For some time, I have been talking and writing about the “Trickle Down Deity Theory.” For those who are hearing this term for the first time, the Trickle Down Deity Theory postulates that every social ill flows from a culture’s religious belief system. In short, faulty theism perpetuates a lack of personal spiritual awareness, which then leads to such front line symptoms as poverty, bigotry, addiction, apathy, mental disorders, and religious fundamentalism. 

The Trickle Down Deity Theory becomes obvious, once you realize that humanity has passed through four grand stages of spiritual development, and that we currently are in the midst of a fifth major shift. 

First Spiritual Paradigm:              All is One                                            circa 14 billion B.C.E. (pre-Big Bang)

Second Spiritual Paradigm:        Era of the Great Mother                    circa 25,000 B.C.E.– 5000 B.C.E.

Third Spiritual Paradigm:             Era of Gods and Goddesses         circa 5000 B.C.E.– 50 C.E.

Fourth Spiritual Paradigm:           Era of God the Father                      circa 50 C.E.– present

Fifth Spiritual Paradigm:               Epoch of Enlightenment                 soon, hopefully! 

Each of these stages of our religious history produced a different view of the Godhead, which in turn produced a new set of cultural problems. For example, the masculine God of the current paradigm – God the Father (and God the Son in the case of Christianity) – has resulted in all manner of mayhem for women. Indeed, many of my Muslim sisters are forced to wear the horrendous burqa, my Hindu sisters are a subservient caste unto themselves, and my Catholic sisters are deemed unfit to preach from the pulpit. These are just some of the many insidious trickle-down effects of Daddy-Deism.

Additionally, the Trickle Down Deity Theory posits that whenever humanity is about to undergo a major spiritual shift, confusion is at a zenith. Historically, chaos reigned during the transition from the Third to the Fourth Spiritual Paradigm – when Jesus walked the Earth and solidified the current spiritual epoch. The resulting clash of competing spiritual belief systems all but eliminated polytheism (only Hinduism survived), toppled the Roman Empire, and led to the Christian Dark Ages, after which the Catholic Church dominated western civilization for the next 1,500 years. 

I have long dreamed of a spiritual revolution – led by the women of the world – that finally topples the anthropomorphic male Godhead. In its place, the world adopts a more mature and balanced theosophy capable of uniting all people of faith. The second book in the Oracle foundational trilogy, The Love: Of the Fifth Spiritual Paradigm, promotes this very vision.    

So what does the Trickle Down Deity Theory have to do with the revolution in Egypt?

Well, I think we would all agree that the Muslim world has been experiencing its own Dark Ages as of late. In particular, after the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1920, Islamic fundamentalism took hold in most of the newly formed Muslim countries. Yet today, freedom protests are spreading throughout Africa and the Middle East. And, as it turns out, it was a young female Muslim blogger – Asma Mahfouz – who many credit with starting the Egyptian revolution.                                                              See: http://www.countercurrents.org/mahfouz040211.htm

And how is the Trickle Down Deity Theory related to Virginia passing the ERA?

Well, let us first recall that 1920 also was a big year for the United States. That is the year we passed the 19thAmendment, which gave women the right to vote. Shortly thereafter in 1923, the Equal Rights Amendment was introduced to Congress, where it languished for 50 years. Then in 1972, Congress passed the ERA, but it was ratified by only 35 of the necessary 38 states.

Thereafter, some serious spiritual confusion set in, and the “Moral Majority” began its attack on the ERA. Christian fundamentalists denigrated the ERA, to the point where 5 states rescinded their ratification. Today, a Constitutional debate exists as to whether 3 or 8 more states are needed for ratification.

Regardless, the Virginia Senate voted last week to ratify the ERA. On Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2011, the Subcommittee for the Constitution in the Virginia House of Delegates will have the opportunity to release the ERA for a House vote. If the delegates approve the act, my home state will be the 36thto ratify the ERA, which benignly states: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Which leads us to the Trickle Down Deity litmus test: Does your God object to such equality of rights?