© Charles Chandler

 

Some have said that this system is clearly constructed in a mechanical fashion, and the way in which it was put together is described in detail. As such, it will never have the authenticity of truly inspired writings. If we were to say that these words were handed to us by God, they might be more awe-inspiring, but saying that this is what we believe, for the following practical reasons, makes it sound home-made, and as such, it is no match for the Word of God. In fact, some would argue that deliberately building a belief system with logic is blasphemy, and demonstrating that it was made by human hands proves that God had no part in it.

 

This is reasonable only if you assume that God is separate and distinct from us. If you believe that God is present in nature, and that knowing nature is knowing God, and if you observe that our growing understanding of nature is beginning to inform our understanding of ourselves, including the way we think, then God is not passing divinely inspired notes to us from the other side of the fence. Rather, there is no other side of the fence, and God is already among us, speaking directly to us. In fact, He is inside all of us. In other words...

 

question: Is this the work of God, or the work of humans?

 

answer: Yes.

 

We further believe that if understanding how something works reduces its appeal, it wasn't useful information anyway — it was just a magic trick. There was certainly a lot of magic in ancient spirituality, but that was never the good part. If this system is useful, it will persist, even without magic. And things that persist eventually gain the authenticity of longevity.