Welcome to a new spiritual endeavor By Kevin Wood

There is a need in our modern culture for this endeavor.

We have seen in many a sense of emptiness, a sense of being without
purpose.

We find that many of us in today's world lack a foundation on
which
to adequately develop their own sense of self. Hence many live a
life without Joy and lack the ability to achieve it.

There is a real need for the development of a Belief Statement for
the New Millennium.

This web site has been established to assist in the refinement and
distribution of this Belief Statement.

A Belief Statement is briefly defined as a set of principles or a
body of understanding that one uses to determine their personnel
concept of self. It is the basis of making up just who we are and
how we interact with the world around us. It drives our aspirations,
our hopes, fears and actions. Our beliefs make us who we are.

It is made up of several premises some are as follows.

Observing, Questioning and Understanding. These three actions are
ones that each of us individually can and need to make on our own.
True understanding and true growth must occur on an individual
basis. Individual awareness is needed for true spiritual awareness.

Some additional characteristics that describe this endeavor are:
expressed in simple terms, is based on sound science which includes
both the physical and humanistic sciences, made with an open mind and
open heart, respectful of all cultural influences of man's many
societies and religions.

Additional premises include; usually the simplest answer is the most
correct, our understanding of science facts and processes as well as
our spiritual insights are always growing.

It should avoid the use of any "labels". Nor should it use
as a
basis those concepts that are not rooted in true observation
available to all. Also it should avoid making inferences beyond what
is reasonable.

Further any "Belief Statement" or "Belief System"
needs to enable the
individual to grow and mature. It needs to empower true individual
growth, not just "rule following" or "going along with
the crowd".
We have found that nurturing the life within each of us enables true
growth and maturity.

It is one that if you will is built from the ground up. By observing
our place in the world understanding the basic components of our
lives we can resolve virtually all issues that arise. We can grow and
mature to our full potential with the ability to cope with all that
we may encounter in the world.

Some will disagree with this. The endeavor is not meant for
everyone. Some of us though have this need to refine aspects of
existing Religious belief systems to gain a more complete
understanding of the spiritual questions that we have.

Other belief systems are valid for those that hold them as true. We
will find that most spiritual endeavors of man have the same goal.
That is to grow into a mature state of spirituality. We can end up in
the same place. Some of us simply take a different route.

Is this right for you?

The following are some questions or concepts that you may have asked
of yourself.

These seem to be things that people often ask of themselves that
challenge their existing belief system or religious views.

What we have found in common with almost all of these was a lack of
understanding as to the basic nature of life and one's spirit,
hence
the questions. Once an understanding as to the nature of life and
spirit is obtained then one can better handle these other unknowns
or "what-ifs".

These are in no particular order. If you have unresolved questions
like these you to may be interested in my endeavor.

Prove that we each have a soul.

Religions may say that you have a soul that lives forever but how do
you prove it? Do you have to have faith in this as its something
that we can't see or prove?

Does God have a purpose for me? Why are we here?

Many of us have asked of themselves the age-old questions "Who am
I?"
or," Why are we here?" For many of us we have yet to find
satisfactory answers or guidance. This questioning results from our
having self-awareness and our desire to find expression.

With the advancements in cloning and stem cell research when does
life begin or if and when is one's soul present?

Medical science has truly been remarkable. These new technologies
force us to answer some very elemental questions concerning the
nature of life. These include questions concerning the beginning of
life as well as it ending.

Does life exist on other planets? What does that mean to our
understanding of God? Does that invalidate the world's churches
and
our sense of God? Who are we if we are not unique in the Universe?

With additional space exploration the search for life elsewhere has
significant implications for many. Our culture has largely
developed as though we where alone in the Universe. Many existing
religions are not well suited to handle this potential change in the
landscape.

Is there a God?

Many of us have asked this fundamental question. Often when we see
the suffering that exists in the world or when we feel that extreme
sense of loneness and being abandoned we doubt God's existence.

Will computers ever become alive?

Advances in robotics and artificial intelligence are very challenging
to some as human like qualities are being built into machines.

Are other religions right? So many are so different which one is
right? They all can't be right.

