Monday, July 30, 2012

Why do I need religion? I have GOD


Recently I discovered something about myself that I had not paid close attention to before.  While I have always been aligned with The Most High God and also an appreciative recipient of the purging of my sins through the bloodshed and death of Jesus Christ, I am not a fan of religion. 
I have family members who consider themselves to be Christian, Baptist, Pentecostal and I might be related to a few Atheists.  However, I myself have never identified with one religion exclusively.  What I have identified with is the fact that I am in awe of everyone’s belief systems and the choice to worship without condemnation.  I admire the kosher lifestyle of the Muslim and Jewish faiths.  I can closely identify with the dedication to family and marriage exemplified by Catholics.  Through exploration and understanding of others I find myself without warm regard for religion but full of spirituality.
It is documented fact that wars have been ignited in the name of religion.  How many wars can we prove have begun because of a person’s spirituality?
Our spirituality or the “vital principle of conscious life, which animates the body mediating between body and soul” is where our true essence lies.  Our value system within this life, the goodness of our character that we want to pass on to our children, sharing and community are common to all people and unlike religion bring us closer together.
I believe in Spirituality but I am not religious.  I will always have God but why do I need religion?
Some people may believe that without submitting to the doctrines of an established religion that you have no moral compass but if morals played as big a part in religion as it should there would be no religions that called for the bloodshed of innocent citizens in the name of any God.
In polytheist African villages animals are sacrificed to the gods.  In the Baptist church monetary offerings are made to god.  When our lives are going well or according to our plan, any God is good.  However it is the midst of crisis that a God or Gods are either praised or cursed.  But at the end of the day we all need to believe in powers stronger, wiser and higher than ourselves.  In a chaotic and sometimes callous world faith and hope are the only things we truly own.


Source: Dictionary Reference.  http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Spirit?s=t

No comments:

Post a Comment