Is the concept of "God" outdated?

All cultures on planet earth that ever existed worshiped the divine. In traditional civilized societies as well as in indigenous societies this relationship is deeply rooted and is an integral part of the culture.Throughout history many wise men and women have appeared in society, teaching humanity and imparting high moral values. Today, however, people who follow traditional value systems and have not yet given up their relationship with the divine are more likely to be ridiculed in the current of society. Were our ancestors all just primitive and imaginative lunatics? Is it perhaps more important today than ever to engage ourselves with the divine?

Depending on the culture and ethnicity, the reference to the divine and the form it has taken on is very different. In recent times there are religions in the West. In the East there are religious forms as well as spiritual paths like Yoga, Tai-Chi, paths of martial arts etc. For indigenous people all over the world, the reference to nature (creation) is the bridge to the divine (the creator). They see it as their duty to “take care” of Mother Earth. The preamble of the Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation is also worth mentioning. It says: “In the name of God the Almighty…. in responsibility toward creation…”.

Among the ancient civilizations, some of which reached a very high scientific level and produced great achievements, such as the Greeks, the Persians or the Chinese, had one thing in common: a strong connection to the divine and high moral standards based on it. Throughout history many wise people have appeared who have left their knowledge and values to mankind. Basic values which are worth living by and that order the society.

However, people who still follow the principles of traditional cultures today are ridiculed by many and labelled as primitive and old-fashioned. Some even tend to say that the reference to God is only something for people who can’t get their life together themselves and need a “hold”. Were our forefathers and mothers all just imaginative nutcases and hillbillies?

Nowadays, hardly anyone dares to talk about his or her relationship to the Divine, even active practitioners are restrained. Often because they are afraid of being criticized and shunned. An unfortunately regrettable trend. The striving for completeness, for the divine, is something man is born with This is apparent in all traditional cultures. But what has happened to modern mankind?

Something is skewed

Modern thinking has banished the concepts of culture and tradition from the consciousness of many people. The mere materialistic¹ way of thinking narrows the horizon of mankind very much. The very rich stories in the traditions are classified as mysticism or mere philosophy.

In the past and today, people strive for perfection, joy and meaning. But where do you find these things, if not in the connection to your true self and the divine? Sensual joy is always temporary and therefore limited. It can never satisfy the thirst of man. Separated from our origins and still in search of meaning, many fall into the trap of false prophets and trends.

“The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.”
Nikola Tesla

In addition to the materialistic and partly nihilistic² educational methods, there are also abuses of power and scandals in religious institutions. There are enough phonies, who cheat people with self-made things, interpret the original words of the wise men arbitrarily or even steal them to construct something out of them on their own.

These elements have led people to move further and further away from their traditional views and connection to themselves and the divine. Without order there is chaos.

According to my observation and reflection, the reason for this development is complex. It is based, however, on the fact that the morals and values for which humanity as a whole is committed have gone astray. The resulting problems can be summarized as follows:

Lack of communication of true values in education
Hardly any promotion of self-reflection and independent thinking
Teachings of atheism and banishment of the divine from the classroom and everyday life
Research and science today is almost exclusively concerned with the phenomena on the surface (physical matter)
Declining of morals and gradual distancing from our traditions
Infiltration of freedom of speech and stigmatization of people who maintain traditional values
Instead of sincere belief in the divine and respect for the laws of nature, today materialism and consumption are celebrated
Infiltration of the church as well as scandals have severely damaged not only the church as an institution, but also the belief in the divine
Various pseudo-religions and trends have emerged that distract people in their search for the divine or lead them astray
In once profound ways of self-cultivation (e.g. yoga) the mental/mental component was simply removed practically completely.
Growing ego relation of society: Belief in the divine is seen as a burden that prevents one from being “free”

Little by little the connection between man and the divine was severed. But man has a natural striving for perfection, the Divine, because he has always carried this spark within himself. Through the great trend in society, however, we try to fill the deficit that has arisen through all kinds of distraction, consumption, stupefaction, etc. However, these things will never give us the fulfillment.

