RELIGION PAR EXCELLENCE


 

RELIGION
PAR
EXCELLENCE

ACTUALIZATION
OF THE
7-STOREY
NATURE OF MAN

Uriah J. Fields

Copyright * 1991- 2014 by Uriah J. Fields

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or in any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published by American Mutuality Foundation
Los Angeles, California

ISBN: 0938844-16-4

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 91-72777

Printed in the United States of America

 

                                         This book
                                   is dedicated to us -
                                all the people on earth
                        who, by living in harmony with
                      their  God-given nature, can have
                               a full life and practice
                                 community as their 
                                          lifestyle

                             ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

       I would like to express my thanks to the Mutuality Center for Creative Living in Los Angeles which served as a laboratory where the validity of many of the concepts presented in this book were tested and where much of it was written. In this regard, special thanks are also extended to persons who participated in the Mutuality Enlightenment Training Seminars (METS) program. 
       My gratitude extends as well to the American Christian Freedom Society and its staff, Reverend John F. Cameron, Reverend Leon King, Jesse B. Kemp, Charles W. Whittley, Warren W. Holder, Rice Walker, Alton Larry, Carolyn Stokes and Earl Spearman, for granting me a leave of absence from my official duties with that organization while I was writing this book and to the People United Freedom Forum and its Board of Commissioners, namely, Tut Hayes, Yvonne Beatty Stone, John Jett, Brian Weaver, Mattie Jones, Ruth Bowles, Penny Ann Phillips and Malathi K. Sandhu, for providing a community-at-large interactional process where ideas presented in this volume were applied and refined.
      I owe gratitude to Rita Grady who painstakingly did the typesetting.
      Special thanks are extended to Malathi K. Sandhu, the most significant other in my life, for assistance which included inspired criticism.

                                        CONTENTS

Acknowledgment / 7
Prologue - A New Psychology of Full Life / 13
Preface / 21
Introduction / 23

    Part I: Six of the Seven Storeys of Human Nature
Physical Man / 29
Mental Man / 34
Emotional Man / 39
Economic Man / 43
Social Man / 51
Political Man / 61

    Part II: The Seventh Storey of Human Nature
Religious Man / 71
A. The Nature of Religion / 71
B. Definitions of Some Religious Terms / 76
   (1) God / 77
   (2) Soul / 78
   (3) Word of God / 79
   (4) Faith / 82
   (5) Truth / 84
   (6) Love / 84
C. Are We Religious? / 114
D. Forms of Religion / 118
   (1) A Religion of Acceptance / 119
   (2) A Religion of Conformity /121
   (3) A Religion of Rejection / 127
(4) A Religoin of Transcendence / 133
     (a) Mystic Experience / 139
     (b) Out-of-the-body Experience / 142
     (c) Animated Suspension / 144
     (d) Healing Power / 145

    Part III: Summary-Conclusion: Toward a
                       Holistic Being

Toward a Holistic Being /155
The Summary / 156
In Conclusion / 176
Epilogue - A Quantum Leap
              in Spirtual Actualization / 181

                        Appendices

Appendix One - Love is the Greatest / 187

Appendix Two - A Trilogy on Man and His
                        Relationship to Worlds of the Mind / 199

Appendix Three - Poems and a Song by
                                     Uriah J. Fields / 211
Notes / 246
Index / 253

 

                                *
                             *****
                           *******
                             *****
                                *

We have a responsibility to be fully  human.
Our nature is creative and  by expressing it,
i.e., releasing  and exercising  our creative
talents and abilities, we generate more cre-
ativity while expanding our joy and discov-
ering new realms of meaning. As a result, we
stimulate an ongoing process of more life in
living  and  more  living  in  life. Living  in
harmony with our nature is our way of being
who we were created to be and contributing
sufficiently to  life. Having  been created in
the image or, more correctly, nature, of God
we are God-like. With this awareness we are
able  to  express  or, in a  word, "live" our
nature.... affirm as did St. John the Divine:
"Behold, now are we the sons of God... ."
(I John 3:21)

                                 *
                              *****
                            *******
                              *****
                                 *

PROLOGUE - A NEW PSYCHOLOGY OF FULL LIFE

                 The Nature and Function of Man

Essentiality                                               Funtionality

7- Soul, Values, Ethics   {Religious}  Righteousness- G
6- Law, Goverment       {Political}        Commluntiy- F
5- Belongingness:           {Social}                Sharing- E
       Mutuality
4- Consumer, Producer  {Economic}      Substance- D
3. Feelings, Fear, Love   {Emotional}    Submission- C
2- Mind, Imagination      {Mental}           Cognition- B
1- Body, Material           {Physical}      Occupation- A

