Any publishers out their? How about Free Thinkers?

[Quixote1818]

The following is a book I am working on about free thought and religion. If their are any publishers out their interested feel free to drop me a note. I am posting only the first chapter and please note this book is far from finished. Anyone interested in the rest of the book drop me an e-mail at [e-mail]



Spiritual But Not Religious!



Table of Contents



Chapter 1. The Sacred Soul

Chapter 2. Reason vs. Revealed Religion

Chapter 3. From Enlightenment to Transcendentalism – Rational vs. Intuitive.

Chapter 4. Existentialism – Moral individualism

Chapter 5. Free Thought and Ethics – How do we decide what’s right and what is wrong?


Chapter 6. Finding your own unique spiritual journey.

Chapter 7. A World Utopia - Is it possible?

Chapter 8. Quotes that Support Religious Freedom and Free Thought.



Chapter 1. The Sacred Soul

"Why should not we have a poetry and philosophy of insight and not of tradition, and a religion by revelation to us, and not the history of theirs?" Ralph Waldo Emerson

Recently there has been a surge of people finding spirituality not through organized religion but by their own individual connection to the Universe or God. Free thinking people who have found meaning not in one religion but perhaps many. They take ideas that lift their soul and discard the ideas that that go against their moral compass or common sense and ability to reason. God gave humankind the gift of reason, the gift of intuition, the gift of inspiration. Why waste such a magnificent gift?


“Theirs a heaven on earth that so few ever find,
Though the maps in your soul and the road’s in your mind”
Dan Fogelberg, The Wild Places

There is much debate as to what the best path to religious truth is. A question just as important but virtually untouched in American society is “Should we indoctrinate our children with our own beliefs or should we encourage them to take their own spiritual path”? Society has made it socially acceptable and even encourages parents to indoctrinate their children. But is society right? Is it selfish, irresponsible and detrimental to the spiritual and personal development of a child to force only one religion upon an immature and impressionable mind? And if a child is not indoctrinated then where will they learn morals and the difference between right and wrong? On the other hand does organized religion really have a corner on morality? History has shown in fact that organized religions have always been behind the curve when it comes to moral transformation in society. Organized religions were behind on slavery, on women’s rights, on racial issues, gay rights and on scientific discoveries beneficial to the well being of mankind. With such a bad track record it leads one to think revealed religions have been founded upon faulty truths. It is possible that when a child is indoctrinated at an early age they never were aloud to develop naturally into the person nature intended them be. They never learned how to be skeptical and seek other sources of knowledge and inspiration. They became afraid to use their conscience and heart to make moral decisions that were in conflict with their religious teachings. They never found their own unique spiritual connection to God and the Universe.

“I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson the author of the Virginia Bill for Religious Freedom a blue print for the First Amendment of our Constitution dedicated his life to freeing the human spirit. Jefferson was convinced that religion was essentially a private affair between each person and his/her god. He believed that a person’s religion was so absolutely sacred that it should never be tampered with. Spirituality is a person’s connection to eternity and the most defining element of individuality. Personal belief is the one thing that truly defines who we are and what we stand for. A free mind is the ultimate freedom endowed by Natural Law and the cornerstone of our Constitution!


“Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because if there be one, he must more approve the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.” Thomas Jefferson advised one of his nephews in the course of a disquisition on religious education.

The Religious beliefs of Thomas Jefferson are a perfect example of a person who discovered meaning and spirituality in his own very unique way. One might argue that Thomas Jefferson was not perfect and therefore finding ones own unique spirituality does not work or leads to imperfection. He certainly was not perfect however he was also heavily influenced by the values and beliefs that he was brought up with and he was human. The real test in my opinion is the fruits of his ideas and the fruits have helped build the greatest nation on earth. A nation rich in creativity and a nation more spiritual than most theocracies. A nation where religious persecution is almost non-existent and people of many different faiths live peacefully side-by-side.

"May it be to the world, what I believe it will be (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all), the signal of arousing men to burst the chains under which monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves." (regarding the American Revolution) Thomas Jefferson

So what did Thomas Jefferson believe when it came to his spirituality? These beliefs are in no way meant to sway people one way or another they are simply and example of how one person could take many different ideas and build his own very personal spirituality unlike any others. In the book Jefferson and Religion by Eugene R. Sheridan, Jefferson’s beliefs are summed up in this way: “Jefferson’s demythologized version of Christianity, like so many other aspects of his life and thought, resists easy historical categories. It was anti-Trinitarian in its concept of God, Christian in its acceptance of the morality of Jesus, skeptical in its rejection of biblical revelation and church dogma, deistic in its conviction that the clergy had deliberately corrupted the pure doctrines of Jesus to serve their selfish purposes, rationalistic in its assumption that human reason was the only valid source of religious truth, and humanistic in its equation of religion with morality. In the end Jefferson probably best described his peculiarly eclectic faith when he observed of himself: “I am of a sect by myself, as far as I know.”

