Equilibrium February 1 , 2008
SPIRITUALITY UNIFIES HUMANITY RELIGION DIVIDES HUMANITY
Little causes more heated debate and potentially hurt feelings than the topic of religion between people of differing opinions and faiths. While religious values and tradition have been of great comfort to millions of people, it has also caused enmity between neighbours, civil strife and even wars that have led to the annihilation of at least as many millions.
Of course, it is seldom the religion itself that advocates any hatred or violence, or even non-acceptance of others, but the righteousness of its proponents who cannot believe that another’s belief is as good as his or hers. “Your God isn’t as good as my God” quickly converts into “You are not as good as me.”
Underlying all religions is the sense of spirituality that forms their basis. What would that sense of spirit be like without being attached to any religion? What would it be like not attached to any concept of God, or a “higher power”?
My very personal view is that we have had to create that concept of God in order to deal with the wonder and mystery of life, which is too vast a question for any human to understand. Instead of being content to accept the wonder, we have to explain it. If we were to let that go we could be spiritual without being religious. And once we are in a state of wonder without explanation, I believe we are in the state of spiritual awareness that embraces all individuals.
No, I don’t expect to change the world with this message. I do hope to provoke some thoughtful discussion, and maybe even some heightened unity among my friends of many different beliefs.
February 26th is the date for the start of the next Emotional Fitness Coach Training course. Don’t delay if you are interested. Give me a call or send an e-mail and let’s discuss how you can learn a hugely powerful set of coaching tools for yourself that is available nowhere else. COMING SOON! Watch out for a new format to the course – a modular approach so that you can create your own flexible program.
Warren Redman
(403) 245-5463 or toll free 1-866-310-EFit (3348)
3 comments:
Hi Warren,
When I was growing up and into my early 30's, I was quite involved with the United Church and it still has a special place in my heart for the camaraderie that I enjoyed with different groups. However, I could never embrace all the tenets of the church in the same way as some of my colleagues. I loved a song that repeated the phrase...may the spirit in me meet the spirit in you, Halleluia! I have often called "the wonder" the spirit of my central cylinder...the energy that comes with the sunshine each day and the energy that motivates me to learn more about being human. Thoughtful discussion about any topic has the potential to restore respect, reason and unity as individuals learn how to listen as well as how to formulate their own thoughts.
Thanks for the time that you took to write this article.
Kathy
It’s great that you believe that ‘we’ created God. But ironic that you have to say then say that ‘we’ are God. If there is no God there is no human spirit. So no spiritual awareness just the reality that what goes on should go on and that none of it is right or wrong, just nature. So evil doesn’t exist, hatred doesn’t exist, simply survival of the fittest. The truth is we can’t live like that. So we have to believe the truth that God exists, that he is outside of us, not apart of us, that he created us, or make something up that explains this. The truth is we didn’t create God. We just refuse to believe in him because it makes us accountable to someone other that ourselves and ‘we’ don’t want to give up control of our lives. It is not God that is responsible for the Death of ‘Countless Millions’ it is our own selfishness.
The truth is that two exclusive and contradictory idea’s can not both be true. Jesus either Rose from the dead for our fallen attitudes and beliefs or he didn’t, Both cannot be true.
Thanks and God Bless!
Thank you Mac for your thoughtful reply.
I want both to honour your concept of the truth and to repeat that what I shared was my “very personal view”. This is my point – that the “truth” in the context of our understanding of the universe and religious belief has to be personal. A Jew and a Muslim would not share your version of the truth about Jesus. Does this mean that they are wrong? And since I do believe that we can be spiritual without God does that mean my version of the truth is any less than yours? What happens when we stick so much to our version of the truth is that those who are “non-believers” become less in the eyes of the “believers”. My version of the world of human spirituality is that we can each hold our own special belief without it needing to be the truth for all – or indeed for anyone else. If that is so (and, again, this is simply how I see things) then there can indeed be a place for two or more contradictory ideas to be true, although they are no longer exclusive.
Blessings
Warren
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