In one of his books, Huberto Rohden (1893-1981), pioneer of universalist spiritualism, Brazilian philosopher, theologian, educator, polymath and polyglot, wrote that: “Years ago when a large part of the clergy revolted against me and my books because they proclaimed Christ- redemption instead of clergy-redemption, someone told me that he expected me to become a new Martin Luther.
It is incredible the blindness of certain sectarians! As if the world needs a new theological reformer!
The human race does not need a new Luther, neither a new Thomas Aquinas nor a new Ignatius of Loyola - it needs men like Francis of Assisi, Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer, Ramana Maharshi, Yogananda and others who have had personal contact with God.
The spiritually evolved man has already convinced himself that redemption is not caused by external circumstances - just as sin has not come from outside, even though our medieval theologies, in the Atomic Age, still repeats this old illusion that man has made a sinner because of someone, and should be redeemed by someone.
But we know that from within man comes sin - and from within man also comes his redemption.
This “from within”, of course, has two meanings. Luciferlike intelligence is something within man; it is his tyrannical ego; it is not his true centre, his inner nature. The true centre of man is his inner Christ, the “spirit of God dwelling in man”, as Paul of Tarsus said, or “The kingdom of God in man”, according to the words of Jesus. According to Tertullian (c.160-c.220? AD), prolific author and apologist of the early phases of Christianity, writing that the “human soul is Christlike by its very nature”.
Man cannot be redeemed by external forces, nor ego-redeemed, but self-redeemed, for this self-redemption is Christ-redemption, Theo-redemption.
By obedience to the intellectual ego, man becomes a sinner; similarly, man becomes redeemed by obedience to the spiritual Self.
The Sermon on the Mount is the Magna Carta of man's self-redemption through his inner Christ.
Pope, Bible, Reincarnation - the mass of humanity is awaiting redemption from these external factors, subject to something not part of the normal or known laws. However, the spiritually evolved man expects redemption only by awakening God's spirit in himself, which is an autonomous redemption.
He who sees “pride and presumption” in this self-redemption shows that he has not comprehended the truth continues to identify the human and sinful ego with his divine and redeeming Self. Pride and presumption exist only in the ego - but not in the Christlike Self of man since this Self is the spirit of God dwelling in him.”
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Below is the first and last paragraph of a lecture given by Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965), in October 1934 at Manchester College, Oxford, England, on the subject: “Religion in Modern Civilization”, where this brilliant humanist theologian, visualized in the future, the true communion between God and man, as a prelude to self-realization.
“I am going to discuss religion in the spiritual life and civilization of our time. The first question to be faced, therefore, is: Is religion a force in the spiritual life in our age? And I answer in your name, and mine, that no! There is, however, a longing for religion among many who no longer belong to the churches. I rejoice to concede this. And yet, we must hold fast to the fact that religion (the church) is not a force. The proof? The war ...
We wander in darkness now, but one with another, we all have the conviction that we are advancing to the light; in that, again, a time will come when religion and ethical thinking will unite. This we believe and hope and work for it, maintaining the belief that if we make ethical ideals active in our lives, then the time will come when people will do the same. Let us look toward the light and comfort ourselves in reflecting on what thinking is preparing for us.”
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