Do We Really Need to Believe?

I have previously stated many times that the sole basis of religion has to be metaphoric. My reason for so stating is that the ultimate foundation of religion, namely God by whatever name you use for Him, is an unknowable. While I am not a scientist, I know that in the domain of quantum physics energy, particularly energy in the form of light, is the foundation of all matter. I also know that without the laws of physics, matter would not exist. However, it is a stretch to equate the laws of physics with the nature of God. It is possible to equate anything you desire in the world of metaphor. This is essentially what our ancestors did with their creation mythology. Deep within the human psyche is a need to belong to the universe in more than a natural way. When the scientist expounds natural laws as having no basis other than the law of probabilities, he or she ignores the need for the human to feel more special than that. "Too bad, it just ain't so," doesn't cut it. Using such documents as the Bible or the Koran, humans substitute the words of a prophet or a messiah for certainty and bolster it with faith in their belief system. The fact that millions of people are drawn to this illustrates the extent of the need. I do not think that it is necessary to substitute belief for facts. Once you shed your belief system you open up a whole new world; the search for gnosis or the understanding of the mystery of life. This is what the ancients were up to before Constantine stopped it cold by making Christianity the sole religion. Even the Christian Church had an active wing, the Gnostics, that were doing this. Far from being a weak substitute, metaphor becomes a powerful agent to expand human consciousness in a positive way. Now all of the world's wisdom is open to you for your growth. Now you are not restricted to single path that essentially leads nowhere. Look on metaphor as a key that opens a door; a door to understanding. Once you have taken this step you will discover a wealth of material. A good place to start is the works of G.I. Gurdjieff, particularly "Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson." The fundamentalist Christian will see the name Beelzebub and automatically ascribe the book to Satan. The reader will soon see otherwise. The book is rich in understanding of the nature of man and has been the foundation for many people who are now writing with the thought of expanding our religious world. The book is in print and can be ordered through Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, or your neighborhood book store. The time has come for we as a people to expand our conciousness to fit the expanding knowledge that we need to exist in the modern world. The best place to start is to shed our outdated belief system and commence learning what the world and ourselves are really about. This is the search for gnosis that Plato and Aristotle were engaged in many centuries ago. Isn't this a good time for you to do the same?