Are organizations or movements driven by ideological beliefs usefully described as psychic prisons? (1). How beneficial or otherwise are religious beliefs in a work context?
Beliefs are shaped by what we know or perceive from evidence and experience. But how true are they? The chained inhabitants in Plato’s allegorical cave saw only the shadows of real life that cast them. What can we really rely on?
Knowledge now extends to a more intricate understanding of the mechanisms by which the Universe exists physically. Observations at the astronomical and particle extremes can validate ever evolving mathematical constructs. (Although we may need a particle accelerator with a diameter as great as the orbit of planet Pluto in order to develop the energy to probe matter’s secrets thoroughly.)
Yet, such advances fail to address questions about life’s purpose and the manifestation in people’s lives of extra-terrestrial or “spiritual” experience. So a continuing respect for beliefs shaped over millennia and based on observation is called for.
And what a rich heritage that is. For example, consider the following repeating elements (2):-
Creation myths
Hesiod’s account in The Theogony provided in the 8th century BC the earliest coherent account of how (for the classical Greeks and Romans) the cosmos, the gods, and mortals evolved out of an enormous shapeless darkness he called Chaos. In Japanese mythology, a similar spontaneous evolution from chaos represented this time the universe as a fluid, seething mass in the shape of a giant egg.
God – Kings
The ultimate evolution of Ancient Egypt’s belief system was the principle of divine kingship. Pharaohs were thought to be descended from the gods and so linked with land, people, and universal deities that there was no separate word to denote religion. There was also procreation between a God (Khaum) and a human (Queen Mutemwiya, mother of Pharaoh Amentcotep III.) The Christian story of the virgin birth describes another supernatural event and the emergence of Jesus the Nazarene to be the Son of God, followed centuries later by the belief in the Divine right of kings.
Beginning of evil
The Judeo-Christian story of Eve eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge (an act forbidden by God) can be contrasted with the foolish and alluring Pandora who stupidly opened a pot (Pandora’s Box) against Zeus’ orders, out of which flew the miseries that afflict humanity, with only hope remaining inside it.
The flood
The story of a destructive flood that leaves the earth ready for repopulation is one of the most common myths in cultures around the globe.
With such a diversity of human beliefs and experience to call upon, should tolerance of each other be more widespread? Is it not presumptuous of any one faith tradition to claim exclusive agency over the others or, in the extreme, exert evil in the world and relish public justification for evil actions?
As to the former, it is argued (3) that the Bible contains little that is original and is based on recurring motifs and themes from earlier times including a recycling of a “Jesus archetype” and thus no claim to exclusive agency (although this will be qualified strongly in a subsequent post.) And although Islam claims priority over other Abrahamic derivatives because it is the most recent manifestation of a monotheistic God’s message, the human challenge to “collect” The Qur’an from several versions existing during the Caliphate of ‘Uthman (4) is reminiscent of the much longer period to complete the Christian scriptures.
So, if Pandora’s Box is a process that, once activated, will unleash many unmanageable problems, fuelled by the ills of mankind, how can Hope which in mythology remains in the Box be manifest?
To conclude, let us consider positive action and focus on creativity and innovation in thought and action. The following table presents from a selection of belief systems, ancient and modern, pertinent encapsulations of the creativity theme.
How do we build on this?
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| Table 1 |
Should we?
Abbreviated references.
(1) Morgan, “Images of organization,” Sage, 1997.
(2) Extracts from Littleton, “Mythology,” Duncan Baird, 2002.
(3) BBC broadcast (March 2016). (https://www.dropbox.com/s/0mm71zidy0gv4qp/Mythology_Bible.mp3?dl=0 )
(4) Esack, “The Qur’an,” Oneworld, 2012.
Composed by Metisa .... www.metisa.net
Published on LinkedIn at
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/beliefs-pandoras-box-repeating-elements-david-meggitt?published=t
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