       
     The Harmony of These Seven Elements
                         Produces FULL LIFE


What a piece of work is man! How noble in
reason! How infinite in faculities. in form in
moving, how expressed and admirable; in
action how like an angel! In apprehension
how like a god; the beauty of the world; the
paragon of animals?
                              - Shakespeare

The secular experience of humanity during
the last 2000 years, the internecine wars,
the bloodshed, plunder and treachery, the
general inhumanity of man to man has in
almost every way served to confirm the
view of the natural depravity of man."
                             - Montagua

     These two statements, the first one affirming the "goodness" of man and the other one emphasizing the "evilness," are two major theories regarding the nature of man. There is a third view which holds that man is "neutral," i.e., neither good or evil by nature.
     Almost since man's advent, at least since recorded history, the issue of man's nature has been argued, debated and investigated. While theologians and  philosophers have traditionally and historically been at the fore-front of pontification on this subject in modern times they have bee joined by physicists, chemists, biologists, sociologists, anthropologists, psychologists, biographers, moralists and historians. Each has investigated or at least observed man from a different perspective. Yet, interestingly enough, they have been in general agreement on the good or evil nature of man. It is obvious, however, that the majority of these evaluators agree with the second statement above made by Montagua regarding the "natural depravity of man."
     Even though the neutral view of man's nature warrants  consideration, because of the tremendous effect the environment has on human behavior, it must be rejected as being an invalid theory regarding human nature. Man, a dynamic being, is not uninvolved, apathetic or a zombie, as neutrality implies. For even the not-as-yet acculturated child is "in gear." The reach for his mother's breast, cry, or smile, all indicate that he is engaged at birth, even before. And, these expressions are survival-based and satisfaction-oriented. We are compelled to acknowledge them as good. They affirm that man by nature is good. The fact that other animals do these things does not in any way diminish human goodness.
     Man has a propensity for good or evil and, being an educable being, either good or bad can occur as the dominant behavorial pattern. Culture and environmental experiences may pull or push a person toward increased good  or evil, or perhaps since he is born good, we can say, toward evil. Therefore, when conditions are favorable the individual is likely to express good behavior; when conditions are undesirable he may learn bad behavior. The "personal response" factor, an inherent trait, and love which is learned, also significantly influence human behavior.
     Because human nature is central to both the understanding and conduct of human behavior, any consideration of man's nature must focus on behavior itself. And since man is meaning-constituted, meaning must be included in any discussion of human nature. Meaning, like human nature itself, cannot be created or invented; it must be discovered or detected. This inherent and prescriptive characteristic is a factor which determines the bounds of the milieu in which man may function and the kinds of actions he may take. His actions must match his equipment (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, etc., -- endowments -- and reflect the degree of accessibility he has to that equipment at any given moment.
     In order to conform to man's nature and to reality or "naturalness" we must have an operational definition of human nature. Such definition, of necessity, include the collective consciousness of the race and social or cultural awareness. It also takes into account the personal response factor and meaning which are both rooted in human nature.
     Man's prescribed operation and the milieu of his livingness reveal his true nature -- a  given, which restricts him not merely in terms of what he can or cannot do but what he must do and how he must behave in order to be fully functioning and healthy, or to survive for that matter. Failure to conform to these strictures prescribed by his nature and to be natural is tantamont to self-destructiveness and unhealth.
     This discussion on human nature must be understood in terms of the one unifying concept, referred to earlier, as "meaning." Apart from meaning neither human nature or behavior can be correctly understood. Man is meaning-constituteed, meaning-magnetized and meaning-driven. His every thought or idea, emotion and experience, however insignificant it may be, has no value other than that inherent in meaning. Experience is authenticated and validated by the meaning which it engenders in living. "Meaning can be viewed as supra-experience of the inner life and it is as unique for each person as each person is different from any other person.
     Although "meaninglessness" too is a subject of importance, primarily because it prevails as a force to be reckoned with in the lives of seemingly an ever-increasing number of people who perceive themselves to be victims, it will not be discussed in this context. Suffice that we only say that meaninglessness is emptiness and the absence of meaning in a person's life.
     With meaning being the umbrella over all that constitutes life, especially what we call the "good life," "full  life" "self-fulfillment" or "happiness," to name only a few of those terms used to describe life that is worth living, let us demonstrate, operationally speaking, what man IS and what he MUST DO as well as NOT DO, in order to be a fully-functioning and a self-actualizing being. We will do this by recognizing the seven-fold nature of man or what we choose to call the "seven storey nature of man." (See diagram presented at the beginning of the "Prologue" - in brackets). An understanding of these seven tiers or levels of man's behavior enables a person to understand human nature. It is somewhat like "what you are is what you see." Although human nature does not change, human response does reflect liberality and free choice.
     The "seven-storey nature of man" may be likened to a seven-story house whose six upper stories rest on the bottom or foundation story. It is a full house. In the case of human nature, the base story is the physical aspect or body of man. Unlike a house which may be complete with only a single story, man is created in such a way that in order to operate as a fully-functioning being he must dwell in a seven-story house. Moreover, there must be harmony in the house if there is to be health for the individual and society. Without harmony the indivdual functions poorly. We might say, he is malfunctioning. This usually happens when a person ignores, neglects or abuses one or more of the stories in his house.
     The term storey is used in the title of this discussion because it has a ring of stability or permanence which underscores the essentiality and uniqueness of  humanity. Apart from these things, the writer does not attribute any significance to "storey."
     It seems appropriate to end this "Prologue" with two statements regarding the "origin of man:" The biological ancestry of man has been traced back for some 35,000,000 years through fossil remains. Important fossils known as dryopithecines, which eventually led to man, are of that Miocene age. The earliest forms of man, known as sustralopithecines, mainly of African origin, date back to 2,500.000 years, into the Upper Pliocene. Those were preceded some 14,000,000 years ago by such manlike forms as "kenyapithecus' from the Miocene-Pleistocene boundary of East Africa and "Ramapitchecus" from India, forms which are closely alike. (The "Collegiate Encyclopedia, p. 280).
     In an article titled "The Search for Adam and Eve," appearing in "Newsweek," scientists claim to have found humans common ancestor - a woman who lived 2000,0000 years ago and left resilient genes that are carried by all of mankind. They assert that: 
"The ancestral hominid and chimpanzee were
relatively recent-- no more than 8 million
years ago. Since then, mankind has slowly
evolved. Evidence suggests that modern
humans appeared between 50,000 and
2000,000 years ago, apparently replacing
Neanderthals and archaic "Homosapiens."

