailant shot or killed four or more victims. 

This week we can add 4 killed and 32 injured at a "Sweet Sixteen" party in Alabama. A sixteen-year-old boy shot in Kansas after going to the wrong address. And a twenty-year-old woman shot dead in New York after a friend mistakenly pulled into the wrong driveway.

These numbers are outrageous! So, why aren't we outraged?

People are being killed everywhere. In their homes, at the mall, in grocery stores. No place is safe from someone angry because of some slight, a cause they want to publicize, or suffering from a mental breakdown or illness, shooting it up and killing people. But then, no place has ever been safe from that.

However, before 2008 we didn't suffer this level of killing because buying a gun was much more difficult. But that was before the Supreme Court made end runs around the constitutional amendment process with their rulings in District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. City of Chicago cases.

Since these rulings, gun violence in America increased by 17% between 2009 and 2016. As of 2022, The United States has the highest level of gun violence among developed nations, with a gun homicide rate 26 times greater than its peer nations. It’s obvious, the connection between gun violence and easier access to guns is a problem. A serious problem!  But did the Supreme Court's rulings in the Heller and McDonald cases enable this bloodshed?

Yes!

Are there those who are willing to deny it?

Absolutely!

In his 1895 book The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind, Gustave Le Bon made the following observation:

"The masses have never thirsted after truth. They turn aside from evidence that is not to their taste, preferring to deify error, if error seduce them. Whoever can supply them with illusions is easily their master; whoever attempts to destroy their illusions is always their victim!

I speak the truth here, of seeking and accepting the truth. And applying it to your life. And though what I say here falls, mainly, on ears, inclined to reject the truth. Ears that are attuned to deception. And minds that are open to illusion.

You can rest assured; I will not stop!

Thanks for listening.

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

Letting Go

Hi. And good, whatever it might be, wherever you are. Welcome to Practicing Truth.

Today's Topic: Letting Go

But first, let me credit today's featured music: Better In Time by Leona Lewis.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you take what I say as food for thought.

Have a fabulous day!

Regardless of our race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or socioeconomic background, we all seek the acceptance of others. For the work we do, the goals we accomplish, the help we give, and simply for being who we are.

We are social beings. And have a need to belong. Sometimes to our detriment. One of the most demanding challenges for us is leaving a long-term relationship. Even those that are highly toxic. And not only personal relationships. But other types as well. Unequal social involvements, strained family relations, and poor job conditions. Among many others.

Social acceptance comforts us. And gives our lives meaning. So, to sustain it, we sometimes allow it to control us. To mire us in situations we really don't want to be a part of. To keep us in bondage… without chains!

Social interaction with other people is a basic need. But not at all costs!

As adults, we control our social situation. What we do and who we do it with are choices we make. No matter how much we love someone. No matter our financial needs. If the person we love harms us and our workplace is hostile, we do not have to remain in that situation. We can let it go! Move on. And create a better circumstance.

Easier said than done, Adam. I can't help how I feel about someone. And jobs don't grow on trees!

Difficult? Yes!

However, you are in control of how you feel about someone. You can walk away from a harmful situation the moment it becomes dangerous. But many choose to remain until the relationship becomes untenable. If you can decide to leave after being battered and bruised, you could have decided to move on long before that happened. And though jobs don't grow on trees, there are many available. With the proper skill set, another situation you control, you can find a job that pays a living wage!

Let go of that which is harming you! Whatever it is. Family, friends, employers, abusive lovers… take control of your life!

You only get one.

Live it as positively and as responsibly as you possibly can!

Thanks for listening.

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

Pretense

Hi. And good, whatever it might be, wherever you are. Welcome to Practicing Truth.

Today's Topic: Pretense

But first, let me credit today's featured music: Complicated by Avril Lavigne.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you take what I say as food for thought.

Have a fabulous day!

So many, nowadays, pretend to be something they are not. Successful!

Some pretend to be entrepreneurs. And claim to earn hundreds of thousands annually as consultants, life coaches, spiritual guides, or that they are the CEO of some business in which they have no proven expertise. Some run scams. Of all kinds. Trying to steal money from those who are gullible enough to fall for their schemes. While others fake it until they make it. Using the money they earn from their current job to dress the part of the job to which they aspire. Most… don't make it! But even so, until the bitter end, they keep pretending they did.

So, why all the subterfuge? The pretense? Why pretend when there is a clear path to what we aspire to? Social and economic disadvantages? Maybe. But how does that explain why many who started financially disadvantaged became successful businesspeople, entrepreneurs, and CEOs? Of reputable companies. If they did it, why couldn't those who pretend to hold those positions do it?

