Unifying Spiritual Cooperation

Throughout our time here on the earth we have sought a spiritual connection. Religious people and institutions have best attempted to meet this need. However, numerous circumstances have resulted. Over  8 out of every 10 people here on earth are members of some sort of religion.

Unity, light, love, kindness, charity, prayer, meditations are common spiritual concepts.

There have been many positive and negative facets of world religions. However the ramifications of organized religions at times may diverge from spiritual teachings.

Honoring spiritual views have an important social, economic and moral role. At the same time due to the misuse of power by many religious instructions many conscious individuals may tend to mistrust or doubts these institutions.

What are the common spiritual beliefs that most humans can agree upon. Are there such a thing? Would this benefit us to share a more unified worldview? If we can agree on some basic principles would this help develop a world community?

Develop some type of basic moral consensus could maybe help best direct the nearly 7 billion people here today. Divergent worldviews, and polarized positions are not just costly but threaten collaboration to address our very future.

A strong set of common interests is paramount to plant seeds of hope for the next few generations. Population growth, climate change, war, global poverty, disease, food shortages are just a few of enormous challenges facing us.

Religion plays a pivotal role in addressing not just our evolution, however, very survival if you check with recent scientific information. Simple natural resource use and consumer growth are not ecologically viable.

Greater spiritual guidance to find purpose and happiness in a material world quickly spiraling out of control is vital. Existential despair and increased self destructive behavior needs to be better addressed from establish a more ethical cosmos.

Without enlightening teachings personal insights to transform one to higher levels of potential will not be developed. Religion has helped many find their way in dark times. Rituals help to people to awaken to the sacredness of all things. Promoting common spiritual themes could influence many to open their hearts and access a new dimension of their souls.

Faith based measures offer new community possibilities toward creating new enterprises to address societal challenges. However past religious history is filled with injustice, violence, ignorance and others that are contrary to their basic beliefs.

Religions engage people throughout this planet with a sense of meaning and are important. They help shape worldviews and what people's place and purpose. Besides creating strong social networks, these institutions have economic and cultural resources to influence people. Advocating for civil rights is just one example. The American revolutions were greatly assisted by our churches.

Two-thirds of today's populations are Hindus, Christians or Islamic. Upwards of 80 percent of us are religious and this social capital has extensive communications, information and community outreach. Over one-third of today's volunteers come from faith based organizations providing invaluable public services.

Presently western culture has been too successful in creating individualism.  We have created much separateness and a form of disconnection. We are losing our ability to socialize and create greater community.  One possibility to expand our social network is coops.  There are some 1000 rural electric coops, 3000 housing coops and 1000 pre-school cooperatives.  Some 6800 credit unions serve today have nearly 100 million members.  People coming together to resolve their problems form coops.  Coops act as socio-economic enterprises to help people's need for improved goods and services.  

Developing a common spiritual language does not mean a complete agreement on all terms. However, the agreeing on what we share in. What do we care for? What has common value for us all? Air, water, land, energy or whatever resources we use. Do not we also revere?

As our future shows limitations so will our need to be ingenious in how we all share the same things. From this experience we may learn how we similarity will benefit us all in better communicating our spiritual similarities rather than our differences.   Being kind, generous, tolerant, accepting, forgiving are virtues that unite not divide us as human beings.  Finding what we agree on and how we can better live together are in all our interest.