Theology by Steve Silva

Some of my family and friends struggle with organized religion. This is partly to do with the fact that they say there are “all these rules to follow”. In my view there are no “rules”. What we hear in church is simply an accounting of how others in the past, through the Grace of God, have come to understand what it means to live in service of God. After all, that seems to be the point, living in the service of God.

There is one God who is the Creator of all. He is more like a mind than anything else we can really understand. But He is more than just the Creator. He created us and loves us and wants us to freely love Him in return

If my premise is correct, that there is only one God who is creator and lover of humanity, then how ought we respond to that reality?

I am often concerned when I hear things like “the universe thinks...” or “the universe has to stay in balance” or “karma”. I am concerned when I hear of people using tarot cards or believing in good luck and bad luck. I am concerned when people believe in superstitions like astrology, Friday the 13th, walking under a ladder and so on. In short, I am concerned when people attribute power to things other than God. For if my premise is correct then there is no power other than God.

In the concrete that does not mean one cannot get value from “spiritual writings” and “nice sayings”. It does mean that those things are subordinate the service of God. If something just serves us then it is probably misguided. If the power of God is dismissed then it is probably misguided. However, if it guides us to God and the service of God then it is probably on the right track.

It does not mean that Angels don’t exist. It does not mean that Mary did not appear to Juan Diego in Mexico City centuries ago. But it does mean that Mary did not present herself and Angels did not bring themselves. Rather Mary and the Angel Gabriel and others throughout the Judeo-Christian tradition appeared to us through the power of God. There is no power except God.

I say all this because I am very concerned about the slipping from faith in God to “nice sayings” and superstitions. I have a monotheistic theology and am concerned that such things serve largely to belittle and lower the value of God in our lives. It seems that some of these phrases suggest that god is cool and karma is cool and so on, lowering the one true God to a level where He can be forgotten about or rationalized away when He conflicts with what we want to do right now.

Any true spirituality must start with the reality that your spirit was given to you by God and he wants that spirit to lead you into a full, loving relationship with Him.