PRINCIPLE TEN:   THERE ARE FOUR UNIVERSES OF BELIEF


     If there are as many worlds as there are people, then how many universes are there? Hopefully this is an intriguing question to the reader. There are actually only four possible universes that account for the sum total of all the worlds contained on planet earth.[1] The term “Universe” literally means “One Song.” There are only four “Songs” out there, so to speak, that ties the sum total of our beliefs together into a seamless cohesion. These four universal belief systems are the only ways in which humanity can view the whole world surrounding them and explain their reality. These universes help to provide answers to the questions that we all have at some time in our lives. These questions include, but are not limited to:

1. “Who or what is the ultimate—in other words—God?”
2. “Where did all of this stuff come from?”
3. “What does all this stuff mean?”
4. “What is truth?”

     These four universes adequately explain within the context of each of them the answers to these questions. These four universes are mutually exclusive, however. They cannot all be true and maintain the law of non-contradiction (i.e., nothing can be both true and not true at the same time). There is a problem that must be solved in order to live within the realm of REAL REALITY. The problem is this: ONLY ONE OF THESE UNIVERSES IS TRUE!
     These four universal belief systems are primarily defined and separated by their answer to the first and most important question of all, “Who or what is the ultimate?” Who or what is God? How this question is answered determines how all other questions are answered. Therefore each universe is entitled by their “understanding of God” (Theism). These four universes are by name: A-theism, Pan-theism, Panen-theism and Theism. We will view each one in this order. Within the discussion of each universe we will attempt to answer all of the above questions. Let us explore Atheism first.

