A Vision for Peace: One Family Under God

What Defines Our Common Humanity?

We All Have a Common Origin. God Allah Jehovah Common Origin Tao Yahweh Ultimate Reality Great Spirit

How Can We Learn About Our Common Origin? Study of religion, scripture and philosophy Common Origin Study of the natural world through science

Judaism The heavens are telling the glory of God; And the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Psalm 19.1

Christianity Ever since the creation of the world . . . his eternal power and deity has been perceived in the things that have been made. Romans 1.19-20

Islam There is no god but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Qur’an 2:255

Hinduism Eye cannot see him, nor words reveal him… When the mind is cleansed by the grace of wisdom He is seen by contemplation. Mundaka Unpanishad 3.1.8

Insights About God from Religion Creator of Heaven and Earth. The Ultimate Reality Source of truth, beauty, goodness, and peace Parental, loving heart

Artists Are Known through Their Work. David Creation of Adam Michelangelo

Insights About God from the Natural World God’s divine attributes Artist’s character (invisible) Works of art (visible) Creation Recognize the artist’s character through works Recognize God’s divine attributes through creation

Learning About God from the Natural World I see DNA … as God's language, and the elegance and complexity of our own bodies and the rest of nature as a reflection of God's plan. Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, USA

Universality of Masculinity and Femininity Man Woman Human beings Animals Male Female Plants Pistil Stamen Minerals Positivity Negativity Origin

Complementary Pairs

Universality of Internal Character/External Form Mind Body Human beings Animals Instinct Body Plants Form Inner nature Minerals Physical laws Matter Origin

What We Learn From the Natural World Nature exists in complementary pairs; therefore, the original source also has masculinity and femininity. In addition to complementary physical energies, there are complementary aspects of internal character and external form. There is ample scriptural back up for this point. Genesis talks of God creating man in his image, male and female he created them, and the animals go on the ark two by two, etc.

Integrating the Approaches to Knowledge The religious path to knowledge is by spiritual experience, prayer, meditation and intuition, while the scientific path is empirical. Integrated knowledge harmonizes various religious approaches as well as the different paths of religion and science. 17 17

Integrating the Approaches to Knowledge Science without religion is crippled, religion without science is blind. Albert Einstein 18 18

Integrating our Understanding Abrahamic faiths emphasize a God of character, who created humanity from Adam and Eve as one family. Far Eastern religions emphasize an original being of duality and harmony. 19 19

Integrating our Understanding Some scriptures refer to God as our common origin. All these insights can help us in our understanding of God. God can be understood as the Parent of all humanity. 20 20

Judaism Have we not one father? Has not one God made us all? Malachi 2:10 21 21

Christianity Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Matthew 6:9 22 22

Adi Granth, Majh M5 Sikhism Thou art Father, Mother, Friend, Brother. With Thee as succorer in all places, What fear have I? Adi Granth, Majh M5 23 23

Buddhism You men are all my children, And I am your Father. For age upon age, you Have been scorched by multitudinous woes, And I have saved you all. Lotus Sutra 3 24 24

One World Family Under God

God’s Purpose for Human Life We are one family under God. God wants and expects human beings to live in harmony and peace, and scriptures refer to this. God has a clear and consistent purpose for human beings that should guide our individual and common life.

The Basis for All Relationships: Cooperative Give and Take Action God Subject partner Giving Object partner Receiving Existence Development

Living for the Sake of Others Although God is the master and king of power, money, and material, He will not ask you to come to Him with these things. He would say that anyone can come to Him if they live for the sake of others. Sun Myung Moon We should some time with give and take action, showing how it applies to individuals, families, corporations, government, nations, pulling from that nice expansion in Level 4. The conclusion would indeed be living for others, but then again, living for others has its critics as well--I’m thinking of Ayn Rand and conservative thought in general that dismisses it as utopian and asks us to deal with human beings as we really are. And Adam Smith does a fine job of arguing that people living for themselves and their families will, with the godly social structure of free markets and limited government, live for others without intending to, and those who set out to intentionally live for others usually make a total mess of things.

God’s Original Blessing to Humanity Dimensions of Peace God’s Original Blessing to Humanity Be fruitful, multiply, and have dominion…. Judaism, Christianity Genesis 1:28

Achieve Individual Maturity Body Mind God Good Character Mind/body unity Growth in character Closeness to God 30 30

Establish a Family of True Love Wife Husband God Child God-centered marriage Devoted parents Godly children Harmonious families A peaceful world Family Nation World

Build an Ideal World Healthy environment Material prosperity for all Natural World Humans God Peace and Prosperity Healthy environment Material prosperity for all Science and technology benefit human beings and the natural world 32 32

God’s Original Ideal W H G C Obedience to God’s Word Spiritual Maturity Family Ideal Growing Period Obedience to God’s Word Original Ancestors 33

What is Success in Life? Family Character Be of benefit to others by words and example. Family Establish a marriage and family of true love Have a parental heart towards all. Environment Exercise good stewardship and dominion over nature. 34 34

The Spiritual Foundations of Leadership Next presentation: The Spiritual Foundations of Leadership