PREFACE

    "Man the being," in contrast to "man the doer" and "man being man" are the two-pronged thrust highlighted in this book. Man the being is best recognized as "man in the raw" unaculturated  and innocent. Man the being is the expressed and unexpressed essence of the human species.
     Understanding the "stuff" or contents of man's nature and correctly labeling these elements which constitute human nature are prerequisites a person must possess before he can function as "man being man" as opposed to man being the beast or something other than, as well as less than, man, the human being. Man has the unique distinction of being both animal and divine. It is this blending of the animal and divine that makes man human.
     Like the leopard that cannot change his spots man cannot change his nature. The condition of human existence - man as creature, is an immutable imperative. Boundaries for human habitation have been established. Man's habitation has been fore-ordained. The true definition of man cannot be ascertained from any invention or creation he proffers. It comes only from his discovery or detection of himself. To know himself he must go within. It is there, in the depths and bowels of his being, that he is able to contact his nature and sense, in a certain and definite way which the five senses cannot sense or fathom, who he really is - his authentic being. But as important as it is for man to truly know his nature this is not enough. Yet, it is the important first step for the person who has embarked upon the journey of knowing, choosing and being the authentic self.
     Man has a fundamental and continuous need to express his nature in ways that afford him with inner harmony which translated means health, happiness and fulfillment. It is only when the seven elements in man's nature, discussed in this book,  are in harmony that he can experience harmony in his existence. In this book we have named and described the components constitting man's nature and offered a paradigm describing a holistic way of being that can be applied to achieve full life-potential living.
     As I reflect on the message presented in this book I remember something my grandmother said to me when I was a barefoot boy, living in a hamlet in Alabama called Sunflower that I want to share with the reader. I had dressed myself in manly garb, wearing my grandfather's pants, coat and shoes, all of which were much too big for me. Noticing me, grandmother ordered me to take off my grandfather's clothing and added: "Be what you is: you ain't no man." Her grammar was not the best, but her message, to make it clear, hit the bull's eye. It is this same message that I want to leave with the reader of this book. Paraphrasing my grandmother's remarks it says; "Be what you are according to your nature. You are not a beast or a freak of nature... despite.... ."
                                  U. J. Fields


                                  INTRODUCTION
                  "To be or not to be, that is the question."