A-THEISM

     A-theism simply means: NO GOD. God is nowhere to be found in this universe. God does not exist. There are many who subscribe to this view of the reality around us. Some call themselves “Humanists” or “Existentialists” while others prefer to call themselves “Empiricists.” In their universe there is no personal creator, no intelligent designer of the earth, the stars and all living things. Their answer to the question: “Where did all of this stuff come from?” is that it “evolved.” In other words, it self-creates. Evolution is the proper term for this ultimate guiding hand. Since the human is the crowning glory of this evolutionary process, human is its crowning glory. This is why the term “Humanist” is used by many to describe this view of reality. Evolution permeates everything within this universe from finances, politics, science and human thought to every part of our personal lives.
     The evolutionary principles that govern this universe are few in number, but nonetheless quite clear. The “Survival of the fittest” rules in this universe. This principle applies to the evolutionary process of life itself and extends to all facets of life. The strong survive and the strongest rule. Since the human is the ultimate product within the evolutionary process, then humans rule and among all humans the strongest human rules. Mankind is the crowning end of this evolutionary process; therefore, mankind determines their own destiny and defines their own morality. 
      Another governing principle is that, “There are no absolutes.” Why? Everything is always changing, evolving! There are no absolute morals; no absolute truths; no absolute purposes or “ends.” An important consequence of this governing principle is that, “The end justifies the means.” Since each end is determined by each person’s will and since there are no absolutes, the means to those ends are determined ultimately by the individual. The atheist’s reality is that there is no absolute morality to govern the “means” or “the way” to their determined end state. “Whatever it takes” is the common slogan.
     The state or human governments exist to maintain this vacuum of morality and proper order by codifying laws in the form of written social contracts. Since these social contracts are written by mankind, they are also changeable at will by mankind and are referred to as “living documents.” Morality is changeable as it only serves to meet the ever changing needs of the social order. The state becomes the ruling authority, the protector and savior of mankind.
     When asked, “What does it all mean?” the most celebrated answer is found in books by noted authors, such as: Jean-Paul Sartre, Friedrich Nietzsche and Albert Camus among others. They postulate that meaning is discovered by each person through the many experiences of life. Each person discovers their own meaning and therefore their own truth. This process is called “Existentialism.” Meaning is discovered through the act of existing. Truth is only what it means to the individual. In time “Existentialism” evolves into “Nihilism” for many atheists. Nihilists believe that in the end everything is without meaning and without purpose!
     You might be asking yourself at this point, “Isn’t this what you have been saying all along?” My answer is, “YES.” Please remember what was said in page four of the introduction: “In order to better understand this human predicament, we will ONLY look at the human condition (without God) in these nine principles.” The first nine principles of belief describe the humble human predicament WITHOUT ANY outside revelation. This would include: no Bible classes, catechisms, and no scripture, no outside revelation of any kind. This is the condition in which all of us were born. In other words, if God does not exist in the real world, than the atheist is indeed correct! All of us are limited to our own view of reality and remain in the perpetual state of blindness to the real world. The first nine principles thus described will remain our only reality—forever.
     I have a concession to make. For years I used to argue with the Atheist—I don’t any longer. I agree with them! They are accurately describing their world without God. They are not searching for God. Why? Because their fundamental reality (belief) is that God DOES NOT EXIST! How can anyone find that for which they are not searching? They could be standing right in front of God and not see God. They would declare that what they see is simply something else. I now walk beside them and respect them. I trust that the reality of my world as it interacts with the reality of their world has power to reveal the truth. One of these stories will actually work well in the totality of living, because only one of these stories is actually true in the REAL REALITY. So each of our lives will tell the story of our realities—this is our testimony. I belief that truth will win! Remember the paper airplane analogy to life? The better folded plane will gain the most altitude.
     Another principle of atheism is that spirits do not exist. “What you see is all there is.” In other words, “If you can’t see it, it doesn’t exist.” This is the postulate of the “Empiricist” and is believed by atheism as a whole. Humans do not possess a spirit. We are simply the sum total of all of our parts. We are a collection of chemicals and evolutionary life processes and that is all we are.
     While serving six years in the US Navy as a young man, I had the pleasure of meeting many interesting people from all realities of life. I would like to tell a story of one such person and the universe in which he lived—I will call him Adam. Adam and I used to have many long discussions on matters of philosophy and the nature of things, such as: “What is truth?” and “Who or what is God?” Adam was an atheist and I am a theist. Our discussions were at times lively and always interesting. This went on for over a year. Our two universes clashed and we could never see eye-to-eye; however, we always respected each other. Adam would always say: “If you can’t see it, touch it, hear it, or smell it—IT DOES NOT EXIST!” “Life is a combination of minerals and chemical reactions and when these processes are altered or damaged death occurs. It’s that simple! We are here today and mulch tomorrow. It’s all meaningless!” I on the other hand would vehemently disagree. “Can you see thought?” I would declare. “Can you see love?” “Theses exist; you can’t see these—will you deny their existence?” “Of course God exists!” I would say, “Just look at all of creation, can’t you see the wonderful and complex design and the great intelligence of the designer?” Around and around we would go.
     One day I was talking with another sailor on board ship about an article in a “Reader’s Digest” I read on the topic of “Life after Life.” As I recall, the article was filled with testimonies about life after death experiences and how people saw bright lights and how alive they felt even though they were declared dead by physicians. Without my knowing Adam was listening to our discussion nearby. When we finished talking, when and I was alone, Adam suddenly appeared and began to hem and haw. He finally said, “I died once.” I, of course, was intrigued and asked him to tell me his story. Adam then proceeded to tell me that when he was about ten years old he drowned in a swimming pool. He remembers very clearly that he was sitting motionless on the bottom of the pool “AND SAW” his dad dive into the pool, grab hold of him, and take him to the surface and lay him down on the edge of the pool. It was there that Adam said that he regained consciousness. I asked Adam if he believed that he truly died. “I was dead” he said! I asked him where he was as he witnessed all of this. He told me that he was sort “hovering” outside of his body watching. I asked him if he believed that he was alive as he “hovered.” “Yes” he said, emphatically! I then asked Adam, “Adam, what were you?” With this question Adam suddenly looked stunned and remained silent for some time. I waited. Quietly and cautiously he said, “I was a spirit!”
     Adam and I never argued again.

PAN-THEISM

     Pantheism means: “ALL IS GOD.” Those who live in this universe include: Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Sikhs, Transcendental Meditation (TM), modern Naturalists and the New Agers. In their universe all of the stuff that we see is in itself—God. God is everywhere! God is all! The stuff and God is the same thing—they are not seen as separate. This includes all humans, animals, insects, trees, vegetation, rocks, earth and the stars. This stuff has no beginning and it has no end—it cycles on and on from eternity to eternity. Time is irrelevant. This stuff is neither created nor does it evolve, it re-incarnates. Life is neither created nor destroyed; it lives again and again in one form or another (animal, insect or enlightened life). History is not linear, as it is in the other three universes of belief, it is circular.
     The pantheist often likens all of this stuff as being similar to an ocean. Out of this ocean of all stuff, individuals, whether they are human, animal or insect, repeatedly bubble up on its’ surface as life as we perceive it. This bubble on the surface of the ocean is still the ocean in essence; it merely appears to be separate from the greater ocean—God. Life’s illusion is that we see ourselves as being separate from the ocean. This is evident when we refer to ourselves as individuals. The ultimate level of life is “Enlightenment.” This is attained when the individual can say, “Thou art that.” In other words, “I am the same as all this—that which surrounds me.”
     Morality for the pantheist is harmony. Respect for all things guides the pantheist. Karma is the ruling power or principle behind this morality. Karma is not a punishment, rather the universal principle of cause and effect which guides the re-incarnation process. Therefore, if one sows goodness they will in turn reap goodness.
     There exists in pantheistic belief of a hierarchy among all living things. We, therefore, bubble up from this great ocean (God) to either a higher or a lower form of life. This hierarchy is also expressed through India’s caste system—their social order.