"The University will be based on the illimitable freedom of the human mind for here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it." Thomas Jefferson on the founding of the University of Virginia


Through Jefferson’s unorthodox spiritual beliefs he uncovered some important truths for the world. He discovered that by freeing the human mind a nation could rise above all others. He discovered that people of all faiths could live together in peace and that people would still seek spirituality without coercion from the government. Eventually Jefferson’s ideas would lead to the abolishment of slavery and pave the way for women’s rights and the beginnings of racial harmony. Abraham Lincoln who idolized Jefferson wrote, “The principles of Jefferson are the definitions and axioms of free society.” The ideas of a man who was not religious but rather found his own spirituality changed the world for the better. He impacted the lives of billions in a positive way. Most importantly he gave us the freedom to find our own spiritual path, he gave us the freedom to become who we were meant to be.

Because of religious bondage millions of people through out history have been tortured, beheaded, hanged, drawn and quartered, burned at the stake, sacrificed, drowned, stoned and buried alive. New World Christians snatched Africans from their huts and shipped them in chains to America, bought and sold them as livestock, murdered, lynched, flayed and raped them and fought for the right to do so. Religious wars have lead to brutality and death for thousands of years. Because of the power of organized religion loyal adherents have for more than a millennium sailed the globe seeking riches, laying waste the land and nullifying the cultures of native peoples. Because of religious bondage women have been burnt alive for keeping cats as pets, undressing, enjoying sex, speaking out, dancing, showing their faces, refusing to marry, failing to love god, wearing a hat, not wearing a hat, missing church and the list goes on. Why? Because many of these dominate religions had captured the minds of any number of societies. Religious bondage has stifled creativity, crippled scientific discovery and caused billions to feel guilty for simply thinking independently. People in power have had domain over the masses and control over the individual’s soul. Children have been taken at an impressionable age and their thoughts molded into believing what others felt they should believe. Literally thousands of different religions have been born and died while a few have taken root and still today mold people and pressure them to conform to beliefs they were told to conform to. Certainly many very good things have come from organized religions as well but a bloody history probably means a bloody future for the world. So perhaps it is time to move forward and find new ways of thinking, new ways to find truth and new ways for society to embrace free thought and modern thinking.

"This I believe:
That the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world.
And this I would fight for:
The freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected.
And this I must fight against:
Any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual."
John Steinbeck

One might wonder where we might be if the human mind had been free throughout history. Free to search the vast cosmos and abstract structure of our surroundings for any multitudes of magical wonders that may be hidden in the magnificent framework of our Universe. Where might morality be if the power of the church had not been their to condone slavery, de-value women and those of different colors and languages? Where might scientific discovery be if the church had not stifled the multitude of ideas once thought absurd and now known simply as fact. If there is a God who is perfect isn’t it reasonable to believe that such an awesome, being has always been accessible through inspirational thought and sacred prayer?

So often these days our Government is bogged down with ridiculous issues such as sodomy laws and gay marriage. Why? Because the Bible a two thousand year old outdated relic tells us what to believe on these issues. In other words we are supposed to believe that God doesn’t think we are smart enough to discover moral truths on our own so we must go to a book to get the truth. What this does is stifle critical thinking and prevents people from using their own mind and conscience to decide what they really think is the right thing to do in any given set of circumstances. These circumstances may vary widely depending upon culture, human nature, history and a number of other factors. We live in a very complicated world that is always changing.

"Whatever there is of God and goodness in the universe, it must work itself out and express itself through us. We cannot stand aside and let God do it." Albert Einstein

I believe we have entered a new time where individual thinking and spiritual growth will become the cornerstone and model of a truly free society. People should be encouraged to find their own spiritual path and tap into the mysteries of the universe in their own very personal way. Parents should stop indoctrinating their children but instead teach them about all religions and encourage them to be skeptical and seek as much knowledge as possible before defining their spirituality. When this happens around the world I believe on a massive scale we will see a tidal wave of creative thought, an explosion of new discoveries, the end of prejudice, and for the first time ever, the beginning of world peace.

Send me an e-mail if you want to see the rest: [e-mail]

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Free Thinker checking in.

Are you finished with your research? If not, then I recommend you look into The Humanist Manifesto I & II and religious humanism (as opposed to secular humanism). There is discussion of spirituality without religious dogma.

I almost forgot. Ethical culture and unitarianism might be good sources of information as well.

Your work looks good so far.

[Quixote1818]

2. I am never finished with research. I learn something new every day.

I have no formal training in history or philosophy. My learning is mostly from books and reading articles on the Internet. I still have a lot to learn and the book could be very different when it is completely done. Thanks for your words.