Why didn't those who pretend to hold those positions… do it?

It's one of those things that makes you go, hmm.

I'm sure that among them, the reasons are myriad! However, I submit they didn't become what they are pretending to be because they did not do the work required to achieve it. It's a fundamental requirement of the reality we share. Someone's labor, our own or someone else's, must pay for what we gain!

Some spend most of their lives avoiding that fact. Only to spend their senior years on a small fixed income living in government-subsidized housing.

Now, I'm not trying to embarrass anyone. Nor am I looking down on people with small incomes living in subsidized housing. Government or otherwise. What I am saying is that to build quality lives or to improve our lives, we must do the work required of us. If we don't, we will not have the things we want. It's pretty simple.

Life, in some ways, is like a poker game. After all the bluffing, after all the… trash-talking. When called, you must show your hand! And therein lies the truth!

Thanks for listening.

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

At What Cost Our Apathy?

Hi. And good, whatever it might be, wherever you are. Welcome to Practicing Truth.

Today's Topic: At What Cost Our Apathy?

But first, let me credit today's featured music: Everybody Wants to Rule The World by Tears For Fears.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you take what I say as food for thought.

Have a fabulous day!

I wonder if it has occurred to Donald Trump's supporters that if the former president cared about the principles, values, and ideals emphasized in America's founding documents, he would not have lied about the election results and, instead, ensured a peaceful transfer of power. And if he cared about uniting the country, and its laws, he would not be calling for protests to prevent his arrest; he would fight the Manhattan district attorney's charges in court.

However, based on Trump's actions, one can reasonably conclude that what Donald Trump cares about is Donald Trump. And that he is more than willing to prod the more gullible of his supporters to violence to protect him rather than the country they claim to love.

So, what is the attraction? Why are so many willing to protect and defend a proven liar instead of America's best interest? More importantly, why are so many apathetic about it?

Well… as absurd as it may seem to many, some believe that a secret society called the New World Order controls the world. That.no matter what we do, vote, not vote, write or call our representatives, take part in protests, nothing will change. That the people who run the world will get their way no matter what. So, why bother?

Like, the adage about paranoia, "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there's not someone out to get you," has truth. Likewise, the belief that high-ranking people, in and out of government, are trying to control our lives also holds truth. In America, some have organized groups that lobby their representatives to get more than their share. Force their religious or secular beliefs on the rest of us. And limit the rights of others while enhancing their own.

So, yes, it's true! People are trying to control our lives. And some have become very effective at pressuring politicians to enact laws, based on their beliefs, that affect us all. Like, less gun control and more restrictions on abortion. But are they part of a New World Order plotting a totalitarian world government? Most likely not! They're your neighbors, friends, and coworkers. Religious leaders, political representatives, and random people you encounter every day. They are some of you who are listening right now.

The people who support Donald Trump are not just stereotypical uninformed white racists. They are a portrait of the American people.

And it is the same for those who don't support Donald Trump. They, too, are a portrait of America. They are the people who say America belongs to all its citizens. Who assert they're willing to share it. And claim to want justice and equality for all. Unfortunately, however, most take no action toward that end. And instead, sit idle as a vociferous and politically active minority attacks their constitutional rights.

How much more right-wing ideological destruction are we willing to endure before we demand that our representatives act on our behalf and enact responsible gun control legislation? When will we address and fix the weaknesses in our illusionary system of checks and balances? Weaknesses, by the way, that Donald Trump's presidency exposed. Such as, what is the role of the U.S. Attorney General? Is it to act as the president's attorney? Can presidents pardon themselves? Should there be a term limit for Supreme Court Justices? And many others. These are serious issues. We have serious social issues. But we continue to allow ourselves to be distracted by lifestyle issues. What sexual preference a person might have? Those type things.

Although we have yet to do so, if we ever will, we cannot continue as we have and expect that our republic will ever realize the principles, values, and ideals it aspires to in its founding documents.

So, I ask. At what cost our apathy?

Thanks for listening.

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved. 

Reality (The way I understand it)

Good Morning. And good, whatever it might be, wherever you are. Welcome to Practicing Truth. Today's topic: Reality The way I understand it.

But first, let me credit today's featured music. This Is Me by The Greatest Showman Cast.

Thanks for stopping by.

I hope you take what I say as food for thought. Have a Fabulous day!

There is only God.

