Essay for
January 2009

My God is better than your God

The statement 'my God is better than your God' is rarely, if ever, admitted to be the subliminal cornerstone of most doctrinal arguments between the various religions, or factions within a religion. It appears, and sounds, like a statement a child would make when arguing with another child about any number of 'mine is bigger and/or better than yours' things. Those 'mine is bigger and/or better than yours' statements are infantile opinions founded upon a variety of developmental needs, and one eventually grows beyond their childish limitations. However, does that childhood pattern ever leave us or are we doomed to continually repeat it within adulthood, but now with different information held within that pattern? Is this the same pattern that early religions used when confronted with a competing religion? Is the statement 'mine is bigger and/or better than yours' a subliminal pattern that has haunted civilization since its inception: destroying in the guise of preserving with humans becoming the cannon fodder of the pattern. Has our present-day civilization grown beyond that childish restrictive pattern or is it, and so us, still unknowingly subliminally bound by it?

Does that childhood subliminal pattern play any part in modern-day relationships, within religions, or international relations? On the surface that answer is 'of course not'; we are far more sophisticated and knowing to still be led by childhood patterns. However, if you dig to the bottom of a good percentage of arguments there you will discover that childhood pattern subliminally 'empty' and waiting to be filled with new information so it can play with you, and not you with it. It is simply a game of one-upmanship. However, since adults are playing it, it can have serious to devastating consequences. Check to see if you are still trapped within that subliminal pattern. You will discover that you can easily witness it in others, but can you see the pattern within yourself; and that seeing is sometimes revealed within the most mundane of acts or situations. When you witness that subliminal pattern functioning within, it can be a startling revelation, for you witness being trapped within an empty prison that is perpetually filled with childhood thoughts and actions that rule your daily life. Discovering the negative side of your inner-child may not be pleasant. However, the positive side is quite delightful.

The title of this little essay is 'My God is better than your God'. Religious intolerance is built upon that title. Warring factions within religions and nations have and are using it, but it will never be stated as such. Beyond all the anguishing physical and mental pain resulting from that title, the fact that it is a childhood subliminal pattern is never revealed. Children are limited as to the amount of damage they can cause, but adults are not. Consequently, the result of that title can be, and is, destroying the very thing religions and civilizations claim to be building. One would imagine that reasonable adults could see the damage they do to others by allowing this subliminal childhood pattern to rule their decisions and actions, but they cannot, as the pattern blinds and binds them.

Rather than trying to be tolerant, which means intolerance is suppressed but not dead, would it not be better to discover why the intolerance exists? If that occurred, and experienced with unguarded honesty, the childhood subliminal pattern of 'mine is bigger and/or better than yours' will be revealed as the foundation for that intolerance, for both sides. Then the issue becomes one of, 'can each overcome that childhood pattern'? This is where the best intentions can come unstuck as the subliminal pattern is discovered to be far stronger than first thought as it, again subliminally, forms part of what you take yourself to be. Letting go of the pattern, that you did not even recognize as having, is more difficult than imagined as you realize you also have to let go of some treasured security thought-forms that that pattern established. Figuratively, that realization cuts the legs from under you, exposing a good portion of your life as being led and fed by a childhood subliminal pattern. It can be experienced as if the earth upon which you are standing is suddenly gone, leaving you standing upon air. The foundation upon which you may have constructed your life has been seriously weakened, or possibly irrevocably fractured, leaving a gaping void that initially appears unable to be filled. That sense of 'emptiness' exists, not necessarily because of what was held as sacrosanct, but because the reason why it was so held is founded upon a childhood subliminal pattern. Meaning, normally the content is fine, but how you uphold that content needs serious evaluation, as it was constructed upon a childhood subliminal pattern and you are no longer a child but an adult. Coming to terms with that adulthood vision can be a trying affair as you may be willing to delve into how that early childhood subliminal pattern controlled, and is controlling your life, but others have no desire do so. This is where life becomes intensely interesting as you witness the problem and see all the damage it is causing, and will cause, but you cannot give your vision to another in a manner that will challenge his/her/their subliminal childhood pattern or patterns. That action will simply invoke an attack/defend response, as no matter what you say you are in some manner threatening his/her/their internal safety and security that was, and is, being supported by that subliminal pattern.

How then can individuals and societies engage in positively directed outcomes if some are ready and willing to undo their restrictive and subliminal early childhood patterns, and others are not? For those that do, life becomes far more involved as you are compelled to walk upon the invisible line between dualities, without the security of a net or even a tightrope. For those that do not, life will just continue as usual without realizing they are living in a prison while shouting, to all that will listen, that they are free and inviting others to come and join them. Inside the self-created prison it is secure and safe. Although darkness reigns supreme within those walls, the darkness is internally witnessed as light. If anyone attempts to diminish or eliminate that fictitious light, they will be harangued and rejected as themselves living in darkness. Such is the great difficulty of removing prison walls, allowing real light to enter the restrictive confines of self-created cells. The real confronts the false, and as the real has no limitations, the false is easily blinded by its luminescence, literally forcing those so blinded back into the safety and security of their cells to uphold the dim darkness as real and claim the brilliance of the real as false. Consequently, a frontal attack is self-defeating, and so that approach is eliminated.

After innumerable attempts to discover a practical method to expose that childhood subliminal pattern to others, you may finally conclude that the only change you can effect is within yourself. Any attempt to change another is just the old childhood subliminal pattern using its chameleon nature to change colors to look new, but is just the same old pattern in a new disguise. It is similar to painting a house, making it look new, but is still just the same old house under the new coat of paint. Ultimately, to avoid antagonizing the extremes of dualities, you will discover you must walk the invisible line between restriction/non-restriction or limitation/non-limitation without 'touching' either. How to do that is simultaneously simple and complex. Simple, as you merely have to overcome the childhood subliminal pattern of 'mine is bigger and/or better than yours'. Complex, as that pattern, potentially unbeknown to you, has created some of your most relied upon security and safety absolutes: physically, mentally, spiritually, and economically. The complexity arises when attempting to work with, or upon, each or all of those internally held safety and security absolutes: a process that never ends, as those absolutes are continually updated, revised and/or renewed.

The most secure method of walking the invisible line between dualities, without 'touching' either extreme, is to cut the root to the tree and the branches slowly die of their own accord. Meaning, first remove the childhood subliminal pattern from within yourself, allowing all your safety and security absolutes to discover their new level within the ocean of your existence. Then you will see how to remove it in others without inflaming an attack/defend or win/lose response. Then, at least, the result has an opportunity of succeeding.

Back to the title, 'My God is better than your God'. Individually and religiously, if you give restrictive belief its freedom then an unrestricted faith has the opportunity to develop and take its place: belief you must work at, whilst faith freely unveils itself. Belief is the doorway, but faith is what allows you to pass over the threshold of that open door. Within that revelation, an experiential direction is discoverable, indirectly removing restrictive subliminal childhood patterns. Meaning, develop a true unrestricted faith and everything else follows without any effort on your part. Does that mean an unrestricted faith of one religion is similar, or the same, as an unrestricted faith of another religion, and if so, what is all the hostility about? If the ultimate end of a faith of one is identical to the ultimate end of a faith of another, the squabbling is narrowed down to how to achieve the faith, which is what belief is better or more suited to achieve that end. This is where the ends join to form a circle that encompasses all methods that are safe and positively directed, or where the ends join to form a circle as a continuous pathway for never-ending conflict. And, no one can know that end, but you.

RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE