“Who, me? Religious? No thanks! I’m pretty spiritual but religion really turns me off.”
Ever heard someone say something like that? Ever said it yourself?
So what is it with this spiritual/religious divide? What makes what used to go together fall so far apart? Is it related to the idea that living-together seems to have more appeal than marriage?
“Who, us? Get married? No thanks! We’re pretty compatible but marriage really turns us off.”
What’s wrong with commitment? And, what does science have to do with any of this?
“Who me? Be scientific? No thanks! I’m pretty rational but exposing my ideas to the possibility of being disproven really turns me off.”
Just because some people get away with having their ideas accepted even when they aren’t true doesn’t make science invalid.
Just because some people get along famously living-together doesn’t invalidate marriage.
Just because engaging in spiritual activities makes a person more loving doesn’t make religion reprehensible.
It’s what people have made of marriage that makes many shy from it.
It’s what people have done to the use of the mind that has fostered less than rigorous thinking.
It’s what folks do in the name of religion that sends people running…
Marriage is an institution that makes a relationship more than being pretty compatible.
Science is an institution that makes thought more than pretty rational.
Religion is an institution that makes spirituality more than being a nice person…
There is also a science to marriage—a method of perfecting the living-together.
A science of religion?
I’ll leave you with a statement from the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith.
Spiritual Quote:
“Consider the rational faculty with which God hath endowed the essence of man. Examine thine own self, and behold how thy motion and stillness, thy will and purpose, thy sight and hearing, thy sense of smell and power of speech, and whatever else is related to, or transcendeth, thy physical senses or spiritual perceptions, all proceed from, and owe their existence to, this same faculty. So closely are they related unto it, that if in less than the twinkling of an eye its relationship to the human body be severed, each and every one of these senses will cease immediately to exercise its function, and will be deprived of the power to manifest the evidences of its activity. It is indubitably clear and evident that each of these afore-mentioned instruments has depended, and will ever continue to depend, for its proper functioning on this rational faculty, which should be regarded as a sign of the revelation of Him Who is the sovereign Lord of all. Through its manifestation all these names and attributes have been revealed, and by the suspension of its action they are all destroyed and perish.”
Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 163
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I admit to being one whom you describe as shying from religion and marriage…… how fitting an inquiry on the eve of a New Moon garnering our attention to how we think and communicate with each other. Thank you for your questioning.
The series-of-questions format of this post was sparked by our conversation about engaging the reader…
I think the issue is with “organized” religions, which seem to be run like tax-exempt businesses, not anything spiritual in nature.
as George Carlin said, “our religion is based on an invisible man in the sky who’s so bad with finances that he needs our money”
the origins of the word “religion” mean “return to God”, hence the need for a religion means you feel separate from God – is this “rational” or logical? Heard a televangelist on tv say that “rationality” was the enemy of God, which was all “revelation”!
too funny – when this guy gets a brain tumor does he want a rational, educated surgeon or someone relying on “the revelation of the holy ghost” to perform?
Great blog – I subscribe..!
Jose
metaphysics: http://bibledecoded.blogspot.com
artwork: http://josesinclair.blogspot.com
Thank you for commenting. The comment was in my spam but only because it had two links in it. I approved it since you did make a valuable comment…
All I would add to your comment is that most of what’s said about “organized” religion is said about what I perceive as a perversion of Real Religion…
By the way, you are an extremely fine artist !
Thanks, re the art..! I wish I was as good a writer. I first had a journalism scholarship at college, then got one offered in art as well and I switched. I often wish I’d gone the route of Henry Miller, who also did both but wrote a lot more, thankfully.
Great blog, one of my favorites! – Jose
The drawing called Maureen on http://josesinclair.blogspot.com is the most compelling, life-like one I’ve may have ever seen.
The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice…What we ponder and what we think or belief sets the course of our life.!
Growth does lie in choice–strong choice, choice which is made in spite of the ego’s wishes is the best choice…