A New Faith for a New Era (Assuming I decide to take this seriously)

What is Rational Theism?
    In a nutshell, it is a new faith for a new era. An Abrahamic Monotheism which uses the Bible for context, and where we must operate within God's Unwritten Laws, the Laws of Nature. Those things which govern the universe and its function. We see Jesus as the embodyment of those laws, and our salvation from sins. And our intercessor. However, the goal of humanity is no longer to simply be forgiven our wrongs, but to discover and understand the Laws of physics and other scientific fields, and expand our knowledge, and to increase in virtue, and act on what of that knowledge is beneficial. And to live a virtuous life and do our best to worship our creator through study and exploration. Where the work we put our hands to is in rememberence of Him, it is worship. And that we work to advance until we reach out, and can live in the vast sky that our ancestors understood to be divine, and we can go there. We can live there. The light of foreign stars will someday warm our faces if we seek God through His Laws of Creation and the doing of good, and through kindness and empathy.

Natural, not Supernatural
    Everything religious has a natural mechanism. It may be initiated by God, but its mechanism of happening always falls within the rules of how the created universe works. Mt Sinai was most likely a volcano. The pillar of smoke by day and pillar of fire by night is only explainable by the eruption plume of a volcano. So the sandstone mountain that St Catherine's Monastery is on top of is almost certainly not the place. There are 2 volcanoes in Arabia that match the description in the Bible. I personally think the Badr Volcano is the most likely candidate because of the geography and it being next to a dry lake bed and a broad plain the Hebrews could have camped in, which is also the site of a battle. The most likely mt Ararat where Noah's ark came to rest is the island of Bahrain. Likewise, because a completely worldwide flood hasn't been evidenced in the geological record, but while people were living in a fertile valley, sea levels rose due to glacial melt and flooded the Persian gulf. And this triggered both the neolithic agricultural revolution and a bunch of migrations of farmers into Europe and Asia, and the sudden appearance of Sumerians in the archaeological record. Sea Levels Rising and Glacial Dams bursting all happened around the world so everywhere has a big flood story.

Delivery Boy Angst
    Where does this religion fit in? You may wonder this as you read. This is an Abrahamic Monotheism which uses the Bible as its primary text, but not recognized as scripture. Instead, it acts as context and history. It is up to the believer to decide what of it is good guidance and what is bronze or iron age assumptions and metaphors. This religion technically qualifies as Christianity under the definition in John 17:3, but in practice it is extremely different. Because we believe God and His laws and His path forward is self-evident in nature and available to all through learning, and engaging in good behaviors. So you could say we are post-millenialist post-apocalyptic Christians who believe in Apokatastasis, or you could say that, like how Christians began as Jews, we began as Christians and are different enough that we will eventually be considered separate. Except that I'm not special, so don't worship me. I make mistakes. I don't know everything. But I do experience the Divine in a physical and spiritual way more profoundly than others, and compared my experiences with other religious figures to arrive at the conclusion that were I in another context, I might be called a prophet, though that is a burden I didn't want. Though I don't have a choice in the matter. God chooses whom He will. There was a prophecy to that effect when I was a child, and I think about it sometimes, and in the past, I would try to figure out how I could avoid that outcome. I was told in the affirmative however. And I kind of have a feeling like Moses, of "But why me tho?" He has dragged me into it, and I'm finally too tired to try to deny it. He isolated me as though I had been swallowed by a whale until I agreed to deliver the message. So I guess I'm a prophet, but I don't like it or want it.

Miracles, Signs, and Wonders are just Applied Sciences
    Because of my visions, I believe that all signs and wonders have a rational explanation. That does not negate their origins as divine. It is only that the miracle operates within the confines of God's Natural Laws. The Rational Age has come, which allows humans access to knowledge which only God had before. Science is a miracle. Fertilizer is a Miracle. Medicine to heal your illness is a miracle. Knowledge of genetics is a miracle. Imagine you are an iron age desert nomad, and you woke up in the modern world one day. How do you explain a lightbulb to your family when you return? A magic lamp perhaps? A star in a glass bottle? Now imagine that God gave the required knowledge to Jesus at the wedding in Cana to mix roman grape syrup that was used as a sweetener with water to make wine, and everyone thought it was magic because they didn't understand how he did it. That is but one example. Ancient people lacked the knowledge to describe their world accurately. So when they write, we must be skeptical of their claims. What we are seeing is what they perceived with their limited knowledge and understanding, and then described using inadequate terminology. Anyone can turn water into wine using a fruit syrup and water and a source of yeast. Jesus said that those who came later would do greater miracles than he did. Has mankind not sent people to walk on the moon? Have we not discovered the beginning of creation and called it the big bang? Have we not uncovered some of the rules with which God created the universe we live in? Are we not now good at healing each other's ills when they are life-threatening? We have indeed worked greater miracles. And even old age will pass away in the world to come.

