An Interpretation of The Relationship Between the Flesh and Spiritual Needs of Believers 0f Abrahamic Religions and its Effects on Behavior

Abstract

The main Abrahamic religions -Judaism, Christianity and Islam- agree among themselves on some religious facts, including: The Creator of heaven and earth is one God. He Who created man from a (earthly) flesh, spirit (breath from God), and the physical death of a person and the ascension of his/her spirit. Then the person rises on the last day, which is the day of divine judgment (i.e. reward or punishment), according to the person’s faith and deeds, etc. The Abrahamic religions also differ among themselves on many religious facts. Therefore, this study will focus only on what is common among the Abrahamic religions, and move away from what is in conflict. Now if we agree that a person is one unit in his being, and consists of a flesh (body) and a spirit, so the person must satisfy all his human needs: Spiritual and physical, including psychological. Assuming that the total human needs are 100%, and assuming that the level of satisfaction equalization -in theory- is equal to (50% for the body, 50% for the spirit). The body and the spirit will not be satisfied with its share of satisfaction; and for this reason, both will fight over the percentage of the other fifty percent to achieve the maximum possible satisfaction of its needs. For example, the body will try to achieve an additional primary level of physical satisfaction -at the expense of the spirit- which can be called ‘the level of superiority of the body in satisfaction’. Then it tries to achieve an additional, higher level of satisfaction ‘the level of leadership of the body for the human being’, then it tries to acquire more to reach the state of complete isolation to satisfy the human’s physical needs as much as possible. To approach what we call (the point of semi-animal human nature), that is, the maximum point of 100% satisfaction of the body, zero% for the spirit. Likewise, the spirit will try to achieve two higher levels of satisfaction at the expense of the body, namely: The level of supremacy of the spirit, then the level of leadership of the spirit for the human being. Then the attempt to isolate the spiritual needs of the person , ascending as much as possible to approach the maximum point of 100% for the spirit, zero% for the body (the point of the semi-angelic human nature). Now, if we assume that the believer will walk to satisfy the needs of the spirit more than the body. His goal and endeavor will be the love of God, his consent, and closeness to Him. And by extension, tame the body and transcend it as much as possible. As for the unbeliever or weak of faith, he will walk more in the body and his needs, and therefore his goal and endeavor will be to satisfy his desires and material needs as much as possible, sliding the spirit down ... Finally, it should be noted that this study does not agree with the Gnostic thought at all. So the flesh(body) is not an evil in and of itself, but its attraction to material needs and desires -according to the nature of its formation- will be much easier than rising to spiritual needs and desires. Likewise, the human spirit -according to the nature of its formation as well- is much easier to attract to spiritual needs than to slide into material needs. For all this, the area surrounding the hypothetical theoretical equalization level of satisfaction (50, 50) from below and above, is assumed to be the most intense conflict area between body and spirit, to satisfy the needs and desires of each. Which can be illustrated by the next seven graphics.