I am to love God with all my heart, with all my mind, and with all my being. However, before I can do so, I must first love myself, the humanness of other people, and the Inherent Divinity within all God has created in the same manner.                                                     

God is innate to creation. An integral aspect of creation's composition. Inherent, through Divine Essence, within all God has caused to exist. Thereby, God and God's creation are never separate. Therefore, I can communicate with God without an intermediary.

Now, that God exists, and created all that we know and do not know, are beliefs. I can't show evidence of them. Nor can I prove God is inherent within all God has caused to exist. However, though I cannot prove God's existence to anyone else, I know God exists through the experience of receiving the inherent guidance of God's Divine Essence within.

I hear God's Divine Essence daily. Guiding me toward the most favorable outcome for myself, other people, and my current environment.

But, you know, it's not for me to prove God is inherent within you. I cannot. I can only acknowledge and accept God's inherent presence within me.

It is this reality in which God has created me that I'm to focus my concern. And my responsibility is to live the life God has given me in accordance with the Divine Law, and the laws that govern the society in which I live. I am to respect and treat others as I would myself. And live my life as positively and as responsibly as I possibly can.

Death is the end of life in this reality. What happens after death is unknown and unknowable. And therefore, not my concern.

The Philosophy of the Divine law is not about what happens after death. Instead, it is an action philosophy about life and how to live it productively.

It does not seek believers. But doers!

The philosophy teaches that everything we will ever need to build quality and successful lives is already available to us in this reality. And though I cannot prove it, I believe God provided it. However, regardless of how it got here, it's here. And available to us all.

And though we should always be thankful for what God has provided, we do not have to fall on our knees, prostrate ourselves like beggars, to ask God for anything. If we lack, it is because, through action or inaction, we have created our lack. And we can see that. Just, just look around.

Seeking and accepting the truth of our shared reality directly relates to whether we will succeed or fail to build a quality life. Along with recognizing that every desire we have. And every goal. Requires effort and labor, whether ours or someone else's. God gives us nothing. But has provided us with everything! Our task is to meet its requirements.

There is a clear path to everything we desire and to all our goals. Right here in this reality. The cosmos or a deity has nothing to do with what we achieve. We do! Within the details of anything you gain or call a blessing, you will find the absence of cosmic intervention or a deity and the presence of your or someone else's labor. Facts!

Believe as you will. Do as you will. The choices you make are yours to make. However, never forget that your choices determine the quality of your life!

Want to know more? Check us out at beyondtherituals.com.

Thanks for listening.

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

The War On Being Woke

Good Morning. And good, whatever it might be, wherever you are. Welcome to Practicing Truth.

Today’s subject: The war on being woke.

But first, let me credit the music: Wake Up Everybody by Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you take what I say as food for thought.

Have a fabulous day!

The wealth of a nation does not sit in bank vaults, printed in denominations of one, five, ten, twenty, fifty, and one hundred. Or reflected by the numbers that swiftly scroll across video displays announcing the value of its stocks and bonds. Nor is it held in the safes, deeds of property, and futures investments of its wealthiest citizens. Instead, the wealth of a nation is its children. Which, when properly nurtured, will yield a more lucrative return than all other investments combined.

A nation’s children build on its past and lay the foundation for its future. Theirs are the voices that will outline and debate its future policies, the hands that will sign them into law, and the faces its citizens will praise or blame when those policies succeed or fail. A nation that does not sufficiently attend to the health, welfare, and needs of its children, or does not protect them from harm, is a nation whose future existence is in jeopardy!

Banning books, which has become all the rage, altering and repressing history, and sheltering our children in religious schools, do not protect them from the reality in which we live. The racism, bigotry, and injustice many people experience in their lives daily. It only keeps them ignorant of it. Unaware of the challenges we, as a nation, should be positively addressing and attempting to overcome.

What we do not teach our children when they are young, about our history, dooms them to repeat the mistakes our republic has made in the past. The near genocide of America’s indigenous people. And the destruction of their way of life. Slavery. And the denial of human rights to its Black citizens after slavery. As well as the suppression of equal rights to its female citizens.

What they don’t know harms them and hurts us all. Children are resilient. And as uncomfortable as the truth might make them, lies and withholding the truth cripple them and stifle their ability to think critically.

Knowledge is the enemy of ignorance. It allows us to recognize when someone is lying. It encourages us to question our teachers, politicians, and religious leaders. Even our most sacred texts.

The war, Evangelical Christian churches, white nationalists, and other right-wing organizations lobby their Republican representatives to wage against teaching political and social awareness in our schools; what they call “Wokeness” is not to protect our children, but to keep them ignorant and unaware.