Many of man's religions are at odds with one another. This would
include traditional religions as well as "New Age" beliefs.
Since
all are culturally influenced there are as many variations of
religions as there are variations of cultures.

What if the "Paranormal" is true?

Much has been discussed through out time concerning the paranormal.
For many the existence of paranormal phenomena would challenge their
religious beliefs. As with other questions existing belief systems
are not well equipped to handle this.

The Common Problem

The one common underlying cause for the above questions seems to be a
lack of understanding of the basic nature of Life and Spirit. For
many, modern man believes in only the physical sciences. Only those
things that can be proved by means of conventional science exist.
If an instrument can't measure it then it doesn't exist.
There is no
room for anything else.

Many religions have as a central premise the belief that a divine
presence exists separate from man and the world. This presence
created us, all that we see and it has a specific plan for man and
the world. These beliefs govern the way we conduct ourselves and
greatly influence our emotional dispositions. Our belief system, our
religious views impact that sense of self that we each have.

Most existing belief systems do not address all the
"observations"
that man makes. As a result many people have questions and are left
with some uncertainty. These belief systems have developed over
time and have their roots firmly embedded in the cultural traditions
of their respective society. When you add the complexities of human
nature the belief system may end up rather far removed from any
semblance of its original divine intentions. These belief systems
tend to become unyielding and are not well suited to handling the
advancements and challenges brought on by modern day science.

What is needed is another way of looking at things.

What is needed is the return to the basics. We need to re-experience
man's development of his fundamental belief system and in turn
our
own personal belief system. This is the process of questioning and
making observations about the world that we see around us. Man has
done this through out history. It is during these moments of true
questioning and observing that understanding can that place. All of
the existing religions had their start in this process. It's the
cultural influences that are apart of any society's development
that
make their religious institutions what they are at any specific point
in time.

We need to engage in this process with an inquiring mind disciplined
by science or at least a mind capable of making and accepting
reasonable observations. We also need an open mind and heart that is
unfettered by preconceptions. Also we need to keep the awareness and
humility that there is more to be found then that which we can
actually see.

The result of this endeavor can be a belief system that lays the
foundation for far reaching understanding. It can be one that
handles the challenges of day to day living as well as those
challenges brought on by large-scale changes to our world.

The Basic Statement and some related general thoughts.

Life is a force as real as any other physical force. We can see its
existence through observation. Its manner can be discerned by
observing all of nature. Its direction and possible future can be
revealed by observing the manifestation of consciousness and
freewill.

Faith is no longer a matter of whether there is a God or if there is
life after death, it's a matter of how the force that is life and
spirit is expressed in the world that we see around us. One need not
worry about any sort eternal future either, as our existence is a
matter of the achieving a state of Joy which is eternal in and of
itself.

Armed with a basic understanding of Life and Spirit then one
understands that it doesn't matter where life exists or where it
got
started.

We need to open our eyes to see the nature of Life and the
Spiritual. There can be no doubt as to their existence. The real
question that we each need to answer for ourselves is the nature of
God's existence and how we can promote the life and spirit that
we
each possess. We find that the fundamental endeavor that humans
should be concerned with is the nurturing of their own heart. In
this way we are continuing the direction that life and spirit is
taking.

By being open to additional observations and insights one can see
that scientific observations in fact can be used to support the basic
tenants of one's fundamental belief system. Further if you are
challenged by technology's impact on the meaning of life one
needs to
reexamine their definition of life and the spiritual to realize that
technology can never truly challenge the true meaning of life.

It's a matter of understanding the basic nature of Life and
Spirit
and then asking the right questions of your self. Making those
personal choices that nurture your human heart towards existing in a
state of Joy.

One simply needs to understand some of the basics of life to assist
in your search for answers.

While this is stated as being a simple thing to do it can be the
hardest journey that one can take. We are all quite aware of the
many distractions that plague our existence. It is a journey that we
all must take.



The plan

For those that are interested in this endeavor this is an initial
plan that we have.

I can send out the core writing that has been created. An outline is
found below to further explain the nature of the writing. we was
then going to distribute additional writings on specific topics and
aspects based on the core beliefs. These would be mailed on a
monthly basis.