If you search everywhere and yet do not find what you seek, it is because what you seek is already in your possession.
Lao Tzu

Everyone should ask himself: Is humanity developing itself in the right direction? What are the problems of today and what are the underlying causes?

¹ Materialism: Denial of the non-material.
² Nihilism: Nullity and senselessness of all that exists. Negation of norms and values.

Theories, should be theories

So many things have already been recognized in the circle of science and technology that today’s textbooks would actually need to be completely revised. But when a view has been formed and procedures have been established based on it, then it is difficult to accept new findings. That can be considered the main reason why many new discoveries do not reach the consciousness of most people and are then blanketly labeled as superstition. Darwin’s theory of evolution teaches us that man descended from apes. With this statement it tries to separate the connection of humans to the divine. With views like “natural selection” and “survival of the fittest” human society is reduced to a jungle. No wonder that communist powers also took advantage of this. Thus Marx wrote the following to Friedrich Engels in 1860 about Darwin’s theory:

“… [Origin of Species is] the book that contains the natural-history foundation of your viewpoint [historical materialism].“
Friedrich Engels, I. Bernard Cohen, Revolution in Science (The Belknap Press of Harvard
University Press), S. 345

Although Darwin’s theory is full of gaps and too many assertions still lack evidence, it is taken for granted and generally not doubted.Probably the most essential gap in his theory is that the transition from one species to another could never be proven (by fossils for example). Even Charles Darwin himself considered this fact as the biggest flaw of his theory.

Stars implode, mountains turn into dust, fleshly bodies and plants decay, everything that mankind has ever created decays and eventually turns to dust as well. Only evolution runs completely contrary to this observation; chaos becomes order by a lucky coincidence. A portion of scrambled egg becomes a complete intact egg. Would anyone doubt that a picture was not made by a painter? or that a house was not built by a craftsman? To believe that a living and intelligent organism simply comes into existence by itself defies all logic and common sense. As a result, all life, especially human life, is greatly trivialized and degraded. The totality and limitless intelligence of life cannot be grasped by modern science at all and it exceeds by far what we can grasp with our human mind. But this is not about badmouthing Charles Darwin. His work has been and is strongly instrumentalized and is therefore deeply anchored in the minds of most people. Even the children are fed with it at an early age. Could science continue to develop if we consider every theory as fact and blindly poison the minds of our children with it? Wouldn’t this severely restrict ourselves?

Reestablish the connection

Since the beginning, people have been searching for perfection and their origin. The faith and worship of the Divine have accompanied humanity throughout the world and since time immemorial. Magnificent thinkers, inventors and artists have been spawned in different epochs and inspired mankind. Especially in times when a high spiritual morale was predominant, such as during the Renaissance. Both in history and in more recent times, these great minds themselves cultivated high moral standards and were usually inclined towards the divine in one form or another. Even for brilliant scientists such as Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein and others, the existence of a higher intelligence that cannot be grasped with the mind was a logical consequence.

“My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.”
Albert Einstein

Most of the problems in the world today are a consequence of the fact that humanity as a whole has moved away from its roots, its natural way of life and its gratitude to life, which is itself divine. We are no longer oneself, but stunned by consumption, fame, greed and desires, so that we walk around like remote-controlled robots. This sounds a bit harsh, but if you seriously take this to heart, I am sure everyone will realize that many hidden patterns and beliefs are deep within us. However, these strongly limit us to recognize the truth, to be fulfilled and to feel true, unconditional joy. Completely unaffected by external circumstances.

All the personal problems and the problems in society will be solved when mankind learns again to find the causes only within itself. If we can re-adjust to universal principles like truthfulness, benevolence and forbearance and integrate these values into our daily life, then the problems on the outside will automatically be solved. For me the following questions serve as a guideline. For whether I am moving in the desired direction or have strayed from the path:

What values do I stand up for?
How do I think about myself? About others? About life?
What do I use my life/my life energy for?
Are the accumulated views true or false?

“Of course I could tell you everything in detail, but it is better if everyone has his own thoughts and is present with heart and soul.”
From the book series “Anastasia”

It always gives me great pleasure to see that people have not lost their connection to themselves, or even cultivate it. We have to learn again to take responsibility for ourselves.