When we are born we may not have physical skills, the ability to speak or even understand this strange world. We are beautifully naive. According to Carolyn Mueller, writing for Pubmed.gov, (a mainstream, US government medical library), "Children are born with 'spiritual competence,' an inner quality or power for faith development". It is not about being religious at this point.
Before all the adults begin to "educate" "mold" and "guide" children, they already have the wisdom to know that there is something Spiritual about themselves. Can they tell us about it? No! but there is an innate knowing that Spirit exists within them. Do they have any religious training or experiences? No! but there is a wisdom within them that says, "I am a part of something greater than this life. Something wonderful and filled with love"
Religious Or Spiritual
This reminds me of the story of two brothers. One was 5 and the other was 3. Mom was watching them play together, as mom's do, when the older one asked the younger "Do you still see God?" the younger replied "Yes, do you?" The older replied; "Yes, but not like I used to. It's like he is far away".
As we grow older, our busy minds become filled with new information. We are learning how to speak, read, eat, walk and we watch and listen to those in our lives who influence us the most. We take our ques from body language, facial expressions, words and sounds from parents and others who we care about and depend upon for our safety and livelihood.
In the first 7 years we forget about our Spiritual selves, mostly, because our society has forgotten to share that information. How many of you, reading this post, had Spiritual time every day with family?
Religion Vs Spirituality
Many of us started out by saying Grace at a meal or going to church. If you are anything like me there was something very unsatisfying about the experience. By the time I was 16 (and a teenage know-it-all) I decided that the people in my church were mostly hypocrites and I rejected religion outright.
Fast forward forty five years and I began to realize there was this nagging feeling that there must be something more to life than living through my busy mind. I began to explore my Spirituality.......still am. But I feel better now by simply beginning the journey. Remember, I was a Spiritual baby also.
In my humble opinion, religion is a construct of man. I find it interesting that all the feelings I have about my Spiritual self can be found in almost all of the sacred texts of all other religions. Love, forgiveness, compassion, gratitude have served me well as cornerstones of my life and business.
But many religions would have us believe that women are inferior to men, white Europeans are superior to brown people, lose an eye take an eye, smote your neighbor if they do not comply, borders, fences and walls keep us safe, Christ died for our sins........really? Am I supposed to feel guilty about that? How many lives have been lost defending misplaced religious beliefs? Does anyone really believe a loving Creator would want that for us?
Spiritual Download
I have no doubt that Spiritually evolved humans downloaded scripture from Creator. I speak to my own Loving Consciousness every day and hear answers every time. The problem arises when humans succumb to ego and allow fear to creep in. What began as a Spiritual download becomes a construct of fear and boundaries and limits are enforced where freedom and expansiveness once reigned.
Take your particular sacred texts with skepticism. If what you read doesn't feel good, question it. It is likely the next chapter will contradict it anyway. I believe we are loved unconditionally and the only problem we have is we believe our negative thoughts. Negative thoughts are driven by ego who is a trickster. Negative thoughts are lies we tell ourselves to keep ourselves small.
Doctrine, Dogma, and Righteousness
Many parts of religion are about doctrine, dogma and righteousness. People become "indoctrinated" to a particular religious dogma by influencers in their lives and become righteous about it. If I feel righteous about my dogma and yours is different I think you should change.
This begins a war in the mind which leads to war in reality. None of this has anything to do with the Loving Consciousness that is "I Am". "I Am that I Am" the name for all that is loving and allowing and expansive and bright.
There are many religious people who are kind, generous, compassionate and loving. If you love your people, the ritual of church, find fellowship in community and feel good as you do good I love you unconditionally.
I choose a path that has only 1 rule. Love yourself enough to communicate with Spirit every day in order to be of service to others.
Feel Better Now
Whether you are religious or spiritual, or neither, I trust this post will help you Feel Better Now, in this moment, and evoke interesting rebuttal.
Al.
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Hi Al. I like your diversion into the religious and spiritual. we need more people rebutting the ridicule which goes with lack of believe. Religion as a practice, especially main christian, is still suffering from a God in heaven ordering life below him…. I am sure it is now two generations of young people who have cast out the spirit as well as religion. Out with the baby in the Bathwater. most of our churches are skeletons of the past, transformed into other halls. its “childish” to believe in a God ruling over us” – and yes they are right! No God judging us from on high. In Quantum we are all one in the energy field. Goodness knows how religious in the not so far past could have been so horrid both to kids, and to “witches” and others. Its time to move from last century towards the acceptance of Quantum showing we are all one in the Field; What do you think of Ken Wilber’s A Theory of Everything? he has written many more. If you go to Academia and look for my thesis, under Gillian Leigh, you will find more on how this came about in the last 4 centuries. I questioned Leigh on this (I am staying with him as present) and he, like all his friends, doesn’t believe anything other than the practical solving problems of work etc in the here and now. None of my sister’s children in UK ever speak of God, and nor, sadly, does she. We have lost the early teaching on the Mount of the Beatitudes. that should be our practice, together with the Holy Spirit’s presence of Love and compassion and healing. Please don’t ask me how to change it – I really don’t know at present. best wishes, Al.
Thank you Gillian, I am grateful for you and your insights. You have studied this way beyond what I ever will. My take on all this comes from “conversations with Spirit” which, no doubt, have been tainted, at times, by my ego. Isn’t it great to be human? Isn’t it great to be a Spirit in a physical body? Painful yet satisfying.
I have read some of Ken Wilbur’s stuff. Not the above mentioned, however. Afraid I have little time right now to read much more but thanks for the referral. Hopefully one of my readers will pick up on it. Recommend said readers search out your thesis. Perhaps you could send a link in reply.
Stay safe, see you this summer when you return to God’s country, LOL.