    Being is a matter of nature, not of nurture, of creation, not of evolution. Authentic being, the free and honest expression of the self, is the key to personal fulfillment and social well-being. It can be defined as the state of the person when there is harmony of the various aspects of human nature. Although nature is one entity it is composed of seven elements. Each of these elements has specific attributes and functions which are not unlike the right side and left side of the human brain, in terms of function. Each side of the brain has a definite function and area of control and expression.
     Human nature can be characterized as being physical, mental, emotional, economic, social, political and religious. Inquiry as to why this is true is like asking why do human beings walk upright rather than on all fours as is the case with many other creatures that are also members of the animal kingdom? Perhaps more important than an inquiry as to the "why" of this and of human existence, for that matter, is the pursuit, and hopefully possession, of an understanding of our nature which is tantamount to understanding ourselves, individually and collectively and our world.
     Unfortunately, we invest too much of ourselves -- resources we command -- in our attempts to be something or somebody that we are not and was never meant to be. Defiantly and repeatedly we say "no" to our nature. We may even disown the "essential stuff" that makes us tick and insist on "aspectual expression" and "selected enforcement" of our nature rather than embrace whole living. But to repeat, like the "leopard that cannot change his spots," we cannot change our nature. Human nature is immutable. Of course, we may deny its true identity, suppress its free expression and even abuse it, at the cost of being abused by it. All these things human nature permits but it will not disappear or become anything other than what it is, always was, and will continue to be as long as we reamain in a mortal human form.
     This book is about a holistic approach to living life in all its fullness. Foundations for potential living are rooted in human  nature and while each of these seven elements which constitutes human nature is essential in being human the spiritual element (also called religious when it reflects acculturation and socialization) plays a prominent role in the function and expression of human nature as a whole.  Our values, morality, judgment and creativity are embodied in spirituality. Consequently, the manner in which one deals with, say his physical nature or handles relationships is a matter of spirtual awareness. The question "Will a person treat his body as a cesspool or a temple? lies within the spiritual domain of human nature. Because of the dominant potential role which the spiritual element plays, the author will allocate more than half of this volume to a discussion of religion.
     Yet, it is clear to the author, and he will emphasize this point throughout the book, from his experience as a public school teacher, social psychologist and minister that the mental and spiritual elements, as well as the other five elements, of human nature are one life process which he refers to as the "Full Life Process." As process these elements of human nature are synthesized and expressed in singleness and definitiveness of purpose. Simply stated, that purpose is that a person be fully human which is manifested in continuous growth, effective service and heightening enjoyment. Being in process means that aims and goals do not exist and becoming ceases for the moment. A human being cannot BE and NOT BE at the same time although it is true, as asserted in Shakespere's statement cited at the beginning of this "Introduction." "To be or not to be" suggests that a person may be unnatural or act out of character. "Not to be" can only mean "not to be yourself," - to be a counterfeit. Being is cosmic presence and it defies surrender, subterfuge or neutralization. Being will not be undercut by pretentiousness or mockery.
     The journey or leap into spiritual actualization is essentially the journey within. Knowing oneself, accepting oneself and loving oneself which are, in a word being oneself, express the true nature of the journey. We call this life process a journey, not because of any time and space (distance) factors which mark a journey, as much as any thing, but rather because a sustained  journey is like a process in that it moves ceaselessly on, unfolding like a flower, and adventfully embracing the new. Wonders await those on this journey into spiritual actualization. Hopefully, the reader will be able to say something the writer has said many time during the course of writing this book: "I wouldn't take anything for my journey." Sweet is the journey for the person who is in harmony with his own nature. 


PART ONE
_____________________________________________________________

SIX OF THE SEVEN STOREYS
OF HUMAN NATURE

The Summary

     In the summary as in the main body of his treatise we will discuss each of the seven "foldments" separately. The writer's conclusion will follow. Each element of the seven-fold nature of man has its own specificity.

Physical Man
     Man is an animal and desire the lofty place he commanded in Creation, with no credit to his own doing, and subsequent arrogance he remains a member of the animal kingdom. And, he is not distinguished because of his achievement or because of his appearance. From a physical standpoint if there is any single thing which gives man any superior place among animals it is that his physical body "houses" the soul, in the sense that the soul, no less than the mind, operates within and through the physical body as far as man the being is concerned. Yet, without an attraction and life-affirming engagement of the soul man is, or settles to be, only an animal, wand much too often a beast, at that.
      A healthy physical body can be achieved and maintained by following natural laws. This includes eating appropriate food, in adequate but not extravagant amouts, proper exercise, a spiritual action plan which includes meditation, prayer and sufficient rest.  However, there is no single program that is universally good for every individual. Even an individual may do well to alter his program or lifestyle during different stages of his life in order to maintain his present level of health or to improve it. ... But health,...can never be fully achieved when only the physicality is considered. Man is more, as his nature declares, much ore, than a body.

