Bob Schwartz

The point of all religions and spiritual traditions is to have us see and hear openly and clearly.

At times, some have seen and heard openly and clearly. When they have, they may have taken it upon themselves to help others do the same, realizing that this would be of general benefit and would reduce general malificence.

How they did that is how we have ended up with an overwhelming set of different traditions. Stories, texts, practices, philosophies, on and on. So much so that experts ancient and modern sometimes miss or avoid the point, some out of selfish expediency, many out of good intent but occasional incomplete understanding. Some have gotten the point and try to refocus our attention on it. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t.

When people see and hear openly and clearly, they see and hear themselves and everyone and everything in the best possible way. Things will not immediately or ever be perfect. They can’t. But things will be better.

Every word in the Bible, whichever version old or new, was meant and is meant to reach this point. The connection isn’t always obvious. Some direct and didactic guidance and teaching is not exactly beside the point, since it is apparently aimed at making us better people who are better together. Still that is not quite there. Then there are the stories that defy interpretation as making things and us better, though interpreters try. Again, the point remains, even if more obscure.

Whatever your tradition or philosophy, you can trace it back to someone who saw and heard openly and clearly, and whose followers tried as best they could to perpetuate it effectively, sometimes keeping the point, sometimes losing the point.

The good news is that each of us can dedicate ourselves, within and without those traditions, to the point. Once there, as the progenitors knew, better is on the way.

© 2026 Bob Schwartz