Anyone who has invested time, energy and effort into finding their own truth knows that ignorance is NOT bliss. Understanding the religious environment that we grew up in should be the natural first step towards defining our own belief system. All too often, we grow up getting bits and pieces of religion, but never take the time to look at the bigger picture.
It's the bigger picture that enables us, as thinking, feeling human beings, to evaluate both the truth and the doctrine of established religion, and decide for ourselves what "fits" us in this lifetime and what doesn't, keeping in mind that 'the doctrine' of any given religion may not feel right to us, but the basic truth upon which the religion was built seems very familiar and very 'right.'
Most religions have been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Common sense tells us that lots of people have made lots of changes in the teachings of any particular religion, for lots of reasons. Our job, as spiritual seekers, is to get back to the basics - the basic teachings of the 'master teacher' upon whom the religion was founded.
Our 'problem' with established religion is often that we can't find a religion that fits our modern-day lifestyle. We protest against some of the religious doctrine and practices, believing that they just aren't appropriate for living life in today's world. Without looking any further, we say, "That's not right for me," and move on in the hopes of finding a different religion that we can be more comfortable with.
In studying the history of the churches, we come to a clearer understanding of why they did things the way they did, when they did them, and - hopefully - the importance of separating truth from doctrine in our quest for spiritual truth becomes more and more obvious. It doesn't matter which religion we're looking at; in every case, there are the teachings of the Master Teacher, and the doctrine (which was established by followers, not by the Master himself) that guides us in learning how to express the Master's truth in our day-to-day lives.
That is NOT a bad thing; then and now, learning to express our spiritual truth on a day-by-day basis is what 'finding and following our own path in life' is all about. We turn to present-day spiritual teachers to guide us in expressing our spirituality, all the while resenting the spiritual teachers of yore who did the same for their life students. I have no doubt that generations from now, free-thinkers will criticize the teachers (and teachings) of our time as "old-fashioned' and 'inappropriate to their lifestyle.' That's the way it has always been, and that's the way it will always be: established religion gives each soul something to think about - a starting point in deciding what their personal truth will (or will not) be in that lifetime.
We run into problems when we want to express our beliefs differently than any particular sect of any particular religion tells us to. If we stop thinking of 'established religion' as a firm set of rules and regulations that we are expected to follow if we want to be a 'spiritual person,' and look at it instead as a historical recap of the ways generations of people have chosen to express the spiritual teachings of a specific Master Teacher, we can free ourselves of the emotional rebellion we sometimes experience at being told what we should think and what we should feel. Once we stop feeing defensive, we can begin to explore the 'truth' as the Master Teacher taught it, without getting lost in the doctrine established by those who came after him.
Once we separate the truth from the doctrine, we begin to realize that there really isn't much difference in 'truth' at all; the common thread that runs through every major religion in the world is what we, today, call "Universal Law." Every great spiritual Master (including the ones upon whose teachings the various religions were founded) taught the same basic principles. Our goal in spiritual seeking should be two-fold: to get back to the basic teachings, and then to decide whether those teachings, as presented by any religion, ring true for us, as individuals, in this lifetime. Too often, we lose our focus and put our emphasis on doctrine (which comes and goes with each change in the socio-economic environment) instead of on the basic truth which the doctrine is striving to express.
Lois Grant-Holland is a Life Path Focus Counselor offering Life Path Focus Sessions, Karmic Astrology Charts, Channeled Guidance, Intuitive Readings and Classes and Workshops to spiritual seekers on all positive paths, and is the site facilitator at The A.N.S.W.E.R. - (The Seeker's Resource Guide to Alternative, New Thought, Spiritual Growth, Wellness and Enlightenment Resources.) You can visit her website at http://www.loisgrantholland.com
trusted cleaning company Bannockburn ..No, I have never seen a fairy, an angel, nor... Read More
What better example than Jesus' life to explain about having... Read More
Many consider anger a normal human emotion and continue to... Read More
All Shamans have several power songs because the vibration of... Read More
Do you ever feel that what you read in some... Read More
During moments of helplessness, there is always one thing that... Read More
While I do hope to avoid arguing the merits or... Read More
The following fragment was found in Qumran along with the... Read More
Did you ever see something go wrong around you and... Read More
It's human nature to point a finger when we think... Read More
It's strange how my life today looks wildly different from... Read More
Tony was a professinoal salt-water fisherman. He explained how he... Read More
Spirit DancerThe spirit dancer is the card of creative expression.... Read More
I come face to face with self whenever you come... Read More
African-American people are natural caretakers. We do a great job... Read More
As Mother's day is upon us, Iam moved to express... Read More
Do you ever have one of those days when you... Read More
THE GNOSTICS, ESSENES AND THE 'OCCULT':Throughout this book I have... Read More
Do you have a servant's heart? Has God blessed you... Read More
Some may ask why in a disaster some people are... Read More
It is life, time for breathing deep, sighs and touching... Read More
There is nothing more valuable to a sentient being then... Read More
Stress is amazingly persistent, even seductive. We get used to... Read More
Is it really possible that Don Juan could command the... Read More
A feeling of fulfillment is something we all seek. Here... Read More
luxury cleaning services Lake Forest ..A lot of times when I am reading people on... Read More
The deeper beauty of spring is its process. In winter's... Read More
We see it all the time in people's lives some... Read More
Sounds like a tall order doesn't it? But I think... Read More
Years ago, my minister spoke to us about how you... Read More
Connect with Your GodDo you at times, feel fearful, depressed,... Read More
Several months ago, I read an... Read More
I know God will not give me anything I can't... Read More
It was said that Caesar Augustus one night consulted his... Read More
I believe in the source we refer to as 'God'.... Read More
When the body of Christ isn't protected we become vulnerable... Read More
I want to tell you a love story. It's actually... Read More
About a month ago I opened up my bible in... Read More
"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and... Read More
Universal Law is an invisible influence in every individual's life,... Read More
My favorite scripture is Roman's 8:28. "And we know that... Read More
You're looking at one star in the middle of a... Read More
I had the intention of writing about Soul Mates but... Read More
What does the story of your life say about you?... Read More
In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the... Read More
Rabbi Kushner in his book "When Bad Things Happen to... Read More
I recently had the pleasure to interview Richard Rudis, a... Read More
Last week I talked about the need to practice emotional... Read More
In life, sooner or later, we come to the midnight... Read More
God, what a wonderful spirit. He, is our ever present... Read More
Spirituality |