The Road to Exaltation

Rocky Mountain National Park - Colorado

The Freedom to Pursue Gnosis

I hold strong to the belief that free agency is paramount to our pursuit of peace and happiness... not only in this life but forever.  I may sometimes adopt the absolutist’s speak when sharing my beliefs.  I am absolute but only in the limiting confines of my own faith and my own belief.  My thoughts are not intended to correct or challenge your viewpoint.  Their sole purpose is to share my perspective with you so that you may know and understand me.  It is all done in the spirit of mutual respect and a deep seated faith I have in pluralism.

In the context of faith, I define pluralism as a belief all humankind may and, more importantly, should worship how, where, and what they may. I rejoice in this.  May we celebrate our differences, acknowledge our similarities, learn from one another, and compete in good works.  I reject the hope or belief that one faith will someday become ubiquitous among us.

I reject it for one critical reason.  There is no meaningful choice in such a plan.  To be "meaningful," there needs to be far more choices than just those between right and wrong.  Without this choice, there is no reasoning out and no exercise of faith... and without those, there is no learning and no progression.  The Plan of Salvation collapses in on itself and existence becomes meaningless.

I consider it sinful to impede the process of self-discovery required for true spiritual progression by negating the thoughts, opinions, and beliefs of another in favor of our own.  Sharing is not an act of insistence.  The insistence that for me to be right all others who disagree must be wrong is shamefully erroneous in philosophical terms!  To dictate to others what they should or should not believe is an exercise in unrighteous dominion.  And to call another to repentance skirts blasphemy.

I have long hesitated to share my beliefs because of the language of faith I inherited... a language of absolutes is the language of sectarianism and orthodoxy.  It’s something I can not escape.  I have yet to learn to articulate any other way... I may never learn.  My sincerest apologies should I ever offend you or your cherished beliefs.  I know first hand the harm such a thing can inflict.