Christ and Antichrist
    Jesus being himself a physical manifestation of God's word and creative power had all the laws of the universe as his knowledge. While He did not know the mind of the creator, he did know how the universe worked. And Muhammad was the Antichrist who was preceded by Elkase who was a gnostic heretic of the Ebionites.

Symbols of the Ages
    First came the 6 pointed star of David, a symbol devised by the Jews. Then came the Cross and the Illumination of the Trinity. 7 points. Now is the era of the 8 Pointed Star, Which in the language of Abraham, was also the word for Sky or Heaven by their wedge writing. This represents the new Era. The 8 pointed Star which is drawn like a cross and a St Andrew Cross overlayed on it. The Muslims tried to claim the 7 points and 8 points with other symbols, but they followed falsehood and were astray very far.

Explanation of Judgement
    God brings Prosperity and Guidance to the Righteous, but Ruin to those in error, that they may see their errors more clearly and leave it behind. The Muslim lands are ruined by drought and mismanagement. They are not particularly skilled and everywhere where they attempt agriculture, the land is cursed until it is a desert by their violations of God's natural laws. When Libya was a Christian land, it was green and was abundant in wheat and sylphium herb, olives, figs, pomegranates, milk, and honey. Now it is barren sand. It was a sign for them which they did not pay heed to. Their only major export now is their people. Either as slaves or as desperate people crowding onto rafts in an attempt to cross the sea to Greece or Italy. The fact that they still have the institution of slavery there is an abomination. If you are a believer, and it is within your power, you must free the slaves if you meet them. Humans ought not bow to one-another, but only to God. The era of kings and slaves is over, and such things will pass away as a milestone of our progress. As Islam fades away, and religiosity dwindles, leaving remnants of the formerly rightly guided Zoroastrians, Jews, Buddhists, and Christians; it will become possible to beat the sword into agricultural tools and experience a world of peace and brotherhood and abundance. The current strife is but the last desperate gasps of a more violent age that is dying away. And a new world is being birthed. A post-scarcity, post-strife world is coming. And none can stop it. If you could see the bright faces of the farmers turning over the soil on an alien world, you would know it as deeply as I have felt it and seen it.

Parable of the Village
    The children of God are growing up. It is time we stood up. Enough crawling, we must walk. With walking comes stumbling, but we must still learn to stand on our own feet through learning. We learn from our mistakes, and so long as we learn, then there is no wasted effort or failure. We have not failed to find the way forward, we were successful in finding a way that did not work, and it's time to try again. God works through natural processes and according to the laws which He set down. Learning all these laws and processes will make us teenagers. And Science and Reason are the tools for that. I'm not a scientist, so defer to scientists in matters that are not religious. I have seen this explanation in a vision. When we are adults, we will be able to live on other worlds which are outside of our solar system. But first we must learn, and become good stewards of the home we are being raised in in our youth, and be good to our siblings. Our village is small, and there are other villages which we want to visit. But only adults can get to them. And children must be able to walk to reach the neighbor's home. So learn to walk. Go visit the neighbors. Visit Mars and Io, and Neptune. Visit the moon, and the Asteroid belt. Learn and grow to be able to visit other Star Systems.

Teaching on God's Mercy
    God is our parent, and loves us unconditionally. He is the All Loving, All Merciful. If you seek Him out, you will find Him. If you knock, He will answer. He is He who comforts the sad, supports the poor, and who carries you when you are tired. When you feel alone, know that He is close to you. Address Him by name in prayer, and you may speak with Him as you would speak to your parent. He is your comforter and guide. And He sent his Word into the womb of a woman, and the Word became flesh and dwelled with us, and carried the burden of our wrongs, that we might be forgiven. And all who ask sincerely, knowing what they have done, or asking even to be forgiven for that which they did not know of, or do not remember, all are forgiven who ask.

Teaching on Genetic Diversity
    Different varieties of plants and animals evolved or were bred for specific strengths and advantages and to mitigate problems over millions of years. Humans are not exempt from this adaptation because God is consistent. In places where food was abundant year round people evolved lower average abilities in long term planning and problem-solving. In places with less weather variation, people evolved to adapt to that specific climate. People living at high altitude for hundreds of years have larger lungs. Pastoralists, arctic nomads, and those living in places with abundant fruits will have different dietary needs and adaptations. Some arctic peoples can't digest vegetables. Some tropical peoples can't handle meat. That's okay. There's no one right way that is for everyone in terms of lifestyle and diet.And from a genetic perspective, children born of mixed race couples tend to be healthier and more resistant to diseases because of hybrid vigor. The same reason you cross 2 different heirloom tomato varieties to make a hybrid crop tomato that resists fungal diseases. Additionally, there is cultural hybridization which makes the children more psychologically adaptable in changing circumstances. There is a downside though, which is that in tomatoes, the flavor of a hybrid tends to lack depth, and in humans this happens as a loss of identity stability. There is a fix for both. The tomato can be improved by adding pomegranate molasses and chili peppers, or balsamic vinegar and basil, and the human should seek out good friends and a spouse who understands the complexity of their feelings.