https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FDCRS6WP/
What inspired you to write Essentia
and explore the idea of a personal path to God?
Religion is supposed to bring unity and love, but it commonly brings
division and hatred. It’s supposed to “melt” the primitive tribalism we all
have, but curiously, it only strengthens it. We usually fight for the minimum
we disagree with instead of uniting for the majority that we agree upon. We are
far from stopping being a belligerent species, but I think we can stop killing
in the name of God. Writing this book to me represents an attempt to achieve
unity and tolerance without necessarily changing any of our beliefs. It's
something I call "social consensualism" and
"meta-constructivism"; we have to live together in the best possible
constructive way. Much like my previous
work, "The Sovereign Perspective: Unity Solutions in Times of
Unprecedented Division," I am driven by a fervent desire to confront and
overcome the forces of division, tribalism, ignorance, and what German
Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer called “stupidity”.
You mention that faith should come after reason and questioning. Can you
explain why?
I noticed that people processed religion cognitively differently than any
other subject. People subvert entirely the order of things. Faith is supposed
to be the last step after all the scientific and logical means are exhausted.
But people do the opposite; people believe first and then try to justify
everything to prove their faith, even terrible things like genocide.
How does Essentia challenge
traditional religious dogma or certainty?
Essentia provides practical tools to help you apply to your faith. There is no right or wrong as long as you draw conclusions using the method provided. You don't need to change any of your beliefs; simply test them through the five steps. It's ironic that religion is one of the least provable aspects of life, yet it often requires the least amount of evidence. Religion plays a significant role in our daily lives and even in politics. I strongly believe that if there is a God, He or She has endowed us with rational minds for our benefit. While faith is essential because we cannot explain everything through science and logic, it should be the final step in our understanding.