Why Are We Created

Rating:
Summary: Making Sense of Spirituality
Review: REEVIEW OF; "WHY ARE WE CREATED," BY Sir John Templeton and Rebekah Alezander Dunlap.

This is a valuable book, a small one of less than 150 pages, it is packed with seemingly unanserable questions over which we may ponder, yet with many suggested pathways our thought processes might follow.

There is much to be gained by pondering these questions, which makes the work far greater than its lack of bulk. It is a book about human potential, which builds evidence of humanity possessing a "Splendor that can Shine," as potential already achieved.

The language gets lyrical, even within the introduction, talking about humans possessing , "The ability to choose to move to a higher spiritual level of consciousness...", (my italics,). It speaks of, "A divine intelligence flowing through all of us," and offers guidance on living this potential. It states, "As we begin to elevate the thoughts, feelings, and actions of daily decision making in our individual lives, surely we will be making progress on the path of the sacred quest for all of humanity."

The book draws material from all major religions, and attempts as broad a sweep as possible to avoid seeming to favor any one path or philosophy. When posing the question about some creative source of the universe, it does lean toward a positive assumption to give life and meaning to the questioning process. Then poses a further question, "Has our human concept of this creative source been too small?"

Much of the book hints at knowledge beyond our understanding, and things that are unseen being much more than that which is seen. This offers the reader a major puzzle to ponder, for if a thing lies beyond our ability to understand it, what might that thing mean to us?

Living life with a purpose is a major theme in the myriad of questions populating the pages. It makes the statement that "The most fascinating phase of the human journey is its spiritual development," and then adds that, "Purpose is already there within us...waiting to be discovered."

One major theme in the book has to do with a person having the opportunity to feel part of a vast cosmic experiment, one encompassing all of creation, including themselves, just by being alive.

If giving reasons for a person to live a spiritual life makes this a religious book, then it is one of the most religious books I have ever read. It states, "What we are is the creator's gift to us. What we may become is our gift to the creator." It then adds, "The person who is willing to say 'yes' to experience is the person who often discovers new frontiers."

I personally found the concluding pages of the book to be a challenging summary of the material, and the many questions posed within. It is a book for the 21st century. The book urges a synthesis of the main themes within all major religions to be a new understanding for the 21st century human. One that will better equip that human to answer the primary question that is the title of the book, "Why Are We Created."