On Wed, 08 Jun 2005 19:41:17 +0100, Martin Willett
<mwillett.org@invalid.invalid> wrote:

< Believing in any religion is illogical 
<and unscientific,

THE  NATURE OF RELIGION

Religion as a human experience, ranges from the primitive fear
slavery of the evolving savage up to the sublime and magnificent
faith liberty of those civilized mortals who are superbly
conscious sharing life with the  spirit called God.
Religion is the ancestor of the advanced ethics and morals of
progressive social evolution. But religion, as such, is not merely
a moral movement, albeit the outward and social manifestations
of religion are mightily influenced by the ethical and moral
momentum of human society. Always is religion the inspiration
of man's evolving nature, but it is not the secret of that evolution.
Religion, the conviction-faith of the personality, can always
triumph over the superficially contradictory logic of despair born
in the unbelieving material mind. 

There really is a true and genuine inner voice, that "true light" 
which lights every man who comes into the world.  

And this spirit leading is distinct from the ethical prompting 
of human conscience. The feeling of religious assurance is 
more than an emotional feeling. The assurance of religion 
transcends the reason of the mind even the logic of philosophy.
 

  TRUE RELIGION

True religion is not a system of philosophic belief which can
be reasoned out and substantiated by natural proofs, neither is it
a fantastic and mystic experience of indescribable feelings of
ecstasy which can be enjoyed only by the romantic devotees of
mysticism. Religion is not the product of reason, but viewed
from within, it is altogether reasonable. Religion is not derived
from the logic of human philosophy, but as a mortal experience
it is altogether logical. Religion is the experiencing of divinity in
the consciousness of a moral being ; it represents true experience 
with eternal realities in time, the realization of spiritual 
satisfactions while yet in the flesh.

 Christ has no special mechanism through which to gain
self-expression; there is no mystic religious faculty for the
reception or expression of religious emotions, These experiences
are made available through the naturally ordained mechanisms of
mortal mind. 
The divine spirit makes contact with mortal man; not by feelings
or emotions, but in the realm of the highest and most
spiritualized thinking. It is your Thoughts that take you there.
Feelings and emotion are pleasant but can be distracting. Follow
your mind and expedience the emotion but do not follow the
emotion or let it lead the mind. 

Christ's high standards of spiritual living And his controlled
enthusiasm is contagious, and his associates were constrained to
share his divine optimism.
This man of Galilee was not a man of sorrows; he was a soul
of gladness. Always was he saying, "Rejoice and be exceedingly
glad." But when duty required, he was willing to walk
courageously through the "valley of the shadow of death." He
was gladsome but at the same time humble.
His courage was equaled only by his patience. When pressed
to act prematurely, he would only reply, "My hour has not yet
come." He was never in a hurry; his composure was sublime.
But he was often indignant at evil. He was often mightily moved
to resist that which was inimical to the welfare of the people on
earth. But his indignation against evil never led to anger.
His courage was magnificent, but he was never foolhardy. His
watchword was, "Fear not," His bravery was lofty and his
courage often heroic. But his courage was linked with discretion
and controlled by reason. It was courage born of faith, not the
recklessness of blind presumption. He was truly brave but never
audacious.
Christ was a pattern of reverence. The prayer of even his
youth began, "Out Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your
name." He was even respectful of the faulty worship of his
fellows. But this did not deter him from making attacks on
religious traditions or assaulting errors of human belief. He was
reverential of true holiness, and yet he could justly appeal to his
fellows, saying, "Who among you convicts me of sin?"
Jesus was great because he was good, and yet he fraternized
with the criminals. He was gentle and unassuming in his personal
life, and yet he was the perfected man of a universe. His
associates called him Master unbidden. 

(Unbidden; not commanded; spontaneous; not asked or
 summoned.)

Jesus was the perfectly unified human personality. And today,
as in Galilee he continues to unify mortal experience and to
co-ordinate human endeavors. He unifies life, ennobles
character, and simplifies experience. He enters the human mind
to elevate, transform, and transfigure it. It is literally true. "If
any man has Christ Jesus within him, he is a new creature;
old things are passing away; behold, all things are
becoming new." 
One is filled with understanding, love and compassion.

.