PAN-EN-THEISM

     Pan-en-theism means “ALL in God.” Among those living in this universe are The American Indians, various Island cultures, many African peoples, ancient Egyptians, Old Testament Baal worshippers and modern pagans, just to name a few. Many American Indian cultures (such as, Cree, Iroquois, Huron, Navajo) are Pan-en-theists. In the Pantheist’s universe many gods exist in creation as well as transcendent from it.
     There are many gods. There are gods of nature, gods of each river and mountain and different lands. For example, the ancient Egyptians worshipped Isis and Osiris, the gods of the Nile. Although there are many gods or spirits in their universe, there is usually the belief in one “Great Spirit” as well. For example, the ancient Egyptians great god was Ra, the sun god. In the Old Testament the ten miracles of Moses were against the ten gods of Egypt. The final miracle was the “Passover” where the Hebrew God, YAHWEH, slew all the first born sons of Egypt, including the son of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Pharaoh’s son was regarded as the son of Ra. This tenth miracle was, in fact, an attack on Egypt’s greatest god—Ra.
     Pan-en-theists also believe in harmony with nature as do the Pantheists. Harmony is achieved through the appeasing of their gods. This is accomplished through either sacrifice or the giving of gifts. The priests, or shamans, work with these gods through various forms of magic and ritual.
     The use of magic is common with most forms of Pan-en-theists. These “Arts” are used to unleash of power of their gods or nature spirits. Through the use of their magic the practitioner attempts to control the world about them. Any use of magic is by definition an expression of the Pan-en-theistic worldview.
     The world of the Pan-en-theist is a spirit filled world. Not only is their world filled with the spirits of the gods, but it is also filled with the spirits of their ancestors and lost loved ones as well. Through the use of mediums contact can be made with all of these spirits.
     There is a continual interplay between mankind and all of these spirits in the spirit filled universe of the Pan-en-theist.

THEISM

     Theism is the universe of belief where God is the sole creator of all that exists. God is “HOLY,” that is—“Separate” from the stuff of creation. Before anything existed—there was God. If all were to cease existing, God would still exist. God is self-existent. Although God is “Separate” from all stuff, all stuff is dependent upon God for existence.
     Three major religions hold to the belief of theism: the Jews, Christians and Muslims. All three claim Abraham to be the father of their faith in this Almighty yet personal God.
     Theism maintains that God is the ultimate being and not mankind. Mankind serves God, as well as all of creation. God is knowable and through the written Scriptures mankind’s divinely given purpose can be discovered. The Jews look to the Torah (also the Christian Old Testament); the Christians look to the Holy Bible (Old and New Testaments); and the Muslims look to the Holy Qur’an as their Scriptures. The Scriptures define for these three the morality for living.
     In this universe God is in control and God’s WILL, will ultimately overrule all others. Those who live in this reality seek God’s will and align themselves with that will. The end does not justify the means in this universe. The “WAY” we achieve our “ENDS” are more important than the ends themselves. God determines the end—ultimately. God’s will be done! The “WAYS” are clearly stated in their Scriptures. All three of these faiths believe that God will one day judge all for the way we either walked with God or not in our lifetime. The theist is accountable to God.
     In this universe God interacts in the affairs of mankind and through prayer mankind can move the hand that moves the world. This too is God’s will. God is a personal God who desires a relationship with mankind. Many “holy” men and women have learned to walk closely with God throughout history. This interaction is further promoted by “Prophets” who speak for God.
     Humanity is more than the sum of their parts—all men and women possess spirits. Our spirits are made in the image of God and therefore possess infinite worth. Our spirits will live beyond the years of their fleshly temples. Our spirits will live on to eternity—life after life. God will determine where they live out eternity.


CONCLUSION

     These are the only four possible universes of belief that we can live in. There are no others. If anyone can think of another, please tell us. All of us live in one of these four and only one. By now the reader has most likely identified their universe. It is impossible to live in any two of them at the same time—they are mutually exclusive. Either we were all created, evolved or reincarnated—we cannot be a combination of these. God exists or God does not exist—both cannot be true. 

REALITY CHECK:   If only one universe is true, than the other three universes are false!


[1].  Sire, James W. The Universe Next Door. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, USA, 2009. This is an excellent book for further reading on this subject. Sire covers three universes in this work, while I add the fourth, Panentheism.