But why? What is the profit in our children being unaware? The payoff in keeping our children in darkness? Why do it?

Well… because for Evangelicals and other groups, sharing America equally with all its citizens means losing control of what they believe to be their country. And allowing their children to learn the unadulterated truth about their country might encourage them to want to change it. To share it. With all its citizens!

And… they can’t have that. Right?

Thanks for listening.

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

In Silent Disregard

Good morning. And good, whatever it might be, wherever you are. Welcome to Practicing Truth. Today's topic: Silent Disregard. But what is silent disregard? And is it a good thing or a bad thing? The Philosophy of the Divine Law defines silent disregard as knowing but denying the truth and willfully accepting lies or unproven beliefs to get what one wants or to further an agenda.

But first, let me credit the music. The Look of Slim by Monk Higgins. 

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you take what I say as food for thought. Have a fabulous day!

When we want what we want, most of us will go to great lengths to get it. Some will do almost anything. Lie, cheat, steal. But ironically, sometimes, when we get what we want, it's not worth all the effort we spend to get it. In fact, sometimes, getting what we want does us more harm than good.

Like buying a car when your credit is bad. Sure, you can find a dealership that will sell you a car. Even one that will come close to the monthly payment you want. But the interest rate. Oh, my! It's going to be high. But still, some would call it a "blessing" that they could buy a car, regardless of the interest rate. And don't bother. You won't convince them otherwise.

When it comes to the truth of a matter, especially when fact contradicts what some want to believe, some treat the truth with silent disregard. They know what the truth is. But simply ignore it.

That the universe and all it comprises somehow came into being is a fact. We're here. We're a part of it. It's the truth of the reality in which we live. However, that a being created the universe, and all it contains, is a belief. And nothing more than pure speculation. Totally unprovable. But many hold that premise. And most hold it in higher regard than the former.

The Philosophy of the Divine Law holds that God created all we know and all we do not know. However, it also clarifies that it cannot support that belief. That no one knows how or what created the universe.

It's in silent disregard for the truth that we hold all our beliefs!

In most cases, the truth is readily available to us. So all that's left is for us to accept it. However, tradition, indoctrination, fear of being ostracized, and myriad other reasons, prevent us from openly doing so.

Some stand silent. Even when being open and vocal might lead to a positive outcome in a crucial situation. Why? What is it they want to protect? Lies?

So, why is this important? Why am I talking about this?

Well, because times have changed.

Over millennia, in our effort to control each other, we have created thousands of religions. Fought countless wars. Committed unknown numbers of genocide and other atrocities. The history of humankind's inhumanity to humankind is a blood-soaked tome of unimaginable cruelty.

But until this here and this now, humankind's growth and development in thinking and technology did not allow us the ability to totally eradicate ourselves. To, in our recklessness, destroy all human life. Or create an ecological environment in which we cannot survive.

We can do that now. The people we put in power. Those we give permission to decide for us. Domestically and internationally. Have it in their authority to involve us in anything they want. By voting for them, we told them they could. So, why don't we choose them more carefully? Why don't we choose from among us the best people for the job? Regardless of race, gender, religious affiliation, and sexual preference?

That Joe Biden stole the last presidential election is a lie!

Created by a sore loser, whose vanity and bruised ego are more important to him than the American Republic's principles, values, and stability.

During his deposition in the 1.6 billion dollar lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems, Fox News Chairman Rupert Murdoch, when asked about whether he knew that some of the network's commentators — Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro, and Sean Hannity — endorsed the false election claims, Murdoch replied, "Yes. They endorsed."

Yet, in silent disregard, many of Donald Trump's supporters have ignored Murdoch's admission, the January 6 Commission findings, and all other facts regarding Donald Trump's behavior in office. And would, presumably, return him to the presidency!

So, I'm talking about this because it is important to recognize that thinking and behavior of this type represent our current reality. And that it is also essential that we understand that if we continue this type of thinking, we're going to destroy ourselves. No one is coming to save us!

Salvation is not favor given by a merciful god. It is the ability provided within the Divine Law's tenets: loving each other, respecting each other, seeking the truth, and living positive and responsible lives, that enables us to overcome the constant threat that lives in the shadows of human behavior. Our recklessness! 

Thanks for listening.

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

The Scope of Our Responsibility

Stop restricting yourself. Live naturally. As positively, loving, and beautifully as you can. When we force ourselves to live unnaturally, we waste our lives combating our natural inclinations. Then, having convinced ourselves that what is natural to us is sinful, we undeservedly punish ourselves.

