THE NEED FOR A NEW “EIGHTH PARADIGM” THEOLOGICAL WORLDVIEW
The theology of any given human worldview plays a central role as the purveyor of a set of beliefs concerning what goes on outside of the physical parameters of our universe. These beliefs coalesce into the pillar beliefs of any world view: cosmology, teleology, ontology, and epistemology.
These pillar beliefs undergo a radical change as a direct result of the discovery of the fact that we are not the only intelligent and technologically advanced species. Indeed we may well be less evolved intellectually, technologically, and spiritually than other species in our own galaxy.
The resulting mode of ethical reasoning that results from these pillar beliefs occasions the development of new philosophical and theological systems. This new theology will, necessarily, require a new ministry to spread the details of this new set of perspectives about our species and our place in the galaxy and the wider universe.
We can expect all of the current traditional modes of spiritual practice will try to accommodate this new post-contact reality. However, the radical transformation of all areas of human endeavor and knowledge will require a new internally consistent theological framework consistent with the Eighth Paradigm world view.
1. Current Theologies Cannot Be Adapted Well
The current traditional modes of spiritual practice, as institutions, will try to amend their traditional theologies to try to include these radically new aspects of reality. However, the new human culture that will be generated by the integration of the key aspects of these two major alterations in our human reality in the 21st century into all of the disparate fields of human knowledge calls for the formulation of a new and thoroughly self-consistent world view with its own unique theology.
2. The Need to Start Now
In order to avoid having our human theologies swept aside or subsumed into an extraterrestrial one, then we need to begin to develop the specifics of a new theology which assumes that we are not necessarily the central focus of the unfolding of the cosmos.
3. Setting the Stage for Disclosure
Once we show political and religious leaders that there is a way to adjust our own secular and spiritual worldviews to accommodate the scientific insights of quantum mechanics and other intelligent life forms, we can create a climate for disclosure of the contact information they may have. Without our initiative, these leaders will try to create a new worldview that saves current institutions and their prerogatives.
4. Creating More Accountable Institutions
The creation of our own secular and spiritual post-contact worldview can give humans a central position of importance and political leverage regarding communication with extra-terrestrials. Without our initiative the information channels will continue to be controlled by elites and used to protect their current status.
5. The Need for An Outreach Ministry
We need to establish an active outreach ministry which is organized and dedicated to preparing the way for first contact or its announcement. This will minimize or at least cushion the shock of this event on our political and religious structures and human culture. By preparing for this inter-stellar encounter, we should decrease the need for any attempt to hide or manipulate this event by those in a position to do so. In addition we hope to create an environment that is not hostile so that there will be no attempt to stave off contact.
6. Readiness for Contact
Our work to develop and spread the Post-Contact Eighth Paradigm world view has the possibility to show intelligent extra-terrestrial life forms that we are preparing for contact in a way to reduce hostility and fear.
7. The Most Important Reason
The most important reason why we need a new post contact “Eighth Paradigm” worldview is to motivate those who do believe that there is a very real spiritual dimension to reality to work out the very best reasons why people should not lose faith in the cosmic role and importance of the human species. This will be even more critical if we encounter intelligent life forms which are significantly more evolved than we are.
8. A Cosmic Theology
In the unlikely event that the extra-terrestrials we encounter do not have a theology, we will need a cosmic or non-homo sapiens centered theology to share with them. Otherwise we will not have a theology to share with them which will have any relevance to them. Their lack of a theology could lead humans to view this other species as inferior and to create a climate of hostility with potentially violent repercussions.
9. A Good Thing to Do in Any Event
The creation and spread of a cosmic theology which is not focused exclusively on humans will be a positive step forward for humanity. We can develop a better sense of what is true. We can develop a notion human spirituality from a fresh perspective, freed from perspectives and formulations of the distant past in which we are still largely ensnared.
Clearly, a wooden casting off of all such traditional antecedents would be unwise since we could throw out “the baby with the bathwater.” Although, this is a task that will take a lot of effort, the development of a theological construct which allows for and assumes the presence of other intelligent life forms, it is a valuable undertaking in its own right regardless of when we may encounter others from across the stars.
10. Improving Our Standing in the Cosmos
One of the best reasons for developing an Eighth Paradigm theology and spirituality is to show other intelligent life forms, when we encounter them, that we have some level of sophistication. In short, we can show, that we are not primitives and that we articulate a view of the cosmos that includes other intelligent life forms.
The Role of the New Paradigm Institute
While it is understandable that, upon the first publicly confirmed contact with extra- terrestrials, attention will turn immediately to the question of what steps will have to be undertaken by governmental officials to responsibly respond to this extraordinary event. Another portion of our human family will have to address the social, psychological, philosophical and theological impact that this extraordinary event is going to have on our planetary society in order to sway the governmental response in a positive direction. Indeed, it is very possible that it will become necessary to have this latter popular response drive our government’s response away from a direction than they might otherwise be inclined to undertake pursuant to their own instincts.
Who Will Undertake This Task?
The public statement issued by The Catholic Church in October of 2009 provides some grounds for hope that the institutional churches within our human culture might mobilize in time to undertake this important service to our human family. However, the history of churches and religious organizations over the centuries is not encouraging. Indeed, specific overtures made to the institutional churches within the past two decades to begin to responsibly plan for and prepare for this experience have not been well received. This raises the distinct likelihood that our current religious institutions will not adequately prepare our human family for first contact. They are unlikely to educate or mobilize their members and a critical mass of humanity to take the steps necessary to influence military and political institutions to handle first encounter in a more supple and intelligent manner
Therefore, some other, appropriately sophisticated, UFO-aware, philosophical and theological human movement must provide both a stimulus and a vehicle for the necessary philosophical and theological discussions. This discussion will have to be generated and undertaken among our civilian population in order to provide the positive motive force that will be necessary to stop our political and military institutions from reacting inappropriately to this inter-stellar encounter.
Might not this service be most-responsibly provided by the International UFO Congress Community?