As people make comment or ask specific questions additional writings
would be sent that address them which would in turn add to
everyone's
understanding.

These additional writings would be directed to the "day to
day"
aspects and implications of the belief system. Which is really where
the focus should be.

This endeavor may end up as an ongoing "newsletter" of sorts.
Where
will this all end up? we honestly don't know. But it is
something
that we feel compelled to pursue.

Outline:

"A Belief Statement for the New Millennium"

Introduction
Asks the questions, "Ever wonder why things are the way they
are?" as
a part of the "Why are we here?" and "Who am I"
questions that many
ask of themselves. It sets the stage for the up coming discussions
by introducing my own personal search for these answers. It also
talks about the basic searching and seeking of answers to life's
mysteries that all humans engage in.

Introducing the Initial Belief Statement
Introduces the concepts of Observations, Questioning and
Understanding. Through a narrative of classroom discussions that I,
as an instructor was a part of, the fundamental belief statement is
introduced. This basic statement simply states that Life is a force
as real as any other physical force. We can see its existence
through observation. Its manner can be discerned by observing all of
nature. Its direction and possible future can be discovered by
observing the manifestation of consciousness and freewill.

Section One - Basic Definitions of Science and Religion
Briefly describes the major fields of Science. It then revisits the
belief statement by providing more detail on the evolution of life.
Some of the basic tenets of Religion are then laid out. These all
serve to set the foundation for the upcoming discussions.

Section Two – Science Vs Religion
Delves a little more into the differences between Science and
Religion. The basic ideas that are discussed are that Spirituality
is truly not at odds with Science and that one's spirituality is
individually based and not depended on formal organized religions.
It then addresses a couple of philosophical points between science
and religion. Namely the concepts of survival of the fittest, life
after death and the overall direction life or spirituality is
taking. This direction is seen in the desire that each individual
has to grow into being in a state of Joy.

Section Three – Implications
This section contains some basic statements about life and
spirituality. It initially addresses the impact of technology on our
lives and spirituality in terms of this fundamental question –
"What
exactly should humans be concerned with?" the fundamental premise
here is that…"the condition of the human heart"… is the
most
important.

Section Four – An Example
This section takes a break from the discussions and attempts to
provide an example of how one might try to visualize the actual
physical nature of Life as a force. Comparisons are made to the
nature of water and how the physical force of life might work. This
leads to some additional implications for our spirituality and
individuality that are addressed later on.

Section Five – Some Related Thoughts
To start to bring the discussions to closure some additional thoughts
are explored. These are: our "notion of value", why do bad
things
happen to good people, individuality, survival of the fittest Vs
being in a state of Joy and lastly virtues as the highest condition
that the human heart can attain. These concepts are explored to
further define the nature of life as manifested in the world that we
are a part of.


Section Six – Further Related Thoughts – Being Closer to God
Explores what it is truly like to be in a virtuous state. That being
closer to God is a state of being and that its not so much past acts
that we have done as it is the current condition of our heart that
determines just where we are. Further once we attain this state we
act out of instinct, without hesitation or thought. We act in a
virtuous manner because that is whom we are. It is the natural
progression of the human maturity process to express ourselves in
this manner. It is the natural direction that life and our
spirituality takes.


Section Seven – Closing
This section closes off the discussions as it lists the main precepts
previously presented. It then revisits those earlier posed
questions. It introduces the idea that each of us is on their own
individual journey. While others may guide us, the journey is
largely one of our own making. It is one that we must take personal
accountability for or we will never be truly alive.

Section Eight - Post Script
In closing a summary is presented that recaps many of the ideas
presented. It addresses the difficulties that all of us face in our
journey. It looks at some of the influences on that journey. Some
thoughts are explored on the observations of others. Many have
claimed their own observations as the nature of human spirituality.
These are not discounted. It is acknowledged that with additional
observations, both scientific and spiritual, we can have greater
understanding. Lastly it is stressed that the seeking of being in a
state of Joy is a natural occurrence. Its not a manner of future
rewards it's a manner of our natural condition.


For more information visit our web site
http://www.beliefstatement.com