Mental Man

          From a human point of view nothing distinguishes and underscores man's superiority like his mind. No other creature, from a mental perspective, rivals man. Even though more hopeless than other creatures and remaining that way following birth for a longer period of  time than other creatures, having a tremendous capacity for learning, imaging, analyzing and reasoning, he is able to imagine a city and build it, modify, develop, and manipulate the given in such a way that it becomes a work of art or something of a new creation or an instrument for universal good.
     Just as we indicated earlier that physical health requires nurturing, it is equally true that mental health requires nurturing. A mind is a terrible thing to lose or abuse....The mind needs positive information, problem-solving experiences, relaxation, openness to experience the new and creative challenges and opportunities to express itself and to learn by doing from what is often but erroneously called mistakes. The only mistake there is, from the mind point of view, is a mental engagement from which the person learns nothing. Mind power is stronger than physical power in the same sense that mental pain can be more excruciating than physical pain. What is mind power? This poem responds with an answer to that question.
              What is Mind Power?
          Mind power is the ability
               to know without believing,
          To realize that in the final
               analysis there is no
               final analysis:
          To be fully aware that "what
               is, is."
          And also be aware at the same time
               that the mind may have mirrored
               an illusion rather than reality.
          Ultimately, we are in control of
               the mind only when we never
               mind the mind.

Emotional Man

Man has feelings. The primary reference here is not to instinct or the mere involuntary moods of an emotional nature. As an emotional being a person can determine or choose his feelings or emotional states. And, even though a person may not be aware of it nearly always he chooses his emotions.
     Vales, beliefs, attitudes, ideas, even words, may cause a person to experience myriad feelings alone the continuum of the emotion gamut ranging from sorrow to joy and from agony to ecstasy. Upon the hearing of a certain word a person may literally become moody and upon seeing blood he may faint. The question may be asked "Is it natural for a person to feel that way or ways?"  The answer is probably, "no," not necessarily. However, he is born an emotional being, and that means he is born to feel. Even before enculturation a baby may respond joyfully to that which he finds satisfying and be frightened by that which he perceives to be unpleasant.
     Feelings are the seasoning of life. They enable a person to expand and to experience full life--act for no other reason than that he feels like acting like that. Although it is a man's nature to feel he may suppress his feelings, in his attempt to lessen or avoid pain. When this is done frequently and  consistently it may cause the individual to develop and aberration in the form of psychosis, neurosis or other forms of emotional disturbances such as depression, self-pity, anxiety and paranoia may occur.
     Attitudes are important in the development and maintenance of an healthy emotional state. They are more important than facts or what appears to be reality. Attitudes may have a chilling effect on beliefs. Th emotional healthy person takes a healthy attitude toward each situation he encounters.
      The healthy emotional person is able to express both his negative and positive feelings, hate as well as love and anger as well as compassion.... It is well to keep in mind that man is emotional by nature and that the most profound and noblest state for him, at any given moment, notwithstanding that there are times when he is in pain or stress, is not the "conscious" or the "unconscious," but the "enjoyed," which is a way of being for a person living in the flow.

Economic Man

On the purely economic level nothing enables man to survive like economics, the milk of life for the new born baby, and later his bread, butter and meat; things which keep the body alive and, to that degree, body, mind and soul together, have to be ranked a the top of the list of essentials. Economics can and should be more than an animal-survival matter. Economics is a human science which deals with the means and substances necessary for meeting basic needs and wants, both individually and collectively. Economics is one of the foundations in the creation of community, which is the condition man is meant to live in.
      Earlier we staed that there are three major components of economics, namely, production, consumption and distribution. To emphasize this point we need to say the obvious, i.e., people naturally are consumers. They have been created with a unique and superior ability that allows them to create or produce. Man has demonstrated remarkably well his ability to produce and whether it be in agriculture or manufacturing factories he has done a masterful, certainly a voluminous job. Over-production and surpluses of products that were scarce, even in insufficient amounts to meet human needs just pror to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, are today available in quantity  on the open marketplace where competitors clamor for the customer's dolar. Warehoses in America, are bulging at the seams with surpluses and excesses. These are sometimes surpluses purchased from producers by the government for the purpose of keeping prices inflated on the open market. This is all too often done by politicians to payoff some political debt without aay regard for the citizenry as a whole. ...
      In spite of this enormous wealth, the high level of productivity, extravagance, waste and hoarding many people in our society go lacking for basic necessities, including adequate food, clothing and shelter to say nothing about safety and medicine. At the root of the problem is greed. Few people have too much and most have too little, especially that significant group at the bottom, constituting nearly twenty percent of the population. Ours is a system which encourages a few people to become millionaires while the homeless population increases. The rich continues to get richer while the poor becomes poorer. It is designed this way by those who control and exploit those who have less power. Laws are instituted to extend more privileges to those who have power. The message that comes through loud and clear is, "If you are rich there's help on the way; if you are poor that's just too bad."  Or, may be it's all right to have the poor because the poor will always be with us. "With us." That's worth repeating.
     Inequality in distribution is responsible for the problem. Producing more will not solve the problem of denials and inadequacies experienced by many people in our society. If that was was the case there would not be a problem of poverty and homelessness, both of which are increasing.
     We cannot over-emphasize the point that other freedoms, such as intellectual, moral and spiritual freedoms, rest with economic freedom. Survival itself is an economic matter and the cause for every human need, be it great or small.

