by Shannon Kelly
There has been conflict surrounding belief systems regarding areas of relation to a higher source since one human decided fire was God, and other humans thought water was. It’s important for people to identify with a “supreme being”, “higher power”, or “God”. There is comfort in knowing that there is something more then what is here (in this life) and that there is a possibility of some aspect of immortality or continuation of the individual.
Spirituality is a personal connection to a source that a person considers to be the center of all existence. Religion is based on believing and identifying with an identified doctrine, structure, or document which represents the source of all things, often to the exclusion of other possibilities. There are similarities, but the exclusivity of most of the major religious beliefs disallows other ideas or interpretations then those identified by the governing bodies of these structured beliefs.
Religion:
Historically the knowledge of the secrets of eternal life either in bliss or damnation was delegated to a certain individual or group to maintain and nurture. It is this structure that later evolved into organized religions and beliefs. Certain individuals identified themselves as a spokesperson for God. And soon the rituals and ceremonies became special, where only the “wise man” or priest knew how to communicate to the higher power. This was the same time that God took on certain human-like qualities, such as being personally offended, that appeared to have the purpose of controlling the average individuals’ behaviors.
Through the structure of religious beliefs mankind could follow a chosen belief and create a community of like minded people. This is what basically happened. And with this also came conflict, “right” belief against “right” belief. The stricter the religious doctrines became the greater the conflict and splintering of the “right” groups, into groups that were “more right”. With the conflict over who was correct, came bloodshed and punishment for believing in something greater then we as humans.
This has continued, and in some ways has become more extreme as time goes on. Religions that state a belief in peace and compassion can be seen condemning and demeaning those that believe differently. This is demonstrated through the general conflicts which exist because one believes in a version of God and it isn’t what another group such as Christians vs. Jews vs. Muslim vs. Hindu vs. Christian vs. Muslim vs. Jew… and on and on and on. No one takes credit for starting the conflicts, and none appear ready to truly put an end to the violence.
Religion appears to have taken on an identity of oppositional sides as opposed to groups that believe in the basic construct that there is a God. The major religions seem to have forgotten that the true power of the Temple, Mosque, Church, or Synagogue is really in the individual practitioner. There is a direction from all these groups that their belief is right and they must control all of it, whatever “It” is. We continue to be in a world of religious absolutes, intolerance, and dogma which takes connection to God further and further away from the individual. Only through extreme acts such as war and terrorism (by all sides) does it seem that righteousness; however it is defined by those in control, is achieved.
This is not to say that all religion or its practitioners are negative, but the powers that control them are adversarial and oppositional to other belief structures. Society is showing a growing discomfort with structured beliefs and religious practices that isolate the individual from other beliefs. While trying hard to hold on to congregations, religious institutions are slowly eroding their foundation by condemning those that disagrees with their beliefs. This is leading to an increasing movement towards creating and understanding individual connections to God outside the boundaries of structured beliefs. People see that it is in the individuals’ belief where a personal connection to God evolves, and for them, that ownership defines Spirituality.
Spirituality:
Each individual has a connection to God, Spirit, the Higher Power, however it is described. The challenge is that it needs to be understood that there is no one construct of this Almighty Power. Each person has an individual relationship in their connection to this power. It isn’t because we hold aspect of God in our being, it’s because God embodies all aspects of everyone. In reality the greatest challenge that a human being is confronted with is not that they can’t connect with God, it’s that they can.
It is when we can comprehend the simplicity in the apparent confusion that we start to see our connections to the spiritual realm. Religion in general gained its power over people by maintaining complex rituals and through control of secrets that only the “wise men” could understand. It is these wise men who interpret for those who are not as connected to God. Religion requires a Priest, Imam, Monk, or Pastor to control the connections of others. This implies that the average man is incapable of personal connection to God. Without being helped by a superior being (Priest, etc…) the average man is helpless.
The initial challenge when attempting achieving a personal spiritual connection comes when confronting old religious beliefs. Trusting that it is possible that any individual can have a connection with God is difficult for many to do. There is a belief that to have a connection to God; a person must qualify for sainthood. Most average people don’t realize that those who call themselves religious leaders are often people who have as many conflicts and problems as anyone else.
Spirituality, that personal connection to God doesn’t require sainthood; it requires belief, trust, and a willingness to work towards a conscious life. It is not ritual, or secrets, but simplicity and a knowing. It is the personal commitment to live with the greatest integrity that the person is capable of and developing true compassion and understanding. It is an understanding of the self, of others, of the purpose of their being in this form.
Religion requires a hierarchy of control to maintain itself and control the individual, Spirituality only requires a teacher to initiate and nurture the individuals’ growth and connection. Where religion never lets go of the individual, it is the main purpose of Spirituality to have a teacher who has the purpose of guiding the student who is autonomous and capable of their own connection. When the student understands and creates their connection to God, they take ownership of their connection. From this point the individual will work with their teacher or community in time of question or growth.
Conflict:
Spirituality and religion exist on opposite ends of the spectrum of belief and practice. Many people attempt to find a balance between the two. Often both religion and spirituality are ignored so people can justify what they want to do for self gratification and aggrandizement.
Conflict is a distraction to any connection to God or self. The challenge is to allow belief and practice to be open, accepted, and safe. God or Spirit, or whatever someone wants to refer to it as is different for all of us. The greatest conflict a person confronts is the personal acceptance and connection that they are challenged with to be their highest self as a reflection of what they believe.
If personal responsibility is taken in connection to God, what happens is that person understands their greater connection to all life around. When spiritual connection is achieved at the deepest possible level, conflict holds no power; control holds no power, only choice of action and connection.
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