~The Philosophy of the Divine Law 

Good morning. And good, whatever it might be, wherever you are. Welcome to Practicing Truth.

But first, let me credit the music: Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology) by Marvin Gaye

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you take what I say as food for thought.

Have a fabulous day! 

There is so much we can know and learn when we step outside our beliefs and think beyond them. We find a new world. Fresh and challenging. Another insight. We more readily engage with others who do not believe as we do, without criticism or judgment, but with thoughtful contemplation. Exposing ourselves to a more accurate, diverse, and proven understanding of our shared reality.

Cloistered, within our beliefs, we restrict ourselves. Stifle thoughts contrary to what our belief system has taught us. Embrace only that which supports the narrative of our limited understanding. And ostracize those who do not believe as we do. Further reducing our knowledge, experience, and understanding of the reality in which we live.

Why do we hold on to beliefs that limit us? That encourages us to believe that our beliefs are not just the right way, but the only way? When we can clearly see there are myriad other ways? How many people do we reject, never bothering to listen or even trying to understand their point of view because they do not believe as we do?

How often have we asked, what does what is happening in, fill in the blank, have to do with me? Why should I be concerned? Why should our country get involved? We’ve got our own problems.

But, living in this reality is not only about us and what we think or believe; it’s about all of us. Isn’t it?

Our obligations are not only to ourselves, our families, and our belief system. Outside of those, we are also obligated to the rest of the world. Our responsibility is to prevent humankind’s social destruction and the ecological devastation of our planet. We ignore that responsibility at our peril. And yet, we do.

Adam. Seriously? Do you expect me to concern myself with the world’s problems? I’m busy! Every day, I have to navigate my own issues. Job problems, family problems, relationship problems, and on and on and on ad infinitum. Who’s got time for the rest of the world?

Mass shootings, police misconduct, ineffective government, and rising rent. In our country. And on top of all that, I still have bills to pay!

I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but… dude!

I hear you. And what you’re saying is valid. But it doesn’t change our obligation to the world’s situation. So, you’d better hear me, as well. And instead of limiting the scope of your point of view, expand it to encompass all your obligations!

Thanks for listening.

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.

A Change In Consciousness

Good morning. And good, whatever it might be, wherever you are.

Welcome to Practicing Truth. But first, let me credit the music. Man in the Mirror, by Michael Jackson. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you take what I say as food for thought. Have a Fabulous day!

What we believe is volumes more than what we know. And though unprovable, in order of importance, held in higher esteem. Whether secular or religious, our beliefs control what we think. How we act toward each other. Who we follow and who we reject. Our beliefs both unite and separate us. Strengthen and weaken us. Lead us to seek peace and compel us to go to war. We are bound by them, regardless of their relationship to reality.

How many families have let differences in their religious beliefs divide them? Estranging parents from their children? Turning siblings against each other? How many have died, both fighters and the innocent, in wars to promote one religion over another? All without proof of what they claim.

That which divides us cannot strengthen us. And cannot be of a god who loves us, no matter the god in which one believes.

We have but to look around us to see what the division inherent in our beliefs has wrought. Social division, political corruption, violence, and injustice. We should be long past times when rival tribes fought wars to determine whose god or gods were more powerful. And we certainly should have long since understood that the stories in some religious texts, where gods vociferously demand annihilating one group of people to give their land to another, are but anecdotal tales.

Yet, while we continue to hold on to these beliefs and, generation after generation, pass them on to our children, Somehow, we still wonder why things are as they are.

So, what can we do?

Unsurprisingly, effecting a solution is easier said than done. And most will say there is no solution or it cannot be done. However, whatever we might accomplish, we must recognize that knowledge and truth are much more powerful than belief. And that the truth is not a claim. It is a fact relative to the reality we share. And available to us all.

Although all have a right to what they believe, whether secular or religious, we must stop giving groups with unsubstantiated claims credence and special privileges. The rights of a nation’s people should be equal for all. But, as I stated earlier, it is easier said than done.

For humanity to contemplate what I propose, which are only initial actions, monolithically, humankind would have to attain a level of consciousness we have yet to achieve. Not that we cannot reach that type of consciousness, but that the millennia we have spent fearing the gods we worship stifle our thinking and keep our minds in bondage. Therefore, our first actions must be to overcome our fears, step outside our beliefs, and embrace the truth we know.

Yes, let’s start there!

Thanks for listening.

© 2023 Beyond The Rituals. All Rights Reserved.