Social Man

      Man has a basic need for togetherness and belongingness. He finds his greatest satisfaction in communicating with other humans. And, whether the interaction is primary or secondary, casual or intimate, man delights in and expresses his uniqueness, most pronouncedly, when relating with other humans. Being unable to share with other people is one of life's most painful or horrifying experiences. ...
     No aspect of man's nature more strongly suggests that he was created to practice community than his social nature. Without greed and power cravings, both of which are acquired rather than inherited, it would not only be nature for man to practice community but it would be his lifestyle. It is at the point of man's social nature that he is connected relationally. How can he communicate when he is separated one from the other?  The answer is he cannot. This poem illustrates the point being made:
            Individual man has no authentic
            and meaningful existence
            apart from collective man;
            Birth itself is the first indication
            that a person is a part of another human being.
            Cutting the umbilical cord
            does not change this fact.
            People are connected at all
            points, not just by the
            umbilical cord.
            They are inextricably caught-up
            in the network of sociality.
            When this results from higher
            consciousness there is "Mutuality."
      Because man is social by nature any attempt to separate himself from others, whether it be by geographical boundaries, class, race, or other superficial concoctions, diminishes his opportunity to live effectively. Alienation, loneliness and abandonment, at least the feelings thereof, lurk over those who attempt such risky business. These are some of the symptoms and consequences which plague those who seek to escape socializing with other people. In our present technological and gadget-prone society there is a tendency for people to be spectators rather than participants and to be entertained rather than share their own talents with others. This too constitutes an attempt to separate. But the social nature of man says he cannot separate and at the same time find meaning and happiness which he desires and pursues, often fleeing from what he longs for.

Political Man

     The will to power is innate and while there are two kinds of power, namely, political and spiritual, the former being the weaker of the two but, nonetheless, strong and often ruthless, corrupted and a tour de force of evil.
     However, the political aspect of human nature defines law and order, the nature of relationships, and prescribes, if not mandates, contingencies--rewards for compliance with, and punishment for violation of the enforced law. It should be emphasized that the law, even when supported by politics, is not absolute. It is often nothing more than doings and often misdoings of people who have power to enforce the law. Oftentimes laws are unnatural or in conflict with the natural order of things. Man needs laws and government in order to function as a society. His political nature causes him to become exploiters of others. But it is also the political nature of man which causes him to respond positively to needs of the exploited and weak, sometimes motivating him to give others assurance, usually in rhetoric but also at times in deeds, reaffirming that they too are entitled to freedom and respect. ...
    Political systems are established to give some stability to man's relating. The three major political systems in our world today are Capitalism, Communism and Socialism. While it would be correct to call these economic systems, they are fundamentally political systems. Politics, not economics, control people. Political decisions determine the nature of our existence from the cradle--even before--the grave and even after the grave. It is felt most directly in the area of economics. A political decision may determine whether or not a person will be born, as we see in China today where people are required to have one child per family, whether a farmer is to be paid to not plant while another farmer who plants, cultivates and harvests  his crop go uncompensated. Let us reiterate, politics is power.
    While politics serves a needed purpose, and man cannot be nonpolitical, history reveals that much of the destructiveness in the world can be directly attributed to politics. Politics appears to be a "catch twenty-two" and is often evil. But the alternative is not to be non-political. We do not have that choice. Obviously, when the exercise of political power is not under the subjection of spiritual power the consequences will be those we are all too familiar with in our experience, such as poverty, disease, racism, war and general human misery. When we say that the political power should be in subjection to spiritual power it does not mean that the two are similar in content or function. Whenever the religious attempts to be political there are dire consequences. One only needs to take a look at history to be reminded of this fact. Just as the eyes may assist the feet in their movement but not do the work of the feet, religion can, indeed must, be the moral heart, but not the function of politics. And, just as the feet have no eyes but have need of eyes, politics has no heart but needs a heart to be "human-worthy." ...
    "I don't get involved in politics," {someone muses.} When others do politically for you that which rightly was yours to do, especially independently of you, it is not generally in your interest and may even be fatal.
     The good news is politics can contribute immeasurably to the quality of life lived and in the creation of society which has neither victims or victors, only people who care about themselves and each other. Politics is the basis for creating and maintaining community and community is the basis for applied politics.

