Lifeboat Theory is the idea coined by author Donald Miller which identifies the trend of society fragmenting because of a spiritual tendency to want to make ourselves more important than others. The individual, in times of in extreme stress, like in a lifeboat situation, will inevitably try to make themselves more important than the next person.

The classic example is how evolution has developed as a means to describe all sorts of immoral behaviors as natural. It starts with the simple and innocent sounding notion that the human race is divided up into races. Scientifically this is not the case. The biological methods used to determine discrete species has not been able to distinguish between us.

However the determination to find differences between different individuals and groups of people has never been stronger than in todays, survival of the fittest mentality. Instead of difference being recognized as a strength, each individual playing out their function in the body of Christ, it is used as a means of "weeding out the weaker link". Before we know it we may not have any of Christs body parts to weed out, because we have again strewn out his body in a bloody mess.

Instead of celebrating the diversity of Gods kingdom we reduced it to a mono body part. A singular pathetic view of what is good that without head or heart has ripped apart the others while it was filled with the drunken dogma of the survival of the fittest war-cry against the body.

With the survival of the fittest mentality it's a case of lets get out of this ship before the whole thing goes down. The irony is is that it is the blindness of
the world to see this as the problem that is making the ship sink. Each camp separating ourself off into groups because we have become experts at recognizing our negative differences - more expert as the game has progressed.

And then we all make our way towards the lifeboats of this sinking ship all prepared with our answers as to why we are the ones who should not get cast over to make room for another who has elevated themselves with a great story about how good they are. They may decide it is their art, their rational, their actions that have made them greater and more worthy to live. they may say, "It is natural that I should live". Don't believe that person when they tell you. Worthy is the one who gave his life for the others. It's up to the rest of us to follow in his example and keep the boat afloat until he returns.

In identifying with the many aspects of Spirit in the one we are freed from judging others, because all judgment has been suspended against us. We recognize there is only ONE non judgmental compassionate Spirit, and everything is a manifestation of that spirit. And through this identification with the great compassionate act of God it makes it possible to have communion with our true purpose.


In effect we can begin to make our ascension to heaven guided by compassion, because with compassion we can see God in everything. We see Jesus in Others and unlock the potential in others and ourselves. The problem is we have a tendency to regress to a mentality that is bound to the culture of our times. At Spiritual- Self we call this lifeboat theory. Its the idea that when there is a perception of sinking lifeboat, individuals interpret their culture and tend to want to make themselves look more important to try to persuade their colleges they deserve their place on the lifeboat more than the next person.

Lifeboat theory can explain why all of us at times fail to identify with the compassionate Spirit. The good news about the disaster of the lifeboat predicament is that it forces us to see the Spiritual Eternal Reality of all things good.

Reality in the (I) individual subjective self .eg. Transcendence	Reality in the  (it)  objective self of the individual eg. Science
Reality in the (We) the collective subjective self and culture. eg. Culture	Reality in the (it's) the collective objective self of the many. eg. Society

See Ken Wilber (A brief History of Everything)

Only when you have these four aspects of Spirit coming together do you get the full picture. This site is designed for you to find your own take on life boat theory beginning at the top of the menu on the right and working your way down. Alternately you can explore life boat theory through the heroes journey.