PART TWO
________________________________________________________________

THE SEVENTH STOREY
OF HUMAN NATURE

Introduction

     Before presenting the summary on "Religious Man" a word about religion in general is in order. By nature, man is a religious being. Wen we refer to religion in its broadest sense, i.e., as a system of orientation and an object of devotion, then, ideally, every human being is religious. There has never been any people yet disclosed in history, whether they were primitive or modern, loutish or sophisticated, who did not have some form of religion. An understanding of what life is all about, however personal or limited it may be is our religion. Everyone has a "weltanschauung" - a world view. This is and of itself is sufficient evidence that man is a religious being. (p. 72)
     It is not an exaggeration to say that religion has given birth to all that is essential in society. The idea of society, which Jesus referred to as the "Kingdom," is the soul of religion. Perhaps this is the reason Jesus said, "The Kingdom of God is within." The real function of religion is to motivate people to act, to aid them, as nothing else can, to live fulfilling and actualizing lives. Indeed, it is action that makes religion something more han belief. The Apostle Paul declared. "We walk by faith not by sight." The religious funtion can be described as the "relgious experience." In religion, as in life in general, it is experience which is the test of reality and milieu where meanng is engendered in living.( p. 76)
     {Now, we shall mention, but not discuss in detail, three forms of religion before giving a summary on the fourth form of religion which is the form of religion man was created to experience in life. The three forms of religion are (1) A Religion of Acceptance, (2) A Religion of Conformity and (3) A Religion of Rejection. A detail discussion of these "forms of religion" is presented in "Religion Par Excellence." Now, we will give a summary of the fourth form of religion, "A Religion of Transcendence" which is tantamount to and synonymous with "Religion Par Excellence."}

Religious Man

      We end this summary, as we began, with religion. Religion is the connector and/or conduit by which man discovers and maintains centeredness. It is the God-consciousness process which engenders meaning in man's life and provides a moral or ethical basis for human existence. Both meaning and morality are necessary for man because he has a soul. He is in fact, the only soul-being in the universe. Although the soul is eternal, as emphasized earlier in this volume, it is sustained through nurturing. Without nurturing it dies a spiritual death. For the living death of the soul is more like being comatose than being physical dead. It is existence in contrast to living. A prime   function of religion is to nurture the soul and,  of course, in that process, contribute to soul-completion. ...
      Our focus here is on the viable alternative form of religion, which actually transcends form and religion because it is the essence of spirituality. We call it a "religion of transcendence." A religion of transcendence has nothing to do with faiths, such as Christianity and Buddhism, or with denominations such as Catholic and Protestant, or whether a person belongs to a sect or an organized religious  organization or no religious organization at all. An adherent of a religion of transcendence maybe affiliated with any of the above religious groups or he may not even belong to any religious organization. He may, in fact, be an atheist, in the classic sense of the term. The atheist is religious whether he admits it or not. He is capable of lying and of seeking truth at the same time. This is not to suggest that the atheist is a transcendent being. However, because of his honest skepticism and search for truth he may discover God who is always near him--closer than breath and nearer than the heartbeat. The point we are endeavoring to make is that being a member of a religious organization or not being connected with a religious organization does not necessarily determine whether or not a person is or may become a religious transcendentalist. Conceivably, religious faiths and organizational connections may make it more difficult for a person to become a religious transcendentalist than it would be for him if he had not no such connection. But such affiliations may also contribute to a person becoming a religious transcendentalist. This is another way of saying the religious label or organizational connection is not the same as the transcendent experience. Whether a person becomes a religious transendentalist or not depends on the personal response, not proxy response, he makes to existence and the God-consciousness of his election--sensing the presence of God, not just intellectually, but spiritually. God-consciousness is a soul rather than mind perception.
    A religion of transcendence is not geared to heredity and environment or cause and effect, as is the case with other forms of religion. It transcends form and religion, as well as those factors and forces which we hold to be supernatural by redefining them and disregarding illusions about them. In a religion of transcendence doing is manifested becoming and simultaneously in being becoming ceases, at least for the moment.
    The morality-mandate which summons man to potential living and creation of a loving society is the essence of religion. Questions of right and wrong, justice and injustice, good and evil, meaning and meaninglessness, and life and death, cannot be answered apart from religion. But religion, limited to lower consciousness as express in destructive forms of religion is not capable of providing answers, at least not correct answers to these questions.
    Only religion of higher consciousness--a religion of transcendence--can provide correct answers to these questions and direct man toward paths of health and salvation.
     A religion of transcendence enables the adherent to live all he can now, abide in the full life process, be unattached, and free of goals as he abides in the cosmic flow. Pursuing, striving, believing and working at are not necessary or of value in the acquisition of or maintenance of a religion of transcendence. Working at a religion of transcendence simply does not work. Rather it is achieved through the exercise of personal faith. The Apostle Paul was speaking in this vain when he said, "The just shall live by faith. Faith, unlike believing, assent, and knowing, is a transcendent quality which, without ignoring or disregarding the environment and the psychic state, supersedes these factors and operating from the spiritual dimension responds to the ultimate need to be one with God. Faith is manifested in a religion of transcendence ii truth and love and because a religion of transcendence is a matter of faith which by nature claims ultimacy. It is the only practical and ultimate solution to the problem of existence, of fulfillment and the cosmic union of man and God.
                      Faith Can Do It
        What experience, skill and persecution
             cannot do, faith can do it;
        What wisdom, knowledge and understanding
             cannot do, faith can do it;
        What popularity, connection and privilege
             cannot do, faith can do it;
       What wealth, power and possessions
            cannot do, faith can do it;
       What love, hope and truth
           cannot do, faith can do it;
       Faith is the principal thing to be
          applied in achieving that which
          appears to be impossible.
      Nothing is more idiosyncratic and strictly
          personal than a person's faith.
      It's your faith.
      Faith can do it.

In Conclusion

   By nature man, as we have emphasized throughout this book, was created by God a seven-faceted being and he is endowed with power of choice and delivered out of the earth-womb into the earth with power. He is endowed with power of choice possessses a capacity that enables him to do good or evil. He has a natural ability which allows him to take responsibility for himself, his own thoughts, feelings and behavior. His nature, as described earlier, is physical, mental, emotional, economic, social, political and religious. And because this is his nature he cannot anymoe reject it than he can reject the existence of the see sun. He may deny that the sun exists or that he has a seven-faceted nature but just as he is unable to alter the sun he cannot change his nature.
    Denial of the truth about human nature or failure to respond naturally to one's authentic nature which dictates the course his life will take rather than attempting to superimpose attributes upon his nature can only contribute to a freakish human existence, emptiness, disillusionment, frustration, hopelessness and hasten death. Hope for a full life cannot be achieved without acceptance of the truth about human nature. Man has to make a commitment to live as his nature prescribes in order for him to function as a full person. It is worth reiterating, the fact that man's existence and function are prescribed absolutely and with finality by his nature. ...
      Since this conclusion is not the usual conclusion, but a revelation continuing to unfold we end it with a question the Psalmist wanted answered, "What is man?" As the journey continues the reader is encouraged to answer this question for himself. If you cannot answer it satisfactorily go back to the beginning of this book and lift from each page the message presented. Go one step further and visualize yourself as being that message. Allow the message and the messenger to become one--that one being yourself. When you return to this point in the book you will have an answer to the question. In substance that answer will be similar to the one the Psalmist discovered. But your answer will not be the Psalmist's answer. It will be your answer. You will discover that, more than  knowing yourself you have chosen yourself...that you have chosen life rather than death. Then, these words spoken by Jesus, "I have come that men may have life, and have it in all its fullness" - full life -, will cease to be for you just an intellectual fact but it will be a personal incarnation of an eternal truth manifesting itself perpetually in the eternal now.
 

The Prognostication

     The prognostication can be stated in this manner: In the practice of a religion of transcendence man does not merely endure and prevail, he takes a quantum leap and - by leaps and bounds - claims the victory which was always his, but at first being a creature of innocence and after that, being restricted or relegated to lower consciousness he didn't know who he was, i.e., until he received enlightenment which seems destined to compel him to take a quantum leap that will catapult him into "pure consciousness,." As a transcendent being living in the transformational process, also called the "Full Life Process," man will not only enjoy the fruits of the earth but will enter, in actuality, beyond into that dimension which until now has been available in an operational sense to only God and a few human beings,  included among them were Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Buddha. Man is destiny to live victoriously and enjoy eternal peace on earth. This is our message and faith - our commitment to Full Life in the eternal now as we dwell in the Full House and it is the abiding evidence that "We chose life in all its fullness."
     "The Seven Storey Nature of Man" is our saga and we must tell it over and over again, until man and society are transformed into Humanity Being and community  Being respectively, and the lifestyle of perpetual celebration reigns on earth no less than the presence of the Creator Himself. (pp. 183-84). 

____________________________________________________

      Hopefully, you have been informed and inspired by what you have read. If so, you may want to purchase a copy(s) of this book so you can read the entire message presented in "Religion Par Excellence: Actualization of the 7-Story Nature of Man." (260 pages). 
You can purchase your book)s) directly from the author and receive his autograph, if requested.

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Other Books by Uriah J. Fields

There are two other books authored by Uriah J. Fields that you may want to purchase. They are: (1) "Be the Best: Do It Easy, Do It Now" and (2) "The Mutuality Warrior: The Person Best Prepared to Survive and Experience Meaning in Survival." To learn more about these two books, on this Website from the menu that appears in green near the top and to the right of this page, click on: "Be the Best: Do it Easy, Do It Now" and "The Mutuality Warrior Path."

Also visit the Menu and click on "Singing Joyfully" to learn about two songbooks composed by Uriah J. Fields.

Write down the following website pages below that take you to these books and songbooks and visit them at your convenience:

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Thank you.

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